Zadar

Zadar is about an hour and a half up the coast from Split, and is another city with a very small old town on an island. What makes Zadar really special is it's reputation for stunning sunsets! It is also known for it's sea organ. Yes, it is what it sounds like - a structure built to play music as the waves roll in. It was actually surprisingly cool to stand on it and hear the water make music. Although we only had one afternoon there, we did take in a gorgeous sunset. As it was our last stop on the coast before we headed inland, we were happy we made the stop in this charming city.

Split, Croatia

The drive up the coast from Dubrovnik to Split is known for being one of the most scenic drives there is. The bright blue water sparkles in the sun while the waves crash harsh against the rocks, creating a treat for the eyes. However, the day we were set to make the trip, the clouds rolled in and the rain greeted us. In fact, at one point, we had to pull off the road because it was hailing! However, the drive still did manage to be beautiful, and by the time we made it to Split, the sun decided to make an appearance again.

Split has a small center, most of which used to be Diocletian's Palace. It is now a twisty, turny old city full of appealing restaurants, boutiques, and cafes amidst the stone remains.

While we were in Split, we found the big park called Marjan. We spent both of our mornings running on the trails, with stunning views of the sea through the trees.

Enjoy some snippets of our time there!

View from the running path in Marjan Park.

This was supposedly the smallest street in the world.

The Bay of Kotor

After enjoying a couple of days in small Dubrovnik, we grew interested in the surrounding area as well. Both Bosnia and Montenegro are only an arm's reach away, so after some research, we decided to rent our car a day early and do a day trip to Kotor, Montenegro. The drive from Dubrovnik to Kotor goes all around this beautiful bay, which is known as Montenegro's "fjord". The drive was so beautiful it just about made the trip worth it in itself! Every turn held a new beautiful landscape.  Somewhat similar to Dubrovnik, Kotor also has a small walled city with a large fortress up on a hill. After winding through the small stone streets, we hiked up to the ruins and enjoyed the breathtaking views of the valley. On the drive back to Dubrovnik, we stopped on the side of the road to enjoy an incredible sunset over the coast.

This monastery and church are build on islands in the middle of the Bay. 

Dubrovnik

Semana Santa finally arrived, and we took our long-awaited trip to Croatia!

We have wanted to visit Croatia ever since we started living in Europe, but have been recommended so many different cities, so we knew we needed an extended amount of time to travel through the country. Our good friend Holly (a fellow Iowan!) joined us on our trip, and we started out the week in the charming city of Dubrovnik. We quickly learned that this city is high on the list of tourist destinations, and it did not take us long to understand why. Immediately we saw it's picturesque alleyways and incredible rocky coast with bright blue waves consistently coming in. Dubrovnik is known for being hot and crowded in the peak tourist months, but thankfully, we were much ahead of the rush. We enjoyed a calm few days in the city, walking the Medieval city walls, sipping morning coffee on narrow side street, viewing the city from the fortress ruins, and tasting local wine.

Back to Switzerland!

I know- didn't we just post about a weekend in Switzerland? Yes, we did. But although it was only one month since we were last in Switzerland, since we didn't get to spend time with Peter the last time we were there, we headed back yet again! It doesn't exactly take much convincing to get us back there!

This time, Spring weather was in the air, and we wanted to take advantage of the sunshine! Although we have been to Lake Como a couple of times, we had never taken the funicular up to see the city from above the lakes. So after a delicious cappuccino at a street cafe, we boarded the funi, and landed at a beautiful terrace. We hiked up to a lighthouse which provided stunning views of the lakes and mountains surrounding. As we watched the sun fall beneath the horizon, we were full of gratitude for the time with family in this beautiful country.

Sunset drinks and cheese

Quick Sunday morning hike