| Via Mea Travel

There are still the quiet corners of this world where the clocks tick a little slower, where people have a special way of life and appreciate all sorts of traditional delicacies.
Let us take you to the Kvarner, where the small fishing villages have never lost the southern influences and where you can experience a true spring festival with all your senses today as then.

Discover the romantic old towns far away from mass tourism and the traditional, almost forgotten culinary specialties from our homeland, such as Baškot. Have we piqued your interest? Then please read on...

Learn about the rich history of the CITY of BAKAR, not just that from the Francopane era. Empress Maria Theresa declared the city a free city in the 18th century.
Did you know that the now small town and port of Bakar had the status of a free royal town in the 18th century, the capital was (larger than Rijeka), that the Turks never conquered it, that it celebrated 170 years of seafaring school and that it was sent over 20,000 seafarers into the world? Bakar is proud of its maritime heritage, its vines on the terraced slopes, from whose grapes the sparkling wine "Bakarska vodica" is made, as well as its traditional pastry "Bakarski baškot" - the hard bread of seafarers.

TOWN KRALJEVICA was mentioned as early as the 13th century, in which in 1242 the Hungarian King Bela IV fled from the onslaught of the Mongols. The city is also known as the oldest shipyard on the Adriatic.

INCLUDED:

Welcome with our tour guide and information hour
Welcome drink
3x overnight stays with buffet breakfast
3x buffet dinner
Full day tour guide for the island Krk tour
Full day tour guide for the excursion seafaring town Bakar and Kraljevica
Tasting of Bakarski Baškot and Bakarska Vodica sparkling wine in Bakar
Entrance package to the city of Bakar and a little surprise upon arrival in Bakar
Egg hunt with the guests in the restaurant in Vrbnik
Ham and cheese wine tasting in Vrbnik
Traditional Easter breakfast in the hotel

PROGRAM SUGGESTION:

DAY 1: Arrival. Welcome drink with our tour guide

DAY 2: Island of Krk tour
Among 1185 Croatian islands, only the island of Krk bears the name "Golden Island", the cradle of Croatian culture and European center. Yes, exactly, European center as the 45th parallel runs through the island of Krk. The close connection with the number 7 makes it a happy island. In the seventh century the island was settled by Croatians. She successfully defended herself from the pirates seven times. The seventh in line, Prince Frankopan, was the last Prince of Krk, today the island of Krk has seven parishes.
The island tour begins with a tour of the town of Krk, with the famous cathedral within its city walls. Picturesque place Vrbnik - with its location on steep cliffs, which proudly protrude above the sea, Vrbnik is known for one of the best Croatian wines - Vrbnička žlahtina. We organized a delicious ham, cheese and wine tasting in a beautiful konoba.
Franciscan island Košljun
On the islet we see models of old ships from the Kvarner region, folk costumes from the island of Krk, a collection of coins and ceramics, various ethnographic exhibits about the work of farmers and fishermen. We reach the island by boat from the port of Punat (approx . 10 min crossing)
Ship and entrance fees can be booked for an additional charge.

DAY 3: Sparkling wine and sailors town of Bakar & Kraljevica
Did you know that at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, Bakar was the largest city in Croatia? Do you know what the story of the "Baškot of Bakar" is? Or that Bakar had his own banknotes in 1848? And that by processing grapes from the Belina grapes, which was defined in the wine law from 1929 and consumed in Brijuni and the English court, Bakarska vodica (Bakar water) sparkling wine?
You can find out all this and much more today on our excursion or experience these cities at our Mediterranean Festival

Bakarska Vodica and Bakarski Baškot should be mentioned of many special features. In the area around Bakar the Belina grapevine was cultivated, from which the famous sparkling wine Bakarska Vodica was made. The terraces were built in the 18th century and abandoned in the 1950s. Shortly thereafter, they were declared an ethno-zone and entered in the register of cultural monuments (1972).

"Baškot" is a typical, twice roasted or fresh, pastry in the form of a hollow circle, which was brought to Bakar by the fishers from Chioggia (Italy). It used to be used as provisions instead of bread on longer fishing trips and was an inevitable ornament in the ship's kitchen, where many of the rope hung. Thanks to its drought, it was edible for up to six months and therefore inclined to eat on long journeys. It was eaten with all liquids available on board (wine, tea, water), although it was traditionally dipped in the red wine. Bakar's "baškot" is always popular and is still popular with all generations who like to visit the world-famous Bakarski baškot, where Bakar's soft and hard "baškot" are made every day. A special feature of this city are its alleys and markets, which tell you a fascinating story woven in the past. A look at the sea around Bakar brings to memory all the peoples who sailed and traded here.

KRALJEVICA - another town that we will pass by. In the 18th century it was also known as a shipyard in Yugoslavia. In the Middle Ages as one of the fortresses of the Zrinski and Frankopan royal families.

Day 4: journey home

Hotels: Krk Island, Novi Vinodolski, Crikvenica Riviera, Opatija Riviera

Extension days possible

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JOURNEY: