Oh Darling ! Let's "Split"

And I guarantee a Split in Croatia!

Part of erstwhile Yugoslavia, Croatia lies on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea and is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the world. With a thousand islands, miles of beautiful coastal scenery and the fun loving people, Croatia is a great place to be for all but more so for the young at heart. Hemmed in by Italy on its western shores and Croatia from the East, the Adriatic Sea has relatively calm waters and is an automatic choice for many small boat and private yacht owners. You can come across many small marinas in the small medieval coastal towns’ right down till Montenegro. Of course the biggest fillip to tourism has come from “Game of Thrones” followers who regularly go for their “pilgrimage” to King’s Landing.

Apart from the latest holiday destination, Croatia’s rapidly growing Wine industry is also attracting many people. Wine tasting is the new rage!

The main places of tourist interest are actually in the coastal south with the two main centers of Split and Dubrovnik. As we were driving from Vienna with some friends we had to stop at Zagreb. A good 7 hours of driving brought us to the capital city of Croatia. It is a nice old town but then falls short of its country cousins in Eastern Europe - Prague, Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna. Though we did stay a night here in Zagreb but apart from the Gothic twin spired Zagreb Cathedral and the old town there was not much else to see. The buildings mostly around the historic town center are in Austro – Hungarian architecture and sightseeing can be best done by taking the really old tram network. Our visit was made very memorable by a retired army veteran, who now drives a cab amongst other things, and was our unofficial guide. Highly recommended!

Making our way to Split we stopped at one of the most well-known places in Croatia – the Plitvice National park famous for its terraced lakes and waterfalls. Being a UNESCO World Heritage site it is known for a chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls that extend into a limestone canyon. Walkways and hiking trails wind around and across the water, and an electric boat links the 12 upper and 4 lower lakes. A real nature lovers retreat! Fresh air, nice wooden boardwalks along streams and lakesides and at time thick forests and several waterfalls is very cool & refreshing. However here’s a tip – reach the park gates early morning as there are only so many people they allow in. We had to wait for about 2 hours with the queue about a mile long. This huge park has two entry gates and our considered opinion is to enter by gate no 2. This works best for the elderly and with disabilities. From this gate mostly the walk is downhill whereas from the Gate no 1 it is uphill. The shortest walking trail inside is about 7 kms and about 250 steps up. Unfortunately, there are no places for you to rest before you complete it. Needless to say that keep all bags etc outside as carrying and hiking (especially if you do not have advance notice of it) can become cumbersome. It is only towards the end of hike that you have a services area where you can buy food and drinks. A boat ride across the large lake is just what we needed to rest and recuperate. Nonetheless the visit was a really nice break amidst nature. On hindsight, it would have been nice to stay overnight at the many hotels and B&Bs around the area.

The drive from Plitvice to Split is about 3 hours with plenty of small restaurants and rest places. The azure blue waters of the Adriatic surround this very picturesque city and are another important tourist attraction. The old town is very attractive and has many accommodation options to offer. The oldest part of the city is in a walled area where everything is within walking distance of the clock tower. The best way to discover this city is by taking well-defined walking tours. The tourist office is probably the friendliest I have seen anywhere and they give you all required knowledge, literature and contacts to visit around. I highly recommend that you visit this place before venturing out as you get a whole range of sightseeing options. The main attraction is the beautiful and elegant Diocletian’s Palace and the cathedral. This Roman-era fortress has become the old city and has numerous shops, cafes & restaurants, apartments, and we were told that there are about 3000 permanent residents here. The rest of the old city is covered with white stone buildings of different periods and styles. On the crossroad of the two main roads of the palace, the so-called Peristyle is located. The Peristyle is a rectangular open court decorated with colonnade and intended to become the heart of the palace, where the most powerful Roman citizens used to gather and meet. The famous statue of Gregory of Nin is iconic and symbolizes the town and the legend goes that if you rub his toe your wishes will come true. So do give it a try.

The evenings are when the town’s old city comes into its own. Cafes, restaurants abound and that is where everyone converges to. A must visit specially in the evening. Jyotin (my niece) & Vivek - highly recommended a restaurant called the Konoba Majestica and Konoba Varos for its fish & vegetable dishes. Needless to say it was a great success. Another place recommended by them and also did not disappoint was the Pizzeria Galijia with its mouthwatering pizzas. 

