Culture Croatia
Croatia today has emerged from a multitude of historical and social developments. While some cultural monuments display a Roman influence, e.g. the amphitheatre in Pula, most of today's city layout reaches back to the Gothic architects of the 14th and 15th centuries, a time in which most of the defence facilities were built to ward off the Turks. A large influence was the long Venetian rule of, e.g. Istria and Dalmatia, where a large number of architectural monuments can be admired. An example is the city Šibenik with the Cathedral of St. James, built in the 15th - 16th centuries, which is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The North and North-east were influenced by the long and economically flourishing rule of Austria, and later Austro-Hungary. A chief witness to this, aside from the remaining magnificent Baroque buildings, is the Gründerzeit architecture in cities such as Opatija. Today Croatia presents a modern image, open to tourism and Western influences in music and art; however, it does retain its originality and traditions. Protection of natural areas and historic buildings and monuments does have a top priority.
