Dubrovnik is becoming 5 star hotel paradise and this has become surprisingly so in a very short period of time. Not long ago, the site of a holiday home in Lapad area owned by the communist area Bosnian company was transformed from beauty to beast. This is a setting now for hotel More, a luxurious treat for those searching that sea view to kill for. This stretch of Lapad Peninsula offers some of the most luxurious apartments and hotels. The promenade that is tick next to the sea and passes by hotel More, leads you to villa Elita, in my opinion one of the most beautiful villas in Lapad, as it airs a certain element of panache, largely thanks to its location. It has been redecorated and is now in the hands of Importanne group together with other three of their hotels part of a luxury resort that was once Hotel Neptun. Villa Elita does not come cheap and it is really suited for those with large deep pockets.
Highly on my list of hotels for mere mortals, is Libertas Rixos, now fully re-built after it has been heavily destroyed during the war. The retro theme prevails together with the element of open space and this is a perfect combination for a hotel that offers a great sea view and for me has a great sentimental value as it was my favorite beach before the war.
Speaking of beaches, there are very few natural ones in Dubrovnik town so people got used to the rocky ones and they quite like them.
Personally I am not so keen on Bellevue boutique hotel. It does have less imposing view than Rixos as it is situated more inwards and cannot compensate for the lack of sunny rays during the peak season summer period as the sun sets earlier than in the case of Rixos.
It has to be said if you fancy to have a rather grande view of the Old Town and sea then Ploce area of Dubrovnik is your best bet. This is where Villa Dubrovnik, hotel Agentina and Excelsior are situated and choosing one of them you cannot go a miss.
Squeezed between Villa Dubrovnik and hotel Argentina is Villa Scheherazade, a tribute to a beautiful belly dancer by a Czech businessman who apparently never met the beauty queen. Love does wonders and all you need is « a room with a view».
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spring has arrived!
I will start writing this post in an unusual Dear John style.
Having been busy evaluating all good and bad that has happened on the business front and having heard the birds singing, I became inspired to sharpen my typing skills and start, you guessed it right: typing about paradise on earth, Dubrovnik.
There is an old adage in Croatia that one swallow does not announce the arrival of the spring and that is quite so. This Easter the weather has been wet and windy but in the next few days the spring will finally start knocking on our doors that is according to national television weathermen's forecasts. And if you read carefully what has been written so far, it is time now to shift your glance at the article below, the one where I suggested cruisers' visitors to go on on a shore excursion, visitng Srdj Hill and capturing the momentum of the Old Town's view opening in front of you. It is also easier to put Dubrovnik's history into the perspective and understand better the might of its "golden" merchant navy status in the 15th century. Equally it is the way to understand its demise under the pressure from the Napoleon's army.
And yes, if you have time and 10 hours is plenty of it, visit Cavtat, that is one of Dubrovnik Riviera's most popular extended shore excursions, after all if it had not been for its inhabitants, Dubrovnik would never see the daylight. On this occasion, if you are not fish lover as far as your gastronomic experience is concerned, then there is a restaurant called Konavoski dvori and serves traditional Konavle region food, in a spot off by a local brook and a windmill. As for the wine menu, it is a local bottle that is the order of the day. Konavle is together with Peljesac the second biggest wine region in Dubrovnik County.
To round up your visit, there is an ethno house in one of the villages where one can get to know local costumes worn in the past.
The recipe is rich so enjoy it «nice and slow».
Having been busy evaluating all good and bad that has happened on the business front and having heard the birds singing, I became inspired to sharpen my typing skills and start, you guessed it right: typing about paradise on earth, Dubrovnik.
There is an old adage in Croatia that one swallow does not announce the arrival of the spring and that is quite so. This Easter the weather has been wet and windy but in the next few days the spring will finally start knocking on our doors that is according to national television weathermen's forecasts. And if you read carefully what has been written so far, it is time now to shift your glance at the article below, the one where I suggested cruisers' visitors to go on on a shore excursion, visitng Srdj Hill and capturing the momentum of the Old Town's view opening in front of you. It is also easier to put Dubrovnik's history into the perspective and understand better the might of its "golden" merchant navy status in the 15th century. Equally it is the way to understand its demise under the pressure from the Napoleon's army.
