Author: RP

20 reasons why Croatia is the best place for living

Croatia has such a great quality of life. The slow pace, the amazing landscapes, the generous people….just to name a few. I would like to share this top 20 of some great advantages of living in Croatia. 

1. Stunning natural beauty and very diverse landscapes: 
You are never far away from really beautiful nature and crystal clear rivers. Maybe Slavonia is a bit more flat and boring. But try the wonderful nature park of Papuk. Croatia has such a high amount of National Parks, Nature Parks, and protected areas.

2. Great infrastructure:
Croats have a great love for asphalt. Even the smallest villages in the mountains can be reached by asphalt nowadays. Toilets in many shopping centres and gas stations are clean and available for free.
The highways….They are among the best and most beautiful ones in Europe. Everything is fenced, no wildlife on the road.

3. No real estate tax: 
Owning your own house and land in Croatia is a great privilege. Up till now, there is still no real estate tax.

4. A very safe country: 
Whether you take a late evening walk in Zagreb or you take a hike in the countryside. Croatia is very safe. The crime rate is low. Burglary is not a common practice in this country.

5. Easy to find an affordable place in fantastic locations: 
There are plenty of houses for sale in Croatia. The great thing is that (apart from the coast), you can find your own hideaway in nature or in a little village and still have a lot of land and privacy around you.

6. Water  is everywhere: 
Croatia is most famous for its wonderful breathtaking coast. But I prefer rivers even better. Did you ever drive up to the source of the Kupa river? Experience the brutal power of nature and seeing the water coming out of the ground with such a force? There is water in abundance in Croatia. In summer the rivers warm up to a comfortable 24 degrees and you can swim, raft or row. Often times you have the place all to yourself. Why… there are just so many of these places.

7. Small supermarkets and bakeries on every corner: 
I really love that you don’t have to go to a big mall first and park your car and then walk another five minutes. It is still profitable to run a small supermarket in Croatia. So you see them everywhere and they store a lot of stuff. Bakers are all over the place. Especially in the last five years the variety and quality of bread are improving. You can just stop on the main road and buy fresh bread, a pastry, or a famous burek. Enjoy!

8. Slow pace of life:
The summers are hot and the Croats are warm-hearted. They will always make time for a talk. The stress that I so often experience in Western Europe is something that I seldomly sense here in Croatia.

9. Lots of personal services:
Whether it is the repair of your lawnmower, the fixing of your vacuum cleaner or the need for a handmade wardrobe. There are still a lot of practical and creative craftsmen around in Croatia. Knowing them personally is a great advantage. They do not rip you off and offer value for money.

10. Affordable prices:
Going to get a haircut costs me just 3,50 euro. The lunch menu in the restaurant costs me just 5 euro. When I damage my car, I just go to a local craftsman and, he fixes it for less than 100 euro. A coffee in Varazdin will cost you just 80 cents.  When you know your way around you can get things really cheap.

11. Other great places of interest within easy reach: 
Venice, Vienna, Budapest, Mostar, Ljubljana, and beautiful Montenegro. Croatia’s great road network allows you to travel fast to other great European destinations in less than half a day.

12. Small agricultural companies: 
I love to plant…So why not make a small business of it. We have almost one hectare of land around our house. So we planted a lot of trees, berries, and nuts. The government allows you to start a small agricultural business and also market your own homegrown goodies and share those healthy treats with other people and earn some money at the same time. This is something we really appreciate!

13. You can have your own piece of forest: 
Besides having a big piece of land for low money you can also own your own piece of forest. We own one as well and every year we take just two or three trees out for our own personal use. We do not have huge bills for heating. We warm our house by means of our own natural resources.

14. There is a lot of jurisdiction but on the other hand a lot of freedom:
If you want to start a business or get permits that can be quite a time consuming and dreadful experience (unfortunately) in Croatia. But on the other hand, there is a lot of freedom. For instance, we have the wonderful Kupa river behind our house. We made concrete stairs to get into the water safely. We have a boat there. The river is not ours and the small strip of land that separates our land and the river is not ours. But still, we get all the freedom in the world to make such facilities for ourselves.

15. Everything grows: 
The climate is just great, at our place literally, everything grows. Whether its kiwi’s, grapes, berries, apples, pears, kakis. We grow most of our own food and the warm summers and relatively mild and short winters are of great help.

16. The value of cultural traditions: 
Croats on average do not like changes. That means the level of innovation in society is a little slower. They like to keep things the way they are, that can be positive and both negative. But I see it from the photographer’s point of view. There are so many old and ancient objects in the landscapes that add great interest to my pictures. When you compare that to Slovenia where most people just want nice, big modern houses I am glad we still have some blast of the past here.

