By Rick Steves, Tribune Media Services Rick Steves’ Europe

While most of Croatia’s coastal towns seem tailor-made for tourism, Split is real and vibrant. Lounging alongside the Adriatic Sea on the famed Dalmatian Coast, Split is Croatia’s second-largest city (after capital Zagreb), making it a bustling metropolis, serious port city, major transit hub, and top sightseeing destination, all rolled into one.

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When people talk about the best places to travel, it’s often all about a city or a country. But if you forget to think regionally you could miss some of the world’s best travel spots. Here are Lonely Planet’s picks of the regions to put on your map from Best in Travel 2012. Chosen by a panel of Lonely Planet experts, they’ve been written up by Lonely Planet authors to give you that most contagious of ailments: the travel bug.

5. Hvar, Croatia

Come high summer, there’s no cooler place in Croatia to get your groove on than Hvar Town on its namesake island. Fabulous suntanned bodies flock to this drop-dead gorgeous spot for round-the-clock fun. Think après-beach parties as the sun dips below the Adriatic horizon, full-moon shindigs and designer cocktails sipped seaside to fresh DJ-spun tunes. Croatia’s party island really is as hot as the marble of the old town when the noon sun beats down. Best of all, on this Mediterranean flyspeck you can still get away from pulsating nightlife. For island bliss unmarred by glitz and bling, get into your birthday suit on the Pakleni Islands just offshore and – bikinis back on – explore the island’s coastline and dreamy interior, with its endless fields of lavender, stretching sea vistas, towering peaks, scenic canyons and abandoned hamlets - Anja Mutic

www.dalmatia-tourist.info/index.php?country=7&province=3&city=11&type=…&submit=Search+%BB&p=search

It was Take Your Parents to Work week at the Frugal Traveler, and you should see my office! Pine-covered islands jutting out from a stretch of the Adriatic that shifts from deep navy to aquamarine like a color-coded relief map; stone houses with red-tile roofs clustered improbably on the sides of mountains and along the edges of the harbors and swimmer-friendly coves filled with fishing boats. The company cafeteria’s weekly special? The freshest fish, squid and octopus, with sides of local cheese and thin-sliced prsut (sounds like — and is like — prosciutto)……

The first edition of the festival is scheduled to kick off August 9th just outside of the Sibenik’s (Dalmatia) port with a line up spanning several continents and including The National (USA), La Roux (UK), Destroyer (Canada) and featuring some local flavor like The Bambi Molesters and Overflow.

The total experience includes 5-day camping on the campground designed to host several thousand guests, boat rides to nearby islands and national park, and various workshops.
And while offering an exciting line-up for music lovers, Terraneo is also keen on “unobtrusively” promoting its ecological mission – with a little help from the sea, the sun, various eco workshops, seminars and exhibitions.

For more information on the full lineup, ticket prices and Sibenik, visit festival’s website at www.terraneofestival.com.

http://tinyurl.com/dti-travelbite

Flights to Croatia are ideal if you’re looking to explore eastern Europe for the first time. The country has enjoyed a rapid rise in the popularity stakes lately thanks, in part, to the fact it’s outside the euro zone. Its wallet-friendly price tag aside, the country has plenty going for it. For starters, there’s the coastline. Spanning almost 2,000 kilometres, it’s a scenic mix of rocky coves and pine-fringed beaches. Look beyond the shore, meanwhile, and mountains, lakes and forests jostle for your attention. The country’s towns and cities certainly don’t fare badly in the looks department, either. And with our flights to Croatia, you can head to whichever of them you want. Get to know Dubrovnik, with its red-roofed houses and yacht-filled harbour. Or slow the pace right down in a seaside fishing village like Slano.

Fast Facts

• Population 4 million
• Language Croatian
• Currency Kuna
• Country Code +385
• Time Zone GMT+1

Did You Know?

Spotty dalmatian dogs come from Croatia’s Dalmatian coast

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