Croatia has some of the most spectacular coastline anywhere on the planet. One interesting part of that spectacle? All the Europeans who come there to get naked at the beach. In this post I’ll talk about the history of the nudist scene in Croatia, and some of the practicalities of checking it out, if that’s your thing.

I hope everyone is nurturing some travel dreams for the not too distant future, and in this post I’ll give my top recommendations for where to travel in Eastern and Central Europe over the next year. As much damage as the pandemic has done to the travel industry, for people who are ready to hit the road again soon, you’ll find some incredible opportunities and bargains.

Here are some ideas for those wanting to check out more than just a country’s top 3 or most known sights and cities. Not that these are totally off the radar, but many folks probably know about these places and figure they’ll give’ em a miss. If you are in that camp, then here are a few reasons to reconsider these destinations next time you make your travel plans. 

Few places in Europe are as diverse and spectacular as Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and the rest of the Balkans. But there is also a lot of recent history here from the spark of the First World War in Sarajevo, to the partisan’s guerrilla warfare against Hitler, and onto the 24-hr news cycle of the wars here in the 1990s. 

Many of my guests know that I moved here to Slovenia from Seattle. It’s been over 6 years now and it seems like I get asked these 3 questions a lot: How often do I go back? (Never). What do I miss most about Seattle? (Having great and plentiful Asian food). And what’s the biggest difference in mindsets between Americans and Europeans? For sure that’s our DIY spirit - the belief that the idea and experience an individual has trumps their formal education.

Regardless if you’re the type that takes up the challenge of driving while overseas, here are some memorable scenic driving routes to consider. Underneath each pick, I’ve put in prefered method of getting around, as well as starting and ending points.