About Croatia

Croatia is a relatively new country, even though it has a long and intriguing history dating back to the 7th century. The long path to freedom was unfortunately a war stricken one, and massive damage was caused to the population, the economy and of course to the cities themselves. Some damage can still be seen throughout the country, although most of the scars have healed, at least the visible ones.
Located between central Europe and the Balkans, Croatia has a unique cultural combination influenced by ancient Greek and Roman architecture, and although almost 90% of the populous regards itself as Catholic today, a mixture of Catholic, Orthodox, and Muslim religious influences are visible in customs, traditions, and in architecture. This is probably due to the fact that Croatia’s historical border to its East was also the border of dividing the Eastern Roman Empire from the west. The ability to repel the Mongol invasions in the 13th, and waging war on the Ottoman Empire for over 400 years from the 14th to the 18th century, earned Croatia the title of “The Pillar of Christianity”.
Croatia has since turned towards tourism, offering its untouched natural and cultural beauty to the world. An impressive 1244 islands litter the Croatian coastline, while the Dinaric Alps in Croatia form some of the most interesting and beautiful formations that can be seen anywhere. Composed of mainly of dolomite and sandstone, the cliff faces, caves and rocks in the Croatian Dinaric Alps are a favorite for alpinists, rock-climbers, and speleologists. Several rivers have cut there way through this mountainous range, creating deep canyons, waterfalls, and white-water rapids in the process. These have now become the foundation of adventure tourism, offering a plethora of activities for those in search of adrenaline, untouched beauty, or pushing their physical limits. Rock climbing has recently become very popular in Croatia, and health and safety precautions have risen to European standards as a result. The same goes for hiking, canyoning, and other sports of the adventurous kind.
Rock climbing sites can be found all over the Croatian Dinaric Alps, some more difficult than others, and the same goes for hiking routes, and canyoning. One of the best locations for rock climbing, canyoning and hiking in Croatia are the canyons in Dalmatia. This is because, unlike other locations in the Croatian Dinaric Alps, Dalmatia offers the widest range of activity difficulties, being able to accommodate beginners, amateurs, and experts alike. Also, Dalmatian canyons have easier access to the most beautiful beaches in Croatia, especially the canyon of Omiš.