Croatia and Slovenia Tips
Croatia and Slovenia are emerging as Europe's hottest new destinations - and we're joining in the fun. This summer we're writing a new guidebook on those destinations (to be published in the spring of 2007). We want your help. If you've been to Croatia or Slovenia, what were your favorite destinations, accommodations, restaurants, or tips? If you haven't been there yet, but want to go, what would you like to see covered in the book?
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Croatia in 1995-96
We spent nearly a year in Rijeka and the area for nearly a year(on a Fulbright) and visited towns and ports along the entirety of the Adriatic coast. An American was an oddity and few spoke English, but the treasures were so many. Of course all of the post-Communist mindset was still there; you "take what you're given or go elsewhere" restaurants; outgoing mail must be unsealed for inspection; arbitrary traffic stops. So give them a break [INVALID]the western idea of service, etc., is still new. Then there wasn't even a McDonalds anywhere to be seen; truly unspoiled. As the Dayton Accord was signed, we visited Dubrovnik and had the city entirely to ourselves, except for an occasional military person on vacation. From the wall, the damage to the tile roofs from the shelling were unbelievable. Since then we see most if not all were restored. Back then, the dollar was worth five of their "kuna", and the fresh seafood & wines were treasures. Don't miss Hvar, Primosten, and Stari Grad. The ancient history is everywhere- Look for remains of the ancient Roman wall in Stari Grad and you literally feel it's not changed at all since then. The remains of the Roman colosseum in Pula on Istria, the most complete of any known. Apologies for the length of this; wish all could've experienced the Adriatic coast/Croatia pre-tourists.
Susan Harper
Versailles, KY USA 01/01/2012
worst service ever encountered!
stella di mare pizzeria,trattoria. waterfront in rovinj Croatia
the waiter who was drunk,
snapped at us for only ordering pizza,then never brought our order,said oh im drunk sorry, we left after sitting there 30 min,read the bad reviews in trip advisor,hes not Croat, so dont blame them, horrible experience!
no name
nj USA 12/02/2011
Dubrovnik and Bled tips
Definitely include at least one dinner at Nishta in Dubrovnik. We ate there 2 out of the 3 nights we were there. Villa Ragusa is a very nice hotel with Pero an excellent host.
Alp Penzion in Bled was the best hotel on our 3 week trip with the best breakfasts.
Mike
Gig Harbor, WA USA 10/30/2011
General
Dubrovnik is too crowded for a pleasant stay but don ont miss the war photography museum. On Korcula shop for local art at www.vapor.gallery.com. Buy the best salt at Piranske Soline in Ljubljana
Christine
Devon, PA USA 10/11/2011
Croatia uodates
Hi,
I just spent 3 hours lying on a sun-warmed rock in Hvar. A few [INVALID]s for your next book:
* the fortress in Hvar is 25 kuna now * the cable cars in Dubrovnik are up and running * I am traveling as a single female and have felt 100% safe the entire time * Lydia Matec's soba in Dubrovnik is great! She's a sweetheart and it's nice to pop up (90-some) stairs and take a midday break.
Thank you for all the advice from your book.
Patty
Columbus, Oh USA 10/04/2011
Trip impressions-Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro
We used Rick's latest tour book for our 3 week trip. We had a great time. We used public transportation...buses primarily and found the two week itinerary barely doable in three weeks. We stopped for two days in each place with one extra day in Lake Bled. Ljubljana was our favorite city. Its citizens were so nice, helping with directions and assuring that all was okay! The City tour was informative and gave us a chance to rub elbows with a lovely "local". Although we liked our housing host and found some good food, we found Dubrovnik to be too crowded, expensive and touristy. We loved Split- great ruins and Josip was so helpful. Rovinj is NOT TO BE MISSED! Small, charming, great swimming, good food and lots of artist owned shops for those that are into shopping. In hindsight, Kotor, Montenegro is too far and too much of an expense to make it worth the hassle (had to rent a car; border crossings are time consuming; it is a long ways to drive and not that much different from other locations). There is a similar incredible wall at Ston. Zagreb is a bustling city that was fun to visit. The waterfalls at Plitvice are unlike anything we have seen. The water is azure, and the many "falls" drift over the edge in wispy mists. The state run Bellevue Hotel there was more like a college dorm and did not make for easy sleeping! Pula was a pleasant surprise. The Roman coliseum is super well preserved making it eerily easy to imagine the gladiator scene with the cheering citizens packed to the top. Lake Bled is picturesque, we were glad we stayed in old town. For more of a Julian Alps experience, we wished we would have spent more time at neighboring Lake Bohinj. FYI the walk from Bohinj town to the Vogel Mountain cable car is a VERY LONG! We had lost some of hiking verve before we even got to the Vogel mountain top. The guidebook is absolutely indispensable and has great advice from cover to cover! Thanks to the Rick Steves team!
