Croatia in May: Senj and surroundings
By the beginning of May, we were fed up with all the measures that have no head or heel, and other cries of our government full of... (fill in the blank). In short, we have somehow run out of patience in the Czech Republic. And so we packed up our cuttings, sandals and socks, and went to Croatia like good Czechs :) Where I never really wanted to go!
I admit, Croatia has always been a symbol of Czechness for me personally, I can't help it. Expectations were not particularly high, but the desire to live normally for a while and have a wine in a bar on the beach was just greater. However, there were more reasons why Croatia was the right choice. A big part of it was the fact that an antigen test was enough to enter the country without the need for quarantine. We also have to take into account our little (six-month-old) traveler, who we are finally taking on her first major trip with us, and a car trip with a reasonable driving distance seems like the ideal choice. Decided. Pepa reports home office from Croatia at work, I didn't have to report anything, because no one cares where I feed and change the baby... well... and we set off.
We planned our journey to Croatia for the night, as the little one usually sleeps there willingly. Our destination is the coastal town of Senj, which I will describe below of course. We will pass through Germany, Austria and Slovenia. Neither country should ask us for anything during the transit. In practice, this means that our first stop will be at the Slovenian-Croatian border. On the Slovenian side, we just need to show our travel documents, and give the Croatian officer an arrival form and a negative test for coronavirus (children under 7 don't have to).
Summing up in numbers
- Germany - still free motorways by 2021
- Austria - 2x vignette €9.50 + 2x passage through the Bosruck and Gleinalm tunnels €15.50
- Slovenia - 2x vignette €15
- Croatis - totall tolls €47
All this on the rough route Pilsen - Senj - Zadar and back. The amount of the Croatian toll includes, of course, a lot of stops for excursions, sightseeing, etc. If you are interested, we drove about 2700 km in total.
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Senj
For the first five nights, I booked accommodation in this seaside town, which met our expectations for its size and local amenities - meaning restaurants, shops and distance to places of interest. It was a good choice. Senj has a very nice historic centre with a harbour, and there are plenty of restaurants and cafes nearby where you can sit in peace.
There are also remnants of the city fortifications to see, especially the beautifully preserved Velika vrata (Great Gate). As you stroll along, you'll be treated to a view of the huge fortress towering over the city - Nehaj Castle. As for the beaches, we walked a few and all of them are pebbly. So just a side note, in case you were thinking of beach lounging :)
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Where to stay?
From my own experience, I can recommend a wonderful new apartment where we spent a total of 6 nights. We ended up extending it for one more night because we were really happy here. So if you are looking for a cozy and fully equipped apartment with a large terrace and parking space, check out Apartment Waves. We felt at home here! Nehaj Castle was right under our noses and we walked to the centre in about 10 minutes, perfect. The price of a night spent here was cost around €40. But if you fancy something different, try these tips:
- cheaper: Apartments Valiza - they even have 2 apartments on offer, but both are at a great price. With one bedroom you can get for less than €36/night, with three bedrooms you can expect about €72/night
- medium: Apartments Prpic - beautiful, modern and excellently rated apartments for two, priced at approx. €52/noc
- luxury: Josipa & Jelena Apartment - beautiful and fully equipped apartments with garden, barbecue and playground. Several options to choose from starting at a price from €88/noc.
What to definitely visit here?
- Nehaj Castle - I've mentioned it before and it's definitely a local must see. The castle was built in the 16th century as a strategic point in defense against the Turks. Today, there's a well-kept park around it, where you'll come across a cool viewpoint in the form of the Charnel House monument. But there are also great views of the town and harbour from the path leading to the castle itself. If you'd like, it's also possible to go inside for a guided tour, with admission for an adult coming in at 20 kn (more info here). Or, for some, the option of sitting in the castle restaurant will be more acceptable.
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park and its views
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- 45th parallel - have you ever been exactly halfway from the North Pole to the equator? No? Then take a walk to the 45th parallel, where you'll be as far from the North Pole as you are from the equator. Plus, if you walk from the centre along the seaside promenade, which I recommend, you'll pass Prva Draga beach, which is probably the most famous beach here. From there you run up a few steps and you're at the equator - careful with the stroller you'll have to carry it. Tried and tested, but doable :) On google maps you can find this place under the term Sunčanik marker.
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promenade + Prva Draga beach
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- Writer´s park - This park commemorates famous Croatian poets and writers who were born or lived here in Senj with busts. Lots of greenery, benches, shade, statues and fountains, in short, an oasis of peace I would say. A bonus is the beautiful view of the sea, the church of St. Maria of Art, and also the beach of Banja located right below the park.
views + Banja beach
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- Voda beach - it's definitely not the main attraction, but we had this beach more or less below the apartment, so it would be a shame not to check it out. It's small, it's pebbly, and there are about a billion steps leading up to it. I would still go there again though. Mainly because it's not very busy, probably because of the stairs :) Plus, in the spring, the slopes were absolutely glowing with color, everything was blooming and it looked absolutely magical.
