Castles, Tunnels and Chocolate

When I find a special place, I’m often torn between wanting to tell people how great it is and keeping it for myself; Dvigrad castle is one of these places.
Declared a cultural heritage site in 1997, there were originally two castles on this site (Dvigrad means ‘two towns’) but one was destroyed in the 10th century. The remaining one, although ruined, is a fascinating place to explore. Parts of the castle are thought to date to as early as the 5th century, but its heyday was during the Middle Ages when the castle contained more than 200 houses and 2000 residents. In the 16th century, the population started to decline due to the Venetian-Austrian War, and plague and malaria epidemics, until the last few families relocated in the early 1600s.
As you walk around, you can see the castle walls, connected by the main gate and defensive towers. Inside, there are the remains of the old town square. On the Western side were the barracks, with the crafts traders working in the Southern part, leaving the rest of the place for housing. Look out for the stone/brick oven and the water cistern as you explore the site.
Keep your eyes open too for hidden treasure! A legend says that the 17th century Welsh pirate Henry Morgan (now the face of a famous rum) hid his loot here while trying to escape from the British fleet.
There is no entrance fee to the castle, nor is there any interpretation, but there probably won’t be many other visitors either, so have fun exploring!

Rijeka is an old town of beautiful buildings but today you’ll be seeing a very different side of it. If you like strange and unusual sites, you’ll love this. The starting point is at the forbidding-looking rusty steel gate behind the St. Vitus Cathedral where you will enter the mysterious TunelRi (the entrance is marked with a sign).

Opened in 2017, this 350-metre-long military tunnel was built by the Italian army during World War II to protect the town’s resident from Allied Forces bombing raids. It's about 2.5 meters high and 4 meters wide, so it doesn’t feel claustrophobic. As you walk through, look out for the original "Riservato all U.N.P.A." ("Reserved for the Anti-aircraft Corps") signs on the walls. The tunnel runs underneath the old town, and you’ll pop up back into the light next to Dolac Elementary School.
The tunnel is free to enter, and many locals use it as a thoroughfare and to escape the heat in the height of summer.
Note the tunnel was closed during COVID but re-opened in May 2022.

Across the road from the school is one of the most beautiful buildings in town – the Venetian house. Built in 1888 for Robert Whitehead (who invented the torpedo) its mixed architectural style, incorporating Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, coupled with its green painted woodwork, makes it really stand out on the street. You can only view it from the outside though, unfortunately, as it is now an apartment block.
From here, you can either walk back to the car through the tunnel or along the street.

Sitting on top of a small hill overlooking Karlovac town and the Kupa River, Dubovac Castle is like an old Hollywood actor, having been through multiple owners (spouses) and even more facelifts. Originally built in the 13th century for the King of Hungary, it was re-modelled around 200 years later in a Renaissance style, and then again in the 18th century to reflect the fashion for Romanticism in architecture. During the 20th century, it was re-modelled yet again, to function as a hotel, damaging some of the historic architecture in the process. Today, the castle has been restored to its former Medieval glory and houses a museum and an absolutely fabulous restaurant in the courtyard.
Buy a ticket at the entrance and walk up the main tower, where there is a small exhibition telling the story of the castle and the town. You can also go outside the tower for an incredible view of the town and countryside.
Note that the Castle is closed on Mondays.

It’s not often you get a chance to dine inside a castle, and this is a ‘must-do’. I love this place; it makes me feel that I ought to be feasting on wild boar, surrounded by court jesters, while waiting for the jousting to begin. The setting may be Medieval, but the food is modern, while making good use of traditional ingredients including wild game and truffles. The restaurant is justifiably popular, so it’s worth booking in advance. Call +385 047 658 922 to make a reservation.
Note, the restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.

Hotel Dubrovnik is situated right in the heart of Zagreb, overlooking the huge main square. The rooms are decent, and the views are lovely. When you check in, you’ll be directed to their own car park nearby, where you can leave the car until you depart tomorrow. Zagreb is a city that’s best experienced on foot!

I love museums; I especially love interactive ones, and this museum has a really clever concept. Rather than just reading about the history of chocolate, you’ll get to actually taste history as you walk around the exhibits.
Buy your ticket at the entrance, and you’ll be given a box of 9 different types of chocolates, each one is ‘paired’ to the exhibits in a different room. So, you’ll nibble on a cocoa bean as you learn about the Aztecs, savour a molten white chocolate as you learn about the European chocolate producers… you get the picture.
The museum takes you all the way from the Amazonian rainforests to the much-loved Willy Wonka and ends in a shop selling every type of chocolate product that you could ever imagine. If, like me, you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven.
Tickets can be bought at the entrance or online.
Note, the museum is closed on Mondays.

The craft beer scene has exploded across Croatia, and Zagreb was one of the ‘early adopters’. I’ve counted over 10 brew-pubs around the city and more are appearing every year. I particularly like The Craft Room because it has both on-tap brews as well as over a hundred different bottled beers to try. And a tasty menu of burgers and other street food to soak up the alcohol. They also do some great home-made sauces to go with the burgers. Grab a seat in the outdoor courtyard and choose a cold beer from the 10 or so that they have on tap.

Of the odd museums that I’ve visited over the years, this has to be one of the strangest, and funniest. It’s only a small place, so it doesn’t take long to walk around, but it is highly entertaining, with stories of drunken experiences and simulations of drunk walking and driving. What I also like though is that it is quite balanced and points out the dangers of alcohol – although they do give you a shot when you leave!
Buy a ticket at the entrance or online.

Return to the hotel.