Having just returned from there, I am sharing with you today a summary of our Croatian diary.
Like other European countries, Croatian cities (or at least the ones I saw – Dubrovnik, Split and their islands and surroundings) have preserved their old town cachet. More than in any other place I’ve been to, I’ve enjoyed walking inside the old city walls, and we had so much fun visualizing the lives of their ancestors walking on those same stones we were exploring.
If you’re heading to Croatia anytime soon, here are some tips for things to do.
Dubrovnik
Sleep at
If you happen to be a fan of guesthouses and Bed & Breakfasts, I suggest you book a room at Pupo Rooms or at Guesthouse Perica (both found on booking.com). Those are 2 of the loveliest guesthouses I have ever been to. Their hosts are so cute and helpful you won’t want to leave.
Eat at
Seafood ant meat stew are your typical Croatian/Dalmatian food. For lunch, just grab a few things from a nearby supermarket and head on an island for a nice picnic and swim. For dinner however, a nice meal in the Old Town is just lovely. We strongly suggest: Wanda Restaurant and Lady Pipi.
See
You should definitely buy a ticket to be able to walk the Old City Walls. It’s an hour walk, overlooking the whole city and it’s just amazing! You also shouldn’t miss the panoramic city view from the Dubrovnik cable car.
Do
Head to Dubrovnik’s lovely islands! The closest one is Lokrum, where you can sit around all day just relaxing by the sea. Just don’t forget to take your picnic with you as there are no restaurants on the islands except one and it’s just too touristic. One other beautiful island we visited was Mljet, 2 hours and a half away by boat. When you get there, buy your tickets to the national park and head to the lakes. It is just so calm and beautiful you’ll want to stay there forever.
Split (and surroundings)
Sleep at
Most of the people we met in Split were, like us, sleeping in Podstrana, a small village ten minutes away from the center of Split by bus. If you can get a good deal at Le Meridien, or at The Residences (right next to it), you’ll find the perfect place to relax and enjoy your vacations.
Eat and Drink
For lunch, a good pizza slice will do the trick. What is better, is also a traditional ćevapi – which resembles our version of Kebab, but with an absolutely tasty homemade bread and relish. You can have the best ćevapi at a small place called Kantun Paulina. For dinner, you must try Bajamont, a traditional domestic food place in the middle of Old Town Split. Lovely and yummy! And for my birthday, we enjoyed – among other delicious things – a great Croatian Bouillabaisse at Paradigma.
See
Walk around the old city center of Split and enjoy the history.
Do
You can also head to Hvar or Brač for a day on an island or even take a one-day boat trip on a katamaran (make sure to book your places a few days in advance at the Split port). Marjan is also a nice area to spend the day at the beach.
Here are some pictures. I will let them speak for themselves! Enjoy 🙂
