India to Croatia

Shimmering blue sea, ancient stone walls, cobbled streets and Roman architecture blended with contemporary infrastructure. Whether your idea of holiday is relaxation, luxury, sunbath beaches, exploring history or wandering through nature, Croatia has something to offer for everyone.

Situated in south east Europe bordered by 4 countries on one side and the balmy Adriatic Sea on other, Croatia has historically been divided into 4 major regions Croatia proper, Slovenia, Istria and my favorite of all Dalmatia. The country is sparsely populated with the capital city of Zagreb residing 700,000 people, the highest in the country. The next most populated city is Split with population of around 180,000.

Although tourism is the biggest industry for Croatian economy and is gaining popularity amongst travelers abroad, it is still not very popular with Indian tourists, who would prefer France, Venice, Greece or packaged euro trip while travelling Europe. The reason being – most people in India aren’t even aware about this hidden gem. I shared some pictures in my Instagram and Facebook and  the most frequent question I got was- where is it? So here is an attempt to lay down in words my trip of a lifetime –the enchanting Croatia.

Time of Travel

You definitely need to give your time of travel a thought. Tourism being the biggest industry, most localities’ are involved in tourism. The tourist season starts from April and continues till September. If you travel during the non-peak season you might find most of restaurants and activities closed down. But it has its own advantages too.

Reasons to choose tourist season for travel:

• The weather is sunny and pleasant
• If you are lover of beaches , it’s a great time to sunbath
• Most of recreational activities like kayaking, canoeing etc. are active during this period
• You will definitely feel lively with all the hustle bustle and the tourist crowd.

In short everything is active and buzzing!

Reasons to choose a Non tourist season:

• Prices are low.
• You will be able to savor the natural beauty and relax considering there is minimal crowd.

I travelled in March when tourist seasons were about to begin .I enjoyed the non- crowded season and since it was spring the weather was Pleasant.  Major disadvantage – couldn’t hit the beach .

People

Croatians can be the warmest and the most wonderful people you can come across, once you open up to them. It was my first overseas travel and I was definitely skeptical. But the first day in Zagreb and we were touched by the gestures which continued for over 2 weeks of our stay.

To recount an instances, when we reached our apartment in Zagreb from the airport, we didn’t get a European sim card. We rang the bell and the housekeeping lady from the apartment was speaking Croatian in the intercom, we had no clue how to explain her that we are the guest. We asked someone passing by on the road to help. He not only explained her to open the door but -called up the owner – made him speak to us-waited on the door of the building  with me till my husband could go up and have a word and come back for me- and helped us with the luggage . It was touching to have a random stranger on the road doing so much.

This continued for most places we went. We came back home with lot more friends we had for sure.

Stay

From my experience I would suggest everyone to take up an apartment over a hotel in Croatia. You could see signs saying ‘Apartman’ in major cities across the country.

The apartments have a working kitchen which could be very useful if you plan a long stay.  The owners give you a local guidance to the place and it’s much more personal than a hotel. Well in my husband words- if you are a tourist choose a hotel but if you are a traveler choose an apartment.

Currency

The local Currency is called Kuna although Euro is also accepted at most places, but it’s easier to use cash if you have Kunas in hand. There are numerous exchange counters across major cities where you can exchange Euros to Kunas easily at much better rates than in airports. So get some Euros before you travel and getting it exchanged once you are in the Croatia could be a good idea since Kuna’s are difficult to get before travel.

Intra country travel

• Bus: The best way to travel within Croatia is using the bus service. The bus service is frequent, reliable and well-connected. Tickets can be booked online from https://getbybus.com/ . You can also get the tickets directly from Bus station (Autobusni kolodvor in Croatian).
• Train: Train lines within the country are not so well laid but it’s a very good option to travel other European countries.
• Ferry: Ferry lines are really good option to travel to and from coastal cities to islands. Ferry and all other water services are mostly operational during peak or summer season. Jadrolinija is the most popular ferry service.  http://www.jadrolinija.hr/
• Taxi: Can be hired for intercity travel as well, but on a little expensive side. Uber is operational in most big cities like Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split etc. Sibenik doesn’t have Uber, but you can download an app called Cammeo, a local taxi service.
• Car rent: Another good option, Just remember to get your Driver’s license and international permit.