17. No high population density: 
My guests are often surprised if I take them to a beautiful swimming spot or someplace out in nature. The first thing they say is ‘there are not many people here’. That is true. There is no heavy population density. You notice it on the road, driving here on most roads is rather quite relaxed.

18. There are coffee places practically everywhere: 
You will find them in the most amazing places. Even at the end of a dirt road near some lonely mountain hut, someone is making soup or coffee. This country will serve you well and most of the time the coffee won’t cost you much.

19. A streetlight in front of every house: 
This might sound a bit insignificant. But I really got to appreciate it. When you compare Croatia with Germany a lot leaves to be desired. But our streets and road are much better illuminated! Wherever you own a house there is the obligation of the municipality to put a streetlight there.

20. Lots of business opportunities:
Competition is not as heavy as in Western Europe. As I already explained, permits are not easy to get, bureaucracy puts a heavyweight on your patience and endurance here. But on the other hand, let’s get real. Who dares wins. We tried a lot… We failed in some things and succeeded in other things. I would not have liked to miss this adventure in my first seven years in Croatia. Things have calmed down now and I look back on it with great satisfaction. All these bureaucrats purified my dreams and made them even better!

21. The bonus….We recycle all our pet plastic bottles and soda cans. And that means a lot!

Great photo spots in the Zumberak

   Photo tips: 
OK, I will not share all of them and keep a few to myself. Realize that hunting the right locations for great pictures is more than half the job. A time consuming and costly process. But I simply love exploring. There is so much to discover in Croatia.

Lucky shots are very seldom. You need to prepare well and venture out to find great locations. Nowadays it has become much easier by means of Google maps. I stored more than 1100 locations in Croatia alone in them.

After finding your location take some time to see if there are no disturbing elements. Find out where the sun comes up and goes down. See if there are some interesting details that attribute to your future picture.

Then the third part begins…. You start making the visual and mental picture. That means; start dreaming of how you want your picture to look like. What season? What time? What kind of circumstances.
Be prepared for some disappointments. Be prepared to come back a few more times until you meet the right conditions. The right light, an interesting sky, some nice layers of fog and warm colours can make such a huge difference.

   Zumberak Nature Park: 
This nature park is really one of my favourite places for photography. It is actually divided in the Samborske Gorje and the Zumberak. In this blog I will be focused on the Zumberak. Here the mountains are not as steep as in the Samoborske Gorje.  You will hardly meet any tourists here. Especially the part around Vivodina is very picturesque. It is the unique combination of rolling hills, meandering creeks and rivers and churches adding interesting detail for the landscape photographer.

   Locations:
In my future blogs, I will post many more tips about the Zumberak. But here are a few great places for you to enjoy.

The road from Sosice to Petrus Vrh is very pretty and offers some great viewpoints. The best view on Vivodina is at the cemetery at Petrus Vrh. In Vivodina itself the view behind the church is also very pretty. The road is very narrow but has a hardened surface. Do not forget to stop at Danculovici ( a short sidetrack). It offers a great view of the Vivodina area. The next village of Dojutrovica offers also great views.

You can still deviate a little more from this beautiful road and overlook the little hamlet of Kast. Another great view with a church.

You will also love this special viewpoint. It is a steep drive up but well worth the view. It is about 2 kilometres from Petrus Vrh.

Another one of my personal favourites is the valley at Stupe. A very little village but with a very special hill, almost shaped like a pyramid.

   Take a break: 
Restaurant Zumberacki Raj in Zamarija offers great trout dishes with fresh salad and roasted potatoes.
Restaurant Frlan in Vivodina offers meat dishes and great strudel.

   Take a walk:
You can take a wonderful walk, indicated with signs, from Vivodina. Your starting point is at the church of Vivodina. Free parking.

 

National Park Krka: Kistanje

   Location:
The monastery in Kistanje
National park Krka is by far my favourite National Park in Croatia. It is rich in diversity, nature, cultural heritage and fascinating landscape.
In this series, I will take you to many of the breathtaking locations in the National Park Krka and some even outside the borders of the NP like some interesting places in Knin and Drnis.

I am amazed by the progress this park has seen over the last ten years. Many fantastic investments have been done to make the park more accessible. There are new bicycle routes, walking trails, pick-nick places, overlooks, education centres and safety precautions on many of the locations. Keeping in mind that is area suffered severe damage during the last civil war we can only be grateful for the many efforts the board of the NP Krka did to make this Croatia’s number 1 travel destination.

