2: Istria, Croatia

Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula is another incredibly affordable region of Southern Europe, where you might purchase an apartment in Pula, for instance, for US$1,313 per square meter.

Croatia, which borders the Adriatic Sea, provides retirees with two tempting lifestyle choices: one on the shore and the other inland in Istria, an area known for its meadows, vineyards, and olive groves. The Romans built some of their grandest structures in Istria, a fairy-tale region of fortifications and bell towers, including a sizable and completely preserved coliseum at Pula where lions and Christians once entertained. Later, the Venetians, who also left an architectural legacy, ruled over this region. In Istria, man and nature have collaborated for many years to produce something unique and nearly miraculous. In reality, Istria was known as Tierra Magica by the ancient Romans.