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Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the Best of Europe. This time we're navigating
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the Adriatic and a lot more. It's Croatia. Thanks for joining us.
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Croatia is a fascinating land with a hard-fought history in a complex corner of Europe. And
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as travelers are rediscovering its charms, it's emerging as one of Europe's top destinations.
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Exploring Croatia, we'll see the Pearl of the Adriatic, sample some island charm, wander
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Roman ruins, and hike through a watery wonderland. We'll enjoy its thriving capital city, the
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Italian-like charm of Istria, and that peninsula's enchanting port town.
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Yugoslavia filled much of Europe's Balkan Peninsula during most of the 20th century.
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When Yugoslavia broke up into separate countries in the 1990s, Croatia wound up with most of
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its coastline. We start south in Dubrovnik, sail along the Dalmatian Coast, stopping at
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Korcula and Hvar en route to Split. After exploring Plitvice Lakes National Park and
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the capital city of Zagreb, we travel to the Istrian peninsula, to Rovinj.
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Spectacularly set Dubrovnik is both historic and a hit with tourists. It's understandably
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Croatia's top draw.
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Whether surveying its stout walls, joining the promenade along its main drag, or appreciating
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its former glory, it's clear this city was a major power in the past and is a major draw
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today. Exploring its evocative back lanes, relaxing on its pebbly beaches, or just pondering
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its majestic setting...Dubrovnik is simply delightful.
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Dubrovnik is the Pearl of the Adriatic. In fact, we'll cover it in more detail in another
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episode. For this program, we'll leave the crowds of Dubrovnik and explore the less-appreciated
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corners of Croatia.
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Boats, big and small, connect Dubrovnik to the rest of Croatia. We're setting sail along
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the scenic Dalmatian Coast with its countless islands. They're all variations on the same
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theme - rugged limestone features with historic port towns and sparsely populated interiors.
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The rocky soil and persistent sun are good for grapes. And the pebbly beaches with crystal
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clear water are both pristine and inviting.
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We're visiting two islands and first up is Korčula. Visitors enjoy its "mini-Dubrovnik"
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vibe. You'll find a fortified peninsula under a striking mountain backdrop. In the Old Town,
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narrow lanes come with an easygoing charm.
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Like other Croatian coastal towns, Korčula has two parts: The functional, practical side
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- where most people park, eat, and sleep - and the time-warp old town.
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Rather than stay in a big resort hotel, I'm staying in a sobe - that's a room rented in
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a private home. I called ahead and my hosts, Lenni and Peter, met me at the boat. They
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rent six rooms in their house buried deep in Korcula's old town. A 500 year old building
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can be tight.
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This room may be small, but it's comfortable, air-conditioned, and half the price of a hotel.
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And a great location...they claim Marco Polo lived just up the street.
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The town's charms are all within a few steps. The historic gate is a reminder that Korcula
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was once a mighty little place. Façades recall its 14th century trading heyday. Each lane
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contributes to the evocative medieval townscape, dripping with drying laundry and local character.
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You can savor it all over a cup of coffee.
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If you want to enjoy the Croatian café scene, it helps to know a few words. For a latte,
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it's Beila Kava. That's white coffee.
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We're setting sail again. Both lumbering car ferries and sleek cruise ships carry Dalmatia's
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many visitors efficiently from port to port.
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In ancient times Greeks and Romans sailed up and down this coastline - establishing
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many trade settlements. The island of Hvar was settled and named by the Greeks in the
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4th century BC.
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The island's main town, also named Hvar, nestles under its formidable fortress. Its handy boat
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connections make this a popular stop. While mobbed with tourists in peak season, we're
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here in late May and it's more sleepy than chic.
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Like most major towns along the Adriatic coastline, the fortified harbor of Hvar was a strategic
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link in a vast 16th century Venetian trading Empire. Its fortress, walls, tower, and palaces
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all built by and for the Venetians.
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Activities are low energy. Expertly enjoying this town, seemingly made for relaxing, yachters
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stern tie into the good life. Visitors nurse drinks on the main square. Stroll the back
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lanes...where you may come upon a musical surprise.
