Croatia – Country #50

2017 will be a memorable travel year for me. This year I was able to visit my childhood friend, Julie and her beautiful family in Fargo, ND (they technically lived in Morehead, Minnesota which is a 5 minute walk across the bridge from downtown Fargo) which was my 50th US state to visit! And now I have officially traveled to my 50th country, Croatia. I don’t count airport stops as “places I’ve been to”. For me, I must do something in that state or country. An airport is an airport is an airport. You could be anywhere but they’re basically the same no matter where you are. I also don’t count Burma to be a country visited because I only had to cross the border to extend my Thai visa. Border town visits like that teach me nothing about a place. I have to go, see, feel, taste and smell a place to really say I’ve been there! That’s when the memories are really made!

I was originally going to write only about the Dalmatian Coast but I’ve decided to write about all the areas of Croatia I visited instead. I’ll try not to go on and on forever! 🙂

My exploration of the Dalmatian Coast began in the famous city of Dubrovnik, a short bus trip from Kotor, Montenegro. A beautiful city that has a rich history lying within its Old Town walls. The more recent history that demolished nearly the entire area when the Croatians fought for their independence from Yugoslavia during 1991-1995. The battle wounds are still visible among the hordes of tourists that line the alleys. The destruction was massive and the locals continually try to move forward to a promising future. Of course the city has been rebuilt and is now one of the most popular cities on people’s bucket lists for Europe! Narrow alleys and steps upon shiny stone steps will lead you around the grid-like layout of Old Town. With more cafes, restaurants and coffee shops that you could visit in a month, the city, even in late September was bustling like a beehive. After spending 5 nights in the much, much smaller area of Kotor, Montenegro, I was satisfied with 2 nights in Dubrovnik. My bunk bed in my 4-person dorm cost nearly $40USD/night which was a bit ridiculous so I decided to make the most of my time there and move along.

The absolute BEST part of my trip to Dubrovnik was the random meeting of one of my best friends, Brittany! Brittany was sailing with friends on a few days off from leading trips in the area and although I knew she would be in Croatia, I was planning on being elsewhere when she arrived. Just 2 days before arriving we figured out that we would both be landing in town for the night! Seeing a happy face on a friend half way across the world is the greatest gift ever!

I left Dubrovnik for 2 nights in Mostar (see other post) and headed back to catch a ferry out to Korcula island. The town, named after the island, was small and quaint. With its own Old Town sitting up above the island looking down over pristine turquoise waters. I signed up for a half day wine, honey and olive oil tour to test out the local goods. We started our tour at the 2nd largest honey producer on the island where we were shown state of the art machinery and production methods. I had no idea how any of it all worked and was super impressed with the honey process! From taking the tray, stripping the wax, extracting the honey to bottling. It was really cool! The guy who owns the place is in his early 30’s and super passionate about producing high quality, organic products. His honey and olive oil were delicious! His mom also makes fig jam which was divine! Oil and figs turned out to be my first souvenirs of the trip! We visited 2 wineries that produced some delicious wines and spirits (including Rakia). One had a carob, lemon, orange and cherry liquor that were super yummy. Rakia, the spirit of the Balkans is a strong, often homemade herbal drink that people drink at any time of day. The first time it was served to me was after breakfast in Greece. Yuck. I’ll stick to yogurt. Locals believe in the healing powers of Rakia and drink it when the sun is out, the rain is coming, if you’ve got a cold, put it on a towel and on your chest to ease a cough, coat your stomach from any issues. Pretty much anytime of day or year!

I moved on that evening to Hvar for 2 nights and booked a beautiful Airbnb place that I’m happy to recommend! If you go to Hvar, definitely check this place out! Since the ferries don’t allow much island viewing so I booked a half day sailing trip with Hvar Adventures. Talk about the perfect way to see the real beauty of the area! Wow! Our captain was a skilled sailor and worked that boat like magic. It’s so impressive to see such strong skills on the sea! The islands are quite big so I signed up for another tour to cruise around the island and visit some fun spots. We drove to some of the highest points, got to see Rakia being distilled in his friends barn, visit the oldest town of Stari Grad, see beautiful reflections in the little town of Vrboska – also called “little Venice” and check out a winery that has been passed down through generations since 1909.

My last stop on the coast was Split. It was a pretty quick trip and since I had seen so much on the other islands, I didn’t do Split the justice it deserves. I wandered through the bustling farmers market where you could find a plethora of fresh produce including pomegranates (even bags of just seeds!), persimmons, figs and tons of apples. They also had a variety of meat; animal carcasses hanging on hooks and real butchers. None of this grocery store prepackaged stuff around here! The market is next door to Diocletian’s Palace. I bought a ticket that included the clock tower (I watched the bells right in front of me ring at noon! Super cool!), the cathedral, treasury and crypt. Definitely worth checking out the highlights of Split! I’m sure there are many, many other things to explore while in Split but for me, it’ll have to wait for the next trip.

Finally I was getting to the area that I was really excited about, Plivitce Lakes National Park! In 1949 it was dedicated as the first national park in Croatia. With 16 terraced lakes and countless waterfalls, the park is connected by trails that are lined with wooden boardwalks. Since it was the beginning of October, the autumn colors were just past peak and still had lots of yellows and oranges scattered around the trees. The reflections in the still clear emerald waters were really beautiful. I spent the full day taking photos with nearly every step! It was a photographers delight to be in a place so spectacular! I spent 3 nights in the village of Korenica at the Falling Lakes Hostel. This hostel is a perfect place to stay while in the area! It was the best community vibe of any of the hostels on mz entire 2 month trip! Not only is the place spectacularly clean, the owner, Irena and her brother have a ton of great knowledge on the area and will help you discover local hikes right outside the doorstep!

Croatia’s landscape is so incredibly diverse, from the tropical islands on the coast to the rugged mountains in the interior. It’s hard to truly get a great idea of all the country has to offer in such a short period of time. My 10 nights traveling the area was barely scratching the surface. It’s a country worth your time and energy, trust me!