
Croatia
My love affair with Croatia stretches back well over 20 years. After first travelling there in the late 1990s (a winter trip to the snowbound Velebit mountains), I returned to live in Zagreb for two years, learned to speak Croatian – and have been visiting, writing about and photographing this exquisitely beautiful and endlessly fascinating corner of Europe over since. Despite spending several weeks of each year travelling in Croatia, often based in Zagreb and/or Zadar, I have never lost the excitement of going back, or run out of places to explore. Over the years I have travelled the length and breadth of the country, from the agricultural plains of Slavonia to the hilltowns of Istria, the karst badlands of the Dinaric Alps and the glittering islands of the Croatian Adriatic.
Croatia guidebooks and articles
I have written or contributed to half a dozen books on Croatia, including guides for Bradt, Cicerone and National Geographic Traveller, and written scores of articles about Croatia for the likes of BBC Travel, b.Inspired (Brussels Airlines inflight), CNN Traveller, Evening Standard, Hidden Europe, Moments (P&O Ferries), Morning Calm (Korean Airlines inflight), N by Norwegian, The National, Oryx (Qatar Airways), Outdoor Enthusiast, The Telegraph, Woman’s Own and more – from a journey in search of the descendents of 16th century pirates, to interviewing rock stars in Rijeka, and photographing gingerbread makers and traditional wooden toy makers in Zagorje.
Walks and Treks in Croatia (Cicerone, 2019)
Istria. The Bradt Travel Guide (co-author with Thammy Evans; 2nd edition; Bradt, 2017)
Croatia. The Bradt Travel Guide (6th edition; Bradt, 2016 – updater)
National Geographic Traveler Croatia (2nd edition; National Geographic, 2015)
The Islands of Croatia (Cicerone, 2014)
Time Out Visitor’s Guide to Croatia (Time Out Croatia, 2011 – updater)
Walking in Croatia (Cicerone, 2004)
Walks and Treks in Croatia (Cicerone, 2019)
Third edition of my guide (originally published back in 2004) describing 27 day walks and multi-day treks in all Croatia’s main hiking areas on the mainland, from the forests of Gorski kotar to the highest parts of the Dinaric Alps, and the national parks of Northern Velebit, Paklenica, Risnjak and the Unesco-listed Plitvice Lakes.
National Geographic Traveler Croatia (2nd edition; National Geographic, 2015)
2nd edition of my Croatia guide in the National Geographic Traveler series.
The Islands of Croatia (Cicerone, 2014)
Guidebook describes 30 day walks on 14 islands on the Croatian Adriatic, including routes on Rab, Krk, Mali Lošinj, Vis, Korčula, Hvar and Mljet, with lots of background information including wildlife and plants, history, language and ferry routes. Winner of the best guidebook award from the British Guild of Travel Writers.
Croatia photography by Rudolf Abraham: