The shores here are high, rocky, and warmed by the sun. There are no sandy beaches on the Istrian peninsula, but there are many cozy coves and shallows strewn with smooth pebbles and small shells. No changing cabins, umbrellas, sun loungers or other resort amenities - just pine trees, the salty smell of the sea and a feeling of complete unity with nature. You don't have to pay for sunbeds, watch over your belongings, or squeeze into tight swimwear. It's no big deal if a stranger suddenly catches you naked. In Croatia, no one will judge a naked person - this country has had “commercial naturist centers” for many years - hotels, beaches and resorts for those who like to spend their holidays in the nude.
After resting and getting your first tan, go explore Istria. Here you don't need to study the history of architecture from books - all styles are represented in a single square: antiquity, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque. In old Croatian cities, modern buildings are forbidden - they must be preserved in the form that has come down to us.
Magnificent temples and luxurious villas, centuries-polished cobblestones and rows of tiled roofs, palm-lined embankments and palisades of masts in marinas - this is roughly what the seaside towns of Istria look like. Yet each of them is unique and famous for something of its own. Rijeka - for the pedestrian street Korzo and a colorful market, Poreč - for the world-famous Basilica of St. Euphrasius with 6th-century Byzantine mosaics, Rovinj - for art salons and galleries, Novigrad - for colorful folklore festivals.
Ancient Split
Dalmatia is the Croatian Riviera with beaches sheltered from bad weather by a wooded mountain range. The name of Dalmatia's main city, Split, comes from the name of the plant aspalathus, or spalatium, a shrub with bright yellow flowers that covers the surrounding hills.
1,700 years ago, the Roman emperor Diocletian, a native of these parts, returned to his homeland and built a palace on the site of a former Greek fortress. The sea-facing façade of this palace still remains a symbol of Split; some of the surviving rooms are still inhabited by townspeople, and in the basement with vaulted ceilings there is a local history museum.
Walking around Split, don't miss the sculpture of Bishop Gregory of Nin - it is truly iconic. This bishop achieved that Catholic priests in Croatia got the right to serve not in Latin but in Croatian. According to common belief, if you stroke the big toe of the bishop's left foot, everything you have planned will come true. Today this toe is polished to a mirror shine - so great is the number of those wishing to touch the shrine.
In the evening, Split's embankment is packed: visitors and locals, pensioners and children, musicians and magicians. On every bench, couples are kissing, and one after another, convertibles wrapped in colorful ribbons roll up to the church. Grooms in black suits and brides in rustling wedding dresses go inside, where the ceremony takes place, and then come out into the street. From all sides, relatives and friends shower the newlyweds with grain - for good luck. The setting sun dances on the water, the wind from the sea puffs out tablecloths on the tables of street restaurants and sways the branches of sprawling palms.
Croatian hinterland
Early in the morning, climb the Split hill up a street-staircase that climbs upward. There, among pines and cypresses, you can breathe the cleanest air and feed the tame squirrels. Don't miss the chance to see the zoo with a llama, a tiger, a hamadryas baboon and a pair of wolves with tiny wolf cubs. But since we're on the subject of animals, we should tell you about the favorite pastime of local residents - the “Dalmatian corrida”.
Every year in the mountain village of Radošić, bullfights take place - but they have nothing to do with the Spanish corrida. Dalmatian bulls fight each other, and this is not a tourist show but a unique local festival. To find out when the corrida will take place, you need to carefully watch the announcements posted on Split's walls. On one of the leaflets you will see a drawing with two horned faces and information on how to get to Radošić. The main thing is to get there before the fights begin, otherwise the best places around the arena will be taken, and you'll have to watch from behind people's backs.
The battlefield is fenced off with a wooden picket fence. From opposite sides, fattened cattle are released - each weighs at least a ton. The bulls flare their nostrils, dig the ground and circle each other, trying to find a weak spot. A moment - and they charge at each other, trying to gore with their horns or drive each other out of the field. Then one of the fighters cannot withstand the attack, takes to his heels, knocks down the fence and races on, scattering stalls with toys, beer tents, boxes of provisions. Spectators scatter in all directions, while the winner arches his neck in anticipation of a worthy opponent.
On this day, not only bullfights take place. Men compete in stone throwing, tug of war, standing long jump, and wrestling on a log. The funniest contest is donkey racing. No harness, saddle, or bridle - sit on its back and try to outrun the other participants. If, of course, you can stay on the kicking and bouncing stubborn animal.
