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Who wants to go to Croatia?

We’re not kidding. Let’s go to Dubrovnik!

Planning your 2015 vacation. London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Dubrovnik…. Dubrovnik? YES, Dubrovnik While according to Fodor’s, Paris is still the world’s #1 desired tourist destination, Croatia is ranked #1 among World tourist destinations on the rise – primarily because of Croatia’s Adriatic City of Dubrovnik.

Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, known as “The Pearl of the Adriatic” was a very popular tourist destination and a common stop for cruise ships during most of the last half of the 20th century. Then, in 1991, a brutal 10-year Civil War broke out in Yugoslavia. Eventually, the nation was broken into separate countries, including Croatia which encompasses most of the territory along the Adriatic Sea, including the historic city of Dubrovnik.

After the war, Dubrovnik was the focus of a major restoration program by UNESCO. The current rise in tourism is dramatic, but not surprising consider Dubrovnik’s previous appeal. The city has been able to preserve some of its old Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque churches, and the views from the city’s seaside location are spectatcular.

After getting sticker shock in most of Europe’s big cities, you’ll be delighted to roam the charming cobblestone streets of Dubrovnik with a cold gelato that might set you back only about 1 Euro, a fraction of what you’d pay on the other side of the Adriatic in Venice.

You’ll find the city quite crowded during the summer, as Dubrovnik is once again a stop for many cruise ships. If you get tired of visiting the Old City, head for one of the many beaches or consider a day trip to one of the nearby islands. You’ll find that there is good reason why the seaside town of Dubrovnik, Croatia, is once again becoming one of the most popular vacation destinations in the Adriatic.