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Croatia/Adriatic

Flew today, June 7, 2025 from San Diego to Newark to Dubrovnik, Croatia. I had been in the old Yugoslavia in 1973 under the regime of Tito. Now after a war a new country is created in the name of Croatia. How beautiful the coast line is.

Tourism in Croatia is a major industry and economic sector of Croatia and it's coastal inhabited islands along the Adriatic Sea.

The Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Italy to the west.

Tourism expanded throughout the 1960s to the 1980s before the independence of Croatia in 1990 curbed tourism until the late-1990s.

One of numerous dining rooms with views of the Adriatic.

The hotel we are staying is the Royal Ariston. A beautiful large multi building, multi story hotel with varied dining rooms and pools and rocked areas along the Adriatic. Beaches are rare along this stretch of Dubrovnik. The water is beautiful to swim in this time of year.

The 2000s saw a significant resurgence of Croatian tourism as it underwent nation-building with a particular emphasis on tourism revenue.

By the late-2000s, Croatia became one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. A total of 20.2 million tourists visited Croatia in 2024

Another bar, restaurant and an area in our hotel to relax next to the Adriatic sea.

Outside the walled city of old Dubrovnik is a mixed area of restaurants and tourists items.

A tourist vessel passes in front of us.

St. Lawrence Fortress, often called Dubrovnik's Gibraltar, is a fortress and theater outside the western wall of the city of Dubrovnik. It is 121 feet above sea level.

Famous for its plays and importance in resisting Venetian rule, it overshadows the two entrances to the city, from the sea, and by land.

The Miceta Tower part of the Walled city which I will walk in another day on the top all around the walled city.

Main entrance into the Walled City.

Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, a seaport and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

St. Savior Church built in the 16th Century. Earlier in the 13th century an earthquake almost destroyed the city.

Our guide Daniella giving us the history of the city which probably dates back to the 7th century, when the town known as Ragusa was founded by refugees from Epidaurum.

Stradun, whose name derives from Venetian, and means "large road" or "wide road", is the main street of Dubrovnik, Croatia. A main street within the walls of the city to the southern part and the harbor area in the distance.. The history of the city probably dates back to the 7th century, when the town known as Ragusa was founded by refugees from Epidaurum.

The center walk ways are very narrow. It was under protectorate of the Byzantine Empire and later under the sovereignty of the Republic of Venice. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Dubrovnik ruled itself as a free state.

I cannot resist sticking my head inside of a candy store for a quick look. The prosperity of the city was historically based on maritime trade; as the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa, it achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomacy..

Every city has a market. This is a small corner of the market place. Recognizing its outstanding medi architecture and fortifications, UNESCO inscribed the Old City of Dubrovnik as a World Heritage Site in 1979.

In the distance of the walk way is the Sponza Palace. The rectangular building with an inner courtyard was built in a mixed Gothic and Renaissance style between 1516 and 1522. The palace has served a variety of public functions, It survived the 1667 earthquake without damage. The palace's atrium served as a trading center and business meeting place.including as a customs office and bonded warehouse, mint, armory, treasury, bank and school. It became the cultural center of the Republic of Ragusa.

The Rector's Palace is a palace in the city of Dubrovnik that used to serve as the seat of the Rector of the Republic of Ragusa between the 14th century and 1808. It was also the seat of the Minor Council and the state administration. Furthermore, it housed an armoury, the powder magazine, the watch house and a prison.

Side entrance to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin

Up close of the Dubrovnik bell Tower

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin. The cathedral was built on the site of several former cathedrals, including 7th, 10th and 11th century buildings, and their 12th century successor in the Romanesque style. This building was largely destroyed in the earthquake of 1667.

In the distance is the Dubrovnik Bell Tower

The harbor area just outside the Walled City in Dubrovnik

Hillside homes in Dubrovnik outside the walled areas.

