Split (Croatia)

View of one of the beaches from Marjan Park

Split has a long history of being a beach town, beginning with the Roman emperor Diocletian and his palace. Diocletian was actually born along the Dalmatian coast. Dalmatia was everything facing Italy across the Adriatic Sea. Perhaps a better question is how a Dalmatian became a Roman emperor. Diocletian rose up the ranks through the military (Dalmatia was a province of Rome). When the emperor died, Diocletian took over as emperor. Yet, he still wanted to return to his home province of Dalmatia. Therefore, he built his palace in Split as a place to retire. For a palace completed in 305 AD, it has many engineering feats. The emperor's quarters are built over the sea. Diocletian didn't want to have to go up and down steps to get to and from the water. Therefore, a "basement" of arches was built on the seaside in order to put all of the ground floor of the palace on the same level.

Facade from Diocletian's Palace.
This was originally built over the water.

Only the emperor's quarters faced the ocean. There were multiple windows that allowed in the fresh sea breeze as well as the sound of the waves. Diocletian entertained guests here. He even had a fountain that gurgled continually with wine. Diocletian's servants and guards each had a respective quarter in the section of the palace furthest from the sea. Some of the artifacts that Diocletian imported for his palace included sphinxes from Egypt.

Diocletian & the changing of the guards

Today, the sphinxes remain, as well as Diocletian's mausoleum. In fact, the entire palace complex is still in use today. And, not just for the daily noon changing of the Roman guards and visit of the emperor and empress. The "basement" section now houses a variety of vendor stalls for any kind of souvenir. There are restaurants scattered throughout the ground level. There's even a hotel inside the palace; but, it'll set you back 1000 Euros/night.

View from Vidilica Cafe overlooking Split

Outside of Diocletian's palace, Split has much to offer for the summer tourists. The rocky beaches are full of sunbathers and the clear water is full of swimmers. But, my favorite part outside of the palace is Marjan Park. It is a peninsula of Split just west of Diocletian's Palace. Follow the clearly marked signs to climb up the steps to the park. Stop for a refreshment at a Vidilica cafe next to the Old Jewish Cemetery for amazing views. Marjan Park itself is home to small chapels and hermitages from the 13th century through the Renaissance. Some of these are dug out of the side of the rock walls.

Hermitage in Marjan Park

But, just before spending an entire afternoon hiking around Marjan Park in the hot sun, I stopped at the farmers' market for refreshments There were fruits, vegetables, meats, flowers, food vendors. I picked up some fresh figs and had cevapi. Delicious street food at most reasonable prices.

Farmers' market

Kotor (Montenegro)

Bay of Kotor

Beautiful blue water surrounded by rugged green mountains. An emerald paradise along the coast of the country of Montenegro. So, why have we never heard of this Eastern European country? Possibly because it was part of the former Yugoslavia and then part of Serbia. Montenegro most recently been an independent country since 2006. For those who like Croatia's beaches, Montenegro's are much the same -- clear blue water and rocky beaches. The Bay of Kotor stretches from the Adriatic Sea. We stayed inside the city walls of the old town of Kotor, on the far inland of the Bay of Kotor.

Boka Night boat festival

 When I say Kotor is small, I mean really small. The town has a total of about 5000 people. But the streets were full the night that we arrived due to Boka Night, an annual boat festival. We missed the parade for Boka Night, due to a delicious dinner of mussels. Yet, we were in time to see the boat floats circle around the Bay in front of Kotor. Some were quite simple (crude looking paper-maiche characters) while others were a bit more elaborate (a surfer paddling rapidly in front of a shark). The entire time, loud music blared from speakers set up along the water. At the end of the night, fireworks shot off from the other side of the inlet.

Up the city walls we go

But, before we saw the fireworks, we parted ways with the boat float crowd and checked to see if we really could walk the old city walls at night for free. My guidebook had mentioned that they were free after 8 pm. They are free to climb after dark; however, bring a flashlight. We carefully picked our way up from look out to look out. Along the way, we met a group of college students from all over Europe. They were part of an organization that meets up in different cities throughout the year. We were pretty unprepared (flats and flip flops and attempting to use our cell phones as flashlights); but, we still successfully reached the summit! Along the way, the fireworks show began. We had an unobstructed view of the beautiful Bay and the fireworks. A perfect spot for such an unplanned outing!

Down the city walls we come

 After we made it back down the walls, the group of college students graciously invited us to join them for some rakija. It's an alcoholic fruit drink. The serving size is a shot; but, it's very good for sipping. The most common flavor is plum. Our new acquaintances parted ways; and, we started walking back to our hotel. Along the way, we heard an amazing live band. They were playing Marc Antony's "Vivir Mi Vida"! They also played Celia Cruz's "La vida es un carnaval". The band was spot on. And, people were dancing to the music, just not dancing salsa. When they seemed to switch permanently to reggaeton, we called it a night.

