Trotting around in Trogir

Kamerlingo Castle is a hum dinger of a Romanesque fortress mainly because it is so well preserved and gives the whole town a medieval look. It is very similar to the one in Paphos in Cyprus. The walls of the castle are solidly built in stone - I can't imagine any intruders ever being able to break into this monumental structue.The battlements and fortifications are safe to walk on and it is very pleasant to walk on the high walls to take in the magnificent views of the medieval town.

This fortification has guarded the western approaches to Trogir since the 15th century and was built by the Venetians and at one time did house the Venetian Governor. In summer classical concerts and films are showed here. The castle is particularly spectacular at night when the whole building is lit up with artificial lights forming a bed of amber light shining out towards the sea. What a fine place to be Bohemian! If you are not bothered about the arts then the ramparts offer views of the old town and the sparkling waters of the Adraitic.

Open from June until September. Daily times from 9am until 8pm. Cost - 10 kuna. (Just over a £1).

This very popular restauarant is part of the Hotel Fontana and is situated in the old historic quarter of Trogir on the Dalmatian Coast. It is a little different than other restaurants in Trogir because it stays open throughout the year. In winter it retreats to a cosy interior and in the warmer months it spreads out on to the waterfront.

Inside the restaurant there are spaces for approximately fifty people and the terraces along the waterfront can seat up to 200 people so overall it is quite a large restaurant.

So what is the best restaurant in Trogir like? Well, it is in a wonderful situation especially if you sit outside as you really do take in a fantastic view of the port and in the early evening it can be quite spectacular to sit and watch the small boats bobbing about on the water as the sun begins to dip behind the clouds.

Inside the decor is very Dalmation and with the whitewashed stone walls and paintings you could think you were dining out in very large house belonging to one of the local citizens. The dining area has a warm and cosy feel to it. Tables are made of solid pine as are the chairs but to give a little extra comfort the seats are backed with an emerald green cloth. Flowers are placed on every table and I did notice that there were quite a lot of various plants dotted around the restaurant. The room is very light and airy and has air conditioning which is needed during July and August, believe me.

So what's on the Menu?

Well you may have guessed by now - this restaurant is famous for its seafood and has a good selection of other fish dishes, as well as an International menu.

Let's start with the starters - should we. A trip to the Dalmation Coast goes hand in hand with two things - Dalmation Ham and Pag Cheese. There are other starters on the menu like octopus salad, Livorno cheese which is delicious and cooked mixed vegetables but I always choose the ham and cheese together because they are my favourites. I love the slightly salty but oaky smoked taste of the ham and the Pag cheese is Croatia's best cheese, in my opinion. I love the firmness of the cheese and the sharp taste. This usually comes wih a small bowl of black olives. Absolutely delicious.

These are cold starters but you can order a warm starter if you choose to. Warm starters on offer are mainly various spaghetti dishes like Bolognese, Napolitane, Frutti di Mare and Milanese. All a bit too filling for me and from what I could see other people eating looked like large portions. Omelettes are also on the menu - various flavours like cheese, ham and mushroom. For lovers of cuttlefish or squid the restaurant will prepare a black rissotto which is a rissotto made from cuttlefish, garlic and olive oil, parsley , butter and the ink from the ink sac of the squid which turns the rice black. Not for me, though. I really do not like squid at all. After living 10 years near the sea you think I would but it makes me squirm to think about it.

Soup Choices

There are about 5 soups to choose from - tomato, vegetable, mushroom, clear beef soup and you can have an egg added to the beef soup if you wish but the one I love is a Croatian speciality and this restaurant excel at it - Dalmation fish soup (Dalmatinska riblja juha).

The aroma coming from the bowl as it approached our table was out of this world. I could smell garlic, celery, parsley and of course - fish.This is a very simple fish soup and not as exotic as some Italian and other Mediterranean soups but I find it warm and very comforting.The main ingredient being hake. The soup was served in a large deep bowl with a sprig of parsley on the top and a basket of fresh rolls by its side. Piping hot and delicious.

My husband passed on the soup.