Cities (Click to read more)

Zagreb

Plitvice Jazeera/Rastovaca 

Zadar

Sibenik

Split

Hvar Island

Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

The most popular city of Croatia, Dubrovnik, popularly known as the pearl of Adriatic, has a charm you can’t resist. It’s said that when creators of ‘Game of thrones’ visited Dubrovnik, they were surprised to see the old world city they had imagined right in front of their eyes.

Dubrovnik Old city is one of the 8 UNESCO world heritage sites from Croatia.Dubrovnik was severely damaged during earthquake in 1667 and again in 1991 during famous siege of Dubrovnik. The resilient city has been able to come back maintain its gothic charm.

The old town is mesmerizing, you would feel you have landed in a walled city of an ancient town with forts and cathedrals and cobbled stone pathway and terracotta covered houses and it goes on. Being the favorite tourist hub Dubrovnik is much more costly than other cities of Croatia. So choose your locations wisely. You can put up your stay near Lapad beach if you want to sit back and relax or fix on a place in one of the many ancient houses turned to hotels in the old town.

If you choose Lapad or any other part of Dubrovnik away from old town to stay there is a bus service connecting it to old town. The bus drops you at the gate of the old town, where you have the tourist center, various shops and guides/or tour company folks standing to offer you the best walking tour of the city. You can pick up a Dubrovnik Pass if you plan to visit all the landmarks of the city, would be cheaper than buying tickets for each entrance.

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Landmarks of Dubrovnik

• The city walls- A walk you shouldn’t skip. Be geared with your shades and water bottles. The main entrance to the walls are from Stradun through the pile gate which is the best place to start. The majestic walls gives the glimpse of the city with orange terracotta covered roofs on one side and sunbathed shimmering Adriatic on the other side. Fort Minceta, Fort Bokar, and St. Johns fortress are all within the premises of the wall.
  

  

  
• Loverijenac fort- ‘GOT’ fans this is the real kings landing!! The fort lies on the western side of the walls over a cliff and once you start your walk from Stradun it would be the first prominent structure you see. With water washing off its foot it’s surreal beauty.
  

  

  
• Mount Srdj- Cable car ride– The ride gives a panoramic view of the city taking you to the topmost point of Dubrovnik. I didn’t try this but those who do say it’s worth it.
• Lokrum island– A ferry ride away from main city. The beautiful island is said to be an abode of unique vegetation and wildlife. It also has a botanical garden. The interesting thing about Lokrum is no one is allowed to spend the night in the island as the island is believed to be cursed. As the legend goes there was once a huge fire in the city of Dubrovnik, in order to stop it the citizen of the city prayed to St. Benedictine that if the fire stops they would build a monastery in his name and the fire stopped instantly. The city dwellers constructed a monastery where Benedictine monks who used to dwell (ruins of Benedictine monastery is still found in the island). But when a French army general ordered the Benedictine ordered to exile the monks out of island, the monks held a mass in hooded cloaks and cursed “whoever claims Lokrum for his own pleasure shall be damned” and left the island, never to return again. The legend further states that anyone who claimed the island after the curse either died or went bankrupt. So to this day no one owns the island. And as the myth goes, you would listen to locals telling stories of fishermen going to island and never returned, so no one is allowed to spend the night there. But you can take a ferry ride to make a day visit.You also have the Iron throne from GOT here…yes the original one from the creators!
  

  

• Cathedrals-The Cathedral of assumption is the most striking feature. The interior of the church has beautiful painting of assumption of Mary. On the Gundulic square, you can see the baroque staircase where the famous ‘walk of shame ‘was shot for GOT, the staircase leads to church of St. Ignatius and the renowned Jesuit college of Dubrovnik.

