CROATIA,
GENERALLY
In a few words, Croatia (Republika Hrvatska, HR) is a small country in southeastern Europe with about 4.6 mil. inhabitants covering the area of 56 538 km2.
Geographically, Croatia is divided into three regions: Pannonian, Mountain and Coastal. Politically, it is divided into 20 counties (županije) which are subdivided into cities and communities.
The capital is Zagreb with app. 1 mil. inhabitants. Other large cities are: Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Zadar, Pula, Dubrovnik, Šibenik, Varaždin, Karlovac, Bjelovar etc.
Besides
Croats, there are many other ethnic communities. Most citizens are Roman
Catholics.
The official language is Croatian. Many people also speak English, German and Italian (especially in the coastal area).
Looking at the economy, Croatia's aim is to be a tourist and agricultural country. The main industries are: the food, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, textile, leather, wood, tobacco and shipbuilding industries. Looking at traffic, Croatia is `the exit to the sea' for the land-locked Central European countries and a chain between East and West.
Croatia is a Republic and the political system is a parliamentary democracy, which was established in 1990. The government is represented by the President, bicameral Parliament (Sabor, made up of Deputy house - Zastupnički dom and County house - Županijski dom) and the Government (Vlada).
Croatia has seven national parks: Briuni islands, Risnjak mountain, Plitvice lakes, Paklenica gorge, Kornati islands, the Krka river, Velebit mountain and the island of Mljet as well as many nature parks and game reserves. The love for nature is also expressed in the national anthem: Lijepa naša Domovino (`Our Lovely Homeland').
Croatia
is a young country, born in 1991 thanks to the courage and devotion of its
citizens. It has a long and rich history whose signs might be found almost
everywhere.
If you don't know where to start in your discovery of our country, begin with numerous natural beauties, our traditional hospitality, and of course, our coast which is said to be the most beautiful in Europe.
TRANSPORT
In Croatia, you may find the following types of transportation:
Croatian railways (Hrvatske Željeznice).Croatia is linked with many EC, IC and Express trains with: Ljubljana, Budapest, Wien, Munchen, Leipzig, Trieste, Venezia and Geneve. There are three types of domestic trains: InterCity (fast, comfortable and expensive trains which require a seat reservation), Brzi (fast trains) and Putnički (local and suburban trains).
Bus lines have a dense network. Internal lines are operated by many companies, which are frequent, fast and reliable. Bus lines operate between Croatia and many European cities.
Ferry and ship lines operate between the mainland and numerous islands in the coastal region. They also connect Croatia and Italy. Main sea ports are Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Ploče and Dubrovnik.
Air transport is maintained by Croatia Airlines (the national air transport company) and many foreign companies with regular and charter flights. Besides three international (Zagreb, Split and Pula), there are several other airports (Rijeka, Lošinj, Zadar, Brač, Dubrovnik and Osijek) and many airfields.
Road traffic regulations in Croatia, for those who are coming by their own car, bike or motorbike, follow the European standards. Speed limits are (unless specified differently): on motorways 130 km/h, on main roads 80 km/h and in towns 50 km/h. Allowed level of alcohol in blood is 0.05%. If you want to operate a motor vehicle, you should have your national driving license and the Green card. Road assistance is operated by HAK (phone no. 987). Police patrols can be found almost everywhere, so overspeeding is not recommended. You are obliged to wear a seatbelt. The types of gasoline (benzin) you can find here are: super 98 octane, eurosuper 95 & 98 octane unleaded (bezolovni), normal 91 octane and eurodiesel. Tolls are collected on motorways (Zagreb-Slavonski Brod, Zagreb-Karlovac, Zagreb-Zabok), at the Učka tunnel and at the Bridge to the island of Krk. Croatian roads, except motorways, are in a pretty bad condition so you should take care. The means of public transportation in cities are buses and trams (in Zagreb and Osijek). Taking a taxi is an expensive mean here, but you can always hitch-hike. If you want to rent a bike, motorbike or a scooter you will have to look around a lot (except in tourist centers on the coast where they are easy to find). There are many companies that rent cars but they are not cheap. Traffic regulations are similar to those in other European countries (right-hand traffic!).