The great thing about the National Park Krka is that even in high season you can avoid the crowds to take your car and make the 70-kilometre loop around the park. There are dozens of places where you can enjoy the magnificent sights of the river Krka and the waterfalls. Some require a bit of walking but nothing really demanding. Many places you can visit for free. A few places require a day ticket which price varies by the time of the season you plan your visit.

The Krka monastery is a very peaceful place. There is an artificial lake and donkeys roam around freely on the meadows around the monastery. You need to pay an entrance fee to be able to visit this place or buy the Krka day ticket.

   Take a walk:
You can take the half an hour round walk around the lake. It is easy and the paths are well maintained. The only disadvantage is the many bushes that block the view on the lake and the monastery. But enjoy the birds, the trees, the calm water of Krka and your day out in wonderful nature.

   Photo tip: 
Your best chance to take a great picture of this place is to choose the same viewpoint as I did. About 300 metres before the entrance is a brand new picnic place that gives a great overview of the area. Try early morning with some occasional fog or late afternoon with some warm coloured layers.

   Take a break:
There is no restaurant or café at the monastery. Bring your own food and drinks.
In Kistanje are a café and a bakery

Please make sure to take at least three days if you want to see all the beautiful sights of Krka and take time for a swim!

In the coming months, I will post more on this great National Park.

Thank you for reading and don’t forget that a paradise on earth still exists… It is called Croatia!

A wonderful Christmas village

   Location:
Božićna priča Salajland

Welcome to my new weekly blog about the beautiful hidden treasures in Croatia. So much to see, so much to discover in Croatia.

This time It’s like to take you to an area of Croatia where hardly any tourists go. It is about a 45 minutes drive from Zagreb.

It is the homestead of the family Salaj just outside the town of Cazma. A wonderful place as an all-season destination. But especially in the month of December when the place is illuminated with more than 5 million Christmas lights and plenty of beautiful Christmas decoration. My son loved this place and was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. You need at least two hours to see it all. There is also an old watermill and a wooden historical house. During weekends the Salaj family offers their homemade treats. There are also several food stands offering hot drinks, sausages and pizza. Combine your trip to Europe’s best Christmas market in Zagreb with an evening to this truly beautiful place.

   Take a break:
There are several restaurants, coffee bars, bakeries and grocery stores in the town of Cazma. Just a three-minute drive from the Christmas village. Make sure to also visit the town square of Cazma in wintertime. It is beautifully decorated as well. Free parking spaces on spot.

    Photo tip: 
Your best opportunity to photograph this unique Christmas village is with snow conditions. But even when there is no snow ( in my case) you can still take some interesting pictures. Make use of the blue hour, that is the first half an hour after sunset. You will see that wonderful blue coloured sky in your pictures. Make sure to take a tripod and do nu use the fully automatic mode on your camera to prevent from blurry pictures. If you do not take a tripod with you then use a high iso in order to still take pictures manually.

Brod Moravice in Gorski Kotar

   Location:   Brod Moravice
Brod Moravice is a small village located in the heart of Gorski Kotar. Above the village is a hilltop with magnificent views over the Gorski Kotar mountain range. This is one of my favourite photo locations and a place where you can just sit, relax, and enjoy the wonderful surrounding.

   Take a break: 
There are no restaurants in Brod Moravice. There is a small supermarket for restocking your supplies and there is a coffee bar.

   Take a walk:
You can walk from the village and climb the steep hill to the little chapel of  Sveti Andria. For this walk park your car here and choose the unpaved gravel road left of the main road. the walk will take about 15 minutes.
You can also choose to drive to Gornji Kuti and park your car near the hunters lodge and take the narrow gravel road to the top of the hill. Park your car here and take the gravel road on the left side. This walk takes about 10 minutes.

    Photo tips: 
It is always a guess to what level the mist will rise in the morning. But most of the time the mist lingers in the village itself and the top of the hill is bathing in bright sunlight. Make sure to come at least 20 minutes before sunrise. The sky will mostly change its colours rapidly and that makes it the most interesting time of the day. The mist quickly changes its patterns, it comes and goes; it hides and reveals. So make sure to take as many shots as you can. Soon the sun will be too bright and the mist will lose its depth and becomes flattened and uninteresting. So try to make the best of this early bird situation. Make sure to enjoy the fresh air, the sounds of the birds and the great view itself.

There is just 1 day of difference between this picture and the one underneath here. Even though there was no sunshine the spectacular sky was a very welcome compensation.
I took this picture with the telelens (200 mm) to avoid some disturbing bushes and branches to get a full view bright picture. This is the kind of mist I love the most.
This is a wonderful kind of fog. It is hiding and revealing at the same time and gives away many fairytale-like details. The pathway in the forefront of the picture attracts the eye to the main point in the picture, the church in the village below.
The mist in this picture is denser than in picture one. The first picture reveals more detail and is, therefore, more interesting.

