Guide to Croatia

Premuzic Path II

2006-04-24T14:42:00.001+02:00

My last description of the Premuzic path starts with a serious error. Path does not begin with Veliki Alan. For me it does because that is the section I know and am really familiar with. It is some 50 km long in whole and its northern part is as unknown to me as it is to next person. I sincerely apologize for confusion it caused. Somehow we all limit things around us according to our reality, and yes...world is a shrinking global village but so far knowledge is not expanding with same vigor or proportion.
In its full glory Premuzic path was conceived in 1930's. It took 3 years to "complete" it and path was named after Ante Premuzic. Name is rightful and justified.It takes you from Veliki Zavizan to Veliki Alan. Only place I visited and revisited there is Botanical garden-Velebit. It is not real part of the path but close enough to its start. Location of the garden is Modric dolac( Modric is local family name and dolac stands for valley). Surrounding peaks are high and impressive with dazzling view at the coast and islands from Vucjak.
Botanical garden itself belongs to so called "open type". Some plants or groups of plants are properly marked(unfortunately-not enough of them), there is a spring / taste of the spring water on Velebit is experience for itself, I actually believe or at least my palate does that some of them are more sweet or more "herbal" than others
....nothing else to do about it but to taste yourself/and wooden shack or cottage intended for people who are willing to stay for a longer period of time and observe.
I never did it. I stayed in Krasno. Word "krasan, krasno" describes something beautiful. In short with its location, unbelievable woods, mountain road and everything it is a place of amazing serenity and loveliness.
Back to the Botanical garden Velebit. Selection of this particular spot for botanical garden is not random and has scientific leverage. Climate and surroundings on average make it possible for enormous diversity of floral communities from all over the mountain chain to be represented. When Fran Kusan/university prof./ worked on this project with his colleagues in late 60's plan was reasonable, clear and logical. Unfortunately with passage of time and lack of money and/or interest and primarily with death of prof. Kusan idea was somewhat neglected.
Botanical expedition on Velebit started early in XIX ct. Kitaibel(Hungarian botanist), Saxon king Friedrich August are probably between the first and most important visitors who left their notes about floral abundance. Before WWII Arpad Degen published his masterpiece "Flora Velebitica" and in early 1990's Forenbacher "Velebit i njegov biljni svijet"/ Velebit and its flora/ with excellent selection of photographies.
Somebody who is more serious and into more detailed research will find more details in studies and publications from University of Agriculture-Zagreb, University of Forestry-Zagreb and other individual studies and sources.

Velebit-Premuziceva staza /Premuzic Path/

2006-04-17T18:26:00.000+02:00

This smartly positioned path starts with Veliki Alan. If you are really interested print out a map and enlarge it...makes sense. In the mid section of Velebit it passes few lovely karst fields. Some hours of walk (entirely depends on your ritham) will bring you to Mliniste. It used to be one of my favorite places and still is in terms of beauty, familiarity and sentiments. Mliniste was summer grazing spot and it made it bursting with life....once-before. In that prospective it is dead now. Sounds final but it is worthed wisiting for all things named above and more. How , where and when it came to have that name I cannot tell. Mlin is Croatian word for "mill". Story behind the name can be either magical or just plane one-unfortunately I do not know at present time. Keep on walking and walking and in direction of Dabarski kukovi you will come to another field of similar structure-Radlovac. It is bigger, softer, somewhat of more tamed nature. Inhabitants of Ceasrica used to have their summer homes there(for grazing purposes, again). There is a chapel of St Roko/lat. Rochus/ there.Hi is common and beloved saint in southern parts of Croatia. He lived in France in XIV century and his story is connected with plague and miracles, somehow his body ended up in Venice, Croatian coast was governed by Venice, Franciscans were always busy and how one thing lead to another here we go. He became loved, common and natural as a name and as a picture of person with loyal dog.
If you leave Premuzic Path to see that field and chapel and contemplate about what ever you wish have in mind that returning back on the Path is not easy and is not so much fun. That is more of a challenge.
Radlovac is in the approximate middle of the Premuzic Path.
Another lovely section is Bacic Kosa(Bacic is family name, Kosa stands for slope)
It leads through the woods and open section with breathtaking views of islands and the coastal part. Further it goes towards Baske Ostarije.
Dabarski kukovi are in that last section. I would say that they are a must. Kiza is proclaimed to be the most interesting between them all. Honestly I cannot tell. They make really stunning composition.

