zadar to mostar

 

Setting out from Zadar, we planned to drive along Croatia’s scenic coastline highway before shifting away from the Adriatic and heading overland to cross the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina. We bypassed most of what the beautiful Dalmatian Coast has to offer as we would be returning to this area in a few weeks time to meet up with Max’s parents and enjoy exploring the area with them. However, we couldn’t resist the thought of a nice beach session to break up the drive a bit, so we stopped at the famous Brela Beach (rated one of the top 10 beaches in the world by Forbes) to lay out and do some swimming. Being late April, the start of the high season was still a few weeks away, so we had the beach virtually to ourselves. Enjoying the luxury of solitude in such an idyllic corner of the world felt like we had beat “the system” somehow, and further substantiated our resolution that we had come to the Balkans at the best possible time of year.

 

After some enjoyable roadside sightseeing respites we were ready to get back to business and drive the rest of the way to our next major destination, the city of Mostar. We passed into Bosnia and Herzegovina at an unremarkable crossing on the southwestern border of the country, and were within quick reach of the cultural and economic capital of the Herzegovina region. Pictured above is the primary icon of the city, the “Stari Most” or “Old Bridge”. The bridge was built during the long rule of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, and stood for over 400 years before it was destroyed by Croat forces during the Balkan Conflicts in the early 1990’s. Eventually it was rebuilt and finally reopened in 2004. The bridge is the site of a local cultural phenomenon wherein young local men jump from the 80 foot structure into the frigid Neretva river below as a rite of passage. It has become such a popular spectacle that the bridge has become a tour stop in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series each year since 2015. Our host in the city later proclaimed that “there are 2 sports in Mostar, Futbol and jumping off the bridge”. 

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zadar

 

We kicked off our full day of exploration around Zadar’s old town with an espresso and tea overlooking the Forum; an ancient municipal square originally built by the Romans from the 1st century BC to the 3rd century AD. Evidence of this empire’s colossal constructions still remain amongst the rubbled ruins of temples and colonnades scattered across the square. But as we’ve seen on countless occasions during our travel, one era’s treasures often become diminished (or “repurposed”) for another one’s gain. A preserved Roman pillar stood on the edge of the square; re-dubbed the ‘Pillar of Shame’, it became a place of public punishment for troublemakers during the Middle Ages, where they were chained, humiliated, and beaten. Luckily the square is a much more lively and happy place today, and still the town’s center of civic and religious activity. Looming over the Forum you can see pictured the gorgeous circular St Donatus' Church, built in early medieval times using materials remaining from the ancient Roman structures. We enjoyed wandering this area and the rest of old town’s marbled streets, watching as families headed to their Sunday worship, shopped at the market stalls, or indulged in a weeks-end heaping cone of gelato.

 

After munching on a yummy local meat & cheese board and some drunken squid over a few glasses of Croatian wine at Proto Food, we moseyed over to old town’s seaside promenade for sunset. Alfred Hitchcock once dubbed Zadar’s sunset as the most beautiful in the world, and we were pleased to find that he was not exaggerating when he made this proclamation. The city has smartly capitalized off of this celebrity mention by commissioning two fantastic multi-sensory installations perfectly situated for a leisurely look at the sun falling into the sea. We first decided to check out the ‘Sea Organ’, a set of large marble steps leading down into the ocean from the promenade. As the tide comes in late in the day, sea waves push water and air into resonant tube chambers located under the steps, resulting in undulating organ-like tones sounding whenever the ocean breaks. After feeling sufficiently mesmerized at the Sea Organ, we walked a few steps over to the second monument, Zadar’s ‘Greeting to the Sun’. This 22-meter circular installation on the ground of the waterfront is built with multi-layered glass plates which contain solar modules underneath. The solar modules absorb light energy throughout the day, and then produce a spectacular show of colored lights as soon as the sun sets to darkness. We loved how each of these installs utilized nature to communicate light and sound in an ingenious way - highly recommended for any sunset viewing session in Zadar!

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zagreb to zadar

 

One of the initial inspirations for a road trip through the Balkans was a chance to visit the megalithic concrete WWII memorials that dot this region’s countryside. Photos of the “Spomenik” (this title translates into “monument” or “memorial” in the Balkan languages) sometimes pop up in social media newsfeeds and listicles due to their visual novelty. Beyond this surface level appeal there is a rich and fascinating history. These are statues commissioned by the Yugoslavian government to commemorate important battles and events of the early communist Partisans’ resistance and uprising against the fascist occupying forces of Nazi Germany. Most of these unique works of brutalist and modernist art have been left to crumble as current administrations are not interested in celebrating communist memorials or ideas. Their semi-abandoned fate adds layers to the stark, tragic beauty of these monuments. On this day of our trip we stopped to see 3 separate spomenik sites on our way from Zagreb to Zadar. Pictured above is the Monument to the Revolution of the people of Moslavina. It recognizes the town’s importance in the Partisan revolt, largely for the two hospital complexes that were constructed here and operated from 1942 through the end of the war. The site contains a crypt complex that houses the remains of about 900 Partisan soldiers who passed away while being treated in the nearby hospitals. The website Spomenik Database has gone to painstaking lengths to preserve and share the history of these monuments. The website is worth a visit, and the monuments themselves were well worth the hours-long detours it took to find them.

