Funtana – Senj

13th day

The road has taken us today to the city of Senj. We travel only a few kilometers because the roads, while not bad, have many curves and it takes an average of three hours to cover 50 km, but we are in no hurry 😃.
It is one of the oldest cities in Croatia and the base of the Uskoks, famous warriors who fought against the Ottoman Empire.

We have settled in a campsite by the shore of a small harbor that, of course, had stunning views 🌊.
Before heading out into the world, we had a little snack and T fell asleep in the sun. The temperature has been rising these days, and it seems we have left the rainy days behind.
Fortunately, the heat is still not too much, and we really enjoy our walks.

The highlight of the city is the Nehaj Fortress, built in 1558 to defend the city and the harbor, one of the most important on the Adriatic coast in its day.

Today, while the city has lost the importance it once had, it remains an important center that keeps its history and local culture alive.
A peaceful stroll from the harbor to the city center, which is quite small like most of the places we usually visit. Small and charming, some of them are not even in the tourist guides 🤫, which is why we find them so endearing.
We have come across various monuments, most of them commemorating the city's veterans. A sailboat with its sails unfurled, as the sign states, “gave their lives for the defense of the homeland in the name of freedom.”

In the center of the square, pointing towards the sea, stands the monument to the maritime culture of the coast, where three “handsome lads” gaze at the horizon while steering the helm of a supposed vessel.

The streets, by now so familiar to us, follow the style of the towns we have been passing through… narrow, in today's case not too steep, almost medieval, with passages that end at the sea 🌉.

The climb to the Nehaj fortress is a circular path of about thirty minutes during which we enjoyed the views and the warmth of the atmosphere. Those walks we take once settled are great for stretching our legs and getting a bit of exercise. Plus, they allow us to learn about history, which is almost always super interesting.

Nehaj had or has formidable defenses that made it impregnable to enemy advances. It stands 18 meters tall and 23 meters wide, crowned by five small corner towers. In its day, access was only allowed via a staircase and a wooden bridge. By the time we arrived, it was closed, but we also don't like to venture too much into these places. Seeing it from the outside and walking around it is also a unique experience.
The paths leading to it are dedicated to figures like Petar Kruzic, Ivan Lenkovic, or Matín Posedarski, all of whom were prominent in the defense of the coasts, often against the Ottoman conquest attempts.

As every effort has its reward, on our way back to the center we stopped for a drink at a bar by the harbor. T ordered wine, nothing exceptional according to his judgment, but really appealing given the place we were in and the blue view of the horizon we had in front of us 😊.

Back at the campsite, T prepared a delicious snack with local products bought at the market the other day, which we enjoyed again while looking at the sea.

The campsite we chose today is more like a parking lot with views of the harbor. Small, super simple, and with showers like at home, as Thorsten says 😆. Super hot water and free flow, which means you just turn on the tap and that's it. No need to keep pressing the button.
Good night... I'll keep you posted 😘