Part III about Velebit

2006-04-04T18:00:00.000+02:00

Seaboard side of the mountain slopes down in many different steps with as many different appearances.
On the altitude range between 500-1000m some of the loveliest and sincerely beautiful fields and meadows can be found.
I'm familiar with Konjsko, Javorovac, and Stap. They are like touches of softness in the middle of all these rocks and peeks. They do carry a memory of times long gone and pristine nature. Catch is that if one clings to that romantic vision it is easy to forget that what nature really offers there is a modest pasture(miles and miles of it) and gentle cover of soil over rocks.
For people who survived in these harsh condition for generations only potatoes , cabbage, barley , rye , and maybe something else here and there where resilient enough to " make it".
Another survivor is LICKA BUSA. Smallest cow to exist. That lovely animal with short horns and doe like head is really tiny. But it could feed itself, climb, ruminate and rest in condition devastating for other bovine breeds. Numbers of these indigenous cattle today are dangerously low. There are some dozen of them in Lika proper and its been years since I saw any on the Velebit. It seems funny to start romancing about the cow ( but bear in mind how smart, useful and good looking they are....when old Greeks complimented goddess Hera with cow like eyes they had in mind something really beautiful not "the stupid cow" from commonly exchanged pleasantries)
Talking about endangered domestic animals in Croatia is a serious issue and has to be addressed properly. I cannot do it now...unfortunately.
Going back to these same fields, pastures, meadows and valleys there is such an abundance and diversity in the world of vegetation.
Do not forget that endemic plant DEGENIA VELEBITICA grows only and only on Velebit.
There is this great book Forenbacher wrote about flora on Velebit.Although it is printed in Croatian it has numerous excellent photos and glossary with all plants named in Latin of course.For anybody who is seriously and less seriously curious about the subject this book is a must.
To make a connection with the previous article and Baske Ostarije(because-there is one).
One can make a nice scenic drive from Baske Ostarije to let's say Konjsko and hike down the sea side of the mountain to Porat.Or it can be more ambitious -all walking tour-. Porat is a gem. My paternal great grandmother is from there and it makes it even more dear to me(that part is personal).However it is a tiny fisherman village
located in natural bay, hiding behind the cape used to catch tuna and situated comfortably under the mountain.It is amazing how you can physically feel this "under" part.
I would strongly recommend any route from Baske Ostarije in direction of either Cesarica,Porat , and/or even Devcic draga. They all have some enchanting stuff to offer and you will not be sorry.