 

After our adventure hunting down various spomenik sites, we turned our attention to one of Croatia’s more mainstream destinations, Plitvice Lakes. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is Croatia’s most popular tourist attraction, welcoming more than a million visitors each year. The park is home to 16 lakes that are arranged in a multi-level cascade and separated by natural dams of travertine, which are basically walls of limestone that are gradually deposited on each lakes’ edge. The result is extensive swaths of waterfalls where one lake spills into the one below it over its unique sedimentary barrier. Water seems to be finding every possible route to make it from one lake to the next, sometimes spilling over mossy, vegetated areas in unusual and picturesque ways. The park is renowned for the emerald color of its water which is truly breathtaking in person. We left the park exhausted but satisfied with what ended up being one of the longest and most enjoyable days of our trip. We certainly felt accomplished in our sightseeing considering the wealth of overlooked history and natural beauty we were lucky enough to experience in one day of road tripping. 

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zagreb

 

With only one full day in Zagreb, we set out on foot to try to see as many of the requisite sights as possible. Zagreb, like most major cities in this part of the world, has a quaint Old Town that is enjoyable to aimlessly wander through. One of the epicenters of this Old Town is St. Mark’s Square, home to The Church of St. Mark which is pictured here. A romanesque window on the church's southern facade is evidence that a portion of the building may date back to the 13th century. It's northwest wall also bears the oldest stone coat of arms of Zagreb, with an engraving of the year 1499. Yup, things are pretty old over here. They just don’t build them like they used to...

Later in the day, after picking up a new rental car that would become our mobile base for the next 3 weeks, we drove to the the picturesque Mirogoj Cemetery. There are a few notable qualities of this vast burial complex. The extensive, vine covered facade topped with scores of Neo-Baroque domes is pretty stunning in its own right. Once inside, one can find resting places for people from all religious backgrounds, which is a stark contrast to other city cemeteries which are usually church-owned and therefore reserved for members of that faith. Beautiful arcades run across the back of the main facade, and serve as the resting place for famous Croatian citizens including politicians, nobel peace prize winners, religious leaders and musicians.

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postojna to zagreb

 

Our final day in Slovenia began with a visit to one of the most famous sites in the country, Predjama Castle. The castle in its current form dates back to the Renaissance (16th century) but a castle has existed in this site since the 13th century. At one time a knight by the name of Erazem Lueger was the lord of Predjama. Robber barons — feudal landowners who used their status and legal protection to steal all kinds of stuff from pretty much everyone — were apparently a thing, and this dude Erazem was one of them. Prone to trouble of all kinds, eventually Ezarem crossed the Habsburgs by killing the commander of their imperial army. He was betrayed by one of his own men during the subsequent siege of Predjama Castle and finally killed by a shot from a cannon. While admiring the building we met some friendly castle cats, pet them and watched them soak up the morning sun. We couldn’t help but ponder how likely it might be that these cats’ very ancestors were hunting mice and sauntering around the same grounds during the time of Ezarem and his feudal era mischief.

 

After returning our rental car at the Ljubljana airport and bussing back to the city's center, we then made our way on train to the capital of Croatia - Zagreb. We found a pleasant, medium-sized town full of markets and afternoon bustle awaiting us. Soon, golden hour fell on the city and we ate dinner in one of the many large pedestrian promenades lining the town center before retreating to our accommodation for some rest and wifi. 

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bovec to postojna

 

Our final full day in Slovenia began with more nature adventuring in Tolmin Gorge. The gorge is situated at the southernmost part of Triglav National Park, and has been carved out over millennia by the Tolminka and Zadlascica rivers. As we ambled along the path the pearly, radiant blue color of the water reflected off of the damp walls of the gorge, lending a bit of an otherworldly glow to our visit. One of the main attractions in the natural park is called the 'Bear Head'. It's a rock that has been wedged in a narrow part of the gorge since time immemorial that roughly resembles a furry bear head due to its shape and the moss growing on and around it. We were lucky enough to see it backlit by morning light bouncing off the canyon walls and illuminating a beautiful multi-step waterfall directly behind it. 

