Travel

April 13, 2023 - It is 8 years since a Czech citizen made global headlines by claiming the Free State of Liberland on a slither of territory on the Danube between Serbia and Croatia. I post regularly on Facebook, and it often happens that soon after I post a picture of my whereabouts in Croatia, I get a message from a friend or acquaintance to see if I have time for a beer.  Such a thing happened on a recent trip to Osijek, but I was VERY surprised to learn that the sender was in Croatia.  Vit Jedlicka, President of…

April 13, 2023 - Hotel food seldom lives up to the quality of surrounding restaurants, but there is a rather delightful exception in Hvar Town - Val Marina in Hotel Adriana. One of the many quirks I had running my first portal, Total Hvar, over 10 years ago, was to report on the weekly listings of the island's restaurants on TripAdvisor. And for at least two years, the undisputed number one, both in terms of ranking and number of reviews, was Dalmatino.  Time passes, and I found myself staying at Hotel Adriana last week as a guest of the hotel.…

April 11, 2023 - Continuing our video journey through the magical land of Croatia, 10 things that amaze about Hvar's oldest town of Stari Grad. It was the first capital of Croatia's Premier Island. It has its very own UNESCO World Heritage Site. And SO much more... I have been watching Stari Grad and its development since 2002 after I bought a house on Hvar. The slow transition to high-quality tourism has taken time, and the investments have been significant, but the results are there. If you are looking for a destination reachable from Split which is actively shunning party…

April 14, 2023 - Osijek is undoubtedly one of those places that keep surprising with their little secrets. Whether that's the number of parks and green areas the city offers, the IT scene that has been slowly but surely developing there, or the little gems of culture and history that pop up now and again, the capital of eastern Croatia never ceases to amaze. Today, we're exploring underground Osijek. As SiB writes, there are many things we don't know about the places we pass by every day, and so much we don't know about the places we even walk over…

April 12, 2023 - Not so long ago, we had the honour of attending a fantastic little event - the Out of Office conference, which included a day and a half of education, fun, laughter, and socializing with other travellers and travel enthusiasts. The conference took place in the Wespa Business & Lounge, and it included talks, Q&As, a super cool pub quiz, and an open entertainment corner where you could try fun gadgets such as VR and even get a little massage. It was a perfect weekend treat, and we know we'll be back for the next one. Until…

April 9, 2023 - Dalmatia is changing slowly - a rather unexpected upgrade in technology on the Jadrolinija ferries. April in Dalmatia, and Easter on Hvar are among the two greatest joys this wonderful country offers, especially with the weather as exceptional lifestyle.  Having lived in Dalmatian exile in Varazdin and Zagreb for almost 7 years now, each visit to Dalmatia out of season evokes memories of an extremely happy, and VERY relaxed, way of life.  But a little incident on the ferry from Split to Stari Grad this week made my wonder if the unthinkable is true - Dalmatia…

April 9, 2023 - Where will you vacation this summer? Take a tour of the spectacular Dalmatian capital of Split, through the eyes of new luxuy Hotel Ambasador. Having lived in Croatia for over 20 years, the majority in Dalmatia, I can honestly not remember Split looking as clean or as beautiful. New measures from the current mayor, Ivica Puljak, have had a big effect already, and the area by the ferry terminal in particular is now unrecognisable. But in addition to a much cleaner city, there have been many other improvements too, including the addition of the first luxury…

April 5, 2023 - The majority of Croatian tourism is centred on its coast - here are 25 reasons you should never visit continental Croatia. Back in 2015, i wrote an article called 25 Reasons You Should NEVER Visit Croatia. It got one million hits in 24 hours and was by far the most popular article I have ever written. I recently did a video version for my new channel, Paul Bradbury Croatia Expert. While feedback was overwhelmingly positive, several people pointed out - correctly - that the 25 reasons were more or less Dalmatian things, rather than Croatian.…

April 6, 2023 - In less than two weeks, the longest-running Baranja cycling event will take place starting in Draž - the 7th in a row Deer and Bike. For the first time, the route is entering Hungary. As SiB writes, on Saturday, April 15, 2023, the 7th Deer and Bike will be held in Draž. This bike ride provides an experience of everything Baranja offers, from the Danube forests and ridges, its surduci, and Bansko hill viewpoints to tasting traditional treats of the šokadija. The Deer & Bike ride is intended for tourist purposes, with a healthy dose of education.…

Hvar, April 2, 2023 - Press Release - After last year's opening of the Beach Bay Hvar Hotel, as the first sustainable hotel in Hvar, and joining the UNESCO sustainable tourism program, with an investment in a new solar power plant project, Sunčani Hvar confirms its leadership position in the application of energy efficiency and green transition programs, setting new standards both in the hotel industry and in the economy in general. Namely, Sunčani Hvar hotels are the first hotel company in Croatia that will install solar power plants in all its hotels and buildings in order to produce its own…