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Croatia (Dubrovnik) Holiday Tips

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trousers

trousers

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Evenin' all

The Trousers family* are off to Croatia for a holiday in a couple of weeks... Staying in a coastal town called Mlini... First visit to Croatia so looking for any tips / recommendations from anyone that has been to this area before (e.g. restaurants, bars, trips, attractions, car hire, etc)

Kind thanks in anticipation my Saintsweb chums

(*Family = myself, Lady Trousers, daughter, son and his girlfriend (the latter 3 in their mid twenties))

👍🍻

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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Probably quite a drive from Dubrovnik (assuming you'll have a hire car) but I highly recommend Krka national park, if you're a fan of walking trails and waterfalls. It's not as famous as Plitvice (which would be even further to drive) but it's equally as beautiful.

Not far from there is a lovely little old coastal town called Sibenik, which I also recommend for a day excursion. 

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CB Fry

CB Fry

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We went last year (2 + 9yr + 14yr girls) although we did dual centre Dubrovnik and then Split across 10 days.

Best day trip was Lopud Island and Sunj beach, you need to take a ferry ride from Dubrovnik to get to the island but then there's golf buggy taxis to the beach itself, quite fun, nice vibe to it and actual sand (which is rare round there) and excellent fish restaurant Obala there too

https://www.obalalopud.com/

I guess to make a day of it you need to start early (and youre not starting in central Dubr) so if you like a slow, lazy start to holiday days it might be too much faff. 

 

Lokrum Island is worth doing - if you are a Game of Thrones person I guess already on your list. I don't know shit about GoT but you don't need to - the Island and little boat trip all lovely anyway - 3/4 hours of a day maybe. 

Can't remember all the restaurants but we did one called Arsenal which is a nice spot in the Marina

https://www.nautikarestaurants.com/gradska-kavana-arsenal/

There are no restaurants called Leyton Orient.

Loads of obvious things to do - cable car brilliant. We wish we did the zip wire but 9 Yr old didn't want to. We did Stand Up paddle boarding, I hated it but kids liked it. Old Walls and strolling round the town brilliant, obviously. Beautiful.

Main warning is loads of beaches that aren't particularly beaches - some pebbles and concrete and sun loungers. We stayed near Banje Beach which was quite nice.

Anyway, enjoy it!

Edited by CB Fry
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CB Fry

CB Fry

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12 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Probably quite a drive from Dubrovnik (assuming you'll have a hire car) but I highly recommend Krka national park, if you're a fan of walking trails and waterfalls. It's not as famous as Plitvice (which would be even further to drive) but it's equally as beautiful.

Not far from there is a lovely little old coastal town called Sibenik, which I also recommend for a day excursion. 

Yes we did Krka but from Split, beautiful but yes will be a trek from Dubrovnik 

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whelk

whelk

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We had lovely time last year in Montenegro. Also visited Dubrovnik and definitely walk the walls. Beautiful place. Can’t give as many tips as Fry I’m afraid.
Travelled round Yugoslavia (the now Croatian part mainly) back in the day but memory vague but dirt cheap and was refreshingly Brit free.

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Stripey McStripe Shirt

Stripey McStripe Shirt

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2 hours ago, trousers said:

Evenin' all

The Trousers family* are off to Croatia for a holiday in a couple of weeks... Staying in a coastal town called Mlini... First visit to Croatia so looking for any tips / recommendations from anyone that has been to this area before (e.g. restaurants, bars, trips, attractions, car hire, etc)

Kind thanks in anticipation my Saintsweb chums

(*Family = myself, Lady Trousers, daughter, son and his girlfriend (the latter 3 in their mid twenties))

👍🍻

Went earlier in the year and stayed in Cavtat, just down the road from Mlini. Depending how long you stay, an evening for a few drinks/meal in Cavtat is nice with a few bars on the harbour front.

There is a boat you can get relatively cheaply to Dubrovnik and a nice way to get to the city. Also a bus service. Alternatively, use Uber, which is significantly cheaper than normal taxis.

Walk of the walls is a good thing to do, but buy the Dubrovnik pass which gets you into various other attractions too for the same price.

Don't eat/drink anywhere on the main streets. Explore off the beaten track to find something more authentic. But if you do really, really want to splash out there is a Michelin star restaurant on the walls (Restaurant 360) which I also recommend, but be prepared to take out a second mortgage to afford it. On the bright side, I did get £50 off because a bird shat on my wife's dinner.

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CB Fry

CB Fry

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Another vote for Cavtat, we stopped there after getting off the plane. Worth a wander round.

