Hey there again!
I come at you with the
last post about interrail (wow, this was a long series!). On the whole, I think
we planned the trip pretty well: we visited the big cities on the first week
when we had more energy, then used the second week for more laid-back
destinations and Erasmus meetings (it was fab to see you Antonia, Kinga &
Federica!) and spent the final week lying on various beaches in Croatia – not
too shabby! I think interrail was a convenient way to travel around as our
trips were quite short and they allowed us to enjoy the landscape hassle-free
and without being too time-consuming. I would advise to make sure that you
budget properly though! I spent a bit over my budget on food, simply because
prices were not as low as we were expecting, but it was nothing that would
break the bank (and make use of those Carrefour and Spar supermarkets, such a
life saver!). Finally, TALK TO PEOPLE! People who’ve been there before, people
who are there –travelling or local. They are the best source of information.
Hidden empty beach paradise? It’s a local who’ll tell you. The best pierogi
dish? It’s the hostel staff or local who will direct you to the right place!
Don’t be afraid to ask around, most people are happy to share their knowledge
and, why not, brag about the amazing places they come from!
As I said, we spent
the last week in Croatia. This was the only destination we hadn’t sorted our
trains out for and we encountered some issues. Essentially our plan was to go
to Zagreb, the capital city, and then travel to the coast to Zadar for one
night before heading down south to Split. However, when we got there we
realized that wasn’t going to happen. There were no trains linking Zagreb with
Zadar, meaning we’d have to go via Split first (which made no sense) and the
price and time that a FlixBus would require would be counterproductive. So, we
improvised. We decided to skip Zadar, spend a whole day more in Zagreb and
travel on an overnight train to Split on the night we were supposedly meant to
sleep in Zadar. It worked out cheaper than actually attempting to visit Zadar
itself. Only a couple of kuna to book a sleeper carriage (6 bed which we ended
up sharing with an American and a Brit and was incredibly rattly so forget a
good night’s sleep) but we’d use the 9hour travel time to sleep through the
journey. Fortunately, our Airbnb hostess in Split was incredibly accommodating
and although we arrived super early she managed to clean the apartment in time
for us to only have to wait about two hours to drop off our bags!
Anyway, here’s what we
got up to on our last week.
ZAGREB, CROATIA
Dates: 25th to 27th June
Dates: 25th to 27th June
Accommodation: Mali
Mrak Hostel, 2 nights, 3-bed dorm which we had to ourselves. This hostel was
further out from the city centre, which meant you either had to take the tram
or walk for half an hour/forty minutes from one place to the other. However, I
think it was worth it. The place was super laid-back and really felt like a
community. All the staff and guests helped to maintain the place and were super
chatty and helpful. I loved all the messages people had left on the walls, the
drawings and sketches, the murals… It was amazing! Igor the manager was like a
dad and he helped us out with recommendations (which we were super glad for
since we now had an extra day in Zagreb!). Would stay there again.
Food:
·
Konoba Dinov
San (Grandfather’s Dream – the Upper Town location). This place was recommended
to us and it did not disappoint. The staff were really nice and the food was
gorgeous. We sat outside in the shade to enjoy the breeze and good weather
while we munched on traditional Croatian dishes. And it was pretty affordable
too!
·
Umami. This
place did massive Asian dishes. I had some korma which was delicious and the
place is pretty cool with recipe books lying around to browse. Would recommend.
Sightseeing:
·
We happened to
arrive on the National Day which meant that everything was closed. Plus, we all
know the areas around the train stations aren’t the most attractive and since
the rest of the city was pretty dead our first impression of Zagreb was not the
best… However, we were happily surprised over the following days as we made our
way through Igor’s list!
·
On our first full day in Zagreb we managed to cover on foot most of the
places Igor had recommended, mostly around the Old Town. We went to the Main
Square where they’d set up a massive screen for the World Cup football matches
and made our way through the different levels of Dolac Market, famous for its
red parasols. It was such a cool spot with loads of fresh produce (all the
veggies) and knick-knacks. I loved the place. We also visited the Cathedral,
the Second World War tunnel and went past the Art Park which would be a cool
spot to sunbathe but is nothing insane.
·
We couldn’t go to Zagreb and not visit the Museum of Broken Relationships.
If you have a student card, ask for the student discount. It was a good mix of
sad, funny and nostalgic stories of broken hearts. It is laid out as a
traditional museum, with objects representing the broken relationships and an
information panel beside them explaining their story. Some short and sweet,
some deep and meaningful, some plain hilarious. I was surprised to see that
they did not only involve romantic relationships but also failed friendships
and family links. I would definitely not miss this! Zagreb is full of small
museums around every corner and they are all pretty affordable so just Google
it, there’s bound to be something for you!