Mark Wiger
minneapolis, MN-Min USA 10/03/2011
Lake Bled, Slovenia
We took a day trip from Vicenza, Italy up to Lake Bled, Slovenia. It was so gorgeous. It was mid August so there were plenty of tourists but it didn't seem crowded at all. We strolled around the lake and took a rowboat to the the church/island in the middle of the lake. We also had very good pizza and salads at Pizza Rustica. Probably better than we've had in over 3 weeks in Italy! If you want to get away from the heat in Italy, take a break in Slovenia. Truly a beautiful place.
Mary
Danville, CA USA 08/19/2011
Montenegro and day sailing on The Monty B
We rented a flat in Dobrota on the Bay of Kotor at the end of our RS Adriatic tour. What a great time! Highlight was a day of sailing on the Monty B http://www.montenegro4sail.com/ with Tim and Katie a delightful British couple and their two little dogs. Swam, visited an abandoned island fortress, a wonderful day ending with G&T's at sunset. The Bay of Kotor has a lot to see, some delightful small restaurants. Kotor itself is a nice little walled city, but can get overwhelmed when the cruise ships are in. We took the road with many switchbacks into the mountains- what a great ride. Beware of a speed trap coming down towards Budva where the speed limit goes from 80 to 30 in a heartbeat. If you are visiting this area spending some time here is really worthwhile. A day trip, while better than nothing, does not do it justice.
Alan
Folsom, CA USA 07/28/2011
Dubronik/Bay of Kotor Tours
I noticed that several travelers mentioned Pepo Klaic, who provides tours in the Dubrovnik. My wife and I spent the day with Pepo for a drive in the Dubrovnik area, and to the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. Pepo (Pero) was great -- we highly recommend him.
Phil
San Diego, CA USA 07/25/2011
Ljubljana
I simply loved this town. It was the friendliest place we found. It is a small town, very walkable, with some of the most crazy people (in a good way) that we found in Europe. We only gave it one night, which was a mistake.
Paul Thompson
Sioux Falls, SD USA 07/04/2011
Slovenia
In May we took a short day trip across the border from Italy to Lipica, Slovenia to visit the Lipica Stud Farm founded in 1580. Loved seeing the beautiful Lipizzans, the wonderful facility and the farm tour. It is a destination place for horse people. One note of caution evidently we should have purchased a road use sticker to display on our windshield for about 15 Euros. Without the sticker it cost us 150 Euros to get out of Slovenia.
Melanie
Winchester, IL USA 06/05/2011
Strip Searched at Croatian Border
Went through Croatian border control, the highway between Maribor (Slovenia) and Zagreb, for a one-day visit to Zagreb. As a heads up to fellow travelers, I was strip-searched, as was one of my companions. Two of us are American citizens (I am an average-looking, well-dressed 40-year-old woman), the other two are UK citizens. We were also hassled on the way out. The fact that we had musical instruments in the van probably made them think that we were hiding drugs in parts of our bodies where the sun doesn't shine. They made us remove our clothes before looking though our bags or vehicle. We don't do drugs, and barely drink. Had this all happened a little more slowly, I would have demanded to contact the American Embassy before they went any further, but I didn't think that being taken to a little room without my husband and friends meant I had to remove my clothes and be felt up by a police woman.
Jessica
Toledo, OH USA 03/22/2011
Favorite Destinations in Croatia ....
Zagreb - Restaurant Nocturno, Ban Jelacic Square
Zagreb - Restaurant Sofra, Borojve
Zagreb - Coffee Shop - "Eliscaffe", Ilica 63
Destinations: 1. Dubrovnik 2. Mljet Island National Park 3. Plitvitce National Park 4. Pula 5. Samobor
Tips:
Food is relatively cheap, most expensive dinner would be between $7 - $10.