Another restaurant if you want a bit of Croatian trad. Fish stew, Lamb thing*, Squid Ink risotto. Have a bash at that.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g295371-d23416478-Reviews-Heritage_Of_Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik_Dubrovnik_Neretva_County_Dalmatia.html?m=19905

*not real name.

 

Sorry today I have just come back from this year's summer holiday so reminiscing about last year's one is useful therapy right now.

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trousers

trousers

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2 minutes ago, CB Fry said:

Another vote for Cavtat, we stopped there after getting off the plane. Worth a wander round.

Another restaurant if you want a bit of Croatian trad. Fish stew, Lamb thing*, Squid Ink risotto. Have a bash at that.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g295371-d23416478-Reviews-Heritage_Of_Dubrovnik-Dubrovnik_Dubrovnik_Neretva_County_Dalmatia.html?m=19905

*not real name.

 

Sorry today I have just come back from this year's summer holiday so reminiscing about last year's one is useful therapy right now.

Cheers for all the insights @CB Fry (and everyone else) - much appreciated 👍

And no worries about the therapy side of things... Mutual benefits and all that :)

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trousers

trousers

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41 minutes ago, Stripey McStripe Shirt said:

. On the bright side, I did get £50 off because a bird shat on my wife's dinner.

 

35 minutes ago, whelk said:

Those Croatian lasses really need to learn how to behave 

Happy Big Brother GIF by MOODMAN

The funniest thing I've read in a long time... Cheers guys 😂

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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In all seriousness @Turkish I can't recommend Croatia highly enough. Went with my wife and daughter for 10 days in 2018 and it was amazing. It's a beautiful part of the world and the natives are so friendly and welcoming.

Of all the holidays I've had, it's the one place I would definitely go back to given the chance.

Only down side is the limited range of beers available, but the two main local ones are decent enough.

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Turkish

Turkish

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9 hours ago, Sheaf Saint said:

In all seriousness @Turkish I can't recommend Croatia highly enough. Went with my wife and daughter for 10 days in 2018 and it was amazing. It's a beautiful part of the world and the natives are so friendly and welcoming.

Of all the holidays I've had, it's the one place I would definitely go back to given the chance.

Only down side is the limited range of beers available, but the two main local ones are decent enough.

I do really fancy it. We usually do Italy or the Greek Islands. Just got back from two weeks in the Venetian Riviera, loved it there. We've done most of Italy, Sardinia 3 times which is amazing and Sicily. Not really bothered about beers, might have the odd one by the pool or if out sightseeing for a cold drink but tend to stick to wine in the evening or soft drinks during the day. I dont know anyone who has ever said a bad word about it so definitely going to go at some point soon.

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Tamesaint

Tamesaint

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Returned last night from a week in Slovenia. OK it is not Croatia but it is very close.

Would recommend it for many of the reasons people have indicated about Croatia. Beautiful scenery, friendly helpful people, cheap beer  (hard pressed to pay more than £2.50 a pint), decent craft breweries etc etc.

Ljubljana is a good place and must make a great venue if you fancy a weekend city break. 

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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4 minutes ago, Tamesaint said:

Returned last night from a week in Slovenia. OK it is not Croatia but it is very close.

Would recommend it for many of the reasons people have indicated about Croatia. Beautiful scenery, friendly helpful people, cheap beer  (hard pressed to pay more than £2.50 a pint), decent craft breweries etc etc.

Ljubljana is a good place and must make a great venue if you fancy a weekend city break. 

I went there about 15 years ago. Travelled around cos it's only a small country. Had a couple of nights in Ljubljana which is a lovely city, went up the the northern lakes (Bled, Bohinj) for a few days, then had a couple of nights in Piran on the coast near the border with Italy.

Really fantastic place to visit. Much less touristy than Croatia. 

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Lord Duckhunter

Lord Duckhunter

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Me & the old Snap dragon are looking at that coast next summer. Did Puglia & the beaches were so wonderful that we’re going to head across  to Croatia or Albania to see what beaches are like there. I fancy Albania but SD is edging towards Croatia. What’s it like for doing fuck all apart from lying on beach & eating/drinking? 

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Farmer Saint

Farmer Saint

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20 hours ago, whelk said:

We had lovely time last year in Montenegro. Also visited Dubrovnik and definitely walk the walls. Beautiful place. Can’t give as many tips as Fry I’m afraid.
Travelled round Yugoslavia (the now Croatian part mainly) back in the day but memory vague but dirt cheap and was refreshingly Brit free.

Was thinking about Montenegro next year with the kids - is it suitable for children based holiday or should I leave it for myself and the Farmer's wife? 

