Croatia

After almost exactly two months in Croatia, we are saying goodbye today to continue on toward Greece.

Our last stay in Croatia was over Christmas and New Year in 2024, and back then we were a bit put off by how reserved and distant the Croats seemed. We might as well have stayed at home.

Over the past two months, though, we have got to know Croatia very differently, and we have become fans. First, the Croats all speak excellent English and many also speak German, and second, they are always up for a chat. Relaxed, honest, and friendly. Traveling here is fun.

It has to be, too: Croatia makes 10% to 15% of its GDP from tourism. For charter sailors, it is the most important destination in Europe and also one of the most expensive. So it also has to work, and for us it always did. The charter companies were all professional, rock solid, and honest. That is not something you can take for granted, from what you hear around.

When you stroll along the promenades, it seems impossible that there was a war raging here 30 years ago. Croatia has made it: today there is peace, safety, and prosperity. It is part of the EU, Schengen, NATO, and has adopted the euro. To get there, they had to elect good governments and keep their pride in check. I would wish that for other former Yugoslav republics too, because it is worth it. As a Swiss person, though, I know very well how difficult that is.

We are taking the ferry to Italy now and from there straight on to Greece, where we have rented an apartment in Lefkada for two weeks.

*This blog post has been automatically translated by a Large Language Model.