So I just got back from an 11 day tour of Croatia and Slovenia. Seriously, I visited so many places that I’ve decided to give you a general overview of the trip and to let you enjoy the rest in images. What I can share with you before I give you the itinerary is that Croatia and Slovenia are two lovely, lovely, peaceful, very peaceful countries and were delightful to visit. I also visited Montenegro on an optional tour and crossed the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina to leave Zagreb to get into Slovenia. So there was never a dull day and the scenery mostly coastal and mostly sublime.
So the itinerary went like this:
We flew into Venice and after a three and a half an hour van ride arrived in Opatija, Croatia. Opatija was a very upscale coastal town and was similar to any upscale area but this time Croatian style.
Here are some photos:
Then while staying in Opatijia I took an optional tour to the Istrian Peninsula that began in Pula. Pula was a strategic port since the times of the ancient Romans.
Then in the afternoon we went to the resort own of Rovinj. A lovely place and delightful to have lunch in.
Then it was off to Zadar City en route to Split.
Zadar was an historic old town, highlighted by the ruins of a Roman forum, medieval churches and cosmopolitan cafes and museums.
So it was by late evening that we arrived in the UNESCO protected seaside town of Split, the second largest city in Croatia.
At that point, after spending some time in Split we left for Dubrovnik.
We toured Dubrovnik and again saw examples in their Old Town of the dominance of Roman influence. We saw the remains of the Roman Peristyle, the unusual Cathedral of St. Domnius build in the Middle Ages and the Temple of Jupiter, with its headless black sphinx guarding the entrance.
I also visited the Jewish Synagogue and Jewish Museum and that was personally a wonderful experience even though there are only 27 Jews left living in Dubrovnik proper.
Also while staying in Dubrovnik I took an optional tour to Montenegro and it just felt exciting to cross the border to a new country. I love new border adventures!
Then the next day we traveled to Zagreb, which is the capital of Croatia and it’s largest city.
From Dubrovnik we then crossed the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina to then enter Slovenia.
Yeah, another border crossed.
Here I am at the border store checking out the Bosnian goods!
So we finally arrived in Bled and I thought that I was dreaming…
Bled was just like a fairy tale town and it was so nice…..
Now while staying in Bled, we stayed at The Grand Hotel which was Amazing…
The location of this luxury hotel is ideal and and I had a balcony room which let me admire the magical natural beauty of Lake Bled and it’s surrounding area.
While in Bled we of course visited the Bled Castle
and I found that very exciting because I got to watch the printer in his shop at the castle just as in medieval times.
It was really fun to watch!
Then the next day we went to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
I liked Ljubljana. It’s a thriving city with a lot of culture and with a large university population.
Yes, it was our last night in Bled and we went to a great, festive dinner where we were served lots of Slovenian types of food and had Slovenian folk entertainment.
So if I had to sum up my trip to Croatia and Slovenia I’d say it was just plain old nice. The people are lovely, the areas I visited were mainly coastal and the history is both very sad and very hopeful.
So if you have an opportunity to travel internationally, I’d definitely recommend this part of the world.
It’s a lovely, peaceful, almost sublime part of the world and you’ll learn a lot!!
http://grand-adriatic.hotels-opatija.com/en/
https://www.slh.com/hotels/grand-hotel-toplice/