Bay of Kotor

The following day, we took out kayaks on the Bay of Kotor. We kayaked over to the house of the three sisters. Our kayak guide said that three sisters fell in love with the same sailor. All their windows looked over the Bay. As each sister passed away waiting for the sailor to return, each window was closed. It was definitely a good back and shoulder workout. Our kayak guide said that we'd only gone a few kilometers; but, it felt much longer. We stopped at a rocky beach and took a dip to cool off.

Dog show

When we got back, we were just in time to see awards for a dog show going on. The winners were from Montenegro, Serbia, Croatia, Russia, even Italy. Kotor is apparently quite a happening little town. 

View from the city walls

That night, several of our tour group members decided that they'd like to check out the view from the city walls at night. We were much more prepared this time. We brought water and snacks and picnicked at the top. It was another beautiful night (and much quieter).

Looking up the Ladder of Cattaro switchbacks

Kotor has several well marked hiking trails leading to various locations. The following day, our last day in Kotor, I made a solo trek up the Ladder of Cattaro. It's an old mule trail that used to be the only way to get supplies up and over the mountains inland. There was actually a mule carrying supplies following me up! It appeared that an elderly farmer that lived along the trail still receives his supplies via mule. The views were breathtaking. It took me a couple hours to go up all the switchbacks; but, it was completely worth it. I rested and enjoyed the beautiful view from the top. 

Goat along the trail

On the way down, I encountered a flock of goats. They were standing up in the thorny shrub trees and eating the leaves. We cautiously eyed each other. Thankfully, they were more afraid of me and scrambled out of my way. Their shepherd eyed us all from his perch on a rock higher up the trail. The final obstacle on the trail was a black and white cow resting across the trail. She seemed quite unconcerned about my presence. Quite a fun adventure!

Cow along the trail

Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Overlooking Sarajevo near the Yellow Fortress.
The gravestones on the bottom are almost all from 1992-1995

Sarajevo was one of those cities that I never really thought that I'd visit. In school during the 1990s, we heard about the war ripping apart the former Yugoslavia. It disintegrated into the six states that it is today: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Slovenia (Kosovo is part of Bosnia & Herzegovina). Sarajevo itself was under siege for four entire years (Apr 1992 - Feb 1996). During that time, there was no electricity or water. One of the main streets in town became "Sniper Alley", where Serbian troops fired on every person trying to pass. There are still shell marks and bullet pock marks in buildings all over Sarajevo.

This bridge is where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.
On the pink building: "The Street Corner That Started the 20th Century"

Yet, today, Sarajevo welcomes tourists from around the world. We were only one of several tour groups that we passed on the streets in both English and Spanish. One of the most visited spots is the place that sparked WWI. In 1914, an assassin shot Franz Ferdinand. You can stand in the same spot today. [This Franz Ferdinand was heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire. Not the musician. The Austro-Hungarian empire included Austria, Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Czechslovakia, and parts of various other nations including Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Italy.]

Outside of the Tunnel Museum.
The tunnel exited here underneath a woman's house.
See all the pock marks?
Those who made it here still had to run through Serbian fire to escape to the mountain pass.

Sarajevo's siege history is on display today, both via exhibits as well as through the damage that still shows in the city's buildings. One of the very interesting exhibits we visited was the exit side of the tunnel that was used to bring water and supplies into Sarajevo during the siege. People also escaped through this tunnel. Two of our guides had escaped through this tunnel during siege. Yet, these two had returned to Sarajevo during the siege. We asked why they had come back (one even came back after her father was shot in cross fire in Sarajevo). Both said that it was home, that their family was in Sarajevo; and, that they would rather be with their family in Sarajevo under siege than somewhere else safe.  Part of the tunnel is still open today for visitors to walk through. It's not very tall. We had to bend over while walking. And, it was originally 800 meters, dug directly under the UN safe zone, which was the airport. [Side note: the airport was protected by the UN; however, according to what I understood from our tour guides, the people inside Sarajevo couldn't actually escape to or through the airport. Hence the digging of a tunnel.] The Tunnel Museum has actual video footage from the siege -- both from the Serbian army firing as well as from people being shot at. It also has a collection of landmines and a small museum. Everything is in the Bosnian language, so, it's worth it to have a guide walk you through the museum.