Shopping is limited and quite expensive.
Try the original sarajevo kava at the Jamiah restaurant in Zagreb.
For Muslim travelers, Halal Food available at restaurant Sofra and the restaurant at Zagreb Jamiah.
Hira Wajahat Malik
Karachi, Pakistan 12/26/2010
Slovenia
While visiting Slovenia's Lake Bled, my wife and I some friends came upon an out of the way restaurant where 4 of us had local wine, chateaubriand, nice vegetables, coffee and bread pudin for $60. Then we were feasted by the local owner with an accordion rendition of the Tennessee Waltz. Great people, nice country.
Bill Jacoby
San Marcos, CA USA 10/30/2010
Cheaper Eating in Dubrovnik
We just returned from Dubrovnik and found that restaurant prices are climbing. However, a quick and scenic local bus ride away is the neighborhood of Lapad. The pedestrian street there (bus drops you off at the end) has lovely restaurants and cafes near the beach with dishes almost half the price as within the city walls.
Rebecca
Prague, 10/26/2010
Dubrovnik with Pepo
Soooooo much thanks for recommending Pepo Klaic in Dubrovnik. He was prompt,delightful, informed and fluent in English. After the rather fitful driving of the prior 6 days, we were relaxed and joyful with Pepo on our last 2 days in Croatia.
Mary Lou Payne
Jackson, MS USA 10/24/2010
17 Days in Central Europe (Part 3)
The Krilo boat made an enticing stop in Hvar, but we skipped it for Korcula. Rezi Depolo is the best host! Ask for the room with the view terrace. Adio Mare is nice for dinner; we avoided the pricey grilled fish. Pizza or risotto or other pastas are cheap natives in Croatia and almost always good. We rented bikes (also cheap) and pedaled to Lumbarda - an easy few miles. Look for signs to small wineries and pick up a bottle for your lunch picnic. We had pre-arranged a shuttle to Dubrovnik with Korkyra Tours and Vlado was very prompt picking us up and getting us to Dubrovnik in 2 hrs, via the short Orebic ferry and a very twisty highway. We arrived at the Buza Gate in Dubrovnik's Old Town to a torrential rain that turned the steps to Plaza Apartments into a mini waterfall. Lidija is very friendly and gave us great tips for dinners. Despite Rick's observations, it's possible to eat well in Dubrovnik. We enjoyed Nishta (vegetarian) and Tavjerno Maro (just uphill from the Stradun) was fantastic; serving fresh local food at a low price - it was hard to spend more than $30 for dinner for two. Our last day, we hiked up Mt. Srd for a thought-provoking look at Dubrovnik from this former war zone. There is a cable car running ($14 R/T) but the 1,200', 3-mile round trip hike was enjoyable, although probably not a summer-heat activity. The museum on the summit is worth a short visit. There is a pricey cafe at the top of the cable car with terrific views. Of course, you'll want to walk the town walls. Don't miss drinks and sunset at the Buza Bar, overlooking the sea in the Old Town. All in all, the Central Europe destinations in Rick's book are terrific. Despite the warnings, we found the level of service & hospitality to be excellent - at least as good as Western Europe. Bathrooms were generally accessible and clean. Prices were much cheaper than the U.S. or Western Europe. I made all my lodging arrangements via e-mail from the U.S. prior to departure and everyone was very responsive. The only negative was the level of smoking, especially in Croatia. You can't smoke inside, but the streets & outdoor cafes are crowded with smokers. Otherwise, this part of Europe is a must-see, so start planning your trip and have a safe and memorable journey.
