croatian dalmatian

a queen in her castle

streets of dubrovnik

laurel says:


dubrovnik is one of the most charming towns we have been to.  white washed stone houses, bright orange tiled roofs surrounded by 16th century fortress walls, all set against the piercing cobalt adriatic sea.  it is a stunning site to behold and when my parents and sister visited here many years ago, i am sure they had the place nearly all to themselves.  since then tourism in croatia has exploded- which is rather remarkable considering they have only been a peaceful country since 1995- and it is now a major stop on many a cruise ship route.  our first day in town there were 4 gargantuon cruise ships in the harbor, flooding the town of 30k with about 10k additional bodies.  the impact of mass tourism can't help but take away from the town's charm, particularly when the tour guides use megaphones to herd their guests.  from dubrovnik we headed up the beautiful dalmatain coast to the seaside town of split and it's famous island neighbor, hvar.  the sea is absolutely unforgettable with crystal clear waters lapping the rugged coastline.  however, most of the beaches are quite rocky and there is no surf whatsoever.  all told we had a solid time here, but croatia is no longer the 'undiscovered' gem that it was once.

split

the only costa ship still afloat- and it's parked in dubrovnik

churches of dubrovnik

dubrovnik skyline

looking out over dubrovnik

walking the city walls

emil says:

good food and a vibrant congenial attitude by the populace are maybe not necessities for a country to be a great destination, but they help, and croatia sports neither. as the crow flies croatia is approximately 250 miles from italy but the difference in food quality makes it feel like it is on the far side of the moon (dehydrated nasa space food would be an improvement). and the people are seemingly made of a bristly ex-communist tough-guy-in-your-face substance that makes even putin seem huggable.  dubrovnik however, with its charming castle-esque old walled town and brilliant orange tiled roofs, is a beautifully unique spot straight out of the proverbial fairy tale.  but it is visitable in a day, which is also a problem because if a charming town is located on the water and is a good one day trip than behold/enter the mother of all evils "monster cruise ships". the fastest way to destroy quaint and charming is with a cruise ship of 4000 people arriving hourly. that said, the hundreds of miles of rugged coast is seriously stunning and the country is teeming with little uninhabited islands (1150 in total) and microscopic fishing villages that seem to go unvisited and undisturbed. miles and miles of rocky beaches with not a boat or living soul to be seen. so bring your own food, your own friends, and don't come during cruise ship season and this place is a gem.

guarding dubrovnik

the adriatic sea

hvar harbour

hvar town