Croatia
When I Went:
May 2016
Itinerary:
Zagreb, Plitvice, Split, Dubrovnik
How long:
5 days
Notes:
1) It's really easy driving in Croatia! We didn't really drive in Dubrovnik though, but getting from city to city was fine.
2) It's pretty cheap!
3) Most people speak English unless you are in the countryside.
Zagreb (1 day)
How I got there:
I flew from LAX, laid over in Paris then flew into Zagreb. We rented a car at the airport and drove to our hotel in the city.
Accommodations:
We stayed at Hostel Mali Mrak Zagreb a little outside of the main part of town, but it wasn't a far walk to the center.
Activities:
We had less than a day here since we arrived mid-afternoon.
Museum of Broken Relationships - there have been other exhibits of this in other locations, but this was the first one. It was very interesting and sad to read some of the stories, but I thought the museum was great and different than most you go to.
Zagreb 360° - took an elevator up to an observation deck with a nice view of Zagreb. There's a small cafe up there if you want to enjoy a drink or some food.
Park Zrinjevac - strolled through the park which had a few museums. It was the weekend so there were a fair amount of people enjoying the day.
We got a bit turned around, but we intended to find Anamorphosis by Etien, but didn't end up seeing it.
Enough time?
We didn't spend a full day there, but one full day would've been nice to be able to see more things.
Plitvice Lakes National Park (1 day)
How I got there:
This was an easy 2 hour drive in our rental car. I think you can also book tours from Zagreb and Dubrovnik.
Accommodations:
We stayed at Guest House Slavica. We had to pay cash, which you might run into in smaller towns.
Activities:
Plitvice is Croatia's first and largest national park consisting of 16 lakes.
We bought an entrance ticket and walked around all day. It was pretty warm and there were a decent amount of people. I got a lot of bug bites by the end of the day so be sure to bring some bug spray and sunscreen. I was lucky enough to get one on my forehead that looked like a large pimple...
When you get there, you can take a quick boat ride across the way and get started on one of the paths. The paths are wooden and on top of the water which means you might want to bring some waterproof shoes or be prepared for potential wet socks.
There are a bunch of waterfalls everywhere and the environment is kind of jungle/swampy. There are several routes you can take to tour the park. We were not able to go down to one of the parts because I think it was closed.
Enough time?
We spent a day there (until sunset) and we probably only needed another few hours.
Split (1 day)
How I got there:
It was a 3 hour drive and we made one stop (Klis) along the way.
Accommodations:
We stayed at La Perla Luxury Apartments. I remember parking being bad since we were in the main part of the city and we needed to call them to come. That's one thing you'll have to take into consideration if you don't stay at a hotel or an Airbnb without a lock box.
Activities:
Split is a cute coastal town! It had a very relaxing vibe to it.
Diocletian's Palace - not sure if there was more to do other than to walk around, but it's cool to walk amongst the ruins.
Cathedral and Bell Tower of St. Domnius - We climbed some stairs to the bell tower with a nice view of the city and sea. I can't remember if it was free or if there was a fee.
Park Marjan - we walked around this park which is pretty large. If you climb to Vidikovac, you will find a nice view of the city. There are also a few beaches around the park since it's right on the water. If you want to go for a walk or run, this is a good place.
We ended up eating dinner at Vidilica right outside of the park. We had a view overlooking the city during sunset.
Fortress Klis
We stopped her on the way to Split. I don't watch Game of Thrones, but this is where some of the filming was done if you're into the show.
The fortress sits on a hill so you have a great view for miles and miles. It's fun to walk around all the nooks of the ruins.
Enough time?
One day or half day seemed like enough for Split.
Dubrovnik (2 days)
How I got there:
It was a 3 hour drive to Dubrovnik and we made one stop (Trsteno). It was also kind of fun because there is a small part of Bosnia and Herzegovnia that touches the coast and splits into Croatia.
Accommodations:
We stayed at Villa Antea Apartments. I loved this place. It was so cheap, cute, and had a rooftop pool. We took a dip in the pool one night and watched the sunset. The man working the front desk was really nice and we talked to him about growing up in Croatia. It was a short bus ride from the main part of the city which was nice so we didn't have to deal with any traffic.
Activities:
I loved Dubrovnik! It's in the top 5 favorite cities I have been to.
Arboretum Trsteno - This was on the way to Dubrovnik and after we passed through Bosnia and Herzegovnia. If you're a Game of Thrones fan, this is where they also filmed some scenes. It's a very quiet and peaceful place to walk around.
Dubrovnik Cable Car - I love cable cars/funiculars. There's a great view of the city and a small cafe up there. We enjoyed some food and drinks while taking in the view.
City Walls - I loved this. There are a couple of entrances into the city walls. You can climb up and walk along the walls enclosing the main part of the city. I don't think I've done anything like this before. You get a birds eye view of the city and the sea.
Banje Beach - We only stopped by for a little bit, but the beach is in a really nice location. I can imagine this place gets pretty popular at night too since it has a club.
Lapad Beach - we walked around and had lunch in the area. There are a bunch of restaurants to choose from.
Copacabana Beach - this was a short walk from our hotel in the Babin Kuk area. One thing that might be deceiving is that a lot of the beaches in Croatia are rocky and not necessarily the white sandy beaches that people think of.
Restaurant 360° - this was our 'treat yourself' meal in Croatia. There was a great view of the city while we ate and the weather was great. To be honest I don't remember much about the food, but I think I remember it being good.
Enough time?
I would've like 2-3 more days in Dubrovnik. I wish I could've done a couple of road/day trips to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kotor in Montenegro.
