Jugoslovenski Rotar
may interest a tourist to see along: our coast from Sušak to Dubrovnik. As most of the tourists pass through Zagreb, let us start from Zagreb by rail to Sušak and on to the sea.
We are already comfortably seated in the train, the locomotive puffs and labours to attain the proper speed. We are crossing the river Sava, which has its source under the snow-clad mountains of Triglav and its confluence with the Danube at Belgrade. In its upper source the Sava abounds with trout, while on the whole it is rich with various kinds of fish, of special interest to sportsmen besides the trout being the glavatica (trutta genivitata).
After two hours we begin to enter a beautiful hilly and wooded country, the Gorski Kotar. The rail climbs higher and higher on the mountains covered with dense fir forests. After a further hour we reach the station Plase, whence from a height of 700 metres (about 2000 ft) above the sea opens a magnificent view on the gulf of Quarnero and the northern Adriatic islands.
We now begin the descent by rather steep serpentines to SuSak. In SuSak it is worth seeing the old and ruined castle of the counts of Frankopan, dating from the Roman times and now in possession of the last countess Nugent, as well as the Votive Church of the Holly Virgin which is quite close to the castle. If you care you may have a peep
into Italy — Fiume — across a small bridge, since only a narrow rivulet separates SuSak from Fiume. We must move on — the time is flying. With a smart and clean
steamer equipped with up-to-date comfort we now plough the waters along the coast.
We pass Kraljevica with its old castle, Crikvenica and Novi, tourist centres of consideralbe importance. We shall now stop for a short while at Senj. Senj is a very old city with a number of fine churches and old buildings. Specially interesting is he Church with the tombs of some famous »Uskoks« (privateers). In the Middle Ages, when the Turks conquered the Balkans and the largest part of Croatia, some of the Croat refugees (»Uskoks«) settled at Senj and became privateers. With their light boats they became in time the terror of both Turkish and Venetian shipping until the Austrian emper-
ors, under the pressure of Venice, ordered them to settle in the interior of the country.
From Senj a good road leads to the famous lakes of Plitvice to Lika and to Dalmatia.
We are leaving Senj and calling at the picturesque BaSka where antiquities dating from time of old Croat Kings (XI. century) have been found. From BaSka we go to Rab admiring on the way the gorgeous mountains of Velebit. on our left. Velebit on its seaward side is a barren and rocky mountain, while on the inland side it is covered with dense fir forests.
Now we have reached Rab. This is an old town and its buildings bear a strong stamp of influence of Italian architecture although the
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