Driving Holiday Through South-Eastern Europe

[akmacca]

One significant advantage of living in Krakow, Poland is the ability to get out and about and discover Europe. Be it by plane, train, coach or car there is always an alluring destination calling out to me.

This summer I decided on a road trip with my partner and a friend visiting from Australia. We don't have a car as we do not need one in Krakow which has one of the best public transport systems I have encountered anywhere in the world.

A rental car it was, and here they are incredibly cheap at around $30 a day for a small compact. In most cases when I plan a car trip we have no set itinerary, hence we name these travels as mystery trips as we really don't know where we will end up.

On this occasion, I did do some basic planning which included booking Airbnb accommodations for the first seven days. There was no science or for that matter much research involved in selecting the daily destinations. I looked at Google maps and did some rudimentary distance, and travel timings and selected a town and booked accommodation. Half the fun of doing this is finding the unexpected and wonders along the way.

The bus to Krakow airport cost just $1.75, and there we picked up the car which I had booked online. Not all car rental companies require an International Drivers License but I have found having one makes the rental process more straightforward. As we would be driving outside of Poland, I had to pay an extra fee that permitted us to operate in most EU countries which did restrict destinations to some degree. The additional driver fee was waived, and in a short time we set off for our summer adventure.

It always takes a little while for me to become accustomed to driving on the right side of the road and shifting gears with the left hand. My biggest challenge is always in moments of stress and panic not hitting the windscreen wiper lever instead of the turn indicator. I can report here, and now I did really well on this trip with only three or four "incidents". This was a great improvement on my past journeys on the "wrong" side of the rode whereby I selected the wrong lever 50% of the time.

The highways in Poland are very well maintained and are always at least dual carriageway. We travelled through two sets of tolls on our way to the Czech border which cost $3.60 on each occasion. Before entering the Czech Republic, I made a stop at a petrol station to fill up and to buy a vignette for travel through the Czech Republic. Once purchased the vignette must be placed on the windscreen of the vehicle failure to do so will incur a hefty fine. The cost of the vignette was $28.50, and it was valid for 10 days.

Last year I made a somewhat similar trip through Eastern Europe and travelled most of the journey without a vignette. The reason for this is I had no idea that such a thing existed. It was only when a host in Trieste informed me of the need to purchase a vignette for our arrival into Slovenia.

I purchased a vignette but left it on the dashboard rather than affixing it to the windscreen. A policewoman at a toll booth noticed that there wasn't a vignette attached to the windscreen and came over to question us. We showed her the vignette, and she replied that failure to place the vignette on the windscreen was worth a 120 Euro fine.

I pleaded ignorance, innocence, foolishness, dumbness and being an Australian in no particular order. Looking at my partner in pure pity she allowed us to go on without the fine. Sometimes it does pay to be a dumb Aussie abroad!

Soon after both the car and the occupants were recharged with fuel, we headed into the Czech Republic and travelled to our night location the town of Mikulov.

 

[akmacca]

Mikulov which is a town in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic, with a population just on 8,000 people.

I usually always stay at Airbnb's, and this stop was no exception arriving at our lodging at 1730 in the afternoon. Now often the host gushes over you and tries to make a good impression – not here!

The owner was not at home, but his late teenaged son was, and he didn't want a bar of us stating that his father would be home in an hour or more and we were to wait for him he indicated in stuttering English as he slammed the front door of the house shut.

Momentarily the door opened again, and I thought that this was going to be an apology when I saw an older woman at the now opened doorway. I assume the woman was the mother and if possible she was less friendly than her offspring and curtly said something in Czech and slammed the door shut again. Must be a Czech way of formally greeting visitors I thought.

Bugger this! The apartment we rented was situated above the owner's residence, so I went up the stairs pushed upon the glass double door, and thankfully it gave way and opened. Victory! So we just checked ourselves in.

Rudolf the owner rolled up around 90 minutes later and tried to brief us. There were six languages amongst us, but none of them was Czech, so it was a somewhat garbled and misinterpreted briefing. What we gathered was the direction of the city centre and where the restaurants were.

