Croatia

Croatia has one of those coastlines that makes you wonder why it took the rest of the world so long to notice. Over 1,200 islands dot the Adriatic, Dubrovnik's medieval walls look like they were built for a movie set (Game of Thrones certainly thought so), and the Dalmatian coast serves up some of the bluest water in the Mediterranean. But Croatia isn't just a beach destination - inland, you've got the surreal turquoise waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes, the rolling hills of Istria with its truffles and wine, and Zagreb, a capital that doesn't try too hard and is better for it.

The country adopted the euro in 2023 and joined the Schengen area the same year, making it even easier to visit. Croatians are intensely proud of their coast, their football team (World Cup runners-up in 2018), and their claim that the necktie was invented here - the word "cravat" comes from "Croat." The food is Mediterranean on the coast and Central European inland, the wine is underrated, and the whole country empties onto the beaches in July and August like it's a national obligation.