Press & Articles
Sunday Times February 2004: "Croatia rediscovered"
... Better sailing than Turkey, islands to rival those of Greece, and
a cuisine to match Italy's: it's the hot spot that came in from the
cold.
…Ask anyone: Croatia is the hottest destination in the
Med this summer. The Dalmatian coast, they will tell you, with
its close-hauled constellation of 1,000 islands, is the "new Riviera";
while the Istrian peninsula, with its Italian looks and flavours,
is "the new Tuscany".
... In the 1980s, half a million of us came here to play and almost
universally loved it, but during the civil war, we shifted to Spain,
Greece and Turkey- even though most of Croatia was never touched by
the conflict. Well, we are finally back. The smart set are already there
in force. Steven Spielberg, Pierce Brosnan, Andre Agassi, Gywneth Paltrow
and Sean Connery are all among the celebrity names to appear in the
hotel visitor books. Some like to country so much they bought a piece:
Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone are each rumoured to
be buying their own private island. The Istrian peninsula-
as you'd guess from looking at a map, the Italian influence is strong
in this northern corner of the country. The area was ruled from Venice
for 400 years and its influence is stamped on the local architecture-in
the spectacular walled towns, many bear the imprint of the Venetian
lion…
Times June 2003: "Is this the new Cote d'Azur?"
…Stylish hotels and visiting celebrities are sending Croatia upmarket…
…Rumour has it that both Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone are trying
to buy one of the 1,000 or so sun-baked and mainly uninhabited islands
off the narrow Croatian coast. Ivana Trump is a sailing party regular
and Bill Gates is said to have booked a €20,000-a-week villa last
summer on the island Hvar…Dubrovnik is called the "jewel
of the Adriatic". It has beautiful people and to-blue-to-be-true
sea, so unpolluted that you can take a dip straight form the city walls.
… Next year the Hilton Imperial will open and there are even talks
of the super stylish hotel group Amanresorts converting one hotel…
Financial Times August 2003: 'A Dalmatian dream home'
… Croatia- the Mediterranean's latest property hotspot…
Sailing is a big draw in Croatia. Sixteen of the country's 50 harbours
have Blue Flag status, and scores of new ones are being built. In the
marina at Hvar, gleaming yachts from Trieste, Nice, London, Southampton,
Sydney and the British Virgin Islands rival the line-up at St Tropez.
It is no wonder Croatia is being rediscovered- not just by tourists,
but by house hunters. Tourists are being loured by the promise of this
"new Cote D'Azur" as well as by the secluded bays, villages
crammed with Venetian, Roman and Slavic architecture, pristine beaches
and by national parks. … Sharon Stone, Clint Eastwood, Claudia
Schiffer, Michael Schumacher and Princess Caroline of Monaco are among
the celebrities rumoured to have been scouting the Istrian and Dalmatian
coast for homes. … - the region has so far escaped the advance
of cheap apartment blocks that have blighted so many other Mediterranean
hotspots…
Financial Times Mai 2002: 'Islands for sale: Affordable, unspoilt
and just two hours' flight from London.'
...There are 1.185 uninhabited islands along Croatia's Adriatic
coastline, and many are now for sale. Some are so close to the mainland
that their owners could breakfast at home, lunch in Dubrovnik and dine
in Italy. … Most overseas buyers are from Germany, Austria, Italy,
and the UK. … There are people who spend millions on houses in
London or New York, but all that money doesn't buy you good weather
or privacy...
TATLER Magazine October 2001: 'Croatia is about to become one
of the most sought after destinations in Europe'
Conde Nast Traveller (UK) October 2002: 'The Eastern Riviera'
...Just as pioneers flocked to the Cote d'Azur in the 1950s, Greece
in the 1960s and Tuscany in the 1990s, those on the pulse are now buying
into the Istrian coast...
The Times July 2002: 'The new Tuscany'
...A wonderful coastline, crystal clear water and a house by the sea:
what could you want more? Croatia, they told us, is the new Tuscany.
Greece before the masses, Spain before the high rise buildings, and
the place to invest before it is discovered...
Conde Nast Traveller (UK) April 2002: The new Capri? It's
in Croatia'
… some islands are still undiscovered. Vis is like Capri before
the tourists…
The Sunday Times September 2002: 'New Frontiers for Seaside Heavens'
...For anybody looking to find a seaside plot on which to build their
dream home, it's probably too late for the Mediterranean coasts
of France and Spain, but if you look away from the most obvious spots-
in places such as Croatia, Greece and Italy- there are still
possibilities...
The Mail May 2002: 'Is Croatia the new Tuscany?'
...Forget Italy. Suddenly Croatia is becoming the fashionable spot to
buy a place in the sun. …One of the most dramatic coastlines in
Europe, pretty little towns and deep blue sea...
Elle (Germany) July 2003: 'Comeback'
...Croatia is this summer the trend holiday spot of the high society.
… Croatia the new top destination of the jet set: the international
jet set was spotted last year in front of the Croatian coastline. Caroline
from Manaco was crusing with her yacht. Steven Spielberg and Bernie
Ecclestone lunched in Dubrovnik...