There are always special feelings in us when we talk about Croatia because it was where we spent most of our autumn and it also contains a lot of beautiful places we visited as well as wonderful memories we experienced. This first part will be the road trip with my parents-in-law who were the parents of my boyfriend at that time.
Because of my visa, I had to get out of Schengen after 90 days and it was Croatia that we chose to move on. Before the preparation for the trip, I had never heard of Croatia so when Gautier suggested the place, I was a bit in doubt. However, it seemed to be the best choice for us to get out of Schengen and the photos from Google looked promising. So it’s Croatia which we chose!
We were very happy to have my parents-in-law to join us for the Croatia trip of 10 days. They drove all the way from France to meet us in Trieste, Italy and we started the trip from there. And with them, we had some changes for our trip, no more sleeping in the tent and hitch-hiking so we could move faster and more independently.
Day 1
The first village we arrived was Buje, a small and cute one! There were not much wow things except a nice view of the village from far and a beautiful panorama far out from the village. We stopped to change money and have some coffee because we departed quite earlier that morning.
For lunch, we stopped at a rocky beach along the coast which provided a very nice and peaceful view. There are quite a lot of summer houses and hostels along the coast so it should be a touristic place for summer.
The nicest part of the day was visiting the two famous wineries Kabola and Kozlovic. Despite their opposite architectural styles, Kabola was old and beautiful and Kozlovic was modern and stylish, both were surrounded by pretty vineyards and meticulous care. If you want to visit the wine cellar, you must make an appointment in advance. But one thing for sure is you would be able to taste different delicious types of wine available there.
That evening, we stayed inn Gronznjan, a very small village but looked so beautiful in autumn time, especially for both sunset and sunrise. In some area, the red and yellow leaves made the whole place look typically autumn with its amazing color.
Day 2
We headed to Rabac this day. On the way, we passed Motovun and Labin.
Motovun from far looked like a lot of other typical Croatian villages which were located on the top of a hill. And with the vineyard and olive trees around, it made a very harmonious view.
Labin was a touristic village because it’s near the beach and had a panorama view over the sea. The village was cute, too. We found a hidden garden for picnic near the beach for our lunch to avoid the strong wind that day.
Unfortunately, Rabac location feels a bit of a dead end, and to reach Rabac from any other place is kind of far. You need to take a curvy, mountainous road each time. People who have carsick won’t like this.
We arrived in Rabac about 4pm and it started to rain. We thought it would rain hard so we stopped in one of the bars along the seaside for some drink to wait for the rain to pass but with just a bit of rain for some minutes, the sun started to show up again. So we visited Rabac a bit before it got dark.
Rabac is a typical touristic place for summer because of its nice beaches and crystal clear sea. This small resort village is set at foothills of Labin, below high rising mountain. The mountains rise steeply up from the sea level, and houses are all built on a hill. Two things ensure: spectacular views, and uphill walks (if you don’t like walking, you would feel hesitate to visit it).
And its shingle beaches are perhaps the nicest in all Istria.
Rabac is a perfect place for family holiday as well as for adventurous trip due to its various resorts and activities.
Day 3
Our destination this time was Cres Island, one of the most popular islands in Croatia. To reach there, we had to go via ferry from Brestova to Porozina. We arrived in Cres in such a windy day. But the sky was very clear and the the sea water was so clear that you even can see the fish swimming in the water.
The view from the port of Porozina to Cres city provided you with beautiful scenery of mountain and sea.
On the way, you can drop by Predošćica for a short hiking up to a mountain for a wonderful panorama view. We made it to the top even there was so much wind.
Valun is an interesting village to visit because it is a small picturesque fishermen’s and farmers’ village between two beautiful pebble beaches to the north of the city of Cres and cars are not allowed to go inside the village. You have to park outside and walk to the village. But no worries, from the parking to the village is just a short distance. Like most other beaches in Croatia, Valun beach is rocky and pebble. The beach has no facilities so take everything you need with you. The only thing you will find when you arrive is plain beach, clear waters and pine forests where you can hide from the sun during hot summer days. If you want to engage in fun sports, you should bring the props you need for it.I would recommend Valun beach to young couples who are looking for romance.
Cres Town, a city on the bay as its town docks come directly into the middle of the city and are filled with boats, looked somehow like an Italian village due to previous Venetian rule.The old center is not accessible by car, visitors have to park in the outskirts and walk into it, first through a gate and then down narrow paths and alleys, which are filled with restaurants and stalls selling wine, olive oil, honey, souvenirs and more. At the heart of the old center there is an open piazza, where a lot of fishermen boats go in and back out into the sea from any of the various restaurants that peddle all kinds of incredibly fresh fish. Here in Cres, it was the first time I had stayed in a mobile home in a camping and where we celebrated the birthday of my father-in-law that year.