So we now come to the main meals and you can choose from fish, seafood and meat dishes. Looking at the menu I saw that veal, pork and beef were the main cuts of meat in the dishes and some of the dishes were veal escalopes, sirloin of beef, rumpsteak with mushrooms, veal medallions, veal liver and sirloin of beef. Apparantley these had to be ordered at the moment of sitting down.

This particular day we passed on the meat dishes as we don't actually eat a lot of meat and mostly prefer fish. I chose the Scampi Buzara and my husband chose grilled seawolf.

I always seem to choose messy dishes. The scampi is cooked in a bread and tomato sauce with red wine and I think cognac as there is definitely a brandy taste to the dish. Something else that the Croatians add to their cooking is Vegata which they call it their secret but I think it is only a vegetable stock. My scampi consisted of 12 large prawns served on a long dish in the Buzara sauce. Pieces of bread were the only accompanient and I suggest eating with your fingers even if it is messy because this is the best way to enjoy the succulent taste of he fleshy meat of the prawns.

Grilled seawolf is an unusual choice for my husband but I think he thought he was being adventurous that day. Sea wolf is the name of a fish caught in the Atlantic and is quite ugly and looks like a catfish. However, the fish served on my husband's plate was in fact, sea bass and he chose it first before it was grilled on the barbecue. I think the restaurant just use the name seawolf to make the dish more exciting. You pay by the kilo for freshly cooked fish in Croatia and sometimes it can work out very expensive. The fish was cooked to perfection - the flesh was firm but springy to touch and to accompany this wonderful fish he chose boiled potatoes with freshly, cooked sliced green beans. He was very pleased with his meal which is a good sign because he has had some bad experiences with fish in Croatia over the years so the Restaurante Fontana must be doing something right.

All this glorious food was washed down with a bottle of crisp white Croatian house wine - which was palatable to say the least.

Ice cream and lots of varieties were on the dessert menu but by this time we were bursting at the seams and worried that we might not fit into our small camper van so we said No thanks.

Waiter service was a bit slow and a few extra smiles would have been nice but I am used to Croatian customer care which still has to be improved on so it didn't bother me that much.

There is free car parking organised by the hotel and restaurant and is situated in the centre of Trogir.

Pricewise - it isn't so cheap. The price for the above meal was 90 euros taking into account that my husband's fish was 24 euros and we had 2 small beers and a bottle of house wine at 11 euros a bottle.

Still, the food view and ambience was worth every penny.

The Riva or waterfront is my favourite place in Trogir to visit.
Although I love history and I am always interested in knowing as much information as possible about the town I am visiting and will walk around, going in and out of museums, churches etc, I am also lazy and there is nothing more I like to do than sit on a palm fringed waterfront sipping a beer or drinking coffee. The waterfront is where tourists come to wander or enjoy a meal or drink on a barmy summer evening. Here is where Trogir's citizens come also, to meet up and be seen. The many bars and cafes make this a perfect spot to relax and gaze seaward at the ferries, as they slip off to the nearby islands. Early morning all the boats will be lined up on the waterfront so that visitors can book trips for the following day.

The cafes and bars are very low-key on the Riva and it seems to be a place for peaceful socialising rather than hectic party life. In the busy months there are one or two discos for the younger generation but nothing to loud or explosive.

Restaurants alongside the waterfront offer a varied selection of dishes including local cuisine and dishes with an Italian influence. This is a very casual and laid back area which has the sort of ambience I really love.

The Riva as well as some of the churches and squares hosts the summer music festival in July and August which is in the open air and the main theme is music rather than theatre or dance. A cacophany of sounds permeating from folk, classical, rock and jazz instruments can be heard all over the waterfornt and is quite a stunning spectacle if a little noisy at times. Street performers, dancers, flame throwers all take part in the activities along the wide pedestrianed riva. A fascinating, experience for all members of the family and one not to be missed.

Information regarding the music festival and the performing acts taking place can be obtained from Trogir's tourist office.

The Cathedral of St Lawrence which is known to the locals as the church of St John, is a monumental building and one that shouldn't be missed. The Cathedral's bell tower totally dominates the town because of its extreme height which seems to touch the clouds in the azure blue Croatian sky. The building was built on the old foundations of a basillica that was destroyed in the mid 12th century and is quite ancient and very beautiful.

