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3 Mind-Blowing Facts about Croatia That’ll Make You Book a Holiday

24.08.2020
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3 Mind-Blowing Facts about Croatia: We are willing to bet that once you read these, you’ll jump right to booking your holiday!

3 Mind-Blowing Facts about Croatia - You wouldn’t write with a pen or switch TV channels with a remote!

Croatia is the birthplace of several inventors who changed the shape of our society.

Among them, two stand out.

The first, Nikola Tesla, most famous for his AC electric current that enabled us to build effective widespread grids, developed the world’s first remote back in 1898.

The public first became aware of this wonder when Tesla steered the remote-controlled toy boat on Madison Square Garden that same year. Today, you can visit the home of Nikola Tesla in a small village in central Croatia and get familiar with dozens of his cutting-edge inventions from back in the days. It’s a quiet place, surrounded by nature with some tasty traditional food, believe us.

But when you sit down at your desk late at night and switch on the light, there’s one other Croat that helped you write those notes beside Tesla.

In 1906, Eduard Slavoljub Penkala patented his greatest and most recognized invention – an automatic mechanical pen. A bit later, he filed another patent; this time a fountain pen and a clip that enables you to fix your pen to a pocket.

How about that? Didn’t know that one, did you?

But wait! It gets better!

3 Mind-Blowing Facts about Croatia - You wouldn’t look that good at some gala event

Do you know how to tie your necktie in under 5 seconds?

Yeah, it can be a pain in the butt sometimes. For some reason, you can’t make the straight notch no matter what you do.

Anyway, the word “cravate” (necktie) has its origins in the French word “croata”.

Around 1635, some six thousand soldiers and knights arrived in Paris as support to French king Louis XIII. Among them, there were several Croatian mercenaries who, led by the so-called ban (a member of Croatian aristocracy), remained in the service of the French king.

What attracted the attention of the French court was their traditional uniform with decorated scarves around their necks.

That “elegant” style, unknown to the rest of the world at that time, soon became accepted by the French court and turned into a fashion accessory among aristocracy as a symbol of culture and elegance.

It wasn’t long after Charles II brought this novelty to England that neckties spread across the world as an inevitable fashion accessory.

Today, Croatia holds the World Record in the longest and biggest necktie ever produced. We did invent it, after all…

3 Mind-Blowing Facts about Croatia - You wouldn’t be able to drop your flashlight under the tires of a moving jumbo jet but still be able to use it

There’s this guy, born on the island of Brač, one of over 1200 islands in the Croatian Adriatic Sea by the way, who got sick and tired of poor quality flashlights back in the days. Every time the damn thing would drop down on the hard floor, it would smash into pieces. So, our Antony Maglica employed all his wit and created Maglite. Yeah, it’s true. You can, in fact, accidentally drop down your Maglite under the tires of a moving jumbo jet and still be able to light your way with it.

Therefore, when you spread your beach towel on the world’s famous shapeshifting beach Zlatni Rat in the town of Bol on the island of Brač, in Croatia, think about your Maglite. That’s where it comes from. At least where the man who invented it was spending his early days. While Maglites, remotes, and pens are great stuff, there’s one even more important fact about Croatia you didn’t know.

You will never try “kulen” with “ajvar” if you don’t swing by for at least a weekend!

There are hardly any words to describe the sensation you feel when you combine these two delicacies. It’s something you just must try.

Now, to be honest, ajvar is not originally a Croatian invention but we did crank it up a notch.

Kulen, however, is.

It’s a special kind of smoked and cured deli you can’t find anywhere else in the world and everybody who ever tried it made sure to bring some back home.

The taste is simply unforgettable so once you arrive, make sure to ask your host or a chef to bring you a few slices of it — and this is important to remember — Slavonian Kulen. It’s a brand, protected by the EU laws, in case you’ve been wondering.

Yeah, we did say 3 facts about Croatia, but we just like to surprise you every chance we get. Heard enough? Ready to explore some cool Croatian destinations? Start HERE! Your CTC Team, I.K.

Ethical Manifest

“We promote Croatia — but we don’t sell its soul.”

At ComeToCroatia.Holiday, we believe that the beauty of Croatia — its hidden beaches, forests, villages, and cliffs — is not a commodity, but a legacy.

That’s why:

We promote responsible travel: respect for nature, people, and local culture.
We share only what can withstand attention — not every trail, not every cove.
We encourage visits to lesser-known places, but never at the cost of their authenticity.
We support the local economy — small businesses, local products, and family-run stays.
We educate travelers to leave a mark of the heart, not a trail of trash.