Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 127

Day 7
Book transportation to Bol on Bra c and
spend the day swimming and sunbathing
off Zlatni Rat. Tour the waterfront shops
before dinner at Taverna Riva off the
waterfront. Overnight in Bol.
Day 8
Book a ferry from Bra c to Split. After
checking in to the Hotel Peristil or the
Vestibul Palace, explore what's left of
Diocletian's Palace and the Old Town
within its walls. Overnight in Split.

Day 9
Take a bus 19km (12 miles) northwest to
Trogir (or book a guided excursion) and
take the day to explore this medieval
town on a small island connected to the
mainland by a bridge. Return to Split
after dinner.
Day 0
If you have time, take a bus to the Roman
ruins of Salona 6.4km (4 miles) outside
Split and immerse yourself in the past.
Return to Split for the flight home.

CROATIA TODAY
Croatia is still rebuilding its image more than a decade after the end of the Homeland
War, and it is determined to take its place at the world table. Signs of economic recov-
ery are everywhere: From packed hotels on the coast to thriving boutiques and restau-
rants in Zagreb, Croatia is adopting a more sophisticated, savvy posture. Its
government is working to reduce foreign debt, boost the economy, and promote the
country's natural wonders while it waits for admittance to the European Union.
A LOOK AT THE PAST
Recorded Croatian history begins around 1200 B . C ., when people occupying the
region that is now Croatia, Bosnia, Albania, and Serbia formed a coalition of tribes
known as Illyrians. The Greeks arrived in the 4th century B . C . and traded oil, wine,
salt, metals and other commodities with the Illyrians. In the 3rd century B . C ., a 60-
year series of wars ended with the Romans on top and the creation of the province of
Illyricum.
The spread of Roman colonies across Croatia continued until A . D . 9, when the
Adriatic coast and interior lands were annexed by Tiberius to create three Roman
provinces: Dalmatia (Adriatic seacoast), Noricum (northern territory/Austria), and
Pannonia (Hungary), where the Romans built fortresses, roads, bridges, aqueducts,
and sparkling new cities—such as Pola (Pula), Jader (Zadar), Salona (Solin) near Split,
and Epidaurum (Cavtat). At the end of his reign, Roman Emperor Diocletian built
his lavish “retirement home” in Split, where it remains as one of the best-preserved
vestiges of the Roman era.
From the end of the 4th century until the 7th century, Croatia suffered a series of
barbarian invasions. But it was the warlike Asian Avars who allegedly brought the
Slavic Croats —ancestors to today's Croatians—to the area while sacking everything
in their path along the way. Eventually the Croats organized into two dukedoms—
Pannonia in the north and Dalmatia in the south—which evolved into two distinct
cultures—Mediterranean and central European.
Croats continued to live under a series of foreign and Croatian administrations
until A . D . 924, when the country was united under Tomislav I, the first King of Croa-
tia. He was followed by King Petar Kre s imir IV and King Dmitar Zvonimir, but
after Zvonimir's death in the 11th century, the monarchy withered and Croatia and
Hungary formed a common kingdom guided by a parliament (Sabor). During this