Travelling in the Time of Coronavirus – Part 1

And it happened – on May 15th we announced the official end of the epidemic in Slovenia starting June 1st, 2020. Military planes flew over the country and greeted hospitals from the air and paid tribute to the victims of COVID-19.

Even before the end of the epidemic, however, borders also began to open up, like cyclamen announcing the end of summer; shy and almost imperceptible. But still enough that I decided to sow good will beyond the borders of the homeland.

Although the measures in Slovenia were far from being as oppressive as in some other countries, where curfews were introduced, exits from apartments and the like were restricted, vague and often contradictory official information created an atmosphere of mistrust and truth-seeking even in conspiracy theories.

Cross-border sowing of good will among people started at the end of May, when I first took my practice to Croatia, to places where we do not rush even under normal conditions. And it is exactly those little less known places, where we did not travel before the coronavirus, that I want to take you in this five-part travelogue, where we will visit some interesting places in the neighbourhood, and finally go to the Belarusian capital.

Croatia has also been affected by the coronavirus, which is why some of the popular tourist destinations were slightly less occupied this year and therefore even more attractive than before. Before leaving for Croatia, I advise you to fill out the online form at to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and border issues. When visiting Croatia, don't forget our faithful companions - masks, as they are mandatory in Croatia, namely in shops, public transport and many other places.

In Istria, I visited the Vižula Archaeological Park, near Medulin, took a walk around the island of Kotež or Kozada near Pula and stopped in the town of Vale, which many of us know only because it is also called a motorway stop. Each of these places is located in the immediate vicinity of the Pula Youth Hostel, where we can spend the night at very reasonable prices and at the same time refresh ourselves on the beach, which is used almost exclusively by guests of the hostel.

Before visiting Vižula, all I knew was that it offers the most beautiful sunsets in Istria and that it is an exemplary archaeological park, where you can literally immerse yourself in the rich history of this small peninsula. Although its history dates back to the Neolithic, but Vižula became famous in the Roman period, when the peninsula was home to a villa with four terraces. The remnants of the rich history are not only noticeable on land, but also in the water and therefore the Vižula peninsula is definitely worth visiting when in Istria, preferably in the late afternoon, so you can end the tour by marvelling at the sunset. Vižula also has an excellent website.

Another pearl of the visit to Istria was the island of Kotež or Kozada, which is the only one of the 14 islands and islets of the Brijuni National Park, where you can anchor or moor your boat, kayak or sup free of charge and enter the island where seagulls and rabbits reign. The island of Kotež or Kozada played a strategic role throughout history, as evidenced by the still preserved beams of steel mesh, which prevented the passage of submarines. During the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, the island also had a military port for seaplanes, where seaplane pilots also trained, and today the island is overgrown and suitable for Robinson Crusoe leisure. And speaking of the island, the only one of which you can visit without an entrance fee or announcement, it is only fair to also mention another island, which is still closed to visitors and bears the name Krasnica and the better known name Vanga, home of what once used to be the residence of the former Yugoslav president, Josip Broz Tito. On the island, in addition to the residence, which is still in use today for ceremonial purposes, there are also vineyards and orchards of mandarins and other fruit trees. But at least virtually you can experience Vanga. Among all the 14 Brijuni Islands, the largest (what a surprise) is the Veliki Brijun (lit. Great Brijun), which you can also visit as a tourist and which houses several official residences of the former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito, several hotels, a zoo, a botanical garden with Mediterranean plants, the oldest olive tree in the world and many other interesting things; among other things, you can enjoy on the same beach as Roman dignitaries once did, and look forward to the next part of this travelogue.