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Country of
Contrasts
(The second edition on Croatia: The Istrian Peninsula and
Kvarner)
We left the capital city of Zagreb on route to the
ISTRIAN Peninsula. We travelled through the Croatian countryside,
off the beaten track, passing through typical rural villages: Zdenac,
Skocici and Jezerara. All along the route, snow-capped mountains in
a distant Bosnia were visible.
Istria takes its name from the first settlers, the
tribe of the Histri. When the Romans conquered the peninsula in the
2nd century BC, they built fortified military towns. The most
important being Porec and Pula on the western coastline of the
peninsula. Until today, Istria has always had close ties with Italy,
and is about two hours drive by car from Venice.
We reached the beautiful coastal town, OPATIJA,
late afternoon. This famous summer coastal resort is one of the most
famous and oldest tourist resorts of the Mediterranean. Tucked in
between the Ucka Mountains and the deep blue ocean, Opatija was once
a favourite with the Austrian Royal families.
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Along the
coast we travelled past many seaside towns and villages to PULA,
known for one of the oldest and best-preserved amphitheatres of
the Roman Empire. Originally built in 79 AD, it was restored in
the previous century and is recently used as open-air theatre
for music and performances.
The Limski Zaljev is a 10 kilometre long channel or flooded karst fjord, where mussels and oysters are farmed in the emerald
green waters and unusual vegetation along the massive vertical
rock formations.
Some of Istrias best seafood restaurants are found in Rovinj and
Polec.
Given the millions of tourists who flock to the Istrian
coastline every year, it is surprising that so few think about
heading into the region’s rural hinterland. It can be compared
with the many hill towns of Italy’s Tuscany. |
One of the real joys of exploring inland, is driving
aimlessly around the vineyard landscape, stopping off whenever you
feel like it to taste some of their good white wines. There are
hidden gemlike fortified hill towns, like Pazin, Motovun, Vizinada
and Groznjan.
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In the chocolate box beauty of MOTOVUN, we
spent the night at the Hotel Kastel, atop a rocky hilltop,
overlooking the rolling green fields and vineyards far below. It
is interesting to note that the Formula 1 world champion, Mario
Andretti, was born here during the forties.
GROZNJAN,
both architecturally and historically similar to Motovun, is for
the past 40 years a haven of art and music. For years it was
ignored and neglected, until in 1965, the Local Council
proclaimed it the “CITY OF ARTISTS”. Painters, sculptors,
potters and musicians were invited to set up their workshops
here, on condition that they carried out restoration work on the
dilapidated stone buildings during the off season months.
Consequently, Groznjan has become home to more than 50 small
galleries and studios. Some of the best selection of Croatian
art can be purchased at still reasonable prices between
mid-April to September. |
View over vineyards below the hill town of
Motovun in Istria |
If one is interested and has a love of original forms
of art, strolling around the various studios where artists are
actively busy working, will give you much pleasure.
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The fairytale scenery of the Plitvice Lakes Park bordering
Bosnia |
During the
Summer school period, the cobbled pedestrian streets reverberate
with the tireless tuning of strings and popular evening
performances. Outside, on the old-fashioned konoba
terrace of the Ladonija Restaurant, with its rustic tables and
wooden benches, one can enjoy regional specialities like white
truffles, game and wild mushrooms.
Croatia is
home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, and much of the
beautiful parts of the country have been, despite the war, well
preserved: both the Krka and Plitvice Lakes National
Parks have been declared a protected Unesco World Biosphere
Reserve. This area, consists of 16 lakes and dense forest, and
is particularly known for its spectacular waterfalls and
differently coloured aquamarine and emerald lakes, among the
forested landscape, covered in a blanket of snow for most of the
year. |
The picturesque
small town of
SKRADIN
lies at the point where the Krka River enters a long sea channel.
Backed by dense woodland and directly on the waterfront, Skradin’s
old stone buildings and two church spires, appear the epitome of
peace and harmony. One will never tell that this small town,
together with Dubrovnik, was once, not so long ago, the intense
battlefield between the Serbs and the Croats.
We stayed in the
quiet little Skradinsky Buk Hotel right in the middle of town,
facing a busy little square where all the locals meet for a schnapps
after work. On an outdoor terrace, slightly uphill from the marina,
we enjoyed some excellent local dishes and seafood, especially
shellfish at prices so reasonable, you will not even find back at
home.
To visit the
Krka Falls , one can either drive by car or take a boat, leaving
the harbour front of Skradin every hour. A network of wooden
walkways will lead you above the gurgling water rapids and through
thick riverine vegetation. It is a beautiful location and you could
spend an entire day here.
- Johann &
Monique Beukes |
