Croatia

In 2017, I traveled to Croatia for two weeks together with a former school friend. For this trip, I took off for the first time in my life from Altenrhein airport in the canton of St. Gallen, which is a very small airport, especially compared to Zurich airport, which I usually fly through. It was a really interesting experience, from the check-in to the passport control and the security check, we were always served by the same person. After a flight of about one hour we arrived in Pula Croatia. From there it was about an hour further by car to our destination Opatija.

 

Opatija is a town in Croatia, located on the Kvarner Bay and near the city of Rijeka. The town was already a popular destination for wealthy tourists in the 19th century and still has a very charming and elegant style today. The city has many historical buildings and villas built in a Mediterranean style. One of the most famous sights is the 7-kilometer-long coastal promenade "Lungomare", which runs along the coast and offers a magnificent view of the sea. On the first day we first got familiar with the surrounding area. Our hotel was located directly at the sea. In the following days we explored the first abandoned building nearby, it was a bit elevated and seems to be a started construction, which was never finished. However, the building offered a fantastic view over Opatija and the sea. Prior to the trip, my friend read about an abandoned hotel, which we also wanted to explore and therefore booked a boat tour, which also took us to the island of Krk, on which the abandoned hotel was located. It was a full day excursion, which was worth it in every way. Besides exploring the abandoned Haludovo Palace Hotel in Minsk on the island of Krk, there was also a stop at the beautiful Beli beach on the island of Cres. On another day we went parasailing, which was also an unforgettable experience. In between we also bathed a lot in the sun on the shore and of course in the sea. Another day trip we made to the Plitvice Lakes National Park. This national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Croatia. It consists of 16 crystal clear lakes connected by waterfalls and rapids, and is surrounded by dense forests and green hills. The park is home to a variety of plant and animal species and offers visitors the opportunity to hike, boat and swim. It is a unique and breathtaking place to visit if you want to experience the beauty of nature. Towards the end of the trip we also paid a visit to Rijeka the next bigger city near Opatija. At the end of the trip we climbed the village Mala Učka, which is located at about 1000 meters above sea level. This was also an adventure in itself, as we had to escape from two aggressive dogs on the way. In addition, the following day we woke up with very sore muscles, the hike took us over eight hours and included each 1000 meters of elevation gain and elevation loss over the whole trip. But the view was totally worth it. After these various smaller and larger adventures, it was time to say goodbye again and the return journey began to the airport in Pula and ultimately St. Gallen Altenrhein airport.