For ages had the Mediterranean and Europe been communicating over the Croatian Adriatic coast. Now yachtspeople come from all over the Continent to catch a glimpse of the times long gone
Indeed, the east, Croatian side of the Adriatic is a chain of islands interchanging with the mainland shores, enclosed by the Continent. To get there, Germans, Austrians, Czechs or Hungarians will have to travel south, the French east, the Italian northeast or north, and the Greek northwest. The Adriatic runs deep into the Continent adorned along its east coastline by 775 islands, isles and reefs. Long before Croats settled in the area, its waters were a major trade route. Greek colonies expanded as north as the mouth of the river Krka, and later the Roman Empire used it as its internal waterway. From the Middle Ages it was controlled by such powers as Venice, France, England, and Austria. Croats have proved no lesser seafarers than these nations. As early as the 15th century, the Republic of Dubrovnik had its carracks sailing all over the known world, and a century later or so, Pelješac and Lošinj sailboats reached the shores of the New World. Against all odds, the pirates of Senj and the Neretva River preserved their rule of the local waters.
Warships battling for domination at sea in the heart of Europe have long been replaced by yachtspeople from all over the Continent, seeking pleasure. Many of you keep your boats in Croatian marinas or on the Italian side of the Adriatic; more and more people charter, and many arrive from distant Mediterranean ports. What is it that makes them come here? Definitely it is the number and the variety of islands and shoreline, then the towns, then the people, then fish and wine, and finally that particular atmosphere. On this side of the Adriatic, there are still places where you can see real life of decades ago, where people live in harmony with nature and the sea, where there are still a few solitary coves and beaches waiting just for you, and where the only sound is the break of the surf and the chirp of cicadas or crickets.
