Dobrodošli u Hrvatsku Yes, I am in Croatia currently and will travel through this country for the next two weeks. Part of the former Yugoslavia, over 1000 islands, 10% of the country is national parks and waterfalls Croatia known as “Pearl of the Adriatic” is One of the most beautiful coastal countries.
Dubrovnik was catapulted to fame for being the filming location for Kings Landing in the famous fantasy series, Game of Thrones. Prices of lodging and boarding have gone through the roof as has tourism grown in leaps and bounds .
I’m going to cover couple of days I spent in Bosnia and Montenegro and then come back to Dubrovnik.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is a successor state of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After Tito’s death in 1991, six countries that made up Yugoslavia, i.e., Slovenia , Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, a Montenegro and Macedonia split to form independent countries . Shortly after it’s independence, a war broke out that lasted until 1995.1
Between 1992 and 1995, an inhumane plan was executed to ethnically cleanse Bosnia with the planned, systematic, and industrialised killings of non-Serbs, the majority being Bosniak-Muslims. The world stood looking down doing nothing for 2 years. The Bosnian war and genocide resulted in close to 100,000 civilians killed, over 2 million people forcibly displaced, and between 20,000-50,000 women systematically raped. All due to their ethnic and religious identity.
Anyway before I get too carried away crossed the cCroatian border into Bosnia to see two beautiful sights.
Kravica Waterfalls ….a stunning panorama of turquoise-coloured pools and cascades that plunge down a series of picturesque waterfalls.The height of the fall is about 25 meters and the radius of the lake beneath the fall is about 120 meters. In all I think there are 10-12 of them.
Mostar Mostar with a total population of just over 100k has several different cultures living in it but is mostly inhabited by Muslims and Croats. It suffered a lot during the Croatian war.
The country’s most visited landmark “old stone bridge” was built by the Ottomans who ruled the country for 400 years. This stone bridge had a single arch 90 feet (27 metres) wide. It was completely destroyed in 1995 and was rebuilt.
In 20 years.
Old bridge has a large arc 4 meters wide and 30 meters long which at its height of 24 meters, at the highest point. Young boys dive from the highest point, either, if they’re enticed by tourists with money, or to impress their girlfriends.
Montenegro
( Lovcen the most famous mountain of this country was covered with very dense black pine forest Hence looked black and hence the inspiration of negro , politically wrong term in todays time) . This is very very small country has a good mountain line, a thin strip of the Adriatic coast, line and small little villages. Bay of Kotor closely resembling a fjord started with little homes and churches and a couple of small islands……… exquisitely beautiful
A short ferry ride from Dubrovnik to
Korcula Island – Dalmatia’s most relaxing getaway – is the perfect destination to explore and soak up immense natural beauty of this little slice of heaven.
This little town is brimming with natural beauty stunning clear aqua waters , narrow cobble streets and lanes , lovely little restaurants by the water and last but most important tranquil calm peaceful. I love this place
Typical alley behind me
Handmade coral and silver jewelry
The setting of the restaurants by the water is very picturesque
St. Mark’s Cathedral in the Korcula Old Town.is built in Gothic-Renaissance style in the 15 century. The sculptural detail of the facade is intriguing, particularly the naked squatting figures of Adam and Eve on the door pillars
Zoom in 👆
Just so pretty
Mljet most commonly known for its National Park which covers around one third of the island. We visited this island from Korcula. Sparsely inhabited and virtually car-free, Secluded and untouched, this mystic island is mixture of green trees and clear deep aqua water . A haven for nature lovers , hikers and bicyclists
The Church and Benedictine Monastery on St Mary’s island.
The national park has two gorgeous salt water lakes. The big lake with a circumference of about 10 km is a picture perfect bicycling route . How could I resist not renting a bike? The combination of magnificent scenery, no traffic on a well paved road , music piping into one ear was sheer heaven believe me ! Take a look.
A bit of an obstacle course crossing from one side end of the lake to the other … 40 steps down and then up . Halfway, a good looking young stud took pity on this senior citizen and carried the bike And ended my torture.
👆 lovely day my face says it all !!!
HVAR
A favourite summertime haunt of celebrities and wealthy yacht travellers alike. A haven of natural beauty, Hvar is punctuated by jagged inlets and pebbly coves not to forget bustling and crazy nightlife.