Is this the most tranquil valley in Croatia?

Today I would like to take you to my favourite valley in Croatia. It is in the heart of Lika called Gornji Kosinj. 

In Spring and Summer, the valley hosts an abundance of wildflowers. There are not many people living here anymore but practically this counts for all of Lika. Yet it reflects such purity and tranquillity that I have only found on some places in the French Alps.

Accommodation is very hard to find. So you need to book something near Perusic or Otocac if you like to stay there for some more days. It is really worth to take long hikes. The Sjeverni Velebit National park with its’ impressive tall peaks is nearby.

The valley is interesting from both sides. Coming from Otocac you first head to Kuterovo and then follow the narrow but relatively well-paved roads to Donji Kosinj. Only recently the tourist board has also recognised the purity of this unique valley. They have invested in some bike and walking trails and coming from Otocac heading towards Gornji Kosinj there is now a brand new watchtower that gives the photographer a great spot for some unique pictures. In fact, I cannot wait until next year Spring to go there myself. The low morning mist, the wild cherry trees and the shepherds with their flock of sheep wandering through the valley is a heavenly decor for some of my pictures that I still have to realize.

Most of the houses here are in a very simple and some in a devastating state. The majority of the people here got accustomed to the hard life of the ever-changing seasons. And as I mentioned most of them are local shepherds.

The sad thing about this wonderful valley is that it won’t be there too long anymore. Parts of the valley will in due time disappear underneath the water surface as for over 40 years construction plans for a hydropower plant now seems to come to full realisation. That means that most of Gornji Kosinj and its church will be no longer visible in ten years time. So plenty of reason not to wait too long to indulge yourself and convince yourself and set off to Lika to see some of Croatia’s most pure destinations.

Do not expect any catering, facilities or luxuries. It is what it is… Just enjoy that. It is the experience of this pure nature that will hopefully capture your heart and purify your thoughts and visions of some of the worldly stress and burdens. It worked for me….

There is a cafe in the Gornji Kosinj. For supermarkets and restaurants, you need to drive 40 minutes to Gospic, or make sure you stock up in Otocac before coming to Kosinj.

Links: 
→ Old medieval bridge
→ Water source
→ View on the lake
→ The confluence of river Lika

 

The photographer’s highlight is the ancient and medieval bridge at Gornji Kosinj. Go there in the early morning and try to combine an interesting morning or evening sky with the tranquil reflections of the water surface of Lika river. The church adds extra interesting detail to this picture.
Most of the houses in the valley are abandoned or serve as a weekend house for city dwellers.
A flock of sheep can add a great extra dimension to your landscape photography.
This old Serbian orthodox church is a fantastic object for morning photography. This picture needs some improvement as the sunlight was already behind the steep mountains.
The confluence of river Lika and the shortest river of Croatia called Bakovac.
You can continue your walk for another 8 kilometres from the river source and climb the slopes of the Kruscica Lake down below. Treat yourself on this magnificent view
Outside of Gornji Kosinj is a lovely and refreshing spot. Here is the cradle of the shortest river in Croatia. This water source is very pure. My friend Alen joined me for a walk on this hot Summer day. The road to the source is ideal for a walk and has a hardened surface.

 

 

Klanac at the Kupa river

   Location:  The Kupa river at Klanac
   Short video impression

From the main road heading to Rijeka or Karlovac, turn into the village of Klanac at the restaurant Mirni Kut.
Turn right and drive down the hill until you reach the river. The road is not visible in google maps but has lately been paved and widened so no worries!
There are some unorganized parking places. Avoid weekends.

Definitely one of the loveliest a beautiful spots on river Kupa. In the early days, the Kupa river had many watermills. Most of them have withered and nowadays only the remains can be found. Nevertheless, the artificial waterfall at Klanac is very beautiful and when the water is low you can walk to the other side of the river and visit the little hamlet of Damelj, Slovenia.
The village is an ideal setting for morning photography. There is not just the waterfall that is very photogenic. About 200 meters upstream you can spot a very nice old watermill that is still in good shape. The village next to Klanac is Damalj (see picture 2). The church and the old houses make it a very picturesque place. The Kupa itself is sleepy, dreamy and fairytale-like at this location.

   Take a walk:
You can consider a short walk from the Kupa river at Klanac to the next village of Damalj. It is very easy just walk through the fields. There is a pathway that leads you to the village.
The second option is just to follow the course of the river till the next waterfall and even further. The road is narrow and unpaved but easy to walk.

