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Posts Tagged ‘Tourism’

In a talk last year at Tufts School in Massachusetts, TV reporter Lisa Ling shared one of her very own private FAQs : No, she wasn’t in “Charlie’s Angels.” That would be Lucy Liu.

Then she told scholars what shaped her world view. “The best education I’ve ever received was thru travel. You can get even more conversant, poised and smarter,” she said, according to Abroad101, a study abroad blog that summed up the speech.

Ling, who hosts the TV show “Our America” on OWN and regularly reports on CNN, will appear at this weekend’s L.A. Times Travel Show at the L.A. Convention Center. I asked what places are on her bucket list this year, and she sent an e-mail with “four places I’m dying to visit.”

Cuba : Since the 1959 Revolution, Cuba’s been shrouded in intrigue, off limits to most American visitors. But now, the country is about to open its doors just a little wider, and the uber-curious can get a license to go. What’s there to see? Everything — classic American vehicles, bongo-playing locals, Havana’s eighteenth century homes, Spanish Colonial buildings — but often it’s about soaking up the sights and culture of a long banned land.

Croatia : It is time to venture outside the “euro zone.” That is information from Travelzoo senior editor Gabe Saglie, who announces, “Croatia is an ideal example of a place that is exotic but still off the radar.” Dubrovnik, Split (where latter-day apartment dwellers live elbow-to-elbow with history in the impressive Diocletian’s Palace) and the Dalmatian Coast? Yes, yes and yes. And it is a short hop to islands like Brac and Hvar for a quiet beach stint. Saglie announces Croatia is still a good value for US people, except in crowded July and Aug, because in fact , Europeans do know about it.

Morocco : Last year’s Arab spring prompted the nations king to float pro-democracy measures and enact a new constitution. Politics apart, the issue isn’t whether to go, but where to go : the Sahara Desert on a four-wheel trip ; Fez, Casablanca and Tangier to visit souks and sites the Berbers, Roman Empire, French and Spanish wanted as their own ; or beaches along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Marrakech too is an option, particularly on a night tour of its exotic markets.

Mongolia : It isn’t that remote anymore, but still gorgeous. That is Lonesome Planet’s take on the Asian nation that retains the untouched sweetness of the Gobi desert juxtaposed against 21st century herders speaking on mobile telephones and Internet cafes in capital Ulan Bator. “Since the decline of communism, Mongolia has done just about everything in its power to open itself up to the world,” the firm’s site asserts. Do not be concerned, there’s still time to sleep in a ger (nomadic tent), take a camel ride or go on a high-altitude trek — all some distance from the telephone chatter.

Ling also identified three places she encourages Americans to go to this year : Nepal, for the beautiful Himalayas ; China, which changes every day ; and the Greek island of Santorini, one of the most “beautiful places on the planet,” she writes, and likely pretty cheap because of the states debt crisis, writes tagza.com.

In 2011, the total number of Holy Communions distributed during Mass in Medjugorje went above 2 million for the first time. The quantity of concelebrations by priests was similarly record-high in passing 40,000, also for the first time.

Priests were concerned in two Medjugorje records in 2011 : Never before did so many of them come – and never before did they distribute so many Holy Communions to parishioners and travellers

2,027,900 Holy Communions would be sufficient if all the inhabitants of Houston, Texas, were to get the Body of Christ one time each. Yet the number does not derive from Houston, but from Medjugorje where more than 2,000,000 distributed Holy Communions in one year was registred for the 1st time in 2011.

The number climbed from 1,571,800, a rise of twenty-nine % matched against 2010 which was itself a record year. 1,378,600 Holy Communions were distributed in Medjugorje in 2009, according to parish statistics.

A record breaking number of priests distributed the more than 2,000,000 Holy Communions. 41,094 concelebrations of Mass were registred in Medjugorje in 2011, up from 38,227 the previous year. The figures are not descriptive of the actual number of visiting priests, as most concelebrate more than one Mass during their stay in Medjugorje.

The existing Medjugorje boom in Italy accounts for some of the progress, though only a few of it. 8,171 Italian concelebrations happened in 2011, up from 7,270 the year before and 4,718 in 2009.

Also, you must visit Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Medjugorje is one of the towns of the Western Herzegovina municipality of Citluk in the former Yugoslavia. The name Medjugorje is Slavic and means “area between two moutains”. This true story happens in the Bijakovici section of Medjugorje. On the afternoon of June twenty-four, 1981, 2 girls, Ivanka Ivankovic, age 15, and Mirjana Dragicevic, age 16, were coming home from a walk. Looking toward the hill called Crnica, Ivanka saw a bright silhouette of a girl. She said to Mirjana, “It is the Gospa!” ( Our Woman ).

On June twenty-five, the two girls returned to the hill with 4 others. Their names are, Vicka Ivankovic, age sixteen, Ivan Dragivevic, age 16, Maria Pavlovic, age 16 and Jakov Colo, age ten. A figure in white was calling them to come up the hill. The youngsters were somehow transported in some puzzling way to a pretty Lady who calls herself, the Queen of Peace. The Woman gives messages to the seers for the whole world. To date, the Queen of Peace has left thousands of messages. At first, the messages were almost everyday. Now, for the previous a few years, they come on the 25th of every month.