View of the funicular going up and down the hillside, on Srd which we will ride in a few days

Small painting souvenirs for sale by local artists

Later in the afternoon is a great time to walk around Dubrovnik after all the tourists from the cruise ships have departed. A good time to take in the beauty and learn more of the history of this great old city. Some days there are 3 cruise ships with over 15,000 tourists crowding into the city. Now it is quiet and a pleasant time to relax and enjoy everything

Stradun stretches through the walled town in the east–west direction, connecting the western entrance called the Pile Gate to the Ploce Gate on the eastern end. Both ends are also marked with 15th-century fountains, the so-called Large Onofrio's Fountain in the western section and the Small Onofrio's Fountain on the east end and bell towers the Dubrovnik Bell Tower to the east end and the bell tower attached to the Franciscan monastery to the west.

Looking down the empty Stradun. One afternoon after all the tourists had left the Walled City I walked up what seemed hundreds of steps to the top wall and walked the entire circle and gates. It takes about and hour and a half. Well worth it. The following photos are of that walk.

Looking down at the plaza of the main entrance plaza we had visited the day before with our guide.

Looking over roof tops below to the southwest. During the walk there are numerous times you walk up another 40 to 60 steps as the terrain below rises.

Looking back at the plaza area outside the main entrance. This is the area where the first photos were taken looking out to sea and the building ruins in front of it to the left in this photo.

Looking out to the sea are a group of kayaker's enjoying the late afternoon on the water.

Close up look of the kayaker's.

Looking across the roof tops of the Walled City and the hillside of Srd mountain residences.

In the photo you can see the number of steps at various locations one needs to walk to make the circle of the Walled City walk at the top of the ramparts.

Repairing a residence wall as one walks along the walkway above the city.

Walking the narrow walkway with homes to the left and the Adriatic Sea to the right.

Below the wall on the seaside is a popular small venue for drinks, food and sunbathing. The bars 2 of them are known as the Buza Bars.

Buza Barr Dubrovnik, 2 of them, are the famous hole in the wall bars located on the side of a cliff.

Different view of the same location for food, drink and a place to also jump into the water for a swim.

A yet different view of the same location

Jumping into the sea from above

A diver caught in flight into the clear water of the Adriatic.

A view from the southern side of the walk looking toward the Srd mountain and to the left will be the harbor entrance we saw earlier with the private boats and charter boats.

Another view looking across the roof tops of the Walled City after walking the entire circle above.

We spent the previous day driving to Montenegro and now we are back into Dubrovnik, Croatia. We have now driven up on Srd mountain overlooking Dubrovnik below and entered into the Fort Imperial and the Homeland War Museum.

We have arranged for us a speaker who was a young boy when the war started with Serbia and we had a first hand account of the Homeland war of the Balkans and the impact it has had and continues to have on Dubrovnik as well as the region.

Today Croatia still contends with rebuilding war town edifices, but beyond crumbling infrastructure, the prejudice against people from other countries at the root of the conflict remains palpable. His talk was very moving.

The location we are in was painfully relevant as it was a strategic war location, the Fortress suffered violent attacks from the Serbs. This resulted in countless casualties. We learn what it was like to live and survive through this violent period.

The Homeland War of the Balkans, 1991 to 1995, the Croat Forces which sought independence from Yugoslavia, and the Serb controlled Yugoslav Peoples Army against the secession. Croatia ultimately won Independence at a terrible cost of life and destruction of infrastructure and displaced tens of thousands in neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina of Muslims and Catholics.

All the Mount Srđ summit attractions are accessible on foot from the upper cable car station, including the Panorama restaurant, observation decks, the cross, Fort Imperial, and the Homeland War museum. The view is awesome of Dubrovnik below.

As of 2025, the estimated overall population of Dubrovnik is around 41,562. This figure refers to the entire municipality of Dubrovnik, not just the historic city center.

The sailing ship is the Wind Surf.

View of the cable car rising up the mountain.

Looking north of the walled city.

Close up look of the inside of the cable car packed always.

Riding inside the cable car going down

View coming into the city from the cable car

Photo walking around the inside the harbor area

Late this afternoon we are driving out of the city up Srd mountain to visit a winery and have dinner. This shot of the walled city was taken from our vehicle. Micet Tower and Pile gate is in the round building foreground. The walk around the wall is very clear to see.

