Lonely Planet Croatia (Paperback)

by Jeanne Oliver (Author)
Key Phrases: heavy pastry stuffed, hrvatskog narodnog preporoda, find private accommodation, Getting There, Atlas Travel Agency, Mali Losinj (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Lonely Planet guidebooks are, quite simply, like no others.' --New York Times
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description
Imagine sunning yourself on the idyllic islands of the Dalmation coast and marvelling at the tumbling cascades in Plitvice National Park. Picture yourself wandering the marble streets of medieval Dubrovnik and exploring Diocletian's Palace in Split. Whether it's the unspoilt landscapes or rich cultural heritage that inspires you - connect with this, the original guide to Croatia.

• GET UNDER THE SKIN of this emerging country with in-depth history and culture chapters

• REST EASY - our Croatia expert finds the best beds from welcoming coastal pensions to rural farmhouses

• DINE AL FRESCO on fresh seafood or Istrian truffles, Italian-inspired pizza or Hungarian goulash with comprehensive eating listings

• GET AROUND with detailed maps and itineraries of Croatia's many islands and inland delights

• TALK THE TALK - our practical language guide helps you chat to the locals - zivjeli!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; 3 edition (March 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1740594878
• ISBN-13: 978-1740594875
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #421,883 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars good, but has some defects, June 22, 2004

By	Nacozari - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lonely Planet Croatia (Paperback)

like all travel guides, you can find something that is not there in 'lonely planet croatia'... i will be traveling croatia this summer and have had the advantage of using several guidebooks in my planning... they all have their pros and cons, so a review of any of them must necessarily discuss these:

the pros: the maps and city plans are substantially better than in the competitors' guidebooks... lonely planet is one of the few cheap-o style travel guidebooks that gives you information on at least a few hotels that are not youth hostels, dives or other forms of bottom-barrel accommodation; in other words, they at least give you a few mid-range and expensive options if you wish to go that way... all the essentials are there, with great suggestions on places to sleep, eat and visit

the cons: as with ALL of the backpacker/youth travel guidebooks (LP, rough guide, let's go and company), the information on sights/monuments/museums, etc., is SEVERELY lacking... there is just the most basic of information on the history of the sights that you have gone so far to see... which makes it necessary to buy another book, pay an expensive guide or some such thing... (for instance, you will rarely read detailed descriptions of the artwork to be found in a church and are often left wandering about saying 'this is so beautiful, i wonder what it is...i wish the guidebook would tell me more!') i know this would make the guidebooks huge, but even 50% more information would be wonderful so as to have a little bit more of a grip on what you are looking at after taking a 12-hour ferry ride across the adriatic to get there!

which is why, despite its quality, i always felt the need to take another guidebook along, just in case...using my usual technique of tearing out just the pages i would need from each book

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, May 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Lonely Planet Croatia (1st ed) (Paperback)

Finally a travel guide for Croatia. For several years, Croatia was left out of the various larger, multiple-country guidebooks; somehow it wasn't considered a part of Eastern Europe or Central Europe! I have worked in this country for about two years, and recently had the opportunity to explore the coast with the help of this book. The information was excellent and quite accurate, considering a year or more has passed since the publication and much has changed in that time. The only quibbles: some mistakes in the pronunciation guide, and the suggestion that people try swimming in the Drava River, which is polluted--a friend of mine wound up in the hospital for a week after taking a dip. My colleagues and I had to laugh at that recommendation! Like most tourist information on Croatia, the book is strong on the Adriatic and weak on the rest of the country--admittedly, not quite as spectacular, but with some places of interest nonetheless. The book is compact, the perfect size for toting around, and includes lots of intriguing historical sidebars. It will need updating soon, as the country is going through considerable change.

48 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Uncomplete and dated, August 29, 2002

By	Marcell Orosz (Budapest, Hungary) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lonely Planet Croatia (Paperback)

Shortly: this is the worst ever Lonely Planet Guide that I bought. I have just returned home from Croatia and this book didn't help me at all. I could have had a 5-pound stone in my pocket and it could have helped me more.

Explained: the book is absolutely incomplete because it simply doesn't cover the north half of the country (about half the territory of Croatia). It misses towns like Sisak, Virovitica, Cakovec and it doesn't contain anything about the Osijek castle. I don't know why the writer ignored this part of the country, I suppose she might have liked the beautiful sea-shore better but this doesn't make an excuse at all.

Then: it ignores some significant towns near the Bosnian border, like Knin and Sinj, I know these places aren't the most likeable ones but they have a historical significance - these were the cities most affected by the civil war and these places are a part of Croatian history and quite an important one.

Moreover: even though she spent most of her time on the shore, what about Novi Vinodolski, Senj, Karlobag, Umag, Porec and the inner Istria? These places are worth discovering and there isn't a single word about them in the book.

It is dated, because it doesn't contain up-to-date information about the country. For example: if you drive a car (having a picnic in the countryside) or walking around you should be prepared for mine fields - there are still many of them in the country. These fields aren't on the map and they are near main roads, too. The section on driving is incomplete in another aspects, too. There are also other failures and mistakes that I don't want to list, it would be too long to fit into a review.

So I don't suggest anyone buying this book. Try something else. This time Lonely Planet is your worst choice.