• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result

Travel Croatia

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
May 06, 2010
in Retirement/Living
0
Invest In Real Estate, like proven Istria Croatia | Investing In Property Overseas
208
SHARES
3k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Fairy-Tale Living On The Continent (That, Yes, You Can Afford)

Croatia is my other top pick (alongside France) for spending time in Europe.

This is a country of impossibly beautiful blue-green waters that, unfortunately, is better known for its tumultuous history. The fighting, though, in this part of the world is nearly two decades in the past, and the cultured, educated people of Croatia have been working hard ever since to rebuild their 1,000-year-old country.

Croatia has captured my imagination since my first visit nearly 10 years ago. The entire family, in fact, was so taken with the beauty, the history, the culture, and the lifestyle of this country that, during that very first visit, we bought a tumbledown stone farmhouse on the side of a mountain on the Istrian Peninsula. It was an impulse buy that we haven’t regretted for an instant. I daydream often about spending time in this special spot overlooking an expanse of olive groves and vineyards with a view across the valley of a medieval village built entirely of the white stone the region is known for.

Our architect-friend in Croatia, who drew up the plans for the renovation of the pile of stone rubble we’d bought so impulsively, told us a story years ago that helped to put the history of this complicated country into perspective.

“My father,” Levorko explained, “lived to be nearly 100 years old. He lived his whole life here in Istria, in the same town. He died living in the house where he’d been born.

“And, in his lifetime, my father lived in nine countries.”

Croatia was ruled briefly by France under Napoleon. It was part of the Hapsburg Monarchy. It was part of Serbia. Part of Yugoslavia. It was ruled by the Venetians and occupied by the Italians, who left behind their cuisine and their language (some street signs even today are in Italian). And it was organized into a series of republics, culminating in the current Republic of Croatia.

Here’s something else you may not know about Croatia: It’s the birthplace of the necktie. The Croat contingency of the French service wore their traditional knotted handkerchiefs during the Thirty Year’s War (1618 to 1648). The Parisians took a fancy to them and called them “cravat”—a cross between the Croatian and French words for Croat (Hrvati and Croates).

So began a cravat fashion frenzy. In the 17th century, these kerchiefs became so intricate that they were tied in place with strings and made into bows that took forever to arrange.

Croatia has a great climate, which is why it’s able to produce increasingly sought-after Zinfandel grapes. Croatia’s mild winters and sunny summers make for perfect Zinfandel weather.

Croatia is a sailor’s paradise. All up and down its long coast, you see flotillas of white yachts offshore from ancient towns hidden behind thick walls. This is a fairy-tale land of fortresses and bell towers that so attracted and impressed the Romans they invested in some of their best building here, including, for example, a large and largely intact coliseum at Pula where lions and Christians once entertained.

How would I thin-slice this enchanting land?

First, Istria, where Nature and man have worked together over many centuries to create something very special, almost magical. The ancient Romans named it “Terra Magica.”

The hinterland of Istria is a beguiling patchwork of meadows, vineyards, and olive groves, plus carefully tended gardens where trees hang heavy with ripening cherries, figs, and walnuts. This fertile land also grows wild asparagus and truffles, for which Istria is becoming famous. High in the hills, behind more medieval walls, are yet more toy-town settlements of fountains, chestnut trees, and frescoed churches. Frankly, I defy you not to fall in love with Istria. Both the landscapes and the way of life rival the best of Tuscany or the French and Italian rivieras, but this place is still undiscovered and therefore affordable. Renovation projects (centuries-old stone farmhouses on hillsides overlooking valleys of olive groves and vineyards) can start at less than $100,000.

Next, Zagreb. As capital cities go, this one is just about perfect. And here’s why:

First, its location. It’s tucked in southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Slovenia. It’s a prime location near Vienna, Venice, Budapest (all spectacular cities in their own rights), plus skiing in Austria and golf in Slovenia.

Second, its size. Zagreb’s manageable size enables you to enjoy every corner of the city and the surrounding areas on foot or bike or using its easy transportation system. Zagreb is one of those rare capital cities where you can enjoy a morning of skiing or hiking, visit several museums or swim on a nearby beach after lunch, and then enjoy a play or an opera that same evening.

Third, it’s fun. Croatia’s tumultuous history has created an enormously diverse culture.

Finally, like all Croatia, Zagreb is inexpensive.

Like France, this isn’t one of the world’s cheapest places to live. But it’s one of the most affordable options on the Continent, delivering extraordinary lifestyle for the cost.

Kathleen Peddicord

Comments

Tags: croatian real estatelive in Croatialiving abroad europetravel to croatia
Share83Tweet52
Previous Post

Beachfront In Panama

Next Post

Riverfront Real Estate In Belize

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

Related Posts

Cascais, Lisbon Area, Portugal
Lifestyle

Finding Our Dream Life Overseas In Cascais, Portugal

by Terry O’Halloran
February 26, 2021
0

About two-and-a-half years ago, my wife and I made the leap. We moved halfway around the world, to Portugal. Maybe...

Read more
Azenhas do Mar, Portugal coastal town.

Portugal: The Best Place To Live Is Also One Of The Safest

February 25, 2021
Riverside in Tavira on a summer morning, Faro District, Algarve, Portugal.

Why Tavira Is The Best Place To Retire In Portugal

February 24, 2021
Cost Of Retirement In Portugal vs. Panama

Cost Of Retirement In Portugal vs. Panama

February 24, 2021
Dordogne, France.

The Challenges Of Living Abroad And How To Overcome Them

February 22, 2021
Beautiful Caribbean sight with turquoise water in Caye Caulker island, Belize.

10 Reasons To Reinvent Your Life In Beautiful Belize

February 17, 2021
View overlooking Corozal township in Belize.

Different Places To Live Well In Northern Belize

February 16, 2021
Next Post
Riverfront Property In Belize At Carmelita

Riverfront Real Estate In Belize

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

how to retire overseas

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2021

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

WANT TO RETIRE OVERSEAS?

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately send you a free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE in style overseas. Each day you’ll learn about the best opportunities for international living, retiring overseas, offshore diversification and asset protection, and investing in real estate around the world.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.