The Great Escape

wHETHER yOUR idEA Of A GOOd TiME iS viSiTinG MUSEUMS, lAZinG On A bEACH, HiTTinG THE SlOpES, OR SippinG winE in THE COUnTRySidE, yOU CAn CHECk OUR liST Of wEEkEnd ESCApES in CROATiA THAT AwAiT yOU THiS SUMMER / AUTUMn. wiTH SUMMER in fUll SwinG THERE iS A lOT TO CHOOSE fROM. wHETHER iT’S TOURinG THE ZAGORjE CASTlES, CRUiSinG AROUnd THE kARlOvAC RivERS, indUlGinG in lOCAl CUlTURE And GASTROnOMy Of OZAlj, HikinG in THE MOUnTAinS Of GORSki kOTAR OR SUnbATHinG And ExplORinG THE COAST, wE’vE ROUndEd Up THE bEST dESTinATiOnS fOR A SUpERb wEEkEnd bREAk in CROATiA.

nATURE & HikinG TRAilS Walking on Medvednica is a proper forest immersion experience. Wherever you go, trees soar high above you, majestically rustling. Within the Park, there are 8 protected forest reservations. You will come across many common species such as oak, chestnut, beech, but also the rare ones like linden and yew. There is a belief that the yew tree has great powers, which is reflected in some modern fiction. The evil wizard, Voldemort, from the Harry Potter series of books has a magic wand made of this tree. Medvednica stretches 42 km and offers 70 hiking blazed trails of various length and degree of difficulty. You may also choose among several interpretative walks and educational trails. Of special note is the Bliznec forest trail which is completely adapted for visitors with disabilities. Through the educational boards set up along the trail you will learn about the colourful history of Medvednica, its flora and fauna. Other educational trails include the Miroslavec trail and the Bikčević trail, one of the most visited trails in Park.

A pERfECT ESCApE Zagorje is a picturesque region of rolling hills covered in vineyards and dotted with churches and castles all over the place. Serving as perfect haven for relaxation and contemplation, it is also a great destination for an active holiday. Whether you choose to enjoy its numerous thermal springs, get to know the local crafts in Kumrovec open-air museum, do a tour of the fairy-tale castles of Trakošćan and Veliki Tabor or simply go hiking, cycling & mushroom picking, Zagorje has it all.

wEiRd SCiEnCE Situated in a large sloping private garden, the Science Park in Oroslavlje (www.parkznanosti.com) is a fun way to explore basic physics, with a sequence of interactive learning stations that help kids learn about mass and velocity, human senses – or simply have fun bashing things.

A dAy in THE COUnTRy For a perfect day at the beach with a difference, the river Mrežnica near Karlovac is a great place to picnic on the lawns and enjoy a dip in a slow-flowing river: Belavići, with its grassy riverbank, restaurants and camp-site, is the place to aim for. AqUATikA - fRESHwATER AqUARiUM kARlOvAC Karlovac is famous for its four rivers, each one just as lovely as the other. This beautiful modern aquarium is devoted to local freshwater life, enabling us to get to know our fishy friends better and understand more fully just how rich in beauty and biodiversity the Karlovac region is.

dUbSTEp COUnTRy The Dubovac Castle is one of the best-preserved and most beautiful monuments of medieval architecture in Croatia. Built on a prehistoric hill above the river Kupa, it was named after the dubs, the oaks growing on the surrounding slopes. The castle changed hands many times throughout history and its current appearance is the result of a comprehensive restoration carried out during the midtwentieth century. Within the castle you will come across a museum and a nice cosy restaurant witha touch of Medieval times.

All qUiET On THE CROATiAn fROnT The mid-Croatian town of Karlovac was on the front line during the Homeland War of 1991-95 and it is fitting that this national museum devoted to the conflict is located here. More precisely, it liesjust off the main road to the Plitvice Lakes in the suburb of Turanj, the place where the main enemy advance was repulsed. The display is housed in an imaginatively renovated nineteenth-century barracks, first built by the Austrians and then pressed into service in 1991 by Karlovac’s Croatian defenders, who ironically dubbed the place ‘Hotel California’. Encased in a glass shell, the barracks contains a modern multi-media display detailing the military operations that took place here together with an account of what life was like for the local civilian population. Alongside a wealth of military hardware inside the Museum of the Homeland War, Turanj, Karlovac there is a stirring display of artillery pieces, aircraft and armoured cars on the lawn outside.

SlAvA RAŠkAj Don’t miss out on visiting the Old Town of Ozalj and its museum that hosts the paintings of Slava Raškaj, one of Croatia’s greatest impressionist painters who searched for inspiration in the lyrical landscapes of the Ozalj region – its lush gardens, water lilies, flowers, willows by the river, and local people doing their everyday chores. Her water colors represent the highest achievement of Croatian impressionist painting at the turn of the century.. wHAT liES bElOw The Zeleni vir area is known for its unusual geological formations. The name means “Green Pool”, and refers to the emerald pool formed by a little waterfall gushing from an opening high up in a rock face. The second attraction in this area is Vražji prolaz – or the Devil’s Pass. This is an 800m long canyon carved out of the rock by a wild, foaming stream. You can walk along galleries and bridges the whole length of the canyon, and at the end you’ll come to a cave, “Muževa hiša”, with stalagmites, stalactites and a small underground lake. Zeleni vir is near the little town of Skrad, just off the A6 motorway (Zagreb direction).

wHERE THE wild THinGS ARE To learn more about the big beasts of Croatia’s forests then head for the Large Carnivores Visitors Centre in Stara Sušica (www. centar-velikezvijeri.eu),where a multi-media display introduces you to the lives of the bears and wolves of the Gorski Kotar.