A deeply saddening museum is the one dedicated to the people of Srebrenica. Their town was a UN Safe Zone. However, the few hundred UN soldiers were not equipped to deal with thousands of refugees. The Serbian army took over Srebrenica and killed 8000 men in the process. There are still families waiting to find out what happened to their husbands, brothers, sons. To date, about 6000 people have been exhumed from mass graves and identified. (Museum link here: http://galerija110795.ba/en/)

Inside the newly opened City Hall

Although Sarajevo has a past of sobering history, it has many great buildings, views, events and food. We had a chance to visit the Sarajevo City Hall, which was just re-opened in spring 2014. (It was shelled and burned during the siege of Sarajevo.) It is a magnificent building with stained glass windows and a pretty brick exterior.

Inside the National Theater

 While we were visiting, the Sarajevo Film Festival was going on. I even got to walk up the red carpet to get in to see a shorts exhibition. [But, no one seemed excited to take my photo or interview me. ;)] All of the films were subtitled in English and Bosnian. All of the shorts were depressing. Sigh. Why are there never comedy shorts at film festivals? The only slightly interesting one was the first film where an old man is staring down a refrigerator. I think it's title was "Keep Breathing". At least the theater was gorgeous: the National Theater, created in 1921.

Gazi Husrev-begova Mosque

Cathedral of the Nativity of
Theokos Orthodox Church

 Sarajevo may possibly be the only place to see mosques, synagogues, Catholic churches and Orthodox churches all in such close proximity. The most well-known mosque is probably the one in old town called Gazi Husrev-begova, completed 1532 by the Ottomans. Just across the street is the original Jewish synagogue (now a museum), built by Jews fleeing Spain (completed 1581). The most well know Orthodox Church is the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of Theokos, completed in 1874. Sacred Heart Catholic Church (completed 1887) is the most well-known Catholic church.

Cevapcici and yogurt

The food in Sarajevo was deliciously fresh and cheap. Must try options include cevapcici (little kebabs in a pita) and burek (flakey dough with cheese, meat or potatoes). Don't forget to get some yogurt to wash down the salty, scrumptious food. Served either in a glass or in a prepackaged container. While we could find good cevapcici at almost any restaurant, the burek was best at Buregdzinica "Bosna". Two bureks and a glass of homemade yogurt there only set me back 2 marks (about $1.25). We also found a odd little bar called the Golden Fish with great atmosphere and cheap beers (5 marks, about $3.25) as well as a cute little creperie, Cakum-Pakum.

Belgrade (Serbia)

1999 shelled building. Back section still in use.

My first introduction to Belgrade was our walk from train station. It was dark out; and, we were quite tired of sitting around on a train by this point. Therefore, two of us elected to walk our luggage the kilometer to our hotel. On the evening walk, we passed two bombed out buildings. We were shocked to see them. Upon further internet investigation, I learned that these buildings were bombed by NATO in 1999. The shelled buildings still stand; and, half of one of the buildings is still in use. An eerie beginning to our stay in Belgrade.

St. Sava Orthodox Church

 The next day, I started early in the morning in order to see some of the churches. Near our hotel was a large orthodox church, St. Sava Temple. It was still under construction. However, it's green dome could be seen raising above the trees. Inside, there were no pews or chairs. I thought that this was because it was under construction. Instead, I've learned that Orthodox churches do not have seats inside them. The congregation stands throughout the entire service. The next church that I visited was also an orthodox church, St. Mark's. Just outside the main entrance, women were selling bundles of basil. What an inviting scent!

Kalemegdan Fortress

A speed walk back to the hotel; and, I met up with our tour group. Our Croatian guide led us down the hill through downtown and then to Kalemegdan Fortress. This complex boasts something for everyone: an old Roman well (not free as advertised in linked newspaper article), a military museum, dinosaur models, tiny chapels, and souvenir shopping. It's well worth a visit.

Tito and his second wife's tombs in the House of Flowers

After our visit to Kalemegdan Fortress, we decided to head off to the Yugoslavia Museum and Tito's grave at the House of Flowers. While the Yugoslavia Museum was closed for renovations, the House of Flowers was still open. We learned a lot walking in the exhibition halls around Tito's grave. First, a little about Tito. He was the charismatic President of the former Yugoslavia from 1953-1980. During this time, Tito held the former Yugoslavia together while at the same time building ties with the rest of the world. It was so interesting to see all the photos of Tito traveling the world and hobnobbing with the leadership of other countries. His funeral was attended by delegations from 128 different nations! Part of the House of Flowers included a museum of the different gifts that Tito had received from different nations during his lifetime.

After trying to cram all of Belgrade into one day, I was exhausted! With my remaining energy, my roommate and I went postcard shopping. It took quite a while to find any place selling postcards. While Belgrade's war is in the past, it may still be one of the most unadvertised or tourist ready stops in Eastern Europe. Get there and enjoy this city before it, too, becomes another tourist trap.