Road distance between Zagreb and some important European towns:
Budapest 362 km
Vienna 399 km
Rome 957 km
Berlin 1,111 km
Amsterdam 1,402 km
Paris 1,458 km
London 1,593 km
Athens 1,600 km
Madrid 2,324 km
Munich 436 km
Zurich 604 km
CLIMATE
In Croatia, you may find two different types of climate. In the coastal region, there is Mediterranean climate with lot of sunny days, hot summer and mild winter. You can enjoy yourself at numerous beaches during five warm months (June - October). In the continental region, there is, of course, Continental climate: pretty hot during the summer, and pretty cold in the winter.
Average temperatures during the summer period are between 25-35 °C. It is rather windy by the seaside, so windsurfing is possible (and enjoyable).
It doesn't rain a lot in Croatia. There is the same number of sunny and rainy days. If you are going to stay here in September or onwards we suggest you to bring some warm clothes (e.g. jacket, sweaters).
ELECTRICITY
In Croatia, we use 220 V, 50 Hz alternating current. Most plugs have two round pins. You should bring a plug adapter and a transformer if you want to operate with electronic devices that do not correspond to Croatian standards.
POST OFFICES & TELEPHONE
Post offices are marked with yellow 'HP' sign. There you may make phone calls, buy postcards, stamps, phone cards and send letters, packages and faxes to abroad.
You may phone from post offices or from telephone booths. Telephone booths can be found almost everywhere. Booths are operating through the system of phone cards (telefonska kartica) that may be bought at news-stands or in post offices. Phone cards can be found in 25, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 units (the last three are recommended for visiting students). Unfortunately you can not use international phonecards and there is no discount when you use the telephone booths. Country Direct Services work for the USA, Canada, UK, Italy and the Netherlands. Telephone booths have instructions in foreign languages, so they can used with ease. It is much cheaper to phone from the post office.
Important
numbers:
Croatian telecom
... to abroad - first dial 00, then country code
... to Croatia - after the exit code dial: 385
... Zagreb area code: (0) 1
... Riijeka area code: (0) 51
... Osijek area code: (0) 31
... Split area code: (0) 21
... police: 92; firemen: 93; ambulance: 94; road assistance: 987;
... information: 988;
... collect calls abroad (operator): 901
All of you that have mobile phones, can choose between two operators
www.vipnet.hr or Croatian telecom.
We recommend VIPNet
MONEY & SHOPPING
Croatian currency is Kuna (kn, HRK). It is divided in 100 lipa (lp). Coins have denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 lipa and 1, 2, 5 kuna while the notes have denominations of 5, 10, 20, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 kuna. Money can be exchanged in every bank, exchange office (mjenjačnica), exchange machine, travel agency and also in many (marked) shops, but unfortunately not in post offices. A receipt is issued for each exchange transaction (Receipt for the Purchase of Foreign Means of Payment). A copy of the receipt is given to the customer. Foreign nationals can convert unused kunas back into a foreign currency after presentation of the receipt of the original exchange of foreign currency into Croatian kunas. In principle, retransfer can be effected only in banks. Accessing money through ATMs is possible in all larger cities and the more important tourist areas; the ATMs of Zagrebačka banka accept EuroCard / MasterCard, and ATM of Euronet accept Diners, American Express and soon Visa.
Goods and services bought in Croatia cannot be paid for directly with travelers cheques. Travelers cheques and Eurocheques must first be cashed in exchange offices for Croatian kunas. Travelers cheques issued by the leading international banks and travel agencies are accepted in Croatia. Banker's drafts issued by reputable international banks can be drawn in Croatian banks for Croatian kunas. Personal cheques are not accepted for direct payment for goods and services, but they can be cashed for Croatian kunas in Croatian banks (following a confirmation by the issuing bank).
In Croatia, you can operate with the following credit cards: American Express, Diners, EuroCard/ MasterCard, and Visa. EuroCard/ MasterCard an Diners cards are accepted in offices of Zagrebačka banka dd. Privredna banka dd is working with EuroCard/ MasterCard and with American Express. The principal for the Visa card is Splitska banka dd.
Do not forget to bring some money with you, for the expenses you will have until your first salary (usually at the end of the month). It would be wise to bring money in some widely spread currency (USD, DEM).
Shops in Croatia are open during the whole day (mostly from 8.00 till 20.00, except Sundays), especially in the summer period, so you may go shopping at any time. Banking hours are 8.00-19.00, on working days (unless noted otherwise).
Prices vary a lot depending on the shop, so you should take a look around before buying anything.