THE GOOd SpA MOMEnT Health and wellness go hand in hand with Opatija and the Thalassotherapia Medical Center has the complete package to suit almost all of your health needs. As their offer continues to expand, the center now includes the application of contemporary, aesthetic interventions ensured under the highest medical standards. It is possible to remove or alleviate almost all aesthetic flaws of the face and body and you get to stay in a lovely old Opatija villa.

pininG fOR THE fjORdS Cutting into the western coast of Istria is a wondrously beautiful inlet known as the Limski kanal or Lim Channel. Popularly dubbed the Lim Fjord due to its resemblance to the Norwegian coast, it is in fact a 10km-long estuary of a local river, the Pazinčica. Edged by steep grey-green slopes that in places reach a height of 150 metres, this stunning natural feature is a popular target for boat trips from the nearby resorts of Poreč and Rovinj. One historical personality who is rumored to have come here on a boat trip and stayed is seventeenth-century Welshswashbuckler Henry Morgan, whose alleged descendants live in the village of Mrgani above the fjord’s northern rim. The Italian adventurer and teller of tall tales Giacomo Casanova briefly stayed at the nearby hillside town of Vrsar, noting the region’s “good wine and beautiful women”in his memoirs. By way of tribute to the Venetian charmer, a popular biking trail from Vrsar to the Lim Fjord is known as the “Casanova Way”. The Fjord is also famous for its oysters, which are served in a couple of renowned restaurants down by the shore.Lim’s fjord-like features were put to good use in HoJlywood Viking movie The Long Ships (starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier), filmed here in 1963.

blUE fiSH MOnTH If by any chance you find yourself, say on a Friday at our fish market, you will surely notice the largest cue at the stands selling fresh sardines and anchovies. And it is these species of blue fish that is sold the most, both because it is rather cheap and foremost extremely healthy. In saying that, even if small blue fish such as sardines are known to catch the eye; it is topple, whitefish, bream or grouper that is still highly sought after. Hence, it would seem that people survive on blue fish, whilst dreaming of having white fish and for that matter, large tasty portions of it. To put it mildly, this is a somewhat unfair attitude towards a category of fish that has in the past nurtured and raised our entire coastline.To celebrate the magic of the oily fish recipes that have sustained this place for centuries, September in Crikvenica will be Blue Fish Month. Sardines at their most magical.

An UnfAUSTiAn bARGAin Take a boat to Prvić island and get acquainted with Faust Vrančić – a philosopher, lexicographer and inventor who marked the 16th century. Faust invented the parachute, olive mills, grape presses and sundials, to name just a few. Venice, 16th century, Vrančić takes the plunge and makes it! You are looking at the first formal inventor of the parachute. Being a polymath, he was born in Šibenik and was buried on the island of Prvić, home to this centre where you can see drawings, book collections, models and prototypes of his numerous inventions. Includes multimedia displays and educational games for youngsters!, Prvić Island, mcfaustvrancic.com

livinG lA viA bRATTiA Via Brattia, a 140 km-long hiking trail, encircles almost the entire island of Brač making it an exquisite tourist attraction. The trail connects the 12 most attractive historical locations and some of the most picturesque places on the island, challenging the recreationists and mountaineers who can collect stamps at each of the 12 points. The trail passes through the center of Supetar, Mirac, Sutivan, Bobovišća na moru, Ložišća, Milna, Murvica, Bol, Sumartin, Povlja, Pučišća, Postira, Škrip, and some of the island’s most beautiful beaches and bays (Zlatni rat, Farska, Murvica, Lovrečina, Smrka, etc.) Since the trail is circular, it is marked both ways and you can start your hike from any of the above-mentioned settlements, simply by following the blue-white blazes. If you decide to do the whole trail, it would be wise to plan a sleepover at some of the small towns on the map, where you can stock up on water and food supply. There is a map of the trail that will come in handy for all who decide to take up the challenge. Find the route map in the tourist information centers of the island of Brač.

MOUnTAinS HiGH Situated on a karst plateau well to the east of the Adriatic coast, Imotski is a historic market town full of stone-built houses and tranquil alleys. It is famous for an astounding pair of natural beauty spots right on the outskirts of town, the Blue Lake (Modro Jezero) and Red Lake (Crveno Jezero). Both are situated in deep limestone depressions which fill with water during rainy periods and drain almost dry in especially hot summers. The Blue Lake is a designated nature park, with well-kept paths spiraling down to the shore and the possibility of taking a swim in the turquoise waters at the bottom. There is a lot of apartment accommodation in the area, and if the stark beauty of the Dalmatian interior appeals, this is the ideal place to enjoy it. . bRidGE OvER TROUblEd wATERS A spiny finger of land topped by a mountain ridge, the 65km-long Pelješac peninsula stretches northeastwards into the Adriatic from the famous oyster-farming town of Ston. The peninsula is not exactly unknown to tourists but it is far from being over-exploited, offering a plethora of niche locations and little-traveled corners. The main town is Orebić, a beach resort of some popularity on account of its expansive pebble strands. However Orebić remains a family-centred resort rather than a raucous hotspot, and the beaches are big enough to accommodate everyone without too much of a crush. Viganj, west of Orebić, is popular with the windsurfing crowd on account of its channeled breezes, but most of them stay in campsites, there is no line of hotels dominating the shore. Beach connoisseurs will love the fine crescents of shingle tucked away in hidden places likeTrstenik, Žuljana and Divna. Above all Pelješac is famous for its wine, with the peninsula’s steep south-facing slopes yielding some of the best reds in the country.