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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
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How to plan the ultimate island-hopping adventure in Croatia
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The fascination of islands is that they appear to be distinct, self-contained worlds. If that's true, then Croatia is practically its own solar system. From the Kvarner Gulf at the head of the Adriatic to the Dalmatia region between Zadar and Dubrovnik, more than 1,185 islands spray down the coast like a meteorite shower. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here — from buzzy resorts for a party crowd on Hvar to towns like Korčula or Rab, their streets an insouciant jumble of gothic and Renaissance beauty. In between are endless pine-scrubbed specks with no firm grip on the 21st century, washed by the cleanest waters in the Mediterranean. Lazy beach days may be the draw, but this is a country rich in history. Grasp that Croatia is all about cultural tectonics and you're halfway to making sense of a destination that's exotic and familiar by turns. It's a nation created where the plates of European history — Ancient Greek and Roman, Austro-Hungarian in the north Adriatic, and the Venetian Republic in the south — have met and occasionally collided over millennia. All have left their mark, whether in architecture, cuisine or culture. Likewise, the people of Croatia mix Central European business head, Mediterranean heart and Balkan soul. Holidaymakers have been fascinated by this destination for more than a century. George Bernard Shaw said of Croatia's islands: 'On the last day of Creation, God wished to crown his work, so he created the Kornati islands out of tears, sand and breath.' Edward VIII, on a romantic cruise with Wallis Simpson in 1936, entertained daydreams of escaping state duties by buying and renovating a little mansion by the sea. After the implosion of Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia saw a return to form; the dreary accommodation that had sprung up during the Communist era beginning to make way for luxurious small stays. With so many islands to choose from, it's tempting to hop furiously between them — especially as, in season, ferry connections are good and cheap if you travel on foot. However, each destination deserves a few days, at least. Slow down to the islands' pace and you'll find that individual identities slowly reveal themselves. The trick is to select islands whose ferry routes daisy-chain into coherent paths — as they do in these two itineraries. See our highlights as gateways for your own discoveries. The islands off the Dalmatian coast showcase Croatia at its most vivid. They're sunbaked and wild, perfumed by pine trees and herbs, silvered by olive trees and contoured by the grapevines introduced by the ancients. Blasted by the light and heat of centuries, it's a land of living poetry, packed with history, which has elevated easy living into an art form. This route visits Croatia's most celebrated islands — plus one curveball — and is bookended by its most beautiful cities: Split and Dubrovnik, both of which have international airports. After sleepy Šolta comes an archipelagic beauty parade: Vis, bohemian and increasingly upmarket; Hvar, which combines Renaissance looks with a modest club scene; then Korčula Town, one of the finest medieval citadels in the Mediterranean. A car limits your options for this itinerary, so pack light and travel on foot. 1. ŠoltaOne hour from Split harbour by ferry, Šolta is a pipsqueak of an island. It was called Solenta, meaning 'Sun Island', by the Romans. It's now a backwater of olives and pine scrub, whose rich soils produce a red wine so dark it's almost black. Hire a scooter or mountain bike at the port — the island is just 12 miles long — to taste dobričić wine and olive oil at Kaštelanac Agroturizam, discover idyllic harbours Maslinica and Stomorska, and follow tracks to rocky coves on the south coast. Top picks include Stračinska, Senjska, Jorja and Tatinja. 2. Komiža, VisToday Vis's chief claims to fame are Stiniva beach and Mamma Mia! — the 2018 sequel was filmed here — but millennia ago, Caesar described Croatia's furthest inhabited island as 'the most distinguished in the area'. Vis Town's Issa Archaeology Museum has various Roman finds, while the Venetian houses in adjoining Kut village are also worth exploring. Next, cross Vis to set-jet in Komiža, the island's prettiest harbour: ABBA renditions optional. From here, Alternatura runs sailing trips in falkuša (traditional fishing boats). 