Dobrodoli u Hrvatska!

Welcome to Croatia.

ngel Mndez Glendys Santiago Rodrguez Laura English III Croatia is a country located in Southeastern Europe. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. Croatia borders Slovenia to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast.

Croats share an overall sense of national culture. Their culture is the result of a fourteen century-long history which has seen the development of many cities and monuments including many adoptions from ancient Greek, Roman and Illyrian cultures. Language The Croats speak Croatian, a South Slavic language of the IndoEuropean family. Croatian is written in the Latin alphabet. It has thirty letters, each of them are pronounced with a distinct sound. The Croatian language has German, Hungarian, Italian and Turkish words. Folklore The cultures that influenced Croatian folk culture through the centuries are Hungarian, Austrian, Venetian, Balkan, ancient Croatian, ancient Mediterranean, and Turkish. Traditional Croatian folk culture is manifested in dances, songs, holiday traditions, folktales, and other forms. Religion The dominant religious tradition of the Croats is Roman Catholicism. For thirteen centuries, they have steadfastly maintained their religion. Catholic tradition and values remain among the most important aspects of Croatian national and cultural identity. Major holidays Croatia today has a number of official national holidays. Many of these are associated with Catholic holy days and traditions. These include Easter Monday (late March or early April), the Feast of the

Assumption of Mary (August 15), All Saints' Day (November 1), Christmas Day (December 25), December 26, and Epiphany (January 6). Other nonworking holidays are New Year's Day (January 1), International Labor Day (May 1), Statehood Day (May 30), AntiFascist Struggle Day (June 22), and Patriotic Gratitude Day (August 5). Most of the notable holiday customs are associated with the church holidays. Easter is celebrated by coloring and sharing eggs, preparing and blessing food baskets, and attending church services. On All Saints' Day, people visit cemeteries, light candles, and place chrysanthemums on the graves in remembrance of their deceased loved ones. On the eve of St. Nicholas Day, December 6, children leave their shoes out for St. Nicholas to leave them gifts. And finally there is a symbol of Croatian culture; Cravat or Necktie. It was part of the uniform worn by Croatian soldiers. It was disseminated across Europe during Thirty Years' War (16181648) by Croatian regiments serving under Austria.

Transportation. Croatia has an extensive rail network. All rail services are operated by Croatian Railways. On the other hand, the inter-city bus network is extensively developed, with higher levels of coverage and timetables than the railways. Croatia has also three major international airports, located in Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik and an extensive system of ferries that are available on a daily or weekly basis. From April to September, the schedule is denser and can include several round trips within a day.

Boat and ferries are the ideal way, and relatively cheaper, to visit the Islands Croats. Budget. In general Croatia is not that expensive; prices vary a lot depending on the location. The highest prices are found in the top tourist areas, like Istria, Dubrovnik and islands, the cheapest prices are found in the mainland, and in the smaller Dalmatian cities. Prices of Hotels, flights, ferry, car rentals, bars, restaurants and taxi fares may go up and down, depending on the demand and season of the year. Any Venezuelan who wishes travelling to Croatia in low season will need around 17.200 Bs including Tickets cost from Caracas. Unlike high seasons where the prices are higher: 24.500 Bs.

Places to visit. Zagreb: Zagreb is Croatia's capital city and a top sight for its wealth of museums, restaurants and nightlife. This is an exciting city that offers an invaluable window into Croatian culture. The "Upper Town" has delightful hilly, narrow streets with cafes, shops and bars filling the 18th-century buildings. The "Lower Town" is more citified but the long line of parkland that stretches from the train station to the town centre makes a nice stroll in any season. Dubrovnik: located at the city of Ston, may well be the highlight of your Croatian holiday. Dubrovnik is Croatia's top sight, and its most visited destination.

This place was baptized as the pearl of Adriatic because of its incomparable architectural heritage. The gleaming marble streets of Dubrovnik are lined with baroque buildings punctuated by beautifully sculpted Renaissance Fountains and facades. You can also enjoy the beautiful beaches this city has to laze away the day in the sun. Offshore, the crystal-clear sea is littered with wooded islands that make easy day trips. Split: Split is busy and big (it's Croatia's second largest city). There are great Sights to visit such as Diocletians Palace, and Romans ruins under a dramatic mountain backdrop and opens onto a vast expanse of sea. There are many island you can easily visit; Solta and Brac, Trogir, Baskavoda and Marskaka. The most famous beach is Zlatni Rat on the island of Brac. In 2009 this beach was voted "the best in Europe" by the Daily Telegraph and "one of the 10 best beaches in the World". The island of Brac has a smaller sandy cove near Postira, along with several pebble bays. Baska Voda, once a small fishing, farming and trading village, is now a favourite tourist resort. It nestles beneath the spectacular Biokovo Mountains from which watercourses mark out olive groves, vineyards and pine forests from the mountain peaks down to the golden beaches and islands. While the Makarska Riviera is a series of picturesque white pebble bays and water's edge promenades. Korcula Island is hemmed by 195 beaches and coves that make excellent snorkelling grounds. Whichever Croatia beach you may

choose, a pine clad promenade is likely to form a green ribbon backdrop to amazingly clear water.

Foods to try Croatians place a high priority on fresh, correctly prepared food. The Cuisine is based on a hugely varied range of seafood dishes. It's said that 400 species of fish thrive in local waters. Some which appear on mouth watering menus could include bream, cuttlefish and fresh sardines, swordfish-style dentex and orhan, prstaci shellfish, langoustines like mini lobsters, and squid -often deliciously prepared with rice in its own blue-black ink. Every person who visits this country always tries the brodet, a mixed fish stew with rice. But if you want something more "exotic", asks mish-mash or "konoba", they are cheap and very tasting. You can also try "burek" (puff pastry with cheese or meat) or "Skampi na buzaru" (Norway lobster in sauce of tomato and garlic), is a luxury food, for four persons may not pass 100 Euros. Clothes to wear It depends of the stage of the season. A trip to Croatia is likely to involve enjoying the fabulous beaches, so bikinis are very much the dress for the day time. For evenings, a smart-casual look will work well, and if you are planning on eating out, it is worth knowing that restaurants are not that formal, but people do tend to dress up in the evenings.

The early evening is still traditionally the time when locals take a stroll before dinner; the ladies showing off tans in floaty summer dresses and guys in jeans and polo shirts. Pretty sandals/flip flops are definitely your best bet. If you are planning on visiting any religious sites then you must cover your shoulders. The summer (June August) is very hot and the lightest natural fabrics will work best. In the cooler months - from November to May - you need to pack a rainproof coat.

Best time of year It depends on what you want to do, of course, but for most purposes the best time to visit Croatia is in late spring or early autumn followed by summer and lastly winter.

References.

Embassy of Croatia, Washington, D.C. Croatia. http://www.croatiaemb.org/ (1998) Global etiquette. Retrieved from: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/globaletiquette/croatia.html. Illiland, Mary K. (2011, June 11). Countries and their culture. Retrieved from: http://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Croatia.html What to wear in holidays. Retrieved from: http://www.whattowearonholiday.com/holidaywardrobe/europe/croatia/75-what-to-wear-in-croatia.php