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The Independent highlights Croatia as a destination for all seasons as Easyjet starts flights to Zagreb

With the launch of Easyjets new flights to Zagreb from London Gatwick, Croatia gets  a great boost as The Independant shows what a great area there is within easy reach of the capital city - a gorgeous trip, even in the winter months!

Zagreb is alive and well in the winter months and a vibrant city to visit for a weekend at any time of year. This is especially so as Easy Jet have just introduced a new Gatwick to Zagreb route so why not make the most of it? We have extolled the virtues of Zagreb in articles before on Guide2Croatia – Zagreb is great for a city break in the winter months and for Christmas shopping with its Christmas Markets – a city break here has history, oodles of culture, great nightlife and cafe culture – what more could you want?!

But what the Independent rightly points out is that a flight to Zagreb is not just a city break, it’s can be ticket to all sorts of wonderful other areas not very far outside of Zagreb. Zagreb is close to the border of Slovenia, Austria, Italy and Hungary so this is a really interesting area – it doesn’t take long tor drive anywhere! And as the Croatian coast is well known to be the most beautiful in this part of the world, this is good news indeed! So widen your horizons and don’t limit yourself to a city break - look a bit further afield.

The Independant recommends Opatija and Zadar on the coast close to Zagreb;

OPATIJA

Opatija was once THE winter retreat to be seen at for the wealthy Viennese of the Austria-Hungary Empire and is now only 90 minutes away from Zagreb airport thanks to a new motorway. The architecture of Opatija is beautiful and very much of the era and empire – much different to the Venetian style of much of Croatia. It has a wonderful stretch of coast and as The Independent rightly puts it “Opatija still has an old-money feel, rather like "the Nice of the Croatian Riviera".

There are wonderful old era hotels that echo back to the grand old days and great seafood restaurants and although not so many beaches it is a lovely winter location as there are many things in the Kvarner area to explore – national parks for one – Opatija has a richly forested hillside stretching up above it and is the gateway to some wonderful nature parks. The Independent suggests that some of Opatija older hotels have the aura of Murder on the Orient Express and that it is definitely a place for Sache Torte with a great view! They are not wrong and the lucky thing is that if you’d prefer a modern apartment, these are also available too! So our advice is to jump in your car and head on down to the Coast and to Opatija and explore this interesting and beautiful town.

ZADAR

The Independents article also looks at Zadar which is further down the coast at 2 hours drive from Zagreb – just on the other side of Kvarner Bay from Opatija. Zadar, interestingly, is much older and used to be the capital of Dalmatia. Close to the Kornati Archipelago of 150 Islands gaining a great reputation among the summer sailing fraternity, Zadar has a lot more going on. It hasn’t really broken into international tourism in a big way yet although that is surely coming and it does get a strong following from locals, but Zadar remains at the moment a vibrant town all year thanks to its students, shops, restaurants, nightlife and businesses. Zadar Old Town also has a Sea Organ! This amazing contraption has giant pipes which are built into the promenade and when the waves hits the shore it blows air through these creating a beautiful sound!

The Independent describes the Old Town as “still a quirky mix of antique rubble, Romanesque cathedral, narrow-laned Venetian trading port, Austro-Hungarian resort and 1960s Communism.” But it says that Zadar is now likening itself to the California of Croatia - growing fast, and attracting young entrepreneurs. And there are also flights, non-stop flights from Stanstead start again in March and are cheap! We are not sure if Zadar = California just yet or if we even want it to! But if you like to break the mould and try out new less-trodden places before the rest of the world gets to them, Zadar is for you – it is much cheaper still than the likes of Dubrovnik for day to day living and eating because it is more local. We would recommend you take a look because this is what attracted people to Croatia in the first place - untouched Croatia can be charming and beautiful.

Read The Independents Article Here

Find Flights to Croatia!
The Independent suggests: easyJet (0905 821 0905; www.easyJet.com) flies from Gatwick, Croatian Airlines (020-8745 4683; www. croatiaairlines.com) flies from Heathrow and Gatwick to Zagreb;  Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com) flies from Stansted to Zadar from 27 March.

Check out Accommodation in Croatia