Dave Johnson
Sacramento, CA USA 10/18/2010
17 Days in Central Europe (Part 2)
Bled, Slovenia: Alp Penzion is a delight; up the hill above town in a nice setting. Your best choice if you have a car, although they have free bikes for taking a spin around the lake. Mateja was very helpful and the meals were good. We drove as far as Vrsic Pass, but the weather closed in so we opted for a hike in beautiful Vintgar Gorge (a must). From Bled we drove south on A2 & A1 into Croatia. These are nice expressways. You'll need a "vignette" sticker for the Slovene toll roads - ours came with the rental car. Piran was a great stop for lunch as Rick suggested. We continued on A2 (still under construction) down the Istrian coast to Rovinj. Our stay at Vila Kristina was very nice. The apartment was big and the location (a 10-minute walk to town) was fine. Rovinj is not to be missed! We took a 1 1/2 hr. boat tour of the nearby islands that was terrific. An afternoon spent in Motovun was worthy, too. After 2 glorious days, we picked up A9 (great expressway, some tolls) for a stop in Pula to see the Roman ruins. It was Sunday, so navigating the town was a breeze. Regardless, Pula is worth a 2-3 hr. stop. The A8 south through the Ucka Tunnel to Rijeca is amazing; one of the best expressways I've ever seen. It passes through nice scenery and dozens of tunnels. You'll pay by the hour to use it, but it's worth it. Very few trucks and a lot of speeding cars. We took Kristina's advice and continued to Karlovac on the superb A6 to catch the road south to Plitvice Lakes NP. The Knezevic Guest House in Mukinje makes a perfect base for Plitvice. They weren't offering dinner in October, but there is a decent bistro in the ski lodge next door. Plitvice was empty and even though the water wasn't running at a high level, we enjoyed the stunning beauty and relative quiet. In the morning, we drove through Otocac, stopping to survey lingering damage from the '91 war. Europe is full of images of past wars, but somehow these recent signs seemed more disturbing.
We returned our rental car in Split and explored the Diocletian Palace from BASE Sobe - a perfect room next to the Temple of Jupiter. Split is worth a 1/2 day, as the palace is fascinating. Dinner tip: The fish market (1 street west of the palace walls) grills fresh fish outside at night - $24 for 2 people; tuna steaks, bread, salad & 1/2 liter of table wine. We then caught the 4 PM Krilo catamaran to Korcula (more later).
Dave Johnson
Sacramento, CA USA 10/17/2010
17 Days in Central Europe
I am writing this in Dubrovnik, October 15, 2010, finishing a 17-day trip using Rick's Eastern Europe 2010 guidebook. Our trip was Prague - Cesky Krumlov - Vienna - Ljubljana - Bled - Rovinj - Plitvice NP - Split - Korcula - Dubrovnik. We loved Central Europe, despite more clouds
than sun. Here are some tips for planning your trip:
Prague: stayed at the Castle Steps in the CastleQuarter, the only place we stayed not in Rick's books, but recommended in other sources. Great place with a huge room and nice breakfast. Hit the streets early in Prague to avoid the mobs of tour groups, especially the Charles Bridge and Old Town Square The Indian Jewel restaurant was a good choice. Caught the bus from there to...
Cesky Krumlov: Too cold for swimming, but we enjoyed the lack of crowds. Pension Lobo was convenient and quiet. Nice meal at Krema u Dwau Maryi. One night was enough to see the town so we took the Pension Lobo shuttle van through beautiful countryside and Linz, Austria. They drop you off at the main train station where tickets are bought in convenient machines. Ours was to...
Vienna, a 2 1/2 hr. ride. The metro was easy to figure out so we bought a 2-day pass to our stop on Mariahilfer Strasse and a quick walk to Pension Hargita. Note: There are no gates at the metro entrances and we never saw any of the thousands of people buy a ticket. Pension Hargita is ok, the room is pretty small, but the location near the metro is good - you can be in the Old Town in a few stops. Vienna was cold and wet in early October. We enjoyed the Old Town sites and Hofburg Palace and the 3 euro standing room ticket to the Opera. They also broadcast the opera on a large screen outside. However, we were in search of warmer weather, so we cut our stay short a day and caught the train from the Meidling Station to...
Ljubljana: Some rain, but warmer weather in this beutiful, small city. The TI at the train station was helpful finding us a room with B&B Petral Varl, a great room in a quiet courtyard. Eat at any of the restaurants Rick calls the Old Town Main Drag eateries. Ljubljana is vibrant and worth a 3-4 hr. stop. In the morning we took the bus from the
train station to the airport to pick up our rental car at Dollar. A short drive north took us to...
Bled (Part 2 later)
Dave Johnson
Sacramento, CC USA 10/15/2010
Croatia & SLovenia
Rick was correct about these two countries. Lake Bled, Slovenia and Rovinj, Croatia are awesome. Stayed at Hotel Istra on St. Andrews Island in Rovinj and it was a beautiful resort. Slovenia police are on strike so border crossing was awful. Like too many Customs Agents, the ones in Slovenia have attitude
Craig brazeal
Springfield, Mo USA 10/01/2010
Dubrovnik & Kotor
Thanks, Rick, for wonderful advice. We hired Pepo (pepoklaic@yahoo.com) in Dubrovnik for an unforgettable day and had a great time with Stefan (djukan@t-com.me) in Kotor. We were on a cruise and as we shared our experience with other passengers, we watched their jaws drop. We really feel that these driver/guides gave us an authentic experience. In both cases, we got out of the city and out into the country to experience a traditional meal. Pepo shared his experience fighting against the Serb invaders during the war in the 90s that still gives me goosebumps.
Mary
Clermont, FL USA 09/26/2010
Great restaurant outside Bled
If visiting Bled by car (or if you do not mind a 2 or 3 mile walk), consider lunch or dinner outside the city! Especially if you are already visiting Vintgar Gorge, Gostilna Fortuna in Spodnje Gorje has delicious, traditional Slovenian fare. It came highly recommended by two locals, and we thoroughly enjoyed all three of our dinners there.
Bethany and Dennis
Boston, MA USA 08/23/2010
Slovenia Hotels
Spent June using your book in Croatia/Slovenia. Wonderful trip. Favorite stop: Lake Bled and the warm and friendly Hotel Berc. Worst Hotel: Tartini in Piran...rooms unkempt and the deskclerk blantantly attempted to pocket 300euros on our driver/taxi arrangement.
Nan K Lazzaretto
Burbank, CA USA 07/30/2010
Dubrovnik recommendations
We've just left Dubrovnik and highly recommend the following: Apartments Martecchini, particularly Apt. #2 "Baldo", as it's as central to old town as can be, the owner was kind and helpful. Also, if you're looking for jewelry, we can't recommend Boris Filicic highly enough - he has a little shop on Od Rupa, #2, and makes his jewelry himself in the shop. Cash only, totally worth it. Finally, the vegetarian restaurant Nishta was very delicious, another high recommendation. Enjoy!
Erin Schweng
Berkeley, CA USA 07/15/2010
Dubrovnik tour guide
We just returned from Dubrovnik. I highly recommend our guide Nikolina Penzo (nikolinakosovic@yahoo.com). We tried Stefenic in Rick's guide, but she was busy and referred us to Nikolina. She showed us all around Dubrovnik, had a driver take us to the top of the mountain for a tremendous view, then we went to the resort village of Cavtat for the most amazing lunch next to the sea. All this (there were 6 of us) for 300 euros (about 50 each). We tipped the driver as well, but what a bargain! Dubrovnik is a wonderful walled city that is unforgettable. We can't wait to return.
Patty Branham
Rolling Meadows, IL USA 07/11/2010
Shore Excursion, Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is fantastic! Pepo Klaic was our driver and provided our private tour to the very scenic drive to Mount Srd, were normal tour buses don't go. The sighseeing down to the valley and to Cavtat were spectacular. He gave us ample time to explore Cavtat, the resort town. He drove us along the beautiful Dalmatian coastline with great information! Thank you, Pepo!!!
His information is on Rick's Croatia & Slovenia book.
pero klaic [pepoklaic@yahoo.com]
Graciela
South Puget Sound, WA USA 07/08/2010
Shore Excursion, Split, Croatia
Wow, what an amazing city, Split, Croatia! Our private tour guide, Niksa Siminiati, a film maker, provided us with history that dates way back during the ancient times. He did a super job sequencing the many historical events. The Dalmatian Palace tour came to life with all his information, narrations, and showing the important sights within the ruins. His information motivated us to do more research of the area. He is a resident of Zagreb, yet he traveled long distance to Split and conducted this tour. His love for history was so evident in his narrations. Thank you very much, Niksa.
We will contact you again as we plan to see more of your country in the near future.
Niksa Siminiati [nsiminiati@yahoo.com]
Graciela
South Puget Sound, WA USA 07/08/2010
Dalmatian Coast and Mostar, Bosnia
We travelled to the Dalmatian Coast from June 6 - 20. Here are some of our comments/recommendations:
Split: We highly, highly recommend Hotel Royal! It is just half a block down the street from Rick's recomended Black Cat Bistro. It was fresh and clean and new. The airconditioning worked well and quietly. There are only 5 or 6 rooms in this "hotel". It also included the best breakfast of any we had during our trip: scrambled eggs, breads, fresh fruit, little pastries, cereals, fresh tomatoes, tea, coffee, juice etc. Find this gem at www.hotelroyalsplit.com or email the proprietor, Alexandra Radman at aradman@net.hr.
