What is worth eating?

- Black risotto (prepared with seafood - the color comes from squid ink)

- Buzara (a stew in wine broth with mussels or shrimp)

- Ćevapčići (fried minced meat with spices shaped into balls, sausages or kebabs)

- Peka (a one-pot dish with stewed vegetables, meat, fish or seafood)

- grilled calamari

- mussels cooked in white wine with onions and garlic (best if bought fresh and prepared yourself)

- oysters

- fried fish (like mussels, they taste best when prepared by yourself.)

Our recommendations

- Hostel Barrock in the town of Krapina near the border with Slovenia

- Sreser on the Pelješac peninsula, where you can spend a peaceful vacation

- Stone and walking along the city walls

- Diocletian's Palace in Split

- Korcula and Trogir

- a tour of the city walls of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik

It is the most visited city in Croatia by tourists, so expect real crowds. The problem starts at the stage of finding a parking space. There are a few parking lots around the old town, but I recommend the slightly distant Best in Parking - garage Ilijina Glavica. It is an underground parking lot, so the car won't overheat in the sun. It takes less than 10 minutes to walk to the Pile entrance gate. Unfortunately, the price is off-putting - 7 Euros per hour. A full-day ticket costs 80 Euros. On the other hand, prices range from 10 to 4 Euros per hour depending on the distance, so I think it's an option worth considering.

Just like in Stone, it's worth starting the sightseeing by entering the defensive walls. The later you start, the higher the temperatures, and there are almost 2 km to walk with numerous stairs. The highest point of the wall is 25 meters. The entrance is open from 8 AM to 7:30 PM in June and July. In the following months, it closes earlier at 6:30 PM, and in October at 5:30 PM. The ticket price is 35 Euros, and you should reserve about 2 hours for the visit.

After entering through the Pile gate, we turn right to the ticket offices right next to the Onofrio fountain. The entrance to the walls is on the left side of the gate. The direction of the visit is counterclockwise. The walls, as well as the entire old town, are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Their construction started in the 13th century and lasted until the 17th century, based on the original city plan from 1292. 14 towers, 5 bastions, and 2 fortresses were added to the fortifications. The entire structure was manned by 120 cannons. Entry was only possible through 4 gates, two of which led to the port. The city was never attacked by either the Turks or the Venetians thanks to the skillful policies of the Republic of Ragusa.

Pay attentionto the colors of the tiles seen below the houses. Dubrovnik suffered greatly during the war when it was blockaded and shelled from land and sea from October 1991 to May 1992. Many historic buildings were destroyed. The faded gray-beige tiles are original. All the burgundy ones are a result of the city's reconstruction. 

In some places, we will find passages in the walls leading to small restaurants and bathing spots among the rocks. They are mainly used by locals who know exactly where they can risk a jump into the water from steep cliffs.

The walk along the walls ends at the port, but after passing through it, it continues and ends with a descent by the fountain Onofrio.

In the narrow streets, we find a bit of coolness and typically Mediterranean vibes with laundry hanging between the houses.

Zadar

I won't elaborate on the history of the city as it is a copy of the two above.

We enter the old town through the Land Gate and arrive at the "Five Wells Square." In the 16th century, a reservoir for drinking water and wells were placed here, which have survived to this day.

The main promenade (Wild Street) runs through the entire old town towards St. Donatus Church and the forum. Shops selling souvenirs, restaurants, bars, and cafes are open almost around the clock. Beyond the "Five Wells Square," we walk over glass plates revealing fragments of the oldest Roman excavations. Here and there, single columns have survived.

Along the way, we pass the "People's Square," which was the center of the city in the Middle Ages. In 1730, the first coffee house in Zadar was established here. Next to the square stands a 14th-century city guard building with a clock tower.

The cylindrical St. Donatus Church was built in the 9th century, partially using materials from Roman constructions. These are clearly visible inside as the church has long ceased to serve liturgical functions and is devoid of decoration. In the Middle Ages, it was the largest church in Croatia. Due to its excellent acoustics, it occasionally serves as a concert hall.

Opposite the church lies the area of the former Roman forum. Only fragments of columns and individual stone blocks remain from it.

Behind the church is the characteristic bell tower of St. Anastasia Cathedral from 1105. The Romanesque façade of the cathedral is considered the most beautiful in Croatia. The second bell tower towering over the city belongs to the Church of the Virgin Mary.

Among the oldest sacral buildings in Croatia are the Church of St. Chrysogonus with its distinctive rotunda and the tiny Church of St. Andrew and Peter, which houses a gallery. Here, we can buy the prettiest souvenirs.