Different view of the harbor area of the walled city.

Late this afternoon we drive out to the countryside and visited a private, family owned farmstead and winery. Our host showed us around the property before we entered into the dining room where we will enjoy farm fresh prepared food and fun local music. We had a ball.

Our host is a real fun person and the dining room is set for us and we are surrounded with family items. We have an incredible meal and fun music and dancing too into the evening.

We had a question and answer period which was lots of fun.

We learned of the type of wine that is grown and aged on this farm and winery.

We had lots of laughs and fun before dinner too.

We had so much fun we wanted to return the next night. No one wanted to go home.

And more wine.

The food just kept coming and coming and coming. I was glad that I had passed on lunch earlier in the day. I was stuffed.. but still ready for that desert and I was not disappointed either. I remember not only did I eat my desert but that of another guest who could not eat another bite. I was ready for more..ha !!!

We listened to great music. We danced to it and everyone got up from the table and formed a chain dance several times circling the room more than 4 or 5 times. No one wanted to leave when the evening ended. What a blast! What great wine, a fantastic dinner and incredible hospitality by our hosts. Thank you OAT for arranging this evening.

Sky Dining. Dine among the clouds in Dubrovnik. Cloud dining is now Dubrovnik’s favorite reason to look up. A crane restaurant in Dubrovnik offers a view as unforgettable as the cuisine. Dine on a platform that moves your soul as much as your appetite in Dubrovnik. Dining in the sky redefines special occasions for food lovers in Dubrovnik.

After leaving Dubrovnik, driving along the highway, we discover, on both sides of the highway, commercial oyster beds and stop to inspect.

This area is renowned for producing Ostrea edulis , European flat oyster, cultivated using ropes that hang from floating barrels or structures in the water,

Oyster farming has a deep history in the region, with documented cultivation since the 16th century.

The industry has been renewed by family farms organized into associations and cooperatives, contributing to a significant portion of Croatia's shellfish output.

Commercial oyster farming in Croatia is a centuries-old practice, most prominently established in the brackish waters of Mali Ston Bay

A mix of sea and river water creates the ideal brackish conditions, fostering the growth of sea plants that serve as food for the oysters.

Many of our fellow travelers wanted to purchase some oysters to try them. No one left disappointed.

We journey overland to the village of Karanac, population 1,000, in the northeast corner of Croatia near the Danube and Drava Rivers. to spend the night at a farmstead.

We are greeted by our hosts, husband, Denis, wife Goca, and son, Stipen. What a nice relaxing break in our trip to stay in this agricultural region. We all have individual rooms facing into walk areas surrounded with crops, fruit trees and pleasant breezes.

Once settled we meet in the dining room to learn how to make cheese where we all take turns making two different cheeses. We learn from a professional who makes cheese for a living.

Our ingredients to work with.

It was fun and interesting.

In the evening we walked a few hundred feet down the street to a home hosted dinner with a local family. Both the husband and the wife are in law enforcement. He pilots a police boat on the Danube not far away for the police and she is a police person also. Here is the outside of the home they have restored.

They bought an old home abandoned during the war of Serbs and Croatia. They have totally remodeled it and prepared a wonderful dinner for all of us. A very enjoyable evening for all of us.

They have a huge garden behind the home with lots of acreage. Here he is showing us some of the fruits they have preserved.

The dinner was excellent. Much of the meal was from their garden. The wife is at the head of the table. They have two young daughters.

Dragan is showing us an award he recently received in a competition for winning the best tasting sausages. They were really good.,

Early the next morning when the sun came up so did we get up and checking everything out at our farm hosted location.

It was almost like they had a street going between building on the farm.

The dog over did himself last night and was still sleeping..

The farmstead is very simple. Internet is weak at best and I enjoyed not being tied to the world. The rooms are very comfortable each with its own bathroom. Here we have the dinning room where we will have breakfast in a few hours.

Looking down the outside walk with rooms to the left.

In the kitchen we take turns cracking eggs and helping prepare breakfast family style.

