Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik - The Not so Hidden Gem of Croatia -

 

 

   Just driving into Dubrovnik late in the evening was exciting. They had bridges that were well lit, you could see fancy yachts in the harbor, and we slowly wound our way towards the city which had been hailed as a hidden gem in Croatia. I couldn't see much driving up at night, but I was excited for the next day. Dubrovnik turned out to be a beautiful city, steeped in history and culture, full of charming citizens, amazing architecture and... lots of tourists. I could not even imagine trying to visit Dubrovnik in the summer. I was there one of the final weeks in fall that it was still nice out and it was crowded. I walked the entire wall around the city which in some parts was really only meant for a single file line and I couldn't imagine visiting with more people in town. It's apparently a huge attraction for European cruises as well, with large ships full of thousands of people docking, invading the city, and leaving at the end of the day. I thought Croatia was one of the less traveled countries in Europe, but apparently the secret is out about how great it is to travel there. And don't get me wrong, it is. It really is worth a trip to see the city and everything it holds, but just be prepared for crowds. Here are some pictures to convince you:    

 

Stradun, the main street of Dubrovnik.

Sponza Palace

The walls of Dubrovnik which defended the city in the Middle Ages.

The harbor in Dubrovnik.

Montenegro

     If I'm being completely honest, I initially thought Montenegro was a city somewhere in Croatia or Slovenia. My geography of that part of Europe is not the best and this goes back to me needing to research the places I travel to a little more thoroughly. So imagine my surprise to see a customs checkpoint as I crossed from Croatia into Montenegro. After the quick check, I was shortly in Kotor, Montenegro. Kotor is on the Bay of Kotor and is in an extremely picturesque area. 

 

 

Kotor is best known for being a preserved medieval old town and a UNESCO world heritage site. The Cathedral of Saint Tryphon is worth the dollar or two to enter and walk around. I only had a few hours or I would have walked to to the top of the city, which I'm sure held stunning views. Something that stuck out to me was that there were cats everywhere. 

Like everywhere else in this area of the continent, beautiful views are all around.

 

A former home of royalty in Montenegro.

 

 

Taking the ferry back towards Croatia. 

 

Diocletian's Palace

     This was probably my fault. Whenever I go somewhere, I never put enough research in before going to really know what I'm going to look at. I plan on the local guide helping with all the details. When I went to Croatia, one of the things I was looking forward to more than anything else was seeing Diocletian's Palace. I love Roman history, and was so excited to see something outside of the aqueducts and ruins that I had seen elsewhere in Europe. I had heard Diocletian's palace was well kept and a great example of preserved Roman architecture. When I arrived in Split, the first thing I figured out was that you could barely see it from the outside.  

The Croatians had built their city up around the palace on all sides. This was already disappointing. When I walked inside, I was shocked to see just stone walls everywhere. I had expected splendor and beautiful colors. Instead I saw strong, well planned walls that had managed to last centuries despite their abuse from citizens of every period. Although I quickly realized that my expectations were faulty, I was still a little disappointed. It kind of ruined the city of Split for me. 

They did have a nice market on the outside and a few nice shops. This statue stood out to me as well. There were some men's choirs too that made it a pleasant afternoon, but I was happy to leave and head to Dubrovnik. 

 

A scenic stop along the way.

Seven Lakes

 



Istrian Peninsula

     I took a day long Istrian Peninsula tour that started in Pula, the largest city in the area.  It is well known for an amphitheatre that looks like a smaller version of the Coliseum, which is still used for concerts and other events today.  It is one of the six largest Roman amphitheatres left in the world. 

 

 

 

     The Arch of Sergii is in the city and was built in the 1st century AD. 

 

 

 





  

   The temple of Rome and Augustus was another landmark in the city, also built in the 1st century AD and was in the Roman forum.  It was a few dollars to enter, but worth it to see some works of art.  I didn't take pictures of the art since the lighting was so poor. 

 

 

 

There were many other sites where existence of the Romans still existed.  Just walking along the streets you would look off to the side and see an ancient arch or a sign pointing to a burial sight for ancient Roman soliders.  It was the best mix of a seaside town with a healthy dose of history.  Unfortunately, since I was trying to see as much as possible in the Istrian Peninsula, I only had a few hours to spend.

 

And then just a few hours in Rovinj.

 

 

 

Which was mostly just a seaside town, lots of small shops and restaurants, tons of boats, and just a small, charming town. 

 

 

 This looked so interested, unfortunately I just didn't have the time.  Is there anywhere you can do this in the US?

 





And Porec, which had a beautiful Euphrasian Basilica well known for its mosaics.



 

 

 

What do you think, would you plan on spending more than a day there?

Winter Storm

Sometimes the best adventures are in your own backyard...or at least down the street.

 

 

 

Some people enjoyed the snow day more than others.