When we started planning the Croatia leg of our summer trip, we didn´t include any islands in the first itinerary. I had initially wanted to do the famous Croatian islands as part of a far longer vacation. During the planning, I was eventually convinced to squeeze one day in Hvar as a taste of things to come. I’m more than glad that I did.
Spanish Fortress
The ferry from Split to Hvar is not expensive and takes barely an hour. Upon arrival in Hvar our Airbnb host was waiting and she walked us to her lovely little guesthouse up the hill.
The firs thing I noticed, once unpacked and exploring, were the cobbled houses. We spent the majority of the day relaxing, walking through the narrow cobbled streets and swimming in the Adriatic Sea. In the evening we walked the short steep path up to the Spanish fortress. The view was excellent and you could see Hvar and the Palakeni islands.
Streets and views of Hvar
What I liked most about Hvar were the people, or lack thereof. I was sure it would be overcrowded because it is quite a famous island.
We could see some congregations of people here and there – more so at night – but you could easily walk around the town. Even climbing up to the fortress and finding a place to sit and eat. When visiting such a touristy place one always expects a fair amount of people, but if the place is a popular island then even more, so it was a very pleasant surprise.
At night, when we headed out for a cocktail or three, we could see all the bars and clubs were packed with yacht week revellers. That was also part of the charm of the island – mostly chilled with beautiful houses and streets and a party island in the evening. I really enjoyed the duality of it.
After two weeks of travel a chilled sightseeing day and a half, with no plans whatsoever, felt perfect. Just enjoying the views and improvising. It was right the reset so as to have more energy for the last part of our trip. I find it very difficult to plan some chilled days when travelling. I always want to see as much as possible but resetting your energy is the only way to continue travelling for a longer period of time while remaining energised happy!
Hvar is known for it’s lavender so everywhere we’d walk there would be people selling it. We even got a farewell gift from our host! And guess what, it was a lavender bag that has now taken over the smells in my closet.
We only had one day to spend in Bosnia and Herzegovina. With a referral from one of my best friends to stay in Taso’s guesthouse and go on his day tour around Herzegovina, I really didn’t have much say about how the day would go.
And the truth is, I don’t think I could have had a better day. It was packed with stories, none of them boring. There were incredible sights and fantastic walks, to be fair, some of the most amazing sights I have ever seen. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
Discovering Herzegovina
Blagaj
Taso is the owner of Taso’s guesthouse in Mostar. He runs daily tours around the Herzegovina region (southern part of the country). The tour starts with a traditional breakfast of Burek and liquid yogurt. Burek is rolled pastry that contains cheese or mince meat. We had one of each. It was a little too much, but it was delicious. My favourite was the mincemeat one, but most people on the little tour decided the cheese was the winner.
Just a short walk from the restaurant, we found Blagaj. It is a house near the river dating back to the 15th century.
Pocitelj
With a little “disko boy” Taso made a bunch of strangers sing in the car. It is a rather catchy song, what can we say. We then arrived at the medieval town of Pocitelj. The vegetation surrounding the cobbled houses and an epic view of a long river makes the sight from the guard tower one not to miss.
Kravica Waterfalls
When the excitement of the day was at its peak and we were quite convinced the next and last stop was not going to be more impressive, the first sight of the Kravica waterfalls came into view. I’m sure we’ve all seen “places you have to see before you die” lists. Well have you ever read about the Kravica waterfalls? With a 25 m high waterfall, the waterfalls are located in a natural circus. It is the perfect spot to swim, climb the wet rocks and sunbathe next to this natural wonder.
Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of people there. Most of them were staying at the little restaurants on each side of the falls, and only about a quarter of them were swimming. The water was cold but it was so incredible to just climb rocks and see little waterfalls and rock pools created by the water. We stayed in for about 3 hours: exploring, swimming and taking pictures (why I didn’t pack my GoPro for this trip is still something I ask myself). And when we were tired and ready for a nap, the plate of grilled meat with Cevapi and a variety of other meats was presented to us. A great way to get some energy.
Although most of us had a little nap on our way back, Taso woke us up for a last surprise. We went to the “secret” spot of an under-the-mountain plane hangar, a relic from the Soviet era. We could walk in the dark and explore the little rooms, and came out on the other side. It was incredibly special to have the chance to discover a place like that.
One more Cevapi for dinner (yes, I know, but it is THAT good!) and it was time to call it a day.
The tour we went on costs 30€ per person and I highly recommend it. Taso is not your usual tour guide, he knows his shit, is funny and your day will be unforgettable!
***Disclaimer: I do not gain any commission for the recommendation of this tour. I do it out of the amazing experience I had. As always the content in the blog comes from personal experience and I give my honest and sincere opinion ***
When we wake up in Mostar, starting early, the feeling of an undone city, a place changing at every moment to be better. That is my first opinion of the city. We start to walk towards Mostar’s Old Bridge. The first glimpse we get is from Stari Pazar bridge, and the views are so beautiful.
