Info - Croatia Travel Reviews

Who and Why?

Author My name is Miroslav. In my free time, I love enjoying nature. In conversations with people, I was often surprised by how most had never heard of some exceptional locations nearby that felt "ordinary" to me and my family, while on the other hand, influenced by marketing, they were ready to travel to the other side of the world for far less attractive things. Due to the inability to travel abroad during the COVID situation, we traveled more intensively across Croatia and discovered a wealth of exceptional places we didn't even know existed. What's shocking is that these are first-class attractions—rivers, waterfalls, canyons, archaeological sites… In preparing for all these trips, I use various sources of information—articles, travelogues, mountaineering club pages, YT videos, Google Maps, Google Earth, hiking maps, the AllTrails service, photos, and visitor reviews from which I try to reconstruct things not visible on maps. Despite all that, almost nothing is known about some locations at times. This prompted me to launch this site, which is not just another typical hiking portal, but is intended for everyone who wants to discover new locations to spend quality time in nature or learn more about the famous ones. The site will also include hiking routes, but will abound in viewpoints and other interesting locations you might have passed countless times without even knowing they existed. The more we travel, the clearer it becomes that there are more and more of these locations and that we live in a truly special place, where within a few hundred kilometers, you can find a diversity of nature that is rarely found anywhere else in the world, even in much larger areas.

How?

When creating the site, one of the questions was where to "draw the line." Namely, we had visited many locations quite a long time ago. After a short thought, the line was drawn at the purchase date of my last mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy S7) from a few years ago. Most of the photos you can see on the site were taken with that device. This initially narrowed the selection to about 60 locations and we set a goal for ourselves that locations not covered by that period must be revisited. The texts are not written chronologically, so you won't find dates in the articles. It is possible that some trips from 2-3 years ago, for which the text has just been written, end up among the new posts and vice versa. The pace at which we process all 60 initial locations will depend on free time and inspiration, but also on the influx of new ones :)

All trails, unless they are circular, are plotted in one direction. Therefore, length, time, and all other information refer to one direction, from start to finish. Trails are divided according to two basic criteria—region and difficulty. For the difficulty rating, a subjective assessment was used, more from the perspective of inexperienced beginner hikers. Alongside it, official hiking ratings for technical and physical demand are provided. Regarding the elevation gain information, it can sometimes be unclear and misleading. Here, this term is used as an equivalent to "total ascent," i.e., the sum of all climbs, not as the difference between the lowest and highest point or the starting and ending point, nor as the difference between climbs and descents. Some services, like AllTrails, will show an elevation gain of 0 m for Kudin Most when you plot the path from the parking lot to the bottom of the canyon. Logically, because it's a descent. However, since it is necessary to climb back out of the canyon, the elevation gain mark will include the height of the ascent, regardless of the fact that other data refers to the descent.

Subjective ratings are:

Very Easy - This includes simple attractions, mostly viewpoints and promenades that can be reached directly or very closely by car. They require no equipment or any mountaineering knowledge.
Easy - This includes shorter trails, up to 2 hours of walking, technically undemanding, with small elevation differences. Knowledge of following hiking markers is necessary if the trail has them. It would be good to have appropriate footwear and a water supply.
Moderate - This includes trails that require a bit of effort. Basic hiking equipment is usually needed (hiking boots or trail running shoes, backpack, etc.). Elevation gain up to 300m.
Difficult - Trails that sometimes require additional hiking equipment. Elevation gain usually over 300m, often more than 4 hours of walking in one direction, sometimes requires the use of hands.
Very Difficult - Technically more demanding trails, often requiring the use of hands and additional equipment (e.g., ferratas). Trails in this category can be relatively short but extremely difficult, or they can require several hours of walking and climbing.

Physical demand ratings:

K1 - Easy, less than 5 hours of walking.
K2 - Moderately demanding, 5-7 hours of walking.
K3 - Demanding, 7-9 hours of walking.
K4 - Very demanding, more than 9 hours of walking.

Technical difficulty ratings:

T1 - Not demanding. Walking without the use of hands or aids.
T2 - Moderately demanding. Walking and occasional use of hands. Easy climbing.
T3 - Demanding. Occasional climbing with the use of hands and aids.
T4 - Very demanding. Longer and more demanding secured paths, constant climbing.

Elevation gain ratings:

VR1 - 0 m - 250 m, easy
VR2 - 250 m - 500 m, moderately easy
VR3 - 500 m - 750 m, moderately demanding
VR4 - 750 m - 1000 m, demanding
VR5 - Over 1000 m, very demanding

How do we handle islands?

Mostly the same as the mainland. Everything we find interesting and located in nature (fortresses, viewpoints, caves, lakes, etc.) we present as separate locations. We won't write about every beach. We write about those that are "hyped" and those that impressed us with something specific. The idea is for readers to gain insight into what to expect from an island and what is worth visiting. When we feel we have published everything we intended for that island, we conclude with a general article about the whole island.

Although we visited most of the larger Dalmatian islands a long time ago, we will only write about them and their attractions once we visit and film them again.

What is the basic definition of a location?

A location is an area/attraction that an average excursionist explores on foot, without having to get back into the car and drive to another one. For example, if we have a fortress and a spring in the immediate vicinity, both attractions will be covered in one article and represent one location, marked with one pin on the map.

Two waterfalls on the same river, which are too far apart for an average visitor to walk between them without driving, are two separate locations (e.g., Bilušića Buk and Manojlovački Slapovi on the Krka river).

Drones?

The pages are not designed to impress visitors with "hyped up" photos like Instagram. Yes, we care about the photos, but we try to maintain a maximum dose of objectivity. People perceive locations from a human perspective, not a bird's eye view, so you won't see drone photos on our site.

Also, we don't go on our trips for the photos and the audience, but for the pleasure. This isn't a job for us like it is for some; it's fun and relaxation. The last thing we want on our trips is inconvenience and worrying about technical devices like tripods, underwater cameras, and the like. I have always been a fan of the smallest possible phone with the best components, so all pictures in the future will be from a device that fits in the smallest pocket and that I don't have to think about.

Voice - Singular, Plural? Grammar?

In the texts, we do not refer to the site as a formal institution, except in rare cases. When we write "we," it means we want to convey our shared opinion, and when we say "I" as authors, it is from the perspective of the author themselves.

The texts are not proofread, nor will they be. We write them for fun and in good faith, so you will have to deal with any grammatical errors as best as you can. Knowing the wilderness of the internet since its very beginnings, and especially the level of journalistic literacy on much larger portals, I think you'll manage somehow.

No filter?

Yes, we express our experience of something at a given moment. We have been to many locations multiple times, and each time the experience is different. If we don't like something at some point, we will say so. That is our experience of it at that moment. Experiences are subjective anyway, but at least in photos and facts, we try to be as objective as possible. If someone is offended by our opinion on something, they are free to be angry; that is their right :)

Safety first!

If you see a subject standing on the edge of a cliff in one of our photos, know that behind that cliff there is land not captured by the lens and that the subject was never exposed to danger at any moment. Attractive photos can be made by carefully choosing the frame and perspective, and we absolutely do not justify exposing oneself to the risk of death for anything.

Similarly, if you see a difficulty rating on the trails suggesting the use of special equipment, take it seriously. Every activity has its rules, including hiking. Never go on a trail without appropriate equipment or alone, because no matter how trivial some situations may look, if you don't approach them seriously and with caution, things can go wrong in an instant.

Disclaimers

All information on the site is presented in good faith. We bear no responsibility for anything that may arise from the interpretation and use of information from this site.