Croatia Travel Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Croatia’

Wanna buy a hotel? You’ll have an array of choices on the Croatian coast but there are a few catches. Reuters’ reporter Adam Tanner has penned a detailed article on the problems facing Croatia’s government as they try to unload hotels that dated from the Tito period.

You would think that owning a hotel on Korcula Island, for example, would be a license to print money but nearly 20 years after Croatia’s launch into privatisation, the hotels in Korcula are still state-owned. Buyers are shying away.

First of all, the hotels are fairly outdated and require a substantial injection of capital to bring them into line with today’s expectations. But investors want to see a return on the investment and, so far, what they’re seeing is a thicket of problems. Korcula residents also want a piece of the pie in the form of a stake in the company, just as Hvar residents did with the privatisation of some of  their state-owned hotels some years ago.

Although not mentioned in the article, islanders want a commitment from the hotels to keep staff employed, or at least paid, for an entire year, not just during the tourist season. Islanders want to see young people stay on the island and build lives, not just breeze in for a few months every summer. They have a point but from the POV of an investor, the tourist season is too short to make this kind of a commitment.

Some privatisations have gone well. Mr. Tanner refers to the lavish reconstruction of the Hotel Excelsior in Dubrovnik as an example. But other hotels in Dubrovnik (the ravaged Belvedere for example), Rab, Opatija, Trogir and Hvar are still waiting for their Prince Charming.

Having stayed in both state-owned and privately owned accommodation in Croatia, I can tell you that there’s a big difference. Many of the state-owned hotels are throwbacks to the 70s both in design, amenities and service. Concrete-block architecture, chunky TVs and irritable waiters provide a stark contrast with the newer luxury hotels with their enthusiastic staff. Let’s hope that the situation sorts itself out.

Read more about Croatia hotels.

The pride of Jadrolinija’s fleet is the jumbo Marko Polo ferry, that plies Croatia’s coastal route from Rijeka to Dubrovnik twice a week. On the night of October 24, the ship’s course was abruptly halted when it ran aground near the island of Sit in the Sibenik archipelago. The accident was attributed to crew error (those guys are in BIG trouble) but the question was: what to do with the Marko Polo?

It turns out that it will cost about $4 million to re-float the stranded 128-meter long ferry and the ferry was way under-insured. Whoops.  Selling the ship for scrap metal could bring in up to $900,000. Plus, the coastal ferry has been a money-losing venture ever since new highway construction has made it faster and cheaper to drive from Rijeka down the coast.

The Marko Polo was considered a giant leap forward when it was introduced into the Jadrolinija fleet in 1973. Although the 1970′s style decoration has dated a bit, it remains a remarkably comfortable boat that still holds a special place in the Croatian consciousness.

So, no it won’t be scrapped, says Jadrolinija. On 20 November it will be lugged over to Mali Losinj for repairs, ready to resume service next year.

See more about Croatia ferries.

Marko Polo

Plitvice National Park’s 16 turquoise lakes are so clean and luminous that you want to jump right in. Alas. Swimming is forbidden in Plitvice Lakes National Park. As a tour guide once explained to me, “The lakes are also a resevoir for drinking water! We just can’t allow swimming”.

I assumed that the only alternative for swimming in a Croatian National Park was Krka Waterfalls where a swimming area is roped off right next to the crashing waterfalls. Now, The Guardian has set me straight. A reader’s suggestion yesterday pointed out that you can swim just a few kilometers north of the National Park. The Korana river flows into Plitvice Lakes National Park and is just as inviting on a hot day as Plitvice’s sparkling lakes. Just outside the village of Korana, villagers have even placed a small ladder next to a tree to make it easier to dive into crystal clear river.

Given the heat wave now sweeping Croatia, I can imagine that there will be quite a line leading up to that ladder!

See more about Plitvice Lakes National Park.

It’s a big step considering the history of hostility between Dubrovnik and Serbia that began with the 1991 bombing of Dubrovnik. Old wounds have healed however, as evidenced by the desire of Serbians to travel Dubrovnik–and the desire of Dubrovnik people to receive them.

To serve this new sector of the Dubrovnik tourist market, JAT airways (Serbia’s national carrier) has announced a new twice a week service between Belgrade and Dubrovnik that will run from mid-June to mid-September.

Booking has not yet opened but prices should be most reasonable.

Read more about flights to Dubrovnik.

The Pakleni Islands near Hvar island are a major attraction in Split-Dalmatia county, drawing tourists on day trips from Hvar Town and a sprinkling who spend a holiday there  in a rented room or apartment.

The latter group will have fewer (if any) options when the government implements plans to destroy all housing on these unspoiled islands.  Although the islands have become a refuge for nature lovers and celebrities escaping paparrazzi, they have never been zoned for housing and the government is now cracking down.

Maybe. In fact, no date for demolition has been set and it’s unclear exactly which houses will be eliminated. Most are on the island of St Klement which also contains the prestigious Meneghelo resort. Although it’s been there for a century, it’s fate is uncertain.

Although bad for those planning to stay on the islands, it won’t affect the ability of day-trippers to enjoy the wild natural beauty. There are regular boats from Hvar Town making trips to the Pakleni Islands all summer.

Read more about the Pakleni Islands.