A view of Lokrum Island from the walls of the old town of Dubrovnik. Photo / Getty Images
From ancient walled cities to sun-soaked coastlines, Croatia is a country that balances beauty with history, writes Sam Hurley.
Croatia is still trying to shake off some of Europe’s Soviet-era shackles.
Driving north, up the Adriatic coastline after botching my flight booking (that’s another story), the beauty of this uniquely shaped country is hard not to notice.
With its rocky cliffs contrasting against tempting turquoise waters and a few super yachts moored nearby, you certainly feel like this is a postcard spot for the idyllic Euro summer.
But even with an Aperol spritz in hand and enjoying a sea view from a terracotta-roofed restaurant, the history of Croatia, and the violent history of this country, still feels very present.
Unlike Western European countries, where the generation that experienced WWII has nearly all gone, most in Croatia can recall a time before and after the Iron Curtain fell. And before and after what it calls its Homeland War.
They’re quite willing to talk about it too; the role their family played and how some older generations now say, life was better before the wall came down.
Driving into Split at dusk, several stereotypical brutalist USSR-style apartment blocks greet me, and I wonder where this beautiful old town I’ve been told about is.
You do see the sure signs of economic progress. There are people out and enjoying life on the streets of Croatia’s second-largest city. Maybe because there’s also a football game on. Not just any game, mind you. Hajduk Split, the town’s local team, is playing archrivals Dinamo Zagreb, the inlanders from the capital city.
Split goes down 2-0, but that doesn’t dampen the local spirits. I’m told the match is an annual excuse to party, win or lose.
So, as they say, when in Rome. The Roman influence on the area, alongside Venetian power, is also abundant, as I’ll discover the next morning.
Church is an important part of everyday Croatian life, with nearly 80% of the country being Catholic. So, as I walk into Split’s historic old town on a Sunday morning for a history tour, church bells ring and locals begin to congregate.
We start near a Roman wall and the statue of Gregory of Nin, a 10th-century bishop who advocated for the use of the Croatian language in church services. During WWII, the statue was cut up into pieces and hidden around the city to protect it from the occupying Italian fascists.
Today, restored, tourists rub Gregory’s toe for good luck.
A walk through Split’s old town, which has been granted Unesco World Heritage status, is wonderful for someone who appreciates old-world architecture ... and a good pastry.
The historic sites within the Palace of Diocletian, built to honour the Roman Emperor Diocletian, are worth seeing. The residence, which has evolved from its traditional Roman street structure, makes up around half of the old city but is widely regarded as the world’s best-preserved Roman Palace.
A one-hour ferry ride takes us to Brac, the biggest of the islands, renowned for its white-stone and pebble beaches. From here, I head to Bol, a town on the southern shores of the island, before starting a hike to Blaca Hermitage. Tucked away in a remote canyon, it’s a historic monastery founded in the 16th century by Glagolitic priests in search of the good life.
Having endured a New Zealand winter, the October heat is welcome, but I couldn’t imagine hiking during hotter months like June.
At the hermitage, I’m told the stories of the astronomy that took place there and shown a piano. Twelve men carried this piano, my guide explains, up the valley to where it now sits. Twelve men, eight hours and apparently 56 litres of wine consumed. God’s work.
After thinking about the 12 men’s mission, I needed two nights of rest at the Hotel Elaphusa. A resort just metres from Zlatni Rat beach, rated as one of the most beautiful in the world.
After regaining some strength, with cocktails and seafood, I made the next ferry-hopping journey to Korcula Island.
The island has a dense pine forest interior, the timber from which was used to build the Venetian fleets. Some small pockets of the forest are similar to New Zealand, cool, moss-covered stone and where locals say fairies live.
It’s also an island used for agriculture, with olive trees and oil producers dotted around the landscape. I stopped at one and enjoyed a lunch of homemade breads, cheeses and chutneys with a new friend, Grom. He lives la dolce vita.
The town of Korcula, with its medieval streets and guard towers protecting the harbour, was a highlight of my Croatian travels.
It also appeared to be a hotspot for the wealthy, with long launches docked and Michelin-starred restaurants a skip away.
If you visit, be mindful as a New Zealander, your expectations of seafood are extraordinarily high. Very little beats a Bluff oyster.
Make sure you take some cash, because some establishments won’t accept a credit card. I couldn’t be sure if it was for tax purposes, but it seemed like it was.
I was informed by one restaurateur that Croatia enjoyed an economic boom in the 2000s, post the violent ’90s, and free from the influence of Moscow.
During this time, families like his opened small businesses, restaurants and the tourism industry really began. A safe, beautiful and at the time cheap country to visit in Europe.
Like many other European countries in the region, turbulent times followed with the Global Financial Crisis in 2013, before Croatia joined the European Union. Becoming an EU member, however, is a point of contention for some locals. As one told me: “We now pay Western Europe prices, but we don’t get Western Europe wages.”
Another ferry trip later and I was finishing my Croatian journey in the famous walled city of Dubrovnik.
I wish someone had warned me, however, because I was not quite prepared for the sheer number of tourists. Nor for how many would be Game of Thrones fans.
Having only watched half of one episode of the hugely popular TV series, the stores and costumes went over my head but if you’re a fan, I’m sure you’ll love shaming people on the steps of the Great Sept of Bailor. A famous scene, I’m told, for which I’ve only seen the meme.
Tourists aside, there is no denying Dubrovnik’s beauty. Some of its highlights include scaling the walls, enjoying a drink at the bottom of them, or taking the cable car to Mount Srd.
It is this mountain that reminds me again of Croatia’s recent history. At the top sits a Napoleonic fort, used by a small group of Croats to defend the city from Serbian attack. Now it’s a war museum.
Prices start from $4290 for Explore Worldwide’s 8-day Croatia Island Hopping holiday.
exploreworldwide.co.nz/holidays/croatia-island-hopping
New Zealand Herald Travel flew to Europe and stayed in accommodation in Croatia courtesy of Explore Worldwide. Other expenses were covered by the author.