Blog

The road wound its way out of one valley into another and after an hour or so we reached the Plitvička area. First we took a detour to Rastoke, a village where the Slunjčica River flows dramatically into the Korana River. I’d read it was home to a number of old water mills and worth a visit to see the waterfalls. Having navigated the less than clear map which suggested we needed a ticket to make a circuit of the village using a new bridge, we bought our ticket and walked down into Rastoke.

We stopped at this restaurant for a cold drink and to take some pictures and was glad we hadn’t been hungry when I saw the menu … I may have eaten all sorts of meat, but I’m not sure I could eat bear, especially after having just m

It became apparent that most of the old mills had been converted into private homes and holiday accommodation and although one was still active, it wasn’t possible to see inside. We managed a few snaps …

… but decided it hadn’t really been worth the detour – some you win and some you lose!

Back to Plitvička and the Mirić Inn where we are staying for three nights.

Not only do we have this lovely room with all mod cons, but we are just across the road from Angelo’s Bistro, with a pizzeria nearby.

The Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in Croatia, famous for its numerous turquoise-coloured lakes separated by tufa barriers and its series of waterfalls. The length of the water line is 9km and the drop 133m and the volume of water 30 million cubic metres.

There are two main areas, the upper and lower lakes with around 22km of trails as well as a shuttle and a boat to enable visitors of all abilities to enjoy the park.

On the first day we took the shuttle bus to the top of the Upper Lakes and followed the trail down …

… with Veliki Prštavac being by far the most impressive waterfall …

… and yes readers, we were there!

A little R&R back at the guesthouse was well deserved and I read that in 1991, the civil war actually began here when rebel Serbs took control of the park headquarters and installed barracks. The Croatian army retook the park in 1995 and facilities were restored.

Once the day had cooled, we returned. Our ticket allowed a trip across Kozjak Lake each day, so we took the electric boat across the largest and deepest lake …

… then caught the shuttle bus back to the car, and ended the day with pizza!

Next morning, we entered at the Lower lakes and were greeted with this view lit up with the morning sun.

The trail wound down and across the lake …

… to Veliki Slap, which at 78m is the tallest waterfall in Croatia …

… where everyone want a snap!

These chestnut wood boardwalks have become something of a motif of the park …

… linking the cascades …

… and I spotted a dice snake in one of the pools.

At Kozjak Lake once more, we took the boat one way and then walked the trail back …

… and ended with a climb to a higher path to take in a few viewpoints from the top …

Here we are, back at the beginning around 4 hours later, just as the sky started rumbling and the first drops of rain fell … perfect timing!

We were pleased to have started around 9.00 both mornings, not only to miss the crowds as day trippers generally arrive at lunchtime, but also as we were able to walk in the cool of the morning and avoid a huge thunderstorm! There certainly were busy sections, but it was also possible to just enjoy walking with such lovely views.

Chris used the thunderstorm to tweak his snaps and was pleased with the Olympus in built ND filters …

We had a lovely meal in Angelo‘s on the first night – a welcome schnapps and appetiser followed by grilled platters, then strudel and ice cream.

We returned on the last night and got chatting to Alison and Mark from Sydney (who live just down the road from where my sister used to live) and have just come from England visiting Windsor (just down the road from where we live) … small world! Chances are we’ll meet again as we are all off to Zadar next!

Map

We crossed the bridge from Krk again but this time turned right and headed an hour south to the historic walled town of Senj. We are just here for one night and Barbara made us very welcome at Apartment Prpic.

It was a short walk to explore the Nehaj Fortress which dominates the town and was built in the C16th to defend against Ottoman and Venetian invasion.

It became the stronghold of Uskoks, men driven from their homes by the Ottomans who became feared for their successful guerrilla warfare and are honoured as national heroes on the Days of the Uskoks.

A wedding reception was in full swing with plenty of drinking, dancing and singing, but we were still waved inside.

The museum had lots more about the Uskoks and the roof had great views …

… and a loo!

We walked into town in time to see the sun set and then had mussels and pizza for dinner.

Next day, we had a slow start then breakfast pastries from Mlinar, a bakery chain with a store in every town, which we ate sitting on the harbour.

Leaving Senj and the Kvarner Gulf behind, we turned inland to the region of Lika which covers a swathe of the Northern Dalmatian interior. There’s a mix of farmland, forests and craggy uplands in a limestone landscape which also contains caves, lakes and waterfalls. As we climbed upwards, the views back to the coast were great.

An hour later, we bought our ticket for the Velebit National Park so we could visit the Velebit Botanical Garden. We weren’t sure what to expect, but after 7km drive along a gravel road to a car park and a 15 minute walk past a small chapel …

… we reached this beautiful alpine meadow 1480m above sea level.