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whelk

whelk

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14 hours ago, Farmer Saint said:

Was thinking about Montenegro next year with the kids - is it suitable for children based holiday or should I leave it for myself and the Farmer's wife? 

Probably not the best place for kids although can’t claim to have explored the country exhaustively. Having said that depends on what your kids want from their holiday I guess? Beautiful scenery and feels mostly very unspoiled by tourism although cruise ships can descend and swamp - the name of the bay escapes me. 

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trousers

trousers

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On 31/08/2023 at 12:59, Lord Duckhunter said:

Me & the old Snap dragon are looking at that coast next summer. Did Puglia & the beaches were so wonderful that we’re going to head across  to Croatia or Albania to see what beaches are like there. I fancy Albania but SD is edging towards Croatia. What’s it like for doing fuck all apart from lying on beach & eating/drinking? 

I'll let you know in a couple of weeks!

Thanks again all for the insights, tips, etc. Flying out at stupid o'clock tomorrow morning so see you on the other side 👍

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The Kraken

The Kraken

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1 hour ago, trousers said:

P.s. BA's 'manage your booking' website is utter shite! How these IT systems pass the 'go live' gateways is baffing... Maybe one for the 'things that get on your tits' thread!

Their whole website is utter cack. Rampantly slow and not very intuitive, I’ve been trying to change my passport details for weeks but I keep just getting an error message, BA’s eventual response is that I can do it at the airport at baggage check in. Great.

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Turkish

Turkish

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How many Amex points do you all have? I tend to find the more you have the better person you are

its also great to lord it up in the lounges whilst the peasants scramble around trying to get their 3 pints and a fry up in at ‘spoons before take off

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whelk

whelk

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11 minutes ago, Turkish said:

How many Amex points do you all have? I tend to find the more you have the better person you are

its also great to lord it up in the lounges whilst the peasants scramble around trying to get their 3 pints and a fry up in at ‘spoons before take off

I was at airport earlier this week for early flight. Amazing how many are necking Stella at 630 in the morning in Spoons. 

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trousers

trousers

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2 hours ago, The Kraken said:

Their whole website is utter cack. Rampantly slow and not very intuitive, I’ve been trying to change my passport details for weeks but I keep just getting an error message, BA’s eventual response is that I can do it at the airport at baggage check in. Great.

Yep, that's their stock reply to any website issue. We used to have to make computer systems work correctly when I was a programmer (back in the day). Bit of an old fashioned approach these days.

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trousers

trousers

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1 hour ago, whelk said:

Avios points can also be a world of pain. I have many thousands but BA don’t seem to make it easy to use.

Yes BA app is dreadful but don’t let it spoil your holiday Trousers.

Cheers, that's my intention 🙂🍻

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OldNick

OldNick

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Went with Riviera Travel on a small yacht cruise from Split up north coast. Most wonderful holiday ever. The yacht stopped overnight in Sale which is a delightful place. Went to Vadar, Sibenik and other places, all wonderful inc Split of course.

Now that is the way to travel, only about 30 on the boat so hassle free. Apparently food and drink has rocketed in price since Covid, but used to be so cheap

Dubrovnik is hell due to too many of us tourists. 

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OldNick

OldNick

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On 31/08/2023 at 12:59, Lord Duckhunter said:

Me & the old Snap dragon are looking at that coast next summer. Did Puglia & the beaches were so wonderful that we’re going to head across  to Croatia or Albania to see what beaches are like there. I fancy Albania but SD is edging towards Croatia. What’s it like for doing fuck all apart from lying on beach & eating/drinking? 

Well the birds are great , but I think you should try Serbia, far more right wing 😜

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OldNick

OldNick

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On 31/08/2023 at 09:04, Tamesaint said:

Returned last night from a week in Slovenia. OK it is not Croatia but it is very close.

Would recommend it for many of the reasons people have indicated about Croatia. Beautiful scenery, friendly helpful people, cheap beer  (hard pressed to pay more than £2.50 a pint), decent craft breweries etc etc.

Ljubljana is a good place and must make a great venue if you fancy a weekend city break. 

Funnily enough I made enquiries for a stay in Bled just today, staying at the lake and then doing the castles and caves

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Whitey Grandad

Whitey Grandad

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1 hour ago, OldNick said:

Went with Riviera Travel on a small yacht cruise from Split up north coast. Most wonderful holiday ever. The yacht stopped overnight in Sale which is a delightful place. Went to Vadar, Sibenik and other places, all wonderful inc Split of course.

Now that is the way to travel, only about 30 on the boat so hassle free. Apparently food and drink has rocketed in price since Covid, but used to be so cheap

Dubrovnik is hell due to too many of us tourists. 