The first thing we wanted to do is learn a little bit of history about this magnificent little city to understand it better. Mostar means “bridge – keeper” as the bridge has always been the heart of the town.
It was part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries and later part of the Austro-Hungarian empire in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 1990’s Mostar was part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which were a region in Yugoslavia. During 1992-1993 Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia and the city was in a nine-month siege. During the siege the city was bombed and there are clear signs of military force on the town facades. The Old Bridge was destroyed during the siege.
With the help of a committee established by UNESCO Mostar’s Old Bridge and some old town buildings were rebuilt. The rebuilding of the Old Bridge finished in 2004. Nowadays the Old bridge area of the city of Mostar is listed under the UNESCO heritage list.
Cevapi
Cevapi is a typical dish that can be found all around the Balkans. Although in every country or region the recipe can be a little bit different it is a grilled minced meat dish. It is served in little sausages sizes and usually accompanied by pita bread and chopped onions.
We meet people in Croatia that when knowing our next destination insisted on trying the best-grilled meat in the world. I was expecting something good but honestly cevapi blew my mind. It is the tastiest minced meat and would love to learn how to cook it. In the picture next to a plate of amazing grilled food.
If you are considering the Balkans for your next trip make sure to eat it at least more than once!! It will be worth it, I promise.
The Croatia trip didn’t start really well. Due to missing buses and late ones we only had a few evening hours in Zadar. But moving on to sunny Split, we arrived by bus and stayed at the lovely Backpackers 1, close to the harbour, bus station & city centre. The staff was friendly and the rooms very cool decorated.
Beach day
When we got out of the backpackers on our first official full day in Croatia, we did the easiest. July in Croatia? That calls for a beach day. We googled the best 5 beaches in Split and visited two of them; only to stay at the second one.
The winner was Bačvice beach. It is a sandy beach with tar and rocks on the laterals, making it easy for hammocks and towels. We found this area great as the Beach & Booze atmosphere bar was blasting music, was a nice place for a snack and a couple beers and, the best thing, they had lockers! You all have been at the beach with only one more friend, right? And taking turns to get in the water to keep an eye on your things is never fun enough. Being able to leave our clothes and essentials in the locker for less than a 100kn the entire day was a game changer.
Split’s old town
With salty hair we walked back to the city to discover Split’s old town. Diocletian, a roman emperor decided in 295AD to get a residence for his retirement. The location? What today is Split’s old town. Nowadays all the palace area has different attractions and is pedestrian with bars, hotels and restaurants. Split’s old town also makes the UNESCO world heritage list.
One of the better known locations inside the old town is the Perystile. Built as the central courtyard to entertain visitors, today entertains tourists. The Perystile also leads up to St. Domnius Cathedral. From the bell tower you can enjoy the views of the whole city.
There are a lot of narrow streets to walk around the old town and are perfect to find a terrace for dinner.
Arriving in Croatia after my Slovenia trip I knew the place would be more full of people, more tourists. And I’m not going to lie, it is a busy city, but didn’t find it crowded. It’s really beautiful and worth going to Split!
When I first started planning my itinerary around Slovenia I had never heard of Piran. After some research, everyone’s opinion about the hidden gem on the Adriatic had awakened my curiosity. Piran is a small coastal town of Slovenia. Influenced by the old Venetian Republic, the city has narrow streets with churches and squares. It is easily explored by foot, in fact the charm of the blowing breeze while walking is very appealing.
How to get there
The town is located about 90 minutes away from the capital Ljubljana. Getting there by car is very easy following the highway. There are two giant parking spots before the gate to the city. Only some residents have access to the city itself by car or if staying in a hotel on the inside, they can provide vouchers. The best and cheapest option is to park before the gate. The city provides a free shuttle bus running every 15 minutes that goes to the city centre and back.
Exploring Piran by foot
The shuttle bus drives along the harbour and you can already see the boats and people walking. The little town has steep streets with churches and souvenirs shops along the way. Next to St. George church, on top of the hill, you can climb to the bell tower for Piran’s best views. It only costs 1€!
Although the whole city can be seen from there, the walk down to the sea is another must in Piran. The city has beaches only on the hill behind the church and bell tower. People swim next to the harbour on the rocks and there are stairs to climb up.
The ambience of the city is so calmed and relaxed. There’s not much to see but it is all so beautiful that just strolling around was great. Stopping to see some artisanal works and also having gelato on the coast. The sea and salt were calling me after a hot day of driving and suffering the July’s weather so after finding a secluded rock to leave my bags I changed into my bikini and swam.
The sunset was spent eating calamari and fried sardines, finishing an amazing day of sightseeing with the tasteful fish.
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