Prices of some basic commodities
(average, in Zagreb, March 24, 2000):
bread (1 kg) 4-6 kn
milk (1 l) 5 kn
beer (0.5 l, shop) 3.8 kn
mineral water (1l, shop) 4 kn
pizza 25-35 kn
hamburger (McDonalds) 5.5 kn
ćevapi 18 kn
beer (0.5 l, pub) 10-15 kn
coffee (cup) 5-8 kn
disco, entrance 10-35 kn
cinema 15-25 kn
New every day !!!
These prices and the exchange rate are fresh every day. The average inflation rate in Croatia is less than 3% per year, so prices and the rate will not change.
FOOD & DRINKS
Croatian meals are a mixture of Mediterranean and Continental cuisine. You may find some meals similar to yours, or something completely different that you won't find anywhere but in Croatia.
If you decide to go to a restaurant for a dinner, be prepared to pay a price somewhat higher than you might expect, but it will surely be a real pleasure for you to choose among all the kinds of fish and meat dishes, as well as other delicious meals.
Recommended Croatian meals are (listed according to their regional origin):
štrukli (pastry filled with cottage cheese, boiled in an onion soup or baked), orehnjača (walnut roll), purica s mlincima (turkey with boiled dough), janjetina s ražnja (roasted lamb on the spit), krumpir ispod peke (potato baked under a coal covered pot), paški sir (goat cheese from the island of Pag), dalmatinska pašticada (veal in a special, tasty sauce), čobanac (stew made of various kinds of meat), fiš-paprikaš (river fish stew), kulen (paprika flavored sausage).
Of course, here you may also find numerous restaurants offering international (e.g. Italian, French, Chinese) cuisine. We hope that you will be satisfied. Most of you, as all other students in Croatia, will go to the students' restaurants, numerous pizzerias, hamburger and other fast-food places. Of course, you will have to try 'our' (actually oriental) fast food: ćevapčići (or just: ćevapi) and burek.
There's much to say about drinks. The first Croatian word, most visiting students learn is 'pivo' (beer). So you may choose between several Croatian (e.g. Karlovačko, Ožujsko, dark Tomislav) and imported beers.
There is a large offer of wines. In the northwestern part of the country (where Zagreb is situated), there are many sort of wines which are popular, but very sour. So we suggest you to try wines from coastal region (e.g. Malvasia, Merlot and Teran from Istria, and Babić, Kaštelet, Postup, Dingač, Pošip, Debit and Zlatni Plavac from Dalmatia) or Slavonian wines (Traminac, Frankovka and Graševina from Kutjevo). Among spirits the most popular is loza (grape brandy).
Last but not least: tap water is drinkable anywhere in Croatia
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Public holidays in Croatia are following:
January 1st - New Year's Day
January 6th - Epiphany
April 24th - Easter
May 1st - Labor Day
May 30th - National Day
June 22nd - Antifascist Day
August 5th – National Thanksgiving Day
August 15th – Our Lady of Assumption
November 1st - All Saint’s Day
December 25th & 26th - Christmas
MEDIA
If you can not stay without the news, foreign press (various newspapers and journals in English, German, French, Italian… languages) can be found at news-stands usually at central squares, rail stations and in hotels. In Zagreb, there is a large foreign press bookshop Algoritam at Gajeva 1.
If you have a TV in the student dormitory, there are three national channels: HRT 1, 2 and 3. During summer, there is a news service for tourists in English and German on HRT 1 usually at the end of the broadcast. There are also some local televisions like: OTV (Zagreb), Slavonska TV (Osijek), TV Marjan and Adriatic TV (Split). People usually watch (if they have a satellite receiver) many satellite channels like CNN, SKY, Eurosport etc.
HR is the national radio network with 3 channels (many frequencies depending of the area), it has news in English and German. Popular radio stations are:
in Zagreb Radio 101 (the most popular channel in Zagreb , 94.3 MHz), Radio Cibona (a sports channel 104.5 MHz), Otvoreni Radio (105.6 MHz);
in Split: Radio Dalmacija (106.9 MHz), Radio KL Eurodom (104.1 MHz), Narodni radio (103.5 MHz);
in Osijek: Slavonski radio (106.6 MHz), Gradski radio (99.1 MHz), Otvoreni Radio (104.4 MHz).
Further information can be found on the following www pages:
http://ctirs.iii.hr/gb/drzave/c1.asp
Once in Croatia, please make yourself at home. In our country you are not a foreigner, but a guest whom we regard as a friend.