I've spent a couple of years in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. All of those countries are incredibly safe. The worst that ever happened was a couple of taxi drivers trying to charge me double what a local person would pay. I'd rank Montenegro and Serbia a little below the others, but don't get the wrong impression, they're still very safe.
Croatia is one of the safest places I've ever lived. I think I'd rank it higher than Canada. I hitchhiked in Slovenia and all three times I was picked up by women (I'm male), once by a mother and her daughter, once by two friends, and once by a mother and her son. How many places in the world do women trust picking up random male hitchhikers? That gives you an idea how safe these places are to live.
Croatia is one of the safest places I've ever lived. I think I'd rank it higher than Canada. I hitchhiked in Slovenia and all three times I was picked up by women (I'm male), once by a mother and her daughter, once by two friends, and once by a mother and her son. How many places in the world do women trust picking up random male hitchhikers? That gives you an idea how safe these places are to live.