A Split Second in Split... (And off to the Waterfalls)

Our final stop on the cruise before returning to Venice was Split, Croatia. We scheduled an excursion for Krka National Park to hike along the waterfalls, so we didn't get to see more than a glimpse of the city, itself. I would have loved to wonder into the city walls, however, and get a taste of what city life is like in Dalmatia (the Southern part of Croatia).

Split, Croatia

Immediately after getting off the tender boats, which took us from the cruise ship to land, we boarded the bus for a long ride to Krka.

Tender Boat

Our journey was made more pleasant, however, by our excellent tour guide, Anita. Not only did she share facts about the area, but she brought them to life with her clever stories and good sense of humor. We learned some silly trivia, such as Dalmatians (the people, not the dogs) tend to be tall and thin, whereas people from the continental area of Croatia tend to be "short and plump". We also learned that neckties originated from the area.

She also discussed more historically important facts and pointed out sites, including the location of major shipbuilding enterprises during communist control, an ancient Roman aqueduct, and the fortress of Klis.

Roman Aqueduct, as seen from the bus

The Klis Fortress has played a role in the history of the area for many generations. Beginning in the 3rd century, the fortress (in a less sophisticated state) served as an important stronghold of the Illyrian tribe. Since that time, the fortress has undergone numerous changes in control and has served as an important strategic location for those attempting to conquer the area. At different points in history, the fortress was held by the Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, Croats, Ottomans, Venetians, and Serbs. Anita shared with us a local Romeo and Juliet-style tale about the fortress. Supposedly, when the Ottomans took over the area, the daughter of the Sultan fell in love with a local man, a Christian. Since marriage, or even love, between the two was forbidden, the lovers killed themselves as they could not imagine living without each other. 

Klis Fortress

After our pleasant ride, filled with anecdotes and beautiful scenery, we arrived at Krka National Park. Anita offered us the choice of tagging along for a bit of guided tour or heading off on our own to explore. Regardless, we would have some free time before re-boarding the bus. We opted to stick with the group for the guided portion, which consisted of walking through a living museum, where workers demonstrated their trades.

We stopped at the mill, the weaver's, and the blacksmith's. At each, the Krka employee gave us a short demonstration of the traditional trades and explained the cultural significance of the work. In the rooms, Anita added details to the employees' explanations; it was clear that she took pride in her history, as she seemed very well informed about various aspects of the culture and was excited to share her knowledge.

Weaving Room

After we made it through the small living museum, Anita dropped us off at the bottom of the waterfalls, where we had the option of grabbing a bite to eat, taking a swim, buying souvenirs, or doing a bit of hiking on our own.

Me at the Waterfalls

After snapping several pictures, we decided to sit down and relax with a local Croatian beer before heading back up to the tour bus.

Croatian Beer

After we finished our beers, we still had a few more minutes before we needed to start walking, so I opted to take a quick dip in the water at the bottom of the falls.

People Swimming at the Fallsd

The water was cool and refreshing, but it was a little difficult to navigate as large rocks sat just below the surface of the water.

On the way back to the bus, we walked on the opposite side of the waterfalls. Much of the path was made of wooden walkways, spanning streams and ponds further up river from the falls.

Walkway

The whole area was so beautiful, and I wish we could have spent more time exploring the park, but as is the way of cruise excursions, it was soon time to go. After a quiet bus ride back (many of our fellow cruisers took the chance to nap), we got to Split just moments before we were required to board the tender and return to the ship.

Line to Get Back on the Tender

During both of our stops in Croatia (Dubrovnik and Split), we were greeted by amazing scenery and friendly people. I'm definitely looking forward to returning one day and seeing more of the country which left such an amazing impression on us.