Book excerpt: Free companion podcast available... You'll never fall into tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go— they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us! Frommer's Croatia offers detailed, complete coverage of this captivating, increasingly popular country. Author Karen Olson takes you inside the thriving cities of Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split, with their spectacular Roman ruins, medieval old towns and nearby storybook castles. She recommends the best way to sail or drive the country's stunning Dalmatian Coast, with pristine beaches along more than 3,000 miles of coastline, and more than 1,000 offshore islands. She explores such natural wonders as Plitvice Lakes National Park, where pristine turquoise lakes tumble into waterfalls over deposits of travertine. And she ventures into inland Croatia for a visit to Hlebine, a colony of nearly 200 painters and sculptors that features the country's largest concentration of naive art. From the Turkish bazaar–like feel of Split's Pazarin market to the lowdown on Zagreb's see-and-be-seen cafe culture, Frommer's Croatia showcases the best of a country that has long been labeled Europe's best-kept secret.