Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

The verdict is in! Some 300 culinary experts including chefs, journalists, food writers and industry professionals voted in an anonymous poll for the best restaurants in Croatia. It’s an ambitious project and the results will be published in a book to appear in May. Also in the works is a website and other PR materials. Meanwhile, gastronomes can use this list to plan their trip to Croatia. Serious foodies will clearly want to concentrate on Zagreb which has the most restaurants on the list.

1. Bistro Apetit, Zagreb

2. Takenoko, Zagreb

3.Prasac, Zagreb

4. Plavi Podrum, Volosko

5. Batelina, Banjole

6. Dubravkin put, Zagreb

7. Le Mandrać, Volosko

8. Draga di Lovrana, Lovran

9. Kukuriku, Kastav

10. Nautika, Dubrovnik

11. Apetit City, Zagreb

12. San Rocco, Brtonigla

13. Vinodol, Zagreb

14. Johnson, Mošćenićka Draga

15. Mano, Zagreb

16. Pelegrini, Šibenik

17. Baltazar, Zagreb

18. Foša, Zadar

19. Carpaccio, Zagreb

20. Damir & Ornella, Novigrad

Restaurant Wine-Bars

1.Dubravkin put, Zagreb

2. Plavi podrum, Volosko

3. Apetit City, Zagreb

Regionalne liste

Slavonia

1. Hotel Dunav, Ilok

2. Kormoran, Bilje

3. Klub restoran Waldinger, Osijek

Zagreb Region

1. Mala Hiža, Mačkovec

2. Špiček, Zaprešić

3. Kod špilje, Otruševac

Istria-Kvarner

1. Plavi podrum, Volosko

2. Batelina, Banjole

3. Le Mandrać, Volosko

Dalmatia

1. Nautika, Dubrovnik

2. Pelegrini, Šibenik

3. Foša, Zadar

Dubrovnik in February? But of course. In the beginning of February Dubrovnik denizens turn out in force to celebrate their beloved city. The occasion is the Festival of St Blaise (Sv Vlaho), the patron saint of Dubrovnik. Statues of St Blaise dot the walled city and of course there is the splendid Church of St Blaise at the beginning of Stradun. It was to St Blaise that fearful residents prayed during the bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991.

Before the official opening of the festival on February 2 there are several weeks of special concerts, plays and exhibitions centered on the theme of St Blaise. February 3 is the feast day of St Blaise and for the two following days religious and secular events mark the special connection of Dubrovnik with Saint Blaise.

Here is the schedule of events for this year’s festival:
Thursday, February 2, 2012

This week’s Telegraph has a wonderful article about Croatia’s Summer Festivals. Sure, everyone’s heard of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. It’s great but how about something less, ahem, touristy? The article suggests a number of great festivals where you can enjoy the arts and avoid the mobs. For example, there’s the Rapska Fjera in Rab Town, a startlingly original medieval festival. A film buff? Try the Motovun Film Festival in beautiful Motovun. Foodies flock to the October Truffle Festivals in Istria. Music lovers are serenaded at Groznjan (contrary to the article, it’s not only jazz available) and the Lubenice musical nights in Cres Island.

See more about when to go to Croatia.

The brilliant new coffee-table book, “Croatia Aspects of Art, Architecture and Cultural Heritage” is the first of its kind in English to seriously and comprehensively tackle Croatia’s extraordinarily rich artistic and architectural heritage. Published late in 2009 by Frances Lincoln Limited, this handsome and gorgeously photographed edition boasts a stellar line-up of experts, each of whom contributes an in-depth article covering an aspect of Croatian art. The result is a work that highlights Croatia’s artistic achievements within the context of Western European culture as at rose from the ancient Greeks through the Italian renaissance to this day.

The introduction by John Julius Norwich provides a brief overview of Croatia as a country whose geography foretold a turbulent history that Stjepan Cosic expands upon in the following “Survey of Croatian History” chapter.

Next up is a study of “Ancient Greeks in Croatia” by Branko Kirigin. Where did those ancient Greeks leave traces? On tiny Palagruza Island, Korcula Island, Hvar Island and Vis Island.

“Roman Art in Croatian Dalmatia First to Third Centuries AD” by J.J. Wilkes covers Roman sculpture, stele, and reliefs many of which are on display in Zadar, Split and Salona archaeological museums.

“The Palace of Diocletian at Split” merits its own chapter and Sheila McNally handles it intently, with an in-depth and illustrated analysis of all that is known, not-known and imagined about this splendid site.

“Illuminated Manuscripts in Croatia” by Christopher de Hamel has beautiful photographs of  manuscripts that are otherwise inaccessible to the public and an explication of Croatia’s unique “Glagolitic” script.

The Franciscans and Dominicans had a huge impact and “Gothic Art & The Friars in Late Medieval Croatia” by Donal Cooper is an essential guide to their convents in monasteries that stretch from Pula to Rab, Zadar, Trogir, Split and Dubrovnik.

And then there’s an entire chapter devoted to one single chapel in Trogir’s St Lawrence (Sv Lovro) cathedral. David Ekserdjian goes out on a limb in “The Renaissance in Croatia & Italy: The Chapel of the Blessed Giovanni Orsini” by calling it “an ensemble whose sheer artistic quality and virtual completeness make it one of the most remarkable sculptural decorations of the entire Renaissance”. He then explains.

Josko Belamaric expounds upon the painter “Nikola Bozidarevic” whose few surviving works are one of the many artistic treasures of Dubrovnik.

The history of Dalmatia is closely entwined with that of Italy which naturally gave rise to much creative comingling. “Italy & Dalmatia: Architecture, Sculpture, Painting & the Decorative Arts” by Timothy Clifford explores the interaction between the two locations pointing out highlights in Split, Trogir, Sibenik, Hvar, Korcula, Peljesac and Zadar.

And what would a Croatian art book be without a discussion of Dubrovnik? A book with a big hole. “Dubrovnik: Italian Art” by Timothy Clifford is essential reading for anyone who wants an in-depth look at the artistic treasures in Dubrovnik’s monasteries and museums.

The castles of Zagorje are too often overlooked by visitors to Croatia. “Castles & Manor Houses of Croatia” by Marcus Binney will hopefully inspire visitors to hop in a car and take a tour of the fairy tale castles and stately manors north of Zagreb.

And speaking of Zagreb, I’m embarrassed to admit that I have often recommended the Mimara Museum in Zagreb. No more. Brian Sewell issued a withering condemnation of the Mimara collection in “Museums of Zagreb”. The visitor is “dumbfounded” by the number of  “questionable attributions and with problems of wear, abuse and restoration”.  The author fervently hopes the museum will be closed and the “few fine paintings” transferred to the more prestigious Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters.

Although Croatia Aspects of Art, Architecture and Cultural Heritage is way too bulky to drag along on your holiday, perusing it before your trip will vastly enrich your Croatian experience and returning to it afterwards will flavour the memories of your visits.

You can order the book directly from the publisher’s website.