There are some 300 species of plants here and most had finished flowering, but after a picnic admiring the view …

… I walked the short circular trail to see what I could find while Chris took photos.

Afterwards, we went on to the Butina Guest House in the village of Kuterevo where we are staying for two nights.

Dubravka and Tomas welcomed us into their home with shots of a homemade fruity liqueur and some bread and cheese then showed to our very cute studio with gingham trim and even a balcony.

Meals are served in the open sided barn with wooden furniture and rustic decorations and quite a few bears!

Communication was a little sketchy and there wasn’t a written menu, but we managed fine with a little help from google translate and dinner was great, a veg platter for Chris and a local trout platter for me with plum fritters for dessert.

Breakfast was another feast …

… and then we went for a walk into the village, taking pics and just enjoying the view …

… but also keeping our eyes peeled for bears …

… and reminders that Kuterevo is home to a bear sanctuary came thick and fast!

Kuterevo has been welcoming international volunteers since 1978 and the Bear Refuge was founded in 2002 with helpers still coming from all round the world. Andjela was knowledgable and enthusiastic and answered all our questions.

There are around 1000 brown bears left in Croatia and while we didn’t see one, the Refuge keep track of numbers and there are 15 females living in the area and here is a poo sample found the day before, showing they’ve been eating the red dogwood berries that are abundant right now.

The refuge has 9 bears at the moment, 3 came from zoos and the rest were orphaned young and cannot survive on their own in the wild. They live in three enclosures, one for the younger bears, one for older bears and the last for the oldest female who was born in 1984.

The enclosures were all large, with plenty of vegetation. They are fed corn, bread and seeds which are sprinkled over areas of dry sticks so they can forage for it as they would in the wild, and they are surrounded by the mountains. They all look in good shape, and while it might not be ideal, it’s a lot better than where they came from.

There is no entrance fee, but we left a donation and actually visited twice, returning early evening when it was cooler and the bears were more active when Chris snapped these two.

Back to the guesthouse, we had another great dinner, this time vegetable risotto served with grilled cheese for Chris and chicken fillet for me. Dubravka brought us walnut liqueur to finish, homemade by Tomas and very delicious.

Before we left, I couldn’t resist the shelf of little bears, no doubt whittled by one of the family and chose a couple that will easily fit in the suitcase and remind us of our visit.

We were also sent on our way with gifts of quince preserve and a huge bunch of the sweetest dessert grapes and felt sad to be on our way … but the lakes are calling!

Map

Another day, another ferry but well before we reached the port, the queue of vehicles snaked down the hill before us and we wondered if we’d get on! In the end, they laid on an extra sailing to cope with demand and we relaxed as we said farewell to Cres.

Only 20 minutes afloat and we arrived on the island of Krk and drove to the main town of the same name, entering the old town through the Mala Vrata or Small Gate.

From the early part of the 12th century, Krk was ruled by a succession of Croatian counts, whose power and influence rose considerably over the next few centuries. The main noble family during this time were the Frankopans who built the castle which stands on Kamplin Square.

Here’s Vela Place with the Torrion which once housed the town hall and courtroom and a well with a plaque to St. Quirinus, the town’s patron saint.

Krk Cathedral is the most recognisable building of the town, a mix of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles on a C5th Christian basilica built on the site of Roman thermae! It has been heavily restored, noticable in the mixture of capitals.

… and building work continues …

… so finding an angle for the photo across the harbour without the crane was a miracle!

There are various Roman bits and pieces here including a mosaic which was closed and remains of the temple of Venus cleverly incorporated into a sportswear shop.

As we walked back round the harbour, we spotted glass bottom boats, cunningly disguised as submarines, maybe in a bid to make them look more exciting!

We could have lingered, but after running out of time for a dip yesterday, the beach is calling this afternoon! We drove across the island to Baska which is famed for the Baska tablet, found here in 1934. The stone dates to the C11th and is written in Glagolitic script, recording King Zvonimir’s donation of a piece of land to a Benedictine abbey and how the church was built by the abbot and nine monks.

This huge statue stands at the entrance to the valley, overlooking the town below.

It is the first of the Baška Glagolitic Path, made up of 34 stone statues displaying the letters of the Glagolitic alphabet have been placed in a trail to lead visitors to historical and cultural points of interest. Naturally, it is the letter A.

Today there is a replica at St Lucy’s where it was found. Unfortunately, the church was closed, but here is a snap of the plaque and the other letters we spotted.

We are staying at Pension Burin, a small family run restaurant with rooms where we swiftly checked in …

… before walking down to the beach. It was busy …

… but we found loungers by the edge of incredibly turquoise sea.

The breakers were pretty fierce and we were pleased to have packed our shoes to save our feet from the stones. Chris paddled and did actually swim properly too!

Later, we had sundowners and I can recommend the local white wine, made from Žlahtina grapes grown on Krk.

