THE HOMELAND WAR EXPERIENCE: Kordun, Petrova Gora

This Sunday we decided to explore the road which we had never rode before. We picked the road from Šišljavić to Banska Selnica, Slunjska Selnica, Skakavac, Gornji and Donji Sjeničak and finally to Vrginmost. The road has an unpaved section, which we did not know before, but it was a good surprise. Despite being unpaved, the road is well maintained, so even those who do not ride an enduro or something like that will not have problems there. There are not many houses nor people. We only met few people, who waved at us.We stopped near a small house to take a few photos.

Soon after that break we go back to the paved road and we reach Vrginmost. Vrginmost is the place which became infamous during the Croatian War of Independence(Homeland War). Serbian rebels, who were mainly residents of Vrginmost, expelled and executed Croats but also Serbs who wanted to live peacefully alongside with Croats. Local government even invited the residents to vote if they wanted to join the Republic of serbian krajina, a state which was never formally recognized. Moreover, the largest chetnik assemblies were held on Kordun, many Croats were killed and serbian rebels, recruited from the local residents, quickly managed to break through Kordun and progress towards Karlovac. The attack on Karlovac soon followed. Karlovac was severly bombarded during the War and its position remained to be very difficult until the War ended. Croatian troops, heroes of war, defended Karlovac and it remained unconquered.

We continued towards Petrova gora. We reached the Monument of the uprising of the people of Kordun and Banija. The monument, built on top of Petrova gora, is the work of Vojin Bakić. Prior to the Homeland War, inside the monument itself was a museum related to People's liberation struggle in that area. During the Homeland War, the monument was the base of Yugoslav People's Army and serbian rebels. Their hospital and the radio were also there. The radio was used to transmitt false information in the puropse of serbian propaganda. The monument is partially destroyed, but it still is an impressive thing to see. It is very high, and from the top you can see all the way to Zagreb, Slovenia and Bosnia. Despite being destroyed, it is still one of the most interesting such monuments in Croatia.

After the tour, we met the owner of the bike which was parked next to ours. His name is Constantinos, and he is a very nice Cypriot, who travels Europe on his Transalp. He has already been to many European countries, and plans to visit Africa and Asia too. It was very nice to meet him, since we love to meet people with similar interests. We chatted quite a bit and exchanged contact info. We will follow his journey online and we wish him a great and a safe trip!

Follow him on Ridegaia.com!

After a nice chat we ride back home. We plan to visit Petrova gora as soon as possible, in order to explore what we did not have time to explore this time. The Partisan hospital and many other attractions are there, and all that is very interesting to see. Be sure to follow our new friend and we'll be back with a new trip soon.

See you on the road!

BIKER RALLY IN OMIŠ AND A TRIP TO ČAVOGLAVE

Every year, last weekend in September is reserved for the biker rallye in Omiš, which is always successfully organised by Omiški gusar motorcycle club. This surely is one of the most beautiful places for a rallye in Croatia, and I have to say, this is my favourite one. What proves it is the fact that last year was my fifth year in a row that I visited this rallye, while Ivan visited it twice😀

This time, unfortunately, we could only set off on Saturday. We expected to arrive at Omiš fairly late, and booked a room, so we wouldn't have to pitch our tent. Plus finding a free spot on Saturday evening would be like winning a jackpot😀
We only stopped once, in Knin, for a quick break and to fill the tank. The rest of the trip seemed to last forever😀 When we finally reached Split it was already getting dark, so we cruised by the sea into the sunset. In Omiš, we were welcomed by rakija(moonshine😃). Our crew did not know that we would be there and were very surprised! We left our stuff in the room and went to grab a bite, check the bikes out and hang out. It was pretty late and we were pretty tired when we got back to our room.

We got up early to say bye to our crew, since we decided to take a different route back home. We packed our stuff and went for a burek(I can't remember the name of the place but they make the best burek in Omiš). We headed to Čavoglave, a very popular place in Dalmatinska Zagora. We were greeted by a tank, which was given to Čavoglave by The Croatian Homeland war veteran association. We did not visit the Church of Croatian martyrs, but we surely will the next time we visit.

We rode through Zagora, surrounded by the beautiful scenery and magnificent nature, but also by the cruel Croatian reality - dozens of abandoned homes, which make a very sad picture. The weather was beautiful, perfect for exploring our beautiful Croatia. Soon we reached Lika, the region perfect for motorcycles. Wide road, picturesque nature, mountains that surround us - something like a Croatian Route 66!😊 Since we were feeling a bit peckish, I phoned my dad to ask for the description of the route to this restaurant he had been telling me about. The restaurant is called Robert and is very famous among truck drives, who make it their regular stop.

We parked our bike and entered the restaurant, which is not the most luxurious place, but we don't need it anyway. We ordered bean soup, burgers and fries. We had heard that the portions are impressive, but did not expect them to be that huge! Pot of bean soup, two big burgers, homemade fries and one bottle of mineral water for only 60 kuna(less than 10€)!! The food is great and so is the price, so if you find yourself hungry in Lika, I would definitely recommend Robert! I also believe that nowhere in Croatia you can find such good food and big portions at such low price.
We were so overeaten that we could barely climb on the bike😂 On the way to Karlovac we rode pass our beautiful Plitvice and Rastoke, and arrived at Karlovac in the afternoon.