After freshening up, we set off on the advertised 10-minute walk into town that turned out to be more like 30 minutes thanks in no part to Mrs Google Maps with whom I have a stable love/hate relationship. The amount of times she has led me astray is beyond count. Last year she even led us onto a military firing range in Slovakia and on the same trip navigated us through the centre of Budapest when we had clearly imputed that we wanted to detour around the city.

Mikulov Town Square
At other times that silky cultured voice has been a saviour who has helped me find the seemingly unfindable. Mrs Google Maps is undoubtedly the female map version of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

In any case, we muddled our way through and found the central part of town and what a grand find it was. On the walk into town it certainly didn't look promising, but on gaining the centre, we were rewarded with a stunning main square, bordered by decorative house fronts and several churches. As with many Eastern European towns, the centre point of the square was marked with a tall religious monument. There were a variety of cafes and restaurants bordering the square, and we chose one of these to have a delicious local meal.

Mikulov is in the heart of the Czech wine growing region, and the surrounding area is dotted with wineries. Many of the visitors to this area come primarily to sample Czech wines.

Collection of Wines at our Airbnb. The owners owned a winery
One of the joys of travel is to take twists and turns down streets and, and we did such a thing after dinner when we decided to walk down a particularly uninteresting road that led to an immensely exciting treasure, Mikulov Castle which was completed in 1730 for Dietrichstien Princes. Retreating German soldiers set fire to the castle towards the end of the Second World War destroying much of the castle and the precious artefacts held in the castle's museum. The castle was returned to its former glory in the 1950s.

Mikulov Castle
The castle is, and you can walk around the high walls which affords a beautiful view over the countryside. To the front of the castle through some beautiful ornate gates lies some beautiful garden beds full of flowers in bloom.

Mikulov Castle is so vast that we spent much more time there than we meant to and it was dark when we set off back to the Airbnb amazed now to find the centre of town full of people and some of the businesses that were closed in the late afternoon were now open.

Another problem arose with the Airbnb during the night, and that was the stifling heat in the apartment. There was no air conditioning or even a fan, and open windows invited local mosquitos to visit which meant that it was a restless nights sleep. My strike rate for excellent Airbnb is about 96 per cent. This one was one of the four percenters.
The next morning our destination was Maribor, Slovenia with a side-trip to Lednice to check out the Lednice chateau and gardens.

View from our Airbnb at sunrise

This isn’t a real person (hopefully) a form of street art in Mikulov

Early evening

 

[ellen10]

Sounds like a great trip signing on to read more.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sounds like a good trip. Almond and walnut wines/liqueurs?

 

[RB]

Looking forward to following along. If you return to Mikulov I can recommend this spot Pension Baltazar- Mikulov | Australian Frequent Flyer

 

[Major]

This looks a bit different from the normal TR

 

[akmacca]

While checking the map to decide the day's route. I came across the name of a Czech town called Lednice which rang a bell somewhere in my head. I did a quick search and found that the town housed a UNESCO site the Lednice-Valtice complex which comprised of a stately chateau constructed in the early eighteenth century, a fabulous garden and a 60-metre high minaret reputed to be the highest in all of Europe.

That was enough for me to decide to make a detour on the trip south to Maribor. The drive from Mikulov was a short one just 12 kilometres, and we arrived there just after 0900 to beat both the heat and the crowds.

The grounds are extensive spread over 100s of acres and filled with ponds, ornate gardens and sculptures. The highlight, of course, was the chateau which was ornate, to say the least. We did not do the tour of the chateau as it was only conducted in Czech at that time of day and even at the early hour rather a long line had gathered, so we bypassed it to walk the grounds.

Attached to the side of the chateau is a large palm house which you can wander through, but the real attraction is the beautiful gardens which were in full bloom even in mid-summer. To my mind, the gardens were a slightly poorer version of Versailles gardens - but only just.

