Must Visit Place: Zagreb 360

I remember last year I tried to start a little series of posts about must-visit spots in Zagreb. In the first one (that you can find here) I talked about Dolac market. Today I want to share with you another place you can't miss if you are going to this city and continue with this series. 
The place I'm referring to is called Zagreb 360 and it's the right spot to go if you want to get the best views of the city. 

The people from Zagreb 360 say that you haven't been to Zagreb if you haven't visited this observation deck and I can say I totally agree with this statement. The first time I went to this city, I didn't have the chance to go there and I felt like I was missing something.

 

Because the typical postcard view of Zagreb you can see when you google this city, with the Main Square and the Cathedral just behind it, for example, you can only get it from the observation deck of Zagreb 360. But not only that, as their name indicates, you can get a full 360 view of the city and see all the most iconic building, so it's the perfect place to go and take thousands of pictures. 

In addition, the place has a nice coffee shop inside so you can also enjoy a delicious cup of cappuccino or another drink while you get lost in the incredible views at the same time. 

What I loved the most about this place is that your entrance ticket is valid for the entire day which means that you can go there as many times as you want during that day so you can get the best views and pictures with all the light changes. That is exactly what I did when I visited Zagreb 360, I went there the first time around midday, and then I went back for the sunset. I took a lot of pictures and then I drank a coffee while I was waiting for the night to come because I also wanted to get some night shots. 

So, if you go I highly recommend that you do the same, and go at different times of the day so you can appreciate the city with different lighting as I did. 

Anyway, I hope you like this post and you find it useful in case you are planning to visit the capital of Croatia. I would also love to know if you like to visit this kind of places when you are traveling?

My Top 5 Favorite Beaches in Croatia

For all of my friends and readers who are currently in Europe enjoying the summer and maybe thinking about going to the beach anytime soon, this is the post you were waiting for :P
In the last few years, Croatia has become a top summer destination in Europe because of its incredible coastline and light blue sea. There are tons of different beaches to enjoy in this country and it can get overwhelming to decide where to go. So, after spending the last two summers exploring this country I thought about sharing my favorite beaches. 
I'm not saying these 5 options are the best, the truth is that with a very long coastline and more than a thousand islands to discover, there is definitely a place for everyone and endless alternatives but I wanted to share with you the ones I consider my favorites and also to tell you why.  So without further talking let's go to the beach! ;)

1- The Must-Visit: Zlatni Rat

I felt like I had to go to Croatia to visit this beach, it was definitely a must! Zlatni Rat beach (located on the island of Brac) is absolutely incredible, the water is unbelievably clear and it has the most beautiful light blue color. Even the view you get while you are walking towards this beach is totally worth it because you are able to see that golden horn shape formed by the pebble beach. It's absolutely stunning!

2- The Chic: Banje Beach

If you are more into those beach lounges where you can listen to some cool music, chill and enjoy some drinks while seeing the most amazing view of the Dubrovnik walls, then Banje beach is definitely the place for you. 
It's also a great spot for people watching since, for example, many famous bloggers and celebrities have been there too. So, grab your favorite pair of sunglasses and your trendiest swimsuit and enjoy the chic experience ;)

 You can see the Dubrovnik walls just behind me

3- The Paradisiac: Sunj beach 

This beach located on Lopud Island (near Dubrovnik) is one of the sandy beaches you can find in Croatia, which makes it really special because most of them are pebble beaches. This one is not as crowded as the other two I have just mentioned so it really gives you that paradisiac and more private experience. If you want to read more about my trip to this island you can check my post here. 

