The VisitCroatia.com – Tasteful Croatian Journeys team is excited to announce our first ever PHOTO CONTEST! We invite you to participate by posting a photo from your travels through Croatia on Facebook or Instagram and allowing us to see this magnificent country through your eyes. 

It is with a sense of wonder and profound gratitude I reflect on the 25 years that have passed since I was irrevocably seduced and dared to pursue my fascination with Croatia and the surrounding countries, to be expressed in the creation of Tasteful Croatian Journeys.

  Amidst a backdrop of bright blue skies and snow-capped mountain peaks, thick evergreen forests open up to reveal a pristine turquoise lake, its mirrored surface broken only by a bevy of swans swimming to shore and the steady oars of wooden rowboats. In the middle of the lake, a quaint church tops a hilly island, the gentle chime of bells echoing from its tower. Nearby on a steep precipice, a medieval castle clings to its rocky perch guarding the scene below.   You’d be forgiven for believing you’ve wandered into a fairy tale, but no, this is real life. This is Lake Bled.   Here, in northwestern Slovenia, at the foot of the Julian Alps, fantasy meets reality in …

  There is no denying that Slovenia has been blessed with extraordinary natural beauty. Situated in the heart of Europe, cradled between the Alps and the Mediterranean, Slovenia is small in size, but plentiful in pristine environment. Its interior is replete with turquoise-green rivers, charming pastel villages, densely wooded forests, vast subterranean caves, and snow-capped mountain peaks.  The world’s first country to be named a green destination, Croatia’s neighbor to the north is truly a paradise for nature lovers.   A notable winter sport destination, Slovenia offers a wide variety of activities to excite and entice those seeking an active winter holiday. In recent years, it has been steadily staking its claim as a premier ski destination, offering diverse terrain …

The amazing celebration of Zagreb Advent is a moment that will always live for me in my, “most treasured memories drawer”. There is not a moment that the images, the flavors, the sounds, the lights do not play over and over again in my mind. But,  more than my own personal and most moving experience, I cannot but smile when I think of the thousands of Zagreb citizens and visitors that have received the gift of Christmas that enveloped everyone in an uncontrollable state of joy, pure, pure joy. Christmas is always in our minds and hearts. Attending the spectacular event that is Advent in Zagreb is one I feel with my most heartfelt gratitude. I loved, loved, every magical …

What better way to learn of a country’s holiday customs than through the eyes of a passionate local?  Our Tasteful Croatian Journeys Concierge, Mirela Benic, was born and raised in Fužine, a charming town located in the rural Gorski Kotar region of Croatia, surrounded by picturesque mountains, evergreen forests, and shimmering lakes. Today, she lives in the vibrant port town of Rijeka, just a few hours from her hometown. Mirela is more than Tasteful Croatian Journeys’ Concierge, she is our New York office’s connection to daily life in Croatia. Here below, with the insight that only a local can provide, Mirela shares with us some of most cherished Christmas traditions in Croatia. Croatia as a nation is very religious. In …

Although I have lived in New York City, since I was a very young girl, the home of my heart and spirit has always been the place of my birth… Croatia. I recall the magic wonders and sensations of the Christmases of my very early childhood in Fiume, the city now known as Rijeka.  The aromas of the vin brulé, of fresh pine, of oranges, and of the orahnjaca (Croatian walnut roll) and makovnjaca (poppy seed roll) baking in the oven perfumed the house. I remember the moment when my smiling father arrived home with the tree and me on tippy toes, attempting to participate with my brother and father in the ritual of “making the Christmas tree.” The tree …

Nothing stirs the soul, evokes emotion, and creates memories in the way music does. A familiar tone, or well-known refrain, can return us to a moment, an impression, or arouse sentiment deep within our hearts.

Food is an extraordinary vessel for bringing people together. A table can be a bridge between generations and cultures, where what is shared is not only nourishment and enjoyment, but love.

Today Croatia and surrounding countries are a most longed for vacation destination for our most sophisticated travelers from the United States, Canada, South America and from other places of the World.