The minaret was on the other side of a large lake, so we didn't bother checking it out. The minaret was never used or intended to be used for religious purposes it was entirely decorative. Much of the decoration around the park was Moorish as apparently that was the fashion of the time and the minaret was a part of this fad.

After spending several hours at the Lednice Chateau it was time to get moving, and we set off for our overnight location of Maribor. We chose not to take the highways but country roads and byways. This, of course, makes the drive more interesting in more ways than one. You get to see some magnificent scenery as well as having adventures with tractors, cows and narrow roads. These country roads also have the ability to scare the wits out of you especially when a local passes in the opposite direction at 80 kilometres an hour on a single lane, winding road. You also have to be on constant alert for a pottering tractor or a wandering cow. It certainly keeps me on full alert as I drive.

Approaching the border of Slovenia, there were huge signs and advertisements about purchasing the Slovenian Vignette. The signs were predominantly located that you could never claim you knew nothing about the requirement to obtain vignettes. A seven-day vignette cost 15 Euro which is somewhat steep, but you have no choice as you have to cross a toll station at the border and I assume if you haven't purchased a vignette they will turn you around to go and get one.

Arriving mid-afternoon in Maribor, we parked opposite the lovely Drava River which flows through the city. Once again I had booked an Airbnb which was located just a short distance from both the river and the town centre. This Airbnb was like chalk and cheese to our first stay on the trip.

Drava River Maribor
The host was incredible and gave a fantastic introduction to both the accommodation and the city. The apartment was everything you want an Airbnb to be, lots of room, good wifi, an excellent shower and a well-appointed kitchen.

In the early evening, we set off to explore the town and to have some dinner.

Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia with a population of around 95,000 though to me it had the feel of a much smaller city. The best I can say is that Maribor exuded a good vibe.

The main square was less than a five-minute walk from our apartment. What first caught my eye was a large monument which I found out by reading the notice board was the Plague Monument erected by the townsfolk in gratitude for the end of the plague of 1680 that claimed a third of the city’s population. The current memorial in 1743 replaced the original 1661 monument.

The Plague Monument
The square is bounded by an assortment of richly decorated houses which you can find in many European cities. Even so, these building never cease to enthral me with the stunning architecture and ornate decoration as they as so, unlike anything you will find in Australia.

Shooting off from the main square were laneways full of restaurants, cafes and people. A live band played at the end of the lane, and the atmosphere was terrific. The scene reminded me of Hardware Lane in Melbourne, establishments full of people eating, drinking and having a good time. We selected an outdoor table and ordered local dishes the names of which escapes me. I can say there were three delighted diners at the conclusion of the meal.

It was dusk when we left the restaurant and walked through the centre of Maribor which has many of the central streets blocked off to traffic. The walk took us past beautifully decorated homes, the obligatory churches and portions of the old city walls.

We ended the walk by strolling along the river which had various coloured floodlights enhancing the scene. White swans swam alongside us as we walked hoping for a handout. It was a lovely place to sit on a bench and watch the Drava River meander by.

The next morning, I went out early exploring and to find a bakery which I did and was able to buy some still warm bread and baguettes. My shopping expedition was complimented by finding a fruit stall which sold fresh fruit. Walking back to the apartment I crossed the main bridge that spans the Drava affording me a great view of the city.


After a hearty fresh breakfast, it was time to hit the road again this time our destination was the
Croatian capital of Zagreb.

 

[VPS]

Really interesting report - thanks

 

[RooFlyer]

Loving the architecture

 

[akmacca]

Leaving Maribor, we headed south for Croatia and the capital Zagreb which would be our base for two days. The countryside we passed through was rather flat with an occasional range of mountains looming in the distance.

Croatia is a part of the European Union but not part of the Schengen Zone, so we had to have our passports checked at the border. Our GPS led us to such a border crossing, but that particular crossing wasn't equipped to allow entrance to non-EU citizens, so the border guards directed us to another, larger border crossing about 10 kilometres away.

