Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 180

Restoran Ka s tel in Motovun at the Hotel Ka s tel at Trg Andrea Antico 7
( & 052/681-607 ) serves unusual Istrian dishes as well as a signature dessert that's not
on the menu. Try the frkanci with venison goulash. The pasta, which is a hybrid gnoc-
chi/noodle, is handmade by Istrian home cooks just for the hotel. Ask for the special
chocolate truffle for dessert—it's the size of an egg.
You'll feel like you're in Mom's kitchen in Ro c ka Konoba in Ro c ( & 052/660-
005 ), a rustic dining room with a great view of the rolling countryside. Local specials
such as fu z i, spicy Istrian sausage, hearty soups, and fragrant homemade bread are on
the menu.
Humska Konoba in tiny Hum at Hum 2 ( & 052/660-005 ) puts local flavor
in the food and atmosphere in this wood-and-stone building. If you dare, sip home-
brewed biska, a grape brandy-based aperitif flavored with white mistletoe and other
herbs. Forget about cholesterol and dig into a meal of home-smoked meat with sauer-
kraut and have krostole (doughnuts) for dessert.
THE KVARNER GULF
It's fairly simple to visit all the major mainland towns that skirt the Kvarner coast by
driving Croatia's version of California's Highway 1 from Opatija to Senj, but it's much
trickier to coordinate ferry connections to, from, and between the Kvarner islands.
RIJEKA
142km (88 miles) SW of Zagreb; 615km (382 miles) NE of Dubrovnik
No matter which part of the Kvarner Gulf region you choose to explore, you'll prob-
ably go through Rijeka, which is at the southern end of the Zagreb-Rijeka autocesta.
There are no beaches or resorts on Rijeka's shores, so most people breeze past on their
way to somewhere else without a thought to stopping. Rijeka's magnificent collection
of 19th-century buildings and monuments could use a good power-washing and a lit-
tle paint, but the city does have attractions worth investigating.
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
BY CAR Almost all roads in Croatia eventually lead to Rijeka, but you can drive
there from Zagreb in less than 2 hours on the Zagreb-Rijeka autocesta (A-6) from the
north. A-6 also connects to the A-1 autocesta from Split in the south. From Ljubljana
in Slovenia, take E-70 via Postojna and connect with local Route 6 at Illirska Bistrica.
You will encounter a border crossing at Rupa ( warning: Occasionally there is some
hassle here, so be sure your documents are in order) and follow E-61 to Rijeka. Fer-
ries from several nearby islands stop at Rijeka and dock near the Riva, south of the
center. A schedule and prices can be obtained from www.jadrolinija.hr; or call & 06/
032-13-21 for schedule and price info.
BY TRAIN Except for fast-train service between Zagreb and Split, rail service in
Croatia can be cumbersome, but the train stations are usually something to see. That's
especially true of the terminal in Rijeka, which is straight out of 19th-century Hun-
gary. Trains that stop there connect with Opatija and other Croatian towns and with
some European hubs, too. For a schedule, check the HZ website, www.hznet.hr,
which has routes and prices in English. Or you can call the central office ( Z eljezni c ki
Kolodvor; & 060/333444 ), though you might not be able to find anyone who speaks
English. The station's ticket office is open from 9am to 4pm and from 5:30 to
8:45pm. At other times you can buy tickets on the train.