Some Interesting Facts About Croatia

Public Holidays

Although the bulk of Croatia’s population is Christian, there are also a substantial number of Muslims and some Jews, and all the feasts and festivals of the three communities and public holidays, with much celebration. The main holidays of Croatia are listed below. Orthodox Christmas (January 7), All Saints’ Day (November 1), Ramazan, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, are restricted to certain communities. Many of Croatia’s towns have annual cultural events and festivals (like Dubrovnik’s Summer Festival), which, besides being cultural showcases for the region or city, often also incorporate local holidays.

Date 2005 Occasion
January 1 New Year's Day  
January 10 Epiphany
March 27 Easter
March 28 Easter Monday
May 1 May Day
May 26 Corpus Christi
June 22  Anti -Fascism Day
June 25  National Statehood Day
August 5 National Thanksgiving Day
August 15 Assumption
October 8 Independence Day
December 25 Christmas Day  
December 26 Boxing Day

Weekend- Saturday, Sunday

Weights & Measures

Croatia follows the Metric System of weights and measures.

Electricity

220 volts, 50 Hz is the standard power supply, which means that appliances not compatible will need an adaptor or a converter.

Customs & Duties

Croatian Customs is pretty liberal- you’re allowed to bring in virtually anything you need, free of customs duty. The allowed items include personal effects, jewellery, perfume, alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco, pets, plants, motor vehicles & boats for these you’ll need documents- proof of ownership and a green card and telephones. You can even bring personal firearms into the country, but for this you’ll need to get a permit from the police at the border.

Embassies and Consulates

Croatia has diplomatic relations with a number of countries, and all diplomatic missions- embassies, consulates and honorary consulates- are located in the capital, Zagreb. If you need to visit any of them, addresses and telephone numbers are available in the local telephone directory. In fact, it’s perhaps best that you register at your embassy, or at least get the latest reports on safety, if you’re planning to travel outside the usual tourist destinations.

Post & Communications

Croatia is well equipped as far as posts and communications are concerned. Most hotels provide basic postal services, and there’s a fairly good network of post offices throughout the country. The telecommunications system of the country suffered a battering during the strife in 1991-95, but it’s being currently revamped, and is fairly adequate now. You’ll be able to find public phones, many offering long-distance and international dialling facilities, almost everywhere. Fax, telex and Internet services are usually available at hotel business centres and other establishments, including some large post offices.

Tipping

Most restaurants in Croatia levy a service charge, in which case you don’t need to leave a tip. However, if this hasn’t been added to your bill, and you’re satisfied with the service, it’s the done thing to leave a tip- you can round off the bill to the next multiple of five, and leave that amount as a tip. Similarly, taxi drivers also can be tipped by rounding off the fare; tourist guides expect a suitable tip as well.