Travel

February 4, 2023 - A new year and a new approach to improving tourism in Split, and the UK media is spreading the message, as new Split rules for dress and public drinking take effect. Back in 2015, some drunken Australian tourists were arrested for climbing onto the roof of Hvar Cathedral, causing some 5.000 kuna of damage. They were very remorseful when they sobered up, with one of them agreeing to an anonymous interview with me, which you can read here.  And what is the reputation of Hvar as a destination among Australians? Priority number one it is a…

February 3, 2023 - It is always instructive to observe tourism in other countries. Some surprising and delightful discoveries in the natural, luxury Lustica peninsula in Montenegro, far removed from the Montenegrin coastal overbuilding stereotype. And VERY accessible. January is not traditionally the most popular month for tourism in Croatia or the wider region, but increasingly I look forward to the start of every new year. There are no crowds, and many places are shut, but it does give an opportunity to explore regions stripped back to their bare essentials. If you have never visited Dubrovnik in winter, for example,…

February 1, 2023 - Why year-round flights to Belgrade could solve Dubrovnik's huge connectivity problem. The most important event in the Dubrovnik calendar takes part this year, and - don't tell anyone - this is the very best time of year to visit the Pearl of the Adriatic. The Feast of St Blaise, the much-beloved patron saint of Dubrovnik, is an extraordinary event when the UNESCO World Heritage Site, stripped back to its bare stone with most cafes and restaurants closed, comes to life and is packed once more. But not with tourists, but with locals, emerging from the winter…

January 31, 2023 - And suddenly it is summer again, and time for sailing in Croatia. A spectacular video from the air by local specialists 45 Degrees Sailing. Meet the Croatia they love - wow! One of the things I love about Croatia is that its sheer diversity attracts so many different people with different passions, who then become experts and artists in their niche. I am not a sailor, but I seriously could be tempted by the incredible work of Nick Hathaway of 45 Degrees Sailing (and I am talking just about his videography, the feedback from his sailing…

January 30, 2023 - I have stayed in many hotels on the Croatian coast over the years, but none with a view quite like the new 5-star Hotel Ambasador in Split. Learn more about that and this fabulous new addition to Croatian tourism by meeting Hotel Ambasador General Manager, Stipe Medic.   Split has a 5-star hotel in a 7-star location, with simply the best hotel view I think I have seen in my life. Introduce Hotel Ambasador for us.   Split had been waiting for something like Hotel Ambasador for a long time, and it is certainly a hotel that a…

January 26, 2023 - Foreign media loves Croatia indeed. And not only during or just before the tourist season, either. They're starting to discover it sooner and talking about it more than ever before. It's only the start of the year, and though it is mainly a summer destination, there are articles already popping up left and right about the beauties of one of Europe's most recent tourist hits. The British Times calls it Secret Croatia, and goes on to list their favourite Croatian hidden gems. This time around, the Biritish Times dug deeper and decided to praise the hidden…

January 15, 2023 - Niche cross-border tourism doesn't get much publicity, but Schengen and the euro have brought a new type to Slovenia from Croatia - international supermarket tourism. For decades it was known (to me at least) for only two things - the largest border crossing befween Croatian and Zagreb (where I and many others have spent hours in border queues), and the only place I knew that had a pub with the bar in one country and the toilets in another (you can read about that in Fortress Europe? Meet Slovenia's Open Schengen Crossing with Croatia. Bregana. Just 20…

January 14, 2023 - "Get to know your country" is a project of the Croatian Tourist Board of free guided tours organised in more than 40 Croatian cities on Sunday, January 15, for the Day of International Recognition of the Republic of Croatia, the Association of Croatian Tour Guides announced on Wednesday. As Gloria writes, the tours will be provided all over Croatia, and in almost all cities, they will start at noon. There are a couple of exceptions where the programme will be coordinated with other celebration protocols, such as Vukovar marking peaceful reintegration, or Cres, where the tour…

January 14, 2023 - A video appreciation of a festival that even most Croats have never heard of - the outstanding Biklijada young red wine and goat milk festival in Vrgorac.  Croatia does niche, local and authentic festivals like no other in my experience, with many of these festivals little known outside the local area. Croatia also has some of the best wine in the world, and some of the strangest wine-drinking practices. Put all the above together, and are we surprised that there is a drink called Bikla, which is a mix of red wine and goat milk, and…

January 8, 2023 - Did you know that a whole different world awaits you a short distance from Zagreb, a world which is as far removed from the bustling centre in every possible way? And a world which is accessible in just 15 minutes via the recently opened Zagreb Cable Car. Zagreb is one of the few European cities that has quality skiing on its doorstep, and now even closer thanks to the cable car ride up the mountain to Sljeme. On a gorgeous December day, I made my way to the base station, determined to overcome my fear of…