Saturday, September 17, 2011

Travel Destination: Croatia

Happy Weekend!

I haven't made a Travel Destination post in a while, so here we are! ;)

I spent about 30 minutes thinking of the perfect place to escape to (virtually, of course!), and I remembered reading all about Beyonce and Jay-Z vacationing in Croatia days after Prince Harry partied there... so, I did a little research about beautiful Croatia.

And where else would I go for travel details, but www.lonelyplanet.com?

Despite the hype, Croatia’s pleasures are more timeless than trendy. Along its 1778km coastline, a glistening sea winds around rocky coves, lapping at pine-fringed beaches. Istrian ports bustle with fishermen while children dive into the sparkling water. In Dalmatia, cities throb with nightlife amid ancient Roman ruins.

Yachts glide up the coast, movie stars discreetly arrange to buy one of Croatia’s 1185 islands and no Mediterranean cruise is complete without a stop in Dubrovnik. The interior landscape is as beguiling, even though less visited. Soak in a thermal spa at Istarske Toplice in Istria. Hike through pristine forests watered by mountain streams in the west. Let the waterfalls of Plitvice moisten your face. And then there's the culture. The country that endured Roman, Venetian, Italian and Austro-Hungarian rule has a unique and slightly schizoid identity. You’ll find a strong central European flavour in the baroque architecture of Zagreb, and Italian devotion to the good life percolates up from the coast, permeating Croatian food and style. During holidays and festivals the country’s Slavic soul emerges, as colourfully costumed dancers whirl about to traditional folk melodies.

Croatians retain a strong attachment to the land and traditions that nourished the dream of independence for so long. Even as a tide of speculators and developers wash ashore, there is a real commitment to preserving the extraordinary beauty of the coast.

Let's go? :)

The old walled city of Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik, Croatia

Zlatni Rat beach and sunbathers.
Zlatni Rat Beach

Hvar town and harbour, with sailing cruiseship Royal Clipper.
Hvar town and harbor & sailing cruiseship - Royal Clipper

The coastline of Dubrovnik, Croatia, with Lovrijenac Fortress.
Lovrijenac Fortresson

St Dominus Cathedral and Protiron square at dusk.
St. Dominus Cathedral

Audience beside the Cathedral of St Jacob watching a performance during the International Children's Festival.
Cathedral of Saint Jacob

Roman amphitheatre.
Roman amphitheatre

Late afternoon light over lavender fields.
lavender fields, Hvar Island

Hilltop town.
hilltop town

Island town with mountain backdrop.
island town

Man leaping off one of the Skradinski Buk waterfalls.
Skradinski Buk waterfalls

Close up of almonds and dried prunes in the market, Split.
dried prunes and almonds

Outdoor cafe in Decumanus at Diocletian's Palace.
outdoor cafe in Decumanus in Diocletian's Palace

Dusk cafe scene in the streets of old Dubrovnik.
cafe in the streets of old Dubrovnik

***images from www.lonelyplanet.com***

*Sigh* It's such a beautiful place, and I would love to visit Croatia one day! :)

I know some of our fellow bloggers are from Croatia -- I hope I was able to present your beautiful country well. What other places should we visit when we go there?

Have you been to Croatia?

------------------------------------
P.S. My $25 Apothica gift card giveaway is open until September 25th! I hope you can join!

Twitter? WhatMimiWrites :)
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33 comments:

  1. LeeloSeptember 17, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    It sounds like very good travel destination. I haven´t been to croatia, but someday I probably will visit it :P

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  2. MimiSeptember 18, 2011 at 12:01 AM

    Miss L-- same here, i really want to visit croatia. :)

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  3. MateaSeptember 18, 2011 at 1:22 AM

    Haha, I cannot believe you wrote a post about my country :)

    There are some pictures on my blog which I uploaded recently about my hometown.

    You really should visit Croatia. I've traveled quite a bit so far and Croatia really is special.

    So many celebrities come here every year, I think Americans are just now discovering the beauties of my country.

    xoxo

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  4. aprilSeptember 18, 2011 at 2:43 AM

    I've been to Croatia 3 times. It's really beautiful. I wanna go back so badly! :)

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  5. Krysten @ Why Girls Are WeirdSeptember 18, 2011 at 5:46 AM

    Oh wow, I want to go!

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  6. ChiChi81September 18, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    Oh wow, these are such lovely photos! I love the scenic shots, you really have a talent with the lenses, my dear :) And I haven't seen that many photos of Croatia, and after seeing your photos, it sparked my interest. Would love to visit that beautiful country one day. Thanks for sharing!

    Cheers,

    Wi
    A Single Girl's Musings

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:55 AM

    Croatia is a very beautiful place.

