Croatia is a central European and Mediterranean country, bordering with Slovenia in the West, Hungary in the North, Serbia in the East and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the South. Croatia was once the Roman Pannonia territory in the 7th century. The Croatian people converted to Christianity between the 7th and 9th centuries. They also adopted the Roman alphabet under the reign of Charlemagne. In the year 925, the Croatians defeated the Byzantine and Frankish invaders and subsequently established their own kingdom which peaked in the 11th century. The civil war broke out in 1089 which resulted in the country being subjected to the Hungarian in 1091. The signing of Pacta Conventa by the chief of Croatia and the King of Hungary in 1102 united both countries under the Hungarian monarchy, but the Croatian autonomous power was still preserved. In 1526, the Hungarians lost the Mohacs battle to the Turks. Following that, Croatia with Hungary chose Austria's Archduke Ferdinand from Hapsburg as their king. After the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian government in 1867, Croatia became part of Hungary until the fall of Austria-Hungary in 1918 due to defeat in the First World War. On October 29, 1918, Croatia declared its independence and joined a union with Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia to form Serbs, Croats and Slovenia. The name was later converted to Yugoslavia in 1929. In 1990, free elections were held, and the Communists were defeated by the nationalist party led by Franjo Tudjman. In June 1991, the Croatian parliament passed the declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. Six months of intense fighting with the Serb-dominated Yugoslav army took thousands of lives and mass destruction.

Croatia has a long maritime border with Italy on the Adriatic Sea. The borders are 2,028 km long. Croatia has 5,835 km of coastline where 4,057 km is owned by islands, cliffs and reefs. There are 1,185 islands in the Adriatic, while only about 50 islands are inhibited. The largest island is Krk near Rijeka, which has a land area of ​​462 sq. km, while the most famous islands in the country including Hvar, Brac, Korcula and Pag. Croatia has an extraordinary shape which is not owned by any other country in the world. It was due to the expansion of the area by the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) in the fifth century towards Central Europe. Croatia covers an area of ​​56,691 square kilometres and has a population of about 4.29 million in 2011. Almost 90% of the population are Croatian and most of them are Roman Catholics and there are also Serbian, Bosnian, Hungarian and Italian minorities. The main population area of Croatia is Zagreb, the capital of Croatia with a population of fewer than 800,000 people. Osijek is located in the Northeast with only 107,000 inhabitants, while the port of Rijeka located on the North coast has a population of 128,000. The split is in the south with a population of 178,000. Other famous cities are Dubrovnik, Makarska, Porec, Rovinj, Opatija, Zadar and Sibenik.

To enter Croatia, foreign tourists usually do not need a visa. The United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand citizens do not require a visa to enter Croatia. Travellers can stay in Croatia for 90 days. Although Croatia is one of the countries in the European Union, Croatia is not part of the Schengen. For those who need a Schengen visa to enter Europe, you can enter Croatia without using the Schengen visa. It is said that Croatia will be one of the Schengen members between 2019 and 2021. For Malaysians, you can visit Croatia without having to apply for any visa. You can visit Croatia without a visa for 90 days. If you intend to visit or stay in Croatia for more than 90 days, you must apply for a Schengen visa. Schengen visa will be enforced for Malaysians wishing to visit Croatia for over 90 days in 2021. For Europeans, you can enter Croatia by showing your national identity card instead of using a passport.

Croatian is the Serbo-Croatian language used by Croatians, Bosnian, Herzegovina, Serbian Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries. Croatian is the official language of Croatia and is one of the official languages ​​of the European Union. Croatian is also written using Latin scripts. Croatian has 30 alphabets as in English. However, there are no q, w, x and y letters in Croatian. Additional letters such as č, ć, dž, đ, lj, nj, š and ž are available in Croatian letters.

Most places in Croatia have a mild climate and rain as defined by Koppen's climate classification. The average monthly temperature is -3 ° C in January while 18 ° C in July. The coldest part of the country is Lika and Gorski Kotar where snowy forest can be found at an altitude above 1,200 meters. The hottest areas in Croatia are close to the Adriatic coast and the inland area due to the Mediterranean climate.

There are various famous dishes in Croatia. Among them are miješano meso or ražnjići. Zagrebački odrezak which is steak meat stuffed with ham and cheese, coated with flour and fried. Not only that, janjetina is also famous in Croatia, which is grilled meat with a Mediterranean herb.

How to Get There?

By Flight

Croatia has several airports to be visited by tourists. Franjo Tudman Airport or better known as Zagreb Airport is the busiest airport in Croatia. The second busiest airport in Croatia is Split Airport. It is located in Split, Denmark.

If you are from Kuala Lumpur and want to visit the Croatian capital of Zagreb, you can take a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Zagreb Airport. There are several airlines that provide flights to Zagreb from Kuala Lumpur. Qatar Airways, Emirates and British Airways provide flights to Zagreb. However, no direct flights are provided by any flight. You need to transit at any airport once before proceeding to Zagreb. The cheapest flights are from British Airways with a ticket price of MYR2,950. By taking the flight, you need to transit at Heathrow Airport first before connecting flights to Zagreb Airport. Flight ticket prices may vary depending on the time and date you want to fly.

For those of you who want to travel to other parts of Croatia such as Split. There are several flights you can choose if you come from Kuala Lumpur. You can choose to board Emirates, British Airways or Qatar Airways to Split Airport. From Kuala Lumpur, you will need to take a flight to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. However, there is no direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Split. You need at least two transit at another airport before arriving in Split. The cheapest flight is offered by Emirates for MYR3,329. Ticket prices can vary depending on the date and time you want to fly.

What to Do There?

Zagreb Cathedral

This Zagreb Cathedral is located in the city of Zagreb. It is a Roman Catholic institution. The Zagreb Cathedral building is also the tallest building in Croatia. It is a sacred building in Croatia. The interior and exterior architecture of Zagreb Cathedral is very beautiful. Many reading materials are provided inside the building. Entry is free in Zagreb Cathedral.

Ban Jelačić Square

Ban Jelačić Square is the central square of Zagreb, Croatia. It is named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg Bana Jelačića. This square is located right in the centre of Zagreb.

Diocletian's Palace

This palace is an ancient palace built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century in Split, Croatia. This old palace is very beautiful and its art is remarkable. There are several stalls, shops and restaurants here. For those of you who love history, you will definitely love to be here.

Where to Stay?

Esplanade Zagreb Hotel

The hotel operates since 1920. It has a very beautiful architecture. The hotel is just a 2-minute walk from the tram station. The hotel is also just 4 km from the Museum of Contemporary Arts. The hotel also offers panoramic city views. Each room has free Wi-Fi facilities and bathrooms decorated with marble. Suites here have a minibar and a kitchen. There are 4 restaurants in this hotel. You can visit any restaurant for food and drink. This hotel is one of the best hotels you can get in Zagreb.

The Westin Zagreb

This Westin Zagreb hotel is just a 5-minute walk to the nearest tram station. It can make it easy for you to travel to other destinations in Zagreb. This luxurious hotel is just 4 km from Zagreb Cathedral and Trg Bana Jelačića. The hotel offers superb views of the city. The facilities provided at this hotel are excellent. Each luxurious room comes with free Wi-Fi facilities. Daily housekeeping is also available. There are an elegant café and restaurant that you can visit here. The hotel also has a swimming pool, a sauna room and a gym.

Atrium Hotel Split

Atrium Hotel Split is one of the best hotels you can get while you are in Split, Denmark. The hotel is only a 7-minute walk to the Art Gallery. The hotel is also just an 8-minute walk to Diocletian's Palace and a 9-minute walk to the National Theatre of Croatia.