Introduction and Zagreb | Split | Makarska Riviera | Dubrovnik | Hvar |
Korčula and the Pelješac Peninsula | Mljet | Plitvice Lakes | Istria | Croatian music
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I first visited Croatia in the late August/early September of 2001 with a friend as part of an interailing holiday. We arrived by train at Zagreb (from Ljubljana, in Slovenja) - but did not intend to stay the night due to the lack of budget accommodation in Zagreb. The train line from Ljubljana passes through some particularly beautiful gorge scenery. The few hours we spent in Zagreb didn't really give us a chance to see the place, and we resorted to a few beers in the multitude of bars that fringe the studenty north side of the city centre. The city is clean, people noticeably dress rather well for their evening strolls, and I felt a little uncomfortable in my t-shirt, worn-out jeans and trainers. As it is a fair distance inland, Zagreb is apt to get a little chilly out of high summer during the evenings, and I would have felt better for a pullover of some sort. The architecture and atmosphere is distinctly Central-European.

The most readily available fast food in northern and central Croatia is corn on the cob, boiled and then roasted, and sold by street vendors much like hot dogs all over the centre of London. It is often somewhat dried out by the roasting and tends to exhaust the jaw muscles. No doubt we could have sought out a burek stall had we wanted an alternative (see the Slovenja section).

The train from Zagreb to Split runs twice a day. We opted for the overnight train without couchette bookings. It was not even half full, and there was no problem finding a six-person compartment to ourselves to make into our bedroom for the night. We were informed by ticket-office staff in Split that the trains running that route rarely get very full. Needless to say, we didn't see much of the scenery on that route. On revisiting the country in 2002 we explored bus routes more fully, and these are more versatle than the very limited rail network. As an aside, we noticed a significant increase in tourist numbers from 2001 to 2002 and a knock-on effect in higher prices. No doubt this trend will continue, so go to Croatia before it moves beyond your means!

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Split is the main city in Dalmatia (the central part of Croatia's coastline). Its main claim to fame is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diocletian's Palace. Emperor Diocletian built his retirement palace (more accurately, a fortified town) here from 295-305 AD, and after it fell into disuse it was used by refugees fleeing the Turkish invasions during the early middle ages. The new residents proceeded to adapt it to all their needs. It now houses cafés, bars and shops, as well as some accommodation. It is still surrounded by its walls, and the underground portions of the imperial residence itself have been excavated so you can wander though them. They are rather nondescript, cave-like places, but are atmospheric and are a pleasant quiet haven from the bustle of the working city, and there is ample information on the excavations and other relevant information. They are also used to house periodic modern art exhibitions - which you will either love or find woefully feeble and inappropriately invasive for such a location!

The palace is built from white stone and faces onto the seafront in dramatic manner. Marble was imported from Italy and carved sphinxes from Egypt. The whole site is full of the expected Roman relics - but you may have to look for some of them, as they have mostly been incorporated into mediæval structures (use a good guidebook if you're desperate to know everything).

You should have no problems finding accommodation in Split if you arrive by train, bus or ferry. You will be accosted by many people offering you sobe ("private rooms") until well after dark. The local Tourist Offices in Croatia are supposed to fix the prices of such rooms, so being overcharged the accepted rate should never happen, but you might try to haggle the price down if you're out of the high season, but you may not have success with this unless you find a proprietor who is desperate to fill their rooms.

Eating out in Split is generally cheap and very good indeed. Delicious Dalmation rib steak is grilled with garlic and served with a fried egg and vegetables. Dalmatia was a holding of the Republic of Venice for a long time, and Italian influence on culture and cuisine is strong. Pizza is extremely good and filling almost everywhere, and is surprisingly cheap to people used to UK prices. The seafood is good and fresh everywhere, though not as cheap as it might be considering the location.

Interesting though Split is, there is not much more than a couple of days' worth of sights to take in. And I speak from unfortunate experience when I say that it is hopeless in the rain! The "beaches" are found just to the south-east of the harbour. They are pleasantly sandy, but rather dirty-looking and crowded. Tides are negligible and the only alternative to being in the water itself are the grassed banks around the coves. Some restaurants offer fine dining looking out through pines over the beaches and sea... Nice, if you fancy a splurge.

