Driving to Rastoke
After the wonderful stay in the Plitvice Lakes region, we continued our Croatia road trip to a beautiful village called, Rastoke, before we call it a day in Zagreb. Rastoke is 35 minutes away from Radar guest house by car. It is possible to travel to Rastoke by bus as well. You can check the bus schedule and pricing from the following few sites:
1. getbybus
2. buscroatia
3. arriva
Background information of Rastoke
Rastoke is the historic centre of the Croatian municipality of Slunj, known for the Slunjčica river, which flows into the river Korana at Rastoke. It is also known as “the small lakes of Plitvice” because the waterfalls here are formed exactly the same way as Plitvice lakes. Due to its architectural, ethnographic and natural values, Rastoke has been enrolled in the Registry of immovable cultural monuments for more than 40 years.
Rastoke, since the 17th century, has been known for its flour mills. They had 22 mills at its peak. Most of the homes are from the late 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The unique features of the homes are such that the lower halves are constructed in travertine to prevent damage from water, while the upper decks are crafted out of wood for ease of removal or rebuilt.
This village was the worst hit during the war in the early 1990. Homes were burned down and the surrounding area was filled with landmines and explosives. After the war, the government carried out a successful restoration program to de-mine and to restore the village to its original beauty.
Pod Rastockim krovom
We reached Rastoke slightly before 10am and had the most wonderful breakfast. You gotta try the “diplomatic pancake”. The fillings inside is to die for. Fluffy and not overly sweet. You can also try the bread made out of freshly ground corn, a combination of wheat, maize, barley, rye and millet. It is then kneaded by using the water of the Slunjčica and housemade yeast. Rastoke bread is well known in Croatia.
After the fantastic breakfast, we had to pay an entrance fee to explore the surrounding area of the restaurant – Pod Rastockim Krovom. I think we paid around 30Kuna per adult to enter. It is worth paying as you will be able to see the 18th century mill, a museum, waterfall and many more.
18 Century Mill
You can see the entrance to the mill once you enter the backyard of the restaurant. We activated the mill (paid a small fee – forgot how much though) to see how it works to grind the corn. Pretty interesting indeed. ^^
The spoon mills are a typical sight in Rastoke and other limestone areas. The right amount of water and the fall are important factors to move the vertical spindle that connects to the milling stone.
Waterfalls
If you enjoy waterfalls, you will definitely love Rastoke. They are up close and you can actually feel the power of the water flow. Standing near to the fall is a great way to take off some of the heat from the burning sun.
Explore the cave
There is a small cave in the area for us to explore if you are up to it. The stairs are a bit slippery and narrow so you have to be careful.
Glorious food
After exploring the cave, we were rather hungry and chance upon this restaurant called “Petro”. They are famous for the trout so we had that for lunch. The fish was very fresh and delicious. The surrounding area of the restaurant is also very beautiful.
Guest Houses in Rastoke
There are various guest houses available in Rastoke should you be interested to stay for a night or two. As we had to continue our road trip to Zagreb, we could not stay there. It was really a pity though. The very popular guest house with high rating is Guest House Nena Rastoke. If you have the time, we recommend you to stay at least a night here. The surrounding area is very quiet and calm.
Heading to Zagreb from Rastoke
After a few hours in Rastoke, we had no choice but to bid goodbye and proceed to our next and last stop in Croatia. Zagreb, the largest city and capital of Croatia, is about 104km (1hr27mins) from Rastoke. By the time we reached Zagreb, it was slightly before 6pm. The weather wasn’t good at all. It was raining and it sort of spoilt our mood. The one good thing was that the staff from the car rental company was at the apartment to pick up the car from us. That was really a bonus because we would have problem finding the place to return the car ourselves. Glad we rented the car from easyrent.
Our hotel in Zagreb
The hotel, or rather apartment, we stayed in Zagreb is called Apartments My Zagreb. Studio apartments with kitchen attached. Interior of the studio apartment we stayed in is really clean and modern. Ceiling is extremely high and with tasteful decoration. Apartment is conveniently located. The Zagreb central station is just 400m away from the apartment. And, from the apartment window, you can see a park. It is near to supermarkets, tourists attractions and restaurants. The owners of the apartment are very friendly people. The wife gave us lots of information about the area so that we would not get lost. A highly recommended place to stay if you are in Zagreb.
Things to Do in Zagreb
#1 Visit Dolac Market
When in a foreign country, we do as what the locals do. Dolac Market is the place where the locals have been buying their fresh food since 1926. The outdoor market is filled with in-season fruits and vegetables. Colorful umbrella shades – symbol of the city, are provided to block the sun and rain. When we were there, it was raining quite a bit. Thus, the market was only half filled. However, we managed to get peaches and melons at a very good price.
#2 Visit Upper town Zagreb,Gornji Grad
This is one of the districts of Zagreb, Croatia. It is called “upper town” as its historical location is on the city’s hillside, being above Donji grad – “downtown”. This district has a high number of historical sites and tourists attractions. The focal point of Gornji Grad is the St. Mark’s square where the St. Mark’s Church is. The distinctive feature of this 13th century church is the colorful tile roof constructed in 1880. It has the medieval coat of arms of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia on the left side, and the emblem of Zagreb on the right. The church is open only during Mass time.
#3 Visit Zagreb Cathedral
This Roman catholic building is not only the tallest building in Croatia, but also the most monumental Gothic style sacral building. This Cathedral is located in Kaptol, a part of Zagreb, Croatia in the upper town. The existence of Kaptol, the settlement on the east slope, was confirmed in 1094 when King Ladislaus founded the Zagreb diocese.
ZAGREB CATHEDRAL
#4 Visit Museum of Broken Relationship
The name itself got us curious and prompted us to pay it a visit. The museum, dedicated to failed relationships, exhibits personal objects left over from former lovers, accompanied by brief descriptions. It is located in the upper town. This museum has collected items from all over the world with touching stories written by the contributors. Admission fee is 40 Kuna and it takes about an hour to stroll this place. A unique experience if you are interested.
#5 Eat at Gyoza Sake Bar
First Japanese owned restaurant in Zagreb that serves authentic Japanese food. We were craving for Asian food when we were in Zagreb, and was very happy when we found this small Japanese restaurant. The chef, maybe the owner, is a Japanese lady. Take out is possible if you do not want to eat at the restaurant.
End of Croatia Road trip
After dinner, our road trip in Croatia came to an end. The next day, we took a train from Zagreb Central station to our next destination Salzburg. The Croatia road trip was a very enjoyable and memorable one. We will always remember the places we have visited, the routes we have taken, the people we have met along the way, and most of all the beautiful sites of Croatia.
If you have yet to visit this part of the country, put it into your bucket list. Croatia is truly a must visit holiday destination. We absolutely enjoyed ourselves and will definitely come back again!
