In the summer of 2022, Croatia’s first fully open high season since 2019, tourism returned in force in many and diverse forms. There was an abundance of music festivals. Airlines increased their flight schedules significantly, from low-cost airliners to Boeing 767-300 planes whizzing direct from New York to Dubrovnik. And in that telltale tic of approval, celebs came back.
In just a fortnight, David Beckham took his family to a luxurious retreat on Lopud Island near Dubrovnik, tennis star Venus Williams was spotted dining on the Zadar waterfront, and Hollywood stars Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Chris Rock were greeted by Sacha Joined Baron Cohen and rapper Sean Combs on a luxury yacht in the Adriatic Sea.
Days after his Wimbledon win, tennis superstar Novak Djokovic also happily posed for selfies with fans and restaurant staff while relaxing in Dubrovnik’s Old Town.
Disregarding the distant presence of a snap or two from the shore, celebrities can come to Croatia knowing that they will be spending time in a safe, comfortable environment for themselves and their families. Without being surrounded by huge security guards, they can enjoy the same things that every visitor to Croatia does: the clear, clean sea, beautiful landscape, top-notch local cuisine, fine wine. And when they feel like letting loose, they have an entire yacht to party with their friends on – or, even better, throw the party at a VIP-friendly venue like Hvar.
If you arrive by boat or private plane, there’s no airport rush, no hordes of journalists, no motorcades or outriders to navigate the city.
© Petar TrinajstićOpatija, Kvarner Bay
On the other hand, Croatia has a long history of hosting celebrities. The first resort town to attract famous names was the great Habsburg Opatija in Kvarner Bay. Back in the early 1900s, famous guests weren’t movie stars or rappers, but authors and composers, most notably Chekhov, Puccini and Mahler. Opatija’s stately hotels and picturesque seaside promenade were discovered much later by the film world, as any visit to Angiolina Park should prove. A mural depicts the leading figures who graced the city, including Robert De Niro and Kirk Douglas.
The Esplanade Hotel opened opposite Zagreb Central Station in 1925 to cater to high-paying Orient Express passengers, and has also seen its fair share of celebrities over the years. During the railroad’s golden age, Josephine Baker and Charles Lindbergh both stayed here, although no one is quite sure if Agatha Christie herself was a guest. What we do know is that after marrying her second husband, Max Mallowan, in 1930, the well-known archaeologist planned their entire honeymoon as a surprise for his new bride, a die-hard traveller. After Venice, of course, the travel plan included Split and Dubrovnik, which the crime writer mentions in her autobiography.
Seclusion was the main reason why, in August 1936, Edward VIII, who had not long ascended the throne, and his married mistress Wallis Simpson decided to steer their chartered yacht to the island of Rab. They had hoped to avoid the attention of the press as they cruised the Mediterranean in Nahlin by docking in Rab. A plaque marks the occasion on the main square, near which the carefree couple enjoyed the lavish comforts of the Grand Imperial Hotel. However, the press had a big day when the couple went nude swimming at nearby Kandarola Bay, unknowingly starting a local trend towards naturism. No pictures were seen in Britain, which implemented a press blackout over the scandalous adventure – but newspapers in the United States were more than happy to run the story.
Aleksandar Gospic/CNTBZadar
The creation of major international cultural events such as the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and the Pula Film Festival brought more and more stage and film stars to Croatia from the 1950s. Orson Welles was a regular visitor, along with a steady string of sixties A-listers. It was Oscar winner Cliff Robertson who suggested Alfred Hitchcock to shoot a film in Zadar, known for its incredible sunset. The famous director duly came in 1964 and stayed in room 204 of the former Hotel Zagreb to watch the natural phenomenon paint the sky blood orange. Unfortunately he only stayed one day and never shot his film, but his visit made the local papers and resulted in a large plaque by the sea.
The next big wave of celebrities came just before the big tourism boom of the 2000s. Croatia was becoming a cool name in certain circles, with the epicenter of this swanky revival being Hvar. Yachts would be anchored far enough away to remain unnoticed, while the celebs concerned, who had booked a table in the VIP area of the Carpe Diem club, simply dinged in later in the evening to enjoy themselves in relative anonymity. and none but the bartender would be the wiser. In a few summers, Prince Harry would be jumping into the pool at the Veneranda Club fully clothed.
At the time, movie stars like John Malkovich, whose grandparents were Croatian, were venturing further afield, feasting on lobster on Vis and drawing attention from the busier centers of Dalmatia to the stylish spa retreat of Opatija. Surrounded by the ghosts of Puccini and Mahler, Malkovich raved about the grand dame of the Croatian seaside resort when questioned. “I came to relax, to take a vacation. This is my heaven on earth.”
This article is sponsored by the Croatian National Tourist Board: “Croatia full of life”.
CNTB
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