Our whole 2009 family European holiday revolved around seeing Croatia at last. We already knew that the beautiful Dalmatian coastline, always a summer playground of the East, was becoming the new, unspoilt Riviera for Westerners. But we were blown away by the architectural beauty and medieval romance of Dubrovnik.

The old town is a completely untouched jewel on the Adriatic Sea, where you can swim and sunbake minutes away from the ancient fortress walls - and stroll cobblestone streets that have remained untainted by modern development or advertising. I am always on a quest to find places where the past is respected, so I was in heaven in Dubrovnik where it is positively revered. Yet the old town is also a living, breathing, lively spot for an enjoyable seaside holiday. Croatia markets itself as “The Mediterranean as it once was” - it has all the same charms, climate and mountainous coastline, without the modern bling.