Splendors of Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast Aug 15—26, 2007
Posted by Barry Lyon
Barry Lyon
Barry Lyon's passion for the outdoors and birding has its roots in his childhood where he grew up in southern California. Through his early years his developing interes...Related Trips
If you randomly began asking people to find Croatia or Montenegro on a world map, you would most likely be met with a blank stare, or at least a frank, "I have no idea." If you asked people about Dalmatia, you might well receive a response that included a reference to white dogs with black spots! In fact, for most of us, familiarity with this part of the world is mostly non-existent. For the majority of those who are at least aware of the "Balkan" region, their perceptions are likely fueled by grim memories of CNN broadcasts from the 1990s of a war-ravaged corner of Europe. I must admit that I think the same impressions held true for many of us on the eve of VENT's first visit to the former Yugoslavia.
It was with considerable pleasure, and not just a little surprise, that we found ourselves together, as a group for the first time, in Zagreb, Croatia on the first night of our trip, admiring what was clearly a modern, peaceful European city. By the time our trip ended, nine days later, we would reflect on a travel odyssey that saw us amid some of the wildest and most beautiful countryside remaining in Europe; cruising aboard a beautiful private yacht from near the top of the Adriatic Sea along the entire length of Croatia and Montenegro; birding at several superb natural areas; and ambling along cobblestone roads through picturesque medieval villages. In sum, our first visit to eastern Europe's Dalmatian Coast was a thoroughly enjoyable multi-thematic experience, one that delivered a pageantry of birds, history, and culture.
Our time in Croatia before the cruise somehow went beyond interesting; it was actually rather amazing. In sweeping away any lingering doubts any of us might have had about the back pocket of Europe, we were treated to an immaculate, thriving city in Zagreb, and a stunningly beautiful natural area in Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Our city tour of Zagreb was the right start for this trip. Instead of bullet holes and shrapnel scars we encountered beautifully designed museums, statues, and monuments featuring gothic, renaissance, and baroque architecture. In wandering by innumerable shops, promenades, and open-air cafes, we dispelled the perception of southeastern Europe as a sort of backwater. Our local guide, Maia, was superb and took us to many of the city's most famous historical landmarks, including the national cathedral and national cemetery.
Though busy with other tourists, Plitvice Lakes certainly proved its worth as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A cascading chain of lakes, linked by curtain-like waterfalls, was unlike anything any of us had ever seen. The park is actually preserved for its unique travertine rock formations, but the entire setting was so undeniably beautiful that each aspect of its natural history was just as appealing as another.
Without a doubt, the centerpiece of this trip was Callisto, a delightful vessel that enabled us to travel in comfort and style. In fact, she was the perfect vessel for the size of our group and for accessing all the places we visited. From her decks we viewed the dramatic entrances to many harbors, most memorably the majestic fjord that is the bay of Kotor in Montenegro, the bustling bay at the entrance to Split, and our sunrise entry into the marina at Cres. We viewed picturesque red-tiled fishing villages along the protected nearshore waters, and witnessed the towering seaside cliffs of gleaming white limestone that give Dalmatia its fame. Inside Callisto we made ourselves at home quite readily. Lovely cabins, a spacious public area, an accommodating staff, and a terrific cuisine were all we could ask for.
When not sailing the inter-island waters of the Adriatic, we were exploring historic cities, visiting monasteries, forts, museums, and a whole host of centuries-old sites. The scenery, while always interesting, was truly postcard-perfect at times. Images of small offshore islands dominated by stone-walled fortresses were brought to reality at a number of the places we visited. As this part of the world served as the boundary between the Western and Eastern Roman empires, we found ourselves moving from Roman Catholic churches to Orthodox churches and back again. The Palace of Diocletian—immense, extraordinary, and a lasting monument to a megalomaniac—defined the seaside city of Split.
In other places it was time spent wandering the streets and corridors of medieval towns and villages that highlighted our experiences. Korcula, quaint for its size and picturesque in its existence, was the favorite of many. Tiny Belí, perched majestically atop a hill overlooking the sea and skirted by olive groves, provided Mediterranean scenery at its finest. And finally there was the walled city of Dubrovnik, grand in its architecture, important for its history, and enchanting in its allure.
Though a little slow at times, birding on the whole was generally good. Throughout our travels we recorded a nice mix of local residents and long-range migrants. Crna Mlaka, outside Zagreb, was exceptional, as we enjoyed nice looks at some of eastern Europe's most special birds. Ferruginous Duck, White and Black storks, Purple Heron, and White-tailed Eagle were truly outstanding. The extensive forests and farmlands of Plitvice Lakes offered plenty in the way of birds and lovely mountain scenery. Multiple sightings of Hawfinches were best, but sightings of Eurasian Wrynecks, Middle-spotted Woodpeckers, Red-backed Shrikes, Coal Tits, Song and Mistle thrushes, and Wood, Willow, and Icterine warblers were equally gratifying. We visited the island of Cres, where the last remaining Eurasian Griffons in Croatia hang on. During our morning here we enjoyed wonderful encounters with a number of these massive birds. Some were in flight, high overhead, while others were seen at eye level, gliding on splayed wings.
From Callisto we honed our gull-watching skills with repeated good looks at Yellow-legged, Black-headed, and Mediterranean gulls. Little-known Montenegro held the finest birding of the trip. A morning cruise on Skadarsko Lake was exceptional, producing large numbers of Great-crested Grebes, Pygmy Cormorants, Squacco Herons, and Whiskered Terns, in addition to Little Bittern, Golden Oriole, and many others. Peter's discovery of a Great Bittern was probably the premier bird sighting of the entire trip, while Red-rumped Swallows, Spotted Flycatchers, and Yellow Wagtails were also cause for excitement. Our expedition to the Salt Pans at Bar turned out to be a wonderful outing. A splendid variety of Eurasian shorebirds were readily found, including greenshanks, redshanks, stints, curlews, plovers, and pratincoles. Eurasian Bee-eaters, Zitting Cisticola, and Olivaceous Warbler represented some of the landbirds we encountered.
There were many excellent local guides who played a major role in making our trip so successful. But most especially, I want to recognize Dean Vuletic, a young graduate student from Columbia University, who accompanied our inaugural trip as our expert historian. This region is certainly one of the most historically complex parts of the world. Over the course of our journey Dean patiently explained the overriding themes of Balkan history and answered all of our questions. Whether on the bus or delivering a presentation aboard Callisto, Dean's interpretation was always informative and often illuminating. Our trip would not have been nearly so enjoyable without his expertise.
I will conclude by commenting on how much we (the leaders) enjoyed this group of participants. Ever cheerful, through some rainy weather and periods when the birding was slow, everybody stayed positive and enthusiastic. Perhaps the success of our trip was due to our being under the spell of the Dalmatian Coast; or maybe it was the intimacy of Callisto; or possibly it was attributable to an amiable group that shared good chemistry. Regardless, I believe all of us will look back on our time together as one of the real highlights of the year.