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Local a cappella choirs perform Klapa music - the quintessential Dalmatian folk music.
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Every town has their all male Klapa choir. These songs of seafaring life, of loves lost
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and loves found, stir the souls of Croatians and visitors alike.
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(A capella choir singing.) Rick: Bravo. Yeah.
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When it comes to mealtime, here on the coast, it's gotta be seafood. Hardworking restaurants
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seem to abide by the local creed: eating meat is food...eating fish, that's pleasure. Our
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waiter reminded us that a fish should swim three times: first in the sea, then in olive
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oil, and finally in wine.
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After a little island-hopping, approaching urban Split - Croatia's "second city" - feels
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like a return to civilization. So many Dalmatian Coast towns feel tailor made for tourism,
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Split is a serious port. It's vibrant with or without its visitors.
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Split feels modern. But, a close look at the surviving façade of a Roman palace fronting
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its harbor reveals the city's ancient roots. Today's residents are literally living in
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a Roman emperor's palace. In the fourth century a.d., when Roman Emperor Diocletian retired,
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he built a vast residence for his golden years here in his native Dalmatia. When Rome fell,
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Diocletian's palace was abandoned. Eventually, a medieval town sprouted from its abandoned
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shell. And, to this day, the maze of narrow alleys - once literally Diocletian's hallways
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- makes up the core of Split.
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Local guide Maya Benzon is joining us to help explain the story behind her hometown.
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Maya: The palace was huge, 200 meters on each side and these were just the basements so
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you can imagine what was on the upper floor. Roman engineers could build anything.
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Rick: So they had concrete, they had bricks round arches, they had the technology.
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Maya: Yes, they had the technology and they had the slaves.
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Rick: Cheap labor. Maya: Yes.
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Nearby a grand underground hallway now used as a shopping arcade leads to Diocletian's
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vestibule.
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Maya: This is the grand entryway towards Diocletian's private area, private quarters. Roman emperors
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called themselves the gods. And Diocletian called himself Jovius, son of the god Jupiter.
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People worship him so they were kissing his robe. They treated him like a god on earth.
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Diocletian's mausoleum dominated the center of the palace complex. Much of the original
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Roman building survives - the impressive dome, columns and capitals, and fine carved reliefs.
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Diocletian was notorious for persecuting Christians. But centuries later, in the Middle Ages his
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mausoleum was converted into a cathedral. And so, ironically, what Diocletian built
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to glorify his memory is used instead to remember his victims - Christian martyrs...like this
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one who was tied to a mill stone and tossed into the sea.
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A few steps away is a temple dedicated to Jupiter.
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Rick: This is all part of Diocletian's Palace complex?
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Maya: Yes, we are still walking in the area of Diocletian's palace and you know Diocletian
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was Jovius. And here in the middle of the palace he erected the house for his father,
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this is Jupiter's temple and for a Roman building it's very rare that it's completely preserved
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with the ceiling, with the roof. So on the ceiling you can see really nice Roman carvings.
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You can see some faces, some flowers. Later on during the history of the Middle Ages this
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was converted into the church so this was the medieval baptistery. We have St. John
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the Baptist and here we have the baptismal font. And we have this curious panel here
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in the front. We have Croatian king from the 11th century. We have a bishop standing just
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next to him and underneath his feet we have a citizen.
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Rick: So you've got the secular power, the religious power and the people respecting
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the power. Maya: That would be it. Because this is a
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baptistery, here we have a statue of St. John the Baptist. This is a modern work of the
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20th century made by the greatest Croatian sculpturist ever, Ivan Musturich.
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A highlight for me is simply people watching. The sea of Croatian humanity laps at the walls
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of Diocletian's Palace along the pedestrian promenade or Riva. As on similar promenades
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throughout the Mediterranean world, the cars have made way for the people. Strolling locals
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finish their days in good style...just enjoying life's simple pleasures in a city made friendly
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for its residents.
