Croatia fast became one of Europe’s top summer travel destinations and for good reason! People flock to the coastline in the thousands to enjoy the sunshine and crystal clear water of the Adriatic Sea. This part of Croatia is known as Dalmatia, one of four historic regions that make up this beautiful country. However, the crowds can be overwhelming and take so much away from truly enjoying the places and people there. Without intention to avoid the crowds I ended up in Dalmatia in late November. A time when leaves are falling and the nation was preparing for Advent. In hindsight, I don’t think I could have planned it any better and here is why…
Dubrovnik
I flew from Croatia’s capital of Zagreb to Dubrovnik where my adventure began. This ancient city totally took my breath away! It was like something out of a storybook, or a TV series if you are familiar with The Game of Thrones. Of the people I know who have visited this city, many have said this was not the experience they had hoped for due to the crowds. When I arrived towards the end of November it felt like a city just getting on with normal everyday activities. With the exception of preparations that were underway for Advent, the Christmas season that goes on for weeks in Croatia.
I had no problem booking a hostel within the city walls, the best place to stay if you are going to stay here at all. The cosy Old Town Hostel I can highly recommend. Because it was the off-peak season I had a four-bed female dorm all to myself for two of the three nights I was there.
For four days I explored this medieval city inside and out. I managed to fit so much in!
This included:
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Walking the city walls and getting photos with no people in them but me!
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Finding Game of Thrones locations which was like a fun treasure hunt.
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Taking a bus to Lapad and swimming at Lapad Beach
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Hiking through Forest Park
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Taking the cable car up the hill for amazing views of the city
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Watching the city come alive for Advent with lights, street stalls, and traditional Christmas treats
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Enjoying a boat ride out around the island of Lokrum
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Meeting locals who were only too happy to show me around
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Enjoying some of the most spectacular sunsets I have ever witnessed
Korčula
From Dubrovnik, I caught a late bus to Korčula which included this bus taking a ferry across to the island. I arrived after dark and was greeted by the host of my accommodation, Ante. He insisted on meeting me at the bus and showing me the way back to his place which is listed on Hostel World as Ante’s House. This is not really a hostel though but more like a home with several rooms to let. Ante was a fantastic host sharing his family, food, and wine with me. This was the perfect place for me to spend my next few days.
Korčula is the reason for me going to Croatia in the first place. My grandfather was born there in the village of Pupnatska Luka. The purpose of this trip was to visit the island of Korčula and connect with distant relatives if it was possible. Ante was amazing at helping me locate some people and point me in the right direction.
The highlight though was meeting an older couple, Ivan and Marija Poša. It was by luck that I got chatting to Sani who worked in the old town museum. Because it was off-season I just happened to be the only one in the museum so Sani was happy to shut the door and take me around the corner to introduce me to Ivan and Marija. She thought there might be a connection and there was. They spoke no English so Sani had to translate for us and we worked out that Ivan and my great grandmother had to be related as they were both from Pupnatska Luka and shared the same surname Poša. I couldn’t believe it when they pulled out a photo taken in my mother’s home town in New Zealand back in 1905. The photo was of Dalmatian men, some of them Marija’s ancestors, who had immigrated to New Zealand just like my grandfather and his parents had. It was pretty special!
Getting out of Korčula Town wasn’t too hard as there were buses running to the main centers on the island. I was able to wander the streets of Račišće and then walk to the town of Kneža where my great-grandfather was from. An afternoon was spent in Vela Luka but I wish I had more time there. Exploring Korčula Town and the surrounding area without the crowds was perfect. I was lucky enough to stumble across a photo shoot of youth dressed in traditional Moreška costume. My time here was far too short but now I know my way around I will visit again with a lot more planned and a lot more time.
News of my trip to Korčula reached a writer for the online news site, Croatia Week. He contacted me and we met back in Zagreb for an interview. He wrote a great article about my travels to Croatia, ‘A Kiwi in Korčula Tracing Her Family Roots’.
Split
From Vela Luka, Korčula I caught a very early morning ferry to split. It was so early I got to watch the sunrise while we were on the water. However, the bura wind had begun and the normally calm Adriatic sea had become choppy with a decent swell. And that wind! It was biting cold! If you have not heard of the bura wind it is a strong cold wind that comes from the north. I have done my share of ferry rides but this one was an experience for sure.
The ferry arrived in Split giving me the day to explore. I hadn’t booked accommodation before arriving, I just decided to try my luck once I got there and because it was off-season it was super easy! After a little research and navigating the old city streets I found the cutest little hostel, Old Town Hostel. They were happy for me to drop my bag, have a coffee in the kitchen and come back later for check-in. Great staff and service!
I only had two days here but it was enough to explore the city, walk up to the peak of Marjan Park and climb the bell tower for some incredible views. The highlight had to be Diocletian’s Palace. Coming from such a young nation like New Zealand we are often in awe of the history in Europe but I truly didn’t appreciate how much more interesting it gets the further east you travel. Diocletian’s Palace reminded me of that having been built at the turn of the 4th century. Today it still forms about half of the old town of Split. It was amazing to wander this fortress knowing that for many hundreds of years others have as well.
Zadar
I caught a bus from Split to Zadar and only had one night here. I had one reason only to stop in this city and that was to experience the sounds of the sea organ. However, I had to find the Boutique Hostel which turned out to be the most colourful modern hostel I have ever stayed in. It was painted all over with my favourite colour, orange. And they even do a cute breakfast bag that you find by your bed in the morning. Definitely a hostel with a difference! The reason I chose to stay here though was that it was nice and close to the sea organ which meant I could visit it morning and night.
I can’t say I got to really experience the city of Zadar but I did get to explore the old town, inside the city walls. The best part of any decent city in Croatia is the old town as this is where you get the awesome architecture and most interesting history lessons. I found the markets and some gorgeous boutique stores. With time to kill I decided to spend a few hours in the Archaeological Museum. I had no idea I was going to see some of the oldest man-made artifacts I had ever seen in my life. Safety pins, more commonly known back then as clothes fasteners, that were said to be made 10,000 BC. To me, that was so crazy old I just about couldn’t believe it! Again because it was off-season there were very few people in the museum, I had the luxury of strolling around the exhibits without the chaos of people.
The final but unexpected treat in this city was meeting a man on the street who was selling his paintings. His name was Sasha and he was a local. To start with I thought he just wanted to sell me a painting (he probably did too) but as we got talking he became more interested in where I was from and what I was doing there. The story of my grandfather came out and if I hadn’t had a bus to catch we could have talked for hours. In the end, I had to go and he was so kind to give me one of his smaller paintings for free, he even signed it for me. If this had been a busy summer day I bet that encounter would never have happened.
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