Croatia is one of the six countries that used to form Yugoslavia. Nestling between the Balkans and Central Europe, this beautiful land has had a somewhat turbulent and convoluted history going back thousands of years, and it’s been home to myriad competing nations that have all left their mark over time.
The result is a fascinating mix of architecture, cultures, and cuisines to explore in one of the most breathtaking settings on planet earth.
The crescent-shaped country has a long coastline speckled with more than a thousand
islands (only 49 of them are inhabited). The Dinaric mountain range, stretching from
Italy to Albania, forms a dramatic backdrop with its verdant forests and craggy peaks.
The Adriatic Sea sparkles with shades of turquoise and emerald, and the red-roofed
houses sprinkled across the landscape provide a splash of colour, completing a
picture of unique Croatian beauty.
This was my first time visiting Croatia, and I wasn’t expecting to be quite so
captivated. We flew to Dubrovnik, and a short and dramatically scenic drive later, we
arrived at our home for our stay – the magnificent five-star Hotel Excelsior. Perched
high on a cliff just a short walk from Dubrovnik’s walled Old Town, the historical
villa was built in 1913 and fully revamped in 2017. It’s played host to many famous
guests over the decades, including Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Taylor, so we
were in glamorous company.
The hotel is cleverly designed to make the most of the gorgeous view across the
shimmering Adriatic. We stayed in an Excelsior Signature Suite with just that
breathtaking view towards Lokrum island from its large balcony, which ran the entire
length of the generous space. This included a large bedroom, a light-filled living area
with a fully stocked mini-bar and plenty of seating, and an opulent, spacious ensuite
bathroom with bath and walk-in shower and luxury toiletries. There was also a
second separate toilet, so much wardrobe space, two televisions with satellite
channels, and loungers and chairs on the balcony. No shortage of places to relax and
absorb the peace and beauty of that stunning view. Before heading out to explore
Dubrovnik Old Town.
Dubrovnik is known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. Ancient buildings and narrow,
cobbled streets are surrounded by a giant wall that encloses its restaurants, shops, and
sights. We walked atop the walls for fabulous views of the town and the sea, shopped
for stylish local jewellery and souvenirs, stopping regularly for refreshment at one
of the many tempting bars. We even ventured through the hole in the wall to sip a
local beer at a bar hovering precariously on the cliff's edge. The charming Old Town
seemed to wrap us up with its walls, determined to keep us safe within – we certainly
didn’t want to leave.
But we needed to – appointments were booked at the lavish spa back at Hotel
Excelsior. We enjoyed a relaxing and invigorating massage, a dip in the giant hot tub,
and a lovely swim in the substantial indoor pool (perfect for some lap swimming)
before venturing out seaside to the hotel’s private loungers. How we loved the
serenity of the lapping sea and those fabulous views.
As impressed as I was with Croatia by this stage, nothing had prepared me for the
impact their food offering was about to have. Croatian cuisine is diversely delicious,
with influences from Greece, the Romans, Venice, the Ottoman Empire, Italy,
Austria, and all its neighbouring countries. Everything from fresh and zesty salads to
delicate seafood dishes and hearty, meaty delights made with fresh local ingredients.
They also produce fabulous wines you won’t find anywhere else because not enough
is made to export.
As well as eating at Sensus at Hotel Excelsior, we sampled the restaurants at two of
her sister hotels – Vapor at Hotel Bellevue, also in Dubrovnik, and The Restaurant in
Hotel Supetar in nearby Cavtat. Exquisite dinners included such delights as melt-in-
the-mouth duck foie gras, the best beef carpaccio ever, the sweetest sea bass,
delectable scallop ceviche, and sous vide octopus and a range of gasp-inducing
vegetable and sauce accompaniments—some of the finest feasting I’ve experienced
this year.
Speaking of feasting, we also visited an oyster farm off the coast in the ancient town
of Ston. We were welcomed aboard the boat with a glass of the local liquor – strong
and herb-laced (and delicious) and took to the ocean wave to find the oysters. Fresh
out of the sea and onto the table, simply served with lemon wedges, they were quite
simply heavenly. We also headed into the countryside of the Konvale valley for a
cookery course and lunch at a family-owned restaurant Kameni Dvori in the hills.
After sampling some more local liquor (Croatians are a welcoming lot), we explored
the vegetable garden and orchard, picking fresh ingredients to cook with. Adjourning
to the kitchen’s warmth, we made bread, pasta in the local style, the freshest of
salads, flavour-packed chicken soup and an incredible chicken dish that I’ll make
again and again. We couldn’t stop eating it.
That’s the effect Croatia had on us. Whatever we saw, tried or discovered we didn’t
want to stop, and we didn’t want to leave it behind. The stunningly unique city of
Dubrovnik, with its incredibly welcoming people, has been the location of many
movies and television series, including Robin Hood, James Bond, Star Wars, and of
course, as King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms in Game of Thrones.
Several films were being made while we were there and it wasn’t unusual to pass
warriors, soldiers in full armour, or medieval maidens in the street. I bet none of them
wanted to leave either.
Words by Sandy Cadiz-Smith
All the activities and excursions we enjoyed can be booked through the hotel’s
concierge.
Hotel Excelsior is part of the Adriatic Luxury Hotels group.
www.holiday-villagekonavle.com/cookingclasses
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