Croatia Guide
Istria
A large, triangular peninsula pointing down into the northern Adriatic, Istria (in Croatian, "Istra") represents Croatian tourism at its most developed. In recent decades the region's proximity to Western Europe has ensured an annual influx of sun-seeking package tourists, with Italians, Germans, Austrians and what seems like the entire population of Slovenia flocking to the mega-hotel developments that dot the coastline. Istrian beaches – often rocky areas that have been concreted over to provide sunbathers with a level surface on which to sprawl – do tend to lack the appeal of the out-of-the-way coves that you'll find farther south in Dalmatia or the Adriatic islands, yet the modern hotel complexes and rambling campsites have done little to detract from the region's essential charm: development has left many of the Italianate coastal towns relatively unspoiled, while the interior, with its medieval hilltop settlements pitched high in the mountains, still preserves an off-the-beaten-path feel despite its rising popularity.
Highlights
1 Pula amphitheatre The Romans built things to last, and this 2000-year-old monument is still the dominating feature of Pula's landscape.
2 Brijuni islands An idyllic offshore paradise that once served as President Tito's personal holiday resort.
3 Rovinj Italianate, chic and bustling – the pick of the west-coast resorts.
4 The basilica of Euphrasius, Poreč A venerable sixth-century structure whose Byzantine-influenced mosaics are as good as any around the Mediterranean.