Recovery and rebuilding

After 1995, Croatia began the long work of rebuilding homes, towns and the economy.

Rebuilding towns

Dubrovnik's roofs, walls and buildings were repaired over the following years, and UNESCO removed it from the danger list in 1998. Vukovar was rebuilt more slowly, and its water tower has become a symbol of the city.

Returning visitors

As the situation settled, visitors returned to the coast, and tourism grew again through the late 1990s and 2000s.

Roads and infrastructure

New motorways improved travel between Zagreb and the coast. The Pelješac Bridge, which opened in 2022, links the southern mainland with the Pelješac peninsula and so avoids a short stretch of Bosnia and Herzegovina's coast on the road to Dubrovnik.

Challenges that remained

Some areas still have land that must be cleared of landmines left from the war, and clearing continues. Visitors should stay on marked paths in the countryside.

Joining Europe

Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013.