It’s the same the whole world over.

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badgerx16

badgerx16

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1 hour ago, OldNick said:

Funnily enough I made enquiries for a stay in Bled just today, staying at the lake and then doing the castles and caves

Do it.

We have been several times to Bohinj, which is the head of the river flowing through Bled, near to the Austrian border. If you can, get a trip to the Karst caves at Postinja. ( As we are 'horsey' people we also visited the Lipica stud, where the Lipizzaner horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna were originally bred. )

 

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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3 hours ago, badgerx16 said:

Do it.

We have been several times to Bohinj, which is the head of the river flowing through Bled, near to the Austrian border. If you can, get a trip to the Karst caves at Postinja. ( As we are 'horsey' people we also visited the Lipica stud, where the Lipizzaner horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna were originally bred. )

 

Bohinj is stunning. We went in early April and it was virtually deserted. Did the long walk up to the waterfall and barely saw anyone. 

From there we got a train to Divača - a beautiful journey along the river valleys, and from there we visited the caves at Škocjan, which was an incredible experience.

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badgerx16

badgerx16

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25 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Bohinj is stunning. We went in early April and it was virtually deserted. Did the long walk up to the waterfall and barely saw anyone. 

 

I went up 4 of the peaks around the lake, excellent rambling but bloody warm. The path up the side of the waterfall to the high Alpine pastures was well worth it as well..

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Sheaf Saint

Sheaf Saint

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9 hours ago, whelk said:

Nice and you can’t live life fearing the worst but this is scary https://news.sky.com/story/cave-rescue-effort-under-way-in-turkey-to-free-seriously-ill-man-trapped-thousands-of-feet-underground-12956642

Yes, very scary. But that's an entirely different kind of caving. The ones Badger and I are talking about in Slovenia are tourist attractions with guided tours on purpose built gangways, and they are far more accessible. If you got ill in one of those, it wouldn't require a mammoth rescue operation. They are amazing places to visit.

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whelk

whelk

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54 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Yes, very scary. But that's an entirely different kind of caving. The ones Badger and I are talking about in Slovenia are tourist attractions with guided tours on purpose built gangways, and they are far more accessible. If you got ill in one of those, it wouldn't require a mammoth rescue operation. They are amazing places to visit.

Ahh sorry I misunderstood. Can see the appeal of safe beautiful caves

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benjii

benjii

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On 31/08/2023 at 15:59, Lord Duckhunter said:

Me & the old Snap dragon are looking at that coast next summer. Did Puglia & the beaches were so wonderful that we’re going to head across  to Croatia or Albania to see what beaches are like there. I fancy Albania but SD is edging towards Croatia. What’s it like for doing fuck all apart from lying on beach & eating/drinking? 

Beaches in Croatia are shite to hang about on. All pebbles. It is scenic, but not really comfortable. Croatia is lovely but if beach is your main motivation, then no.

Having said that, was at Bol beach on the island of Brac and two young local girls, who were fit, got their tits out. 

But, yeah, in general, for beaches I would go to Maldives, Thailand, Mauritius or Lepe.

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OldNick

OldNick

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On 09/09/2023 at 15:57, badgerx16 said:

Do it.

We have been several times to Bohinj, which is the head of the river flowing through Bled, near to the Austrian border. If you can, get a trip to the Karst caves at Postinja. ( As we are 'horsey' people we also visited the Lipica stud, where the Lipizzaner horses for the Spanish Riding School in Vienna were originally bred. )

 

Yep, the tour includes visit to the caves and castle staying at Lake Bled for the whole time.

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Warriorsaint

Warriorsaint

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On 30/08/2023 at 19:31, trousers said:

Evenin' all

The Trousers family* are off to Croatia for a holiday in a couple of weeks... Staying in a coastal town called Mlini... First visit to Croatia so looking for any tips / recommendations from anyone that has been to this area before (e.g. restaurants, bars, trips, attractions, car hire, etc)

Kind thanks in anticipation my Saintsweb chums

(*Family = myself, Lady Trousers, daughter, son and his girlfriend (the latter 3 in their mid twenties))

👍🍻

Was in Mlini last year, take a walk to the bombed out hotels where the serbian army  bombed the resort. Its fantastic and totally open with no restrictions. Fantastic piece of non corporate history. My favourite part of the holiday

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badgerx16

badgerx16

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20 minutes ago, Warriorsaint said:

Was in Mlini last year, take a walk to the bombed out hotels where the serbian army  bombed the resort. Its fantastic and totally open with no restrictions. Fantastic piece of non corporate history. My favourite part of the holiday

You would love Bohinj  loads of German women sunbathing topless.

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