Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria

We arrived in Bad Kleinkirchheim weary from our drive from Croatia, but refreshed by the familiar views of traditional wooden homes and quaint Austrian villages. Checking into our apartment was followed by a predictable meal at a local restaurant, bedtime for kids, a Contract Rummy game and Milka bar taste tests for the adults/teen, as well as research for what to do the next day. There were a lot of options. We could have taken cable cars up nearby mountains with options for hiking, driven to a Heidi themed hiking area for families, ventured further away to ride a Rodelbahn, relaxed at a local thermalbad, the list of entertainment possibilities went on and on. We settled on a drive along Nockmalstrasse through Nockberge National Park, described in a brochure as "nature in unimagined beauty and all its pristine glory". Sold. 

There was a pricey entrance fee for cars to enter this park, but we intentionally chose lodging that provided "Kaernten Cards" (discount cards for this region) to us for free, which covered the cost of this activity. We stopped at our first cow sighting for photos and took a leisurely stroll around the Windebensee (lake). After our crystal clear lake experience at Plitvice, I think the kids were a little disappointed that they couldn't see any fish. The adults were a little disappointed that the sun showed no sign of coming out. That said, the scenery was pretty gloriously pristine. In all seriousness, there is something so calming about being in the mountains regardless of the season. Other stops on our steep, winding route were the Glockenhutte (for lunch and a ring of the "wishing bell"), and Eisentalhohe (the highest point on the road with panoramic views of the ground we traveled to get there). Stops that didn't make the cut were the Pfandlhutte, featuring "The Realm of the Marmots" show (tempting), and "Silva Magica...the only place in the world where natural phenomena and natural beings can be experienced and explored". Another winning description in our handy Nockalmstrasse brochure that actually told us nothing about what could be found at the mysterious Silva Magica stop. 

Windebensee.

Thank goodness for Children's Dramamine, or poor Hazel wouldn't have enjoyed this drive very much.

Eisentalhohe (2,042 m).

The whole drive took at least a couple of hours, which meant the kids took naps as we drove. When we returned to town, we took a quick detour to Trattlers Ponyfarm for a quick and traumatic first ride on a pony for Hazel and playtime at the playground for both kids. 

Final impressions: Bad Kleinkirchheim was a sleepy town in summer, but we're sure it is bustling in winter for ski season. A family could spend a week here and not run out of awesome outdoor activities to enjoy, so it felt a little overwhelming to be here for one full day. We are really glad we were able to share a few summer days in the mountains with Elie and the kids. 

And so our 11-day roadtrip came to an end. What a memorable trip it was. 

Mostar, Bosnia

In between beach days in and around Makarska, we took a day trip to Mostar, Bosnia (or Bosnia and Herzegovina, BiH for short, as it's formally known). It took about  two hours to get there with only a few hiccups in transportation (see final impressions at the end of the post for details). We started with a quick pit-stop near the looming Franciscan Church of Sts. Peter and Paul, crossed back over the Bulevar (main boulevard), and entered the Old Town. The cobblestone path is lined with shop after shop selling souvenirs, antiques, and artwork.

It is important to take a moment to provide a bit of context for this city. While Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs, and Muslim Bosniaks lived together in peace in this former Yugoslavian town for years, there was a violent war between these groups beginning in 1993 (spurred by Bosnia-Herzegovina declaring independence from Yugoslavia) that left the town, people, and famous Old Bridge ravaged. Apparently he fighting was so intense that people couldn't even be outdoors unless they were wearing black in the darkness of night, and that bodies were left in the streets because it was not safe to retrieve them for fear of being gunned down. We saw bullet holes in iron doors and signs warning of dangerous ruins, reminders of Mostar's tragic history.

The Old Bridge was also caught in the crossfire, and eventually the bridge was intentionally destroyed by Croats to cut off Bosniak access to both sides of the river bank. After the war, the Old Bridge was rebuilt with new stone cut from the same quarry as the original and using the same methods as the original builders (the blocks are fastened together in a keystone design with iron hooks cast in lead). It is quite something.

The views from the bridge are equally stunning.

Eventually Elie and Matt ventured up Coppersmith's Street to take more photos of the scenic Radobolja River Valley, and we retraced our steps back to our car, stopping to buy some ice cream and souvenirs.

