Croatia 

Located right in the heart of Old Town, Dalmatino prides itself on serving traditional Dalmatian cuisine “with a twist”. All the food we had was excellent, especially the black ink risotto and mussels, and all of their recipes are made with seasonal local products.

This wine bar was so excellent we went every night during our stay in Dubrovnik. Located within the old city walls, it’s a delightful place for a cozy, charming evening once the cruise ship and day tour crowds leave. They have a selection of over 60 wines, many of which are unique to the area.

This charming, unpretentous restaurant is well worth a detour to visit if you are in Istria visiting the hill towns. Located a 5 minute gravel drive from Livade, it’s a serious deal if you love truffles. The truffle pasta was out-of-this world good. Non-truffle items included home-made noodles or gnocchi with goulash, and other pasta dishes.

Meaning “grandma” this cafe has every tempting sweet you could think of with many of the recipes coming from the owners own grandmothers. They offer an amazing selection of traditional Croatian desserts, cakes, cookies, muffins, rolls. It’s incredibly tempting to get one of everything.

This restaurant sits on the big square in front of St. Ignatius Church and serves very good regional food of Dubrovnik and surrounding regions. Try the kopun (rooster) that’s a specialty of the restaurant. The restaurant is fairly expensive but had a great ambiance, great wait staff, and very good food all while offering a great view of the church and square.

We found this restaurant to have incredible seafood. Located virtually right on the beach in Vlaka (Palmizana Island) it was very convenient. While they offer lovely patio seating, we sat inside due to rain. Most of our group shared a large fish baked in salt served with potatoes and vegetables that was insanely good.

This museum was shockingly fantastic and is totally worth the visit. It features expressionistic paintings by untrained Croatian peasant artists between the 1930s-1980s. Evidently in the 19th century the art world began embracing self-trained artists.

This is one of the most spectacular areas we’ve ever seen. Waterfalls and bright blue pools spill into each other as you walk along boardwalks, hike, and cruise around the lake to take in all the sites. The valley has 16 lakes in total with waterfalls galore.

This museum is very cool. It hosts a collection of true stories of couples who have broken up around the world and displays their story and corresponding item that represented the relationship (some of them are very odd). It’s fascinating to read through the hundreds of stories in the museum (they rotate them frequently).

Radovljica’s apicultural museum tells you everything you want to know about bees and more. It outlines the extensive history of beekeeping in Slovenia, boasts a large exhibit of historical beekeeping panels (you’ll see replicas for purchase throughout Slovenia), and has a very cool bee hive where you can watch the bees leave through a window, return, and make honey.

Touring these islands around Hvar is a MUST. It was an amazing, fun experience complete with one of the best meals we have ever had.

If you do one thing in Dubrovnik this should be it (besides wandering the streets within the walls). It’s an incredibly scenic slightly over a mile long stroll along the 15th century walls of the city, giving sweeping views of the Adriatic and nearby islands as well as the crowded streets and red rooftops making up the city below.

This tour was worth the cost. Our guide was extremely well-informed and led us through the historical Old Town and Diocletian’s Palace. She pointed out things we absolutely would have missed otherwise. Friendly, cheerful, and helpful, this tour was great.

Located near Motovan, this winery provides great wine and quite an experience. It’s family run and we had to call the phone number on the door to request to taste. Then a young man showed up, opened the door, and began pouring wine. You sit in tall plastic chairs in the middle of their barrel room as you taste.

Located near Motovun, this winery offered a nice tasting room and scenic views. Try the muscat and rose. Tasting is free.

These apartments were absolutely perfect for our stay in Hvar. Run by Biserka, the charming owner, the apartments were clean, located in very convenient walking distance to town, and with spectacular views.

We had a good experience in this hotel located in the center of Zagreb, easy walking distance from all the sites with free breakfast.

Very conveniently located to Plitvice Lakes National Park (10 minute drive), its a lovely farmhouse that’s a great deal for being so near the park. The rooms were nice and wood paneled. A nice breakfast was included.