Country Information

Hungarian, Italian and Austrian influences can be found in Croatian food, with hearty meat stews and goulashes dominating the menu in the hinterland. The Adriatic coast is renowned for its variety of seafood dishes.

National specialities:
• Pršut i paški sir (air-dried ham similar to Italian prosciutto and sheep's cheese from the island of Pag) platters are served as an appetiser.
• Salata od hobotnice (octopus salad) is made from octopus, potato, onion, chopped parsely, olive oil and lemon juice.
• Crni rižot (black risotto) is made from cuttlefish black ink.
• Gulaš (goulash) is similar to the Hungarian version from where it originated.
• Janjetina (roast lamb) is popular in inland regions, where its not unusual to see whole lamb roasting on a spit at roadside eateries.

National drinks:
• Vino (wine) as a rule of thumb, the best red wines come from the south, and the best whites from the north.
• Rakija (spirit) a potent firewater drunk as a toast at celebrations and as an aperitif before eating. Types of rakija include travarica (made from distilled grapes and flavoured with herbs) and šlivovica (made from distilled plums).
• Pivo (beer) is popular throughout the country - lager predominates.
• Kava (coffee) is generally drunk as Italian-style espresso or as bijela kava (coffee with milk).
• Čaj (tea) normally implies herbal teas such as šipak (rosehip) which are served with sugar and lemon. If you want English-style black tea ask for Indijski čaj sa mljekom (Indian tea with milk).

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: 10% is expected in hotels, restaurants and taxis.

The year-round nightlife scene centres on the capital, Zagreb, which buzzes with everything from swanky cocktail bars to alternative cultural clubs patronised by students. However, come summer, the lion's share of the inland action moves to the tourist-boosted coast. Venues include everything from informal beach bars and pavement cafes through to style bars and glitzy nightclubs. Some of the most up-market clubs are in Dubrovnik, and frequently hit the gossip magazines as they attract both foreign and local celebrities. Likewise, the bars and clubs in trendy Hvar Town on the island of Hvar - dubbed the new Ibiza - are patronised by the glamorous international yachting crowd. Although many Croatians complain that restricted licensing hours are detrimental to their nightlife, as of 2007, the bars and clubs on Zrče beach (on northern tip of island of Pag) have been granted 24-hour licenses through summer.

Traditional handicrafts like embroidery, woodcarvings and ceramics make good souvenirs, while Croatian wines and truffle products also make excellent gifts to bring home. Tourists can reclaim VAT on expenditure of more than 500 Kn. Visitors should ensure that all receipts are retained after any purchase is made, as financial police have the power to fine visitors without relevant documents. This is to prevent VAT evasion by shopkeepers.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat 0800-1400/1500. Some shops in cities may open on Sundays.