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  8. a story about MSeptember 18, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    beautiful post! :)

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  9. Oh to Be a MuseSeptember 18, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    i never would have thought to travel to Croatia, but those homes on the side of the mountain are spectacular!

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  10. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2011 at 3:19 PM

    Wow..I've never been. How amazing.

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  11. MimiSeptember 18, 2011 at 6:19 PM

    sweetmouse24-- your country is very beautiful, and i do remember seeing pictures of croatia on your blog. :)

    Mery-- thanks!

    Michaela-- wow, that's amazing! i want to visit croatia. :)

    Krysten-- same!

    ChiChi-- i actually got the photos from lonely planet... but i agree, they are indeed beautiful!

    SassyAgapi-- it is!

    a story about M-- thanks!

    Cheryl-- oh gosh, i think they are beautiful too! :)

    meg-- i've never been either, would love to go there someday. :)

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  12. Marie a la ModeSeptember 18, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    I didn't know how beautiful this country was until this post!

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  13. MimiSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:14 PM

    Marie-- it really is such a beautiful country. :)

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  14. ellieSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:15 PM

    Its so beautiful. Great post!

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  15. MimiSeptember 18, 2011 at 8:15 PM

    ellie-- :D

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  16. stylenuggetsSeptember 18, 2011 at 10:01 PM

    Would be a fascinating country to visit

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  17. ElreseSeptember 19, 2011 at 2:46 AM

    Lovely pictures!

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  18. Jackie @ EatLove&StyleSeptember 19, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    Oh my, what a gorgeous country. It is absolutely beautiful.

    Jackie

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  19. MimiSeptember 19, 2011 at 7:12 PM

    Kavery-- totally!

    Elrese-- thanks to lonely planet. :)

    Jackie-- i totally agree!

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  20. AnonymousSeptember 20, 2011 at 12:27 AM

    Croatia is so beautiful. Wow, I didn't even know about this place, but now I do! I'm so adding this to my list of places to visit. <3

    The water is so blue and beautiful. I also love the outdoor cafe and the cafe in the streets.

    XoXo, Bree
    http://vivalabreee.blogspot.com/
    Tweet me: Viva_La_Breee

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  21. MimiSeptember 20, 2011 at 12:31 AM

    Bree-- oh gosh, isn't the water just gorgeous?! *sigh* so beautiful! :)

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  22. CarrieSeptember 23, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    wow, this is breathtaking!
    i would really love to go there and actually experience it firsthand.

    Come and join!
    To Die For Jewellry Giveaway

    Carrie
    http://readmylifeascarrie.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  23. R.September 24, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    OMG, I spent holidays in Hvar ! :D It's still on my mind, I'd like to come back there :) I LOVE Hvar !! :)

    http://addictedtosun.blogspot.com/

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  24. MimiSeptember 24, 2011 at 4:56 PM

    Carrie-- same here! ;)

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  25. MimiSeptember 24, 2011 at 4:57 PM

    R.-- that's awesome! that tells me that you really enjoyed hvar! :)

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  26. Second Hand RoseSeptember 26, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    I went to Croatia a few years ago and you are right,it is beautiful! We stayed not that far from Dubrovnik which was lovely. They have the most amazing and huge ice creams there! Where we stayed near Cavtat, there was still a lot of damage from the Falklands war and you could see lots of bullet holes in the walls and where blood had been washed off the walls. We went across the border to Montenegro which had just become independent and is definitely worth going to. The hotel we stayed in hardly had any english people, I think there were only 4 other english people in the whole hotel! The people didn't seem to speak much English,but this was over 5 years ago and they were all very friendly and helpful. Thanks for reminding me of such a lovely place!
    XxxX
    http://thesecondhandrose.blogspot.com/

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  27. MimiSeptember 26, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    Second Hand Rose-- wow, thanks for sharing your thoughts and how your stay in croatia was like with us! i loved reading about the things you saw. :)

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  28. MarieSeptember 27, 2011 at 4:51 PM

    Mimi, this is such a dreamy post!

    I would love to visit Croatia one day too. It would be a nice experience.:D

    ***** Marie *****
    Udderly Smooth® Giveaway
    Freeman Beauty Blogger Kit Giveaway

    ReplyDelete
  29. MimiSeptember 27, 2011 at 5:48 PM

    Marie-- it would be a completely different experience! :)

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  30. FASHION.chronicsOctober 7, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    hi! tanks for your comment! and I hope one day I could visit croatia... Kat Marie

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  31. MimiOctober 7, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    Kat Marie-- you're welcome! :)

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  32. Ai Ellico BajaOctober 26, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    Gorgeous! Absolutely Gorgeous!

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  33. MimiOctober 26, 2011 at 2:46 PM

    Dizzy-- :D

    ReplyDelete

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