The ruins of the Roman city of Salonna lie just to the north of the city in the suburb now known as Solin, and make an interesting half-day trip by local bus. The city was a major port on the Mediterranean coast and was the reason Diocletian chose this location for his retirement palace. The Roman acqueduct used to take water from Salonna to Split is still in use (somewhat modernised). Also an easy day trip is the island museum-town of Trogir 20km west of Split, on UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Unfortunately when I was there in 2002 the fabulous cathedral (the main reason for visiting Trogir) was closed for extensive rennovations.

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The road south of Split passes through an area of coastline known as the Makarska Riviera, centred on the town of Makarska. This 50km coastline is incredibly beautiful. The coves and beaches are backed by the Biokovo Mountains, sheltering the coast, their lower slopes covered with pine groves, olives and fruit trees dropping down onto pebbly beaches and into the clear, green sea. We didn't stop here, just gazed longingly out of the window of the bus carrying us from Split to Dubrovnik.

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The Republic of Dubrovnik has maintained greater autonomy than most other regions of Croatia. A period of rule by Venice notwithstanding (1205-1358), Dubrovnik has governed itself throughout its history, paying tribute to the Austro-Hungarian Kings and, later, the Ottoman Empire as necessary to keep them from interfering. The prosperous city was razed in 1667 by a massive earthquake but was rebuilt in the uniform style seen today. The Republic was finally dissolved by Napoleon in 1815, initiating its decline. It now relies on tourism for its continued financial well-being.

The old town of Dubrovnik is completely enclosed by its walls - the best preserved mediæval fortifications in Europe. The first sight you will have is of the modern city, stretching along the coast to the north of the walled town. The modern city is rather nondescript, and you may be well-advised to attempt to find accomadation within a reasonable walk of the old town. The bus station is around 30 minutes' walk away, and the main ferry terminal is really too far to consider walking - buses are available. If arriving by ferry, it might be best to ignore the offers of rooms you receive, and get yourself to the main bus station, where you will find more people offering rooms, hopefully much nearer the old town. Alternatively, the main road from the bus station to the old town has a large number of buildings advertising sobe and these might be a good bet if you're not convinced that the woman offering you a room is being truthful when she says it is "only ten minutes' walk away". Dubrovnik is set in a basin and you might find yourself climbing steep hills back and forth from guesthouse to restaurant to old town. You may find a map useful, as the residential streets winding their way up the hills can get confusing, especially at night. All this aside, Dubrovnik is cheaper to stay in than Split, and you might find accommodation with cooking facilities if you're lucky.

Eating out in Dubrovnik revolves around the typical Dalmatian dishes (rib steak, smoked ham, fish, seafood and pizza). Restaurants are not as cheap as they might be - presumably because of the vast tourist trade - but seafood risotto is good value in most places. Some restaurants' house wines are homemade, and what you get might taste like anything from grapey cider to something quite special, but are always interesting and at least refreshing. You might be offered various spirits as aperetif or digestif - sometimes home-distilled: there are plum brandies and rather more flavourful herbal brandies.

The old town will take at least a full day to see, two if you want more than a flying visit. The architectural beauty of the town itself is the main attraction, best viewed from the city walls. A walk around the walls could take a couple of hours (and there's no shade so remember the sun-screen!), from where you can survey the town and sea beyond. The rooftops of the town were badly damaged by shelling during the recent war, but unless you look hard you won't notice any remaining scars beyond the somewhat mismatched tiles. Aparrently, many buildings are still mere shells, housing little but rubble.

Aside from just a wander and a few coffees or beers at the cafés on the main thoroughfare, you should peruse the Christian buildings, and perhaps the Rector's Palace, and we enjoyed the modest aquarium by the harbour. Small ferries leave the old town's harbour for the nearby island of Lokrum, or for the coastal resort of Cavtat. Lokrum is covered with pines and laurel, and, on the higher ground at the centre, rosemary and lavender: The smell of this flora is quite distinctive. As well as the beaches (be careful - some are nudist!), there is a botanical garden, an abandoned military watchtower (potentially very dangerous for kids though) and an old monastery undergoing conversion into a restaurant. The island is a protected area though, and is very unspoiled. From the hill at the centre, you can enjoy the view along the Croatian coast southwards to where the mountains of Montenegro begin rising up into the clouds. Ferries also travel to various other nearby islands from the main dock in the new city.

