
Breaking from your travel habits is always rewarding, especially when you go against the crowd. Avoiding tourist crowds, though, is not a goal of most tourists, who choose to visit the familiar, recommended, or most popular places. They are often looking for certain comforts and attractions instead of thinking about the overall experience. People generally know that the most popular travel destinations are neither the most authentic nor the best value for their tourist money. But do they know what they are missing by not visiting lesser-known and less-crowded places? Do they know that these smaller destinations offer a whole different list of attractions and activities? In fact, they often offer more - you can’t go horseback riding or visit a winery in the popular tourist center that is Split, Croatia, but you can when you visit smaller centers like Sinj. And still have great dining choices, etc.


Representing Sinj’s high standard of hospitality is tourist board director Jelena Bilic, who toured us around town and arranged accommodations at the five-star Villa Tripalo (http://www.orvas-hotels.com/anu/orvas-hotels/villa-tripalo/) and at Hotel Alkar (http://www.hotel-alkar.hr).
To experience authentic, local food, Bilic brought us to a traditional restaurant (Konoba), Potkova, where we enjoyed local wine with arambašići (rolls of pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with chopped meat). Other delicacies, such as frogs, crayfish, Cetina River trout, and rafioli pastry are specialties typical of the Dalmatian hinterland. Sinj is an exceptional place of good eating due to the town’s rich history, which has joined the spirits of Mediterranean, Oriental and continental cuisine.

After visiting great cities of Italy and Croatia in the weeks prior, we were completely taken by the charms of Sinj and its gracious people. Bilic told us about a family from England who were vacationing in Split but loved the Sinj area so much that they made several day trips to the town. While Sinj is a day-trip destination for many tourists, it is the primary destination for many others who prefer the tranquility, charm, and authentic nature of small, less-touristic places. Such tourists can then take day trips to Split and other crowded places, returning to their small town retreat to relax and recharge. It’s a smart and rewarding way to travel that may seem backwards to many people, but ultimately it’s a matter of values. Personally, I prefer to visit the big cities briefly and then spend most of my time in smaller centers. The experience is usually richer, and it is also a more economical way to explore any country or region. Richer experiences and greater value is a travel recipe that works well for me, and I suspect, for a growing number of travelers.
As Croatia prepares to join the EU in July, it will work to preserve all the great things that attract visitors from around the world. Gratefully, gems like Sinj are not likely to change, even if tourism continues to grow in the region.
Information about Sinj and the area can be found at the tourism board’s site - http://www.visitsinj.com/en