The visionaries describe Our Lady as gorgeous beyond words ; radiant with holiness. Her conversations with the children have taken the type of motherly tenderness and love, and she’s taken the role of both ma and catechist in advising and directing their lives. She greets them with, “Praised be Jesus, my dear children.” At the end of the apparition she asserts, “Go in peace, my dear children.” She seems to the 6 idealists as a three-dimensional real image and always appears among brilliant flashes of light. Her appearances typically occur about 6:40 pm every day. In Medjugorje, loads of people come daily at this time to take part in the event with prayer, song, the rosary and the Mass, which is commonly concelebrated by thirty or more priests. The whole evening service lasts about 3 hours. And this has been occuring daily since 1981! – as reported tagza.com

Vacations are meant for making memories and often there are those that we start without idea how they will make their mark inside our memories. I can recall a number of such experiences, as you probably can at the same time. Today, I will outline a number of travels that could become especially memorable.

Only some months ago it was my pleasure to relish a month in the Mediterranean area. This year, Holland America Lines is offering a 22-day voyage departing Sept. 23, 2012 from Barcelona, Spain.

After flying to Spain, you go on to the dock area and board the Ryndam. The truth is, I would get to Barcelona one or two days before the ship sails to carry out some sightseeing in and around this best city. It’s clean, safe and visually intriguing and beautiful.

Then on Sept. 23 you board the lovely ship and away you go first to Palma de Mallorca, which lies southwest of Barcelona in the Mediterranean and is a major vacation spot for northern Europeans during winter months. This is a beautiful island and rather large. You can book a tour that will take you into the countryside to view how beautiful the island is. There are many vineyards as well as fairly high mountains. Palma could be the main city. Most of the waterfront is lined with modern hotels.

Next, you sail to Cagliari, Sardinia for any full day, followed by each day in Trapani, Sicily, Italy. Then it is onto North Africa for any day of sightseeing in Tunis and Carthage, Tunisia. It needs to be warm and sunny here because you are right on the edge from the Sahara Desert.

Next, the ship would go to Valletta, Malta where you can digest the history of the island followed by a stop in Rome for a day. There is certainly interesting scenery from the Rome port of Civitavecchia inland for the city, which takes an hour and a half. Rome city sightseeing will be a must if you have not visited here for a few years. You tend to forget how great the history is in this part of the world the other day of sightseeing here is really worth the time and expense.

After Rome, you sail to one of my favorite cities on earth, Florence. Even the drive from the port of Livorno to Florence is interesting. There is certainly so much history and beauty here it boggles your head. Use your day wisely having an all encompassing tour, which will include the major points of Florence in addition to a stop at Pisa for some photos from the leaning tower.

Now, a best stop will be Monte Carlo, Monaco to view how the upper crust of Europe lives and vacation. A complete day is spent here then, back for any full day in Barcelona, Spain before selling it to Palermo and Catania, Sicily, Italy.

From here, you sail southeast to Katakolon, Greece as time passes to take a shore excursion for the original site of the Olympics. Then sail to Corfu, Greece as well as one of the more interesting cities in the general area, Dubrovnik, Croatia where you will have a full day to explore. Next is a most fascinating town, Kotor in Montenegro. It is possible to walk the cobblestone streets to view the shops and perhaps purchase some gifts to consider back home.

Naples, Italy could be the last port of call before arriving back Barcelona.

This 22-day itinerary gives you a wide variety of sights and sounds and many opportunities to photograph history of yesteryear. Call Holland America Line for more info and request a brochure. Phone 1-877-SAIL-HAL or www.hollandamericablog.com.

In case you hate long flights, take a look at Holland America Lines unusual itinerary sailing in the Maasdam departing Boston July 14, 2012 and on the way to Amsterdam for a two-day stay then time for Boston. The total itinerary takes 35 days. Allow me to share the highlights: Corner Brook, Newfoundland; Red Bay, Labrador; Nanortalik, Greenland; Reykjavik, Iceland; Geiranger, Norway and also cruising the famous Norwegian Fjords, and stops at Alsund and Bergen, Norway and stopping in Amsterdam for just two full days.

You may stay with the ship during this time if you prefer. Then, the Maasdam sails to Southampton and Plymouth, England before docking in Dublin, Ireland for just two days. Then, on to Toirshavn, Faroe Islands, Seydisfordur and Akureyri, Iceland and after a day at sea docking in Qjaqortog, Greenland then one day at sea before visiting St. Anthony and St. John’s, Newfoundland, before reaching Bar Harbor, Maine for any full day, and then back to your starting point. If you can escape for 35 days you will be sure to experience most interesting sailing and sightseeing. A few of the locations on the itinerary aren’t frequently visited by Americans. Holland America Lines are offering this unique cruise at a bargain mark down price, so check into it if you think you have the time and cash to take the cruise.

Here is another itinerary you’d probably enjoy, which we did about four years ago. This particular voyage is another Holland America Line cruise, but other cruise companies offer about the same this year. Consult a travel agent and they will offer you up-to-date brochures and advice.

