Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 133

about 70°F (21°C) in August. The coastal areas have a more Mediterranean climate,
with average temperatures ranging from the mid-40s in January to 100°F (38°C) or
above in August. Spring and autumn are pleasant and mild along the coast; inland
winters can be cold and snowy.
HOLIDAYS
Public holidays are New Year's Day (Jan 1), Easter (variable), Labor Day (May 1),
Corpus Christi (June 15), Anti-Fascist Resistance Day (June 22), Victory Day and
National Thanksgiving Day (Aug 5), Assumption Day (Aug 15), Independence Day
(Oct 8), All Saints' Day (Nov 1), and Christmas (Dec 25-26). In addition, many
towns celebrate their patron saint's day as a public holiday.
GETTING THERE
BY PLANE The biggest problem for North American tourists visiting Croatia is
getting there. At press time, there were no direct flights to Croatia from anywhere in
North America. Travelers from this part of the world must make connections to
Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, or Dubrovnik with (usually) a Croatia Air (www.croatia
airlines.hr) connection from a European hub such as Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels,
Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome, Sarajevo, or Vienna. A
number of Europe's discount carriers, such as Ryanair, Easyjet, Wizzair, and Sky-
Europe, serve Croatia via cities such as London and Venice, but some of these routes
are seasonal, always crowded, and heavily taxed.
Note: Airline schedules are not always aligned for Croatia connections and logistics
can require an overnight stay in the connecting city. If your itinerary requires an
overnight stay, expect to pick up your luggage and go through Customs in the con-
necting city, then repeat the process when you check in for the second leg of your trip.
BY TRAIN Croatia has international railway links with Slovenia, Hungary, Italy,
Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, France, Germany, and Bosnia/Hercegovina. There are
trains to and from other European countries, but traveling any of these routes can be
extremely time-consuming. Traveling from Paris to Zagreb, for example, takes 18-plus
hours, while a trip from Frankfurt to Split will take almost 24 hours. If you must get
Major Festivals in Croatia
The festivals mentioned here are just a few celebrated every year. Inquire at the
Croatian National Tourist Office or at local tourist offices for event contact
information and for an updated calendar.
On January 7, Croatia's Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas and
take a day off from work. Dubrovnik celebrates its patron saint on February 3,
with a parade and lots of revelry to honor St. Blaise. From mid-July to mid-
August, the Split Summer Festival takes over the city's historic core with exhi-
bitions, concerts, dance, theater, and especially opera performed in the Peristil.
Well-known international artists perform during the Dubrovnik Summer Festi-
val, from early July to late August. For three weekends in October, Lovran out-
side Opatija celebrates Marunada, a tribute to everything chestnut-related.
Martinje (St. Martin's Day) is a church feast day, but November 11 is also the
day when the new wine is blessed and “tested” in unlimited amounts in almost
all grape-growing regions of Croatia.