And yes, if you have time and 10 hours is plenty of it, visit Cavtat, that is one of Dubrovnik Riviera's most popular extended shore excursions, after all if it had not been for its inhabitants, Dubrovnik would never see the daylight. On this occasion, if you are not fish lover as far as your gastronomic experience is concerned, then there is a restaurant called Konavoski dvori and serves traditional Konavle region food, in a spot off by a local brook and a windmill. As for the wine menu, it is a local bottle that is the order of the day. Konavle is together with Peljesac the second biggest wine region in Dubrovnik County.
To round up your visit, there is an ethno house in one of the villages where one can get to know local costumes worn in the past.
The recipe is rich so enjoy it «nice and slow».
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Destination! Destination! Destination!
In this day and age, the globetrotting is no trotting and the old adage: «The Word is my Oyster» gets a new dimension. Even the rich are happy to share the global travel hotspots with mere mortals ( pun intended ). Apparently Bill Gates' favorite café is situated in a hole of Dubrovnik Old Town city walls. A few tables and chairs scattered around but a view to die for. Just a reminder peeps that Dubrovnik is one of the last preserved jewels of architecture be it renaissance or baroque your soul is searching for. To stroll down its streets is a step back to history and to sip a coffee in one of the side cafés is a cadre from a movie where you feel the time has stopped for a while, the very same movie where you also feel charged up, appreciating the stillness of the moment.
Enough of me blabbing on:
Senior travel cruisers, a few tips when you hit Dubrovnik:
City Wall Tour is a must, make sure that you have plenty of water with you Alternatively, book a panoramic shore excursion that will take you to Srdj Hill. Make sure that your driver is fluent in English as anything else simply would not do. Meander the streets of the Old Town, you will get to know a real taste of Mediterranean living. As for the latter, pay a visit to a restaurant, preferably the fish one.
Last but not the least; try to take a part of Dubrovnik with you, because it is for certain that you will come back at some point.
Link
Enough of me blabbing on:
Senior travel cruisers, a few tips when you hit Dubrovnik:
City Wall Tour is a must, make sure that you have plenty of water with you Alternatively, book a panoramic shore excursion that will take you to Srdj Hill. Make sure that your driver is fluent in English as anything else simply would not do. Meander the streets of the Old Town, you will get to know a real taste of Mediterranean living. As for the latter, pay a visit to a restaurant, preferably the fish one.
Last but not the least; try to take a part of Dubrovnik with you, because it is for certain that you will come back at some point.
Link
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Mares swimming in Montenegro!?
There is something romantic in hearing a legend. Although they appear to be rather silly in one way, in the other, they acted as a tool for encouraging masses, especially at times of conflicts.
At the entrance to Montenegro's Herceg Novi Bay there is a spot called «Mare».
The story goes that during Turkish or shall I say Ottoman rule, a beautiful woman was snatched at the bazaars. Her fiancé put up the struggle but was executed mercilessly. The girl came back to her village some nine months after the event, heavily pregnant. The villagers blamed her for the loss of her fiancé and like an evolving Greek tragedy, she died at the birth of a baby boy. He, for his part, hated the Turks and was often seen looting with his gang the entourages of women belonging to Turkish rulers. He would often transport looted goods from one end of the bay entrance to the other. He taught his mares to swim and to come to a designated spot when hearing him whistling. Eventually, he was caught and hang and the villagers were saying that mares kept coming to that spot but to no avail.
At the entrance to Montenegro's Herceg Novi Bay there is a spot called «Mare».
The story goes that during Turkish or shall I say Ottoman rule, a beautiful woman was snatched at the bazaars. Her fiancé put up the struggle but was executed mercilessly. The girl came back to her village some nine months after the event, heavily pregnant. The villagers blamed her for the loss of her fiancé and like an evolving Greek tragedy, she died at the birth of a baby boy. He, for his part, hated the Turks and was often seen looting with his gang the entourages of women belonging to Turkish rulers. He would often transport looted goods from one end of the bay entrance to the other. He taught his mares to swim and to come to a designated spot when hearing him whistling. Eventually, he was caught and hang and the villagers were saying that mares kept coming to that spot but to no avail.
Friday, June 8, 2007
When In Rome...
I have to express a slight dosage of disappointment, having recently read a comment, posted by a tourist whose exploration of Dubrovnik was exhausted after a mere day. Apparently, he «got fed up» with a cascade of various shadows of «red» that is including crimson and terracotta, which are donning the roofs of the Old Town's houses.