Next morning we drove back to the beginning of the valley for a bit of an adventure.

We love a zip line and have been on several during our travels and couldn’t miss this one, especially as it will give us mountain views without the hiking!

We were in a group with 8 young men and a couple of intrepid youngsters with their dad and were taken to the top of the mountain in the minibus.

A quick training session and we were good to go.

Here is the starting block …

… and looking down!

There were 8 separate lines of different lengths and speeds so plenty of opportunity for snaps …

… and just admiring the views.

The longest lasted a minute and was 700m long and the fastest was around 70kph if you didn’t use the brake! Whizzing through the air was amazing and the views were stunning so thanks to Angelo and Donj of Zip Edison who were great.

Our last stop on Krk was the pretty town of Vrbnik where we stopped for a well deserved coffee break before driving back to the mainland.

Map

This morning we took the coast road to Brestova, so we could catch a ferry to Cres …

… and just when we thought half the cars wouldn’t fit, the flap opened to a lower level!

Just a 20 minute crossing took us to Porozina in the north of the island.

Long and skinny with a rocky terrain, it looks remote and unspoilt, but appearances can be deceptive. The introduction of wild boar by the Croatian hunting lobby has affected the balance. Tramuntana sheep are in decline, preyed on by the boar, and with less sheep carrion for the Griffon vultures, they too are in decline, barely surviving in a colony fed by volunteers. Nonetheless, we did spot a number of sheep and a vulture flying above this lookout.

Onwards to Cres Town, which looks very Italian, but that’s hardly surprising since this area was under Venetian rule for around 800 years.

We walked round the harbour and saw the Church of St Mary, City Gate and the Municipal Loggia where locals still sell their wares …

… and wandered round the back streets too.

We looked back for a great view of Cres, before making our way south.

Osor is now a sleepy little place but with some pretty grand buildings.

It was once the main town, standing guard over the narrow channel dug by the Romans to aid navigation and which divided what was once known as the Osor island into Cres and Lošinj.

Malaria became a problem and despite knocking down the city walls to improve air flow, thinking that was the cause of the sickness, in the end Osor was abandoned and Cres became the main town.

After a lovely lunch of pag cheese and salad in a shady taverna …

… we crossed the bridge.

Losinj was even longer, skinnier and more rocky. We skirted Mali Losinj which looked just too busy and found ourselves in the smaller and very beautiful Veli Losinji …

… before driving back up the island. When we reached Osor, the traffic lights stopped us at the bridge but we saw the barrier was down, so I went to look.

There was a party atmosphere as the swing bridge was open, allowing boats to cross from one side to the other, which apparently only happens twice a day…

… then it closed again …

… and we were on our way.

The descent to Valun was steep, with a fabulous viewpoint on the way down!

We reached B&B Palac just as the sun was sinking behind the hills and settled into to our attic room …

… with a porthole view of the sea.

Valun is a small village that is famous for the Valun Tablet from the 11th century; originally a gravestone, the tablet is inscribed in both Latin, old Croatian and Glagolitic script and marks the presence of the descdents of Romans on the island alongside Croatian families. Today, the Valun tablet is embedded in the wall of the Church of the Blessed Virgin.

We’ll hear more about Glagolitic script later, but it is the oldest known Slavic alphabet, believed to have been created by St Cyril, a Greek monk, in the C9th.

Having had our delicious lunch late, we weren’t hungry so we just sat on the harbour in the evening sipping wine, then went to sleep to the sound of the water lapping against the harbour.

The morning sun was lovely as we enjoyed breakfast, then moved on.

Map

The pilot said it was a little breezy but our stomachs turned somersaults with the strong sidewinds as we came to land at Rijeka airport, on the island of Krk in the Adriatic.

We were told the good wind was blowing, the bura, a dry wind from the north which keeps the day fine and cloudless. Fortunately we had no trouble crossing to the mainland as it can get so strong, the bridges have to be closed.

Rijeka, with a population of just over 200,000 people, is Croatia’s third largest city and the busiest port on the Adriatic. Throughout history, its strategic importance has made it fiercely contested between Hungary, Italy and Croatia.

Originally called Fiume, from the C18th, it was an enclave of Hungary, retaining some autonomy, but giving Hungary a seaport. By the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, most of the population were Italian, with some Hungarians and Croats and Fiume was to be declared a free port under international control. However, the Italian poet and writer Gabriele D’Annunzio marched into the city with his supporters and declared it a part of Italy. Rome was reluctant to accept this, so D’Annunzio declared Rijeka a city-state which it remained for four years until 1924 when it was annexed by Mussolini. In 1947, the city became Croatian again, as part of Yugoslavia and was renamed Rijeka.