From the side of the ferry port, the defensive walls have been preserved, allowing for a walk back to the "Land Gate." In front of the gate, on the walls of the Renaissance bastion of Grimaldi, a park named after Queen Jelena Madijevka was created in 1829. It was the first public park in Dalmatia. Crossing the street towards the parking lots, we reach the second 19th-century park of Vladimir Nazor. Here, you can rest after a day of exploring the old town.

Split

The history of the city closely resembles that of Trogir, which is not surprising as the cities are less than 30 km apart.

The main tourist attraction is the remains of the Diocletian's Palace. Built by the Roman Emperor between 295 and 305, it has survived to this day surrounded by the old town. For centuries, new buildings were added to it, utilizing the existing structure. Some parts were demolished and rebuilt, but thanks to this, much of the original building remains. The old town is crowded into a small area right by the bay of the ferry port, and a couple of hours is more than enough to explore it.

Split is an important transportation hub from where ferry connections to Italy and many Croatian islands depart. The international airport and train station cause the parking lots around the old town to be very crowded. The easiest place to find parking is near the train station, from where we can walk to the old town. The price for the first hour of parking is usually 2 Euros, and subsequent hours are 3 Euros per hour.

Walking along the bay, we reach Diocletian's Palace and the old town. In the preserved cellars of the palace, we find a 'market of all goods,' which includes stalls with souvenirs, jewelry, ointments for any ailments, culinary spices, and incense.

After pushing through the crowds, we emerge into the central courtyard of the palace. We can proceed to the palace's 'vestibule,' which is a massive round chamber without a roof. From here, the emperor would go to his private quarters. The vestibule was designed to impress arriving guests, and it still does.

In the courtyard, there is also an entrance to the bell tower. After climbing 200 steps, we have a magnificent view of the old town and the bay. The entrance ticket costs 2.60 Euros. Other paid attractions include the treasury for 3.80 Euros and the Temple of Jupiter for 2.60 Euros.

I recommend wandering through the narrow streets of the old town, intertwined with the remains of the palace.

Trogir

The settlement founded in the 3rd century BC by the Greeks developed into a significant port during Roman rule. In the Middle Ages, the city passed from the rule of the Venetian Republic to the Kingdom of Hungary and back, ultimately falling into the hands of the Austrian Empire in 1797. After World War I, Trogir, along with Dalmatia, became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed old town is located on an island connected to the mainland by a short bridge. It is best to find a parking spot before the bridge. Car access to the island is possible, but parking near the old town is very limited. You can cross another bridge to the island of Čiovo, where campsites are located, and look for a spot there.

The old town itself is closed to traffic and consists of a compact area of very narrow streets and gates, where it is easy to get lost in the maze. We enter through the "Land" gate and walking straight, we will exit through the "Sea" gate.

Along the way, we will pass the largest square, where the forum stood in Roman times. The clock tower standing in the square was part of the church of St. Sebastian. Next to it is the city loggia built in the 14th century, which served as a meeting place for locals and a courtroom.

The central place of the square is occupied by the statue of St. John standing opposite the entrance to the Cathedral of St. Lawrence. The construction of the cathedral began in 1213 and was completed only in the 17th century. It is no wonder that architectural styles from Romanesque to Renaissance intertwine within it. The bell tower of the cathedral dominates the entire city. You can climb it to admire the surroundings from a height of 47 meters. The entrance ticket costs 4 Euros.

We leave the old town through the "Sea" gate to find ourselves on the boulevard overlooking the islandof Čiovo. This is where the nightlife of the city takes place, and luxury yachts dock.

Walking along the promenade, we will reach the Kamerlengo Fortress. Built in the early 15th century during the Venetian Republic, it defended the entrance to the port. Later, it served as a military warehouse and an oil factory. Currently, artistic performances take place in the courtyard, and the walls are open for exploration (ticket price 4 Euros).

Other historic sites include the town hall located in the main square, the Cippico Palace standing opposite the cathedral, and the bell tower of St. Mark's Church are visible from the promenade.

In the narrow streets of the old town, we will find plenty of souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes.

Built in the 16th century, the Sponza Palace housed important institutions for the functioning of the city: a mint, a weights and measures office, a customs house, and an armory. Today, it is home to the city archive and the museum of the defenders of Dubrovnik from the last war. The oldest document in the archive dates back to 1022, the number of collected tomes exceeds 7,000, and there are over 100,000 individual documents. It is the most complete city archive in the world.

On the right side of the clock tower, we pass the city hall and the Rector's Palace, where the municipal authorities operated during the Republic of Ragusa. Built in the 15th century, it has been rebuilt several times after earthquakes (the last one in 1979). Due to its good acoustics, the atrium hosts regular musical and theatrical events.