The next cruise I am going to mention with HAL requires you to definitely fly to Sydney, Australia to spend three or four days exploring close to this major city, which can be loaded with fascinating sights and after that boarding the Zaandam Nov. 25, 2012 and sail to New Zealand for a very comprehensive sightseeing program stopping in Milford Sound, which are often seen in publication photographs, and also Stewart Island, Port Chalmers for Duniden, Lyttelton for Christchurch, Napier, Tauranga, Auckland, and the Bay of Islands before time for Sydney. This is 14 days of exciting cruising and sightseeing. You’ll always bear in mind the high mountains of the South Island and green from the North Island. The people are most friendly this also late spring cruise should present a wonderful vacation.

Tauck Tours is chartering french cruise ship, L’Austral, which was commissioned only recently and carries less than 500 guests while offering up-scale dining, beautiful interiors and service. This vacation is titled Poets, Authors, Painters & You. Someone flies into Venice, Italy and check into a hotel. After some extensive sightseeing and native cruising the area you board the L’Austral and sail the Adriatic Sea to check out and explore Sibenik, Split, Hvar, Karcula, Dubrovnik and Kotor in the Croatia and Montenegro. These towns and cities are quite ancient and worth every minute you’ve for sightseeing.

A voyage to Antarctica featuring the Falkland Islands and South Georgia is one kind of those cruises that few Americans take, but the ones that do seem to fully enjoy the experience. Personally, I am not that enthusiastic about frozen terrain and icebergs, in case that interests you, several cruise lines are doing it this year. The most popular time is during our winter (their summer) and the ships fill up. The ships offer landings ashore in special boats so you may walk among the creatures living there, mostly penguins. I would rather cruise someplace sunny and warm at this time of year. I’ll take warm over cold! Again, consult a travel agent for their advice and counseling.

I always recommend a Baltic cruise as well as most fascinating itinerary. Several cruise companies offer this and they virtually all would include some time in Stockholm, perhaps Helsinki, Finland, no less than three days in St. Petersburg, Russia, which can be loaded with castles of the czars and assorted Russian Royal Family, and also scenic canals, some of the best museums on earth for art and then there is music and ballet.

You can also cruise to Tallinn, Estonia, Riga, Latvia, Copenhagen, Denmark, and Warnemude, Germany for a chance to go inland to Berlin, then cruise the Kiel Canal and possibly a stop in Belgium before reaching one further stop at Dover for London. Each cruise line varies this itinerary, but no less than it should include Stockholm, Copenhagen and St. Petersburg. July and August are the most useful times for a Baltic cruise.

A fantastic river cruise for 24 remarkable days begins in Amsterdam and visits Koln, Koblenz, Aschaffenburg, Rothenburg, Bamberg, the primary Danube Canal, Regensburg, Passau, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Kalocsa, Vukobar, Belgrade Veliko, Cernaboda on the Black Sea Coast and leads to Bucharest. I would like to do this cruise within the next two years. It so well encompasses Western and Middle Europe and you also do not have to change planes, coaches or boats. One riverboat does it all. Several major river cruise companies do this itinerary.

As we have said before, a round-the-world cruise could be the ultimate voyage, writes tagza.

The 1st recorded settlement in these parts as a waypoint on the Salona-Narona road, which was discussed in the tablet of Peutigeriana in the initial half of the 4th century.

In the documents of the Salona Council dated from May 4th, 533 AD, Mucurum is mentioned as the town where a bishopric was established. In the Ravenat itinerary from the 7th century, the town is mentioned as Aronia id est Mucru. During the middle ages, the county Mokro was part of the Neretva dukedom and was renowned for its naval might. Venetian doge Petar Kandijan suffered a major defeat in the enormous naval battle in front of Mokro on September eighteenth, 887 AD. In the centuries that followed, the rule over these parts was exchanged between the varied Bribir dukes, Bosnian rulers, Croatian kings and Venice. Under its present name Makarska is mentioned for the first time in 1502. During the Turkish occupation, Makarska became part of their province Primorje and was fortified with three keeps. Makarska became part of Venetian republic in 1684. Under the hundred-year rule of the Venetian lion, the foundations of the future town were built. In the following hundred or so years, during the French and Austrian rule, the town experiences increased cultural and economic development.

From the ancient Illyrian artifacts, Roman villas, medieval naval might of Mokro in the Neretva Dukedom, to the Turkish walls and the Venetian Baroque town ; thru popular Austrian resort town to the present day, Makarska and its story are a vital element of it natural environment. The historic story of the town can be experienced thru the famous Franciscan priory, the cathedral church of St. Marko, the churches of St. Filip and Jakov, the shrine of Vepric, Ka?i? ; square, assorted museums and galleries, stone paved streets, squares, beaches, groves and mountain tops.

Holy Shrine Vepric

Croatian holy shrine of Vepric is located 5 hundred m past Kuk, in a harmonious natural setting, at the foot of the wooded hill. This place of pilgrimage was founded in 1908 by Bishop Dr. Juraj Cari? ; who was also buried here. The natural cavern and the surroundings, hills, plants and the spring simply remind one of the French Lourdes. A chapel and the sacristy have been built in Vepric , as well as the altar, confession booths, stations of the Cross, area for spiritual exercises, and paths for processions.
Due to its natural beauty and peace, this location is frequently visited across the year, and particularly during the pilgrimage days on Feb. eleventh, March 25th, Aug. fifteenth, and September 7 th and 8th, writes tagza.