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The popular island of Hvar is situated in the sea between Dubrovnik and Split. Ferries connect it to both (via Korčula and Mljet islands in the case of Dubrovnik). The main reason for visiting Hvar is to see the fashionable Hvar town, although a number of fine walks can be had in the hilly interior, and the town of Stari Grad is an attractive place too. Hvar town was oddly lacking in independent sobe ladies in summer 2002, and the only non-hotel accomodation options came from one of the tourist offices on the quayside.

The town is clustered picturesquely on the bay. The heart of the old town is the main square, beside the quay, presided over by the cathedral, and the old town sprawls its way up the steep slopes behind this and on through a park to a Venetian fortress (converted to a restaurant). The walk to the fortress is pleasant and presents lovely views over the town below. The town is not replete with sights, but has excellent entertainment options in the form of bars and clubs. This is something of a poseur's playground, and expensive yachts jostle with each other for admiring glances in the harbour. A place well worth seeing is the old theatre above the arsenal (the arsenal itself now housing shops and bars). The theatre dates back to Renaissance times and was the first theatre open to the public in Europe. It has been substantially but sucessfully rennovated in a nineteenth century style. A gallery of modern art comes free with the entrance ticket, which is no more captivating than most of the plethora of other exhibitions on show at any given time in the town.

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The Pelješac peninsular is a rather beautiful part of southern Dalmatia. The landscape is a little barren, but studded with vineyards producing one of Croatia's finest wines - the red Dingač. Many vineyards are privately owned and invite you to knock and sample the local wine to purchase. The mainland end of the peninsular is guarded by the town of Ston, which has a large defensive fortress with walls meandering over the surrounding fields. The extreme end of the peninsular is rather hilly, with the highest peak reaching 773m (not vast but significant when it rises direct from the sea). The town of Orebić at this end has popular beaches - they are pebbly and not sandy.

Korčula island is reached by car ferry from Orebić. The old town of Korčula is very small indeed and can be seen in a day. That said, it makes a very pleasant base to use for day-trips to (perhaps) Mljet, Pelješac and for excursions to other places on Korčula island. The town is egg-shaped and juts into the sea, which makes maritime entry visually engaging for the traveller. Korčula is very quiet compared to other Dalmatian towns that attract tourists, which can be nice for a change. One of the key sights to see is the sword dance. This is called the moresco (literally "Moors' dance"). This dance was indigenous to most of Mediterranean Europe in medieval times, and a stylised form arrived at the French and English courts in the late sixteenth century. The only place where the dance has been preserved to the present day is on Korčula. The dance is rather more exciting than I expected from "folk dance" (I use the term with unwarranted skepticism). Once a year the dance is staged for free, for the whole town, and I was fortunate to see it on that day, with an atmosphere no doubt bolstered by the enthusiasm of the locals. But however you see it, do see it.

There are occasionally a couple of sobe ladies at the bus station in town, but failing that, a wander along the roads between the old town and car ferry port should present you with some accomodation options. I managed to rent a whole family apartment for just two of us at the same price as a room alone would have cost.

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The island of Mljet is the most unspoiled of the large Croatian islands. The whole western part of the island is a designated National Park. This park contains two saltwater lakes connected by a three-foot channel, with an island (complete with ruined Benedictine monastery) in the larger lake. The monastery is not terribly exctiting, although the guided tours insist on taking you there to see it - the motivation is more likely to lie in getting tourists to spend money at the restaurant within the ruin. That said, a stroll round the little island is pleasant. A ticket to the park will also entitle you to a boat ride to the island and back. Other than strolling in the woods, climbing the hills or sunbathing, you can hire boats and kayaks to paddle on the lakes. I visited the island and Park on a day trip from Korčula, and hence didn't see anything of Mljet's towns or accomodation possibilities. I'm not sure I would rush back there, as there is not much more to do than can be accomplished on, for instance, the small island of Lokrum accessible far more easily from Dubrovnik.

