When it comes to towns with unromantic names, I think the Croatian coastal town of Biograd has got to be in the top ten. In fact, on a camping trip through Croatia I decided to spend a night in Biograd purely on the strength of this unattractive name, and fortunately found the town to be [...]

A couple of months ago I visited Osijek, Croatia’s fourth largest city, to attend a silent film festival. The film screenings were taking place in the heart of the town’s ancient fortress, Tvrđa. Tvrđa (pronounced Tvar-ja) forms the town’s historic core. It is an ancient defence complex that was built by the Habsburgs after they [...]

If you are visiting Zagreb and have a day or two to spare, take the opportunity to explore some of the stops beyond the city limits. Samobor Samobor is the perfect escape for those who want to get away from the hustle of Zagreb. A thirty minute drive from the city, Samobor is a 13th [...]

Zagreb allows for a number of escape routes within the city limits. One such example is the Strossmayer Promenade. A green terraced walkway that connects Zagreb’s upper town with the city centre. It runs along the edge of the old town, lined with towering chestnut trees and dotted with benches. Furthermore, at regular intervals you’ll [...]

Last week I wrote about the Lotrščak Tower in Zagreb. Today, I’m writing about another local landmark situated just a few paces from the tower, the Stone Gate. Locally known as Kamenita Vrata, this is the only surviving medieval town gate in Zagreb. It was once part of the old city walls, connecting the Upper [...]

While I’ve mentioned the Lotrščak Tower in passing before, I’m going to share a little more about one of my favourite landmarks in Zagreb today. The 13th century Lotrščak Tower is a resident of Zagreb’s Upper Town. Back then it was meant to stand guard at the town gate against bandits and impending attacks. In [...]

The summer is coming to a fast and windy end in Zagreb. The leaves are turning yellow and dropping off for the season. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy a calm minute at one of the many parks in the city. Zagreb is a green city. Town planners had the foresight to plant enough green [...]

If you’re staying in Istria, the northern-most province of Croatia, then one of my travel tips is to visit the coastal town of Poreč. This part of Croatia is very close to the Italian border and you can really feel the influence in the look of the town and the relaxed lifestyle. The flat buildings [...]

I was on my way to Osijek, the largest city in eastern Croatia.  I was invited by a friend to attend a silent film festival. Since I’d never visited the region before, I took the opportunity and caught an early morning train from Zagreb’s main station. As the train pulled away and across the flat [...]

Vis is the outermost island on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast. For years the island served as an army base for the Yugoslav army, off limits to the general public, especially foreigners. It wasn’t till Croatia gained independence in 1990 that Vis opened her doors to the world. Vis is approachable only by sea. Ferries ply regularly [...]