Dubrovnik had a very different vibe and look compared to all the other coastal Croatian cities that we had been to, whether in Istria or in Dalmatia. A big reason for that undoubtedly were the formidable city walls, but even then, the architecture of the buildings looked different and there was an air of opulence and grandeur about the city. This, we came to know … Continue reading Dubrovnik: A Medieval Museum
If we are ever given an opportunity to revisit just one day out of the 15 that we spent in Croatia, we would, in a heartbeat, choose our second day on the island of Hvar. It was not a day on which we saw any extraordinary monuments like in Pula, Poreč, Šibenik and Split or visited any natural wonder like Plitvice. What made this day … Continue reading Hvar: The Island
By most accounts, Emperor Diocletian was a good ruler. He stabilized the Roman Empire after a long period of strife, secured its borders, introduced administrative reforms and actually did something that no Roman emperor had done before him – abdicate the throne willingly and retire. But towards the end of his reign he indulged in the persecution of Christians, said to be the most severe … Continue reading Split: Across The Ages
A nice retirement home in a beautiful location is a dream for many of us and the Roman emperor Diocletian was no different. Now, retirement is not a word that is usually associated with emperors, but in 305 AD, after 21 years of rule, Diocletian became the first Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate his throne and retire. To spend his retirement days, Diocletian had chosen … Continue reading Split: An Emperor’s Palace
The old town of Zadar has enough things to keep one engaged throughout the day. But despite the abundance of ancient and medieval structures, we found amiss with the town. It just did not have the charm of Istrian towns like Rovinj, Poreč, Grožnjan and Hum. These towns, with their narrow cobblestone streets and stone buildings, had the air of a medieval museum. This ambience … Continue reading Zadar: Where Ancient Meets Modern
Our fourth and final day in Istria began with a day trip to the most famous and best-preserved medieval hilltop town of Istria – Motovun. After visiting Motovun we felt that the town, which is the site of an international film festival in the summer months, had a lot of things working for it – fortifications dating from the medieval era, magnificent views all around … Continue reading Istria: The Walled Town of Motovun
We had spent the last two days in the coastal towns of Istria marvelling at their architectural sights and enjoying the views of the clear blue sea. We needed something different to break the monotony, and Baredine Cave was perfect for that. This cave, located in the countryside just 8 km from Poreč, was discovered in the early 20th century, and after multiple explorations was … Continue reading Istria: Going Underground at Baredine
If little kids are asked to draw a castle based on their reading of stories like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty then I wouldn’t be surprised if their drawings look something like the Trakošćan Castle. Sitting on a hilltop next to a lake and surrounded by woods and meadows, the castle, with its light yellow and white exterior, stone walls and a central tower, looks like … Continue reading Trakošćan: A Fairytale Castle
In the 11th century, two settlements emerged on the neighbouring hills of Kaptol and Gradec –the former, religious in nature, consisting of a cathedral and residence of the bishop and the latter secular in nature, inhabited by common people. After a long history of frequent battles and occasional truce, Kaptol and Gradec were officially united in 1850 and today comprise Gornji Grad – the historic … Continue reading Zagreb: The Sights of Gornji Grad
Europe is such a beautiful and diverse destination that you cannot experience it just once. It will definitely make you come back again. We had our first taste of Europe together in 2015 and since then all we have wanted to do is visit the continent again. It took us a little over three years but we finally made it back there. We planned our … Continue reading Bok Hrvatska: How we planned a fortnight in Croatia
Traveltellers 