We found the crossing without any problems waited in line for around 10 minutes and passed through without any issues the bonus was obtaining passport stamps for departing Slovenia and entering Croatia. What good is a passport without stamps in it?

The journey from the border to Zagreb was a quick one, and we navigated our way through the sprawling city to our latest Airbnb which was located right in the centre of the city pedestrian zone.

I always attempt to book accommodation in the centre of the city as it makes it easier to explore. In this instance, by choosing centrality, I had to forgo car parking. That meant we initially parked in a car park close to the accommodation and then went and checked in. The owner then gave us a parking card for another carpark that was 600 metres away.

So downstairs I went to move the car, and that is when Mrs Google Maps decided that it would be fun to make me go in circles. Amusing for her but certainly not for me as my stress and anger built as she directed us past the initial car park for the third time. The scariest part was when I was directed down what I thought was a one-way street used only for trams. It wasn't so, but at that time I didn't know that, and it gave me a right fright seeing a tram charge towards our vehicle.

You may wonder if it is worth it to go through this process of moving cars and suffering the frights and I say a resounding yes. Our centrally located apartment was terrific. Stylishly decorated with every amenity including a washing machine and a dryer at a much lower price than any comparable hotel. A little pain for a lot of gains I believe.

Zagreb is not dissimilar to most other European cities; it has its town squares, stately churches with towering spires, parks, museums and many other places of interest. What I noted about Zagreb was that it had a nice easy-going pace and appeared very safe. The public transport system of buses and trams was first-class with new vehicles and very frequent service. But what stood out to me was the number of outdoor dining spots. I don't believe that I have been to anywhere in the world with so many outdoor eateries. Everywhere you turned you would find another laneway or square filled with restaurants. The cuisine was an amalgam of Eastern, Mediterranean, Central European and Western dishes. Zagreb is undoubtedly a city where you will never have trouble finding a place to eat.

We did not visit any galleries or museums in the city instead we walked and walked checking out the local architecture and some of the well-known tourist attractions. Zagreb Cathedral was spectacular, and we went there while Sunday mass was being celebrated. Some of the original remains of the old city walls stand just outside the cathedral and the immense size of the remnants gives one an idea of how extensive the city walls must have been.

A restaurant wherever you look
Probably the best-known landmark in Zagreb is St Marks church with its beautifully tiled roof which depicts coat of arms of Zagreb and Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia. We first visited in mid-afternoon, and there was hardly a soul there probably because of the heat. Later in the day when it was cooler, we visited, and it was much more crowded.

St Marks is located in what is called the upper town, and from there you will find several excellent vantage points that look over the city of Zagreb. You can, of course, walk up to the upper town but if you prefer you can ride up on the shortest funicular ride in the world at 66 metres. At the top, you will find cafes, buskers and stalls selling souvenirs.

Zagreb Cathedral with a watchtower from the old city wall on the left
The Gric Tunnel is a different type of attraction. The tunnels dimensions are enormous, and it runs under the suburb of Gric hence the tunnels name. The tunnel was built in the Second World War as a bomb shelter. After the war, the tunnel fell into disuse but was revived again in the 90s where it was used primarily for raves and later as a shelter during the Croation War of Independence. In 2016 it was refurbished and opened to the public, and it now connects several major shopping streets in Central Zagreb.

Two days in Zagreb wasn't enough to do the city justice as there were many more sights to visit and experience. Unfortunately, we were limited to just two days in the capital, but it was enough to realise that Zagreb is a modern and thriving city with a mix of cultures and plenty of
things to see and do.

Gric Tunnel
St Marks Church
S [

 

[craven morehead]

Catching up on this different to the norm trip report

 

[akmacca]

Leaving the city of Zagreb behind us, we moved further into the interior of Croatia. Leaving the highway, we headed for the mountains where the roads narrowed, and S bends became the norm. Sitting in the backseat became an exercise in keeping breakfast down.

The countryside was spectacular everything was lush and green and tall mountains fell into cobblestoned creeks meandering along with transparent water. We passed a few cars along the way, and when we did, it was grabbing the steering wheel with both hands and praying as the local drivers appeared to be auditioning for seats in a Formula One car.