Something about Croatian greenmarkets

2006-03-21T12:10:00.000+01:00

One of really cool things in Croatia are green markets.
They offer fresh produce seasonally. People bring from their farms and gardens amazing variety of fruits and vegetables.
Recently there are more and more tomatoes from covered plantations( Dutch or some other resistant seed, commercially accepted, well advertised and with yucky taste, big red, not juicy...horrible)and more people are reselling big,lousy and watery onions or in summer season somebody very inventive will even import plastic tasting figs/killer for any palate/ although local are delicious and tasty.
It is a very funny market with uneven and absolutely not standardized offers.It is really shame that these "new" seeds started taking of seriously. Good part is that people remember how things are suppose to taste and look for it.
Green markets in Zagreb are biggest and they do not lack in anything. Main one has amazing selection of apples ( small , big, disproportional, not pretty) from the villages near by.With apples it is almost like with the world of mushrooms/and one can find amazing mushrooms in season/they come in very different forms-you can still recognize it as an apple -and bring thousand tastes....one for cider, one for strudel, a bit tart, one for pie, one for munching on it and so on and on.Many of them had never seen a pesticide or anything chemical.
That is another great thing about so called remote,poor or old households and farms.....avoiding chemistry.
Pears or peaches from wine yards are fruits of randomly placed trees-maybe strange looking to an eye used to giant shapes of commonly seen peaches or pears...but with mouth watering quality.
Some of the potatoes still come from 50 or more years old seeds just well accustomed to local climate and slightly changed by it.
Carrots and other greens for soups differ a lot from one stand to another but still follow basic standards and it is almost impossible to find a bad bunch.
Spinach and green peas can be tricky and one has to know the "source". Green peas can be so amazingly tiny and sweet...like a perfect snack.
Lettuce can be accompanied with numerous wild leaves and grasses/some sweet and some with more serious bitterish flavor/.They will either come in mixed form or separately and they are all common ancestors of that one green head of your choice called-lettuce.
Squash, beans/dozens of different kinds/, egg plant, kale, red beats are common thing to be seen. They are all tended by hands which are envisioning different final product. And when it comes to plums and apricots....Vow.
There is a diary section. And butchers and dried meat sections.There is a fishers market and flower market/ and some of them are eatable in candied or other form...You can decorate table and cake with for example candied pansies/and bakers and so on and on
Before I go -without control- and cover everything,it is an experience one has to have.
It may not be life changing but enriching it definitely is.
Point is-if you have an opportunity to cook while in Croatia do your own shopping and do it with things from green market.
It is loud, mainly in open, clean and well maintained,make your selection and trust your instincts.
Taste what is in front of you and do not judge book by the covers.

Why long term rental in Croatia can be good for you??

2006-03-05T13:51:00.000+01:00

One of rarely mentioned advantages of rentals in Croatia. If one is retired or enjoys all opportunities free lancing jobs are offering renting in Croatia presents in itself great chance for nicer and/or more luxurious life Earnings and average standard of local people is below prominent members of European Union. It means that food, services etc comes significantly cheaper. Not to mention that renting price always covers utility bills. Following that reasoning an individual can spend better part of the year in nice climate, surrounded with all essentials of modern society (but still with slower and more natural pace) and save money. Dividing time between "home base" and location in Croatia can be beneficial for standard and life planning. It may be the way to avoid harsh winter, renovation at home, swapping places with friends and relatives. Combinations are without end and it's easy to establish persona approach - whatever goes. Half year here, half there, 8 months in Dalmatia, 4 somewhere else and so on and on.
Everybody who starts with this pat should think it over seriously. It may or may not seam easy but it is good, logical, and still not explored enough area.
If person discovers that "it works" than one should consider something more permanent like long term switch or buying property.

