So, in NRW, school gets out for two weeks for the Easter Holidays. And mine were EPIC. Susanna and I started out in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where I met up with my friend Chad, who went to Korbel with me. Two of our other friends from Korbel, Alex (who I visited in Belgium and who came for Carnival) and Sarah (doing Peace Corps in Georgia), also happened to be there at the same time. It was a party. Then, we went on to Croatia, where Julia, my very best friend since our cradles were next to each other in day care, met up with us for a week-long exploration of the country. After that, Susanna and I went on to Istanbul, Turkey. Here’s a breakdown of the cities we visited:
- Thursday, March 26 – spent the night in the Belgrade, Serbia airport
- Friday, March 27 – Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Saturday, March 28 – Lake Bled, Slovenia
- Sunday, March 29 – Zagreb, Croatia
- Monday, March 30 – Zagreb, Croatia
- Tuesday, March 31 – Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
- Wednesday, April 1 – Split, Croatia
- Thursday, April 2 – Dubrovnik, Croatia
- Friday, April 3 – Zagreb, Croatia
- Saturday, April 4 – Zagreb, Croatia
- Sunday, April 5 through Wednesday, April 8 – Istanbul, Turkey
Since our schedule was INSANE and it would take too long (and frankly, too much gushing) to describe everything, I’ll give you my highlights.
Biggest (and best) surprise: Slovenia and Zagreb
I expected to enjoy every part of my trip, but these two places are probably the most underhyped. Slovenia is like a less-expensive version of Austria. It is completely in the Alps, so everywhere you look you have a beautiful view of either architecture or mountains. Ljubljana is a chill capital city that reminded me of a hipper, grungier version of Salzburg. Lake Bled is one of the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. It’s the only Balkan country that peacefully gained its independence, so the scars of war that touch the other Balkan states aren’t present here.
Croatia is known for its coastal cities, but Zagreb is definitely worth a visit. The best way to describe it – super weird. quirky. eccentric. We fit in well here. There’s the Museum of Broken Relationships (must-see), a free mushroom museum (we had a lot of fun here), streets packed with cute (and definitely hipster) cafes, and lots of things that stopped working in the 18th or 19th century that no one ever fixed. They also shoot a cannon from one of the central towers at noon every day. If you can watch them shoot the cannon, watch them shoot the cannon.
Bonus: Air Serbia is one of the best airlines I’ve ever flown on. You’re gonna have a connection in Belgrade, but that’s okay, because their airport is nice, and on every flight we got free food and beverages (that includes the booze).
Mushroom Museum – notice the edible suggestions
This is the side of a cute cafe. They gave us our checks in old romance novels #nextlevelhipster
Best dining experience: Zagreb, Split, and Istanbul
Authentic Croatian Food in Zagreb – We asked our hostel where to get Croatian food, and he told us to go here. What to order? MEAT. We got three plates of meat that were SO GOOD. Sausage, steak with gravy, and ham and cheese that had been deep fried in a log. Y’ALL.
Villa Spizia in Split – We found this great place on our Use-It map of Split (I love these maps. They’re made by locals and give great insider tips). Not only was the food ah-mazing (they have daily specials as well as seaside staples such as a plate HEAPED with grilled sardines), our experience was one-of-a-kind. A local guy (who had actually moved to Split from Brazil) bought us and an Austria couple liters of wine and provided us with entertainment until we were asked by the staff to leave, because they’d already been closed for 30 minutes. Even without “Antonio’s gracious gift of wine”, this place would still be a highlight. We got so much delicious food for a very cheap price.
Random Turkish dive in Asian Istanbul – Here’s the deal, when it’s mealtime in Istanbul, guys will stand outside restaurants and yell at you, asking you to come into their restaurant. Most of this food will all be the same. You will do better to get street food (Wet Burgers, especially those up around Taksim Square, will not ever ever disappoint you). But our best culinary experience was when we took a Bosphorous cruise and spent some time on the Asian side. We walked into a random place. Pointed to what looked good (there was no English here) and had a hearty, flavorful, warm meal. Off the beaten path was the best decision we made in this case.
Other Istanbul side notes – Turkish breakfast, when done right, is out of this world. Turkish delight is also wonderful when it actually made in Turkey.
Croatian noms
Split Special – Lamb meatballs with [free] bread, chickpeas, and grilled sardines
Wet Burger on a Wet Night
Baklava, tea, and coffee
Best Hostels: Ljubljana, Zagreb, and Dubrovnik
Hostel Vrba – This hostel is quiet, clean, and close to the center. Security is ok (no locks), but the workers are there all the time. She even gave us house shoes when we showed up drenched from the rain and made us tea and coffee.
Swanky Mint Hostel – Great amenities. The kitchen is brand new. They give you a welcome shot at the bar. Breakfast was good. The staff is super awesome and friendly. And the bar was packed with locals at night.
Old Town Hostel – This is probably the best hostel experience I’ve ever had. We walked in, checked in, and were immediately invited to partake in the party happening in the kitchen. The free tour of the city was great, the staff are like your friends, and everyone staying there was friendly and fun. Dubrovnik was a nonstop party and good time because of this hostel. Seriously fantastic.
Hat night at Old Town Hostel
General Favorites: Museums, Walls, Lakes, Waterfalls, and Tulips
Lake Bled, Slovenia. It’s a little resort town nestled in the Alps. Monastery in the middle of a lake. Rowboats. Ice cream. Blue skies and mountain vistas everywhere you look. It was paradise.
Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia. It’s funny. It’s sad. It’s heartbreaking. It’s fantastic. The exhibits are submissions from all over the world, and they are changed out regularly.
Museum of Croatian War of Independence in Dubrovnik, Croatia. You can do a two-hour hike to the top of the mountain or take the funicular. It’s a very powerful exhibit that explains a lot of the tensions that still exist in the Balkans. It was fascinating to see what the city of Dubrovnik went through.
Dubrovnik Old City Walls in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Even if you’re not a Game of Thrones fan, it’s fun to run around the ancient walls!
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia. Waterfalls everywhere. If you’re up for a hike, this is one of the best places to take one. We went on the last day of the off-season, so hours and bus connections to Split weren’t as good, but it was still a major highlight of the trip.
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. I fell in love with this place when I studied it as a sophomore in college, and I’ve wanted to see it ever since. Built first as a church and then converted into a mosque, it was designed to have maximum natural light coming in from the windows, and the effect is magical. Both the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque are beautiful, overwhelming, and even better in person.
The Istanbul Tulip Festival, Emirgan Park, Istanbul, Turkey. When most people think tulips, they think Holland. But Istanbul is better. For one, you aren’t there with millions of other people crowding to see the tulips. Susana and I cruised the park in solitude. For another thing, tulips originated in Turkey, so why not see them in their natural habitat?
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Lake Bled, Slovenia
Korbel Friends in Ljubljana
Plitvice Lakes
Dubrovnik from the Croatian War Museum
Hagia Sophia
Istanbul Tulip Festival
The only way it could’ve been better: more time
Scroll back up and look at that schedule. It was hectic. It was crazy. I was exhausted by the end. Our itinerary honestly deserved a full month. It was so much rush and travel. But worth it.
Laufen mit Liz 