If you’ve not heard of Croatia, I have bad news: You are officially behind the times.
So here is a quick 411: Croatia (“krow-AY-sha”) is a boomerang-shaped country on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea across from Italy, and it is angling itself to be the next major gay destination in Europe. To pull that off—and it’s a tall order—the country is launching several seven day gay-only cruises in August celebrating Dalmatia, Croatia’s fabled coast and the cornucopia of islands of it that have seen Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Venetians, and Ottomans all wash up on their shores.
Compared to Italy, Croatia’s coastline is wildly undeveloped, which is a good thing—no pre-packed McCulture. Things start in seaside Dubrovnik, whose old city is a time warp back to the Renaissance, before setting sail for the island of Korčula, the birthplace of Marco Polo, whose house still stands in the narrow lanes of Korčula City. Once part of the far-flung Venetian Republic, the town is massively fortified (the rival Ottoman Empire was on the mainland) and the walls and palace from where the Venetians once ruled the island still stand. The city is legendary for its beauty, to the point the entire thing is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once called Ragusa, Dubrovnik was a serious competitor with Renaissance Venice. If the old-town streets seem narrow, remember, this is a place going back to when a cart-and-donkey was as wide as things got.
From there it is the idyllic isle of Šćedro before moving on to the largest of Croatia’s islands, Hvar. One of the top 10 islands according to Conde Nast, Hvar is where Croatia puts its best face forward. Laced with vineyards and lavender plantations (and dance clubs to rattle the windows out of their casements), this is the Adriatic’s “Sunshine Island,” logging an average of 2715 hours of sunlight a year. But while the 24-hour party people are reason enough to go, Hvar is also just a really interesting place. The Stari Grad Plain is a manmade agricultural landscape (thanks to the ancient Greeks) whose original ancient layout remains intact and in use for over 24 centuries. Even by Dalmatian standards, Hvar got around: in addition to the Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Venetians, and Ottomans, the French, Austrians, Hungarians, and Austro-Hungarians all vied for the island, which each group leaving its more. Hvar is chock-full of history, and a walk through the palaces and cloisters will easily fill up the memory card in your camera.
It is then back to the mainland and the little town of Trstenik on the Pelješac peninsula for a day of swimming and a night of…um…well, and hey, also nearby is the Grgich winery, one of the best in the land…
After Trstenik, you are whisked to Mljet, an island whose whole area is national park. Sites include salt lakes and an ancient abbey (I recommend both). And then it is Šipan, part of the Elafiti Islands, before ending the trip back in Dubrovnik for more exploring.
Well played, Croatia. Well played.
For more information, go to katarina-line.com or e-mail [email protected]to start planning a beautiful trip to Croatia!