Croatia Travel Adventure Photographer
Woooow …. it’s actually very hard to write about the country you live in and which you really think is beautiful without turning out to be a brag :). I love to travel and I’ve visited a lot of countries, also I really like getting to know different cultures and customs but after all these trips I actually like to come home the most. Somehow I think I’ve traveled all around my country and seen all of her beauties, but I’m sure I have yet to discover more.
And now the question arises, how and where do I start with the description of Croatia? So to make it easier for myself, I will start from Zagreb, where I was born, grew up and live. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and a city I simply adore. I like to say that Zagreb, with its size, is an ideal city to live in (big enough to have everything a person could wish for, and on the other hand small enough to get in all directions without wasting time on traffic and other things like in really big cities).
Apart from being the capital of Croatia, I would also say that it is in an ideal location as far traveling to different parts of the country. In 2-3 hours with car you can go north, south, east, west … You just need to choose what you want to see and do at that moment. Sea, mountains, vineyards, plains, 8 National Parks, of which you have probably all heard of Plitvice Lakes National Park and Brijuni National Park, but there is more :). All this on such a small area as Croatia.
NP Plitvicka jezera
Unfortunately I don’t really have a lot of pictures from different places that I’ve visited, which is actually a good thing cause every time I’ve traveled the country I tried to soak in every moment of it. Whenever I want, I can just hop in the car and go to a certain location, so I don’t really need to record everything with a lens but enjoy what this beautiful country offers.
Istria, Slavonia, Dalmatia, Zagorje, Lika, Gorski kotar … each part beautiful in its own way. From culture, customs, food.
I like to smell the sea and pines when I come to our beautiful Adriatic coast in Dalmatia. Yes it really is a different air and it can be felt.
As I traveled through the Caribbean and the East I visited beautiful beaches with palm trees and other herbs characteristic of that climate but nowhere did I smell salt and pine. And that is something I guarantee you that when you come to the Adriatic sea in Croatia you will definitely feel it and because of that you will come back again;).
One year I went to a friend’s house on the Island of Vis and that day there was a beautiful concert inside the cave. We went in there ona boat from local fishermen and enjoyed listening to “ klapa“ sing. „Klape“ are traditional Croatian group of men that sing a capella. An amazing experience. Those little things are what delight you again and again when you think you’ve seen it all :).
When I go to Istria, I am thrilled by its nature and those small towns, each of which is shamelessly beautiful and a real inspiration for taking photos and enjoying. I won’t even mention the food because if you haven’t organized an active vacation, be sure to come back with a few pounds of excess :). All in all Istria has the most beautiful landscapes with vineyards, so romantic you’ll fall in love with it immediately. Also their traditional cuisine consists of sea food, one of the most expensive mushroom in the world- tartuf and specialities you have to try when staying there. And let’s not forget the thing Istria is known around the globe for, and that’s Istria’s wine.
I haven’t stayed much in Slavonia as in the other parts of Croatia. The reason is, like all continentals, we love to run away to the sea in the summer. However, Slavonia also has a lot to offer. Slavonia is the country’s biggest agricultural center. With lots of wheat fields it nurtures the „old“ way of life, before the big cities have developed. People have barns with animals which they get their meat from. They grow their own food fruits and vegetables. They cultivate the land and create so much opportunity for the country development in terms of food supply. Unfortunately the government is not recognizing the situation as important so more and more small family businesses are being closed, and more and more customs are being lost. One thing is for sure, if you are ever in Slavonia, you are definitely going to be offered with a homemade bacon and traditional sausages such as „kulen“ and „kulenova seka“. Also let’s not forget the traditional Slavonian alcoholic drink – rakija! It is considered a real medicine amongst people. I’m sure some of you may even heard about it without even tasting it yet. But no worries, you will – one more reason to come to Croatia. Believe me when I tell you- try it! :). Recently, cycling tourism has been slowly developing there, so I hope that it will come to life just like it has in Dalmatia.
Really every part of the country is beautiful and I would recommend you seeing everything if you have the time! It’s really hard for me to write cause there is so much to write about!
As for weddings, I am positive that Croatia can compete with the most popular countries for destination weddings such as Italy, France, Greece ….. Because we have our own history, stories, traditional food, beautiful landscapes as these countries have too. I also have a lot of crazy ideas for a wedding photoshoot. All I need are adventurous newlyweds :).
You definitely won’t regret coming to Croatia and you can’t go wrong no matter what place you decide to visit. Every part of my county has something to offer. I will try to show you some corners of this beautiful country but you will have to find out the rest yourself :).
People are warm and cordial, food incredibly delicious, natural beauties at every turn. What more could you wish for :).
Croatia Travel Adventure Photographer
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