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While the coast is Croatia's main draw, some of its best attractions are inland. We're
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delving into the Croatian heartland.
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One of Europe's top natural wonders is Plitvice Lakes National Park. Imagine Niagara Falls
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sliced and diced and sprinkled over a vast and heavily forested canyon. It's a lush and
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unforgettable valley of 16 terraced lakes, laced together by waterfalls and miles of
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pleasant plank walks.
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Boats glide visitors into the heart of the park. Countless cascades and water that's
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strangely clear yet full of vibrant colors make Plitvice a misty natural wonderland.
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Fish seem to know there's not a hook for miles. Carefully maintained trails and boardwalks
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let you get intimate with the wonder of the place. Observant nature lovers can choose
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from hundreds of flower types to assemble a photographic bouquet.
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The stony formations drip down like the foliage because the grass and moss both direct the
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flow of the water and provide a kind of scaffolding for the slow and steady calcification process.
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Naturalists call Plitvice a "perfect storm" of geological, climatic, and biological features.
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The magic ingredient: calcium carbonate, a mineral deposit from the limestone that gets
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dissolved into the water, then re-deposited - continually breaking down natural travertine
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dams...and building up new ones.
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Tranquil as this park is, it was here, in 1991, that the first shots of Croatia's war
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with Yugoslavia were fired. And, if you know where to look, evidence of the war survives.
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When Croatia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, its Serb minority - about
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10 percent of the population - was concerned about its rights. So they broke away from
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the new state of Croatia, which plunged the region into four years of war.
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While the war barely touched the coastline, here in the interior - which had a sizable
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Serb minority - the fighting was devastating.
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In towns like Otocac bullet holes still mar facades. These scars reflect the brutal house-to-house
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fighting that characterized the war. Seeing bomb-damaged homes rebuilt, makes you ponder
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loss, resilience and hope. The Croats' Catholic Church, once shelled and now repaired, has
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a poignant memorial in its garden: Christ crucified on a cross of artillery shells.
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Taking a little extra time to wander through town gives an insight into people moving on
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with their lives.
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While a few Serbs are returning, the reality is the war changed the ethnic make-up of Croatia
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forever. As disturbing as these reminders of war are, it is uplifting to be here and
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to actually see how well the country's putting itself back together.
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Our next stop: the capital city...Zagreb. You can't get a complete picture of modern
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Croatia without a visit here. This lively and livable city is home to one out of every
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six Croatians.
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Jelačić Square - the "Times Square" of Zagreb - is boisterous with modern commerce and local
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life. The statue depicts the square's namesake, Josip Jelačić - the 19th-century national
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hero who still inspires Croatians today.
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Seeing the city buzz with activity, you feel the energy of urban Croatia. Night or day,
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the streets are a parade of stylish locals - confident and looking good. The people-friendly
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business zone comes with the energy and bustle you'd expect to find in any prosperous European
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capital. Whether you're enjoying an outdoor café, window-shopping, or just lounging in
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one of the city's many inviting parks, Zagreb makes you wonder "where are all the tourists."
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Zagreb's historic upper town blankets a hill. Its main square is home to Croatia's government.
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The national parliament building flies both the Croatian and European flags. Dominating
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the square is the Church of St. Mark - with the colorfully tiled roof depicting both the
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coat of arms of Croatia and the city seal of Zagreb.
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Nearby is the Croatian Museum of Naive Art. This charming collection features lyrical
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landscapes and village scenes painted in the mid-20th-century by self-taught peasant artists.
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While some are on canvas, most are painted on glass - a cheap and readily available material
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that was easier to work on.
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Naïve art is created by untrained artists isolated from the artistic mainstream. They
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painted in a figurative way while the rest of the artistic world was embracing an increasingly
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abstract style.
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Generalic, shown here in a self-portrait, was the father of the Croatian Naive art movement.
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In 1953, he took his art to a show in Paris as a relative unknown. He was a huge hit,
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sold everything, and came home rich and famous.
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These Croatian Naïve artists were outsiders - sought out by art world insiders to validate
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their notion that artistic ability was more than a learned skill, it was an inborn talent.
