Islands in the Adriatic

The Adriatic Sea extends over 423 nautical miles from NW to SE. 60 larger islands are strung along the Croatian coast with small towns and a lot of villages. A further 659 islands are largely uninhabited. Add another 426 reefs and 82 shoals, that have caused many a navigator problems in the past but which are now better marked. (Nowadays only the very unfortunate or unwary manage to end up on a reef.)

Traces of Venetian rule This multitude of islands adds up to the most varied sailing area rich in history within driving distance from Germany. Its climate, wildlife and 3000 years of civilisation make this sea and coastline unique. This area has seen many a conqueror come and go: Turks, Austrians, Venetians, Romans, French, Illyrians, British, Goths, Hungarians, Crusaders, Italians... and has also produced some great names. The most famous, Marco Polo from Korcula and Emperor Diocletian from Soline near Spalatum (nowadays Split), are usually thought to be Venetian resp. Roman. Their home towns belonged to the respective empire at the time.

Rovinj - once an island Today Croatia is a young republic striding into modern times after a difficult transition phase from being a province of communist Yugoslavia. The currency "Kuna" recalls the currency of the Croatian kingdom in the Middle Ages and is surprisingly stable for such a small young country. However, the local population pay a high price for this stability. Widespread tourism bringing income to a broad cross-section of the community is one of the surest ways of guaranteeing peaceful development in the region.
A lot of this income is reinvested - as can be seen by the many building projects, where the infrastructure is being systematically improved (roads, power, telecommunications, water and sewerage)..

Further photos of this beautiful region can be found on our other homepage.

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