We hired the charming Maja Benzon one morning for a walking tour of the old city. Well worth it - - it convinced us that getting a personal tour greatly adds to the pleasure of what you are seeing. She can be contacted at maja.benzon@gmail.com.
If you eat at Rick's recommended Sperun Restaurant as we did,make sure someone in your party orders the Tortellini with cream and parmesan. Just know that the rest of you will abandon your own meal and dig into that one once you get a taste of this heavenly dish.
Do go to the Mestrovich Gallery - what a lovely setting with some stunning pieces. Pack your swimming gear with you, because when you are done, go straight across the street and down the walkway to the beach below. There is a covered bar for drinks, a "fast food" shack and a clean, pebbly beach. Bonus: the fresh water showers where you can rinse off the salt water before your walk back to town.
Hvar and Korcula: If we were to choose between the two, it would be Hvar. More "juice", more action than Korcula. We were easily able to take some excursions from Hvar - not so from Korcula. Our experience there was that the various advertised excursions (to other islands, for example) ran as advertised unless there was a cruise ship in town. In that case, the excursion boats/operators were already pre-booked by the cruise ships and there was no space for us.
Mostar: a very worthwhile side trip. We had a terrific tour guide in Annela, who we found through Almira Tours (www.almira-travel.ba) as mentioned in Rick's book.
Dubrovnik: My favorite, next to Hvar. We stayed at Pension Stankovic. Wonderful, and very affordable for Dubrovnik. I suspect they are not on Rick's list because you have to be fit and able to walk the 350 steps up to the pension from the bottom of the hill. But the payoff: an amazing view of the city, clean, comfortable, airconditioned rooms, and the hospitality of the Stankovic family. Mama Stankovic surprised us on several occasions with some homemade treats: meat and potato rolls, crepes with jam, Triple Pleasure Torte, breakfast fritters with jam and with cheese..... See their website at www.dubrovnik-accomodation-apartments.com.
Lynn Wood
Boise, ID USA 07/04/2010
Dalmation Coast Cont.
Dubrovnik cont: We hired Rick's recommended Petar Vlasic for two days! One day for 'round about Dubrovnik, and one day to explore down the coast. I can't recommend Petar enough. Engaging, entertaining, smart, love of his country, and with plenty of ideas on how to make it even better. He picked us up in his airconditioned BMW and drove at a calm pace, with plenty of information, but happy to respond to and engage in all subjects: current affairs, the war, what's next for Croatia -- - so personable and kind. Call him!! You can reach him at dubrovnikrivieratours.com or his email at meritum@du.t-com.hr.
Next time: Next time I would mix it up more: This is an itinerary I would recommend: Zagreb, Plitvice National Park, Split, Hvar, Mostar, Dubrovnik. But most of all - - just go and see this beautiful country and meet these lovely people!
Lynn Wood
Boise, ID USA 07/04/2010
Good restaurant Piran
We tried the Pri Mari Restaurant in Piran, Slovenia that is in the guidebook. It had friendly service, good food and reasonable prices. There is a small, shady outdoor area reached from inside that was nice on a warm day. It doesn't look like too much from the outside but is very nice. We at there several times.
Judy Turpin
Federal Way , WA USA 06/27/2010
Central Dalmatia
Favorite places: Sibenik, Vodice, Primosten, Trogir, Prvic-Sepurine & Luka
Fun glass bottom boat ride from Vodice, will drop you off on Prvic if you ask. Wonderful sailboat tours of islands by the Cukrov family from the Ribarski Dvor and they sing klapa at nights sometimes in the hotel/restaurant. Best is festival in August in Sepurine.