   Take a break: 
There are picnic benches at the riverside and a grill.
Up in the village is the traditional restaurant of Mirni Kut
The next village of Severin na Kupi has a small grocery store and two coffee bars and a gas station. This village also hosts one of the many Frankopan castles in Croatia.

    Photo tip: 
Klanac is famous for the morning mist. In fact, every time I come there during late Summer, Autumn, Winter and early Spring there is morning mist. The mist adds so much more atmosphere to a picture. Sunlight comes into the Kupa valley about an hour after sunrise. Even though the Autumn colours are much more attractive this location is an all year round photo hot spot.
Watch the local weather report (I can highly recommend the YR app) for weather circumstances.

Klanac – January 12, 2021
Damalj – October 21, 2020
Klanac – September 23, 2019.

 

Slapnica nature reserve

   Location: Slapnica
If you love a wonderful hike through dense forest and you want to avoid the heat on a hot sunny day or the usual crowd at Plitvice then try this wonderful hidden gem. It is a 10-minute drive away from Krasic and easy to reach by car. You can walk all the way from the quarry (park your car there) to the old watermill where grandma “Nada” and her dog and sheep reside. She has her own private waterfall in her backyard!
The path is very easy and absolutely not demanding. No steep climbs. You walk along the creek and you are accompanied by the beautiful sounds of the rushing water and some very nice waterfalls. There are two waterfalls that take you off the track. They are called Brisalo and Vranjak. There are signs that help you find them. One of them is a bit hard to reach. The road is unpaved. You can also drive it with a four-wheel-drive car. In total it is 9 kilometres.

You can extend your hike by taking a right at the watermill by taking the road to the almost abandoned village of Pecno. From there you walk to Rude Pribicki (great views!) and you head back to the main road at Svrzevo. If you want to do this long hike please consider a full day. (but it is worth it)

    Warning: 
The bridge before the quarry has no safety railings. Be careful!
Please make sure not to block the lorry trucks when you park your car. The starting point for such a beautiful nature reserve might seem a bit odd, but you are definitely in the right place 🙂

   Photo tips: 
➨   Waterfalls are best after some rainy days, there is more water!
➨   Avoid direct sunlight as it makes the water beams too bright to handle later on in photoshop.
➨   Use a tripod in order to have a low shutter time and create this “milky effect”.
➨   Do some clean up of branches that might disturb your picture.
➨   Take boots so you can stand in the water.
➨   Look for some boulders like in the first picture and some colourful leaves. They really add a great atmosphere to your picture.
➨   Some late afternoon light in the background is highly recommendable.
➨   Personally, I prefer using a wide-angle when I take pictures of lakes, rivers, and waterfalls.

   Take a break: 
The nearest place for refreshments is the great restaurant “Zumberacki Raj”. The restaurant is in the heart of the nature park in a very idyllic setting. They serve a simple but delicious meal of fresh brook trout, potatoes (3 choices), and fresh salad. They also offer some other meat dishes.

Croatian Tuscany

Just a mere 30 minutes from Zagreb you will find the wonderful Plesivica hill range. I dare to say that this wonderful gem of nature shows great similarity to the landscapes in Tuscany. If it wasn’t for some of the neglected fields with messy bushes this place would be a true copy and equal counterpart of the well known Italian Tuscany.

The best photo opportunity is around sunrise at the old elementary school. But around Plesivica you will easily find some more attractive photo locations. Just make sure to come after a rainy night in the Autumn or winter and you will be treated on nice layers of fog. It is always a guess to what level the mist will rise. But nonetheless, I am convinced this area will bring you some rewarding pictures.

The best way to start is to drive from Molvice over the ridge of the Zumberak. The first viewpoint is at the bright blue restaurant Ivancic. Enjoy the view and your coffee on the terrace outside. Just remember that Charlie Chaplin loved to spend his holidays at this very place way back in history.

Are you in for a delicious treat of local organic cheese? Visit the Sestak cheese house.

Continue your way through the winding narrow road to Soskic. The winegrower owns an Italian style house that is a true landmark in this surrounding. The owner is always very busy but if he is around you will be able to buy a bottle of his great ecological wines.

Enjoy another great view from the Sumski Dvor. This restaurant only opens on weekends.

Do you fancy a healthy swim in a small spa among the locals? Try the Jana source. This is a small basin full of always fresh, clean natural spring water…Totally for free! The water is always 21 degrees. (limited amount of parking space, nog locker rooms)After your trip trough Plesivica you can choose to visit Jastrebarsko. This town has some nice restaurants and cafes. The city park is worth a visit. Park your car at Lidl and then cross the wooden bridge.

Enjoy your day in this wonderful area!