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Trips around Senj
1. Zavratnica
From a practical point of view, you have 2 ways to visit this fjord. The easier one is from the town of Jablanac, where you leave your car and walk around the perimeter of the fjord. There is nowhere to get lost, the path is slightly rocky and except for a few steps it is flat. In one direction, it comes out to about 1.5 km, so don't expect any energy-consuming hike. But be warned, Zavratnica is part of Velebit National Park, so be prepared to pay the entrance fee - 30 kn for an adult. It's more likely to be collected towards the end of the trail, but if you don't want to pay it, you'll miss out on the view of the shipwreck. By the way, you will most likely miss it by arriving late and the sun will not hit the bay anymore.
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Jablanac - a city where you definitely won't get lost :)
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Version of the visit No. 2 or the place from the introductory photo - enter into google maps Zavratnica Parking Stellplatz = free parking right above the fjord. There is an observation deck here and Zavratnica will show you here in all its glory, including the aforementioned wreck. Yes, you can even see it from above. From this car park you can walk down into the bay, which should also be about a kilometre and a half, but logically up and down. Anyway, even if you don't want to take this route, at least go here for the view, because it's really worth it.
2. Bear Sanctuary Kuterevo
The shelter works thanks to volunteers from different parts of the world + of course also thanks to voluntary contributions, because there is no entrance fee. Almost anyone can come to help (for any length of time). We met a volunteer from Germany right at the information boards, who talked to us about the shelter, volunteering and the bears. Currently the sanctuary is home to 4 cubs and 5 adult bears - all of whom will spend the rest of their lives here. The cubs' enclosures are located by the main building, the adults have to be walked a few dozen meters to reach, but it is marked with arrows. If you don't meet anyone on the premises who can give you info, check out the official website.
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3. Zavižan
It is true that I didn't choose Senj as a starting point by chance. It is located near the sandstone mountain Velebit, which includes two national parks - North Velebit and Paklenica. North Velebit is closer from here, so I started googling what I could do here. I was intrigued by a mountain botanical garden located at 1400m above sea level - Velebitski botanički vrt. It seemed like a nice walk and I wasn't expecting anything else. But it was even better than an ordinary walk because... the views were simply FAMOUS!!
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The main thing is to get to a place called Babič Siča, where one of the official entrances to the park is. There was no entrance fee in the low season, but otherwise you pay 45 kn per person for three days. This is because the very popular Premuzic's Way trek runs through here and you simply can't do it in an afternoon as it is 57 km long. Or check out another (shorter) route, e.g. on the park's official website. You can either leave the car at Babič Sič and go towards the Botanical Garden on foot (there are two routes here, so you can also use it as a circuit), or you can continue on to the parking lot under the mountain hut Zavizan (6 km). I would like to point out that the road is not asphalted anymore, but is very rocky. With an SUV it's probably fine, with a normal car you should be very careful not to leave your wheel somewhere.From this last parking lot, everything is within easy reach - the Velebit Botanical Garden, the Chapel of St. Antuna, the Zavižan mountain hut, grazing horses and the ubiquitous white cliffs. And, in our case, dead snow :) Don't forget to climb to the top of Veliká kosa (1622 m), because the view from here is absolutely TOP, judge for yourself...
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4. Sveti Juraj
On our way back from Zavijan and Zavratnica, we passed through the town of Sveti Juraj. It caught my attention from the road, as there is a small island just off the mainland. It's called Otocic Lisac and there's nothing on it, it's just a nice photo point :) But it's worth a stop for a coffee/icecream... a photo... for sure. At least for us it is!
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5. Rastoke
This place was our first Croatian stop before we reached our accommodation. It was just a small detour and we had to entertain ourselves somewhere until check-in anyway. Either way, whether you just take Rastoke as a stopover on your way to your destination, or make a special trip for it, either way you won't regret it.
Rastoke is located on the Slunjcica River and is part of the town of Slunj, which is why it is often referred to as Slunj-Rastoke. Already in the 17th century, the locals started using the water from the river as energy for their mills, and in time, an entire milling village was even established here. Today Rastoke is a unique cultural and historical monument. And no wonder. As you walk among the homesteads and see small waterfalls, rapids, cascades and ponds everywhere you look, you'll understand why.
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The most beautiful views are from the road you are most likely to come from - Zagrebačka street + there is a slight turn off where you can park. This is where you will see the biggest waterfalls, see photos above the paragraph. For me, beautiful! And then it's off to see the village up close. The part of the open-air museum where you can see inside the houses and where there are craft demonstrations is chargeable. I think it said 40 kn, but we weren't inside because the open-air museum was closed due to the coronavirus. I was a bit disappointed, but maybe there will be another opportunity sometime :)
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6. Plitvice lakes
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