Dubrovnik is a destination for a culture-vulture meets nature type of a person. Moreover, a lot of modern day values are continuation of the past events' lessons that some of us have even learnt in recent times. My point, well Dubrovnik was the first town in Europe which had a pharmacy and during the reign of Dubrovnik Republic, it was amongst the first world stage states to have recognized the American Independence.
It is that adage «Forget your own private matters and turn to the State affairs» which the Town's ruling class was reminded each time they were entering the so called «boardroom» of power sharing.
By now, you are probably asking, what is this chap on about? Well, I do support the idea that sport on holiday is a good thing as long as you are organized in advance ( the chap you was not impressed by shades of red on the Old Town's was saved by waterspouts ) but I would stress that old chestnut of «When you are in Rome, behave like Romans do».
It helps a lot....
Dubrovnik is a destination for a culture-vulture meets nature type of a person. Moreover, a lot of modern day values are continuation of the past events' lessons that some of us have even learnt in recent times. My point, well Dubrovnik was the first town in Europe which had a pharmacy and during the reign of Dubrovnik Republic, it was amongst the first world stage states to have recognized the American Independence.
It is that adage «Forget your own private matters and turn to the State affairs» which the Town's ruling class was reminded each time they were entering the so called «boardroom» of power sharing.
By now, you are probably asking, what is this chap on about? Well, I do support the idea that sport on holiday is a good thing as long as you are organized in advance ( the chap you was not impressed by shades of red on the Old Town's was saved by waterspouts ) but I would stress that old chestnut of «When you are in Rome, behave like Romans do».
It helps a lot....
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Srdj Hill
There is something about Srdj Hill, which is overlooking Dubrovnik, somewhat it is nature's answer to a sacred hand of St Blaise, a saint protector of Dubrovnik. The panoramic view ahead acts as an antidote to an eye which is filled with the overwhelming view of the Old Town and the sea horizon. A large number of tourists go here to enjoy Panorama of Dubrovnik and I believe some are acquainted with the fact that this is a shrine in itself as a large number of freedom fighters in Croatia Independence War, gave their lives so that one day visitors can feel that air of freedom.
Once upon the time and long ago, Srdj Hill was dense with oak trees so it does not come as a surprise that this sacred wood was a target of numerous attacks by Venetians, who were seeking any opportunity to expand their own merchant navy fleet by cutting down oak trees, looting them and shipping them back to Venice.
However, very few people know about another peak, Velji Do, which offers even more imposing view, this time of Elaphiti Islands. This is a gem photo opportunity to capture this archipelago which was named after a Greek word ELAPHOS. Apparently, viewed from the bird's eye perspective they resemble a deer, hence a Greek world.
You learn something new every day, so they say!
Once upon the time and long ago, Srdj Hill was dense with oak trees so it does not come as a surprise that this sacred wood was a target of numerous attacks by Venetians, who were seeking any opportunity to expand their own merchant navy fleet by cutting down oak trees, looting them and shipping them back to Venice.
However, very few people know about another peak, Velji Do, which offers even more imposing view, this time of Elaphiti Islands. This is a gem photo opportunity to capture this archipelago which was named after a Greek word ELAPHOS. Apparently, viewed from the bird's eye perspective they resemble a deer, hence a Greek world.
You learn something new every day, so they say!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Lapad Peninsula - Dubrovnik
I have been visiting Thorn Tree chat forum for a while now and I try to take part as much as possible as I value Lonely Planet's country guides. Dubrovnik is one of the most sought after destinations in Croatia and people always ask about accommodation. I have a personal viewpoint on the matter as I believe that in order to enjoy Dubrovnik experience; one has to think carefully about where they decide to stay. It goes without saying that I am a great believer of value for money bargains but to start with I stop short of renting a bed in a private house. The reason is simple, I refuse to be touted at port or bus terminal with a possibility of a wobbly bed in the Old Town, where I might be at health hazard. There are so many villas and apartments to choose from that it simply does not make sense to risk it.
Lapad Peninsula is an oasis of peace and quiet and the bus no: 6 takes you to Pile Gate. It has a shopping centre, lots of restaurants, local food produce stalls and it is not far away from nearby Copacabana beach, not to be confused with Brazilian one.
All in all, cozy little part of Dubrovnik, worth staying in.
Lapad Peninsula is an oasis of peace and quiet and the bus no: 6 takes you to Pile Gate. It has a shopping centre, lots of restaurants, local food produce stalls and it is not far away from nearby Copacabana beach, not to be confused with Brazilian one.
All in all, cozy little part of Dubrovnik, worth staying in.
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