WORLD PRESS ABOUT CROATIA

Times August 2004: "Where the villa living is easy"

Annabel Thorpe finds quality self-catering properties all the rage on Croatia's Istrian peninsula. … British are discovering that inland Istria combines a landscape of lush green hills and honey-coloured hilltop towns reminiscent of Umbria, and with the kind of tranquillity you'd only find in Tuscany on a rainy day in February. …Villas, dilapidated cottages, crumbling farmhouses; all are changing hands, as British buyers compete with returning Croatians to own their own piece of the Istrian idyll.

… Their newly built villa, Casteletto Parenzana, was only finished in June and they have already had their first guests. "There is nowhere else in Europe so peaceful," says Dorina. "At night we just sit out and watch the stars; although we have been back from England for some time, we still can't believe the night skies." Evenings at Parenzana are glorious; the heat of the day fades, the sun slips slowly behind khaki hills and the sky floods fuschia pink. Istrian earth is lush and fertile, and fields of crops stretch between clusters of toffee-coloured cottages. Silent hamlets freckle the countryside; some have only one or two inhabitants, elderly now, sons and lovers long gone, some to the war, some to work on the busy coastal strip. … The verdant hills that roll through Istria are scattered with towns; Venetian Motovun, Groznjan with its artists' community, Oprtalj with its 17th-century loggia and tiny medieval streets winding up to the peak. The villages may play host to tourist coaches by day, but nothing on the scale of Provence or Tuscany; by late afternoon they have settled back into a peaceful languor, with only the odd quiet bar, serving menestra (an Istrian take on minestrone soup) and cevapcici (meatballs) to locals and a few stray tourists.

…"Soft tourism" is a suitably gentle term for the development taking place in Istria; a wine route has sprung up, truffle-hunting trips are on offer, and most hilltop towns hold festivals in the summer, but all are low-key initiatives; the main attraction is the beauty and simplicity of the region. "We had no idea it would be so gorgeous," Jane Shirley told me, who was staying in a villa called Captain Morgan's with her husband, Paul, and four children. "We've been to Porec, but it was like any other beach resort. Up here it's unique; so quiet and everyone in the village so friendly. We chose Istria because it was that bit cheaper than Spain or Italy, but the villa is more luxurious than anything we've rented before."

The properties in Istria are a good metaphor for the region; spacious, beautiful, individual, of a far higher standard than you might expect. Istria as a whole is a surprise; "Where are all the battered Fiats?" asked my copilot Ali, as we drove past gleaming BMWs and four-wheel drives. Everywhere felt upbeat, a well-to-do country absorbing tourism into everyday life.

Evening Standard's Homes & Property April 9th 2003:

"Agents in Italy recently reported a marked increase in German nationals selling their Italian properties to buy in Croatia. It could be that Brits are missing something here."

Croatia has been recommended on the Richard and Judy Show (February 2003)

Ivan Massow, a succesful businessman, political activist and former chairman of the Institute of Contemporary Art, stated that he was very keen on the Croatian coast and is looking to buy a property. He asked what was the point in travelling a long way to enjoy a beautiful coastline (he mentiones Thailand), if Croatia was only two hours away.

Times: "Croatia will be the top tourist destination for 2003."

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". … 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.

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. 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. The place to invest before it is discovered...

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 place such as Croatia - 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...

Travel Telegraph August 2003: 'Is Croatia the new Cote d'Azur?'

Croatia has been billed with equal vapidity as the "hottest new destination for 2003", "the new Med" and "the new Cote d'Azur", Celebrities are flocking there, we are led to believe, aboundoning Tuscany and St. Tropez faster than you say Hvar, Korcula, Brac. Even Princess Caroline of Monaco is reported to be buying an island in the area...

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...

BROKER, real estate agency team.