More about previous...Velebit

2006-03-02T16:42:00.000+01:00

First things first....posibbilities and suggestion are so numerous that it is easy to get lost. If you decide to encounter size and mass of this huge and vast space you will have to make your choice in advance according to something what is going to trigger initial impulse in you.
How one picks where to go exactly is very personal.
Only suggestions to deliver are about time of the year, time span of the tour or hike and some practical tips.
If you are not staying in hotel or private accomodation late fall, winter and early spring are not an option. Climate is cruel up there.
Idea is that great hike will last few days or more. In that case some info about shelter or refuge has to be at hand. There is almost 30 of them in diverse parts of the mountain. On average their capacity is limited and it is important to get informed in advance. There are so many places aproachable by car and after the spot where you parked your car real wilderness starts.
All roads on Velebit are great choice for biking. They go up and down. twist and turn from easy to difficult sections in no time.
It is very untamed, wild and deceitful place. Cliffs, cracks, canyons, lovely meadows,and more are all so eye-pleasing that some people neglect to recognize dangerous specifics of the mountain.
For somebody who is just feeling adventourus there are numerous places connected with "civilization". They are not on the road, they are not spoiled, majority of them is deserted by people ( that fact is true to the whole of the range except of the fringes on inner and on the Adriatic side ) and one can in fact meet shepards in summer pastures, and some full time inhabitants here and there.
Velebit is without doubt longest mountain range in Dinaric Alps. I have lifitime long
experience with Southern and better part of coastal side of the massif. Some of its paths I walked many times, many of them never....they just remained noticed and left for future. I just love the place.
Coastal side is much higher than the one facing inland. It is rocky , and rugged, and kind of terraced no matter how you look at it( from top to bottom or vice versa).
In terms of accessability I would like to start with following-
Baske Ostarije is in fact mountain pass /cca 900m/. It has continental- mountain- Alpine climate.On the North it opens via Takalice to direction of Lika, on the South there is a tunnel opening with an amazing view on Pag ,and surrounding islands. How vegetation differs from continental to Mediterranean just depending from which side you aprocah Baske Ostarije is amazing and not short of miracle.
Baske Ostarije is funny name. One has to know local dialect to "get it". Baske comes from Bag or Karlobag as an adjective. In direct translation Baske would mean -belonging to Bag, or near Bag-. Ostarije stands for Inn,Osteria, Motel....something of that kind.Place for travelers to rest and change horses..in previous times, of course.
I picked this place in the middle of everything because it may be considered good starting point for the first time visit.
Baske Ostarije are in the spacious field. It is surronded with mountains, cliffs and some gentler mountain slopes. There is a hotel there. Nothing fancy, but decent and nice. There is a water source ( Ljubica) and some all year residents, although village is shrinking more and more. This place presents great opportunity for biking. There is an asphalt road, there are some unfinished roads ( I belive they were made for military purposes) and there is old Austro Hyngarian road leading in the mountain , down south. Some sections of the one last mentioned are really narrow and covered with overgrowth....., but what experience that is. Either with bike or just with good pair og hiking boots one can take literally any direction from the middle of that field and discover some great stuff. Possibilities are endless and the best one cannot be found or recomended. There is no such a thing.
More.....

Climbing, hiking and mountain biking on Velebit mountain range in Croatia

2006-02-28T10:48:00.000+01:00

Introduction
This impressive, 150 km long mountain range stratches parallel to the Adriatic coast.It has been classified as World Biosphere Reserve( at this point only one in Croatia)according to UNESCO classification system. Nature Park Velebit is magnificent in its size and diversity. Total area is close to 2000 sguare km and shelters unique wildlife. Some of Croatian endemic and rare plants have there habitat on Velebits cliffs and its meadows.
Velebit can be divided and described using different aproches, geographicaly it has 3 parts- Northern Velebit, Middle velebit, Sothern Velebit, using landscape as a description tool there are two faces - rocky one on the coastal side and forested one facing continental inland, etc.
Two national parks are located in Northern and Southern Velebit respectively. Altghough they are really exceptional and beautiful there are so many other sithes in same areas which are unjustly neglected.
Very special geological structure can be seen in the most southern area of Velebit- Tulove grede. They are situated above Obrovac and Zrmanja river valley ( great place for canoeing, rafting and boat tours).
Purpose of this introduction is to give general directions in terms of size and importance. Naturally, knowing that we are discussing mountain range best aprocah is one without car or organized tourist groups. It is amazing and rewarding to go and see National Parks and well advertised spots, but most valuable treasures are always slightly hidden.
Slopes, cosy and inviting places, caves, wild canyons and strange karst formations, streams, springs and desaperaing rivers are in fact there to be seen by people who are willing to venture in less known.
In weeks to come I would like to describe different sections of the mountain range and give some hints about when and where to go, places to stay and visit and so on...

Remodeling of old burg in Varazdin in XVI ct

2006-02-27T20:23:00.000+01:00

At that time Varazdin was a main fortress in defence against Turks and their efforts to penetrate Styria and Central Europe. Orders were issued by Emperor Ferdinand and Styrian Parliament for uninterupted flow of financial support. Restoration and strenghtening of the Schlossberg castle in Graz and fortification in Varazdin was almost simultanious.
Domenico dell' Alto, architect and builder was brought from Como and Lugano. Ivan Ungnad, captain of Styria and the Lord of the castle invited him. Restoration of the castle in Renaissance style was going on through next 20 years. Structure was completley transformed with addition of 3 massive round towers and water ditches. South wall was opened with arcades and north and west wing got windows. In the eastern round tower Renaissance chapel was built. Fortification was rectangular in shape and followed the plan of previous ground work.
This was the last major restoration of the castle.