Dubrovnik is also a city of churches, nine of the largest of which are marked on the map. It is worth visiting the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It was partially funded by King Richard the Lionheart of England. During the Third Crusade in 1192, his ship sank off the coast of Lokrum Island opposite Dubrovnik. The cathedral houses an original triptych by Titian from 1552. The treasury holds 132 reliquaries from the 11th to the 18th centuries. Entrance to the cathedral is free, but we must pay 3 Euros to enter the treasury.

A typical tourist attraction on Stradun is a souvenir photo with... parrots. It's the equivalent of Polish Zakopane's "white bear," just with a slightly lower price.

Pay attention to the polished limestone cobblestones of the main streets - they are a testament to the city's long history.

Opposite the second city gate, Buže, you will find the cable car station to Mount Srđ, from which there is a beautiful view of the entire city and the bay. The round-trip ticket costs 26.5 Euros.

There is no shortage of souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, and cafes. Even during peak tourist seasons, we can easily find a place to eat and relax. In my opinion, one day is more than enough to see all the attractions of Dubrovnik.

We can navigate through the city using one of the maps available online, mainly to find descriptions of the buildings we pass by. It's impossible to get lost because the old town area is bordered by defensive walls and the port.

Stradun or Placa are names that simply mean street, derived from Italian (strada) and Latin (platea). Stradun is 300 meters long, and at its ends, besides fountains, there are two towers. The first is the bell tower of the Franciscan church, and the second is the clock tower situated between the Sponza Palace and the town hall.

The fountain was built in 1438 by a builder from Naples - Onofrio della Cava. It was part of the water supply system from which the residents drew water. Walking along the main street Stradun, we will reach a smaller fountain by the same architect.

The historic old towns of Croatia are quite similar to each other. They have, of course, their characteristic landmarks, but if someone were to place me in an empty alley in Ston, Korcula, Trogir, or Zadar, I wouldn't know which city I was in.

Korčula

The island is about 50 kilometers long but is quite narrow, measuring 5-8 kilometers. Before our era, it was inhabited by the Greeks, and then it became part of the Roman Empire. The Slavs appeared on the island in the 6th century and gradually displaced the Romans. They learned to navigate and by the 9th century became the greatest terror of the surrounding waters. Pirates primarily attacked ships of Venetian merchants, leading the Kingdom of Venice to pay Korčula an annual tribute to avoid plunder.

In 1214, the Statute of Korčula was established, which guaranteed the island autonomy from all surrounding principalities, including the Republic of Ragusa and the Kingdom of Venice. The city itself, which is the main tourist destination, is called "Little Dubrovnik." It is considered the birthplace of the famous Venetian traveler - Marco Polo. The Polo family house is indeed located in the city, but there are no documents confirming his stay. The house features a small museum dedicated to the discoveries of the great traveler.

After disembarking from the ferry, we find ourselves in an alley filled with stalls and a crowd of tourists, which leads us to the Revelin fortress. This is part of the fortifications built in the 16th century, which were later used as an ammunition depot and prison. Through the gate, we enter the Old Town. It is a small area of narrow streets that turn into stairs. There’s no point in planning a detailed route. Let’s go with the flow of the tourist crowd. We can explore it all in 2-3 hours.

It is definitely worth climbing the bell tower of St. Mark's Cathedral, from where there is a magnificent view of the surroundings. The cathedral is located in the central square of the old town, so we will easily find it. Don’t expect a structure the size of medieval European cathedrals. The building is the size of a small provincial church. The entrance ticket costs 4 Euros. Among the oldest monuments is also the Church of St. Peter, built in the 14th century. The church preserves 13 wooden sculptures from the 18th century depicting the apostles.

I encourage you to escape from the main tourist routes into narrow streets where it is completely empty. You can take a break from the heat and sip cool wine in one of the restaurants. Walking along the defensive walls, we will come across several interesting towers: the small square Sea Tower, the characteristic Kanavelić tower, and the Zakerjan tower shaped like halved cylinders, as well as the most powerful tower and the Governor's bastion. All these structures date back to the 15th century.

"Strange Beach" is indeed a phenomenon for the Pelješac Peninsula. It has a steep descent leading to it, and at the bottom, we are surprised by a sandy entry into the water and a very shallow bay, where the ground is just a few dozen meters from the shore. The water is crystal clear turquoise and very warm. An ideal place for a stay with small children, especially since there is a small campsite right by the beach.

Returning to the fork in the road, we can turn right to Orebić. This is the largest town on the peninsula, where several supermarkets and a ferry port to Korčula operate. Small passenger motorboats depart every few minutes. The journey takes about 15 minutes. Tickets cost 4 euros for a round trip and can be purchased on-site without reservation. A large passenger-car ferry makes 22 trips a day and is more expensive.

