After arrival and our stay in Dubrovnik, we moved to Zadar, where we stayed for one night, and visited Piltvice Lakes National Park! It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and was only a couple hours away from Zadar. With crystal clear lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, along with a wooden path stretching 2 miles, we got see scenic views and take some great photos with our group. It was a cool 60 degrees and you could feel the mist coming off the waterfalls. After our visit to Piltvice Lakes, we traveled to Zagreb.
Zagreb has the most urban feel of any city in Croatia, and has lots of Communist-era architecture, as well as a lot of great dining and shopping options. We also got to stay at Hotel Dubrovnik (weirdly, its actually in Zagreb), which was a four star hotel and was a great place to stay. We attended a seminar at the Croatia National Bank, where we discussed the impact of tariffs on inflation and other economic factors in the EU. I also had the opportunity to eat at several gluten-free restaurants, since I have Celiac. Croatia had great options including classic Italian options, but also several delicious burgers. I also visited a local jeweler and purchased an authentic red coral bracelet sourced from the Adriatic Sea for my girlfriend. Zagreb was a great experience to see the “big-city” life in Croatia.
After Zagreb, we traveled to Llubljana, Slovenia, which was one of the most beautiful locations on the trip. We took a gondola to the top of Llubljana Castle, where you could see green rolling fields and forests, along with snowcapped mountains in the distance. We got to visit the inside of a historic castle, and enjoyed a quick lunch before continuing to the next city. Our next city was Opatija, where we got to stay in a quiet hotel on the seaside. Opatija has a small-town feel, so this was a relaxing part of the trip to recharge our batteries before heading to Italy. We also did a boat ride, and played some tennis on the clay courts near our hotel. Next is Italy!