Every now and again we would spend a little time on a "main" road, that is it was a narrow two-lane road. Some of these roads had turnoffs where you were afforded a magnificent panorama over the stunning countryside. Our destination was so obscure that the hosts had to send us map coordinates to find the place.

Our accommodation was in the vicinity of Generalski Stol which literally means Captains Table so called as it was in this area that over many wars generals drew up battle plans.

When we were close to our destination, we stopped at a local shop the only one in close proximity. One of the many things I love about travel is going into local stores to see what they sell and how everything is laid out. The store was well stocked with a variety of foodstuffs, hardware, mechanical equipment and farm goods some were ordered on shelving whilst other items were left jumbled on the floor.

Surprisingly the women who worked in the shop had some reasonable English. I think they were surprised to see us in their shop and happy to show off their English skills. The fresh food looked delicious but disappointedly the day we arrived wasn't bakery day, so we went without.

Loaded up with much more than we needed we headed off on the last leg of the journey which was down a steep dirt road. It was hard to define precisely where our accommodation was as there were no house numbers on the few places we found. In the end, after several deducements, we decided we were in the right place and were rewarded when one of the hosts came out to greet us.

I chose this particular place because of the closeness to the river, the view and the amenities. Our hosts were lovely and accommodating people, and we were all handed the obligatory local vodka which the host brewed. With just a smattering of English, we were shown through the house which was stunning my favourite aspect being the three large terraces with stunning views of the river and its multitude of waterfalls.

Our hosts left, and we settled in. It was a hot day, and the cicadas were singing their one-tune symphony, so it didn't take much of a discussion for us all to head down through the backyard to our private pontoon. The water was clear, dragonflies were skimming the surface and you could see abundant plant life on the river bottom. Fish were playing hide and seek amongst the plants which all pointed to good clean water. A little distance away we could see a multitude of small waterfalls dropping into the river. It was a magical summer scene.

Diving into the water sent shivers running through my body as it was cold but after being immersed for a little while the coldness ebbed away. It was a lazy, relaxing day reminding me of my youth where I could while away the day swimming, floating and diving beneath the water.

There was a covered outdoor area adjacent to the house replete with three BBQ choices. We chose one and had dinner under the shimmering Croation star-scattered sky.

 

[ellen10]

Wow, really enjoying your trip report and beautiful photos. We were in Slovenia and Croatia last year and it brings back lots of lovely memories.

 

[theblank]

Whats a vignete?

vignette
viːˈnjɛt,vɪˈnjɛt/
noun

1. 1.
   a brief evocative description, account, or episode.
   "a classic vignette of embassy life"
2. 2.
   a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.
3. 
   

 

[akmacca]

Whats a vignete?

vignette
viːˈnjɛt,vɪˈnjɛt/
noun

1. 1.
   a brief evocative description, account, or episode.
   "a classic vignette of embassy life"
2. 2.
   a small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.

Vignette (road tax)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vignette is a form of road pricing imposed on vehicles, usually in addition to the compulsory road tax, based on a period of time instead of road tolls

 

[JohnK]

Interesting trip report.

 

[RooFlyer]

Just putting this into the Destination Trip Report index and found .. its been left hanging, like the chap in one of the earlier pics.. Can we have more, please @akmacca ?

 

[kermatu]

Added to the list.

Please continue!

 

[Cossie]

Same here, great tr of another area on my 'want' list. Some great photos as well.

 

[akmacca]

After breakfast on the terrace and a refreshing early morning dip in the river, we headed off for our destination of the day Pula which is located on the coastline of the Istrian Penninsula. There are so many enticing places to visit in Croatia, that it is somewhat of a challenge to decide on our second Croatian stopover. In the end, we chose Pula as we did not expect it to be as busy with tourists unlike places such as Split and Dubrovnik. Pula also lay in the general direction of Italy and this was a must visit on the orders of my Italian wife.