Hvar Fortress “Fortica”, or as it is called is a 15-minute walk from the town and the hill is somewhat steep. Take a look at the view from the top.
In evening, we took a bus to Stari Grad one of the oldest towns in Europe .It is a quiet, lazy place with lots of local flavour. The stone buildings and streets of the old town have been exquisitely restored. For those of you planning a trip to Croatia this city provides a good alternative to Hvar,very peaceful and far less expensive.
The Stari Grad fields on the island represents the best preserved ancient Greek landscape in the Mediterranean. Grape and olive crops were grown here even as far back as 2,400 years ago. We visited one such farm., Hora Farm where be sampled four of the local wines. We also relished cherry and fig Rakia, a double-distilled fruit brandy very popular in the Balkans. for dinner, we had an amazing array of olive oil tasting with bread, cheese, and salami. The main course was Peka a delectable traditional Croatian meal …..beef and veal with veggies and potatoes cooked in an open fireplace with hot coals meal was yum yum yummy
SPLIT
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Split is truly unique mix of architecture and history on every cobblestoned corner: ancient ruins, open-air flea markets, centuries-old cathedrals—it’s a city seemingly frozen in time. And just beyond you’ll find the Adriatic Sea, home to picturesque turquoise waters with many local ferries and international cruise liners parked in the port .
Taking up a prime harborside position, the extraordinary complex of Diocletian’s Palace an imposing ancient Roman structure is the city’s living heart, its maze of streets packed with people, bars, shops and restaurants. And course many homes , hotels BUILT over the years as extension of the walls of the palace . Fascinating place to visit . I spent half a day just wandering and loosing myself. Thank god for google maps . Let me show u around.
palace basements (above) served as a Game of Thrones filming set as did many other locations . GOT is primarily responsible for inflated prices I am being subjected to😡😡.
We were treated to gospel music capella version Very enjoyable
Main square of the palace
Stumbled my way into a fishmarket. Look at the swordfish mouth
Marjarn Hill
Climbed 384 steps to Marjan hill to have a great view on the Split city, a totally relaxaed place after the vibrant and crowded Split center.
50 m from the hostel I stayed . Hundreds of little boats
Enjoyed the time in Split
Tour no 1 ended in Split and the next one covering central Croatia and Slovenia started in Zadar
ZADAR
It’s a beautiful city, to start. . The streets are made of marble, very smooth ….you could skate or slip across the cobblestones.. It’s the perfect size. The old city is small and easily walkable
Entrance Gate to old city lion with wings is a Venetian symbol ( ruled by Roman’s for many years and quite close to Venice )
Zadar has a wonderful waterfront, which culminates with the unique Sea Organ and Sun Salutation. The Sea Organ is a musical instrument powered by the waves — the higher the waves are, the louder and more intense the music is.
That blue disc 👇is the Sun Salutation, a solar-powered light display that lights up at night.
Zadar is home to Roman ruins churches and cathedrals
And then there are the sunsets. Alfred Hitchcock once stated that Zadar was home to the world’s best sunsets. You decide
PLITVICE NATIONAL PARK
The Plitvice Lakes, the largest national park in Croatia known for its exceptional natural beauty of this area is an UNESCO Heritage site
An aerial view to give you an idea of what the entire landscape looks like
Sixteen magnificent cascading lakes and many many subsequent waterfalls of various sizes were formed by process of tufa barrier growth. Tufa is a hollow, porous rock formed through the deposition of dissolved calcium carbonate in water with the help of plants, algae and mosses”. In Plitvice Tufa is deposited in a perfect and unique process, forming tufa waterfalls and cascades which connect all the lakes in the park.
One of my top pictures of Croatia
The Plitvice Lakes exhibit an amazing spectrum of colors at any time of the day, an entire palette of shades, from from emerald green to deep blue, turquoise or light gray. I for one have never seen water in the shade of emerald green
The highest waterfall with my four travel mates from Canada, Australia, California and Croat team leader on right
Just gorgeous!!
Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia. A mix of medieval towers, beautiful parks , 19th century palaces, ancient cathedrals and open-air markets make this city similar to many European cities we all have passed through
Met up with an Indian , a friend of a friend
