Kaštela Riviera - A Hidden Treasure Between Split and Trogir
Thank goodness for the Balkans! Plus, a reading suggestion & photos.
Where could one go for something new but not unfamiliar when missing the turquoise waters of Greece, the Italian architecture and Roman ruins, the southern warmth combined with Oriental flavors, and these all not too far from Western Romania?
Thank goodness for the Balkans! We continued exploring the Balkans this year, as we did last year. This urge to discover the Balkans started long before the pandemic and has intensified since then, with recent political events and Romania's unfair and repeated rejection from the Schengen Area nourishing the need to remain not only closer to home, in case we find ourselves somehow dragged into the war next to our borders, but also near people with a similar historical and cultural background, people who can laugh at the same jokes we laugh.
The truth is that more and more often, I feel like Croatian writer Slavenka Drakulić in Café Europa: Life After Communism, a book I have on my short reading list:
“Faced with their confused glances and naive questions, I saw that there indeed was, between the writers and that public, however benevolent and sympathetic, a visible barrier. The audience simply did not have enough background information to comprehend what the writers sitting in front of them on the podium were saying.
Confronted with such a lack of understanding, I felt that I had no other choice but to hang on to 'my' group, the writers from Eastern Europe. At least they knew what I was talking about; at least we understood each other's problems, if that was of any comfort to a single one of us. And in any case, even if I had loudly screamed that I didn't want to belong to any group at all, the audience would have put me with them. Perhaps for the first time I became aware of how tired I was of constantly being pushed back into 'my place' every time I made an attempt to break out of it.”
So, one very early late September morning, we finally started the engine and drove to former Yugoslavia, leaving behind heavy grey clouds and flood alerts. About nine hours later, we arrived at Kaštel Lukšić in Croatia, our base for exploring Split surroundings for the next week.
Placed in the middle of the Kaštela Riviera, Kaštel Lukšić is placed halfway between Split and Trogir. You are basically at a 20 to 30-minute drive from Klis Fortress, Salona, the two UNESCO World Heritage sites within the cities of Split and Trogir, and up to a 45-minute walk at most to the other Kaštels. Away from the tourist-crowded cities even in the after-season, the seven towns that form the city of Kaštela are the perfect base for the slow traveler and sea swimming enthusiasts. There are many pebbled small beaches—many with shallow waters—one next to another in the generous bay. And unlike the other Kaštels, the blue waters of the Adriatic at Kaštel Lukšić mirror two medieval castles—Vitturi and Rušinić—where Miljenko and Dobrila shared a "Romeo and Juliet"-like love story.
The fertile area—home of the Crljenak kaštelanski, an old, almost forgotten, Croatian species of grape better known as Zinfandel in the United States—guarded by Mount Kozjak, has been of much interest since prehistoric and ancient times: the ancient Greeks used it as a port, and the Romans built the first floating docks here. These towns developed on the grounds of former late medieval and Renaissance fortified settlements built after Bosnia fell to the Ottomans in 1463. Part of the Venetian Republic at that time, Dalmatia faced the danger of frequent incursions from the Ottomans, especially after the fall of Klis Fortress in 1537. Noble and wealthy families from Split and Trogir and Benedictine nuns built seventeen forts and twelve fortified villages from the late 15th century until the 17th century to protect people and agricultural production. Seven of them hold on till today, starting from the East with the oldest and heavily industrialized in the present, Kaštel Sućurac, followed by the picturesque Benedictine stronghold Kaštel Gomilica, Kaštel Kambelovac, Kaštel Lukšić, Kaštel Stari, Kaštel Novi and Kaštel Štafilić with Split Airport in the West.
We planned one day for a walk to Kaštel Kambelovac - Kaštel Gomilica - Kaštel Sućurac, from which Kaštel Gomilica is probably the most popular. The very picturesque Benedictine stronghold, called Kaštilac, was built on a reef called Gomilica. It also charmed HBO's Game of Thrones crew, who used it as a setting for the Free City of Braavos. So, if it somehow looks familiar to you, you might remember Arya Stark walking down that bridge and selling oysters. Unfortunately, today the entire Kaštilac is in poor condition. Still, it makes a great background while swimming in the sea at the nearby beach. We spent a good afternoon there, skipping a walk further to Kaštel Sućurac and a late lunch in Kaštel Kambelovac, to enjoy the view and the calm sea instead.
On another day, we enjoyed another walk nearby, to Kaštel Stari and Kaštel Novi. With a long row of restaurants and cocktail bars near the sea, the two settlements, fortified by the powerful Cipiko family from Trogir, are probably very animated during high season. Still, we found them quietly resting on a late hot September day after months of exhibitions, music concerts, sports, parties, and carnivals. However, in the absence of the crowds, the unfinished work commenced on a new marina, and improvements to the Riva look a bit desolating but not charmless. And so does the Cipiko (Cippico) Palace!
On return from our Trogir half-day trip, we stopped for one afternoon at Kaštel Štafilić. With its Kula Nehaj guarding one side of the port, memories of the Apulian Saracen Tower strategically placed along the shore, with its majestic but sad allure, reminding of tales of long-forgotten knights in shiny armor, came to the surface. With beaches on its left and right side, this is another charming spot to cool down.
But from all these Kaštels, the one that melted our hearts remains Kaštel Lukšić. And we also found this Kaštel to be the best preserved of all seven. We loved Kaštel Vitturi so much that we visited it each day we stayed there! Mostly in the mornings, after having our coffees with the locals at the café bar just in front of the main entrance. With its romantic inner court and gate to the sea, the permanent museum displays, and local artists' exhibitions, this place is a small gem! Not to miss the classicistic-style Vitturi Park near the castle! And we also had the best swims in front of Kaštel Rušinić, which unfortunately is not open to the public!
The truth is that Kaštela is overshadowed by Split and Trogir, which is a true misfortune, as this place offers a bit for everyone, from history lovers to beachgoers, nautic sports or mountain hiking enthusiasts, from gourmands to garden lovers. One week is not enough time to discover and enjoy all the best-kept secrets of this place where the strong Venetian influences (and the striking resemblance to southern Italy, in my opinion) meet a (familiar—for us!) soft Austro-Hungarian ambiance!
Cloudier than the Mediterranean that washes the Greek shores, perhaps a bit more tense and rigid, with more pigeons than seagulls and almost no stray cats, with many young people attending Sunday Catholic Mass and elderly individuals reading their daily printed newspapers while enjoying coffee, and with its line of once-glorious luxury hotels now abandoned in favor of Airbnb-like accommodations, the Croatian Adriatic Sea of the Kaštela Riviera lingers in the memory.
Some practical tips in Kaštel Lukšić (no sponsorships or affiliate links):
For excellent dinners, try Mala Mora restaurant. We did not regret anything we tried there! Plus, you can enjoy some perfect sunsets from the terrace!
For a good and budget-friendly breakfast, try Fast Food Vitturi. It’s nothing fancy but gets the job done. Make the order and enjoy coffee at Skipper Caffe Bar while you wait.
Good accommodation, with spacious apartments, free private parking, and views of the sea and the picturesque Kaštel Rušinić at Apartmani Olga.
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