What I found really interesting was the 13th century west door, lavishly adorned with biblical scenes carved by Trogir-born sculptor Radovan. The portal is unusual because this artist didn't follow the patterns of the time by usiing iconography but used different elements. The biblical scenes represent real life in the form of hunting, fishing and games rather than a mystical theme. The scenes represent an earthiness by being interwoven and mingled with leaves and branches. On either side of the door you will notice Adam and Eve standing proudly over a pair of Venetian lions. This is obviously indicating the influence that the Venetians once had over Trogir.

The baptistry was finished in 1497 and it is a mixtue of Gothic and Renaissance style which is absolutely sumptious.The portal is decorated with mouth watering fruits, intricate flowers and gothic shells. In the interior, there is an interesting mixture of styles, leaves that sway in the wind but are moving in opposite directions and a rather jolly frieze depicting happy children wearing garlands.

St. John's Chapel is a marvellous piece of work that was carried out from 1461 until 1497. The chapel is Renaissance in style and in the form of a mausoleum with a sarcophagus made entirley from marble. The architect responsible for this creative piece was no other than Nikola Firentinac who was a pupil of Italy's famous Donatello. Look out for the cherubs holding torches.

The cathedral is open from June until September from 9am until 12 and then later in the day it opens its doors from 4pm until 7pm daily.

Entrance Fee is 10 kuna - just over £1

I think a visit to one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the whole of the Balkans is worth a pound of anyones hard earned money. The stone coloured cathedral with its red roof dominates this ancient town but is in total harmony with its surroundings.

Trogir - where is it, you may well ask? This small port and town is situated in Central Dalmatia which is in Croatia and about 30 kilometres from Split where there is an International airport. The town is well located as it is on the famous Adriatic Highway which links this part of Croatia to the rest of Europe. The reason I came across this beautiful spot is because we were driving from Zagreb to Split and thought I would stop overnight and see what the town had to offer. I knew the town existed but originally wasn't going to visit because I thought it would be overcrowded with visitors as I had heard it was a very popular resort. But seeing that we were doing a grand tour of Croatia and the other Balkan countries in our very old and frail camper van I thought why not, its only another night, another place. I am so glad I did stop because Trogir is actually a mighty fine place.

In fact, I would go as far to say that it is one of the most stunning places in this area. The town sits on its own island with bridges linking it to the mainland on one side and to the island of Ciovo on the other. As you walk around Trogir you immediately feel that you are in the Mediterranean with its shimmering knot of orange roofs and traditional stone buildings, amongst which lies one of Croatia's most remarkable cathedrals. The well preserved old town is perhaps the most unified in the whole country, a pedestrianised oasis where pages of history are peeled back with every step. Even the many tourists fail to diminish the appeal of this beautiful town.

A visit to the surrounding area of Trogir is worthwhile just to see the lush verdant vegetation which consists of heavy laden fig trees, silvery grey-green olive trees and black carob trees. Lots of aromatic herbs grow wild and when the wind is blowing you are able to breathe in the wonderful scented aromas as they waft through the blue dappled skies. Not forgetting the small islets and coves, pebble beaches and rocky promintories. But the real beauty of the town is in its historic core which is perfectly preserved and shines with churches, palaces, monuments and art. In 1997 the town was included in the Unesco World Heritage list. The fortified town with its streets, squares and a myriad of fascinating buildings has kept its medieval structure and is an important asset to Croatia.

There are hotels in Trogir but I didn't stay in any because we parked the camper in the car park and slept overnight there. However, we did eat in the Restoran Fontana which is part of a hotel situated in the old town. I was told by the locals that this is the best hotel and restaurant in the old town. The restaurant has a great atmosphere and you can sit outside on the terrace where you can absorb the buzzing atmosphere of the busy riva or watch the amazing sunsets casting amber shadows on luxurious yachts moored on the waterfront. The hotel and restaurant are open all year and the restaurant specialises in seafood. My favourite - prawns cooked in garlic butter, white wine and chillies.

There are many beauty spots in Croatia and I very nearly dismissed Trogir because of the tourists. The town does get exceedingly busy with visitors and there is always a vibrant atmosphere. I suppose if you visited in September or October the town and area would be very calm and really stunning but then sometimes it is nice to have some atmosphere and Trogir certainly has that.