·
On our second day we did less obvious things. We grabbed ourselves some
Spar lunch and set out on a hike up a little hidden park leading to a hill
called Cmrok. Turns out there’s not much to see from up there, but the park was
nice and the skyline of the cemetery towers is pretty impressive. Next we
decided to visit the cemetery itself which meant walking back to the centre and
then up again to the cemetery (we like walking in case you still haven’t
realized). The walls were really cool and tombs dated back to the 1700s! On our
way back to the centre in search of cake we did a detour (which I don’t
recommend to do on foot) to Maksimir Park, a massive wooded area with lakes and
loads – LOADS – of turtles. By the time we got there we actually didn’t have
much time to walk around the park woops… Don’t make the same mistake and take
the tram!
Bonus info:
·
Like Slovenes,
Croats are super friendly and helpful so don’t be afraid to ask for help and
tips!
·
One of the
coolest things we did in Zagreb was watching the football match. We bought some
Croatia gear and headed to the incredibly packed Main Square to watch the match
live on the screen. I’m not much into football but the atmosphere was
incredible and everybody went crazy when Croatia won! Megan and I were Croatia
supporters from then on! Such a good memory.
Overall opinion: I was
pleasantly surprised by Zagreb! To be honest, I had no idea what to expect.
When I’d done research before the trip I hadn’t found much to do in the city
but because of the local recommendations we actually ended up loving it. It’s
not a place I would go to specifically, but we were so happy we ended up
choosing Zagreb as one of our stops! And the football victory just added to it!
SPLIT, CROATIA
Dates: 28th
June to 2nd July
Accommodation: We
stayed for a few nights in a tiny Airbnb in the Old Town. It was perfect for us
because we had a small kitchen where we could finally cook some food so we
definitely made use of that and having the flat as base made the few days in
the coast of Croatia a lot cheaper! Just make sure you book in advance!
Food: I’m not going to
lie; I was disappointed by the food in Split. I had expected some good fish at
a reasonable price, but found nothing of the sort. Well, there were different
types of restaurants but none that stood out (and, particularly, DO NOT go to
Olive Tree by the seafront, they are a scam – rude staff and insane prices for
average food). That said:
·
Bobis is a
café/bar with different locations around the city. It was the only place open
when we got to Split at 7am so we decided to stop to grab some sort of
breakfast and wait for the flat to be done. It was nothing special, but they
open early so it’s an option if you’re flying at crazy times!
·
If you do have
access to a kitchen, there’s a Spar in town but we decided to go local and
visit the Fish Market and Green Markets in town for fresh produce. It was fab
(not cheaper though, just about the same). Just remember to ask to have your
fish gutted and cleaned!
·
Martha’s. This
is a vegan restaurant near the Palace. It was super busy and the food was
amazing! I had a bean burger and Megan had a Mexican style bowl and they were
both super yummy. Plus, raw cakes and chia puddings. What else could you want?
Sightseeing:
·
Beach-wise,
our Airbnb host recommended we’d go to Park Suma Marjan. It’s a green area near
the Old Town where a lot of people go to cycle and do exercise. Our favourite
beach turned out to be a local one quite hidden away called beach Prva Voda (on
the north near the harbour). We also visited the ones to the south but those
were stuffed with tourists and just not our jam.
·
Honestly, once
we got to Split all we basically wanted to do was spend the days at the beach
so we didn’t do much sightseeing. However, definitely roam around the harbour
and the Old Town. The Diocletian’s Palace is beautiful and there are also two
viewing points on the top of the hill that are worth the climb for the sunset
over the city!
Bonus info:
·
If you’re like
me and you attract mosquitoes, make sure you bring some insect bite medicine
because the size of those bites were insane…
Overall opinion: when it comes
to Split, I wasn’t very impressed. I think that was partly due to the fact that
it was towards the end of the trip so we were already quite saturated with new
locations, but also because I come from the Canary Islands which are famous for
the sandy beaches and blue water. Beaches in Split are crowded (due to the
popularity of the destination), pebbly and the water is dead flat. Just not my
kind of place, but I did enjoy finally being back on the coast!
BRAC, CROATIA (ISLAND)
Dates: 30th
June
Accommodation: N/A
Food: again, we just
took some packed lunch from Spar so that we would be able to spend the whole
day at the beach. Remember to bring loads of water with you, it gets pretty
hot!
Sightseeing:
·
Initially we
were going to go to Hvar, but it was Igor from our hostel in Zagreb who
suggested going to Brac instead. It was closer, less crowded and calmer and
more relaxed than party-driven Hvar. Let me tell you, those were wise words! I
absolutely loved Brac!
