Croatia LogIntroduction -

Croatia Sightseeing Trip Log - October 11-21 with Zagreb Tours

For the birding part of our Croatia trip on October 5-10, see http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/Croatia Val Tours.htm

For all the bird photos on our trip, see http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/croatia%20birds.htm

For the Dubrovnik part of our trip on October 21-22, see http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/Croatia Dubrovnik.htm

Tuesday, October 11: Zagreb Tours Day 1 with guide Davor Miskic

We finished our amazing week of birding in Dalmatia and headed to Zagreb on the bus to meet our four friends at the airport. This was an exciting ride through several tunnels in the Velebit Mountains, two of them over 5 km long.

Our group of six carefully planned our trip with Zagreb Tours http://www.zagrebtours.com/en/. It was a customized trip with a Croatian guide and van for 11 days. We planned to explore the north, west and southern parts of the Croatian boomerang, travelling west from Zagreb to Istria and then down the Dalmatian coast to Dubrovnik.

Zagreb Tours plan
Transfer to hotel in Samobor. Overnight in Samobor. www.lavica-hotel.hr
http://www.croatiatraveller.com/Zagreb_region/Samobor.htm

Davor Miskic, Zagreb Tours, met us at the bus station in Zagreb and drove us to the airport where John and Mary Anne (via Venice/Vienna) and Rich and Lorna (via Ottawa/Hamburg) were just arriving. The six of us hopped into Davor's van with our luggage and he drove us to Samobor, a community near Zagreb, where we would hike and explore a gorge area, staying for two nights. For the trip, our guide would be Roni Brandl who would meet us in Samobor the next morning. In the meantime, we set out to explore Samobor.

Highlights

• hotel in park setting

• Samobor Square

• Hike to fortress on hill

• Togetherness drinks

• Dinner at our hotel

Our reflections
We quickly oriented ourselves to our new surroundings in Samobor. We hiked about town and then set off for the vertical climb to the 13th century fortress which towered above the town. We returned to town to find the some beer and wine and celebrated the beginning of our sightseeing trip we had planned so carefully together. The cheerful lights on Samobor Square reflected our spirit as we enjoyed our first dinner together in Croatia.

Wednesday, October 12: Zagreb Tours Day 2 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Samobor - Samoborsko gorje / Japetic Mt. - Zagreb - Samobor
Exploring the Samobor region. Visit to Zagreb in the afternoon. Overnight in Samobor.
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Inland/Zagreb/Zagreb/

Highlights

• early morning birding

• hiking in gorge area

• picnic lunch at Eco-park

• kremsnite creamy cake, specialty of Samobor

• Zagreb tour

Our reflections

The day started out well for Bill who discovered a Coal Tit, a lifer, in the hotel garden. With John's help, he also had some good sightings later in the day, including a Magpie, another lifer. We felt right at home in downtown Samobor with shaded walks, bridges over a stream and laundry hanging on balconies. Roni drove us through a gorge area to an Eco-park where we were soon hiking a large hilly route through a forested area. He drew our attention to three very colourful, large salamanders in the leaves. Some of us cooled off by unzipping our pant legs.

After a picnic lunch at the Eco-park and tasty kremsnite cakes in Samobor Square, Roni introduced us to the historical landmarks in downtown Zagreb. As the sun was setting we returned to Samobor where we found a local restaurant for our dinner and a discussion of the day's activities.

New Birds Today Photos at Croatian Birding Tour October 5-10 http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/croatia%20birds.htm

97. Coal Tit
98. Magpie

Thursday, October 13: Zagreb Tours Day 3 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Istrian Tour: Roc - Hum - Motovun - Rovinj
Departure from Samobor in the morning. Driving across continental part of Istria visiting little medieval towns towns: Hum, Roc, Motovun. Overnight in Rovinj. www.hotel-vilalili.hr
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Coast/Istarska/Rovinj/

Highlights

• hiking the Glagolitic Ally, 7km, featuring sculptures of the ancient Slavic alphabet

• lunch at Hum, the smallest town in the world

• delicious pasta with truffles and krostoli pastries

• 12th century frescoes in Church of St. Jerome

• busy hilltop town of Motovun

• discovering Rovinj old town

Our reflections

Leaving Samobor, we spotted a stork in a field, another lifer for Bill. This day introduced us to some old stone walled villages, still intact. These small hilltop villages are popular with tourist buses so we encountered large buses on narrow roads when were hiking and crowds of sightseers in the streets. Luckily Roni knew the secrets of finding and squeezing into small parking places and circumventing crowds by guiding us, sometimes asking workers if we could pass through their work areas. This enabled us to have a more personal - and more peaceful - experience. He was able to get the key to the Church of St. Jerome in Hum so we could admire the well preserved frescoes. Our Istrian lunch at Hum was amazing. Cold beer hit the spot. The practice of chilling red wine, however, did not suit us.

