by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:19th October 2018
Croatia has it all
History, waterfalls, culture & wineCroatia had been on our wandering wish list for a few years now, although we had to decide how to tackle it. Do we break it up into mini breaks, do we fly in, hire a car and hit the road? Or as we live in the UK & being slightly mad, do we jump in our own car, head south and tour Croatia under our own steam?
Well, you can guess which option we took, yep we fired up the Quattro
What Gary and I love about travel, are the great memories that it brings and the fact that they last a lifetime.
We’re always reminiscing about one trip or another, whether it’s a location we visited or food that we ate. Something jogs our memory, and we’re off again
Why not Pin it for later?
Croatia was such an unforgettable adventure in so many ways; therefore, we wanted to share some of our highlights & experiences with you.
Stopped by the roadside near Pag
Our Memories
These consist of Our Highlights, Our Pleasures, Our Treasures, Things we would do differently, Our Disappointments & and other Points of Note. You can click on a title to jump to that section and then click on that headline to return here
Plitvice
The incredible scenery and the opal water at Plitvice Lakes National Park are wonderful.
Plitvice Lakes Natural Park
This area appears to have its own microclimate, which can often mean you’re in for a shower or two. Although, to be perfectly honest it didn’t put a dampener on the day.
Gary's Note
Thinking of taking a full size tripod? - well don't. The paths are narrow, and can be busy at times. If you want to use a long exposure to capture those flowing waters you either need to practice your stance, and use a shutter speed of around 1/10 of a second. Or opt for a flexi-mini tripod which you can attach to a branch or post which will give you some extra stability.
The eerie mist sitting across the lakes just added to the atmosphere. You are spoilt with waterfall after waterfall, it’s no surprise that this is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
For more details, check out our full post on the day we spent at Plitvice Lakes National park.
Plitvice Lakes tip
Arrive as early as possible, if you want to see the upper & lower lakes then head to entrance 2, catch the bus to St3. Then you’ll be descending most of the way, until the final climb back to St1.
Trogir
This little UNESCO city was a real pleasure to stay at. It’s just along the coastline from Split (and I actually preferred it to Split).
Stylish Trogir
It has bundles of history within its walls, lovely restaurants and an elegant Riva to stroll along in the evening.
We have more details from our stay in Trogir in our post - 'The Historic Walled City of Trogir'
Dubrovnik
It does get a bit of bad press for crowds; however, it is a lovely city.
The Old City Walls of Dubrovnik
The walk around the top of the surrounding walls is incredible, and the view across the crystal blue Adriatic Sea are truly worth it. Try and stay for the evening when it’s a bit quieter.
Again, we have a post 'Exploring the streets of Dubrovnik' to give you more detail on our visit.
Rovinj
Wow, another picturesque town and harbour
The quayside at Rovinj
Lovely colourful houses surround the bay, and intriguing little-cobbled lanes lead up to a baroque church. Then you’re spoilt with the stunning views across the ocean.
For more, we have our post 'The Romance of Rovinj', why not check that out.
Your Croatian Road Trip
Need a car in Croatia?
The open roads await, pop in your location details then Rental Cars will search well-known car hire brands and discover the deals that suit you the best.
Check your flights for Croatia
If you’re flying into Croatia, search for your flights in one easy place with ebookers.com. Over 400 airlines are scanned for your favoured routes and chosen dates.
If you would like a little more inspiration and a little more helpful advice, then why not check out - 'Our Croatian Road Trip – The Itinerary'
Brodet
This is a dish I would certainly have again. It’s a seafood stew which is traditionally served with polenta and includes three different types of fish.
Brodet - A Croatian Fish Stew
It tasted so fresh and was even more pleasurable, accompanied by a glass of a local crisp white wine.
For more on what you can expect to eat in Croatia you can check out out post - 'Croatian culinary delights'
Driving
Well, actually Gary did all the driving, however, I did have slight reservations before we left, what the conditions would be like, in some places. All my doubts were banished as the roads we travelled on were pretty good.
By the roadside
Day trip to Mostar
Ok, so it was a bit of hassle organising our Green Card to take our car into Bosnia & Herzegovina, but it certainly was worth it (and we got a stamp in our passports).
The Stari Most, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Seeing the Mostar Bridge was amazing and the remaining scars of the war around the town. The landscape travelling there and back was very rural. Cows in the roads, deserted villages & derelict houses in the hillside, the differences to Croatia were quite distinct.
As you'd expect, we have a post on our experience - 'Driving to Mostar'
Good to know
If you’re driving to Mostar either in your own car or a hire car, ensure that you have the correct documents. We required, passports, vehicle registration documents, driving licenses, insurance, GB sticker & Green Card.
Also, remember Bosnia & Herzegovina have the Convertible Mark as the local currency although some places do take the Euro. You may need change for parking so it may be worth picking up something at a local petrol station.
Venetian touch
Prior to visiting Croatia I was aware of the role that the Venetian Empire played in its history. Although, I didn’t realise how much of the Venetian influence would still be remaining.
St Donatus Church, Zadar
Within quite a few of the towns we visited the tall iconic bell tower, similar to the one seen in St Mark’s Square, played a central role.
Diocletian Palace
This Roman slice of history in the heart of Split is astonishing, you just keep wandering around looking up. It’s is amazing that so many of the 4th-century buildings remain
The Diocletian palace, Split
A lovely touch is that it is free of charge to stroll around.
For more on our visit to Split then w e have the post - 'Strolling through the centuries of Split'
If you've yet to discover the delights of Croatia you're in for a treat. While planning our road trip, I used the DK Eyewitness books. I find them extremely informative, easy to follow and the pictures and maps tempt you into discovering more.
We used a previous version of this book to plan our north to south Croatian road trip, now you can grab the revised copy.
Zadar
This was one of our favourite destinations of the trip.
By the Sea at dusk, Zadar
The historic town itself is wonderful; however, the joy of sitting on the water’s edge, staring out across the Dalmatian coast and listening to the Sea Organ was unforgettable.
The post on our visit is the 'Sights and Sounds of Zadar'
Wine
Well, they’ve certainly been keeping their wine a secret. It doesn’t appear to have sneaked across the shores to the UK much. So, we brought some back ourselves.
Picking up wine at, Putnikovic
Friendliness of people
It may sound clichéd; however, we met some really great people, who went out of their way to help and accommodate us.
Explore the Islands
We only had time to travel across a couple of islands, so, definitely, need to discover more.
Arriving by Ferry
Where we stayed on our Croatian Road Trip
For a full list of the accommodation we stayed at on this trip, hit the pips
Or alternatively, check out your options with Booking.com
Krka National Park
We didn’t have time to head to Krka National Park, well at least we have an excuse to return.
Accommodation
In our experience with the accommodation we used, the majority of the apartment owners requested payment in cash.
Have You?
Visited Croatia? Does our reminiscing bring back any memories for you? What was your favourite destination?
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