Croatia - Split

[goldenecitrone]

Right, just booked the first of my summer holidays to Split in Croatia. I went there about 18 years ago, before the split up of Yugoslavia. I know there are some beautiful islands like Brac scattered around. Any recommendations for ten days travelling round the area? I wouldn't mind doing some walking and mountain biking. :cool:

[llantwit]

Trogir is a lovely medieval town near Split that's well worth a look.

[gaijingirl]

We go there every year as gaijinboy's grandmother lives in Split (her flat actually is built in Diocletian's palace!!). We always go out to Hvar where his family have a house in Vrboska (one of the smallest towns) - stunning - we avoid Hvar town - quite trendy and expensive. There is an amazing organic farm type place up in the mountains on the site of an old village that we always go to, complete with caves and if you're lucky you can get a tour from the mayor (if he's visiting that day from where he actually lives). You can go into all the old houses and look around. They still cook the traditional way up there - overlooking the sea from way way up high. It's a fantastic (if challenging) bike ride. I would recommend basically island hopping between any of the islands in Dalmatia. My fav so far has been Lastovo - because it's the most remote, underpopulated - only open to the public since the end of the war in fact. I think we've visited almost all the islands now. We've spent time sailing around the area (for a week), but mostly cycle (as there are plenty of mountains) and, of course, swim and play tennis - Brac is very good for windsurfing if you like that. The transport system is incredibly well integrated and frankly my no. 1 advice would be to just relax and not overplan - lots of island hopping and enjoying the sun is the way to go.

It's the one place where I can truely relax.

oh - also if you like to swim/sunbathe in the nud, there are tons of nudist beaches.

[Pete the Greek]

Right, just booked the first of my summer holidays to Split in Croatia. I went there about 18 years ago, before the split up of Yugoslavia. I know there are some beautiful islands like Brac scattered around. Any recommendations for ten days travelling round the area? I wouldn't mind doing some walking and mountain biking. :cool:

Sounds like a city of two halves

;)

[Shippou-Chan]

last time i was in split is was fairly bad.... loverly place with a fasinating past and a wonderfull place to explore


but the fucking party boats etc nment that there was wall to wall noise late late into the night


i think thats where i got my hat

[N1 Buoy]

I'm off there too in sept. We are going to Hvar Island for a week and then we have a couple of days and nights in Split before the plane home. We got a really cheap deal on an apartment in Hvar so we're pushing the boat out a bit in Split and staying inside the Palace walls here:

http://www.vestibulpalace.com/eng/index.htm

We are planning to do some Island hoping too when in Hvar so thanks for those tips gaijingirl. :)

[gaijingirl]

ooh.. you'll love it! If you do visit Vrboska there's a stunning coastal road with no car access that you can walk along or cycle along to the next town - Jelsa. You can hire bikes at either town - or you can hire a little boat and chug round there instead. There are great little restaurants in both towns overlooking the sea, very cheap and lovely to eat at in the evenings (we generally find it cheaper to eat out than cook for ourselves whilst there). If you're lucky you might hear the local male voice choir singing traditional Dalmatian songs in the pubs in the evening! Definitely eat baklava and burek (you can get cheese or meat). Also prsut (prosciutto in Italian) and Pagski sir (Sheep's cheese from Pag) are great. In Vrboska there's a particularly good pizza and pasta restaurant with an amazing roof terrace. There's a boat which leaves early from Vrboska and then calls at Jelsa and goes over to Bol (on Brac). Definitely buy lots of the olive oil sold by farmers on the roadside - it's the most amazing olive oil I know of!! Go for the stuff in the old coke bottles etc - it's amazing!! Also there's lavendar everything - oil, honey, pot pourri etc. The most amazing HUMAC - you must absolutely visit on Hvar... http://www.humac.leminet.com/index_eng.php?go=konoba - you are guaranteed to love it and the journey there.

If you do go to Vrboska - there's a restaurant on the opposite side of the inlet from all the shops out towards the beach and big hotel, called restaurant Iva - it's run by our neighbours, Jorji and Iva - say hi to them from us.. :D

I could go on and on.... :D

[Dirty Martini]

Korčula's a nice island, particularly Korčula town (but avoid Vela Luka, the other biggish town, it's a dump).

[gaijingirl]

ooh yes and in Korcula there's an amazing wrap/smoothie place run by a Japanese guy who somehow ended up there... :D

[Dirty Martini]

ooh yes and in Korcula there's an amazing wrap/smoothie place run by a Japanese guy who somehow ended up there... :D

I've heard it's quite lively down there now. We went in 1995 when the war was fizzling out. Lovely places, but there was hardly anything open and almost nothing to eat or drink worthy of the name.

[gaijingirl]

We dropped by last year, spent a few nights there two years ago. It's very typical of all the towns on those islands - they're all really lively these days. I first went to Croatia during the war - what you see now is unrecognisable!! But the biggest changes seem to have happened over the last 5 years or so. Lastovo really is the place to go where it hasn't changed so much - not so touristic - although we always go just at the end of the season, so I imagine that during the height of summer it's busy even there.