Hvar Island

Famously known as the party town, the island of Hvar is beautiful, mesmerizing and much more than just a party place. The island, known for its wines and olives, is heaven for wine connoisseurs. You should be able to see many wine tours being organized across various vineyards of Hvar. The most cultivated and popular grape in Hvar is Plavac Mali. Some other popular wines brewed which we heard were Grasevina, orange wine although there is lots more for wine connoisseurs to explore. Having a shot at Hvar’s homegrown Plavac wine is a must.

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The city square named St. Stephen’s square, built in white stone and adorned with Venetian renaissance architecture, strikes you as soon as you land the island port. The square houses the beautiful St. Stephen cathedral.

Heading up from the town’s main square to the series of stairs uphill a short walk to the top, you will come across the beautiful view of island. On the zenith lies the Spanjola fortress, another structure from Venetian era. It’s a small fort to explore, but the beauty of the view from top is worth savoring.

On the way from Hvar to DUbrovnik

Fort Spanjola

Our apartment in old alley of Hvar

Go around the beaches, take a walk uphill, explore the wines, the vineyards and party hard… That’s Hvar.

Split

The second largest city of Croatia and yet another historical delight. Split is a vibrant city, full of life, the testament to the statement being Split has been the abode to Europe Ultra music festival since 2013. You can spot the huge Mall of Split as you enter the city by bus in stark contrast to the country view just outside the city premises. As you enter the city center, the vehicle s are prohibited and you have to go around on your foot to savors the essence of the roman architecture around.  The age old walls of Diocletian Palace walls would be in view all around and interestingly you could see shops and houses hosted inside the palace walls, making it the best choice of location to choose your hotel. We stayed in a hotel called Diocletian palace experience and it was overwhelming to think you are sleeping inside the walls made in back in 4^th century.

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Split has a lot to offer starting from the historical complex of Diocletian palace to trekking at Marajan forest. The best place to start can be the Peristyle of the palace where you can spot actors dressed up in Roman costume, enacting the scene from roman era. The bell tower and the cathedral of St. Dominus can be accessed from the same place.  So are the basements of the palace, where you see shops lined up with handmade products and artifacts native to Croatia, a good place to pick up a souvenir. The inner dungeons, which have become popular as another one of shooting locations for ‘game of throne’ and can be accessed by purchasing a ticket. Get out on the other side and you can view the beautiful port a glimpse of soothing Adriatic.

Another place worth a visit is Marajan hills. Take up a cycle and ride through the hills or trek on foot to enjoy the scenic view. If you are here during tourist season you can try your hand at kayaking or snorkeling too.

Just 20 mins ride away from Split stands the Klis fortress which had been the seat to many Croatian kings. The fortress gives a panoramic view of the city and you can see artificial dragons and pictures of game of thrones residing inside a room, a reminder of this place being another one of shooting location for Game of thrones. Klis is famous for its lamb cooked in fire in the old way, it’s something you must try if you are not a vegetarian of course.

Klis Fortress

Inside Klis

Klis Fortress

Close to Klis lies Salona, the ancient capital of romans. Although Salona doesn’t holds its former glory but you can spot the ancient ruins and it could be a great place to visit if are a history buff.

Sibenik

Well honestly I did question my choice of city while going around Sibenik initially. It is quite an old town and since we happen to spend a Sunday here it was all desolate. But ‘The city of forts’ as I call it , with labyrinth of steep stone stairs to commute, with of course the vision of sea in sight like most Dalmatian cities , Sibenik has numerous architectural delights to offer. Sibenik had been under Venice, Byzantium, and Hungary rule, making it a rich mélange of history.