Distance wise it wasn't a long journey just a tad over 200 kilometres, but as usual, we chose the longer scenic route, and we were captivated by spectacular scenery, lush forests and lakes that gave way to craggy whitewashed mountains where houses hung precariously to the hillsides, and the flat land always appeared to be utilised in some way.

Lush countryside as we headed towards the coast
We randomly chose to stop at a restaurant in one of the small villages we passed through and ordered off a menu that was in Croation, so the order was a matter of pantomime, charades and pure guesswork. After we had placed our order, the waiter gave us a big smile and thumbs up which was not that reassuring as he looked like a local ruffian.

Our meals arrived with much fanfare, and we had to taste each of the dishes with not only the waiter but the cook, the owner and several patrons looking on to see our reactions. With such an audience in attendance, I wouldn't dare give the meal an adverse outcome. The positive response came to an abrupt halt when Adrian after taking his first bite grabbed his throat and started making gurgling sounds.

Our assembled audience wasn't too sure to make of Adrian's death rattle and seeing the concerned and stunned look on their faces Adrian quickly sprung back to life and gave them a huge smile and two thumbs up. Well, you would have thought that they had one lotto as they burst into cheers and laughter and slapped Adrian on the back which nearly did cause him to choke on his food. The owner was so happy that one of his foreign customers didn't expire in his restaurant that he shouted us a round of drinks.

The meal was delicious, and we later found out that we had the local Dalmatian dishes of punjene paprite which are stuffed capsicums, soparnik which is a savoury pie and a fish dish which I think goes by the unenticing name of oily fish. Everything was locally produced and cooked on the spot. We left with much fanfare, backslapping and handshakes.

Once again we had booked an Airbnb this time an old place near the centre of town which had been entirely refurbished. The owner met us at the door, gave us a quick house tour and some directions and was gone. After a quick wash, we headed off to explore Pula.

Pula is a city of almost 60,000 people and has a long history that dates back to the Neolithic times. Over time Pula has been governed by a multitude of societies and countries, and all of them have left their mark on the city of Pula. The most substantial imprint was left by the Romans who built an amphitheatre known locally as the arena which is the sixth largest in the world and throughout the city are scattered Roman remnants.


The walk to the Pula Arena was a brief one, and I was stunned at the size and the state of preservation. It was one of those times where you stand, stare and marvel at what lay before you. Built around the first century the arena is incredibly well preserved and it still hosts events to this day.

From the Arena, it is a pleasant stroll along the seaside promenade to the centre of Pula which has a narrow pedestrian thoroughfare bordered on either side by a tantalising array of shops, cafes and restaurants. At a junction of the mall, we came across the Temple of Augustus dedicated to the first Roman Emporer. Built sometime between 27BC and 2AD the temple is considered one of the best-preserved temples outside of Italy. You can walk up the steps and inside the temple though while we visited there was a function being held in the inner sanctum, so that was off limits.

Temple of Augustus
It was a sultry evening, and it appeared that most of the people out and about were family groups. We meandered down the narrow main thoroughfare poking our noses into shops and stopping now and again to take a photo or take in a particular view. Restaurants and cafes were starting to do a brisk business as the sun began to settle momentarily above the Istrian Sea.

The end of the narrow pedestrian street is marked by another Roman monument the Triumphal Arch of Sergii which was constructed for a wealthy local family of Romans who had it built to celebrate the imperial service of three brothers. Many of the inscriptions on the Arch are still legible, and my wife enjoyed translating the Latin script for her heathen Australian companions.

Triumphal Arch of Sergii
As we usually do both to save money and by choice, we bought local fresh produce to take back to our accommodation for dinner. There was an abundance of fresh fruit, vegetables, seafood as well as local wines available at an excellent price which allowed us to prepare a tasty meal.

The next morning after a leisurely breakfast, we checked out of our accommodation and loaded up the car ready to hit the road once again. Today's destination - Italy, which made my wife happy to be heading back to her homeland again albeit for just a short visit.