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The Plitvice Lakes is another National Park, comprising a set of large lakes tumbling their way down for a few miles amongst wooded hills. The lakes are stunning in colour, ranging from blues through greens, but always crystal clear. However, the real reason to see the area is the stuff called travertine. The water is rich in calcium minerals which are filtered out by plantlife, and anything else, in the water. The deposits gradually build up to form banks and waterfalls of marvellous prehistoric appearance. The largest waterfall is at the lowest end of the lakes system, and a walk around the lakes is filed with the sounds and sights of rushing water catching rainbows through the trees and against rocks. The Plitvice Lakes are one of the finest natural sights in the country (and indeed in Europe) and are worth the considerable diversion from the coast to get to see. Accomodation can be easily arranged in one of the three hotels situated right beside the Park entrance. The prices are more or less the same for the three hotels, at around 50 Euros a night for a double room in 2002 (which includes a buffet breakfast). Alternatively, the tourist office can arrange stays in private rooms in the area. However, you may end up staying quite a few miles from the Park itself. You can get to the Park by bus from the coast (all buses passing through Split for Zagreb, or likewise from Zadar, will drop you off beside the hotels - similarly buses coastbound from Zagreb stop there). Connections to and from Istria and Rijeka for Plitvice are made in the town of Karlovac on the main Rijeka-Zagreb bus route.

The road south to the coast from Plitvice passes through a region which suffered heavily during the war with Serbia of the early 1990s. The area between Sinj and Knin was the center of a Serb majority region and the abandoned Serb Orthodox churches slowly festering in the countryside attest to a population shift of Serbs away from the region. The city of Karlovac to the northwest of Plitvice has retained some of the damaged buildings as a kind of war memorial.

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Istria feels more like Italy than Croatia, and not a few Italians harbour some regret that the province was never reintegrated into Italy following the land-divisions imposed at the conclusion of then Second World War. The interior of Istria is rustic but there is nothing very much to see in or out of the villages dotting undulating green the countryside. The main attractions of Istria are the three towns on the western coast, Poreč, Pula and Rovinj. Of the three, Rovinj is the best in which to be based. Rovinj is a picturesque town of cobbled streets jutting into the sea. There is a cathedral to wander around, situated in the centre of the peninsular on the highest point, and when you're bored of arts and crafts, time can be whiled away with a coffee at a streetside very pleasantly. There are a few buses a day to both Poreč and Pula. At Pula you can find a well-presered Roman amphitheatre and triumphal arch, the countryside surrounding Pula is dotted with ancient burial sites. At Poreč is the major man-made attraction in Istria: the Euphrasian Basilica. Unfortunately, I was too immersed in the charms of Rovinj to make it to Poreč to see it! It is one of the oldest Christian monuments extant and covered with golden mosaics similar to the churches of Ravenna (only better, so I have been informed). It is one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sights.

Accomodation in Istria is more expensive than anywhere else in Croatia, and private rooms cost up to twice as much as in Dalmatia (with surcharges for stays of less than three nights). Fortunately, Istria abounds in campsites to cater for the sizeable number of Italian and German visitors in caravans.

Food in Istria is Italianate, not Central European, and prices are a little higher than in other parts of the country, but are not excessive by any means. The easiest way to reach Italy from Rovinj is to use the boat which sails between Rovinj and Venice daily in summer, leaving in early morning.

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Croatian Music:

Todor - A typical Croatian dance played by a tamburica group
Vino, vino - a song in celebration of wine
Zivot tece u laganom ritmu - a slower, more melancholy song
Okrug selo - a song from Dalmatia sung unaccompanied
Hora - a Romany dance from Croatia (notice the similarilty with Hungarian and Romanian styles)
Cin, cin, cini mi se - another song with tamburicas
Ca la Breaza - a newly-composed piece in the gypsy style of the northeast of the country
Idemo u savtove - a more modern take on a traditional style
Moja mala nosil cizmice - another song with tamburica group