Pat
Midland Park, NJ USA 06/16/2010
Croatia
A few suggestions from a trip to Croatia and Montenegro in mid-May 2010. First, tour the wall in Dubrovnik as Rick suggests going clockwise (against the signs posted) first, but be aware that you will be stopped for a ticket about one-fourth of the way around, so backtrack before that check point. Going clockwise, you see the most interesting sites and climb the tower first before you are tired. Second, if you plan a daytrip to Bay of Kotor in Montenegro be prepared for extra time...it took us at least half-hour to get through passport control on Croatian side and there was road construction and delays. A stop in Perast with a boat trip out to Our Lady of the Rocks is well-worth the effort. Kotor is charming; the hike up the wall is rigorous. If you plan to visit Hvar driving north from Dubrovnik, take the ferry from Drvenik to Hvar Island...on the way to Hvar city, you see lots of great countryside and small villages. A stop in Stari Grad proper (not the ferry stop) is interesting as well...great monastery to visit there. In Hvar, if you are a budget conscious eater, be aware that prices are lower off the main square and on up streets to the right of the cathedral. Also, one of Rick's recommended restaurants, Luna has a cover charge (coperto) listed in small print at the bottom of the menu. Other restaurants did not have this. Also, in Croatia, we found best exchange rates were at banks rather than other places and best rates in Zagreb. Finally, Croatia is expensive and if you go to Plitvice Lakes National Park, be sure to have enough kunas to cover admission (roughly US$18) as they do not accept travellers checks and the exchange rate at the office there is miserable.
Kate
Missoula, MT USA 06/16/2010
Croatia & Slovenia Tips
Just got back from Croatia and Slovenia. Both are amazing, underrated and undiscovered by North American tourists. We started in Venice with a rental car, drove to the Istrian Peninsula (~3 hours), stayed for several days, then drove to Plitvice Park (amazing!), then up to Lylubljana, Slovenia, Lake Bled, Predjama Castle and Postonja Caves. You won't be disappointed with this itinerary. Here are some humble suggestions:
*Get a GPS for driving. Garmin has a great Europe map for download (pricy but well worth it). This will save you tons of stress and confusion.
*If you're into Roman ruins and driving from Venice, take a very short detour to Aquileia, park in the main lot by the TI and take the self guided walk.
*Stay a few days in Rovinj. We rented an apartment from Ernesta (Villa Ernesta, 052/813-543, villa-ernesta@inforovinj.com), who, despite limited English, was more than friendly and welcoming.
*Drive to Motovun castle town, walk up and eat at the place on the left before the first gate (sorry, forgot the name, it has an article from NY Times posted in the window).
*It you drive to Plitvice and use a GPS, set your course to Zagreb first and head south from there on the route recommended in Rick's book. Garmin doesn't know that the shortcut route is actually quite long and can be treacherous after dark.
*Ljubljana, while interesting, isn't worth more than a day. Take the walking tour (go to the TI to inquire). If your looking to avoid rude hosts, avoid the hotel Emonec. The location is good but our experiene was tainted by the inhospitable staff. Right now (June 2010) Ljubljana is undergoing construction everywhere... good for the city, bad for tourists. We felt Ljubljana was overrated.
*Postjona Caves is worth a look. Amazing.
*Bled is actually worth several days, as there is a lot to do (see Rick's book). We stayed at Penzion Vila Kolinska (386-4-57-41-823, vilakolinska@drogakolinksa.si), a short walk from the main part of town, with the most wonderful staff ever... the price was right and the room great, including a balcony, wonderful breakfast included.
Hope you have a great time!
Erik R
Seattle, WA USA 06/12/2010
Places not to miss in the Balkans
Hi,
I´ve been recently around those countries and I have a blog with some upted information about places thet I´m reccomending my friends to go to I want to share it here, It can be useful.
www.onmysilkroad.com
Fernando
Burgos, Spain 06/11/2010
What about Bosnia???
BiH is a great place! If you're going to Slovenia and Croatia then go to BiH! Particularly Sarajevo is amazing. Turkish market, Sarajevsko brewery... There is a museum just outside the main city that is amazing, it is owned by the man who used his land to dig a tunnel to get supplies into the city during the siege! very inspirational!
Mostar is a beautiful city. The rebuilt bridge is a UNESCO heritage site and the old town is amazing. You can pick up some great Yugoslav souvenirs
Greta
IL USA 06/03/2010
Dubrovnik
We stayed in an an apt. owned by Ivana and Anita Raic - ivanaraic@gmail.com - great place to stay.
On a recommendation from Ivana, we went to a local restaurant, Lady Pi-Pi, yes, an interesting statue in front of the restaurant - spectacular view of Dubrovnik,good food, reasonable prices and away from the crowds. Before leaving
Old Town through the Buza gate, turn left, go up the steps and Lady Pi-Pi will be on your left.
