Croatia - Our tour of the Dalmatian Coast

We had so much fun on our 11 day trip to Croatia and I think it was our favorite trip so far.   With every trip we take it gets easier to adapt and navigate through all the different cities. Including dealing with planes, ships, trains and busses to get to where we need to be.  This helps make each trip a little more relaxing and enjoyable.  For us this trip was the perfect combination of hiking, resting, sun bathing and history.  

Day 1

We arrived at the Split Airport in the afternoon, rented a car and drove straight to Plitvice, which is about 3 hours north of Split.  We wanted to see the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which were tagged as a World Heritage site in 1979, and figured that getting there the day before and going to the park when it opened would be our best way to avoid all the tour busses and hoards of people.  The hotel was a small family run place with about 10 basic rooms right at the entrance to the park.   Overall it was a surprisingly uneventful day as the roads were in great condition, the hotel was easy to find and the trout we had for dinner was amazing (better than the other offering which was a mixed meat platter… yuck).

Best fish of the trip!

Day 2

Plitvice Lakes National Park

We woke up at 7am to thunder and torrential rain.  After considering whether to abort our plans for the park we purchased ponchos and were on our way.  The rain let up about 10 minutes into our walk so we were glad we stuck it out.  The park was amazing. The park consists of gorgeous lakes connected by a series of waterfalls with a wooden pathway and footbridges for people to walk the fringes. We toured the upper lakes and by the time we finished lunch the rain was picking up again for the tour of the lower lakes. Once we finished and were headed back to the car the sun was coming out and the hoards of tourists had arrived. 

It rained, it poured and it wasn't even a Duck game.

Trogir

Since we didn’t have to turn the rental car in until later that evening we killed some time by stopping by the town of Trogir on our way back to the airport to drop off the car.  Trogir is a small town just outside of Split and is on the National Heritage list for its collection of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture that flourished during Venetian rule. 

Split

With only one night planned in Split, we set out on the town for dinner and eat across the main street from the Diocletian’s Palace, another World Heritage Site, and enjoyed watching all of the people roam the streets. We then went inside the Diocletian Palace, an imposing Roman ruin, which is actually a very active part of the city with its labyrinthine streets packed with people, bars, shops and restaurants. There was live music and dancing in the square which we enjoyed before calling it a night. 

Day 3-7

Korcula Island

With the weather improving we arrived into the island of Korcula to find sun, relaxation and the nicest accommodations of our trip. Our first day on the island was spent lying out at the beach (rocks) and taking in the sun while also enjoying the local fare. Fresh seafood and pasta/pizza were the main dishes served on the island and we enjoyed both during the 4 days. After the first day we purchased a pad and floatie (see pad pictured below) for future sun days on the rocks. Both improved life on the rocks and in the Adriatic.  Korcula Town is bordered on 3 sides by the Adriatic Sea with pine and palm trees lining the streets and city walls.  This is where we spent the majority of our time while on the island. When we weren’t lying by the ocean we were buying fruit from the local green market, eating gelato or relaxing at a café for a beer. 

Korcula!

Traci's biggest craving "fresh fruit"

Some fun in the sun.

Lesic Dimitri Palace - best accommodations of the trip

Traci posing in the upper square in Korcula

A romantic night out at LD (part of our hotel)

Good times and good food

The streets of Korcula

Traci outside our apartment in Korcula before dinner.

Mljet Island

While on the island we took a day trip to the Mljet National Park, which has two beautiful salt lakes. The lakes and park were amazing and offered excellent opportunities for kayaking and mountain biking, however, activities were limited this day as Brody was suffering dehydration. It reminded both of us of Sunriver with all the pine trees and bike paths.  People staying on the island were all on bikes utilizing the many nature paths that bordered the lakes.  Other than Brody’s dehydration the only other problem we had was the lack of edible food anywhere on the island.  After ordering lunch at an outdoor café we took one bite and walked away because it was so bad we thought we would get food poisoning (Recommendation: Take picnic lunch if you go). We ended up with cheese and crackers from a mini mart for lunch.

It just smelled like central Oregon.

Traci as she contemplates swimming in the lake

So relaxing.

Day 7-10

Dubrovnik

After 4 relaxing sun filled days on Korcula Island, we took the ferry to Dubrovnik and then a bus to the Old Town, which is where we stayed while in Dubrovnik.  Old Town is protected by a mighty defensive wall and has streets made of marble. This was the busiest of the towns we visited because of the daily tourists from the cruise ships. We stayed in an apartment in Old Town that was close to everything, making it easy to get out see the sights and make it back for some needed rest and air conditioning.    

When planning the trip we thought Dubrovnik would be a cool town to see but it ended up being much more of a historical education for both Brody and I.  It was crazy for us to think about the Civil War that started in 1991 and ended around 1996 with the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia and how recent the war had been. During the war about 60% of the Old Town was destroyed by Serbian missiles, and yet it seemed as though so much of it had been completely repaired.  We went to the War Photo Limited, which had exhibits of the photos taken from different Time Magazine photographers of what the city looked like during/after the war.

Main street in Old Dubrovnik at 8am

Dubrovnik from the top of the City Walls

City streets of Dubrovnik

Fresh fruit and candied nuts. Just what was needed before our flight home.

Mostar

On our second day in Dubrovnik we took a day trip to Mostar, Bosnia.  Our trip included a 2 ½ hour bus ride across the boarder into Bosnia & Hercegovina before arriving at the small town of Mostar, which is on the World Heritage List. On our way to Mostar and in the less tourist populated areas there was a lot more evidence of the war in terms of damage to buildings in Croatia and even more so in Bosnia.

Mostar is mainly known for its old historic bridge (“Stari Most”), which was built by the Ottomon Empire while under their control back in the 15^th century. The bridge was destroyed in 1993 during the Civil War. The bridge was later rebuilt at a cost of EUR 13 million paid for by Croatia, the US and Turkey (as they were interested in seeing that the bridge was reconstructed as an exact replica as the original bridge built by the Ottoman Empire).

Stari Most

Mostar old town is beautiful with old stone buildings and green trees lining the riverbanks. The roads leading to the bridge are narrow and filled with shops of souvenirs. We eat lunch in the old town, took pictures and walked around before getting back on the bus for a fun trip back.

On the way back our driver elected to go a different way where he believed border crossing would be quicker. This took us down a 5 mile gravel road that no one on the bus thought would end. Ultimately on our way back we passed through the “Republic of Serbia” a self-contained country with its own border control within the country of Bosnia and then through the border control of Bosnia & Hercegovia and then the border control of Croatia. Finally back in Croatia we found our way back to Dubrovnik in time for some much needed pizza and rest.

Gravel road in Bosnia....I think the guide was even scared the driver was lost.

Cavtat

On our final day in Dubrovnik, we walked the walls of the city of Old Town early in the morning which took a little over an hour and found beautify views of the sea and city. The walls were built between the 13^th and 16^th centuries. The entire old town was contained within a barrier 2km long and up to 25M high. After this a break at a local café was necessary and provided a nice rest.

We then left Old Town Dubrovnik on a water taxi around noon headed for Cavtat a city which was originally part of the Dubrovnik republic. This harbor town was filled with fancy yachts and nice beaches. We enjoyed Cavtat as it had far fewer people than Dubrovnik and provided a break from the other tourists. After walking around and finding some local souvenirs we headed back to Dubrovnik for dinner. 

This just sums it all up.....relaxing