Split is also famous for its numerous islands. Majority of the holiday makers visit these islands for a fun day filled with sun and enjoying a prolonged swim in the crystal clear waters. The dance of blue light on the Bisevo island attracts everyone. The islands of Brac, Vis and Hvar are other great attractions. Giant ferries crisscross the dazzling water and one such ferry takes you to the well known island of Brac – and to its largest settlement Supetar. This place is home to about 4000 inhabitants and hides many undiscovered beauties. Its rich cultural Dalmatian legacy, the superb choice of accommodation, beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, makes it an ideal holiday destination. You could choose to rent one of the many villas or stay at one of the B&Bs along the island coast. The restaurants and cafes are known not only for their lip-smacking seafood but also the Brac lamb, excellent wines and the famous Dol cake. The island grows a very good variety of olives and the oil from them is very famous. Close to Supetar is another very attractive settlement – Splitska famous for the main quarry from where stone was sent for building the main palace at Split. However it is the picturesque town which makes it famous. The many cafes and restaurants which dot the city are a perennial attraction. The Brac cuisine is now making a comeback and at many restaurants you can get a taste of the simple but traditional dishes. The sheep cheese, extra virgin olive oil, red wine, almond cake, homemade liquors and grappas make this place a must visit for the connoisseur of good food and wine.

The other main town on Brac is Bol across the island from Supetar.  A highly recommended place for a real nice meal is at Kanoba Mali Raj – a really well known and celebrated place. Traditional dishes vie with Italian cuisine – reservations are a must in peak holiday season. There is a waiter here who loves to talk to Indians but don’t let him try his Hindi on you!!!

The drive to Dubrovnik (just 3 hours) along the coast is one of the most beautiful drives. It is less crowded than the Amalfi coast and frankly is better and more scenic than the celebrated area. The gorgeous islands of Brac and Hvar from the road are most photogenic. Another highlight is the crossing into Bosnia and Herzogovina for a short drive before returning to Croatian territory.

Dubrovnik is enchanting & bewitching at the same time – actually the perfect mix of old & the new. The old town is encircled by massive walls from the 16^th Century fort (remember the battle of King’s Landing) and well-preserved buildings range from baroque St. Blaise Church to Renaissance Sponza Palace. Paved with limestone, the pedestrianized Stradun (or Placa) is lined with shops and restaurants. With the shimmering blue waters of the Adriatic and it’s very medieval outlook it is a perennial favourite of travelers. It is the main setting for the hugely popular TV series Game of Thrones – of course the very impressive King’s Landing is the main site. No wonder HBO chose this city as the capital of the Seven Kingdoms and if you have been watching this TV series it may be worth your while to take one of the many walking tours which take you to all the sites. Another very impressive location is the Sersi’s walk of shame as is the City of Qarth – “the greatest city that ever was or ever will be”. Finally the coveted “Iron Throne” is also located at Lokrum island, just 15 minutes from Dubrovnik. A photo-op not to be missed by the ardent fans of GoT!

The cobbled streets, the excellent restaurants and the walk on the castle walls are all part of the fantastic experience here. In fact the walk on the old city parapets is the highlight and should not to be missed at any cost. There are many excellent places to eat and one such restaurant which is most highly recommended is the Café Dubrokva. Right by the sea front, the food matches the views. Get a reservation as otherwise you will be disappointed.  

Lokrum island is a mere 20 minutes ferry ride away and apart from the Iron Throne, the views of the main city from the island top Fort are to die for. In the island there is a small but beautiful lake ideal for spending some time swimming. Apart from this half a day excursion, there are two other day trips highly recommended – the visit to Korcula island and to Montenegro. On the day trip north to Korcula you come across delightful vineyards and many small family owned wineries. The walls of Ston are quite unique yet like the parapets of Dubrovnik. From the town of Orebic you get a ferry across to this island. The old city here is also very interesting a walk along is highly recommended.

Montenegro known as the black highlands, is known for it’s beautiful thick forests from where you reach the pristine waters. The drive takes you along small beautiful towns along the Adriatic till a fashionable town called Budva. The old town is well known but is now home to some fancy hotels, beaches and a buzzing nightlife.

Another national park renowned for it’s natural beauty and bounty is Krka. During sunny months it is probably the most visited place and is best done as a day trip from Dubrovnik or Sebenik. A large biosphere revolves around the Krka river flowing through the park. The waterfalls add to the charm and one can actually feel the peace and freshness all around. No wonder you can see many people enjoying a swim or just hiking around in its many trails and bridges. Several boat rides take you around including to the Franciscan monastery, Roski waterfall and to the Krka monastery. However the main attraction is the Skradinski waterfalls. This park is smaller than Plitvice park and so much more walking friendly for elderly people and as it allows swimming in it’s waters, a lot more fun.

Split & Dubrovnik are definitely the main centers of stay with many hotels, apartments and B&Bs catering to all categories. The ideal tour to cover Croatia was actually suggested by Jyotin & Vivek who suggest at least a 4 nights stay at Dubrovnik and another 4 nights at Split. They highly recommended staying in apartments as some of these places are excellent and have great views from them. Highly recommended in Split is the Palace Heritage Hotel in the old city and at Dubrovnik The Big Blue apartments. A word of caution, many accommodation websites act as only a booking site.  Neither are they really bothered about the quality of the place or your comfort, nor do they guarantee a firm booking during season time. Therefore it is recommended that you book directly with hotels, B&Bs and apartment owners after researching the internet lest you have a problem as we did in Split - no thanks to Booking.com.