Final impressions: We enjoyed our time in Mostar and are happy to have made the trip, but it's not a place I would want to spend an extended amount of time. This impression was influenced, at least in part, by some stressful experiences entering and exiting Bosnia. At the entry border, we thought the first guard booth was empty, as a guard was standing outside of the second guard booth and had just finished processing the car in front of us. However, as we drove past the first guard booth, an arm flew out and we realized too late that we should have stopped there first. So after reversing and sheepishly smiling at the first guard in the booth, it was clear that we were not in his good graces. He took his sweet time processing our passports, indicated that we should slow down, and sent us on our way. We proceeded to the second guard. It was clear that he too was not impressed. So he started speaking German to us about our German plated car, regardless of the fact that he was holding our five U.S. passports and obviously English would be the best common language to speak. Long, stressful story short, we entered the country a bit nervous and continued on our way. There was a palatable difference between driving down the road in Croatia and Slovenia and driving down the road in Bosnia. I don't want to say it was depressing, but it was just that. To be fair, it was a  rainy, dismal day. I can't pin point it other than to say I felt a bit uneasy. Upon entering the tourist driven Old Town, this general feeling improved, as the people in town were eager, friendly, and willingly spoke English. When it was time to leave, our GPS had no idea where we were, and equally concerning, neither did we. At one point the confounded machine thought that train tracks were a road that we should drive on to get home. After much recalculating, we finally made it to a border station only to be told that only locals were allowed to exit through that particular gate with little assistance in finding a different border to cross. I was angry that we couldn't get out, but relieved when I realized that perhaps there was a reason foreigners shouldn't be driving in the area on the other side of that particular border. Finally we came across a convenience store where a local was willing and able to give us accurate directions in English and we all breathed a sigh of relief when it became clear we wouldn't have to find a place to stay in Bosnia for the night. It was an interesting and educational day to say the least.

Makarska, Croatia

Makarska, Croatia, located on a bay between the Adriatic sea and Biokovo mountains, was the beach destination that we all looked forward to for the first half of the trip. We rented a four bedroom apartment owned by a Croat couple who lived a few blocks away who eagerly greeted us upon arrival. They helped us with our bags, proudly showed us their modern/eclectic pad, left the fridge stocked with some Croatian beer and homemade fruit salad (delicious combination of cherries, peaches, and plums), and told us that we were their first official guests. Not really what parents of two toddlers wants to hear about a place that is not child proofed in the slightest (e.g. white leather coach = coloring not allowed in the house), but we quickly made some modifications and no damage was done. We had air conditioning and two balconies, one of which with seaside views. There was a nearby park for the kids to play at in the evenings, with clear views of the mountain range, and multiple bakeries and markets a short distance away. In short, it was a really nice home away from home for five nights.

Day 1: We arrived in Makarska later than planned and very tired/dehydrated from our hike in Plitvice that morning. Macaroni and cheese was for dinner followed by a quick tour of the city with one of our hosts, including a stop at Cubano beach at the request of the kiddos.

Day 2: Our first full day in town we had a surprise reunion with friends who happened to be in the same area at the same time. They suggested we meet at Brela Beach and we're so glad that they did. The water was clear blue, there was a rock for jumping, and the weather was perfect. The kids were both asleep in the car by the time we got home. 

Day 3: We grabbed some different filled pastries from a bakery down the street for the road and spent the day in Mostar.  

Day 4: Drove to Split for the morning and spent the afternoon at Brela beach. The waves were super strong, so the kids played in a natural kiddie pool formed by boulders. 

Day 5: When it looked like rain was imminent, we took the morning to explore Makarska's port and Donja Luka beach playground area, as well as have a nice seafood lunch at a local restaurant. We made one last trip to Cubano beach in the evening and packed up for our morning departure to Austria. 

Cubano Beach in Makarska

Rain in the distance.

Final Impressions: Makarska was a great home base for all that we wanted to see and do in this area of Croatia. It was clean, felt safe, and we would definitely recommend the area (and our apartment for that matter) to anyone wanting to follow a similar itinerary of day trips and beach time. We could have used one additional dedicated beach day for the kids, but we thoroughly enjoyed the time we had there. Croatia, you and your people exceeded every expectation we had of you. It would be wonderful to return some day.

Split, Croatia

While staying in Makarska, we took a day trip (1.5 hr drive) to Split. The main draw was to see the ruins of Diocletian's 4th-century Roman Palace, built as a retirement home for the emperor and eventually abandoned when Slavic invaders came to town. We entered through the Brass gate, walked down a covered interior hall, and emerged in the open-air Peristyle. This main square was quite impressive, housing a cathedral, numerous columns, a lonely black sphinx (the only one left from the original 13), and throngs of tourists. We heard an impressive snippet from some klapa singers in the entry vestibule (this isn't our video, but click here and skip to 1:25 when the music starts; oh, how I miss singing in an a capella choir) and admired the craftsmanship of more than 2,000 slaves that apparently died during the rapid construction of this place.

