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50 Plus Travel
sponsored by 3. Captivating Korcula Neat alliteration but also very true Korcula is just lovely. It’s a tiny port, reputed to be the birthplace of explorer Marco Polo. They certainly milk the connection but it seems plausible enough as you wander the crooked streets and elegant squares flanked with palaces of old nobility. Another Marco, Marco Andijic, a 15th century stonemason played a part in creating the bell tower of the cathedral which gave us our 360 view of Korcula. It’s a steep old climb but well worth the effort. NB Korcula now restricts cruise ships docking before 5pm.
The old town of Dubrovnick
10 Top Things to Do and See in Croatia By Cathy Bartrop for Silver Travel Advisor Back in the days of the former Yugoslavia, President Tito made one of his better decisions when he decreed that no multistorey construction could happen with 100 metres of the coastline. The Croatian government subsequently continued the policy and, as a result, the country can now boast what must be the most unspoilt and scenic coastline in Europe. One of the best ways to explore it is to take a cruise as I did on a filming trip with Noble Caledonia. Our ship was the Princess Eleganza, a gem of a small ship, carrying just 36 passengers and nimble enough to slip in to the smallest of ports. What a joy is was to berth overnight in peaceful harbours and spend at least half of every day cruising.
Here are my Top 10: 1. Dubrovnik Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the medieval Old Town of Dubrovnik has long been a magnet for tourists. It’s also tiny, which means it gets packed especially when up to 5 mega 6
ships can be docked at once, spewing out up to 20,000 passengers. When we were there, late afternoon in early June, it wasn't too bad, we got to see all the main sites with relative ease but, for me, the most enjoyable bit by far was the cable car ride up Srd hill for the view back down on the Old Town. There are a couple of restaurants at the top but head for the Panorama Bar & Restaurant, next to the cable car station for unforgettable drinks with a view. 2. The 'Lavender Island' of Hvar Hvar has gained a reputation as party central in recent years, especially with students and backpackers. I must say they have good taste – it’s an incredibly pretty port with a castle backdrop, cobbled backstreets, expansive squares and clear blue seas. Hvar is more than just the port though - we actually docked in Starigard, another delightful and much quieter harbour and only 30 minutes’ drive away. Driving back along the country roads we got to see Hvar’s other claim to fame: the beautiful rural landscape, heady with the scent of lavender, pine and rosemary.
4. Cocktails and sunset dining Still in Korcula, it was also memorable for its bars and restaurants. Massimo's must be one of the more unusual locations for a cocktail bar - atop a medieval tower. Access is via a steep staircase and then a ladder up through a tiny hole - I very nearly got stuck on it with my back pack! Fortunately the drinks are delivered more easily, via a winch and pulley system on the side of the tower. Along the waterfront there is a great selection of restaurants - by recommendation we plumped for Nonno's where the antipasti and homemade pasta dishes, even if a little pricey, were as good as anything I've eaten in Italy. 5. Churches, castles and palaces Croatia is awash with historic buildings. Among the most memorable for me was a tour of Diocletian's Palace in Split - the approach to Split from the sea didn't look all that promising but then, just steps from the waterfront, you enter the complex that the Roman Emperor Dioclea had built as his retirement Palace in AD 305. Facing the sea on one side, it was built like a Roman military fortress with walls up to 700 feet long and 20 feet high, enclosing an area of 9.5 acres. Split's enchanting old town is within its walls. Zadar is equally as mesmerising - by the 1st century it too was a Roman Municipality. Over the centuries the city has been the subject of numerous assaults, not least more recently during the Yugoslav wars in the 90s.