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In places such as rural Croatia, medieval lifestyles survived well into the 20th century.
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You see a lot of winter scenes because these artists were farmers first...busy tending
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their fields through the growing season. They painted their village world...isolated from
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the modern world. In a complex age, many urbanites found this art refreshing for its brute simplicity.
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Tucked inside Zagreb's only surviving town gate is an evocative chapel. The focal point
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is a painting of Mary that miraculously survived a fire in 1731. People, young and old, passing
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through, stop here briefly to worship. Pausing reverently, the faithful bring their concerns
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to Mary. The many candles represent Zagrebian prayers. Smoke-stained plaques on the wall
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give thanks - hvala - for prayers answered.
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Just down the road, is a thriving pedestrian zone - Zagreb's main café street and urban
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promenade. Comfy seating encourages people to slow down and enjoy each other's company.
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Sitting here, it's clear...Zagrebians love their city.
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Thanks to new freeways, the Istrian Peninsula, in Croatia's northwest corner, is just a couple
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hours drive from the capital.
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In the Istrian interior you'll find a thickly forested landscape of rolling hills and family
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farms. Istria is dotted with picturesque hill towns, striped with vineyards, and busy with
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hard-working farmers.
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Dramatically situated high above the vineyards, Motovun is Istria's most popular hill town.
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Its modest main square is the only flat place in town - ideal for budding soccer stars.
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The church's crenellated tower is a reminder that these towns were built on hilltops not
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for the view but for protection. But today, strolling the ramparts, it's clear: the panorama
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is a big part of the town's appeal. As the day ends, the square is made to order for
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al fresco dining.
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I find that, sometimes, the best experiences don't come to you...you need to find them.
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An after dinner stroll with a sense of curiosity gets me a seat at the rehearsal of the local
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klapa group.
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(A capella choir singing.)
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A short drive to the coast takes us to Rovinj - my favorite stop between Dubrovnik and Venice.
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The town rises dramatically from the Adriatic - as if being pulled up to heaven by its grand
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bell tower.
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The church that crowns Rovinj is dedicated to the 4th century martyr St. Euphemia - her
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statue functions as a weather vane. Scaling the church bell tower's creaky wooden stairway
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requires an enduring faith in the reliability of wood. From the top is a commanding view...and,
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if you're here at high noon, an ear-splitting memory.
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The town's history created its current shape: Medieval Rovinj was a walled island. Because
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it offered safe harbor from both pirates and the plague, Rovinj became extremely crowded.
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That explains today's pleasantly claustrophobic Old Town.
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Like the rest of the Croatian coast, Rovinj was part of the Venetian Empire for centuries.
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And Istria remained part of Italy until after WWII. That's why this region is enthusiastically
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bi-lingual an engaging mix of Croatia and Italy.
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Rovinj's vibrant market is a fun place to shop for a picnic and snack on free samples.
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Rick: Ora? Ora. Saleswoman: Ora.
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Rick: ...Nice, thank you.
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It also has a gifty corner where salesmen tempt visiting tourists with the local specialties.
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Rick: So white truffle paste. Salesman: Yes, white truffle, yes
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Rick: Very nice. Dobro. Salesman: Thank you.
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Rick: No souvenir, eat it, okay? Salesman: Alright thank you.
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The twisting back lanes of crumbling old Rovinj seem designed for a photo safari: arches span
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narrow alleys which open into hidden courtyards. The "main drag" leading up to the top of the
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island is lined with art galleries. Understandably, artists love Rovinj.
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And so do romantics. At the Valentino Bar the Old Town tumbles right into the sea. It's
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a memorable place to cap your Rovinj day. Grab a cushion and settle into a cozy stone
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nook. Enjoy a drink, your travel partner...and the Adriatic sunset.
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Croatia is clearly coming into its own. With each visit I'm impressed by its complexity,
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its natural wonders, and its vibrant spirit. Thanks for joining us. I'm Rick Steves. Until
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next time, keep on travelin'.
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