We were delighted with Rovinj when we arrived at our cosy family-run inn. A fish dinner at a local restaurant was excellent. We anticipated having time to explore the old town of Rovinj with its predominant church the next morning.

New Birds Today Photos at Croatian Birding Tour October 5-10 http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/croatia%20birds.htm

99. White Stork

Friday, October 14: Zagreb Tours Day 4 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Pula - Moscenice - Opatija (Kvarner Gulf)
Departure from Rovinj in the morning. Driving to Opatija visiting Pula and Moscenice. Overnight in Opatija. www.villa-kapetanovic.hr
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Coast/Istarska/Pula/

Highlights

• amazing breakfast at Hotel Vila Lili in Rovinj

• old city of Rovinj

• intriguing doors

• scenic drive to Pula

• lively guided tour of Roman amphitheatre at Pula

• special Croatian lunch

• coastal drive to Opatja

• end of day walk along the Opatja promenade

Our reflections

Roni encouraged us to spend some time exploring the old city of Rovinj. We enjoyed the colourful market and the narrow twisty streets. We were able to do a little birding near the church where Bill spotted a Shag, a Magpie and a Redstart (a lifer!). Then Roni chauffered us through the countryside, south to Pula. What a delight to have a personal animated tour of the Roman amphitheatre by a friend/guide. Bill was pleased to find some Black Redstarts and White Wagtails hopping near the wall. Our guide recommended a local restaurant where we lunched in style. A beautiful drive brought us to Optaija where we hiked along the waterfront promenade. A relaxing end to a busy day.

New Birds Today Photos at Croatian Birding Tour October 5-10 http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/croatia%20birds.htm

100. Redstart

Saturday, October 15: Zagreb Tours Day 5 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Opatija - Plitvice Lakes
Departure from Opatija in the morning. Driving to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Overnight on the Lakes http://plitviceetnohouse.com
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Coast/Licko-Senjska/Plitvice_Lakes/

Highlights

• good morning in Opatija

• scenic stops en route to Plitvice

• picnic lunch beside River Gacka

• homemade plum brandy

• cosy lodge in the park

• a walk in the park

Our Reflections

This was a full day of spectacular scenery. It started with an amazing breakfast sunrise in Opatija. We were treated to stunning vistas of the blue Adriatic en route to Plitvice National Park, with the strong bora wind blowing over the sea. Mary Anne suggested a picturesque picnic spot for lunch on the Gacka River; a local resident treated us to some of her homemade plum brandy. Finally, when we arrived at Plitvice, we settled in our rooms in a cozy cabin, then hiked trails to the magnificent waterfalls. Groomed trails and shuttle ferries and buses made getting around very easy. After a few hours of exploring we enjoyed dinner together in the dining room at our lodge, appreciating fresh trout and with excellent Croatian white wine.

Sunday, October 16: Zagreb Tours Day 6 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Plitvice Lakes
Exploring the Park for most of the day. Overnight on the Lakes

Highlights

• misty morning

• bright fall leaves

• hiking paths

• hiking stairs

• cave without a floor or ceiling

• good luck rub

• waterfalls

• lucky sighting of a dipper

• surprise meeting with Davor (see Day 1)

Our reflections

We had a full day to explore the park. We set out looking forward to another great hiking day. Unfortunately a park ranger deterred us from our ambitious plan as a selected trail had not been opened up and was unmarked. We sampled some apple strudel and readjusted our plan. We still put in a full day. Lots of photography opportunities! The many stairs gave us, and our poles, a good workout. We relaxed in the evening over a hearty chicken dinner at our lodge, again selecting the excellent Croatian white wine.

New Birds Today Photos at Croatian Birding Tour October 5-10 http://web.ncf.ca/ed143/Croatia/croatia%20birds.htm

101. Tree Creeper

Monday, October 17: Zagreb Tours Day 7 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Plitvice Lakes - Paklenika National Park - Zadar
Departure from Plitvice National Park in the morning. Driving to Paklenika National Park. Exploring the park for half a day. Driving to Zadar. Overnight in Zadar.
www.villa-hresc.hr
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Coast/Zadarska_Zupanija/Zadar/

Highlights

• farm hay and corn stacks

• coffee at Roni's mother-in-law's café

• brown bear

• return to Paklenika National Park

• impressive hotel suite

• hiking in Zadar

• sea organ http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9359/1/Nikola-Baiae-author-of-the-Zadar-Sea-Organ.html