3. Hvar Town, HvarA village-sized Saint-Tropez meets Ibiza, Hvar lures superyachts and young holidaymakers with its beach clubs; the best is Carpe Diem — it's on Stipanska, one of the Pakleni islands, easily reached from Hvar. Among all the glitz is Hvar Town's Renaissance core, constructed by the Venetian Republic as a naval base and trade route staging post. Ascend to a 16th-century castle for harbour views, admire art in the Franciscan Monastery and drink in chichi cocktail bars. 4. Korčula Town, KorčulaApproaching this UNESCO-listed town by sea is bewitching. It's a medieval citadel of walls and towers like chess pieces, crammed onto a thumbnail of land and ambered in the faded glory of 400 years of Venetian rule. The gothic-Renaissance cathedral is its highlight, but it's better understood as a tiny city. You'll circle it in 30 minutes yet discover new detail for days: a heraldic crest here, a hole-in-the-wall gelateria there. Pair it with a day trip to Lumbarda village, where you'll find the sandy beach of Pržina and a white wine introduced by Ancient Greeks, Grk — Bire vineyard has tastings. 5. MljetOne third of Mljet is protected by its namesake national park. Swim in interconnected saltwater lakes near Pomena or paddle a kayak to the former Benedictine church but, to escape Dubrovnik day-trippers, be sure to take a five-hour walk around northwest bays, winding up at the village of Govedari. For adventure, visit Odysseus Cave, where the hero was said to have been captivated by Circe. Because Dalmatia hogs the spotlight, the islands of the northern Adriatic are quieter, ferry travel with a car is easier and there's usually more space on the beach. Yet the region offers many quintessentially Croatian holiday experiences. There are semi-wild islands like Cres — roughly pronounced 'tsress', with seductive sibilants — where rare vultures ride thermal winds. Also Pag, which has a singular, austere beauty. On Lošinj — 'losheen' — there are handsome harbours and, in Rab Town, a cat's cradle of historic streets as picturesque as any in the country. Ironically, this region was the first to appear in Croatia's brochures — Lošinj emerged as a wellness destination for Austro-Hungarians in the late 1800s. King Edward VIII, visiting Rab in 1936, so thoroughly embraced the holiday spirit he was moved to skinny-dip. 1. Krk TownPick up a car at Rijeka airport and you're already on Krk island. A bridge to the mainland has introduced development, but you soon escape its excesses in the older part of compact Krk Town. How old? Well, beneath a glass floor in beachwear shop Memento is a Roman temple of Venus, while cafe-nightclub Volsonis incorporates an antique tomb. Pair it with a trip to surrounding settlements: wine village Vrbnik and rustic Dobrinj are the best. 2. Tramuntana, CresWild, rare and spectacularly ill-suited to modernity, griffon vultures seem emblematic of Tramuntana, in the northern part of Cres. Here, Beli village is an Adriatic idyll of grey stone and terracotta and home to a rehabilitation centre for Europe's rarest indigenous vulture. You may see them soaring over sea cliffs while you walk signposted paths into the wooded region. Afterwards, head south to the Venetian harbour of Cres Town; nearby rustic restaurant Bukaleta serves the best lamb on the island. 3. Mali Lošinj, LošinjThis town was destined to be a major port of the Austro-Hungarian empire until its harbour was deemed too small for steamships, which is why it remains a handsome little waterfront with good restaurants in former captains' houses along the quay. Culture comes in at the Apoxyomenos Museum; its star piece is the eponymous 2,000-year-old bronze of an athlete positively twanging with youthful vigour. 4. Rab Town, Rab'Closer to reminiscence than reality,' said Victorian architect TG Jackson of this dream-like old town. Above alleys jostling with gothic and Renaissance mansions, a series of church spires rise like masts on a square-rig sailing ship. If you only ascend one make it the highest, St Mary's Campanile's bell tower, built in the 12th century. Be sure to stop in on 11th-century St Andrew's Monastery, where Benedictine nuns sell herbal remedies, heirs to a tradition dating to the Middle Ages at least. 5. PagThe Venetian Republic cleared this island's forests and the Adriatic's bura wind cold-blasted their regrowth so, today, Pag is as austere and magical as a desert; its bare limestone more lunar than terrestrial. Pag's beaches are hugely varied — from August clubbing on Zrće to wild escapism at Ručica — but among Croatians it's best known for paški sir (sheep's cheese), and lamb self-seasoned by a diet of wild, salty sage. Producer Gligora offers tours and a cheese bar, while rural hotel Boškinac has a fine slow-food restaurant. Published in the June 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).
