I became acquainted with Croatia as a child. We had very close ties with a family from Croatia who were living in Egypt then. I became very good friends with the daughter of that family and we remained friends until now.

For Croatia and Istria, 2012 was the best year in the region’s tourism history. Not only physical indicators (tourist arrivals and overnight stays), but also the overall effect that tourism has on the economy showed excellent results.

Croatia, with its unparalleled natural beauty and vast historical and cultural heritage, is a country with a myriad of destinations and experiences that await our guests and they extend a lot further than just our world renowned coast.

The first time I met you, it was in the eighties. I was a student tramping through the region and you looked a little bit grey and foggy like many other Yugoslav towns. The second time was in 1990 when I stayed as a Swiss diplomat in former Yugoslavia.

In this year’s edition of “Five Stars Croatia”, I would like to present Croatia as a country of wine and vine. This aspect of our Homeland is getting ever more popular with our guests and friends. Wine and the culture of grape vine growing have been strongly present in Croatia’s regions since ancient times, as elsewhere on the Mediterranean. Since the earliest records of viticulture in Croatia, there have also been several indigenous varieties that have managed to survive up to...