Archive for the ‘Croatia Travel’ Category
September 5th, 2011 | 
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It seems that every time I drive across Italy to Istria there are thunderstorms and today was no exception. Downpours! The wonderful Danijela of Zarecki Krov in Zarecje, Pazin ushered us into our 2 bedroom apartment and promptly served us our dinner of homemade soup, Istrian macaroni and sweet critters washed down with local wine and finished off with mistletoe brandy. Nice!
I chose Pazin as our first stop because I thought a rustic setting would be relaxing after such a long drive and it was. The Istrian interior is green, rolling and entirely inviting. To the left you can see the Istrian landscape from the grounds outside the apartment.
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Wine Enthusiast magazine has finally noticed that Croatia has some great wine and fabulous chefs. Bravo! A recent article has an interesting overview of the wining and dining scene in Croatia, venturing somewhat off the beaten track to Skradin, the Lim Fjord and Orebic. Some of my personal favorites were there, including Nostromo in Split, Nautika in Dubrovnik, and the Grgic winery on the Peljesac peninsula. I found some of the choices intriguing. The writer extolled the restaurant in Zagreb’s Palace Hotel while not mentioning the celebrated restaurant in the Hotel Esplanade. Hmmm. Guess I better revisit both! Hotel San Rocco in Brtonigla is a new one for me as is the Wine Station Trapan in Sisan. Both are tiny towns in Istria. A related article has more details on the destinations as well as an excellent discussion of Croatian wine. Inspiring.
Cape Kamenjak
Recently, National Geographic Traveler selected Istria as one of the “10 Best Summer Trips of 2011“. Correctly noting that Istria is “not as familiar to North Americans as Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast” the article went on to highlight Istria beaches. It’s an interesting choice as Istria’s best-known attractions tend to be more cultural in nature (think Pula’s Roman Amphitheatre or Porec’s Euphasian Basilica) but there’s a lot of coastline on the Istrian peninsula and a lot of swimmable sea. The water is crystal clean as there’s no industry in the region but it is a few degrees colder than Croatia’s southern shores. I liked that the article pointed out the rugged beauty of Cape Kamenjak and the milder pleasures of Umag beaches but there’s more. . .so much more. Like Rovinj, the Brijuni Islands, artistic Motovun, musical Groznjan, Jules Verne’s Pazin. The list of things to see and do in Istria goes on and on. There’s a reason why it’s been dubbed the “new Tuscany” (but without the high prices). Go to article or read more about Istria.
As my personal holiday favorite, I was happy to see Opatija highlighted in this week’s Telegraph. Travel writer Julia Warren noted that Austrian musicians will present a special concert in Opatija on April 23 featuring music by Mozart, Dvorak and Bartok. Fittingly enough, the concert will take place in the opulent Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Kvarner, once a choice address for vacationing Austrians. Although the hotel is now outclassed by the five-star Hotel Ambassador with its luxuriant spa, the faded elegance of the Kvarner still holds allure.
A tourism official remarks forlornly in the article that Opatija feels “forgotten” in comparison to high-profile Dubrovnik which is true but Opatija could learn some lessons from the relentless self-promotion of its southern sister. For example, the lovely Villa Angelina is, as Ms. Warren notes, now home to. . .a museum of Opatija tourism. Surely a more compelling use could be found for this 19th-century villa.
With its ice cream parlours, flaky pastries, Belle Epoque structures and a restful seaside promenade, Opatija successfully evokes another age and it remains a great base for further explorations. Nearby Volosko has one of Croatia’s finest restaurants, Plavi Podrum, and not much farther is Lovran, another architectural delight. Nature-lovers can easily take a ferry to unspoiled Cres Island and its famous griffon vultures.
What a nice Christmas present for Americans yearning to visit to Croatia. After protracted negotiations, the director of Zagreb Airport has confirmed that there will be direct flights between New York and Zagreb starting in mid-May. As I reported in a previous post, the airport was prepared to offer major concessions to airlines willing to pioneer this new route. The sweet deal includes an exemption from paying airport fees that will be only progressively introduced over a five-year period.
Scheduled to run twice weekly, the name of the airline has yet to be announced but rumors are swirling that it will be United. In preparation for the influx of passengers, one terminal is being expanded, another is scheduled to be built and there is now a new business lounge.
See more on flights to Zagreb.
Source: Ex YU Aviation News.
