My Visit To Croatia, A Dazzling Country.
By Karen
I have just returned from Croatia. What a fascinating country. What a splendid trip.
We started in the south, in Dubrovnik, then travelled north, to Split/Brac, Rovinj, and finally Zagreb. The southern towns are sparkling Mediterranean jewels in the former Roman province of Dalmatia, on the Adriatic Sea. Zagreb, in distinct contrast, is rather Viennese (where it is not Soviet) and far from the sea.
In the whole country one feels an endless history of conquest by, and resistance to, many great powers—Greece, Rome, Venice, Byzantia, the Habsburgs, Italy, Germany, Yugoslavia. The most recent was was in the 1990s, and Croatia’s history seems very much to animate the country today.
Dubrovnik is a hilly town perched on the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. We stayed at the Villa Dubrovnik, one of the most resplendent hotels I have ever seen, hanging over a superb harbor full of yachts. We walked on ancient city walls, took a boat ride to nearby islands (where we had a fine fish lunch and were introduced to big stone cisterns formerly used to store olive oil, now full of plants), swam in those beautiful waters (be warned, the beaches are stony), climbed a high watchtower hill to look over at Bosnia. We dined very well, mostly fish accompanied by excellent local wines—white, as it was quite hot. Everywhere we went, Game of Thrones, filmed in Dubrovnik, was mentioned by locals who have a quite intense love/hate relationship with the show.
We took a boat to Split, with a stop in the small island of Korcula, where many local grape varieties are grown. Split is a bustling town centered around the massive palace stronghold of the Emperor Diocletian, built about a thousand ears ago. It is a crazy place—a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is partly under excavation and partly occupied by modern shops and homes. Right on the sea, it must have been a delightful retirement home for the Emperor. It is now surrounded by lively streets full of people and music, a grand open air market, churches and splendid restaurants. We had lunch on a tiny side street, and bought olive oil (Atena) to bring home. Most restaurants on the Dalmatian coast have wonderful olive oil, but much of it is completely local—grown only for one establishment or town. Not for sale!
Opting for quiet, we stayed in Brac, an island across the water from Split. Stunning, full of color—green and blue and pink and white. Excellent ice cream. The Hotel Lemongarden is spectacular—a group of stylishly renovated old buildings around a marvelous garden—flowers, vegetables, fruit trees—and a brilliant pool. The daily water jaunt to Split was a pleasure.
Then on to Rovinj, in Istria, home to olive oil, wine and truffles, as well as centuries of history. We stayed in the Grand Park Hotel, which is best described as a spaceship. A remarkable infinity pool overlooks the harbor. The building has nothing to do with local architecture, but blends in perfectly, tucked into the hillside and covered in plantings. A fine shop for Croatian fashion and international design is on the premises.
Rovinj has a gorgeous harbor, and the walk to the Church of St. Euphemia is slippery and dynamic. Once at the top we climbed the bell tower. Incredible views—and the steps are so precarious we felt as if we had just ascended Everest. The town is full of vertiginous and narrow paths to the sea—and incredible restaurants clinging to the cliffside. Venice (a three hour boat trip away) is everywhere, in the form of carved winged lions with smiles on their faces holding open, welcoming books. Except in nearby hill towns where the Venetians were not wanted. There, the lions have closed books and are sticking their tongues out.
In the countryside, we tasted olive oil and wine in lush, resplendent landscapes. (Maybe starting with wine at 10:30 am put us in the right frame of mind!) You likely know how to taste wine, but do you know how to taste olive oil? Warm it with your hands in a small shot glass, smell it, then throw it to the back of your throat. And of course we indulged in several truffled meals. And bought more olive oil.
Finally, we arrived in Zagreb, the capital. Completely different, a northern European city. We stayed in the Hotel Esplanade, built for a stop on the Orient Express, and described by locals as the heart of Zagreb. An elegant representative of an older era, with excellent outdoor dining.
Zagreb too feels like a stop on the Orient Express. It has a grand old town, lower and upper parts linked by a tiny funicular, great for wandering (better, we suppose, when it is not almost one hundred degrees.) Good shopping! We bought pumpkinseed oil at its gorgeous outdoor market, replete with brilliant red umbrellas. Unfortunately many buildings, churches and museums are still temporarily closed as a result of damage from a 2020 earthquake, but the Museum of Broken Relationships is open. What a weird idea. The Museum of Naive Art is great, as are the many fun shops, including some with cutting edge Croatian couture.
I was not sure what to expect in Croatia, but it exceeded every expectation. A magnificent country, wonderful people, superb food, wine and hotels, and heavy duty history. Go!
PS—Croatia is the rock-climbing capital of Europe. It is easy to see why, given its cliffs. No, I did not climb—haven't done that for a few decades—but others in our party did and loved it.
PPS—I did get all that olive oil home safely in checked luggage. Bad idea this summer to check luggage, but it all worked out. Miraculous!