Croatia, May 2023 (Part 2)

As some of my readers probably already know, Andrew and I had a wonderful trip to Croatia back in May. While we all are bidding farewell to summer, I thought it would make sense to share our travel memories. So I am inviting you to virtually join our trip to Croatia, May 2023 (Part 2).

Croatia, May 2023 (Part 2)

But first of all, if you missed my previous posts, please make sure you check them: Ajvar – Balkan Pepper Spread and Croatia, May 2023 (Part 1). Also, in the first chapter of the Croatian blog, I talked about about our first 5 days in Croatia, including Zagreb, Pula, Poreč, and Rovinj.

Labin and Zadar

After spending three nights in Pula, we jumped in our rented car to go to Zadar where we rented an apartment for another two nights. On the way to Zadar, we stopped in Labin – an old quiet town which I would say slightly off the beaten path spot. Old streets and authentic ambience with its colorful old town houses with many pretty decorative details – that’s what you can expect in Labin. We spent here less than two hours, but we did love the place; it’s certainly our personal top five among all towns and villages we visited.

Our next home for two nights became Zadar (and this time we had our place with the view to old town!) Zadar is a city on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, best known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town, including several Venetian gates in the city walls.

Plitvice Lakes National Park

We did not spend much time in Zadar (basically two evenings/nights) because we dedicated one day for a trip to the Plitvice Lakes National Park – one of the oldest and largest parks in Croatia. And it is surely one of the most essential attractions along with Dubrovnik. Despite some drizzle and quite fresh day (it was around 12 degrees C), the park was quite busy. But even though we both are not not a fans of crowds, that’s a must destination. Just keep in mind if you are visiting Croatia between June and September, it will be a hot spot.

Šibenik and Trogir

After two nights in Zadar our next destination was Split with two beautiful stops – Šibenik and Trogir. These towns probably are not as famous touristic destinations as Split or Dubrovnik, but if you are planning your trip to Croatia, I would encourage you to include them in your schedule.

Šibenik is a historic town located in central Dalmatia. Unlike other cities along the Adriatic coast, which were established by Greeks, Illyrians and Romans, Šibenik was founded by Croats.

The central church in Šibenik, the Šibenik Cathedral of St. James is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the city of Šibenik there are four fortresses, each of which has views of the city, sea and nearby islands. We visited on of them – St. Michael’s Fortress – in historic town center, and the view is simply spectacular!

In our humble opinion, it’s one of the best places we visited in Croatia.

Trogir is a town on the central Adriatic coast of Croatia known for its preserved old town, with the mix of Renaissance, baroque and Romanesque buildings. The historic center of Trogir has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites for its Venetian architecture.

Split

Split become our next stop for two nights. It is the second-largest city of Croatia after Zagreb and the largest city in Dalmatia.

Since the 1970s the historic center of Split has been on UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The old town is basically the maze of of streets and cobblestoned lanes – it’s quite easy to get lost. In fact, as our apartment was located in the heart of old town (with a fabulous view!), we had a few moments trying to find our place :)

Kaštela

Just 20 kilometers from Split, there’s another beautiful fortified village of Kaštela with the Kaštel Stari (the name means “Old Castle”) being the major attraction. This place may be off the beaten path, but it’s absolutely worth visiting.

After spending two nights in Split, we jumped…no, not exactly in a car this time but on the ferry (with the car, though) to explore two beautiful islands and then head to Dubrovnik, the final destination of our trip. But that’s going to be another chapter next week!

Cheers!

Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.