I wish we could have gone to Omiš at least a day earlier, but I am also very happy because we had such a nice time. We are looking forward to the next rallye in Omiš, which we definitely will not miss! See you next year in Omiš!

VARAŽDIN

The first time we visited Varaždin was back when we had TMax. Now, with our DR, we decided to visit it again, but we used a different route and changed the trip plan a bit. This time we did not enter Varaždin, but we went offroad and visited lake Varaždin and lake Dubrava.
On our way to Varaždin, we passed through Hrvatsko Zagorje, one of the most beautiful regions of Croatia. We passed Bedekovčina, Zlatar Bistrica, Konjščina, Budinščina, all the way to Novi Marof and then to Varaždin. In Gornji Kuršanec we went offroad to see those famous lakes and they left us speechless! They do look big on the map, but they look like a sea in reality! Lake Varaždin is truly a big lake, and on its coast there are numerous weekend cottages. We stopped at the restaurant 'Vrbi', which we had found online, to grab a bite, but it turned out that they only serve food after 2pm.

We continued offroading all the way to the asphalt road. We road the beautiful road, which is next to the embankment, all the way to Prelog. This is a really long road and almost without a curve and is therefore perfect for those who like to pull out the throttle😀 We stopped and climbed onto the embankment to take a couple of photos. The view of the enormous lake is amazing! At that moment, we felt boiling hot and decided to take off some of our gear. We were looking at the lake and could not stop thinking about jumping in😀

We rode back and crossed a bridge from which we could see the lake in all its glory, but we were not allowed to take pictures. We took some pics from the observation deck which is next to the bridge, but of course one cannot capture the true beauty of nature by camera.

After that, we headed back to Varaždin, trying to find the restaurant 'Aquacity', which we had also found online, only to discover that until 1st May, you have to announce that you plan to come, in order for it to be opened. After those unsuccessful internet searches, we decided to find a restaurant somewhere along the way. We rode through Varaždin and to our surprise, nothing seemed to be opened on Sunday. Luckily, we found the restaurant 'Zvonimir'. A bit confused, we entered a caffe bar which is on the front of the house. A waitress explained that the restaurant is on the back, and took us there. We parked our bike at the back and sat at a great table. A waiter brought the menu and we were left surprised! They have a great choice of food - from bbq to pizza and sea fruit. We ordered meat(we are bikers, aren't we?!) and after a while, we got huge portions which made us very happy.

After our meal, we decided to go 'sightseeing'. The restaurant has a very nice surroundings. There is a small lake with fish in it, pebbles are on the floor and there is a huuuge barbecue - a real rustic environment.

After a short break and a nice chat with the waiter, we continued our journey to Karlovac. We travelled through Ivanec, Lepoglava, by a huge stonepit and rode by dozens of bikers, who probably went to see a race on Grobnik, our racetrack.

Near Zabok, we went onto the highway and took a turn to Sveta Nedelja and Samobor(we really love Samobor, don't we??). From Samobor we rode through Rude to Jastrebarsko and then to Karlovac.

Similar to the road through Žumberak from the previous post, this one is also beautiful. It began to be quite chilly, but we were brave and continued. We rode through the mountain Plešivica, known for wine, and enjoy the view of numerous wineyards. We stopped to do our obligatory photo-session.

Soon we arrive in Jastrebarsko, where we rode by another dozen of bikers and waving, we continue towards Karlovac. This amazing trip is finished, we rode on both asphalt and offroad, we froze and boiled, we met new people and discovered new landscapes. Now we are planning a new trip!
See you on the road!

SAMOBOR

A trip to Samobor was our first motorycle trip together, so we always love to come there😊
Another reason we love Samobor is that there is always at least one motorcycle on the promenade. This time, there were more than 50 - it was Saturday, and the day was beautiful, so everyone came to show off a little😛
This was the first time we rode through Žumberak, the Nature Park in the north-west of Croatia. Or at least this time we chose the right road😀
The route is Karlovac - Hutin - Kostanjevac - Hartje - Poklek - Stojdraga - Bregana - Samobor.
Scenic landscape, beautiful route, just perfect for motorbikes! It is actually quite interesting how many people seek adventures far away from Croatia, while such beauties are in their "back yard"!
The road, even though the route is great, is not flawless, mainly due to landslides near the road, but if you have patience for that, or if you ride a dual sport or something similar, this is a perfect road to ride!

After the beautiful ride and a few photo-stops, we arrive in Samobor. There are bikes and bikes everywhere and also 'kremšnite', a traditional cake from Samobor, so one cannot be in a bad mood! We had a chat with friends, went for a walk, had 'kremšnite' and ice cream, and after a pleasant day in Samobor, headed home.

If you find yourself in this part of Croatia, this is a must-see place! You can choose between several routes, and all are picturesque and beautiful! When you arrive in Samobor, be sure to try 'kremšnite'!

See you in Samobor!