Everything is home grown and canned or preserved for later to eat.

Our 2 cheese that we prepared the day before are ready to go on for tasking and display.

The finished product. I prefer a cheese with more flavor and spices involved. These were very good though. It was a great learning experience how to make cheese.

Our breakfast.. Delicious if I say so myself. Helped my self to a couple more of several items.

Dennis showing us a photo of his parents who started this family farm on this very site.

These apricots were just picked. They were so sweet. I kept returning for "just one more" I kept telling myself I knew if I did not stop eating them I could have a potential disaster later in the day on the road. Oh... they were were soooo good.

More of our group checking them out.

This is the front entrance to the farmhouse and farm land. The name under the Living History House is their last name Sklepic.

A park for children next to a church down the street

Looking down the street. Only a bicyclist on the road.

Looking in the opposite direction down the street

Not a car in sight in any direction.

Good looking crop ready to be harvested, This is behind all the buildings we saw on the street with no cars.

Healthy looking corn crop

We have left the farmland of Karnac and 6 hours later entering the capital city of Croatia Zagreb.

Zagreb is the capital and largest city of Croatia, known for its Austro-Hungarian architecture, vibrant cultural scene, and the historic Upper Town containing many landmarks.

The Donji Grad area is the center for trolley transportation to many parts of the city.

Zagreb's Lower Town, or Donji Grad, is the city's bustling modern center, characterized by Ban Jelačić Square, lively streets, shopping, restaurants, and major transport hubs.

Our group is meeting out local guide this morning in the central area of Donji Grad plaza. .

Zagreb, is one of Europe’s most exciting destinations. Far from being confined to museums and formal restaurants and galleries, life in Zagreb is lived on the streets of the city itself, with public art, street food, and majestic green parks delighting locals and tourists alike in all four seasons.

We take off on a walking tour of Zagreb, with out local guide, in the Lower Town, Donji Grad and the Upper Town. Here we observe a grid laid out in the 19th century of the town. A city of over 800,000 people today.

The finite work over the entrance of the Zagreb Cathedral. The beginnings of the construction of the Zagreb Cathedral date back to the 11th century when King Ladislav founded the Zagreb diocese. The cathedral was then built in the Romanesque-Gothic style, and after the great attack of the Tatars, it was rebuilt in the Gothic style.

The Zagreb Cathedral has been closed for almost five years following the earthquake in 2020. The restoration work is challenging and takes a long time.

The Dolac is the most visited and the best known farmer's market in Zagreb, well known for its combination of traditional open market with red umbrella stalls.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables

After walking up the steep hills we find the entrance to the upper town a Patron Saint. Our Lady of the Stone Gate, is considered the patron saint of Zagreb, honoring the Virgin Mary, whose icon miraculously survived a great fire in 1731 within the Stone Gate chapel. The event led to the icon becoming a revered object of devotion.

The area around the Stone Gate became a pilgrimage site where people light candles and offer prayers for blessings.

The entrance and Patron Saint in the distance.

City Hall. A news crew was waiting for some one important to depart or arrive at the building.

This was an interesting museum.. The Museum of Broken Relationships. I could have left a couple..

The view of the Lower City from the Upper city seeing all the new buildings going up.

Today we leave Zagreb and drive to Plitvice Lakes. Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. In 1979, Plitvice Lakes National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, for its outstanding and picturesque series of lakes, caves, and connected waterfalls.

The protected area extends over 115 square miles land, hills, lakes and streams with multiple water falls throughout the area.

Bears and wolves, along with deer, boar, foxes and more than 120 species of birds call this region home.

The national park's lakes are arranged in cascades. Sixteen lakes can be seen from the surface. The lakes are renowned for their distinctive colors, ranging from azure to green, grey or blue. The colors change constantly depending on the quantity of minerals or organisms in the water and the angle of sunlight.

The lake system is divided into the upper and lower lakes, with about 440 feet elevation between them.

We are fortunate to have a local guide as we explore the area on a walking tour up and down many stairs, walking on wooden footbridges of the lakes. The walking tour lasted over 3 hours up and down and all over the area.