Pleasant dinner is over along with the throng of passengers heads towards the nightly ‘show’ in the lecture hall.

There aren’t any boy bands, no glitzy dancers, no stand-up comedians waiting to entertain us for the cruise ship Aegean Odyssey, thank heavens. Instead, a professor of architecture and archaeology expounds for the Roman emperor Diocletian and his persecution of Christians 1,700 years back.

Tomorrow, we land at Split in Croatia and visit his palace. That is homework time. Next day, the rain is relentless in the palace courtyards, its ancient limestone steps and alleys wet underfoot and slippery.

However the desire for knowledge cannot be so easily dampened and that we – a party of visitors progressing in years and not as nimble once we once were – press on regardless, evidence of that axiom that education is wasted for the young.

Universities may be filled with youngsters who party forever, sleep late and skip lectures, however the appetites and habits people eager-to-learn silver-haired ‘students’ are different. At our age, there’s no time to waste. Tempus fugit. We are unashamed culture vultures.

The truly keen swot up in the on-board library. There cannot be many cruise ships in the world that carry complete and well-thumbed teams of Virgil, Homer, Herodotus and the like, but this one does.

We have been travelling with Voyages to Antiquity, an unbiased cruise company with one small ship. In summer and autumn, she loops from end of the Mediterranean towards the other on a journey through the glories of ancient civilisation.

Carrying at the most 380 passengers at a time, she is almost a house-boat in contrast to some of the 4,000-plus leviathans and floating people palaces that power their way through these waters.

This is not a trip for thrill-junkies, beach-bums or the cerebrally-challenged, but it is a perfect busman’s holiday for that intellectually inclined, though you don’t need a double-first from Cambridge.

You are able to laze beside the pool if you want, but the serious business of plunging in the past is what the majority are here for. The good food, comfortable cabins and graceful Filipino service are bonuses.

Venice may be the starting point for our particular leg of this historical travelogue, and we begin with an exclusive and privileged twilight tour of St Mark’s Basilica as well as golden mosaics after the crowds go.

Our finer senses uplifted, it then becomes back on board for a late supper of superb, locally-caught fish and refreshing sleep. Overnight, we nose out of the lagoon, cross the Adriatic and wake up beside the coastline of Croatia, its rugged cliffs pepper-potted with gaping caves backed by snowcapped mountains.

This magical land, sandwiched involving the high civilisations of Greece and Rome, adjusted by many names over the centuries. It turned out Dalmatia to the Romans and Illyria to Shakespeare, who, needing a location of mystery for Twelfth Night, had his wanderers ship-wrecked here. Heading south towards Greece, we thread our way through an archipelago of green islands, mostly uninhabited apart from the occasional church or lighthouse.

The Venetians sailed these waters carrying treasures through the east. Pirates preyed on fleets of ships from Byzantium. There exists history in each wave and cove, and a glimpse of past civilisations at every port. Roman and Romanesque, Gothic and Crusader, jostle next to each other, a living timeline of Europe’s past.

The tours if we dock are demanding, mentally and physically. There is no dumbingdown in this academy. The commentary of well-informed local guides oozes into our ears once we file past Roman columns, Venetians forts, medieval altar pieces, a Tintoretto or two. It is a lot to take in. But truancy rates are incredibly low, and each morning there aren’t many stragglers as we queue at the gangway, looking forward to our next fix of classical culture.

If you need, you can duck out and do your own thing. Inside the walls of Korcula, reputed birthplace of Marco Polo, we take a cue from the maestro explorer himself and wander its narrow streets unaided. No doubt we missed something vital, some gem of data or interpretation that would have boosted our understanding – but, hey, as every schoolboy knows, there’s only so much cramming the human brain usually takes.

We do the same at Zadar, where silent nuns smile as they keep watch over a vast assortment of medieval Madonna-and-Child icons in their convent. We detach ourselves through the class and take our time for it to contemplate their timeless serenity. The dpi of peaceful Madonna images is often a reminder that this region has, through the entire ages, been beset by fighting and prayer was often the only defence.

This was always a war zone, and not just in the distant past. When civil war split the Balkans 2 decades ago, there was almost as much blood-letting and persecution such as Diocletian’s day.

We tie up at Dubrovnik, whose old walled town is often a vision of white stone and red pan-tiled roofs, a jewel of your place as precious as Venice. George Bernard Shaw called it ‘heaven on earth’, but it’s often been hell. Its patron saint, St Blaise, met a uniquely grisly end – tortured with all the steel combs used to card wool – as well as undoubted beauty has been scarred by violence since.

Then, once we enter through its impressive medieval gate, a sizable map pinpoints the hundreds of shells that struck the city from land, sea and air in the bitter eight-month siege by Serbian forces in 1991-92 after Croatia broke outside the old Yugoslavia. Half of the historic buildings were damaged. Now repaired and restored, the town’s survival is often a miracle equal to any that Blaise – whose saintly speciality was saving people choking on fish bones – pulled off. The locals are reticent about those recent dark times.

