In case you've never heard of Dalmatia

Have You ever heard of Spain? I bet You have. It has over 41.100.000 of inhabitants and 53 million tourists visit it every year, which 1,3 times oversize the number of permanent residents.
Have You ever heard of Italy? I can’t imagine You haven’t. Italy has around 57.200.000 inhabitants. 50 millions of tourists visit it every year and it doesn’t over sizes the number of it’s residents.
And now, have You ever heard of Dalmatia?
It is a region in Croatia, a small country on Adriatic coast opposite to Italy with 4,5 million of residents. Dalmatia has 855.000 inhabitants which means that about 20% of Croatians live in that region. But 70% of tourists visiting Croatia choose

Dalmatia as their final destination and there are 10 millions of those, lucky enough, to reveal the aboriginal beauty of that small Earth’s paradise. It means that the number of the inquisitors come to Dalmatia during the year, exceeds the number of it’s residents over eight times. Why is that so?

Dalmatia has interesting geographical position. It is it’s blessing as well as the curse. It lies on 400 kilometers long coastal zone and it is bounded by the Adriatic sea on West and massifs Dinaridi on East side. The biggest is Velebit mountain long 150 kilometers and it is a real beauty of nature’s imagination from whose snowy peaks, You can see Dalmatian islands bathed with sun.

Dalmatian coast is one of the most indented coasts on the planet; 1185 islands, islets and rocks are gorgeous testimony how nature can get playful among the sea waves. They look like a fist of shiny emeralds scattered on the blue pillow wakening thrill and happiness among the lucky finders.
Two of eight Croatian National parks are settled on islands, archipelago Kornati and Mljet, and the another two, Krka and Paklenica, are on Dalmatian mainland.
Four of six Croatian cultural and historical monuments of UNESCO World’s heritage list, are in Dalmatia; historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian, historic City of Trogir, the Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik and the old Town of Dubrovnik. They are just a few of the great number stoned witnesses of windy Dalmatian history. Almost, every single little town in Dalmatia has it’s own monument of glorified past, reflected on the facade of some church, medieval villa, palace or fortress. Many towns are belted by the medieval walls, such as Ston, with the second longest stone wall on the Earth. And all of that can be seen just driving few hours from Austria by car or Italy by ferryboat.

The curse of Dalmatian geographical position mirrors in it’s turbulent history, when every neighbor empire pretended on it’s naturally secured harbors, rich woods and the fertility of it’s vineyards, pastures, rivers and even human labor. The famous is story from Dalmatian history when Hungarian king Ladislav sold it to Venetians for 100.000 of florins.

Dalmatia has changing it’s shape during the past lots of times, but kept the famous name from 1. century. The earliest findings of human activities reach from 6000 years in past and, since than, it has managed to preserve it’s natural wealth along with the cultural and historical heritage. It has insignificant altered ecosystem, cherishing few endemic species and making a home for the great diversity of flora and fauna.

One of the main industries in Dalmatia today is tourism. Since the war ended in 1995., it has renewed it’s houses, hotel resorts and villas. Apartments grow on every inch of Dalmatian coast appreciating the nature and keeping the beauty of intact beaches and hidden bays.

Dalmatia offers more than just the sun and crystal clear sea blessed with Mediterranean climate with mild winters and warm summers. You can find all sorts of active vacation facilities there; it has unspoiled submarine ambient for diving lovers, conjunction of mountain and sea landscape for paragliding, hang-gliding, bungee jumping, hiking, free climbing and so, as well as the skiing resorts for winter activities with astonishing view overseas.

So, if You really didn’t hear of Dalmatia, now it is the time to find out why so many find it magical. And, magical is maybe the only word that can describe it, cause Dalmatia will put the spell on You, once You visit it, and bound You with the invisible strings, keeping You coming back over and over to her green and blue gentle arms.

Welcome to Dalmatia!

By Anthony Goodway