National Geographic
3 days ago
- National Geographic
How to plan the ultimate island-hopping adventure in Croatia
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). The fascination of islands is that they appear to be distinct, self-contained worlds. If that's true, then Croatia is practically its own solar system. From the Kvarner Gulf at the head of the Adriatic to the Dalmatia region between Zadar and Dubrovnik, more than 1,185 islands spray down the coast like a meteorite shower. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it here — from buzzy resorts for a party crowd on Hvar to towns like Korčula or Rab, their streets an insouciant jumble of gothic and Renaissance beauty. In between are endless pine-scrubbed specks with no firm grip on the 21st century, washed by the cleanest waters in the Mediterranean. Lazy beach days may be the draw, but this is a country rich in history. Grasp that Croatia is all about cultural tectonics and you're halfway to making sense of a destination that's exotic and familiar by turns. It's a nation created where the plates of European history — Ancient Greek and Roman, Austro-Hungarian in the north Adriatic, and the Venetian Republic in the south — have met and occasionally collided over millennia. All have left their mark, whether in architecture, cuisine or culture. Likewise, the people of Croatia mix Central European business head, Mediterranean heart and Balkan soul. Holidaymakers have been fascinated by this destination for more than a century. George Bernard Shaw said of Croatia's islands: 'On the last day of Creation, God wished to crown his work, so he created the Kornati islands out of tears, sand and breath.' Edward VIII, on a romantic cruise with Wallis Simpson in 1936, entertained daydreams of escaping state duties by buying and renovating a little mansion by the sea. After the implosion of Yugoslavia in 1991, Croatia saw a return to form; the dreary accommodation that had sprung up during the Communist era beginning to make way for luxurious small stays. With so many islands to choose from, it's tempting to hop furiously between them — especially as, in season, ferry connections are good and cheap if you travel on foot. However, each destination deserves a few days, at least. Slow down to the islands' pace and you'll find that individual identities slowly reveal themselves. The trick is to select islands whose ferry routes daisy-chain into coherent paths — as they do in these two itineraries. See our highlights as gateways for your own discoveries. Itinerary 1: Dalmatian classics The islands off the Dalmatian coast showcase Croatia at its most vivid. They're sunbaked and wild, perfumed by pine trees and herbs, silvered by olive trees and contoured by the grapevines introduced by the ancients. Blasted by the light and heat of centuries, it's a land of living poetry, packed with history, which has elevated easy living into an art form. This route visits Croatia's most celebrated islands — plus one curveball — and is bookended by its most beautiful cities: Split and Dubrovnik, both of which have international airports. After sleepy Šolta comes an archipelagic beauty parade: Vis, bohemian and increasingly upmarket; Hvar, which combines Renaissance looks with a modest club scene; then Korčula Town, one of the finest medieval citadels in the Mediterranean. A car limits your options for this itinerary, so pack light and travel on foot. 1. Šolta One hour from Split harbour by ferry, Šolta is a pipsqueak of an island. It was called Solenta, meaning 'Sun Island', by the Romans. It's now a backwater of olives and pine scrub, whose rich soils produce a red wine so dark it's almost black. Hire a scooter or mountain bike at the port — the island is just 12 miles long — to taste dobričić wine and olive oil at Kaštelanac Agroturizam, discover idyllic harbours Maslinica and Stomorska, and follow tracks to rocky coves on the south coast. Top picks include Stračinska, Senjska, Jorja and Tatinja. The town of Jelsa, just 30 minutes from Hvar Town, offers views of the blue Croatian coast and mainland in the distance, especially when venturing up to St. Mary's Church. Photograph by Getty Images, 4FR 2. Komiža, Vis Today Vis's chief claims to fame are Stiniva beach and Mamma Mia! — the 2018 sequel was filmed here — but millennia ago, Caesar described Croatia's furthest inhabited island as 'the most distinguished in the area'. Vis Town's Issa Archaeology Museum has various Roman finds, while the Venetian houses in adjoining Kut village are also worth exploring. Next, cross Vis to set-jet in Komiža, the island's prettiest harbour: ABBA renditions optional. From here, Alternatura runs sailing trips in falkuša (traditional fishing boats). 