It’s eight o’clock in the morning and the first streaks of lightening flash across the sky as we drive along the narrow roads to Sinj.  The grey and wet weather with intermittent blue skies is something we have come to accept in Croatia. Today, we are leaving the glorious coast and heading inland.  And despite looming thunderstorms our sense of adventure is in full swing.

Sinj main square

Our first stop, Sinj a small town buzzing with life. Mid week and the town is full of people enjoying coffee on the main promenade, hanging out with friends and watching the world go by. It is a great place to wander with Mac n Tosh whilst Craig takes a pew in the local church. It is the home of a miraculous Virgin Mary brought here in 1400’s by Bosnian monks.

Morning tour complete, we hit the road in search of a wild lunch spot.  We continue up the road and not long before we approach the remote countryside. We drive through pine, oak and lavender woods with fetching views over unspoilt gorges. By noon, we’d found our lunch spot. A lakeside retreat and a place were Mac n Tosh roam free. No sooner had we eaten and the skies darken. The lake becomes calm and after a brief and eerie period of silence the heavens open.  There is nothing to do but sit tight and watch the rain.

Great wild camping in… dry weather

A couple of hours later the rain subsides and we’re driving out onto the wet and windswept streets of Knin.  An industrial town that clearly thrives at times but not today. The empty streets and abandoned railway hold little appeal.  We circle the streets in search of a road to St Saviours Fort but have no luck. We admire from afar. A grand fortress once reserved for Royal ceremonies. Sadly, last used as a base for the Serbian Army in the homeland war of 1991.

Deserted streets of Knin

St Saviours Fort

By night fall, we are squashed up on an over flowing agrotourism site just outside Plitvice Lakes National Park. The farm is full to capacity but given the bad weather they open up a small lawned section. The Croatians are certainly friendly and extremely accommodating. We join around 8 other campers on a waterlogged field and hope from better weather tomorrow.

Our Bumble paid camping spot Jezerce N044.863686, E015.639911

The storm rumbles on through the night.  As the growls of retreating thunder merge with the cries of the cockerel we crawl out of bed. A sleepless night had by all. We take Mac n Tosh for a morning walk and step out in to slutch and mud. The ground is beyond saturated. We ditch the flip flops for wellies and take the dudes for a piddle. We reach the farm yard entrance and decide to go no further. By 7.00 am swirling, vaporous cloud descend, bringing the temperature down with it. Out pop the thermals, jumpers and jeans.

The conditions become increasingly cold and inhospitable. We take shelter in Vin and spend the day watching movies and tormenting the dogs. Like many of our neighbours we only venture outside when essential, taking care to prevent the wind from ripping our door off its hinges. 

All day rain falls in sheets. Each time we went to stretch our legs, we got no more than a couple of hundred feet before we were turned back by the pitiless downpour. No chance of spending 6 hours touring the lake if we cant even manage 6 minutes! Each time we trudged back to the motorhome squelching from one dripping awning to another.

For two days and nights we wait for a break in the weather, so we can visit the Pritvice Lakes. The break never arrives and the forecast shows no sign of improvement.

On day three, we admit defeat and take to the road. 

The countryside around the lakes is green and fetching. And with this much rain its no surprise its green. We splash our way through quaint villages and lanes dotted with small farms. Roadside stalls selling cheese and lavender honey stand empty and alone. Geese, goat and chickens loiter along roadside that seldom see a passing car. The further we travel inland the stranger the looks. Clearly this is not a route traveled by most tourists never mind motorhomes.   

Some of the villages look a little worse for wear. Craig spots a round of bullet holes in the side of a small house. Then we see the remains of a bombed building.  All scares from the homeland war 1991 – 1995. We struggle to think of a war just over 20 years ago. A war when we were enjoying ourselves and watching it on TV like it was another world. It didn’t seem real at the time and I guess until today, it never really sunk in. Just as we were talking about how it all began we spotted a memorial garden and collection of army vehicles. We pull over, take a stroll and a history tour of what Croatia name the Homeland War.

Building named Hotel California

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 marked the beginning of a new era for Europe. For many Southern countries this meant a change from communist regime to democratic system.  For Yugoslavia this meant the dissolution through armed conflict.  First Slovenia and Croatia asked for  decentralised state as opposed to a centralised state advocated by Serbia.

In 1990, the Croatian Democratic Union won the elections and voiced intentions of independence.  The Krajina Serbs in Croatia weren’t too happy, so they set up their own party to prevent any independence from Yugoslavia. On 25 June 1991,Croatia declared its independence and bitter fighting broke out. For 4 years, they fought until the Krajina Serbs were forced to flee to Bosnia. Belgrade’s silence throughout the campaign showed that the Krajina Serbs had lost the support of their Serbian sponsors, encouraging Croats to forge ahead.

Photograph of 2 soldiers

The country has certainly come a long way since the early 1990’s. If you consider within the space of 25 years it has experienced the collapse of communism, a war of national survival, the securing of independence, joined the EU and transformed itself in to a tourist hotspot. Its shows pure determination and strength.

heart shaped leaves surround the tank