But, when pressed, our guide points to a hill above the city and recalls the enemy tanks he saw aligned there, their barrels pointing his way. It’s a timely lesson that history isn’t just about a lost past, but may be the pathway to the present.

And nor is education nearly exams, degrees and diplomas. There are no prizes at the end, but our trip was obviously a welcome re-acquaintance with the old-fashioned notion, sadly little cherished inside our grade-driven schools and universities these days, that learning is not only a stop in itself, it is also fun as reported tagza.

A SELECT group of Australian travellers can attempt a one-off tour travelling from Vienna to the Black Sea with 4BC radio hosts Moyd Kay and Loretta Ryan.

Globus and Harvey World Travel Caloundra have connected to offer this incredible 22-day European adventure, that provides a rare opportunity to travel however you like through some of the best kept tricks of Eastern Europe.

It combines reasonably limited Globus tour through the ancient cities from the Balkans with an unforgettable Avalon Waterways river cruise down the Danube from Hungary to Romania.

The tour includes flights with Singapore Airlines, all accommodation, transport, a seven-night cruise and most meals and activities. It departs from Brisbane on September 9, 2012, and expenses from $9978 per person twin share.

Over three extraordinary weeks, 4BC afternoon presenters Moyd and Loretta will enroll in a select group of Australian travellers as they set out from the elegant Austrian capital Vienna to the farthest reaches of the Danube near Bucharest.

Highlights from the overland tour include Croatia’s spectacular Dalmatian coast between Split and Dubrovnik, the picturesque streets and baroque buildings from the Slovenian capital Ljubljana, and the grand boulevards and gothic landmarks from the Hungarian capital Budapest.

From Budapest, the group boards the posh cruise ship Avalon Imagery for an exotic journey down the Danube towards the Black Sea.

Exploring reaches from the river rarely seen on other river cruises, the Imagery will sail over the heart of the former Austro-Hungarian empire and into Bulgaria and Romania.

The cruise sails past landmarks such as the grand Petrovaradin Fortress at Novi Sad and through the dramatic Iron Gates Gorge, where towering cliffs separate Serbia and Romania and still provide some of the Danube’s most magnificent scenery.

Day excursions visit historic towns like Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi, and also the resort city of Varna on the Black Sea, ahead of the journey concludes in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, writes tagza.

Dalmatia is a region in Croatia which gave name to a breed od dogs, Dalmatian puppies. It offers several national parks, clear waters,many islands, islets and reefs, UNESCO sites : Dubrovnik, Diocletian palace in Split, Trogir, Šibenik chatedral and Stari grad plain about the island of Hvar . Due to its rich cultural heritage, unspoilt pure beauty and impressive coastline it is just a rising star of Mediterranean. Also, Makarska Riviera is one of the most beautiful cities in summer if you planning to come here, you’ll find good rent apartments Makarska.

Location: Situated on the eastern shore of Adriatic sea, stretches through the island of Rab on N until Bay of Kotor in S. Its hinterland Zagora is 50 km wide, produces a border with Bosnia and Herzegovina on E as well as on S with Montenegro. Western side can be an impressive coastline with green, wooden islands.
Climate:Mediterranean climate, although is generally few degrees cooler on North Adriatic. Conditions in the summer is 24-26C along the coast, in wintertime from 2C to 9C. Rainfalls possible with the summer. The most frequent wind in Dalmatia is Jugo (SE) wind blowing toward the mainland and Bura, an awesome, dry wind blowing through the mainland and lowering the temperatures. During the summer months there is a Maestral, a pleasent wind that blows in through the sea and refreshes the air.
How to acquire there:Air: There are airports in Zadar, Split, island Bra? and Dubrovnik associated with domestic line Croatia airlines with Zagreb and Pula. Low cost flights also available: Ryan air, German wings, Easy jet from April until October.

Bus: All the main cities are connected with public buses. Check here http://akz.hr/default.aspx?id=261 for a bus schedule between Croatian cities. There are also buses from Trieste (Italy) to Dalmatia and the opposite way round. Check here http://www.autostazionetrieste.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=0 for destinations and timetable. You can even travel by bus to Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Montenegro (from Dubrovnik) Bosnia and Herzegovina and Srbija mostly from Zagreb, a Croatian capital.

Train: You can take a train from Zagreb to Zadar, Šibenik and Split. There are international lines connecting Zagreb with Venice (Italy), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Vienna (Austria), Budapest (Hungary) and Belgrade (Serbia).