3. Hvar Town, Hvar A village-sized Saint-Tropez meets Ibiza, Hvar lures superyachts and young holidaymakers with its beach clubs; the best is Carpe Diem — it's on Stipanska, one of the Pakleni islands, easily reached from Hvar. Among all the glitz is Hvar Town's Renaissance core, constructed by the Venetian Republic as a naval base and trade route staging post. Ascend to a 16th-century castle for harbour views, admire art in the Franciscan Monastery and drink in chichi cocktail bars. 4. Korčula Town, Korčula Approaching this UNESCO-listed town by sea is bewitching. It's a medieval citadel of walls and towers like chess pieces, crammed onto a thumbnail of land and ambered in the faded glory of 400 years of Venetian rule. The gothic-Renaissance cathedral is its highlight, but it's better understood as a tiny city. You'll circle it in 30 minutes yet discover new detail for days: a heraldic crest here, a hole-in-the-wall gelateria there. Pair it with a day trip to Lumbarda village, where you'll find the sandy beach of Pržina and a white wine introduced by Ancient Greeks, Grk — Bire vineyard has tastings. 5. Mljet One third of Mljet is protected by its namesake national park. Swim in interconnected saltwater lakes near Pomena or paddle a kayak to the former Benedictine church but, to escape Dubrovnik day-trippers, be sure to take a five-hour walk around northwest bays, winding up at the village of Govedari. For adventure, visit Odysseus Cave, where the hero was said to have been captivated by Circe. How to do it Intrepid offers an eight-day trip visiting all islands except Šolta aboard a shared four-cabin 52ft sailing yacht , from £1,753 per person. Šolta is an hour from Split by ferry, which are frequent. To travel independently, take Jadrolinija ferries from Vis to Hvar, then take Kapetan Luka for the rest of the route. 'Closer to reminiscence than reality,' said Victorian architect TG Jackson of the old dream-like town of Rab. Its embankment offers great spots for sunbathing. Photograph by Getty Images, Patstock Itinerary 2: The Kvarner Gulf Because Dalmatia hogs the spotlight, the islands of the northern Adriatic are quieter, ferry travel with a car is easier and there's usually more space on the beach. Yet the region offers many quintessentially Croatian holiday experiences. There are semi-wild islands like Cres — roughly pronounced 'tsress', with seductive sibilants — where rare vultures ride thermal winds. Also Pag, which has a singular, austere beauty. On Lošinj — 'losheen' — there are handsome harbours and, in Rab Town, a cat's cradle of historic streets as picturesque as any in the country. Ironically, this region was the first to appear in Croatia's brochures — Lošinj emerged as a wellness destination for Austro-Hungarians in the late 1800s. King Edward VIII, visiting Rab in 1936, so thoroughly embraced the holiday spirit he was moved to skinny-dip. 1. Krk Town Pick up a car at Rijeka airport and you're already on Krk island. A bridge to the mainland has introduced development, but you soon escape its excesses in the older part of compact Krk Town. How old? Well, beneath a glass floor in beachwear shop Memento is a Roman temple of Venus, while cafe-nightclub Volsonis incorporates an antique tomb. Pair it with a trip to surrounding settlements: wine village Vrbnik and rustic Dobrinj are the best. 2. Tramuntana, Cres Wild, rare and spectacularly ill-suited to modernity, griffon vultures seem emblematic of Tramuntana, in the northern part of Cres. Here, Beli village is an Adriatic idyll of grey stone and terracotta and home to a rehabilitation centre for Europe's rarest indigenous vulture. You may see them soaring over sea cliffs while you walk signposted paths into the wooded region. Afterwards, head south to the Venetian harbour of Cres Town; nearby rustic restaurant Bukaleta serves the best lamb on the island. 