This triangular-shaped bit of land pointing down toward the Mediterranean was owned by Italy between the two World Wars (signs are often in both Croatian and Italian). It has the mountains, the vineyards, the hill towns, the wine festivals, the architecture, the landscapes . . . it's the best of Tuscany without the tourists or their trappings. And, being within easy driving distance of five airports (four international -- Zagreb, Ljubljana in Slovenia, and Trieste and Venice in Italy -- plus the local airport in Pula, with flights from Zagreb), access isn't a problem. In fact, it's easier to get to this region of Croatia than any other.

Most of the local roads have been recently paved, and a new two-lane highway makes it a breeze to get from Pula on the southern tip up to the Slovenian border.