Barbara's You Tube video

• salute to the sun http://www.inyourpocket.com/croatia/zadar/sightseeing-culture/landmarks/Greeting-to-the-Sun_49466v

Barbara`s You Tube video

• fish and gelato

History

• Croatian War of Independence airbase

• underground airstrip

Our reflections

This was a day of contrasts. After some early morning birding at our lodge, we bid farewell to the lush greenery of Plitvice and headed to rocky Paklenika. The green farmland near Plitvice contrasted with the dull grey and brown of an old military underground airstrip - several km of underground runway!
After a day outdoors in nature we were amazed by two creative inventions in Zadar. Check the links above to share the experiences of a sea organ, underground pipes using tidal action to create harmonious sounds which rise through openings in the promenade, and of a solar powered circle of shifting light patterns, a salute to the sun with a background of a magnificent sunset.

Tuesday, October 18: Zagreb Tours Day 8 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Zadar - Krka National Park - Split
Departure from Zadar in the morning. Driving to Krka National Park. Exploring the park for most of the day. Driving to Split. Overnight in Split.
www.villamatejuska.hr
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Coast/Splitsko-Dalmatinska/Split/

Highlights

• morning views at Zadar

• visit to village of Nin

• another amazing national park

• Crested Larks in Krka parking lot

• refreshing swim

• ferry ride

• views of Trogir

• our historic Split apartment

• early evening hike

History

• statues of warriors in Nin (rubbing toes is good luck)

• 9th century church

• 12th century church

Our reflections

We had another scenic start to our day. After leaving Zadar we visited the village of Nin. This time we did not return to the salt pans to bird as we had done the week before on our birding trip. We enjoyed the historic statues, buildings and church, with Roni as our guide. Our next stop was Krka National Park. More verdant streams and beautiful waterfalls. We even had a short dip in a large pool of clear water. Driving from Krka to Split we passed the beautiful waterfront town of Trogir (the home of Robert, our birding guide). For the next two nights we would be staying at a downtown apartment on a small cobbled street in Split. Parking was a challenge! As usual, we went for an exploratory hike - our destination was an outlook with an overview of Split. The view was well worth the steps up. Continuing our quest for sunset views over the water we continued a loooong climb upupup a large hill. Rich was the only one to make it to a viewpoint, but we did get some red sky views from the path. We looked forward to learning more about Trogir and Split the next day.

Wednesday, October 19: Zagreb Tours Day 9 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Sightseeing of Split and Trogir. Overnight in Split.

Highlights

• laundry

• Trogir old town

• Trogir Cathedral of St. Lawrence

• klapa - Dalamatian acapella singing

• Croatian lunch

• Cetina River gorge

• Split at night

• Velebitsko beer

History: evening tour of Diocletian's palace built 293-305AD

Our reflections

We started the day driving through the narrow Split streets on our way to Trogir. Our birding guide, Robert, had told us about his home town of Trogir so we were pleased to have a half day to explore the old city on the water. We headed to the Trogir Cathedral of St. Lawrence where Robert was married by the bishop. We were puzzled by the spikes around the statues - pigeon deterrents. Unfortunately, the cathedral was closed for renovations but we were able to wind our way up a narrow winding stone staircase to rooftop views. Here we could see the contrast of dark old roof tiles and bright new ones. We had a delicious Croatian lunch at a local restaurant. Then Roni offered us a boat trip on the Cetina River, which meets the Adriatic Sea at Omis. We dropped Rich and Lorna off to hike about Split and the rest of us headed for the water. Rock climbers greeted us at the Cetina dock where vertical rocks ascended. We enjoyed a relaxing boat ride, observing the scenery and water life, stopping at a park for a short hike. After this leisurely break, we drove back to Split for an evening exploring the palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian. Interestingly, the palace has not been preserved as a museum but is a living building with residents, stores and restaurants. Roni introduced us to a small take out spot where we bought some local food which we took to a small bar which served dark Velebitsko beer - we toasted another amazing day.