Tajerske sestrice - Lighthouse on Kornati Archipelago

2006-02-27T20:04:00.000+01:00

/sestrice stands for sisters/
Lighthouse is located in the south of the Kornati archipelago. Two small islands, 15 nautical miles far from Zadar protrude on the west. Building complex is situated in the middle of the century old pine woods on Sestrica Vela ( Big Sister ). These woods are ornithological paradise. Diverse birds rest here following their migration course.
Covered bridge connects lightmans building with the tower. Tower is 47 meters tall structure striped in red and white. Lightmans building is utilitarian space of noticable size. Whole complex is encircled with number of terraces. From there one can catch glimpse of cliffs on Dugi Otok ( Long Island ) in different lights and shades.
Please visit Kornati Archipelago National Park Photo Gallery

Diving locations - Kornati, Croatia

2006-02-26T15:40:00.000+01:00

Mrtovac is islet located only couple of minutes / by boat / from island Levrnaka.It is pleasure to dive down the vertical "wall" eventualy going 70 m deep. Formations of different kind of fish can be spotted as well as small caves on the bottom, habitats of red corals. Red corals have white tentacles and position themselves on the cave ceiling.

Balun is placed between two islands - Mana and Borovik. For decades it's been recognized as favorite diving spot on Kornati.In the waters arround southern tip of the island biggest colonies of Gorgonia ventalina ( soft coral with fan like shape) can be found. Nature of Gorgonias is that they all orient themselves in same direction and creates an amazing picture. Big Dusky groupers, spiny lobsters and jastog (type of big crawfish ) live on the rocky bottom and in crevices. Nearby are remanants of sunken wooden ship.

Lavsa is known for impressive underwater colony of Gorgonia. They start spreading on some 30m depth and cover that part of island "wall" .

Plicina Lumbarda /Shoal Lumbarda /is located 1,5 miles south from island Kurba vela. It si somehow positioned in the middle of the sea and caused many shipwrecks. Some of the wrecks are ancient and date 2000 B.C. and arround them amphorae remannats can be found. There are some medieval and some XIX ct. underwater artefacts, too.

Sedlo / Saddle / is small stony island in shape of half moon SW from island Kurba Vela. Big underwater plateau formed itself in the waters of the southern tip of the island.Vertical "wall" and its curves sometimes create ceiling where enormous activities of sea creatures can be observed.

Vodenjak is islet in Southern Kornati.Good anchorage is on the west side of the island. SW side steeply crashes into the sea some 50 m down. That vertical structure is another one of Gorgonia habitats in vicinity. Water is so clean, transparent and pristine that can trick a diver and condition as such calls for extra caution.

Something about guide to Croatia

2006-02-25T09:04:00.000+01:00

Dont know much about blogging but I have some thoughts to share so here I am.
This blog will be source of information for everyone who want to visit Croatia. I hope that information and tips that I will provide on this blog will be useful.They are not only about tourism....that info is suppose to give people more general picture about possibilities of creating parallel life there and benefits of the same. It can be rewarding to know financial logistics behind previous statement. At the same time it gives a chance to people of different proffesions and callings to look into it as a new frontier(not in the terms of Wild West) for their work/job, carrier changes. Croatia is very much Mediterranean-Austro Hungarian-Central European country. Already this historical and regional mix offers to be a very interesting play ground. Best part is that we all need one-playground that is-either to create peacefull life or bring something what is well known to you but may be brand new there. I was thinking how fun it would be to try to cover enormous diversity in as many different subjects as possible. So far my expirience is that really unexpected topics end up mingling and inteconnecting.