3. Mali Lošinj, Lošinj This town was destined to be a major port of the Austro-Hungarian empire until its harbour was deemed too small for steamships, which is why it remains a handsome little waterfront with good restaurants in former captains' houses along the quay. Culture comes in at the Apoxyomenos Museum; its star piece is the eponymous 2,000-year-old bronze of an athlete positively twanging with youthful vigour. 4. Rab Town, Rab 'Closer to reminiscence than reality,' said Victorian architect TG Jackson of this dream-like old town. Above alleys jostling with gothic and Renaissance mansions, a series of church spires rise like masts on a square-rig sailing ship. If you only ascend one make it the highest, St Mary's Campanile's bell tower, built in the 12th century. Be sure to stop in on 11th-century St Andrew's Monastery, where Benedictine nuns sell herbal remedies, heirs to a tradition dating to the Middle Ages at least. Pag is well known for its sheep's cheese and wild sage-fed lamb. Photograph by Getty Images, Simon002 5. Pag The Venetian Republic cleared this island's forests and the Adriatic's bura wind cold-blasted their regrowth so, today, Pag is as austere and magical as a desert; its bare limestone more lunar than terrestrial. Pag's beaches are hugely varied — from August clubbing on Zrće to wild escapism at Ručica — but among Croatians it's best known for paški sir (sheep's cheese), and lamb self-seasoned by a diet of wild, salty sage. Producer Gligora offers tours and a cheese bar, while rural hotel Boškinac has a fine slow-food restaurant. How to do it Getting there & around British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Average flight time: 3h. is the nationwide ferry operator, providing the majority of roll-on, roll-off car ferries, plus some fast passenger-only catamarans, often scheduled for commuters. Private operators offer tourist-friendly routes in Dalmatia; the most useful for these itineraries are When to go Spring and autumn, especially, are the perfect seasons to visit, with average temperatures around 23C in both May and October. The sea is at its warmest in September, hovering between 22 and 24C. Temperatures in July and August are around 30C, but a bigger issue is visitor numbers; reservations are essential for accommodation and ferries. More info Lonely Planet Croatia, £14.99 How to do it: Independent travel with a car is the way to go for this itinerary. Cres and Lošinj are connected by bridge, ' eight-day Kvarner Bay Bike and Boat Deluxe itinerary offers accommodation and travel aboard a 17-cabin yacht, plus optional guided e-bike cycling in Cres, Lošinj, Dugi Otok, Zadar, Pag and Rab. From £1,990 per person, B&B, including five lunches and two dinners. Flights are excluded. Ryanair and Wizz Air fly to Split and Dubrovnik from airports throughout the UK. In the Kvarner Gulf, Ryanair flies to Rijeka from Stansted. Alternatively, EasyJet and Jet2 fly to Pula; you can cross quickly to Cres island from Brestova, an hour's drive north.: 3h. Jadrolinija is the nationwide ferry operator, providing the majority of roll-on, roll-off car ferries, plus some fast passenger-only catamarans, often scheduled for commuters. Private operators offer tourist-friendly routes in Dalmatia; the most useful for these itineraries are Kapetan Luka and TP Line Spring and autumn, especially, are the perfect seasons to visit, with average temperatures around 23C in both May and October. The sea is at its warmest in September, hovering between 22 and 24C. Temperatures in July and August are around 30C, but a bigger issue is visitor numbers; reservations are essential for accommodation and ferries., £14.99Independent travel with a car is the way to go for this itinerary. Cres and Lošinj are connected by bridge, Jadrolinija runs services between all other islands. You'll need to double-back to Krk to continue to Rab. Note that the Rab-Novalj ferry — to Pag — is passenger-only. For onward travel with a car, catch a ferry to the mainland then drive to Prizna for the 15-minute crossing to Pag, or continue south for a road bridge to the island. Utracks ' eight-day Kvarner Bay Bike and Boat Deluxe itinerary offers accommodation and travel aboard a 17-cabin yacht, plus optional guided e-bike cycling in Cres, Lošinj, Dugi Otok, Zadar, Pag and Rab. From £1,990 per person, B&B, including five lunches and two dinners. Flights are excluded. National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click Published in the June 2025 issue of(UK).To subscribe to(UK) magazine click here . (Available in select countries only).