4- The Urban: Bacvice beach

This is a very popular beach located in Split. What I like about this one is that is located right in the city center practically so it's very easy to get there. I also have very good memories of this beach since it was the first one I have visited in Croatia and it was super close to the hostel I stayed in at that time, so it's kind of special to me. Anyway, if you happen to go to Split, you will probably end up visiting this one ;)

5- The Hidden Gem: Sablicevo beach

Last but not the least I wanted to include this hidden gem because when I was in Croatia last summer I have decided to spend a couple of days in Rijeka, which is not the most touristic city and I have also heard some people telling me that this city didn't have any good beaches. However, I was able to find this place that completely blew my mind! I couldn't believe how this amazing beach was just hidden in the middle of the city! The water was completely clear, clean and it had the most amazing color! Also, what I loved about this beach is that it wasn't super crowded and most of the people there were locals, so I felt like I was one of them ;)

Anyway, I have visited a lot more of incredible places but I feel like this 5 have their reasons to be in my favorites! Let me know in the comments where are you going this summer? What is your favorite beach?

Why it is OK to go back to a place you already visited

With summer just around the corner for many of you who are in the northern hemisphere, I can imagine that you are already thinking about your next vacations and when planning this trip you may be faced with this question: Do I visit a new place or maybe I could go back to that city that I have enjoyed so much last year?

We are currently living in a society that is always looking for completing tasks on a list and sometimes looks like traveling has become one more task, in which we need to tick all the places in our bucket list but it doesn't have to be that way. That's why in today's post I would like to talk about the reasons why it is OK to go back to a place that you have already visited in the past and I'm going to share with you a little bit about my personal experience visiting Split for the second time last year. 

One may think that visiting the same place again it's pointless with so many beautiful spots on this planet but it doesn't actually mean that you are loosing of everything else just because you chose a city you already know. It could be a great opportunity to explore and discover more of a place you already love! That leads me to the first reason:

1- You can discover new things of that place

When I went to Split for the second time, I had the chance to explore a lot more because I have already visited the main touristic places (you can read everything about my first trip here) so, this time I went to a new beach, I tried different coffee places and restaurants and I even went up to the bell tower which was something I didn't do before and it was totally amazing. I also had the chance to take more pictures and to explore more of the area than during my first visit. That was the main reason why I wanted to go back to Split because I wanted to visit the islands that were close by (for example, Brač island and the amazing Zlatni Rat beach) and that allowed me to have a completely different experience while staying in the same city.

The beautiful Split Riviera 

2- You will experience a nice sense of familiarity

I know it's great to go to a place for the very first time and feel completely surprised by all the new things your eyes are seeing but when you visit a city that you already know you will get a nice sense of familiarity with the place. You will recall all the amazing moments you had there in the past and you will also feel super comfortable moving around there because you already know the place! So that's great!
In my case, when I was in Split again I remembered all the fun moments along with the great people I met there and that instantly put me in a great mood during those days. What's even better is that in the second visit I also had so much fun just like in the first time ;)

3- You can relax a lot more

This point is not so obvious but I think that is key. When you are visiting a place for the first time you are likely trying to visit all the main spots and do all the important activities in a few days, before moving to the next destination, which can make you feel a little bit stressful and in a constant rush. But, when you go back to a place you have already visited you can just relax and enjoy it because you already did all the main touristic things, you don't have to worry about how to move around the city, or about getting lost, you already know where everything is located. You are a little bit like a local there and that is a great sensation ;)

In this second visit to Split, I finally touched the feet of the Gregory of Nin Statue, people say it brings you good luck 

One of the gates to the Diocletian's Palace 

The incredible bell tower of Split's Cathedral

The Peristyle

So the point of this post is to show you that if you feel like you want to go to a place that you already visited last year and that you loved it, that's completely fine! If it makes you happy, just go and don't worry about missing the opportunity of going somewhere else. You will have plenty of opportunities to visit many incredible places, the important thing is to enjoy and do what feels right for you! 

I even feel like I loved Split more after I went the second time because I was able to establish a different connection with the city. In the first time, the days went by so quickly with all the activities I wanted to do that when I went there the second time, I felt like there was a lot I didn't saw because I was in a rush.  Therefore, I totally feel it's OK to go back to a place for the second time if you want to! In my experience it was great!

The amazing view from the bell tower 

But now I would like to know your thoughts on this topic, do you always go to a new place or have you visited a city more than once? How did you feel? I would love to know your experience ;)