 

Before heading to our accommodation for the evening we stopped to spend an afternoon in the coastal town of Piran. Slovenia truly does have a bit of everything when it comes to geography, and its 47 kilometers of coastline on the Adriatic sea ensures that some marine flair is not excluded from that fact. As we approached the town we came within literal meters of the border to Italy, and the general feeling of Piran and its surrounding area reflected this proximity noticeably. Terra-cotta rooftops, venetian architecture and delicious seafood gave us the feeling that we had indeed crossed the border. Only the sound of slavic language drifting around in the air through the cobblestoned walkways interrupted this illusion. We explored the town on foot for a few hours before hopping back in the car and heading north east for a relaxed evening in a farm town outside of Postojna. 

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kranjska gora to bovec

 

The Vršič Pass, a winding mountain road built by Russian prisoners during World War I, stood between Kranjska Gora and our next destination: the mountain town of Bovec. The 1,611 meter mountain pass was significant at the time of its construction due to its proximity to an important frontline in the war. It allowed a constant flow of supplies to the Isonzo Front for the Austro-Hungarian army. On our way up the mountain we encountered The Russian Chapel; a Russian Orthodox church built by POW's that survived a 1916 avalanche at the site. It stands in memory of their 300+ comrades who perished tragically in the accident. The site was jointly renovated in 2005 by the Slovenian-Russian Society and the Municipality of Kranjska Gora, and serves as both a war memorial and a symbolic link between the improved Slovenia and Russia inter-state relations. 

 

At the bottom end of the Vršič Pass in the Soca Valley, the town of Bovec sits surrounded by stunning peaks of the Julian Alps. Like the rest of the region, it is a hot spot for hiking and outdoor activities of all kinds, including rafting on the Soča River. The alpine waterway is beautiful; impossibly clear with a tint of turquoise color. We spent the afternoon visiting various waterfalls and trails around the area. This scene is a quintessential view of the valley, and was taken from one of the overlooks on a trail that leads up a mountain toward Slap Boka: one of the mightiest waterfalls in the country. 

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lake bled to kranjska gora

 
 

From Bled we made our way to Kranjska Gora, an alpine area in northwestern Slovenia surrounded by the mountains and glacial lakes of Triglav National Park. After settling into our accommodation, we ventured out leisurely to check out some neighboring natural attractions. Pictured above is Peričnik Falls, one of the highest falls in Slovenia (and thats kind of saying a lot, Slovenia is basically one of the waterfall capitals of the world). Later on we checked out nearby Zelenci Springs, a nature reserve sporting some of the most brilliant emerald pools we had ever seen. Beautiful does not even begin to describe the sights we'd been lucky enough to enjoy thus far in Slovenia. 

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lake bled day 2

 

We had been discussing knocking off one of the most standard major bucket list items, skydiving, at some point on this trip. The areas around Lake Bled are full of adventure outfitters due to the diverse and exciting natural features of Triglav National Park, so we figured this would be a good place to make it happen. We ended up deciding to go with skydiving’s much cheaper, but arguably just as cool, cousin: paragliding. No words can really describe the feeling of running off a snowy mountain cliff and beginning to soar peacefully rather than getting violently injured on the rocks below - it's probably the closest sensation of bird-like flight that you can get. We flew tandem with some awesome local experts who explained the process of riding thermal columns to reach altitudes significantly higher than the already massive mountain we took off from. The ride featured some light acrobatic stunts including high velocity, g-force inducing spiral descents. Not to mention an unrivaled view of the beautiful Lake Bohinj sitting beneath snowy peaks of the Julian Alps. When finally landing safely on the ground after about 30 minutes of gliding, we were both in absolute awe of what we had just experienced. A high point of the trip for sure. 

 

Later in the day, still absorbed in mentally recounting the excitements of our morning float, we wandered obliviously around Lake Bled. We remembered that we had wanted to try one of Lake Bled’s famous confections: Bled Cake. The recipe for the cake remains a highly coveted secret of the restaurant that created it: The Park Cafe. It’s a cake slice made with puff pastry folded seven times before being baked, cooled, stuffed with sweet egg custard cream and dusted with powdered sugar. It is an indulgence not to be missed. Don’t take our word for it, get one (or two) yourself.

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lake bled day 1

 

Just an hour or so away from Ljubljana by car, we arrived in Bled on another pristine day. The town is a popular tourist area due to its jaw-dropping beauty; owed in part to the 17th century gothic church perched perfectly on a small island in the middle of Lake Bled. The site of this church has been settled since the 9th century, and it may once have been the location of an ancient Slavic temple. We spent the afternoon hiking around the main lake area, a nearby gorge, and finally to the Mala Osojnica viewpoint for the best sunset view over the lake. As the pictures above demonstrate, it did not disappoint. 

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