Mike Negrete
Freeland, Wa USA 05/24/2010
Split
We are visiting Split for the first time and saw a restaurant - Buffet Fife. It is located at the west end of the Riva. We had a great dinner. The maitre d`, Vesna, was very gracious in explaining the history of this seafood restaurant and Ivan, our waiter had a great sense of humor. Don`t miss this local hangout. According to Vesna, it is very busy during the summer.
Mike Negrete
Freeland, WA USA 05/13/2010
croatia
I love jerry comment
Hopefully croatia will not go into E.U
This is just way to bring it into a multicultural vegtable nation under washington control.
nothing is worse than going througth london,munich,and paris you dont even know where you are.
The simple life in croatia makes it great no credit cards,no rent, no fake junk made in the east.
Ivan
New York, New Yo USA 04/14/2010
Istria (Croatia)
Anyone traveling in Croatia ought to go to Istria. Croatia is great - Dalmatia, Plitvice, Split - but a highlight for me is Istria. One needs a car, but it is easy to find one's way. Distances are short, but cross very different regions. There are Umbria-like hill towns and Venetian coastal towns. Roads are good. I spent three days roadtripping the region and it was as good as any other part of the country. Beaches (rocky not sandy) are very nice - one can swim almost anywhere, food (fish in particular) is hearty and quite good (though a meal in a nice restaurant is not cheap). It is a kind of poor man's Tuscany/Umbria and Croatian Riviera that is a must see for some great historical sites (google "Pula", "Porec", and "Rovinj") and great vistas.
William Suesholtz
Harrison, NY USA 04/07/2010
Croatia
My husband and I have been to Croatia twice - once in Sept. 2007 and again in Sept. 2009. The first trip we visited Zagreb, Rijeka, the Istria region, Hvar, Rab, Split, and Dubrovnik. We rented a car, so we saw a lot of other towns along the way. Our favorite was Dubrovnik, but Rab was a close second. Zagreb is a large European town, so best to stay near the old city. Rijeka is more industrial, so skip if short on time. Istria is very nice, but Rab, Split, Hvar, and Dubrovnik are must sees. You can see the entire country in 2 weeks, if you plan really well to have a car and take the car ferry when necessary. I am happy to provide our itinerary if anyone wants it. Mostar is a good side trip from Dubrovnik for a day, but I would not stay longer than that.
Amanda Anderson
Louisville, KY USA 03/29/2010
Croatia Wine Tour
I forgot to mention in last post that Petar Vlasic was also our tour guide of the wine region outside of Dubrovnik, and he was absolutely fantastic! I got his name of the Rick Steves guidebook. He knows everything about the region, and he is passionate about his country. Excellent tour guide! And Croatian wine is fantastic!
Amanda Anderson
Louisville, KY USA 03/29/2010
Dubrovnik & Mijet
I spent a week based in Dubrovnik in May of 2006. The weather was perfect at that time of year, but it was early enough that the huge crowds had not arrived yet.
I stayed at Guest-house Maria , just outside the old city walls, but up LOTS of steps!. Great place with a communal outdoor patio/kitchen. I'm not sure if she still does this, but she even picked me up at the airport!
I visited several nearby islands, including the national park on Mijet. Highly recommended trip from Dubrovnik, however the ferry schedule only gives you a few hours on the island. You'd need an overnight stay to see more.
Louis
New Orleans, LA USA 03/19/2010
Hvar, Croatia
to Joe from PA re: Simon on Hvar.
AGREE - Simon was a fine tour guide. My wife and I honeymooned in Croatia & Simon was friendly & knowledgeable. So much so in fact he was able to educate us on the finer points of delta blues music. The man knows 5 languages & has the desire to travel, particularly in the west. He's got a place in CT.
Hvar was our favorite part of our time in Hrvatska - we also stayed in Split & Dubrovnik. The suncari hotel Amfora was modern & clean but left something to be desired (considering we had stayed at the magnificent Le Meridian Lav in Split the days before). We booked through Jauntee (CA) and they set us up with a fairly nice package. All around we enjoyed our trip but if we were to return we would probably spend a few days in a closer city to break up the trip (we're thinking Barcelona).
Chad
West Hartford, CT USA 01/16/2010