The City has 4 forts surrounding it on the each side:

• Nicholas Fortress– located on the island called Ljuljevaca
• Michael’s Fortress– located in the city center
• John Fortress-located on a hill 115 m above the city center
• Barone Fortress– located on opposite side from St. Michaels

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The most prominent landmark of the city is St. James Cathedral a part of UNESCO world heritage list now. The cathedral has magnificent façade and 71 heads protruding out of the exterior of the building. The location became popular recently as one of the shooting location of the very popular fantasy series game of thrones where cathedral is portrayed as house of black and white and Sibenik as Bravos. Although unlikely as shown in the series the heads are only in the exterior walls and not inside.

Krka national park another beautiful destination with magnificent waterfalls lie.

Zadar

The ancient roman colony at one time can give you a sneak peek into the past. With roman ruins in the old town to the vibrant new city with beaches and port on the other side, it’s a beautiful amalgamation of past and the present.

The historic old town of Zadar has the Roman forum of which few pillars remain. The area has St. Donatus Church and bell tower which gives panorama of the city. There are restaurants in vicinity of the roman forum where you can sit back, relax and sip your wine and enjoy the view of old ruins on one side and the sea on the other side.

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Just a walk away from the forum is a marvel of Zadar’s modern architecture in stark contrast to the roman ruins in the vicinity.

Sea organ is a beautiful creation where you can sit down relax along the sea side listening to the soothing humming sound of music composed by the sea. The Sea organ has been designed by Nikola basic where series of installations under the stairs created on the coast which acts like a musical instrument. Every time the waves hit the coast it plays the instruments just like your fingers over a piano.  Alongside sea organ is greeting to the sun, another creation of Nikola where solar system has been recreated through series of solar panels representing the sun and all the planets of solar system. The panels are charged in the day and switched on at night for the light show. Both the spectacles are worth seeing.

Sea organ

Plitvice Jazeera/Rastovaca

The beautiful Plitvice Lake adorned as the world heritage site, is breathtaking and a must visit when in Croatia. The best season to visit is spring when the water is at its peak.  Although you can select the time judgmentally to avoid the crowd.

The magnificent lake is divided into upper and lower lakes and could be covered in various ways .You can choose between a bus and a train ride in upper lake or go trotting on foot. The last option would need at least 2 days to cover the whole place and it worth the experience. You can stay back near the lake for a night or two.

Plitvice Lake is one of the 1052 sites across the world listed under UNESCO world heritage sites and has been listed since 1979…

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There is Licka Kuca just outside entrance 2. A good place to warm yourself up and try your hand at some delicious spread.

Licka Kuca restaurant

Inside the restaurant

Our spread!

Back side of our apartment at Rastovaca

The village of Rastovaca near Jazeera offers multiple residential options. Again it will be best to take up an apartment to feel the real vibe of the place. We stayed at a house near entrance 2 of the lakes and I would definitely rank it as the best stay we had across Croatia. The view of houses on top of the hillocks and sheep’s moving by behind leaves you mesmerized with the beauty. To add on it the warmth of residents would make you feel like staying back.

 

Zagreb

The capital and the most populated city of Croatia. The ‘stylish city’ is what I like to call it. You will not see anyone on the street who is not well dressed, especially Croatian girls who are not only beautiful but also have a sense of style around them.

As a matter of fact Croatians are the inventor of neck tie. As the legend goes Croatian mercenaries who went to France during king Louis XIII’s reign wore a piece of cloth around there neck as a part of their uniform. The king loved it and made it a mandate to wear them during royal gathering. And the rest is as you know history…

Crotia -The inventor of Neck Tie!

Zagreb is a part of Croatia proper and being inland the winters are very cold.

The best place to start exploring the city is from Ban Jelačić Square, the central square of the city. There are numerous museums and galleries in Zagreb which can be explored on foot from the square. To name a few Zagreb city museum, Croatian museum of naïve art, art and craft museum, museum of broken relationship, museum of contemporary art and many more.

 

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Something interesting here is museum of broken relationship. It started as a travelling museum exhibiting around the world which finally settled in Zagreb. Their exhibits include personal belongings donated by people who have experienced broken relationships. A beautiful commemoration to relationships.

Crotia -The inventor of Neck Tie!