CROATIA (2006, 2013): Paradise.
Rijeka– Industrial town where all the ferries terminate. There were some nice walks to kill time.
Split– One of the strangest and coolest cities I’ve ever been to. A city built within and then out of a palace complex. The juxtaposition of ancient, medieval, and modern life in a functioning ruin was fascinating. The city’s location was beautiful, clinging to a spit of land between the mountains and the sea. Great place to sit and watch the boats pass by.
Trogir– Bewitching island town surrounded by tropical green waters. I loved just walking around this little city. No real sights though.
Vis– Island paradise! I was going to stay one day, ended up staying 4. Everything Croatia should be. The freshest seafood I have ever had. The people were nice. It was not overrun by tourists. Great hiking and biking opportunities. The best 4 days of my life!
Dubrovnik– The city has a marble main street! The walls afford great views of the beautiful city and the crystal blue Adriatic Sea. From the mountain overlooking the city, it looks like a lego set. Nikola Burum, who met us at the bus station and offered us rooms, knew everyone in town. He was awesome. He was the best local travel agent/personal transport one could ask for!
Pula– This town in Istria has a very Italian feel because of Venetian influence and Roman ruins. Easy to access from a ferry from Venice.
BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA (2006): Still a work in progress.
Neum– Town on the Adriatic. It was cool and unnerving to see a Turkish warship off the coast and Spanish EUFOR soldiers keeping the peace. All of a sudden the history of the region became quite real. Also stores wouldn’t accept their own Bosnian currency, only Croatian or Euros.
ROMANIA (2009): Beautiful country, outdated infrastructure, like the U.S.?
Bucharest– Chaotic, dirty, loud, traffic-clogged. Splashes of brilliance in a sea of Communist gray. The city is full of vibrant youth and beautiful parks though. The notorious wild dogs treat people as part of the scenery and nothing to worry about. Lots of construction projects going on. Not a pretty city by any means, but perhaps in 10 years it will be the next Budapest. Who knows, maybe it is now?
Snagov– Little village by a large lake of the same name. Very rural with lots of horse & wagons. Very startling contrast with big beautiful new homes right next to dilapidated shacks. The main reason to visit is the island in the middle of the lake, where there is a lovely monastery where Vlad Tepes Dracula is buried. A local priest will take you across the lake in his motorboat. The island is very pretty and quiet.
Brasov– Loved this city! Great base from which to explore the rest of Transylvania. Appealing bright Saxon buildings and a very welcoming town square. Very lively pedestrian zone. Beautiful mountainous setting. And I loved the cheesy Hollywood-style BRASOV sign overlooking the city.
Bran– Very touristy little village an hour from Brasov due to “Dracula’s Castle” overlooking the valley there. Although Vlad Tepes only spent a couple of days there, the castle looks the part of an evil castle, and is worth the trip. Outside the castle there is a museum and an ongoing medieval fair, which is very kitschy.
Sighisoara– A lovely medieval citadel is the heart of this Transylvanian town. Beautiful architecture and the birthplace of Vlad Tepes Dracula puts this town on the tourist map. Dracula’s birthplace is now a restaurant that serves mediocre food. The roads were all dug up as new cobblestone roads were planned.