You’ve just finished another season of Game of Thrones at 3am and your eyes are practically bleeding. Never again, your brain sternly admonishes... until your disobedient mouse finger clicks on the next episode. What can break this pesky screen addiction? A trip to a real-life filming location, we reckon.
Here's why heading to Croatia this year might just be the digital detox you need:
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was set in Illyria, an ancient region of the Western Balkans that’s now part of modern-day Dalmatia. One of the most famous lines from the play reads, “If music be the food of love, play on.” We bet just being in this gorgeous setting will inspire you to read more of the famous English playwright’s works (or any book for that matter), listen to music, fall in love, and eat. All perfectly acceptable non-binge watching activities!
Croatia is a favourite for film and TV directors. You’d be surprised by how many well-known titles were shot here. The three-time Academy Award winner Fiddler on the Roof was filmed in a village just outside Zagreb in 1971, for instance, and in 1982 Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol converged on Raiserovo castle in Samobor to film Sophie’s Choice.
Too young to remember these classics? More recent productions include the BBC-produced TV series Doctor Who ( filmed in Trogir in 2009); Star Wars: Episode VIII was shot in Dubrovnik; Robin Hood: Origins (filmed in Dubrovnik) and Mamma Mia 2 with Pierce Brosnan was filmed on the island of Vis.
Split, meanwhile, is Croatia’s second-largest city, and the location of many of Daenerys' dragon training scenes from The Game of Thrones – you may recognise the third-century Diocletian’s Palace, which was used in the show as her throne room. Another city that makes an appearance on this popular show is the walled city of Dubrovnik. It was the main filming location in Croatia for King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, and a great place to explore on foot.
Ten percent of Croatia is protected: there are 11 nature parks, eight national parks and two nature reserves – along with kilometres of pristine coastline and more than 1 200 islands, isles, reefs and islets. Leave your electronics at the hotel and immerse yourself in the great outdoors.
There is no better cure for a screen addiction than Plitvice Lakes National Park, famous for its 16 lakes (dramatically linked by plunging waterfalls, we might add), or Hvar Island, the sunniest spot in Europe. Here, Vitamin D-soaked locals welcome you as if you’re one of the family – we suspect their bright disposition is thanks to the average 2 800 hours of sunshine they get annually.
In a country with more than 40 000 winemakers and 300 geographically defined wine producing areas, we suspect you might get up to some Zinfandel-fuelled shenanigans. Whether those are of the amorous, mysterious or adventurous variety is up to you (what happens in Croatia, stays in Croatia...). But be warned – the man who pioneered the science of fingerprinting identification at crime scenes was Croatian. So keep the shenanigans G-rated.
Many of these top locations feature on Sure Travel's Croatia itineraries from our trusted travel partners. Contact your nearest Sure Travel agency today to enquire or book, or call 0861 47 48 49.
