Croatia: The Bradt Travel Guide

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (2/07) Getting only a glimpse of the frontispiece on this charming guidebook one should be excused for thinking that its subject is a Caribbean country or one of those magical, far-away islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The sandy beaches are snow-white and the water is vividly blue-green, a color that we are hard pressed to believe could truly exist in nature. Most readers will be really surprised that the cover photo actually comes from the island Cres in Croatia. Yes, Croatia is one of those relatively unknown, but exceptionally beautiful countries. It would be easy to write a clichéd, all-too-rosy book about it; yet Piers Letcher managed to do it justice without exaggerating or being too one-sided. As we learn in the Introduction, he has been visiting it for over 20 years and he evidently loves it greatly. He has also done a lot of research, which is clearly evident from the very useful General Information in Part I. This section covers all of the usual topics, from the background information to tons of practical, how-to information, even including some ideas on "how to give back" (voluntary work, charities...). The practical information section contains one of the best pieces of advice ever on how to handle the topics of the recent war in a possible conversation with the local people. "Even with a population that is now 90% Croat, as a foreigner you won't always know immediately whether you are talking to a Croat or a Serb, and even if you are sure, opinions are sufficiently divergent to be dangerous. The only really safe thing you can say, if you are asked directly, is that you're pleased it's all over, and that peace should bring prosperity." This is a tip to be remembered as it could come in handy in many similar situations just abut anywhere in the world. The second part is The Guide, divided into seven chapters describing different regions of Croatia: Zagreb, Inland Croatia, Istria, Kvarner Bay and Islands, Northern Dalmatia, Central Dalmatia and Southern Dalmatia. Piers Letcher has a great way of mixing different elements - flora, fauna, history, humor -while describing an area, such as this inspired portrayal of the Plitvice Lakes, which happen to be one of my all-time favorites as well: "Each of the lakes seems to be a different colour, ranging from turquoise to emerald through every blue and green you could imagine. In places the lakes seem as still and reflective as a cathedral, elsewhere they run away fast, frothing through steep gullies and shooting out from fissures in the rock. The magical noise of falling water drowns out even the shrillest of small children. On the less frequented paths it's easy to imagine the bears and wolves, as you walk across a deeply shaded bed of leaves, crunching underfoot. [...] It's inadvisable, however, to be in the wilds after nightfall - the bears and the wolves avoid the main paths and the crowds, but they do patrol out at nigh

Bradt guide is organized in a friendly format by Croatian regions. Regional and site/city specific maps along with pertinent information made exploring less confusing than our experience with other guides. Highly recommended!

Have just returned from 2 weeks in Croatia and we cannot recommend the country, or this book, highly enough. We purchased 3 titles in all, and while each had its merits this guide was by far the most insightful into the history, culture, and sights of the country. We drove, mostly, but ditched the car in both Zagreb and Dubrovnik on the advice of this book and thought that was one of the best pieces suggestions.

I've read just about all of the Croatian guide books and have traveled there extensively. This one is entertainingly written and provides a detailed and somewhat off-beat view that's perfect for the independent traveler.

Then this guide book is for you. If you're already planning a trip or just wanted to get a lay of the land, Pier Letcher will give you Croatia on a platter. This guidebook is laid out quite well and the writing is personal and...hilarious. It's obvious Mr. Letcher loved being there and, based on the small and intimate places he went to, the Croatians he met were quite taken by him. There is a lot of information presented, including history, art, bus schedules, state office hours, etc. The trick with this book, as compared to the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide series (both of which I bought and used as well) is in how Mr. Letcher writes about all of this information. His unique viewpoint brings you into the museum, the hotel, the bar, the bus station. Even if you are not going to Croatia, reading this book will give you a great idea of what the country's about. We used this book and the other 2 guidebooks mentioned on our recent trip. This book was read cover to cover and then referred to continually during our trip. The other 2 books, while useful, were mainly used as cross-references, just to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion of certain places. In most cases, no pinion, save Mr. Letcher's, was needed. When we left Croatia, some relatives had asked if we could leave our dog-eared copy behind. With tears in my eyes and a burek in my mouth, I had to say, "No, please get your own!"