There are places in the world, which are worth coming back and discovering anew. Once I wouldn’t have thought that such a place could be Croatia. After the first day of the cruise I have no doubt. It’s great to feel mint to Croatia again despite the passage of 12 years. If anyone of you have already been to Croatia, you should go back, rent a yacht for a week and fall in love with Croatia a second time. Croatia from the perspective of the sea will allow you to discover it again and feel the sailing atmosphere of the country.
FIRST DAY: MARINA DALMACIJA IN SUKOSAN AND YACHT CHARTER
When my friend Kate offered me a weekly trip to Croatia, at the beginning I had doubts. I have already been in Croatia twice and I do not even finish my treatment and I was waiting for s scheduled job interview. I’m going back to the memories of the marina Dalmacija in Sukosan, and I am grateful to her that I was persuaded. Now I know it was worth it.
The only minus was the transport. I’ve never been a fan of traveling by buses so the two interchanges and over 20 hours of travel were not the most pleasant; however, this was no matter after that, as our leg exceeded the threshold of the marina, you see a blue sea in contrast with the sun reflecting off the white yacht. There is also international bus stop in marina.
SIGHTSEEING OF CITY ZADAR CALLED SMALL CROATIAN ROME
It was 6 am and on board we could get on at only about 17. We decided to take a quick shower and go to city Zadar, which was located only 7 km away. Initially we expected to take a bus, which runs on average every 30 minutes (bus stop next to the port).
Renata’s friend joked – or maybe hitch hiking? It did not take probably 10 minutes, when we went with the lovely old man, who is clearly very fond of Poles. He was so kind that pick up us to the very center, even though it was not on the way. From the harbor to the center of Zadar is a stone’s throw. You just cross the bridge that leads to the Marine Gate (Kopnena Vrata).
Your eyes will be impressed by the pre-Romanesque church of St. Donatus (built in the ninth century by the Bishop of Zadar, the largest of this period in Croatia), with entery free of charge. It is worth remembering about covering up shoulders. In its vicinity are the ruins of the Roman Forum (the largest in the eastern part of the Adriatic, built on the initiative of the first Roman Emperor Augustus) and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (crkva Sv. Marije) with Romanesque campanile. There is also the possibility of entering the tower of St. Anastasia (entrance fee for adults is 10 KN), to see the beautiful panorama of the city. In my opinion it is worth.
Zadar offers not only charming buildings, narrow streets, but also the beauty of nature. Heading northwest, to the left of the Forum we came to the promenade, where you can sit on the stairs and listen to a symphony played by the waves. In the water under the stone stairs is a special construction (Morske orgulje) consisting of 35 polyethylene pipes, which creates the world’s first Sea Organ. The music is created by the action of the waves. Each of the pipes are embedded whistles that play seven chords in five shades. It is so specific and yet mesmerizing sound that after a few minutes you will fly away with thoughts.
It is worth visiting especially in the evening when it lights up the coast next to the light installation Pozdrav Suncu (Praise the Sun) imitating the solar system. During the day, we didn’t notice it as this planar structure is an integral part of the pavement.
After a long walk the coast we returned to the magical Old Town, which has a peculiar combination of ancient and socialist realist building. Walking down the street Široká to Trg Sv. Stošije you will come to the square where is the entrance to the Romanesque cathedral of St. Anastasia (free entry), which is the largest cathedral with the most beautiful Romanesque facade in Dalmatia.
On the same street there is also a charming little church. Walking from it straight on the narrow street we come to the main square in the Old Town, Narodni Trg with the building of the municipal guard with a distinctive clock tower. Following further, you will see the church of St. Simon (Sveti Šime). The entrance is free of charge. Opposite to it is a small bay with the marina, the gate Land Gate and the entrance to the park Perivoj Kraljice Jelene Madijevke, after which it is worth to take a walk or have a drink at the adjacent pub Ledana.
If you have more time, I recommend selecting the nearby town of Nin. There is, among others, the smallest cathedral in the world, that is, the Church of Holy Cross. We unfortunately did not succeed. Legend has it that it has a height of only 36 steps.
Captivated by the charm of a “small Croatian Rome” as popularly called Zadar is, we began to think about returning to the marina. Traditionally, we decided to go hitchhiking. This time, however, we found it much more difficult. Rideshare in Croatia is not very popular. Not even having a big cardboard sign helped, which was created by the courtesy of a waitress.
We wandered over an hour when finally, on the road leading to Split stopped a gentleman who agreed to take all five of us. I warned you that is illegal so the gentelman could have problems if the police stopped him. So we really appreciated his help a lot.
With joy we went to the small beach in the vicinity of the port. It is perhaps not too charming, but most importantly we could cool off. Personally, I was already on the verge of exhaustion.
Meanwhile, they are waiting for us even shopping bags and embracing. It so happened that our skipper Christopher appointed me second officer, which in practice meant the role of treasurer and buyer. I do not know what it would lead to, but without his excellent organization and action plan this trip would not be so great. In fact, we liked Christopher right away, though legend had it that are very basic and a lot of things prohibited. In practice it turned out that he is a great captain and a man of exceptional personalities whose competence and commitment to his responsibilities as skipper. So if you have to decide on a cruise to Croatia, then do it only with Christopher and only Master yachting (yes, it is a private advertising).
Thanks to Christopher’s list and discernment as to what to get at the store for the first time was a pleasure, not a chore. Most of the products were bought at Lidl and Plodine. In contrast, fruits and vegetables I bought at the market in Zadar.
After a delicious dinner together with Croatian wine (the best 2 and 3 l plastic bottles) we went to sleep. The next day promised to be full of excitement. Our goal was to reach Sali and Prvić Luka.