Croatia

Dubrovnik walls catch the obvious attention in this category, and the articles balance the city against the rest of the country. The Dalmatian islands of Hvar, Korcula, Vis, and Brac each get their own pieces written for travelers who plan to slow down rather than island-hop in three days. Split, Zadar, and the Plitvice lakes get serious treatment.

Inland coverage extends to Zagreb, the wine country of Istria, the truffle hunts around Motovun, and the green river valleys of the Slovenian border. Food writing handles the Italian-Slavic blend along the coast and the heavier inland kitchen traditions. Practical material covers the ferry schedules that shape any island trip, the rental car question for the Dalmatian coast, and the rising prices that have changed the budget calculation since the Adriatic became fashionable.