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Croatia: Dreamy Northern Dalmatia

We spent the last days of our holiday exploring the classic Dalmatian cocktail of historic towns, jewel-like waters, rugged limestone mountains, gorgeous climate and Mediterranean cuisine of the Northern Dalmatia.

Plitvice Lakes
In order to have a full day to spend exploring Plitvice Lakes we stayed overnight in the area.
It was so quiet and peaceful there! I wish we could have stayed more days to enjoy that serenity state of the place. Being in some way a remote place it wasn't easy to find a restaurant to have dinner, but when we did it was the best.

Cevapi, traditional grilled minced meat with ajvar (roasted red peppers sauce)
I don't have a sweet tooth but I enjoy trying local deserts.

Traditional strudel with cherries - a touch of chocolate makes this simple desert in a delicacy 

Morning coffee with a view

Love is in the air!
From the accommodation we had 15-20 minutes drive to the Entrance 1 of the park. We have researched which trails to take and the best views are starting from Entrance 1. We have bought the tickets in advance, just to be sure we are not going to miss this true wonder of nature. 

All the trails are detailed here: https://np-plitvicka-jezera.hr/en/plan-your-visit/istrazite-jezera/activities/lake-tour-programmes/. We combined the route C & K1.
Although the high season is over the park is still busy with tourists. There were some parts where we were marching in a line.
The views are speechless. Although the park is busy with people wandering around it felt that we owe to the nature to be respectful and walk in silence, not to disturb the serenity of the park.
Some facts about the park history. It is the oldest national park from Croatia and it's recognised as UNESCO World Heritage site from 1979.
The park it's known for a chain of 16 terraced lakes, joined by waterfalls, that extend into a limestone canyon

After 6h of walking in awe at the terraced lakes and the waterfalls joining them we drove to Zadar where we stayed for the last 2 nights.
Twilight in Zadar
For the rest of the evening we explored the heart of the old town and delighted ourselves with local cuisine.




Fish stew with polenta

The fig cake is to die for
In the last day we went to check out the gorgeous town of Sibenik, famous for its medieval architecture, cobblestone streets and the magnificent St. James Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
From where I took this picture, we returned in the afternoon for last swim in the Adriatic sea.
St James Cathedral

City hall square

View from St Michael's Fortress
Time flies when you have fun and that's how we got a glimpse of the Central and Northern Croatian coastline. There's more to discover on these magnificent country, but that's for another time. 
I am grateful that I enjoyed these moments with my friends, and despite a few unpleasant episodes I choose to remember the good moments we had together: the laughter, the fun and the joy of the novel experiences we had.





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