Croatia

Dubrovnik is the iconic Adriatic medieval walled city. In the Middle Ages it flourished in maritime trading as the city-state of Ragusa and was rivaling Venice. During the Yugoslavian war, in the beginning of the 90's, it was sieged for seven month and got severe damaged by artillery attacks. Today Dubrovnik is again insane pretty and manicured to limit that it's almost too much. Just to top it off, there are beaches (pebbles though, not sand) with the most crystal-clear water you can imagine, but screamingly cold. All this makes of course Dubrovnik to the perfect tourist magnet and the stream of tourist buses also seems never-ending, but it is still possible to find adorable corners, without being run over by sunburned tour group.

The Balkans has bred a few dictators and Croatia's contribution was Franjo Tuđman. He was the first president of Croatia and died in office in 1999. Reputedly Tuđman was not as brutal as other more well-known Balkan dictators like Yugoslavian Tito, Albanien Hoxha or Serbian Milošević, but he was a strong and autocratic leader, so opinions about him are therefor mixed. Nevertheless Tuđman has a fine memorial at Miogoj cemetery, which is often considered to be one of Europe finest cemetery. Tombs and graves from all kind of religions are represented, let it be Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish, Protestant, and others.

Zagreb is low on major sights, but this just mean you can enjoy the charm of the city without the hordes of tourists. The city is split into two parts, the handsome upper part and the ordinary lower part. The upper part is for sightseeing and pleasure, while the lower end is where life is lived. The few must-see places include Zagreb Cathedral, St. Mark's church (picture) and the vegetable market, but else Zagreb is best enjoyed by strolling aimlessly around. As with any capital in Eastern Europe the nightlife is good. Bar-lined Tkalciceva street turns into a public catwalk at nighttime with outdoor couches and affordable drinks - what more do you wish for.