Orebić is also known for several bases for kite and windsurfing enthusiasts. Along with camping fields, they are located just outside the town.

Continuing on, we pass on the left side a picturesque bay and the town of Trstenik. It's worth taking a detour from the main road to walk past the moored pirate excursion boats.

A bit further, the road branches: going right will take us to Trpanj and the "Strange Beach," while going left will lead us to Orebić, from where ferries depart for Korčula.

Trpanj is a transfer point where ferries arrive that once allowed travelers to bypass the journey through Bosnia and Herzegovina. I haven't been there since the Pelješac Bridge was completed, but surely in the current situation, ferry transport on that route has lost its significance, or perhaps the connection has been discontinued? It is still marked on Google Maps. Trpanj has just a few streets and a ferry dock, but there are many restaurants and souvenir shops here.

Pelješac

Due to its location, the peninsula is not overrun by tourists. In the summer, temperatures reach 30 degrees during the day and drop to 21 at night. The water temperature is around 23 degrees. We therefore have ideal conditions for sunbathing and long swims.

Entering the peninsula from the mainland, we pass the town of Ston, famous for having some of the best-preserved defensive walls in the world. Originally, the total length of the fortifications was over 7 km, and their construction began in 1358. Completed in the 15th century, the structure had 40 defensive towers and 5 fortresses. Its purpose was to defend the salt pans, which are fields separated by dikes from the sea, where salt was obtained through evaporation in the sun. This was one of Dubrovnik's greatest riches - the capital of the Republic of Ragusa. The salt pans continue to operate to this day, and the 5.5 km of walls connecting Ston with Mali Ston are open for visiting. The ticket price is 10 Euros.

It is worth starting the climb up the walls early in the morning because you will encounter very steep ascents, and by noon the temperature of the sun-heated stone boulders exceeds 30 degrees. At the highest point, there is a first aid station, where a doctor and a paramedic usually reside. After descending to Mali Ston, the reward will be a cold beer at a restaurant by the bay, famous for its seafood dishes.

The exit from Ston into the interior of the peninsula is adorned with a palm avenue.

What you should know before a trip to Croatia

We spent our holidays in Croatia twice when the currency in use was the Kuna. Since January 2023, Croatia has joined the Eurozone, and similar to other countries, prices have been rounded "upward". I can't compare this because we stayed in a small town on the Pelješac peninsula. There was one grocery store and a bakery on site. There was nowhere to spend money, so the stay seemed cheap (maybe except for the visit to Dubrovnik). According to Polish tourists, Croatia has become very expensive.

Pelješac is in the southern part of Croatia, so we made the drive from Warsaw with an overnight stop near the border with Slovenia. At that time, there was no bridge over the bay, so we had to pass through Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Since BiH is not a member of the European Union, additional car insurance and a passport were necessary. You could use a ferry to bypass BiH, but that lengthened the trip. The recently opened Pelješac bridge is a huge convenience.

Since we pass through the Czech Republic, Austria, and Slovenia, we need to purchase toll stickers. In Croatia, we pay for the highway sections we drive through, similar to Poland or France.

The advantage of the location was the peace and quiet, the empty beach, and the proximity to Dubrovnik and the island of Korčula. Along the way, we had the opportunity to see Split, Zadar, and Trogir.

Remember to bring a few useful items for the beach: a mat, swim shoes, a mask with a snorkel, and fins, as the beaches are rocky, so we can't lie down without a mat. In many places, we enter the water over very sharp rocks, and swimming shoes are helpful here. Equipped with fins and a mask with a snorkel, we have the chance to admire the underwater world. The water is very clear and warm, which is conducive to long snorkeling sessions. The flora and fauna along the shores provide unforgettable experiences. Remember not to pick up shells from the bottom - some species are under strict protection, and you could face a hefty fine.

In every small town, you can easily find private wineries "domaćnoje," where you can buy all categories of alcoholic beverages. Start with a tasting, after which it's easier to decide what to buy. The drinks will be poured into plastic bottles. For souvenirs, you can choose elegant glass bottles with labels.

Another specialty is seafood: various types of fish, mussels, oysters, and squid. We can buy fresh seafood every morning from fishermen selling their catch directly from boats or from farmers. The Pelješac bay is famous for its oyster and mussel farming. Along the local road, we will encounter sales points where you can eat freshly caught oysters on-site with a glass of good homemade wine.

A taboo subject is the war in the former Yugoslavia, where every family lost someone close or an acquaintance. Therefore, let's avoid questions about the war and relations with neighboring countries. Croatia gained independence as a result of a referendum in May 1991. The Serbs living in part of the territory boycotted the outcome and voted to remain in Yugoslavia. This led to the outbreak of a conflict that only ended in 1995.

Croatia

August 2013, August 2019