This struck a particular chord as a few years ago, we visited Il Vittoriale degli Italiani, a villa on the edge of Lake Garda, given to Gabriele d’Annuncio by Mussolini to keep him away from politics! He built his mausoleum in the garden and filled the Italianate villa with a bizarre collection of stuff! https://offtravellingtogether.com/2015/09/23/desenzano-del-garda-and-the-lakeside-villas/

On the edge of the city is the C13th Trsat Castle, built by the Frankopan dukes of Krk as a watchtower on the site of a Roman fort then renovated in 1824 by an Irish count.

It gives stunning views of Rijeka and the Kvarner Bay …

… and the hills behind.

We could have explored the city, but a very early start meant that we were eager to move on so drove a few miles down the coast to Opatija, which was the most fashionable seaside resort and health spa during the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It still retains much of its glamour with some fancy hotels, lovely belle époche villas and the lungomare, a 12km promenade beside the sea, initially built for physiotherapy.

We are staying for a couple of nights in Apartment Marina, up on the hill behind the town, but only a 5 minute walk to the sea. It is spacious and well equipped and even comes complete with sea view.

Having unpacked we made our way down towards the sea to explore. It was still breezy and there was plenty of spray as the waves hit the shore but the Opatija is very civilised, and has changed what must have been an inaccessible rocky shoreline into a series of convenient bathing platforms, complete with various man made sea pools to tame the waves for safe swimming.

We walked a short way along the Lungomare in the late afternoon sun and saw the statue of Maiden with the Seagull …

… and the tiny Portić harbour, where the traditional boatmen called barkajoli began their excursion trips along the Riviera.

A glass of wine watching the sea and an early dinner followed as our incredibly early start caught up with us.

There is a network of paths and steps which zig-zag their way down to the town, between the smart villas and newer buildings and every time we seemed to find a different route!

We spent the morning exploring and here is Villa Angiolina, built in 1844 and the first major building to be built in the resort of Opatija.

It is surrounded by a park filled with plants brought from India, China, Japan, South America and Australia.

There were other elegant buildings …

… including the Hotel Kvarner behind us, which was opened in 1884 as the first luxury property in Opatija and still looks pretty stylish today.

The main street in town has a ‘Walk of Fame’ on its pavement, modelled on Hollywood’s version and we spotted the tennis player Goran Ivanisevic inventor Nikola Tesla among the stars.

We walked along the Lungomare again …

… and it seems to cater for all, with some sea frontage reserved for residents of smart hotels and other parts free for all …

… with just a charge if you hire a sun lounger, which we did for the afternoon and caught some rays!

Roka have three restaurants and we chose the pizzeria the first night because it offered lots more besides, and we were able to get a table! The biggest hits were Chris’s platter of Pag cheese (followed by pasta with mushrooms & truffles) and my monkfish with capers & gnocchi! We also ordered grilled veg which was just one dish too many so we took them home for lunch the next day. Our meal was so good we booked a table for the next evening so Chris could actually have a pizza, while I enjoyed more fish, this time pan fried sea bass.

The choice between sweet or spicy schnapps got us chatting to the Smiths and Sherrys on the next table and we came away promising to share our experience in Albania and with Costa Rica even more firmly underlined on our wishlist.

With our trip off to a great start, omorrow we are moving on and off to the islands …

Map

We had over 300km to drive so took the péage – I’m not sure what was more unsettling, to see 130 on the speedo or the toll of £34! Nonetheless, by lunchtime we were in Livarot to visit a family run dairy in the heart of the Pays d’Auge.

We had missed most of the action as cheese is made in the morning, but saw cheeses ripening in cool rooms …

… and also the Livarot cheese being wrapped in reeds, originally done to stop the soft cheese collapsing when transported by train to Paris.

We had hoped their cheese bar might have been open, in order to enjoy a selection of cheese, but had to make to with tasters instead. It was interesting to compare cheese made from raw milk to pasteurised as see how much richer the flavour was and would have loved to bring some home but it needs to stay chilled.

We are spending our last night in Caen which features the last chateau on our list. It was built around 1060 by William the Conqueror and became one of the largest castles in Europe.

The walls, gatehouse and views are impressive but the grounds inside are undergoing renovation.

William also built his and hers abbeys, as penance for defying the pope and marrying his cousin Matilda of Flanders.

Here is Abbaye aux Hommes where William is buried …

… and Abbaye aux Dames where Matilda rests.

Our dinner at Le P’tit B that evening was excellent, everything from the amuse bouché to the last empty plate, thus bringing our trip to a lovely end.

That just left the journey home on this very ferry!

It’s been great, and all went smoothly, especially the driving as there wasn’t a pot hole to be seen and Chris loved taking his car on a trip! I loved being able to chuck stuff in the boot … and bring things home!

So here we are, sipping Crémant de Loire in the garden and reflecting that we visited only 8 of the 300 chateau in the Loire, so you never know, we might be back!

Map