Day 4
To go back to the mainland, we took the ferry from port Merag on the island of Cres to the port Valbiska on the island of Krk (seriously I still don’t know how to pronounce the name of this island) and then crossed the island to Krk bridge. Krk is a long reinforced concrete arch bridge connecting the Croatian island of Krk to the mainland. The bridge's two arches is the second longest concrete arch in the world and among the longest arches of any construction.
Then we followed the coast to Senj. The sightseeing along the coast was magnificent.
Senj, a city that is more than 3000 years old is one of the oldest cities in the northern Adriatic. Located by the sea, at the foot of the mountain of Kapela and Velebit which is the biggest mountain in Croatia.
The symbol of the town is the fortress Nehaj which was built back in 1558. The day we visited Nehaj, the wind got even much harder than the days before so we couldn’t spend much time there to enjoy such astonishing view over the sea and the city from there.
Day 5
We continued our trip to Korenica. On the way, we stopped by a ruin in Senjska Draga and Perušić.
The population of the Town of Perušić has fallen by more than a third between 1991 and 2011 due to the emigration of population to more developed areas, attacks during the War of Independence, the aging population, and frequent flooding. Therefore, there were still a lot of destroyed houses by the war when we passed by. However, there were an old train station which we could rarely see in Croatia. We were not sure if it was still used because we saw nobody around and it was closed.
Day 6
We stayed in a nice house of Airbnb in Korenica which was a small cute village. From there it’s easy for us to visit Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, a World Cultural Heritage, is a must see for Croatia. Considered one of the world's first and most beautiful natural landscapes in Europe, Plitvice includes a system of 16 large and beautiful natural lakes linked together by a large forest complex.
The lakes are famous for their water color. Water color can vary from blue to green, gray or blue, depending on the amount of minerals, aquatic organisms or sunlight.
The water was so clear that we could see each flock of fish swimming or the bottom of the lake.
Walking routes there were very well organized. In addition to walking along trails between woods or wooden steps on the lake, we could also take a bus ride or a boat on the lake. These two forms of vehicle are free and save time, but walking gave us a perfect picture and poetry colorful merge of leaves, plants and water.
In addition, Plitvice also has beautiful majestic waterfall collection contributing to create more attraction for the park.
Although the lake was so clear and clean that we just wanted to jump in and swim, but unfortunately we are not allowed to swim here as the reservoirs provided fresh water for the surrounding area and it was too cold at that time to swim.
Day 7
Because of its rich heritage, Zadar is today one of the most popular Croatian tourist destinations, named "entertainment center of the Adriatic" by The Times and "Croatia's new capital of cool" by The Guardian. In 2016, Zadar was named "Best European Destination" by the Belgian portal EuropesBestDestination.com. Besides, the fortified city of Zadar was also included in UNESCO's World Heritage Site.
Among its numerous landmarks such as Roman Forum, Church of St. Donatus, St. Anastasia’s Cathedral, St Mary’s Church, The Citadel…, I love its unique sea organ and the Monument to the Sun most.
Day 8,9 and 10
Split, the Croatia's second largest city, is overlooked by mountains and edged by the deep blue Adriatic Sea.
I loved Split for its both ancient and vibrant atmosphere. Besides Diocletian's Palace, a World Heritage Site, there were many things to do and places to see in Split and we couldn’t finish them all.
Rolling in the Riva, the harbor of Split. With palm trees, colorful buildings, and views out to the Adriatic Sea, this is a popular place for a stroll.Regardless of the time, we still can enjoy this.
Visiting the old town with its St. Duje's cathedral, Peristil square, Varoš - one of the oldest part of the town and Grgur Ninski (It is said that if you touch the big toe of the statue and make a wish, your wish will come true.).
Climbing Marjan Hill
For a great view of the city, consider the stroll up Marjan Hill. From the Vrh Marjana-Telegrin viewpoint we could have a great view over Split. But from the viewpoint called Prva Vidilica Na Marjanu, the view over Split should be the best. To get here, walk up Sperun Ulica (this road starts just west of the Riva) to Senjska Ulica. Take the stairs up to the viewpoint.
Shopping at the Pazar Green Market
At the Pazar Green Market, just outside the eastern Silver Gate, numerous stalls sold stacks of seasonal fruit and home-grown vegetables. Look out for strings of threaded dried figs and jars of home-produced honey. For the lively fish market, make an early start to see the stone slabs fully piled with glistening tuna, squid and little anchovies. Because we figured out the market with those amazing things, we decided to cook and eat at home that dinner.
Klis Fortress
This ancient fortress has a long history, being the site of multiple battles with the Knights Templar, Ottomans, and the Mongols, ...
Now, the ruins of the fortress sit high on the hillside, overlooking Split. Not only does Klis Fortress offer panoramic views of Split and the Dalmatian Coast, but it is also the Game of Thrones filming location for Meereen.
We had a lot of fun playing knights when visiting it.
It was in Split where we said goodbye to our parents-in-law to go to Korčula Island and continued our backpack trip. We really thanked them for joining us for a great memorable time.
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