The Independent
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘It feels completely normal': Imelda Staunton reflects on acting with her daughter
Imelda Staunton says acting on stage alongside her daughter Bessie Carter feels 'completely normal.' The pair are working together for the first time in George Bernard Shaw 's Mrs Warren's Profession at the Garrick Theatre, playing a mother and daughter. 'It's weird that it just feels normal,' Staunton told the BBC 's Laura Kuenssberg in an interview aired on Sunday (25 May). 'It's a wonderful play, a difficult play, and so we've had sleepless nights and phone each other,' she said. 'It feels like we've sort of done it before, even though we never have,' Carter added.
Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Mrs Warren's Profession review — Imelda Staunton battles with Bernard Shaw
It's less than a year since we saw Imelda Staunton taking on polite society as the bustling matchmaker in Dominic Cooke's elegant revival of Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium. Now here she is at the Garrick, back in harness with Cooke and playing a character who makes a much more dubious living out of human frailties. George Bernard Shaw's study of Kitty Warren, a successful brothel keeper who is trying to build a relationship with her bluestocking daughter, caused a scandal in its time. Treating sex as a business like any other put the playwright at odds with the guardians of morals: it wasn't until 1925 that London saw a public performance, three decades after the play was written. The problem now, of course,
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
FIRST NIGHT REVIEW: Mrs Warren's Profession - Garrick Theatre, London
Mrs Warren's Profession, Garrick Theatre, London Rating: Mother and daughter Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter went toe to toe last night in the West End as what else but... mother and daughter. The occasion is George Bernard Shaw's repertory chestnut Mrs Warren's Profession, about working-class Mrs Kitty Warren (Staunton) who runs a bordello in Brussels. Written in 1893, the play was deemed so disreputable it was banned from public performance until 1925. We meet Mrs Warren after she's made a fortune in the sex trade and seen to it her daughter Vivie (Carter, from Bridgerton) has all the advantages she never had. Vivie has become a maths whiz at Cambridge University and refuses to be cowed by social convention, yet she is astounded to learn of how her mother found wealth. The diminutive yet ferocious Staunton is a mouse that roars. And the Amazonian yet graceful Carter is a gazelle that purrs. Although Staunton's Mrs Warren is a feisty lady of easy virtue, she seems almost fearful of securing the approval of a daughter who enjoys the ethical certainties of a young millennial. Written in 1893, 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' was deemed so disreputable it was banned from public performance until 1925 Reuben Joseph, left, and Robert Glenister attend the party at the West End Opening Night of 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' The cast bow at the curtain call during the press night performance of 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' at The Garrick Theatre on May 22, 2025 And when it comes to the play's major ding-dong, both seem happy to hold back, safely separated by hefty oak desks. It's as if director Dominic Cooke feared being caught in the family crossfire. Instead, his expurgated version occupies safe moral high ground in a production that strips the colour and gaiety from the original. He turns it into a stern puritanical parable, in which the women from Mrs Warren's past appear in bloomers to change scenery and suggest her guilty conscience. Set in a sunny Surrey garden before decamping to an austere Holborn office, there are solid performances all round – including a growling Robert Glenister as one of Mrs Warren's former clients. But if you're hoping for something closer to the bone, you may find this a little too professional.
