Croatia - April 2023
With crystal clear blue water, delicious seafood, and a rich history, Croatia has been on my bucket list for quite a while. Although it’s gaining popularity, I only know a few people who have been there; all of which had great things to say. Croatia is the 20th most visited country in the world, and Europeans are certainly aware of all that Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast has to offer. And even though Yana and I picked Croatia as our next travel destination out of a hat (sorry France and Italy), we couldn’t have been more excited. After visiting, I can say that Croatia is amongst my top favorite destinations in Europe.
Yana and I split our stay up between two different Airbnbs, with an additional night in a hotel at the end of the trip. Our first Airbnb was a lovely stay near the Dubrovnik Old Town. We stayed in Dubrovnik for 3 nights, which was a bit short. We certainly missed out on a few potential day trip opportunities like Lokrum, Kotor, and Mostar. However, the city of Dubrovnik itself is extremely impressive. The Old Town is filled with stone buildings and traditional architecture. One morning, we walked the perimeter of the city walls and took some time to take in the beauty of the city. The scale of the old town is extremely impressive and walking the walls provided many great photo opportunities. Even though the entrance ticket to walk the walls is expensive ($33 per person), I highly recommend it. I should also mention that Dubrovnik can be extremely touristy during the peak season. I booked this trip for April to avoid some of the crowds. And fortunately, the city was not too busy during our visit. If you plan to visit Dubrovnik, I highly recommend to go during shoulder season.
After checking out of our Airbnb in Dubrovnik, we started the drive to our next stay next stay in Okrug Gornji - a small village outside of Trogir. We stayed in Okrug Gornji for 4 nights, and it served as our home base for day trips to Split and Trogir. Yana and I enjoy mixing in a quieter stay during European trips, and Okrug Gornji was a nice change of pace from Dubrovnik. I’d describe Okrug Gornji as a sleepy beach town. Our stay was a few weeks before many of the restaurants opened for the season, so I imagine it gets much busier during the summer months. On one day we walked about an hour to Trogir, which was one my highlights from the trip. Trogir is stunning, with a quaint old town, and a castle right on the waterfront. I highly recommend adding Trogir into any Croatia itinerary. Split was lovely too, but we definitely didn’t spend enough time there to hit all of the city sights.
Our flight back to the United States was out of Zagreb, so on our final full-day we drove from Okrug Gornji to Zagreb. And conveniently, we were able to stop at Plitvice Lakes National Park on the way! Plitvice is an expansive park with dozens of waterfalls, dense forests, and lots of walking trails. We spent about 4 hours walking through the park, and didn’t hit all of the main trails. Next time, I’d plan on at least spending a full day in the park. There are many hotels with lovely views near the park, so I highly recommend spending a night or two in the area. Additionally, Plitvice is a very popular attraction, so I recommend arriving right when it opens. Even though we only saw a portion of the park, it was definitely worth the stop. The waterfalls had some of the bluest water that I’ve ever seen.
I had high expectations for the food in Croatia, and the cuisine certainly lived up to expectations. There were more than a few restaurants that impressed us, but I’ll call out a few that truly stood out. In Dubrovnik, we ate at 360 Dubrovnik, a fine dining restaurant with 1 Michelin star. Yana and I both ordered the tasting menu and really enjoyed the experience. Next, Queen Tueta in Trogir is a casual restaurant with plenty of local dishes. I ordered the čevapi with ajvar and it was sublime. Lastly, Mali Raj is an amazing restaurant in Okrug Gornji with many different seafood dishes. It was the only restaurant that Yana and I visited twice during the trip!
If you’re planning a trip to Croatia, there are a number of must try foods that I really enjoyed. Čevapi are homemade sausages usually made out of lamb, pork, and spices. They are often served with ajvar, a delicious condiment made of roasted red bell peppers and eggplant. During the trip, I bought a jar of ajvar and put it on almost any food I could get my hands on - it is amazing! Next, the seafood options in Croatia are endless. The Adriatic sea is bountiful and provides restaurants with high quality, fresh ingredients. Make sure to order as many seafood dishes as you can, you won’t regret it! Lastly, I was really impressed with the quality of the Gelato that I had in Dubrovnik. Our favorite was from Peppinos!
To summarize, Croatia is a gem. We could have spent a full month there and not have run out of things to do. The cuisine, coastline, and hospitality make Croatia one of my top recommendations for travelers wanting a European experience. Dubrovnik and Trogir are both extremely walkable and have lovely restaurant selections. Yana and I are already talking about a return visit to Croatia at some point. I’d love to see more of the country. This trip was truly one of my favorites!
-DB