Thursday, October 20: Zagreb Tours Day 10 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Departure from Split in the morning. Ferry to Hvar Island. Exploring Hvar. Overnight in Hvar.
www.hvar-petricic.com
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Croatia/Coast/Splitsko-Dalmatinska/Hvar/

Highlights

• fresh morning by the water

• Great Cormorant stealing fish

• ferry to Hvar island

• room with a view

• hike along windy, rainy harbour promenade

• glistening fruit

• meeting another Canadian

• exploring Hvar town

• hike to medieval fortress above town

• hike military road to outlook

• supper at small local bistro up stone steps

Our reflections

It was another day of discoveries, this time with wind and rain making the day a bit more challenging. At 8am we departed by ferry from Split to the island of Hvar. We passed Diocletian's palace, enjoying the view from the water. On our two hour voyage, Roni gave us an interesting summary of Croatian history

Roni drove us from the ferry to the town of Hvar where we were staying in a lovely home with rooms overlooking the harbour. Hvar is a popular upscale tourist mecca in the summer, but quiet in October. On our hike about the town of Hvar it was fun meeting another Canadian, Shareen (sp?) who works with the Katimavik youth program. She hiked up to the fortress above town with us; unfortunately the fortress was closed because of the weather. Still, we enjoyed this hike and another one later up an old military road. At night we visited an out-of-way bistro part way up some steep stone steps in Hvar - we enjoyed reflecting on our day with Croatian food (and chilled red wine). On our drive after dinner, we were impressed by the fortress which was brightly lit up, adding some drama to the foggy scene.

Friday, October 21: Zagreb Tours Day 11 with guide Roni Brandl

Zagreb Tours plan
Departure from Hvar in the morning. Ferry to Hvar Island. Driving to Dubrovnik with stopping in Ston. Arrival to Dubrovnik. The end of the Tour.

Highlights

• early morning drive to south of Hvar island

• scenic stop en route

• ancient stone walls

• pleasant wait for the ferry

• ferry to mainland

• tangerine brandy toast

• stone in Ston

• photos above Dubrovnik

• tour of Dubrovnik

• our goodbye to Roni

Birds: Our Sightings Today and Metkovic Ornithological Collection

• Ring-necked Pheasant, Sparrow Hawk and Kingfisher

Roni surprised us by offering a visit to the Ornithological Collection in a small town, Metkovic. Over 300 stuffed birds (and a few animals) to view. Here is a comment from Robert Crnkovic our orthinologist birding guide about this collection:

"Hi You there, on the opposite side of the globe! Actually, I am glad that You were able to see that great and precious collection - all speciments were made by same person - Dragutin Rucner, famous croatian ornithologist. He died recently (maybe about 10 years ago), and his wife, Renata, who was long time the director of Croatian Institute of Ornithology - she is, as far as I momentary know, still live, having almost 100 years!!! I saw particular collection only once, during war, when my brigade was in Metkovic background - so I have my kalašnjikov, life-proof jacket and helmet while visiting and inspecting the collection."

Our reflections

Roni did an amazing job of driving us in the rain to the south of Hvar island to catch a ferry to the mainland. This was a long, tortuous, twisty road. Fortunately, the rain lifted and we were able to stop at an outlook.

Hvar has a UNESCO world heritage site. This is the Stari Grad Plain, a gridwork of dry stone walls built by the Greeks 2,400 years ago. Although you can only see the pattern from the air, we did get some good close up views of old stone walls on our drive to the ferry.

Our route took us along the coast where we had to cross through a short stretch of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Roni stopped at a store where we looked in vain for Bosnian beer; and all the souvenirs were Croatian. Although it was Roni's last day with us, he found time to take us to Ston, to the Metkovic Ornithological Collection and to give us a driving tour of Dubrovnik before our final farewell. It had been an enriching, memorable ten days together.

We would be on our own for the next few days...

Zagreb Tours Summary

For this second part of our trip, guide Roni Brandl, Zagreb Tours, drove us to our selected destinations for ten days. We found having a personal driver/guide was an ideal way to learn about Croatia and to avoid the challenging drives, particularly through and parking in old towns with narrow windy streets. We spent our first few days near Zagreb, at Samobor, hiking to an old fortress and in a scenic gorge. Roni also drove us into Zagreb to see the capital. We then headed to the Istrian peninsula near Italy. Here we discovered the powerful bora wind, rolling hills with quaint villages, the amazing historical towns of Rovinj, Pula and Opatija. We visited three national parks, Plitvice, Paklenica and Krka with great hiking, spectacular waterfalls and beautiful vistas. Roni shared his expert knowledge of his country, often providing a personal tour of historical sites. At Pula he arranged a tour by a friend, a spirited guide who brought the amphitheatre to life for us. He introduced us to a secluded military base used in the Croatian War of Independence. As well, he took us to incredibly beautiful sites overlooking the clear blue-green Adriatic Sea. And he introduced to Croatian cafés and local lunch spots.

Days were filled with a variety of activities, keeping us interested in learning about this amazing country...

exploring.. hiking... climbing... birding... swimming... sampling cuisine... reflecting...