Sea: If you wish to move along Adriatic coast by ship or catamaran check the schedule for national destinations between the islands and major coastal cities.http://www.jadrolinija.hr/default.aspx?dpid=1522 . You will find also schedule for ferries departing from Split and Zadar to Ancona (Italy), or Dubrovnik to Bari (Italy). If you happen to be traveling from Venice check Venezia lines schedule for Croatian towns in Istria (a region on North Adriatic) http://www.venezialines.com/

Food: Dalmatian kitchen relies on a tradition of natural and healthy Mediterranean food: veggies, organic olive oil, fish, shells, wine, goat and sheep cheese, acid, marasca cherries, grapes, figs and almonds. Fresh fish is ready on grill, al brodetto (fish stew) or boiled. Typical dalmatian meat meal is pašticada with gnocchi and pastries fritule (plain dark-flour fritters) and rožata (caramel pudding).There is a variety in prices and quality, however for sure you can find restaurants and konoba (traditional wine cellar to eat homemade food and drink a nearby wine) to have an excellent food to get a great price. There are plenty of supermarkets in towns and around like Konzum, Plodine, Lidl, Mercator, Spar etc. Do not miss markets with fresh fish, veggies, fruits and cheeses with old ladies. They may be working hard on the land growing veggies and traveling from other villages to the towns to offer it and make some money.

Currency: Kuna HRK. It can be subdivided in 100 lipa. A word “kuna” means marten in Croatian, and “lipa” is a linden tree. 1€ is app. 7.5 kuna. 1 $ is app.5.6 kuna.

What to put with you:Passport and a copy of passport, a current driving license, credit card and some cash. Your camera, I pad,pod, laptop and etc. Summer clothes:short sleaves T-shirts, shorts, a couple of jeans, a sweater as well as a wind jacket, a bathing suit, snickers and some comfortable summer shoes, sunglasses as well as a hat. Get a good sun-protection creme with a high factor. Basic hygiene equipment, good will, enthusiasm as well as a big smile:-)

Main cities: Major cities in Dalmatia are Zadar, Šibenik, Trogir, Split and Dubrovnik.And then there are islands.Way to many, so just the biggest ones.Ugljan, Pašman and Dugi Otok across Zadar, Kornati National park across Šibenik, Šolta, Hvar, Bra?, Kor?ula and Vis between Split and Dubrovnik. Almost all of the cities still preserve a Roman network of streets or architecture, combined with Medieval and Renaissance Venetian influence. So that you can enjoy beautiful churches and palaces or simply take a stroll through old, stoned and narrow streets. Old Capital of scotland- Dubrovnik and Historical Complex of Split with all the Palace of Diocletian are inscribed about the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979, Historic Capital of scotland- Trogir since 1997., The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik since 2000 and Stari Grad Plain about the island of Hvar since 2008. Episcopal complex of Zadar, Historical capital of scotland- Kor?ula and Kornati National Park and Telaš?ica Nature park are submitted over a tentative list of UNESCO.

Activities: Easy explore Dalmatian coast is to go sailing. It can be an unforgettable experience and a must. There are numerous scuba diving centres, for beginners or professional to enjoy Adriatic rich marine world. High are other sport activities like biking,surfing, hiking or rafting about the river of Zrmanja in hinterland. Tend not to miss a Golden Horn beach on island of Bra? and urban installation in Zadar: Greeting to the Sun and a Sea Organ on Zadar riva as reported tagza.

Split has a long tradition of collecting and caring for monuments. This interest appeared as early as the Renaissance.

At the start of the XVIth century, a collection of Antique stone epitaphs was stored in the home of the Split noble Dmino Papalic (today’s Town Museum) and they were described in one of his friend’s, Marko Marulic’s, tracts.

The Archbishop’s Museum was set up by mid-XVIIIth century, and in 1820 the Archeological Museum, the oldest Croatian Museum.

These were followed by the other museums and studios in Split which keep and exhibit varied kinds of human feats in this area where life, pulsating here since ancient times, has created a familiar of autochtonous creativity and different outside influences.

If you are planning to come in Split to visit museums, you have excellent accommodation in Split hotel.

The Archeological Museum

Set up in 1820, the Archaeological Museum in Split is the oldest Museum in Croatia.
It’s got a huge stock of archaeological objects from stone age times, from the period of the Greek colonisation of the Adriatic and from the Roman, Early Christian and early Medieval ages.

The majority of the monuments come from the area of central Dalmatia, to be more and especially from Salona (Solin). Critical are collections of stone epitaphs from Salona (about 6.000 of them), of Greek Hellenistic ceramics, of Roman glass, of clay lamps, of objects made out of bone and metal, and of gems.

The Museum has a large collection of Antique and Medieval coins. The Museum also has a giant library with roughly 30.000 books on archaeology and history as well as on Dalmatica (books, books dealing with themes from the history of Dalmatia).

Since 1878 the Museum has issued its own journal “Bulletin for Dalmatian Archaeology and History”. The start of archeology in Croatia is connected with the Archaeological Museum. Its long-time director Frane Bulic, especially afterthe First lnternational Congress of Early Christian Archaeology was held in solin and Split in 1894, won it world renown.

The building housing the Museum was built according to the project of the Viennese architects A. Kirstein and F. Ohmann from 1912 to 1914. The Museum exhibition was renewed in 1970 on the occasion of the 150 anniversary of its existence. Stone monuments (sculptures, epitaphs) are exibited in the portico of the lapidarium ; the chronological succession of cultures from prehistory to the Early Middle Ages is displayed in the exhibit hall. There is a guide-book to the Museum in Croatian and English.