[Dirty Martini]

Yeah, September's always a good bet down there. The weather holds and the kids are back at school ...

I've been to Croatia countless times, but mostly in the north -- Porec, Umag, Mali Lošinj. It's ok, not my first choice for a holiday, and is getting really built up. I think Croatia's getting slowly back to 70s and 80s tourist levels, where for a few years it was the biggest foreign destination for UK tourists after Spain. I'd like to see Dubrovnik again. There in 1995, and it was a pretty depressing place, understandably.

[gaijingirl]

We went to Dubrovnik last year - it is lovely, but very very busy in season. It's easy enough to avoid the mass tourism in Croatia though I think. Going out of season is an obvious choice, and going to the more remote, quieter places. - Like anywhere else really I suppose. You can see the old hotels - each town has one - which tend to be popular now with German and Austrian tourists - really massive 70s monstrosities - they tend to be the places where we go to play tennis. Of course the flipside now is that many many families are building new floors onto their houses to create rooms for tourists. People who like to talk about house prices in London would have a whale of a time in Croatia. :D

[goldenecitrone]

Thanks for all the advice, especially gaijingirl. I've printed this thread out to take with me. :)

[tufty79]

*adds pointless comment* oooh dubrovnik! *memories*
i have no idea if it still even exists, but check out bled and the church in the lake and saints bones. and the julian alps (i think??).

have a fab time :)

[goldenecitrone]

*adds pointless comment* oooh dubrovnik! *memories*
i have no idea if it still even exists, but check out bled and the church in the lake and saints bones. and the julian alps (i think??).

have a fab time :)

*Notes 'bled' in travel book*

Will do, cheers. :)

[Dirty Martini]

Bled and the Alps are worth a visit, despite being in Slovenia and about a ten-hour drive from Split!

[llantwit]

Anyone know of any good dive centres on the croatian islands?

[tufty79]

Bled and the Alps are worth a visit, despite being in Slovenia and about a ten-hour drive from Split!
it's about twenty years since i went and it was alllll jugoslavia back then :o

[goldenecitrone]

Bled and the Alps are worth a visit, despite being in Slovenia and about a ten-hour drive from Split!

*scribbles out 'bled' in travel book*

I hear the Andes are also pretty spectacular. :)

[Dirty Martini]

it's about twenty years since i went and it was alllll jugoslavia back then :o

Aye :(

I never went when it was all Jugoslavija, I wish I had ...

[Dirty Martini]

Anyone know of any good dive centres on the croatian islands?

A friend has mentioned one of the small islands of the coast near Pula as being great for diving, can't remember the name. Pula itself is worth a visit, as is Kamenjak, which is the promontory right at the bottom of the peninsula. It has great swimming and the world's best beach bar :)

You could try diving.hr (http://www.diving.hr) as well

[gaijingirl]

I know there's one in Jelsa on Hvar Island - it's run by Germans I believe - so probably ruthlessly efficient.. :D

http://www.tauchinjelsa.de/

I can't vouch for it personally - having not used them, but pass it every day when there and it looks to be a nice little operation.

[Dirty Martini]

The island near Pula with good diving, my mate says, is called Frater. It's used by the Ljubljana Faculty of Sports for training as well, apparently.

[llantwit]

Ta peeps.
Hi Gaijingirl - I was reading up on the old Croatia threads, and saw your in-laws have a nice appartment for rent on Hvar.
Could you PM me details/info/a link? We're thinking of making a base in a quite part of one of the islands near some water and just chilling out and eating nice seafood for a week or so this summer.:cool:

[Dirty Martini]

Article on Dalmatia in today's G'dian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2007/jul/03/croatia.sailingholidays

[goldenecitrone]

Right, I'm off to Split tomorrow. Thanks for all the tips. :cool:

[gaijingirl]

Right, I'm off to Split tomorrow. Thanks for all the tips. :cool:

God I'm incredibly jealous. My M-I-L just came back from there and she says it is incredibly hot though - even for her - so do be careful out there.

Are you sure you woudn't rather swap places with me - no fear of sunburn here in the library... :(

Have a wonderful time you lucky ba&%$rd!

[gorski]

We went to Dubrovnik last year...

Could've bumped into ya... around July... :cool:

Certainly physically wonderful! :)

But... Will post more later... ;)

[goldenecitrone]

God I'm incredibly jealous. My M-I-L just came back from there and she says it is incredibly hot though - even for her - so do be careful out there.

Are you sure you woudn't rather swap places with me - no fear of sunburn here in the library... :(

Have a wonderful time you lucky ba&%$rd!

She's right. It's fucking cooking over here. And lovely. Probably the best place in the world to read Russel's 'In Praise of Idleness'. :cool:

Went to Vyborska but twas fully booked up so ended up here in Jelsa, which is actually a bit nicer. Somehow managed not to burn to a frazzle and tomorrow off to Brac for some more exploring and to revisit Supertar after 18 years. And sample some good old Slivovica. Dovidenia! :)

[gorski]

Heheheee... Nice 1...:cool:

Here, read this, if you so wish... - some excerpts from my posts elsewhere... ;)

OK, some CIA facts, he, he...: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/hr.html

Some more info... http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/hr/;_ylt=AqBR89YHXxQ1XF64Uex6R9y3ecYF

http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/croatia/index.html

Croatia has an amazing 5,835km of coastline, 4,057km of which belongs to islands, cliffs and reefs. There are 1,185 islands in the Adriatic, but only about 50 are populated. The largest island is Krk (near Rijeka) which has a land area of 462 square km.

