5 Reasons You Need to Discover Croatia

#TripAdvisorDiscovery story by Ann Tran

Croatia just landed in my top three favorite travel adventures. I’m calling it my Adriatic Affair – a food and wine romance coupled with lustful landscapes. Thanks to Share Istria for inviting me to Croatia and to TripAdvisor for playing matchmaker to my Croatian crush.
Food is such an important part of my life. Croatian cuisine is a combination of Italian and Mediterranean flavors creating recipes fit for the gods. Add the famous Croatian truffles and the result is tongue tickling, table slapping, I’ll-have-what-she’s-having delicious. I’m a bit lovesick for the coffee, wine, grappa … all the food. Luckily I brought some goodies home to keep me satisfied until my return.

Croatia’s Istria , the area across the Adriatic from Venice, has the most million dollar views of any scenic drive I’ve taken. It really looks like a storybook walking through my social media pages. I can see why a part of the Game of Thrones series was filmed in Croatia. It is a royally scenic place.

Now that I’ve poured my heart out to you, allow me to share my top five favorite spots in Croatia.

#1 Plitvice Lakes National Park

This is the biggest drop in my travel bucket list. Think of countless cascading waterfalls forming 16 terraced lakes. The tallest waterfall is 230 feet. Hard to imagine, I know. To give a glimpse of Plitvice Lakes, I made a few short videos and shared them across my social media channels, but pictures don’t paint the majestic beauty of this spot. Seeing is believing. Tailor the hiking trails and walkways, which circle and cross the water. There’s a ferry that links the upper and lower lakes, too. When I’m not traveling, I like to be close to nature. Plitvice Lakes is a masterpiece of Mother Nature.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scaJ79vaWk8?feature=oembed&w=584&h=329]

#2 Konoba Mondo in Motovun

Like many restaurants in Croatia, Konoba Mondo is known for truffles. Now it’s famous for serving me one of the best meals I have had in my life. The icing on the cake is its location. On a hill in Motovun, a well-preserved 1400s-era medieval village complete with fortress walls, Konoba Mondo sits in the countryside an hour from the train station. Drive up the cobbled streets as far you can, then work up an appetite walking the rest of the way – about 30 minutes. The views from the hilltop define panoramic. Note to film buffs: July is the Motovun Film Festival, an indie lover’s dream. The food at Konoba Mondo is worth fighting the July crowds. I promise. See what almost more than 400 reviewers on TripAdvisor have to say.

TripAdvisor Tip: Ever had a hard time remembering all of the fantastic places you visit on your trip? Turn on the “Travel Timeline” feature on your TripAdvisor app to automatically chronicle your stops using your phone’s GPS. It’s an easy way to recall your trip and be able to share highlights with family and friends!

#3 Pula

This is the largest town in Istria and known for the Pula Arena , a Roman amphitheater that hosted gladiators and medieval knight jousting for 20,000 spectators. Events are a bit more docile nowadays, leaning toward pop rock concerts, films, and opera for an audience of 5,000 or so. Built in the 1^st century and elliptic in shape, Pula Arena holds title to being one of the six largest Roman amphitheaters on the planet. It is open for sightseeing during the day. Its film festival is over 50 years old. While in Pula, I was surprised to find the strong influence of Istrian Italians, an ethnic group descended from various parts of Italy who came to Istria in the Republic of Venice era, 697 – 1797. Today, most Istrian Italians live outside of Istria. Here’s something to add to my bucket list: a concert at the Pula Arena with the locals. It would be a bonus to spend a month in Istria.

#4 The Lim Channel

This 35-km waterway slices the west coast of Istria. On one side of this protected conservation area is Rovinj , and on the other is Porec . The Lim Channel is an idyllic place for a picnic. Pack a basketful of Istrian goodies – cured meats, olives, bread, cheese, truffles, pastries, wine …  Sit back, relax, and take in the stunning view. The easiest way to the Lim Channel is a preplanned excursion from Rovinj. Going independently is more adventurous (and cheaper), and boats run every hour in the high season from June to September.

TripAdvisor Tip: Investigate unique ways to discover an attraction, such as getting  an up-close exploration of the Lim Channel by kayak . For any destination you’re visiting, check out the “Things to Do” on TripAdvisor – many of these tours and activities can be booked in advance on the site!

#5 Rovinj

Some of the reasons I love this town are its expansive views of the Adriatic, the pops of color on buildings and in nature, its medieval streets, and the art galleries. Rovinj calls out for you to seek out the side streets, visit every shop on every lane, and dig your nose into every nook and cranny. At every turn, one can see pretty street scenes of stores on tucked away avenues. Kind of like an adult version of “like a kid in a candy shop.” Plus, I find Istria to be very clean and unspoiled. Adding to all that are a direct, high-speed ferry link between Venice and Rovinj/Rovigno and a high-speed weekly line to the Port of Ravenna and Cesenaticoin the summer. Imagine hopping over to Venice for the day or the weekend!

My Adriatic Affair, my Croatian crush: The cuisine blew my palate away. A recipe from the gods. Made with pride, the pasta is always fresh and almost everything is drizzled with olive oil and truffles. The truffles, olive groves and grapevines produce ingredients unparalleled. Anywhere. The coastal drive, rolling green hills, artistry around every corner, and the charm that lies in the everyday and common sights kept me pinching myself. I know others fell in love, too, as some of my trip images are among my most re-tweeted tweets .

I long to return to my Croatian crush in the fall to catch the seasonal hues Mother Nature will use to paint another one of her masterpieces. And I promise to share the love. Until then, there’s more of my Croatian crush on my Instagram .