Story: The Croatian Renaissance

The Croatian Renaissance

By: Ruth and Rich Carlson

With a big smile across her weathered face, the old woman with three eggs in one hand grabbed my arm and began speaking rapidly, in Croatian. Understanding only the words American and tourists, I looked at my guide, Oz, for help. “She says she used to share her house, a simple stone building up the road, with her extended family of 20, and now she lives alone,” Oz explained. “It’s good to see people in her village and she welcomes more visitors.” She could have been speaking for all of Croatia.

The place that invented the tie, the fountain pen and boat rudder is reinventing itself as a tourist destination. Croatia has a lot to promote, from baroque castles in medieval towns, to beach villages royalty favored in the early part of the century.

The former Yugoslavia is working hard--to welcome visitors, to start new businesses touting their natural resources, and to teach Americans how to relax. Just a few hours from Venice, Paris, and London, Croatia has the ambiance of Europe with friendlier people and lower prices. The country is also anxious to let people know the Balkan war is over and tourists are safe. “It’s our renaissance,” jubilantly exclaimed one winemaker.

Flights from SFO will take you to numerous European cities with a connecting flight to Zagreb, home of the Regent hotel. Formerly called the Esplanade, it was built for passengers on the Orient Express and featured in Agatha Christie’s book by the same name. Conveniently located near shopping, dining and sightseeing, it’s still “the” place to stay. After your welcoming glass of champagne, take the funicular (cable car) to the upper town where the original stonewall protecting the city still stands and a cannon is fired each noon. At sunset, a man still climbs a ladder to light each gas lamp.

Zagreb is the Capitol but the seat of Croatia’s first government is first in my heart. Varazdin is a baroque city that looks like a village in a pop-up storybook. A bustling university town, its main mode of transportation is bicycles, so watch out for students late for class. Walk around town for inspiration, but save your shopping dollars for the Varteks outlet. This well-known European label has coats and suits for men and women at a fraction of the prices charged in their retail stores.

The city’s 13th century castle is worth visiting for the “advertising room” alone where original signs promoting businesses are on display, including the “Wilde man” pub and a mermaid indicating an import store. Interior design buffs will enjoy touring the succession of historical rooms with furniture reflecting the different styles of each royal family, including Marie Antoinette’s mother. The castle and other tourist sites all have English translations.

Unfortunately, right now there is only one big hotel in town, the spartan Hotel Turist. While the atmosphere is unremarkable, the food is worth a visit. Instead of ordering off the menu, local residents often tell the award- winning kitchen staff to prepare whatever is fresh.

Be sure and contact the city’s tourism office to arrange a driver to take you to the wine region. Thanks to the country’s new high-speed freeway system it’s easier to reach the wineries, called wine houses. These are the antithesis of Napa Valley’s commercialized, impersonal experience. Owned and run by generations of families who live onsite, they welcome you into their living rooms. During our visit we came across a group of older people singing and dancing to traditional music in the next room. Surprisingly the musicians playing the old-fashioned mandolins and accordions were young men. “The young people are using old instruments to make new music, connecting generations,” explained the winemaker.

The Croatians equate good hospitality with a full table so be prepared for platters of homemade delicacies such as an orange cheese colored by peppers, smoked meats, bread with pumpkin oil and strudel. By law, everything is made by hand on the premises with products from each farm. The wine pours are also generous, so pace yourself, taking the time to wish your host a long life, with the toast, “zivili.” Known mostly for white wines, Croatia makes some interesting vintages you can’t find in America, such as Grasvina, a fresh, light wine. The trend is toward organic wines, since they are “better for the people and the country,” according to one viticulturist. Most of the wineries are building guest accommodations ranging from small bed and breakfasts to conference centers.

For an unusual decadent meal visit the Zigante restaurant in the Istria region. After the owner discovered the largest truffle in the world, he created the restaurant where you can order a meal with white and black truffles in each course, including the ice cream!

If you’re hungry for seafood, you can watch the fishermen carry their catch from the boat to your table in the beach towns along the Adriatic Sea. Opatija is popular with divers who explore old shipwrecks, looking for Captain Morgan’s buried treasure, rumored to be off the coast. If you’re lucky, you might see another local treasure, the group of residential bottlenose dolphins.

The Opatija Riviera has been popular with the elite since the 1860’s when it housed the first health spas. Dancer Isadora Duncan was reputedly inspired to incorporate the swaying palm tree fronds in her choreography and perhaps her ghost remains. How else do you explain my husband and I dancing the night away? Our dining room had a table of middle-aged women celebrating a birthday party and after some local wine, they invited us to join them rocking to old John Denver songs.

Porec is a beach town with Italian influences. People in the know save money by staying overnight here and catching a ship to Venice, just two hours away. Colorful stucco homes line the hills of this town that’s famous for its basilica. Oz, my guide, says when you enter a new church you get three wishes. I don’t know about your other two wishes, but you’ll use up your first one wishing for a return trip to Croatia.

For details visit: www.croatia.hr