I have always wanted to visit Croatia and finally made it on my third attempt. The first time I was on a cruise with a stop in Dubrovnik, unfortunately the weather was so bad that the port was closed and  we had to take a detour. The next time, my plans were canceled because of Covid. This time, I was able to see more of Croatia than I would ever have imagined. I already was in Dubrovnik and in some of the beautiful countryside, and now I am in the capital then on to Opatika.

A short walk from our hotel in Zagreb, we stopped by the Art Pavilion and continuing towards the square we walked through Zrinjevac Park.

We were here on a Saturday night and the square was alive with people mainly young ones riding bicycles and seem to be having a lot of fun. Josip Jelacic was the provincial Governor and a member of the Austrian army during the Hungarian war.

After leaving the main square we walked south heading to the funicular taking us up to the upper town. this funicular is the shortest in the world it is 66meters/.04miles long and takes less than a minute from start to finish. You are able to walk up steps but using the funicular is very popular and there might be a waiting line. a ticket is required to ride.

We did not use the funicular to go back to the lower town we continued walking down .

Upon arrival back to the lower town we found this model of the city and a live band at one corner of the square. the town was alive with visitors dining, shopping or just finding some of the other places of interest, maybe to one of the museums. After a full day of exploration and for me a little rest time some of us went for dinner at Boban restaurant joined by our experienced trip leader. It was time for a cocktail for me.

We were now off to the countryside north of Zagreb. Traveling through hillsides with winding roads towards Klanjec.

Antun Augustincic is the Croatian sculptor who did the monument outside of the United Nations in New York. Here in Klanjec, we visited the museum where an array of his work was on display.

I am from jamaica and am quite familiar with the rastafarian group. I know that the rastafarians consuder Haile Selassie as their God. One thing I learned on this visit is that the Haile Selassie’s real name was Ras Tafari Maconnen. Hence , that is probably where the rastafarians adopted the name.

We also visited the outdoor old village museum in Kumrovec, where we got a glimpse of customs and traditions of the past. Kumrovec is where Josip Tito, the President of Yugoslavia, was born.

Plitvice Lakes National Park is a UNESCO site and is the largest park in Croatia. Parts of the lakes and some of the waterfalls can be seen from an upper level. There are several entry points to go down and walk along the interconnected lakes. Depending on how much time you have will determine going to the lower area and covering a good portion of this vast domain. The pathway along the lakes has no barriers, and swimming or stepping in the lakes are not permitted.

There are souvenir shops, restrooms, restaurants outside of the main entrance with lots of outdoor seatings for picnic style eating or just resting. After about a three hour stop here we were heading to Opatika. Before leaving a few more climb to get to our awaiting coach.

Leaving the site of the lakes we continued along the winding roads with some spectacular views of the hills and thick vegetation. We got to a point in the mountains where the Adriatic sea came into view but was too quick to capture. We made a rest stop in Senj and then continued along the ocean.

Opatika is a beautiful seaside resort. Along the main street, there are little shops, a grocery store, a pharmacy, and places to get gelato and pastries. Going down a little below the main are restaurants at the seaside. There is a Boardwalk if you want to take a stroll along the ocean or to visit the statue of the maiden and the seagull.

This ends my Croatian experience and will visit Slovenia next.