Croatia, Seaside and Sunshine
September 16 to 23, 2015
We had finally made it, Croatia, the inspiration for our trip. It seemed though, with us, every other young backpacker had made it too. Croatia was preciously a less travelled destination but now seems to be actually a pretty popular place for Europe's backpacking crowd.
I don't blame them in the slightest; in Croatia you can find the cheapness of Eastern Europe with the beauty of a Mediterranean country and the comfort of either a vagabond's hostel or a luxurious resort depending on your preference.
I named this leg of our trip as Seaside and Sunshine because that's what we got along the coast of Croatia and the big draw for tourists in the area. It was actually described by an Eastern European traveller to us as the Italy of the Balkans for its vacationing qualities. Not to mention that many restaurants and stores are also either Italian themed or carry Italian goods… not all authentic of course.
I don't blame them in the slightest; in Croatia you can find the cheapness of Eastern Europe with the beauty of a Mediterranean country and the comfort of either a vagabond's hostel or a luxurious resort depending on your preference.
I named this leg of our trip as Seaside and Sunshine because that's what we got along the coast of Croatia and the big draw for tourists in the area. It was actually described by an Eastern European traveller to us as the Italy of the Balkans for its vacationing qualities. Not to mention that many restaurants and stores are also either Italian themed or carry Italian goods… not all authentic of course.
Zagreb
September 16 to 18, 2015
Zagrab was an interesting city in a few ways. We chose to stay fairly far outside of the city and this meant a 45 minute walk into the city centre for exploring. Hidden in the inconvenience was also the ability to explore parts of town not all tourists are necessarily familiar with of course. Plus, by this point in the trip we were already used to walking 6-10 (or even more) hours a day so the walk seemed just like a good warm up for us.
Zagreb has a fairly large city centre and very well built up. There are a lot of major buildings, monuments, and parks to see and the city was planned to house green space and public space in each block almost of the centre. Half of the city centre is known as Gornji Grad (the medieval Upper Town) and the other half, the Lower Town is the more modern part of the city. There is definitely a lot more character in the oldest part and that is where we did our free walking tour to learn more about the history of Croatia. The Lower city though has Zagreb's main square, Ban Jelačić, shops, museums and parks.
The city has a lot of Austro-Hungarian architecture and a rich history; little did we know that the modern men's tie comes from there.
Zagreb has a fairly large city centre and very well built up. There are a lot of major buildings, monuments, and parks to see and the city was planned to house green space and public space in each block almost of the centre. Half of the city centre is known as Gornji Grad (the medieval Upper Town) and the other half, the Lower Town is the more modern part of the city. There is definitely a lot more character in the oldest part and that is where we did our free walking tour to learn more about the history of Croatia. The Lower city though has Zagreb's main square, Ban Jelačić, shops, museums and parks.
The city has a lot of Austro-Hungarian architecture and a rich history; little did we know that the modern men's tie comes from there.
Korenica / Plitvice Lakes National Park
September 19, 2015
Plitvice Lakes National Park is a must see if you are visiting Croatia. It is a bit of a splurge to visit due to accommodation and transportation, however, the scenery there is spectacular. The park is centre around a series stacked lakes that descend gradually and flow into each other like pools of a layered water fountain. The water itself too is crystal clear and beautiful shades of blues, greens, and teals.
To visit this park we chose to stay in Korenica and arrange transportation from the hostel there to the park, this proved a much cheaper option even with the cost of bus fair to Korenica and accommodation in the small town. There are a lot of places that offer a trip here from Zagreb, but most of the those are a rip off and you will end up spending half of your day travelling rather than enjoying the park.
To visit this park we chose to stay in Korenica and arrange transportation from the hostel there to the park, this proved a much cheaper option even with the cost of bus fair to Korenica and accommodation in the small town. There are a lot of places that offer a trip here from Zagreb, but most of the those are a rip off and you will end up spending half of your day travelling rather than enjoying the park.
Zadar
September 20 to 21, 2015
Zadar seemed to me the perfect beachside town to stay in on vacation with some friends. It had a cute old city with a mix of ruins and cute shops. The gelato was plentiful, the pizza was large, and the beer was cheap. There was also a lot to do at night; we stumbled upon a national marbles competition and nightly live music. The city just seemed 'cool' in a way.
One of the neatest things there was the sea organ which is a large organ built into the pier that produces music from the waves and tide of the sea. The mechanisms were hid under the pier so you could walk right over it and sit on the steps leading into the water. The sound was haunting in a way with rather mystical and deep chords selected to be played and which seemed to fill the air around you as you sat and admired the sunsetting in the distance.
One of the neatest things there was the sea organ which is a large organ built into the pier that produces music from the waves and tide of the sea. The mechanisms were hid under the pier so you could walk right over it and sit on the steps leading into the water. The sound was haunting in a way with rather mystical and deep chords selected to be played and which seemed to fill the air around you as you sat and admired the sunsetting in the distance.
Split
September 22 to 23, 2015
Split! The wonderful split! We have actually already decided to return here, possible for my 30th, because it was just the most beautiful and relaxing place one could hope for. The old town was large enough to provide hours of walking exploration, window shopping, and gelato enjoying, and beyond that the waterfront provided breath-taking views. We saw a lot of 'old towns' in our adventure through Europe, but this one was done just right.
There is a great hike starting from right in Split that takes you up a steep hillside….
Country Summary
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