Gone to Croatia

Croatia also has a plucky government of anti-nationalists, and therefore should be supported.

Bosnia was very interesting too, if you get the chance. Sarajevo is only a few hours by bus from Dubrovnik and it passes by Mostar where the famous bridge was. Sarajevo was mostly rebuilt by the time I got there - and the old Turkish quarter is still lively and all. Good cafe culture too. There's a hostel in the old bombed-out train station. Some enterprising folks turned an abandoned sleeper-car into makeshift youth-hostel. Though the bathroom there STAAAANKS! You don't need a visa for Bosnia unless you're from somewhere like Angola or Bangladesh.

Slovenia was pretty rad too. Ljubljana is like a smaller Vienna/Prague but less crowded, and more manageable. Lake Bled was very pretty, and the caves were nice... for caves. My favorite beer in Europe is there. Zlatarov.

so, have fun!

If only, sigh... our government is a bunch of spineless losers who try to please both the nationalists and anti-nationalists, and ended up doing fuck all in the process. 99% of Croatian politicians are evil vicious vermin who deserve to be shot, but anyway...

Croatia is not really that cheap (and neither is Montenegro, contrary to their marketing claims in the last few years - don't be fooled!)... maybe one could say that it's cheaper than US, but more expensive than the Czech republic or Serbia? But its coast really is pretty beautiful (being Croatian and all I'm biased, but y'know... it really is, I ain't shittin' ya!!!) - you can't go wrong with the islands, and I'll second Dubrovnik - it's probably the most expensive of all seaside places, but it's worth it. Just amazingly beautiful, and the main square is crowded even into the wee night hours (which you don't always get in the rest of seaside Croatia).

Split and Zadar are great too, and Phil's right - the girls (and boys I guess) are unbelievably hot!

PS Do you non-balkan people have burek too?

Split : amazing historical town, many old buildings, friendly people, and an amusing summer carnival ("Mad Splits") that we stumbled onto by accident. Great to watch from the rooftops if you're too shy to participate, as I was then.

Dubrovnik : beautiful, classy and serene. I felt twinges of pain whenever I heard of damage being done to the city during the conflict. (Silly aside : I had one of the best pizzas ever there!)

Sarajevo : it must look different now -- I went there in the mid eighties, before the conflict. *sigh* The thing I liked most about it was the "crossroads" aspect -- the wide variety of people and buildings in the city (my first exposure to minarets and Middle Eastern architecture). Also the history, which you feel strongly because Sarajevo has been at the center of so many huge events.

Ljubljana : still can't prounouce it correctly, but it is well worth the visit! You can walk to most places, and there is a serentiy to it that you don't find in the huge cities. It does resemble Vienna and Budapest in vibe and architecture, and the lights reflecting in the water are lovely. For just one evening, I had a view out my window of the water at night, and that view has stayed with me all these years.

Revive as well to celebrate burek: easy to find in NYC (Queens and the Bronx), and delicious. The best I've had is at an Albanian pizzeria in Astoria, served with a pint of superb fresh yogurt.

Another place not mentioned above is Trogir. Easy to get to from Split by bus. Ferry hopping around the Dalmatian coast is terrific.

Revive. So I might have a job opportunity in Zagreb and I'm a bit torn. While I've been to the coast and even Zagreb several times on hols and thoroughly enjoyed it, I'm a bit sceptical about living in Zagreb, which a lot of people (foreigners) have described to me as quite boring on a daily basis. Any insight?

My job just went to Zagreb, maybe you have been offered it?

Zagreb's OK, nothing too special (on the basis of the one day I spent there). I'd recommend anyone thinking of visiting the region go to Bosnia rather than Croatia, unless they're particualarly after beaches.

staying in split old town the last few days, shoulder season- plenty buzzy and busy still

place itself great, good food hard to come by id have said, perhaps again it's the time of year but everything is just shy of "worth that price"

a full day of washout rain and thunderstorms somewhat ruined our rented car coastal journey but dobrovnik old town is absolutely stunning (how much has been built lately to the medieval style is a question but i wont spoil it by googling)

ive read that food and drink here are dublin prices so that wont be a shock at least

Went there before EU accession and everyone there was like “it’s good you came before we joined the EU and everything gets more expensive”
Dublin prices are a shocker though! Hope you’re having plenty of Turkish coffee

i am having plenty of croatian beer

go see the old lads in speedos play picigin down at the beach

was that split, or both

split. bačvice beach
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picigin

yes thats the one, in dubrovnik now alas itll have to wait

buza bar is a nice spot in dubrovnik for a drink. daytrip to mostar worth considering too (you stop off at the services at neum - landlocked bosnia’s only bit of coastline) as is sleepy cavtat

Yeah Mostar is great but depressing af would have recommended if I knew you were going, may/may not be too late to do now

If you're pressed for time and Mostar is too far you can do Trebinje which is really close to Dubrovnik, and climb up to the Hercegovačka Gračanica. The landscape around is a bit alien and the outskirts have a bit of a weird cowboy vibe but the small centre is worth it and they have a pretty snazzy bridge of their own.

If you're more time and you're driving, then Jablanica to the north, scenery gets outrageous

Kinda wish i’d gone here when i was in Croatia a couple years ago: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hum,_Istria_County

going to do a day in lokrum, and had considered kotor but debating btwn bus but all that beings vs five hours driving (which is very slow here from my experience so far) and might not

prob gonna stick to city rambling, food and beaches i think