The Museum Of Croatian Archaeological Monuments

The Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments was set up in Knin in 1893. After WW II it was moved to Split and since 1976 it has been in the present building. The Museum has a rich collection of Early Medieval stone monuments and collections of weapons, tools, jewellery, coins and objects of everyday usage. Of special importance are the epigraphic monuments from the IXth to the XIIth century where we find engraved the names of Croatian kings and other celebrated dignitaries. These represent an extraordinarily rich “archives in stone”, rare in the Europe of the time. The saved stone monuments are in often segments of altar partitions and of other furniture of the pre-Romanesque churches in Croatia.

Many observations from old Croatian graves offer abounding material for research of the commercial, cultural and political life of the Croatian folks during the Early Middle Ages. Epees, spears, knives, arrows, axes and spurs have been found in graves of soldiers, all of which, according to their make, belong to the Carolingian cultural circle. The most numerous grave discoveries are different froms of jewellery : earings, rings, necklaces, diadems, buttons and such-like. These can be sorted into numerous types including a long span of time from the VIIth to the XVth century and are, most of the time, products made in local workshops and by local pros. Observations of gold Byzantine and other Medieval coins are also valuable. In the area round the Museum foundations of 3 common sorts of pre-Romanesque churches from old Croatian times and a considerable number of standing tomb-stones from the XIVth and XVth centuries are displayed recalling the appearance of a necropolis of that time.

The City Museum Of Split

The Town Museum of Split was set up in 1946. It is located in the northeastern part of Diocletian’s palace, within the complex of Medieval buildinqs at whose center is the Gothic palace of the Papalic family designed and built by the local master Juraj of Dalmatia and his stonecarvers and builders circle. Beautifully excuted are the yard with its richly decorated portal and loggia, the first floor hall with its lavish four-light, two-light and one-light windows and with the well saved wooden ceiling. The Renaissance building with a fine window decoration completes the ensemble of the yard.

Within, the permanent museum exhibition relates a segment from the history of the town, the period when Split was an autonomous town kibbutz (XIIth-XlVth centuries).

The town statute, seal and coins and the Romanesque sculpture from the belfry of the cathedral stand proud among the displays. In the period of Venetian rule (XVth- XVlth centuries), a central place is given to the Marulic’s literary circle. Mention also should be made from Libro d’Oro, Gothic-Renaissance coffers. In the armory are exhibited the weapons from the XVth to the XVIIIth centuries, utilised for the defence of Split.

The Ethnographic Museum

It was founded in 1910. The ethnography of all of Dalmatia is on show. The most common get ups of the area, some of which excel with their embroidery, are exhibited (the pieces from Ravni Kotari, Knin, Vrlika, Imotski, Poljica ). Some feature a characteristic white embroidery ( from Sinj, the Dalmatian hinterland) or lacework (from Primosten, Novigrad and Pag).

Various trades are on display in the museum : pottery, knitting, work (woodcarving, basketry, the making of shoes). The museum presents the basic froms of commercial life. One can also see Various instruments, silver jewellery and types of weapons.

Treasury Of Split Cathedral

The treasury contains an exceptionally valuable and valuable collection of sacral artworks.

On show are ob jects from the qoldsmith trade from the XIIIth to the XIXth century, paintings on panel from the XIIIth century, mass vestments from the XIVth to the XIXth centuries and famous books from the period between the VIIth and XIth centuries.

Of the second, mention should be made of the Book of gospels (VIth century), the Supetar charater (XIth century) and the Hishria Salonitana by Thomas the Archdeacon from Split (XIIIth century), writes tagza.

When you mention the word ‘holiday’, not everyone immediately starts picturing relaxing by the pool or sea, cocktail in one hand, good book inside the other. There are, of course, a great many types of vacation that are not mainly concerned with or based around, leading up the tan and getting all the Vitamin D in the system as possible.

In fact, some people enjoy spending as little time as they are capable on any form of land in any way, preferring instead to take their hard-earned breaks in the form of adventures on the water. And a number of attractions are geared precisely toward these aquatic tastes.

The top list is the increasingly popular kayaking holiday. In a number of destinations, this is something of a catch-all pursuit as it can be enjoyed by tourists lured by some casual research and committed enthusiasts likewise.

For those that are, the rewards and benefits are numerous. Seashore kayaking in Europe can bring about the discovery of some of the most gorgeous and enchanting views on earth. A water trek from the St. Anna Archipelago inside Sweden, for example, is a fascinating journey and a chance to experience the landscape and wildlife of this most enchanting region, set versus a remarkable backdrop of countries and rocks ranging from your barely there, to the lustrous and ominous.

Elsewhere inside Europe, a trip around Dubrovnik and the Elafiti Islands will live prolonged in the memory, while individuals with a more sizeable budget would likely do well to head to Thailand, in which a succession of enticing lagoons, every one more breathtaking than the last, lie in wait for you to dazzle and amaze.

Those that prefer a sturdier form of normal water transport and feel a lot more at home in a boat along with commanding a sail, compared to an oar and a kayak, would likely also find plenty for you to tempt them in the Scandinavian region.

