..the famous marble from island Brac in Dalmatia, was used at building the Palace of Diocletian in Split, the White House in Washington, the Reichstag in Berlin, the center of the Parliament in Vienna and many others..
..the origin-country of the tie is Croatia. Handmade silk ties are among the best-known Croatian souvenirs. At the beginning, the cravat (tie) was a kerchief worn by Croatian soldiers in the 17th century. In the 18th century, in the form of a broad white scarf, it became part of the traditional male national costume. The cravat, due to its originality, was accepted by Parisians as symbol of progress.
..Goran Ivanisevic (born in Split, 1971) is a former professional tennis player from Croatia and he is best remembered for being the only person to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon as a wildcard. Ivanisevic is famous for his strong serve, which is one of the greatest to date. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 2 (behind Pete Sampras).
..the first pharmacy in Europe was established in a Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik, in 1317. (still working)
..Slavoljub Penkala, born in Croatia, was holder of over 70 patents among which in 1906 he invented the first mechanical pencil, which became known as ballpoint pen. 2006 is a 100 year anniversary of this invention.
..the town called Hum is the smallest town in the world according to Guiness book of world records.
..Marco Polo, one of the greatest world travelers, was born on the island of Korčula, in 1254. At the time when the life and culture of the East were completely unknown to all of Europe, and no one had heard of paper money, Marco Polo headed for China to the great Kubla Kahn and stayed at the Mongolian court for 17 years, which he later described in his well-known travel record "Milijun" (Million).
..salt from Pag and Ston saltworks is the purest salt in the Mediterranean? Have you ever heard of "salt harvest"?
..the biggest truffle (best of the mushrooms) in the world, weighing 1310 grams was found in Istria, Croatia.
..Nikola Tesla, one of the world's greatest inventors, who worked with Edison was from Croatia. He patented over 700 inventions (he invented the multiphase system of alternating currents, he solved the problems of transferring electric power, he discovered the principle of the rotating magnetic field and was among the first who experimented with electromagnetic waves). Thanks to him, we use everday devices such as televisions, computers, refrigerators and almost everything that surrounds us.
..Faust Vrancic, was born in Šibenik, Dalmatia and he published an unusual scientific work in 1595. He presented plans and concrete solutions for building the first parachute, which set the foundation for modern parachuting. With this discovery, he showed how far ahead he was from his time, because parachute jumps started to be frequent at the beginning of the 20th century.
..the oldest municipal theatre in Europe_Hvar island.
..the famous liqueur called Maraškino made of miraculous and healthy marasca cherries grow in the surroundings of Zadar. The rocky landscape, red soil, a lot of sun and wind called bura contribute to the exceptional aroma which had been exported by ships all around the world in the 17th and 18th century. It was highly appreciated at English court. Napoleon Bonaparte and his generals toasted their victories with Maraskino. It is an authentic souvenir from Dalmatia, Croatia.
..the renowned American wine variety Zinfandel and our Kaštel crljenac are actually the same variety which was recently discovered by American experts by analysis of their genetic profile. With this the mystery of the origin of Zinfandel, which has been planted on about twenty three percent of the area with grapevine in America, has been solved.
.. Zlatni rat - the Golden Cape (island Brac) is the only beach in the world that formed vertically to the coast and changes its shape according to the wind and waves and sometimes it takes unusual winding forms.
..the Mali Ston Bay, situated in south Dalmatia is a protected area where aquaculture is successful thanks to the virgin cleanliness and wealth of the sea. This is the only successful breeding ground for the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis in the world. It has a unique, full bodied aroma and flavour of the sea. Since ancient times, it has been recognized on the tables of the European courts, and today is an irreplaceable culinary pleasure of this region.
..the famous cheese from Pag has been prepared carefully by the inhabitants of Pag since time immemorial.
..a traditional sword dance Moreška, once spread on the Mediterranean, has only been retained in Dalmatia, in the Town of Korcula. The people of Korcula have been dancing Moreška for full 400 years.
..the oldest description of a ship in Europe was found on a pottery fragment in Grapceva spilja ( cave ), island Hvar.
..the map of land division of the fertile plain of Stari Grad is an exceptional document 2500 years old. It is today one of 3 oldest plains in the world with preserved Greek land division
...the Dalmatian dog received its name from Dalmatia and the Illyrian tribe Dalmata. In the Franciscan monastery in Zaostrogo there is a painting of the 'Last supper' by an unknown author from the 18th century, in which along side Jesus and Apostles is also a dog - a Dalmatian!