Land of a Thousand Islands
Croatia includes more than a thousand islands stretching along the mainland at a short distance from it. True, only 66 of them are inhabited. All these islands were formed at the end of the Ice Age, when sea levels rose and part of the land ended up under water.
For centuries, Croats moved to the islands, fleeing epidemics and pirate raids. In the times of the Roman Empire, there were villas of nobles and patricians here - to this day, when people dig vegetable gardens on the islands, they find ancient ceramics, coins, and dishes in the ground. By the way, the homeland of Marco Polo, one of the most famous navigators, is the Croatian island of Korcula. True, the Italians disagree with this - they claim that the famous traveler was from Venice. But how to explain the fact that a family of Marco Polo's descendants still lives on Korcula?
The islands of the Kornat archipelago are suitable for those who love sports and active recreation. Here you can take part in tennis and yacht competitions, go diving or snorkeling. In the archipelago area there are many whimsical coral reefs, the seabed is strewn with pearl shells, various mollusks and other inhabitants of the underwater world.
The island of Mljet with its Big and Small Lakes, canyons and karst caves, pine forests and olive groves is a National Park. If you prefer ecological tourism and want to stay on Mljet, settle in an abandoned monastery converted into a hotel. Rent a bicycle and go for walks, enjoying fresh air with the smell of pine needles and beautiful landscapes.
The island of Hvar leads on the Adriatic coast in the number of sunny days per year. In May-June, the island is painted in blue lavender and white-pink oleander, and by mid-summer the main colors become yellow and brown. In July-August, the average temperature stays around 30 degrees, and the sea water warms up to 25-27. But even at the height of summer, the island breathes coolness thanks to the refreshing northeast wind - the bora.
The island of Brac is known all over the world for its white stone. It was used in the construction of Diocletian's Palace in Split, and was sent to America for the construction of the White House in Washington. Large slabs are still extracted in the quarry, and the entire island is strewn with medium-sized boulders. Fences are built from these boulders, but not to mark boundaries between properties. Casting shadows on the ground, the stone walls help retain moisture in the soil that feeds the roots of olive trees.
Until recently, the inhabitants of Brac were engaged in sponge production and coral mining. But now they have switched to the tourism business. Vacationers from all over the world strive to visit Zlatni Rat beach (Golden Horn) – a long sandy cape that extends far into the sea and moves depending on the direction of the wind and waves.
Brilliant Dubrovnik
From Split to Dubrovnik is about four hours' drive along a picturesque road that winds through the mountains along the coast. For a thousand years, Dubrovnik was an independent republic, paid tribute to the Turks and Venetians, led an independent existence and had its own constitution. It was a maritime country, ranking 3rd in Europe in the number of ships. Once a month, a Prince was elected in Dubrovnik - he entered the palace and could not leave it until the end of his term of office. The Prince was obliged to deal only with state affairs - this was reminded by the inscription above the entrance, which every person entering the palace can still read today: “Forget your personal affairs.”
You should wander the streets of Dubrovnik for days - it is the most intact surviving city of the Renaissance era. Cathedrals, towers, columns, statues, working fountains with ice-cold water that hurts your teeth.
In the cathedral, where golden copies of the foot and head of Saint Blaise, the city's patron, are kept, you will see paintings by Titian and Raphael, and in the evening you can listen to an organ concert. In the Rector's Palace you will find yourself among mirrors, porcelain and furniture of the Louis XIV era, in the Maritime Museum you will learn about the long and turbulent history of Dubrovnik's navigation, and in the Aquarium you will dive into the world of flora and fauna of the Adriatic Sea.
Dubrovnik is a living city, not at all like a backdrop. Ropes are stretched between houses with laundry hanging on them, and by the set of items you can guess who lives on this or that floor. In grocery stores, a bottle of decent wine costs 12-15 kuna (about $2). But if you have an empty container, any local bar will fill it with house wine for 5 kuna - almost for nothing. There are so many bars, cafes and restaurants in Dubrovnik that if you eat at a new place every day for a month, there will still be places left untouched.
It is best to get into narrow passages where there are almost no tourists - there you can have lunch faster and cheaper than on the streets where guides lead endless groups. The quality of the dishes will be just as high as in the advertised restaurant “Moby Dick” with its high prices and almost always occupied tables.
The sea is depicted on the coat of arms of Dubrovnik. It splashes under the city walls, sometimes curling up in a ball, sometimes crawling onto the shore. The sea is the sound of a shell held to your ear, the smell of a hanging fisherman's net, and the taste of a salty tear welling up in the wind. Before leaving Croatia, come to the edge of the foaming water. Throw your native coin as far as you can. And walk away without looking back, so that you will definitely return here again.