So beautiful that everyone wants to go

Tourism is booming in Croatia …

Most Germans consider summer to be the most beautiful time of the year. After all, it is pleasantly warm and vacation is just around the corner. At least those who have school-age children are traveling now – if possible to a place that is not so crowded with tourists. So the dream.

Croatia was once such a place, a real insider tip. Fifteen years ago, the country was still one of the blank spots on the traveler’s map. However, it is now considered cheap Alternative to Italy and is correspondingly overcrowded, especially in summer.

And rightly so: the country is not only beautiful in terms of landscape, but also architecturally. Thanks to the influence of the Ancient Romans, it actually looks like Italy. Even the food is similar – only the Croatians come more hospitable over. Not only that: they are also considered to be one of the most attractive races. This is supposed to be the case in the major Croatian city Split the most beautiful women in the world live. (Taken from a travel guide, but others rave about it too …)

… and spoils the holiday mood

All of this has made Croatia a real tourist hotspot. However, almost exclusively for families and senior citizens. But since then, too game of Thrones in Dubrovnik was shot and Split specializes in techno festivals, young party tourists have also discovered the country for themselves. You definitely need strong nerves for a summer vacation in Croatia.

The beauty of the Mediterranean

Nevertheless, the country still has a lot to offer, especially the sea, which shimmers in every imaginable shade of blue, with its clear water of excellent quality. Those who like to swim are in good hands in Croatia. Relaxing on the beach is difficult given the stony coast. Slip-ons provide a bit of relief here, and ideally you should keep them on straight away in the water. Getting into the water from a boat is of course also an option. It also offers a nice change and is especially popular with children.

Get to know Croatia from the water

Rent a boat Croatia? There are enough options. After all, Croatia not only has a lot of coastline, but also has hundreds of small islandsto be discovered. Very few of them are inhabited. The best known include, for example Krk, Rab and Hvar. On site, various organizers offer the opportunity to make round trips on larger boats. Because many of the islands have pebble beaches (which allow bathing without flip-flops), secluded bays or have sights such as the ruins of thousands of years old settlements.

The island world of Croatia is actually so diverse that some tourists completely ignore the mainland and move on Cruises set. However, only very small ships are in use, which can hardly accommodate more than 50 guests. With them you can get to know one island after the other. Bike tours are usually organized on site, on which a guide introduces the whole island and its special features. A sporty cultural pleasure, so to speak!

A few years ago I went on a mini cruise like this myself – it was the most active vacation I’ve ever been on. For smaller children, however, this form of travel is not yet an option, because the bike tours are sometimes quite demanding and last several hours. Most of the islands are mountainous and require a certain level of fitness. A child should therefore not be younger than 10 years if they want to keep up.

Nature and national parks

Many families come to Croatia just for the nature and national parks. That is not surprising in view of such natural wonders as that Plitvice Lakes. Although the national park is inland, enough holidaymakers still find their way there. In the duck march you pass the waterfalls. Standing for hours until everyone has their selfie is more the rule than the exception. As mentioned above: you need nerves made of steel. However, when the day-trippers are back in their buses, calm returns. Strangely, hardly a tourist gets lost in the area around the Plitvice Lakes, although this also invites you to go hiking.

When is the best time to travel to Croatia?

Anyone who is allergic to crowds should do so if possible not in summer travel to Croatia. Even smaller cities are then just as overrun as you otherwise only know from Venice. And slowly this is also recognized as a problem: Croatia suffers from it mass tourism. Just like in Venice, too many mega cruise ships land. It is said that tourism brings a lot of money to the country, but most of the locals do not benefit from it: They work for low wages in restaurants and hotels, but at the same time they have to come to terms with the fact that living space is becoming scarce and expensive. After all, tourists pay better.

Too bad that the longest holidays fall in summer – and that many families want to go to the south. Of course, if you prefer a beach holiday, you don’t go to the sea in winter.

Nevertheless, I can only recommend visiting the small Balkan state in autumn or early spring. Because a holiday can only be relaxing if you enjoy it in peace.

LG Anne !!!