Summer has barely arrived before it's almost gone again. When the leaves slowly start to change colour, it's usually the perfect time to seek out some sun and warmth somewhere, before autumn arrives and days become shorter. We did the same - and spent five days exploring the Croatian coast. Here is a short photo report.
Road to nowhere?
Plitvice Nationalpark
Yes, fortunately we arrived without any problems! After some hassle with the car hire company (who simply didn't turn up or answer the phone) and a stressful drive to our first destination (we pulled into the car park 5 minutes before our ticket expired!), we were able to enjoy our first stop: Plitvice National Park, the oldest and probably most famous national park in Croatia, which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. We hiked along a predetermined route for around 3 hours on wooden walkways through the beautiful park, along turquoise-coloured water and waterfalls. It was wonderful!
živjeli - Country living for a night
There seems to be a lot of small, private accommodation throughout Croatia (in Italy they would call it agriturismo). We had also booked such accommodation because we love contact with locals and exciting encounters when travelling. We were not disappointed! Close to the national park, in the middle of the countryside, we stayed with Tomislav, who turned out to be a great host - and former national football team goalkeeper. We chatted all evening, ate a lot and well - oh, and toasted to life with a schnapps or two. živjeli (cheers)!
At some point, the sea appeared in front of us. We crossed a long bridge from the mainland to the island of Krk and then to the village of Stara Baska, where we would spend two nights. The sea shimmered an almost kitschy turquoise blue and we could hardly wait to jump in. The next day we had the opportunity to do just that, we went on a boat trip along the coast and were able to explore the underwater world by snorkelling.