A sailing holiday in Sweden boasts an extra dynamic that is difficult to both find and complement anywhere else in the world. Not only does it offer an intriguing and varied shoreline, the large lakes also develop an ideal environment for sailing by pleasure boat. The particular locks will carry anyone into the lake system and through the country via the Göta Canal – just be wary of the unexpected and often substantial winds!

Even more top destinations for a sailing holiday include the Gulf of Fethiye (Fethiye Körfezi) in Turkey and an investigation of the Aegean Islands onboard a traditional Greek wooden boat. With regard to added luxury, splash out on the stay in a crewed gulet boat inside Croatia, complete with en-suite cabins, as you journey around the Dalmatian Islands.

Otherwise, stay at home and command your personal vessel as you navigate your Norfolk Broads on board either a rented cruiser motorcycle or a traditional sailing motorboat.

You can also prepare yourself for your next aquatic excursion by learning your ropes and riggings with sailing lessons in Menorca. A number of locations, such as the aforementioned Turkey along with Sweden, have areas that are perfect for beginners to hone their skills. Then, once you are confident in your own abilities, head to Greece and take yourself as well as your crew on a tour from the surrounding islands.

The popularity of adventure holidays has grown significantly through the years as people search for a workable alternative to the tried and tested sun’s rays, sea and sand way of choosing a destination. A holiday in water guarantees a different knowledge each and every time you go, all of which tend to be equally rewarding and unique, writes tagza.com.

Complete villages and more than 40% of property in Montenegro are the property of Russians, according to an enquiry by Novaya Gazeta.

An enquiry into the possessions of Russia’s powerful top-notch by leading Russian daily Novaya Gazeta has led on to the claim that more than 40% of property in Montenegro is the property of Russians, and that there are even complete hamlets which are 100 pc Russian owned, according to a piece in Croatia’s Slobodna Dalmacija on January 8, 2012.

Russian Real Estate Invasion Of Montenegro

The paper claims the inquiry, in partnership with the Center for Prevention of Organized Crime and Corruption – a global organisation that brings together correspondents and researchers from Eastern Europe – pored over cadastral records at the Montenegrin Land Registry as an element of its research, and found proof of possession of multiple properties by the prominent Russians, including 150,000m2 of land on the engaging Lustica peninsula, which was once owned by former Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.

Whatever the figures, there is not any rejecting the fact that the Russian real estate invasion of the tiny Balkan capital – population 620,000 – has left its mark, as large Russian-owned hostels like Hotel Wonderful in Budva became recent and outstanding additions to the tidal areas.

Russian Faculties, Russian Villages

The party resort of Budva, long a favorite as a summer resort from holiday-makers from Belgrade, seems to have attracted the Russians particularly. Known in some quarters as little Russia, Budva has opened its first Russian-language college, and spoken Russian can be heard on its streets and in its cafeterias across the year, even out of the traveller season. Complete hamlets,eg the Russian Village above the states most renowned attraction – Sveti Stefan – are owned by Russians.

The attractions of Montenegro to Russians are numerous . With no visa duty for entry, a stunning coastline and enticing Adriatic Sea, Montenegro represents a fascinating visitor destination a short flight from Moscow, and the number of charter flights into Tivat from varied parts of Russia are testament to its popularity. The undeniable fact that both nations share the Orthodox religion is also a cultural advantage.

Russian Interest In Tourism In Croatia

Figures released for the top season month of Aug 2011, as an example, disclose the precedence of the influence of Russian tourism. Montenegro recorded 455,185 arrivals in its pinnacle month, of which more than twenty p.c. were Russian, a figure that takes on real significance when nations of the previous Yugoslavia are taken out of the equation (Russians were the second largest visitors after Serbia – 27.9% – and before Bosnia and Hercegovina and Kosovo in 3rd and 4th) .The most engaging summer city for Russian in Croatia are : Split,Dubrovnik,Makarska, Trogir.

To the more well-heeled Russian, the relatively relaxed approach to urban planning has enabled construction in prime locations to happen, allows which would be difficult to obtain in neighbouring nations like Croatia for example. It is also a country with ECU hopes, where citizenship can be procured for investment of a cool half a million EU Bucks, with previous Thai P. M. Thaksin Shinawatra changed into a Montenegrin voter in early 2010, for example.

The contrast to the Russian influence on Montenegro and its Catholic neighbour Croatia is bleak. While richer Russians have acquired prime properties in desirable hot spots like Dubrovnik, Russian holiday makers are even less prominent.
On the island of Hvar as an example – named by Lonely Planet as its number 5 destination for 2012 – the official tourism stats for 2011 show the island was more popular with holiday makers from 15 other states before Russia, including Belgium, Canada and Brazil, with Russian arrivals for the year recorded at 1,369.

This represents a 10% increase on Russian arrivals on Hvar, which made global announcements with the antics of Prince Harry and Beyonce last summer, and can be the beginning of increased interest in Croatia. A more relaxed approach to visa laws to Russian visitors, joined with the arrival of direct Aeroflot to Dubrovnik in 2011, and the announcement of Croatia Airlines routes to both Moscow and St. Petersburg, signify a growing interest in Russian tourism moving up the Adriatic coast as reported tagza.com.