Brotherside are the Croatian brothers capturing the world in an incredible light. Recently, they embarked on a road trip around Croatia and shared their breathtaking images. Brač, Hvar, Dubrovnik, Zagreb, Zadar, Rovinj... come lose yourselves and discover Croatia.
In a world where we scroll through our newsfeeds, devouring tiny bite-sized pieces of information, photos and memes as if it were our last supper, it takes a lot to make us stop. Well, that is exactly what the Brotherside’s photos made me do. My friend shared their photo album of a road trip through Croatia and I was mesmerised. Cliché? You be the judge.
Brothers Boris and Sandro Erceg were born and raised in Rijeka, Croatia before the moved to Norway for their Ph.D. studies. As well as being researchers in Arctic engineering, this lively (and talented) duo have a passion for travel, photography and storytelling; their Instagram account will attest to this with a healthy 27K followers.
Their Instagram is rich with incredible travel photos, captured in the beautiful soft light of early morning or evening, right when mother-nature has a propensity to flaunt her artistic talents and the boys seem to have a very good handle on catching her in the act.
They recently returned to their roots and did a road trip around Croatia, capturing the vast wealth of beauty and diversity that this country offers. Being from New Zealand, now living in Croatia, trust me, I am still in awe of the ridiculous beauty that surrounds me every day but these photos inspire even me; they are a reminder to never take a moment for granted, to have patience, escape the comfort-zone and to look at life from a new angle.
I had all intentions of reaching out to the two boys to get their thoughts on the photos before I realised that every photo tells a story, not only visually but they quite literally write wonderful snippets with each image, depicting the place or mood.
Let this article break today’s monotony and lose yourself for a little…
Zadar
The first stop of our trip was Zadar, one of the oldest cities in Croatia. After spending the day wandering through the cobblestone streets, we came down to the famous sea organ to absorb the last rays of the evening sun.
Brač
We chose to visit the island of Brač exclusively for Zlatni Rat, the most famous and unique beach in Croatia. While the white-sand beach is indeed stunning, we were more impressed by the countless small coves around the island and some world-class stargazing.
Dubrovnik
If you're on a budget, a few places in Croatia will put a tear in your eye, the finest example being Dubrovnik. However, if there is one place in Croatia where you should forget about everything and just enjoy the experience - it's Dubrovnik. With its unique position, massive walls surrounding the city, and glorious history, every corner of the city tells a story worthy of discovering.
If there were one word to describe Dubrovnik, it would be harmony - of colors, textures, and shapes. Hell, even the pigeons looked classy and clean there.
Hvar
Sunset over the spectacular town of Hvar. This tiny place surprised us with its beauty, as well as the exorbitant prices (gotta love the honesty) in bars and restaurants, which provided an excellent opportunity to familiarize with the local fast food scene.
Amidst dozens of people taking photos of the sunset, I noticed this girl sitting alone on the fortress walls, pensively looking in the distance. "Wow, how nice that someone still knows how to enjoy the moment without technology," I thought, only to realize moments later that she was using a tripod and a wi-fi shutter. Humans are truly amazing.
Unbeknown to many tourists, Dalmatia holds a special place in Croatian culture with their hedonistic and (even in Croatian terms!) often eccentric lifestyle, which revolves around the sun, food, and wine.
This lifestyle is maybe best described with the word "Fjaka," which I would loosely define as the psycho-physical state in which one drifts into complete nothingness, where space and time cease to exist. It might sound a lot like laziness, but do not dare to say that to the locals. Although the "Fjaka" phenomenon can be found even in the big cities like Split, it is best observed in small remote towns and countless islands in the region.
Camping in astrophotographers' paradise.
Plitvice
Despite the idea of leaving the sunny coast not being so appealing, we took out our sweaters, brought some friends along, and made a short detour to the continent. And there, we stumbled upon Plitvice Lakes, Croatia's finest national park, and another UNESCO Heritage Site.
Zagreb
Zagreb - the capital of Croatia, and a city where people don't see a problem wearing jackets in early October. We used the opportunity to organize our first annual photo beer walk with the local Instagram community. Of course, there were more beers than cameras, which served as an excellent catalyst for social bonding
Rovinj
Rovinj, the last stop of our trip, is one of those places so close to our hometown that we never bothered to visit. Small, humble, and quiet, it somehow never came to my attention, and it took me more than 25 years to finally visit it. Today, it easily tops the list of the most beautiful towns I’ve seen and serves as a stark reminder that beauty is just around the corner.
Cliché?
Didn’t think so.
These photos are enough to tempt me to do exactly the same thing, rent a mini-camper and simply lose myself in a country I am yet to learn so much about.
Want to see more from Brotherside? Visit their Facebook Page here or check them out on Instagram @brotherside
All photos and quotes are taken from Brotherside Facebook.
