Dalmatia, me likey! Me likey a lot!

After visiting Kornati National Park, we only drove out of Zadar some 10km, where we found ourselves a beautiful spot for the night, right on the beach next to a little fishing harbor.

We watched the sunset right from this spot, trying to imagine how it could be any better. Nothing came to mind, really.

Considering that wild camping is forbidden in Croatia, we are doing pretty good, Iˋd say. But then, itˋs still very much off season. In a month or so, things will be different for sure. But by then we will be in Bosnia & Herzegovina, where wild camping is allowed.

Close to the road but also so close to pure bliss

We went to see Vransko jezero next, the largest lake in the country and a nature reserve, especially important for local and migrating birds.

You can circumnavigate the lake on a 45km trail. My human was on her bike, of course, but met people on motorcycles and quads as well. Not many others on bikes. Two, to be exact. And they looked slightly miserable. Might be because 35 of those 45km are bone-rattling rough rubble, up and down and up and down.

We found ourselves another stunning spot for the night, slightly above a little deserted cove.

Biograd na Moru, a small town along the way

Could be that the sailing here is good

The medieval city of Sibenik makes you think you are in Italy.
Seeing the city from a little distance, you would be excused to check on Google Maps where you actually are.

The rule of the Venetian Republic has been history since the late 18th Century, but it sure has kept the flair. Not just here, but in all of Dalmatia.

The beautiful Cathedral of the Holy Jacob, UNESCO world heritage listed, took 100 years to build. Nothing compared to the Sagrada Familia, but still a long time.

Walking through the small cobblestoned lanes and along the water to the harbor, it all feels very Italian.

A very timely water clock

The river Krka discharges here, right opposite the old center.

Thatˋs why the Krka Nationla Park is just around the corner. It was established in 1985 and sees around 10.000 visitors a day in the summer, a little less than Plitvice Lakes.

It being early April, though, and my human being the first one to buy a ticket that day gave her a good head start.

The park opens at 8, but the bus to get you from the car park to the actual entrance only starts at 9. Go figure.
Itˋs only a ten-minute walk from one to the other, though.

So for the first hour or so, she seemed to be the only person in the park. Just to her liking.

The park features seven waterfalls, with Skradinski buk und Roski slap being the most popular.
The water has some amazing colors, changing throughout the park, depending on the size of the waterfall or lake.
Swimming used to be allowed until a few years ago. Protective measures had to be taken, though, due to stupid people doing stupid things.

Skradinski Buk

It sais Tree of the Year 2023; thanks Renata!

Roski Slap

The same natural phenomena that built the Plitvice Lakes, Tufa, is at work here as well, making for a somewhat similar scenery, and yet very different.

If, like me, you have no idea what the heck tufa actually is, here is a little explanation:

The Italian vibe continued when we arrived in Trogir.
Back in the day, the Romans dug a canal to separate the town center from the rest, and so Trogir proper became a tiny island which you can circumnavigate in about 20 minutes.

But of course you donˋt just want to walk around, but through every little alley and passage to discover charming sights, smells of lavender, grilled fish and fresh pastry. Also terribly slippery cobblestones around every corner.

I love everything about this picture!

Our surprise about this one only the Bavarians will understand

In 1997 the whole island was declared UNESCO World Heritage.

If what you are after is peace and quiet, this is your place. If you are in for some action, hustle and bustle, Trogirˋs "big sister" Split is where you want to be.

Here everything is bigger, grander, noisier and busier, not necessarily better.

Driving towards Split we felt, for the first time since Zagreb, that this is a real city, worthy of the name. There are high-rise buildings, big malls, pollution, all the stuff you would expect from a city (but not really miss when you donˋt have it).

View of the city from Marjan Forest Park

A large part of the old center is taken up by the Palace of Diocletian.

It was built at the end of the 3rd Century AD as his retirement residence.
The term palace is a bit misleading, since it is an enormous structure, more of a fortress, really.

It is the worldˋs most complete remains of a Roman palace. Also UNESCO listed, of course.

No sure what the Sphynx is doing here...

The city sort of just grew around and into it over time, and now it all blends into each other, and sometimes you are not sure if you are looking at the outside of the palace or just a "normal" wall.

The concentration of restaurants must be roughly one per 10 inhabitants.
Which didnˋt make it easy to pick one for lunch, but in the end my human was very satisfied with her choice and her Dalmatian chicken stew with homemade Gnocchi.

Konoba Fetivi, great choice!

After the hustle of Split, we were ready again for some nature. We drove up to Gornje

Sitno, a tiny hamlet in the hills only 20km from Split, with a cracking view of the Adriatic Sea and the city.

From here, my human went on an 8-hour hike in the hills (itˋs hard to call them mountains), meeting exactly five other people (in a group).

Views from Veliki Kabel

Split

Our sunset view of Split, another great spot for the night

The next morning, she spoke to a couple of hikers from Zagreb who were waiting for their friends. They themselves go hiking a lot here and in Slovenia, but said that the Croat as such is not very much into it, for reasons unknown.

The whole coast of Dalmatia is 1200km long and stretches from Zadar down to Dubrovnik. So we havenˋt, and wonˋt, see all of it, but I have to say, this is a really beautiful part of the world.
I guess experiences will differ in high season, but the natural beauty wonˋt change, you just might not see it for all the people.