We were lucky to have arrived around 9 a.m. with few people in the park. Later as we were leaving the lines everywhere up and down and all around the lower and upper areas.were very crowded.

After walking up and down hundreds of steps, crossing numerous narrow footbridges enjoying the best that nature can provide it felt good to get back on our bus and just relax. What a great morning.

This morning we left Zagreb and headed overland to Opatija on the coast. But first we had a stop in Viskovo to learn how to make pasta from scratch. What fun that was.

This photo on the wall was too cool.

Our instructor a delightful young lady who has created a business teaching people like us how to make pasta from scratch.

It all starts with flour and a large egg in the center of the flour.

Not only did we learn how to make pasta from scratch but we learned how to cut it up and then she prepared two separate dishes with our home made pasta with 2 different sauces for us to eat. Wow was it good.

We continued our drive to Opatija arriving in the afternoon. Our hotel was an older classic hotel that was located right in the middle of everything just off the beach. This was the view from my room. Beautiful.

Nestled between the mountains and the sea on the Istrian peninsula, Opatija is a world-renowned 19th-century wellness resort. It drew countless celebrities and VIPs from across Europe during the hay day. Visitors today will find countless treasures to discover.

The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic buildings reminiscent of the Austrian Riviera.

Not to be missed is the famous statue of the Girl with a Seagull.

Opatija is just located south of Trieste, Italy. It has a history as a Mediterranean resort destination for wealthy European aristocrats, dignitaries and artists stretching back to 1844.

Livade, a small village in the Istria region of Croatia near Opatija. It is famous as the "truffle capital of the world" due to the proximity to the Motovun forest, a prime truffle hunting area.

Nicoli a Truffle hunter and his two dogs.

We are fortunate to meet a Truffle hunter named Nicoli. He introduces us to his two famous dogs that are trained to find the infamous Truffle in the ground. He hands me two truffles that have already been secured and for me to go into the forested area and bury them a two different locations.

I walked for some time into the area of the forest down the road and then off into the forest. I buried them in 2 different locations. Low and behold after some time both locations were found by the dogs. Amazing.

His two well trained truffle hunting dogs.

After our truffle finding demonstration we head up to the Hill Towns of Istria and the town of Motovun, one of the regions 136 mid evli hill towns.

After driving by bus as far as we can we transfer to a smaller bus and then walk from there to the top of the hill.

The street becomes more narrow as we go up higher.

We stopped at a family owned truffle shop at the top of the hill.

We sampled some of the local delicacies that were passed around for us.

Restaurant at the top of the hill in Motovun

What a view of the valley floor below and in the distance.

Beautiful church, a must see when in the town of Motovun. The village sits atop a hill and the church of the Virgin Mary is in the center, plaza.

View in the distance from the top of Motovun

Walking the wall behind the plaza and the church at the top of Motovun

View of the cemetery at the top of Motovun

Beautiful view of crops and fields in every direction. The parking lot below where we left the bus to pick up the smaller bus to the top of Motovun.

Cool looking sign for a cold brew on a hot day

Store in the plaza near the Church of the Virgin Mary

Interior of the Church of the Virgin Mary

Interior of the Church of the Virgin Mary

Exterior of the building for the truffle sampling

Unique art for sale as you leave Motovun at the top of the Hill.

Stopped at this small place for lunch.

Lunch with a view. While we were eating a great of BMW Motor Biker group from Austria sat next to us. They were on a 3 day holiday. Fun talking with them.

The food was delicious

Stopped in a store for spirits and wines. What a great display of products.

What a great name for a bottle of wine. Care to taste my Fakin wine?

There are no beaches or few in Opatija so they created swimming areas in the town.

Another close up view of the statue in the harbor area of the Girl with a Seagull.

Looking down the coast in the opposite direction. This has been a great experience seeing all the changes in Croatia and the division of the old Yugoslavia after the Serbia Croatia conflict. We are leaving Croatia tomorrow to visit Slovenia.

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© 2025 Jim Schroder