The climate is Mediterranean along the Adriatic coast, meaning warm dry summers and mild winters, with 2,600 hours of sunlight on average yearly - it is one of the sunniest coastlines in Europe! In the interior of the country, the climate is continental with hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

Here's a map: http://www.visit-croatia.co.uk/map/

Recommended?

Hvar! Sandy beaches, 360 sunny days a year! If it rains you pay half and if it snows - nothing!

Dubrovnik is a close second. A grrrrrreat international Summer Arts festival!! Also cool and close for a trip to Montenegro. And into Bosnia and Herzegovina [Mostar etc.] or Split...

Alternatively Kornati archipelago, nature reserve under UNSECO protection, nothing but nothing there - the sea and sun story.... Peace like nowhere else. Wonderful to chill, dive, fish....

"Divers - Kornati are a national park and just gorgeous! Or Lastovo! Here's a snipet:

The Kornati islands

"This archipelago consists of 140 islands covering an area 114 square miles (300 square km), with most of the area declared a National Park because of its natural beauty due to its numerous coves and crystal clear blue waters. George Bernard Shaw fell in love with the group of islands and said On the last day of Creation God desired to crown His work, and thus created the Kornati islands out of tears, stars and breath. There are no permanent residents of the islands and most of the area belongs to the people of Murter island who come to tend the olive groves, the vineyards and orchards. They have cottages there, in which they stay during the agricultural season.

The islands are best visited on a day excursion from Zadar, Sibenik or Split. It is possible to stay in one of the cottages doing a Robinson Crusoe type holiday (no electricity or running water in your house). A boat from Murter delivers you there and picks you up a week later."

From there it's poss to go on trips to the coast and inland, like Krka waterfalls etc.

From both it's about 2-3 hours on a ferry to Split, I think. Many a good thing there.

Look bellow for cheap flights to Split these days [the competition has started]!

http://wizzair.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi?module=SB&language=EN&from1=BUD&to1=SPU&numberMarkets=2

Croatia is your oyster... ;)

[gorski]

So, how's the 40+C and Dubrovnik Summer Art Festival?:p :cool:

[gaijingirl]

She's right. It's fucking cooking over here. And lovely. Probably the best place in the world to read Russel's 'In Praise of Idleness'. :cool:

Went to Vyborska but twas fully booked up so ended up here in Jelsa, which is actually a bit nicer. Somehow managed not to burn to a frazzle and tomorrow off to Brac for some more exploring and to revisit Supertar after 18 years. And sample some good old Slivovica. Dovidenia! :)

It's so hot that my grandmother-in-law who is in her 90s has had a very bad turn... :(

Jelsa is nice in the sense that there's much more going on there - tons more bars etc, so it you're only there for a few nights it's probably good to stay there... but Vrboska is much nicer if you spend any length of time there as it's so peaceful and much less touristy - you tend to get coaches of day trippers turning up to Vrboska during the daytime - but in the evening it's mostly locals and people from the boats. That being said the two are so close to each other with the most stunning route to get between them (did you take the coast road), that there's not much in it.

I can't tell you how much I want to be there right now! So glad you're enjoying it. Slivovica is rank though.... the night I met gaijinboy he plied me with it and then had his wicked way... :mad: I remember once when Croatia telecom came to put a phone line in in Vrboska (at 10am), when the guy was finished we all had to celebrate with copious amounts of slivovica - then he drove off in his van to install his next phone line... :eek:

(If you do go to Dubrovnik check out the open air cinemas)

[gorski]

Well, did you say you had a gaijinbaby?:) That can't be wicked, innit...? I mean, in a wicked wicked kinda way... 'Cause it's actually wicked, innit...:D :p Thumbs up for Sljivovica!:cool:

I think it was Marx's son in law [Lafargue] who first wrote on the right to laziness/idleness, btw... In the context of the really wicked exploitation, that is...;)

[gaijingirl]

Well, did you say you had a gaijinbaby?:) That can't be wicked, innit...? I mean, in a wicked wicked kinda way... 'Cause it's actually wicked, innit...:D

:D

No gaijinbaby though - just a massive minging hangover... :( :D

[goldenecitrone]

Didn't make it down to Dubrovnik. Probably too hard to get a room this time of year. It's nice to be back in a cool climate. A week of boiling temperatures is enough for me. Had a great time idling away and would like to go back maybe May or September when it's a bit cooler. Sorry about your nan-in-law. The heat never let up for an instant. Will tell you all the tales when I see you. And I won't have a word said against Slivovica. It is God's favourite tipple. :cool:

[gorski]

Full of flavour, too - as filled with good, ripe and ready fruit...:D :p :cool: