Croatia: Beautiful Dubrovnik

A full half day trip including katamaran return trip to Split followed by a long 4 ½ hours trip by coach all the way down to Dubrovnik with some beautiful scenery along the seaside during the whole trip. There’s a tiny portion of Bosnia-Hercegovina you cross just before reaching the Dubrovnik area so you need to have your passport ready, and the only 15 minute stop along the way is in Neum (Bosnia). After having survived a traumatizing experience traveling by coach to Greece (let me detail traumatizing – 22.5 hours for an 800km trip including 4 hours wait at 4 borders in both directions) and since we haven’t obivously learn from past mistakes, we went this way, but the trip has been quite beautiful and bearable though tiring. Great transport network everywhere in Croatia, bus terminals to Dubrovnik (as well as train station in Split) steps away from where you step out of the katamaran, you can’t go wrong using public transportation. Quite tall mountains along the seaside close to Dubrovnik area and the entrance to the city goses thru a modern bridge, once again great scenery.

O cålåtorie de jumåtate de zi care include 1 orå de catamaran înapoi la Split urmatå de 4 ½ ore de autocar Split la Dubrovnik de-a lungul coastei Dalmatiei cu vederi foarte misto de-a lungul întregului traseu. Destul de aproape de destinatie autocarul traveseazå pt. o portiune minusculå din Bosnia-Hertegovina cu control de pasapoarte si unicå oprire de 15 minute în Neum - o statiune în teritoriu bosniac. Ultima experientå traumatizantå de cålåtorie cu autocarul în Grecia (800 km în 22.5 ore cu 4 controale de granitå absolut stupide) nu ne-a învåtat minte, dar de data asta desi obositoare, cele 4 ore si jumåtate au fost suportabile. Transportul organizat impecabil peste tot în Croatia, de la catamaran în Split faci doi pasi esti la terminalul de autocar sau la garå, jos pålåria. Apropierea si intrarea în Dubrovnik de-a lungul unor munti destul de înalti si de-a lungul Adriaticii e în special spectaculoaså inclusiv podul ultramodern de intrare în oras.

Quite a bit hotter when compared to Hvar, you get averwhelmed by the heat right after midday and it’s getting close to unbearable even if you’re laying under the parasols, the only remedy being to cool down into the pool, or even better into the beautiful sea every 30 minutes. Upon getting my passports back (left there for check-in, weird habit still sticking with some places in Europe), got to speak to the young manager of Importanne Resort where we had stayed, he is originally from Toronto so we got to chat a bit about canuck topics. He did mention that most of their Canadian guests are coming from Montreal or Vancouver, little if at all from Toronto. Overall a very good place to stay while in Dubrovnik, just make sure you get into the remodeled part of whichever of the 4 places that make up the resort since they would at first attempt to place you in the old and very tired looking wing. My review on tripadvisor here.

Sensibil mai cald decît în Hvar, spre 1-2 dupå amiazå aproape cå nu mai poti sta la plajå chiar si sub umbrelå, trebuie så faci baie din 30 în 30 de minute ca så rezisti. La Importanne Resort unde am stat managerul e din Toronto, chiar am schimbat cîteva vorbe cu el cînd mi-au returnat pasapoartele luate la check-in. Per total un loc foarte bun cu conditia så locuiesti în zona renovatå ceea ce s-a petrecut fårå nici un fel de problemå dupå ce au încercat så ne bage în aripa veche cu camere obosite. Review-ul meu pe tripadvisor aici.

Importanne Resort is located in Lapad, which lies in the western part of the city, a 15 minutes very busy bus ride to the old town where everyone is headed by evening time. Very frequent bus service will ensure you get here anytime.

Importanne Resort e în Lapad, vestul orasului, la vreo 15 minute de autobuz de orasul vechi unde se înghesuie absolut toatå lumea seara. Autobuzele foarte aglomerate seara, dar vin unul dupå altul în flux continuu.

Old town is rebuilt incredibly well, almost too well after the 1991-1992 siege of the city when 60% of the historic buildings had been affected, there is a memorial to the war victims towards the eastern gate. Entrance by the Pile Gate is spectacular and the whole feel of the old town enhanced by lovely live acts and all kinds of cafe entertainment turning the whole place into a great playground all thru the night. The whole settting of Dubrovnik old town is absolutely gorgeous surrounded by the Adriatic, marina, mountains and a bunch of islands, not sure which other of the European cities could measure up to it when it comes to natural setting combined with a perfectly preserved / rebuilt old town area. Main attraction award easily goes to the city walls tour - more about it here....
Orasul vechi refåcut perfect, parcå prea perfect dupå asediul sîrbilor în 1991-1992. Intrarea pe poarta Pile e spectaculoaså si atmosfera e foarte plåcutå cu toatå arhitectura stil venetian si muzicå pe la toate cafenelele. Asezarea orasului este fantasticå înconjurat de Adriatica, marina, munti si insule de jur împrejur, vegetatie mediteraneeanå peste tot. Atractia principalå e turul pe fortificatiile orasului - detalii aici..

Dubrovnik restaurants are by far the most expensive in Croatia, about the same as the ones in Hvar, a lot more expensive than the ones in Frankfurt for instance as we were to find out at the end of our vacation, but no problem coming down from Canada. It’s a non-stop outpouring of tourists that peaks during week-ends since there are 5-6 cuise ships unloading their people during that time as our driver to the airport had mentioned, happy we missed that when leaving Dubrovnik on a Saturday afternoon. In conclusion, avoid week-ends in Dubrovnik as much as you can, also try to avoid the hot months, we did not avoid that and especially past July 15th you could feel everything getting towards boiling temperatures.

Again from the infinite wisdom shared by our driver to the airport, Dubrovnik real estate prices seems to be skyhigh going all the way up to €10,000/m², however curiosity lead me to have a look and find out a 2 bedroom appartment in Lapad where we had lived during our stay there for about the same price as you would pay in Spain’s Costa Brava for instance around €2600.00/m²

http://www.sunshineestates.net/main/property_detail.asp?property_id=49690&currency_id=1&backlink=%2Fmain%2Fsearch%5Fresults%2Easp%3Fcurrency%5Fid%3D1%26country%5Fid%3D54%26region%5Fid%3D30%26Submit%3DSearch%26page%3D2

Preturile la restaurante sînt de departe cele mai scumpe din Croatia la acelasi nivel cu cele din Hvar din proprie experientå, mult mai scumpe decît la Frankfurt de exemplu cum aveam så constatåm ulterior. E o invazie interminabilå de turisti care culmineazå în week-end cînd se descarcå 5-6 vapoare de croazierå care bineînteles cå tot acolo se înghesuie. Deci de evitat week-endul ceea ce s-a întîmplat så facem, si de evitat peste mijlocul lui iulie, ceea ce n-am avut de ales si l-am luat în plin. Cu toate astea, s-a simtit diferentå dupå 15 în cele douå zile råmase în care a crescut aglomeratia, parcå n-a fost asa nebunie înainte de 15...

Dupå spusele soferului care ne-a dus la aeroport preturile la real estate (imobiliare) ajung la sume astronomice în oras chiar si spre EUR 10,000/m², cu toate astea am gåsit listing-uri cam la nivel de Costa Brava în Spania cum ar fi 2 bedrooms în Lapad la €2600.00 si ceva pe m², în zona unde am locuit pe perioada vacantei: http://www.sunshineestates.net/main/property_detail.asp?property_id=49690&currency_id=1&backlink=%2Fmain%2Fsearch%5Fresults%2Easp%3Fcurrency%5Fid%3D1%26country%5Fid%3D54%26region%5Fid%3D30%26Submit%3DSearch%26page%3D2