·
Brac is famous
for the Golden Horn beach or Zlatni Rak. However, we knew it would be super
crowded (you need to take a bus or a taxi to Bol and as soon as you get off the
ferry you’re bombarded with people offering you rides…). We passed on that one
and decided to go local. As we were checking Google for other beaches, a man
from the island started chatting to us a recommended a place called Lovrecina
Bay, a sandy beach by the ruins of a convent. Oh my days, the place was
amazing! We had to wait about an hour for the bus, so we waited at the beach
next to the harbour which has insanely clear water, and then took the bus. The
lovely bus driver dropped us off and explained to us where we needed to be to
come back – he was so nice! Definitely worth it over Zlatni Rak!
Bonus info:
·
In order to
get to Brac you need to take a ferry from Split to Supetar, the main city of
the island. The trip is around 50min and I’d recommend booking the tickets the
day before or a few days in advance because the trip (particularly the early
and evening trips) is quite popular!
Overall opinion: I absolutely
fell in love with Brac. It honestly felt like a Greek island, with loads of
olive trees and orchards and a coast dotted with secluded blue beaches and
bays. The small towns were packed with locals and everybody was super helpful.
I’d love to go back! And the beach was lovely – clear water, not too busy and
an actual strand of sand was a nice change from the usual pebble beach!
KRKA NATIONAL PARK, CROATIA
Dates: 1st
July
Accommodation: N/A
Food: again, Spar packed
lunch was our friend. There are a few food stalls and restaurants near the
waterfalls but they are packed and pricey, so a packed lunch is a better
option!
Sightseeing:
·
Krka National
Park is a park along the Krka river. It is made of three areas or tiers. The
entrance to the park is on the lower tier, where the river meets the lake and
it is famous for the Skradinski Waterfalls which are open to the public for
swimming. There is a well-kept trail around these waterfalls which takes about
an hour and a half to complete and it is quite interesting to learn about the
history, flora and fauna of the place. However, the park was incredibly
crowded. We skipped swimming in the waterfalls because it was so packed (and
the water was really cold) and, honestly, the amount of people walking without
paying attention and just taking rogue Instagrams was quite off-putting.
Bonus info:
·
Getting to
Krka is expensive. You need to get a bus to Skradin (about an hour ride) and then
buy entry tickets for the park and take a ferry across the lake (about 20min
trip). The bus was already on the pricier side, but the tickets (even with the
student discount) were a rip-off in my opinion.
·
The ferry back
only runs every hour so it gets packed. We realized we would be risking the bus
back if we waited for the ferry so we ended up having to walk back along the
lake (which actually turned out to be my favourite part of the day because it
was completely empty and the landscape was super pretty). It only took us
around 45 minutes and we reached a lovely beach for the campsite in Skradin.
·
The bus back
to Split is a joke. At the bus station in Split they wouldn’t sell us the
ticket back and once we arrived at Skradin station the guy told us he couldn’t
sell us a ticket, that we’d have to wait for the bus to arrive and hope there
were seats left. There were loads of people so it was carnage. Essentially, the
buses are privately run so you need to buy the ticket off the driver and it’s
basically a mentality of save yourself. We managed to get on the bus we wanted
but to be honest the whole thing is very badly organized and not worth the
hassle.
Overall opinion: It honestly
felt like being at Disneyland which was a pity. The park has the potential to
be a great spot but it’s just incredibly over packed with unconscious tourism
and just not worth the hassle in my opinion. Transport is poorly organized and
if you do want to visit the rest of the park you need to pay even more for the
boats to take you upstream. I was disappointed with the place. Plitvice Lakes
in the north of Croatia is probably a better shout.
Aside from the Krka flop, the few days we spent in
Croatia were pretty nice. We finally had a break from all the walking and
sunbathed and swam in the beach – proper holiday stuff. We spent our last night in Croatia watching the national team play
another World Cup match. It was really intense as it came down to penalties but
they won! Honestly, the atmosphere was great! Our trip back was interesting
too. Split International Airport was one of the worst airports I’ve ever been
to. First, get your airport bus ticket in advance because they book up quickly.
Second, once we arrived nobody seemed to know what was going on. We were told
our flight had been delayed so much we’d possibly be flying out the following
day, to then be told two minutes later that it was at 6pm rather than 10am and
then just directed to the information desk because the woman at the drop-off
desk clearly had no idea what was going on. In the end, our flight was
perfectly on schedule but the airport was still a joke. Queues everywhere, past
security there was no space at all, people piling up on the floor, children
crying, no place to get water without having to queue for half an hour… It was
crazy. Fortunately we made our flight and arrived in Gatwick with all of our
bags this time *miracle* We had to take a National Express coach to Heathrow
and from there to Bath, but made it safe and sound (and exhausted) after a full
day of travel.
On the bright
side, my contrada, Drago, won the Palio that day! That actually made me super
happy, I really miss Siena!
So that’s
that for our three weeks of interrail around Europe. I hope you’ve enjoyed
these long posts and have learnt some useful information! Sorry for the delay!
Until next
time,
Zoe x
Snapchat:
zoeamma