At some point we stumbled upon and were impressed by People's Square (former main square in town) and Radic Brother's Square with a Venetian citadel octagonal tower and sculpture of poet Marko Marulic (father of Croatian language).

Eventually we sought out lunch. Matt and Anders enjoyed their first ćevapčići (grilled Balkan meat), and Elie, Hazel and I had a calzone-like item, pizza, and soparnik (thin layer of spinach, onion, of olive oil between two flat crusts), respectively.

We ended with a ramble along the bright and beautiful, palm tree-lined Riva (harbor)...

Final impressions: Split exceeded our expectations. As with Ljubljana, it felt a little bit like we were in a lighter, cleaner version of Italy (a compact seaside Rome, to be exact). Whereas ruins in Rome are spread out around the city and are separate entities to seek out, this town was basically built within and around it's walls, which created a maze of alleyways lined with cafes and other shops.  It was easy to forget that we were still walking through the palace ruins until we would come across some beautiful arched doorway or courtyard that was clearly within the palace walls. One day was all we needed in Split, but we (the adults) were certainly glad we made the trip. The kids, on the other hand, were anxious to get back to the beach. 

Plitvice Lakes National Park

From Ljubljana, we drove to a rental house (or sobe) in Rakovica, about 20 minutes outside of Plitvice Lakes National Park or Plitvička Jezera Nacionalni Park . The house was super clean and comfortable, with a living room, three bedrooms, 3 bath/showers, a kitchen, and 2 balconies. It's a shame we only had one night here. We bought groceries at a market across the street and based on what was available and looked fresh, came up with our very own "Croatian hash" dish - sausage, potatoes, roasted carrrot and peppers - with garlic bread. It was probably the most delicious meal we made on the trip. 

We were up bright and early the next morning for a quick Skype call with family celebrating a belated fourth of July back home before setting out for a day of hiking. We had no trouble finding parking in a lot near Entrance 1. Upon entering the national park, this was our first view. Turquoise blue water, multiple water falls, and a rope bridge- think of an Indiana Jones set, but the real deal.

The views that followed had no trouble maintaining our travelers high.  We descended a canyon to the Lower Lakes (Donja Jezera) and walked along a boardwalk around the pristine Lake Kaluderovac; so clear, you could see countless small trout swimming along the shore. We took a short detour to see Veliki Slap, the biggest waterfall in the park, and as we continued around the Lower Lakes, couldn't help but repeatedly comment on the color of the water. It was seriously an unnatural hue of turquoise blue, which can apparently be attributed to (as interpreted by Matt):  the surrounding limestone having dissolved over time into calcium carbonate which then is transformed (magically by the lake-waterfall-wisp system) into travertine (mythical rock); this travertine dust settles on the bottom of the lakes, reflecting sunlight and the sky to create emiscient blue (a made up shade of blue was necessary).

Lake Kaluderovac.

Trout.

Veliki Slap (Big Waterfall).

Elie by one of the Lower Lakes.

Our next detour off the path was to Supljara "Bottomless" Cave. Apparently this was the site of multiple German Westerns, complete with German-speaking Native Americans, and definitely worth spending a few minutes checking out. 

From here, we continued around the lakes and eventually came upon a clearing with picnic tables, toilets, and a small food station. We unpacked our picnic lunch of meat, cheese, apples, etc., rested our backs, and waited for a shuttle boat that would take us to the Upper Lakes (Gornja Jezera). There was some confusion about which side of the lake we wanted to be on, so we rode back and forth across Lake Kozjak a couple of times before ending up at the P2 dock and continuing our hike around the Upper Lakes. Thankfully, our entry fee to the park covered all boat shuttle and tram rides, so it wasn't too big of a deal. 

We followed the trail to Gradinsko Lake, which according to Rick Steves (who's recommended hike we followed to a tee), boasts the best scenery in the whole park. At the time, I disagreed with Rick completely, as I was blown away by our initial views around the Lower Lakes; though now I see that the photos really are stunning. The way the water falls came down in all directions reminded me of a human fist trying to contain running water. We were literally being sprayed by the waterfall while standing on the boardwalk a ways away.

Because the falls apparently become few and far between the further you go (and because we had kids strapped to our bodies), we were content to barely touch the bottom portion of the Upper Lakes and found our way to a tram that drove us part of the way to our starting point. 

Lake Kozjak.

The final views on our hike from the ST1 tram stop to Entrance 1 were a wonderful finale- all of the beautiful views from the first part of our hike from an upper vantage point. I think it helped to fully appreciate what a natural wonder this place really is. 

Final Impressions: Plitvice Lakes National Park was potentially the most beautiful place we've ever been. If you have a chance to see it, do.