Modern travelers are no longer just passive observers searching for relaxation under pine trees, swimming in clear blue seas, or exploring labyrinths of ancient and medieval streets.
Beach parties for younger generations are also becoming less fashionable. Inspired by increased environmental awareness, the importance of physical activity, health, and sports as well as movies and adventure documentaries, today’s new class of travelers is in search of a genuine travel adventure. The more adventurous explore natural environments, including extreme sports and hiking by exploring mountain tops, caves, rivers, canyons, and cliffs. These peaks of adventure are achieved by the use of heavy hiking boots, mountain bikes, climbing gear, kites, parachutes, and other equipment.
With its authentic and unspoiled natural environments, modern-day Croatia is ideal for tourists that seek adventure. Croatia’s once called wilderness has with the development of science and increased awareness of nature preservation been providing and come to symbolize an unspoiled and natural environment which is rare to find in modern societies. Therefore, the howling of wolves and the roaring of deer can still be heard. Bear and Lynx tracks can be seen in the snow and the trees are full of bird songs. Croatia is a small country with great diversity therefore in a rather short time one can visit the swamps, take a stroll or swim beside waterfalls as well as enjoy river cruises. There are many different mountain climbing possibilities as well as the option of flying human-powered aircraft.
Croatia is a country of rivers with no other European country has such preserved and diverse rivers. One can take a boat and paddle along the rivers Drava, Sava and Mura and experience the meandering rivers with their inspiring sand or gravel dunes. One can also observe the otters diving into clean, drinkable water or ducks bathing, while from steep naturally eroded river banks hundreds of sand-martins are flying over water and returning to their nesting colonies.
Nature lovers often feel as being the first explorers removed from civilization by vast forest strips situated near the bank of a river. The mighty Danube leaves breathless with its width and sometimes challenging branching backwaters. With expert guidance and following backwaters, one can enter deeper into the floodplains and into the real swamp. One swamp is Kopački rit which is dominated by shrieks of white-tailed eagles, spawning wild carp or deer crossing the shallow water of the Danube. Kopački rit provides an idyllic setting for bird-watching and observing other animal species.
Author: Goran Šafarek
