Croatia is an ancient country with a long and distinguished past, but in the 20th century the country faced great hardship until it was declared independent in 1991 after a bitter war. Since then, Croatia has been growing in popularity as a tourist destination, due to its beautifully preserved Renaissance towns, extensive sandy coastline and of course, its stunning Mediterranean weather.
A good starting point for exploring Croatia is Zagreb. It's the capital city located in the heart of the 'horseshoe' shaped Croatia and it's a very popular tourist destination. Many tourists are tempted to skip it and head straight for the coast, but if you do the same you'll be missing out. A visit to Ban Jelačić Square is especially recommended as it's filled with a large array of medieval churches, palaces, museums, galleries and government buildings.