Photo
Dubrovnik, Croatia CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 by Intiaz
Rahim
Croatia
has become a popular travel destination with its long and lovely coastlines
right on the Adriatic Sea and its many islands. The country’s inland capital,
Zagreb, is fascinating to visit with its medieval buildings and many diverse
museums. Croatia’s major coastal city of Dubrovnik is also a popular location
with its 16th-century walls and its fascinating Old Town comprised of Gothic
and Renaissance buildings.
However,
there is another side to Croatia that is well worthwhile heading a little
off the beaten track to see. This article covers a couple of these interesting
places to include on your itinerary when you travel
in Croatia. Visit the home of scientist Nikola Tesla, a monument that
reminds strongly of the "Star Wars" films and view the incorruptible body
of a 4th-century saint.
Nikola
Tesla’s home and museum in Smiljan
The famous
scientist, Nikola Tesla, was born on July 10, 1856 in the small city of
Smiljan in Croatia and lived in a simple family homestead comprising a
small, whitewashed house, a barn and the Serbian Orthodox Church of which
Tesla’s father was minister.
Nikola
Tesla Museum, Smiljan CC BY 2.0 by Darij
& Ana
Back
on July 10, 2006 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Tesla’s birth and
during Croatia’s “Year of Nikola Tesla,” his humble birthplace and home
was opened as a public museum. The museum is split into the two halves
of Tesla’s self, namely his idyllic country upbringing and his scientific
adult life.
In
the multimedia center of the museum, there are hands-on science exhibits
and a playground for future scientists and this has become a surprising
and popular tourist attraction in the area.
One
of the most noteworthy exhibitions in the multimedia center is a demonstration
of rotating magnetic field principles, illustrated with a jumping-and-jittering
iron egg. It was the idea of Tesla, the man who wanted to give the world
free electricity, that two or more magnetic currents interacting with each
other alternatively take control of the iron egg and make it spin in seemingly
random directions and at varying speeds.
This
is a fascinating place for budding scientists and anyone interested in
aspects of Nikola Tesla’s life. To reach the museum take the main highway
Zagreb to Split and close to Smiljan, take the Gospic exit. Then follow
the signs for the museum for approximately five kilometers into Smiljan.
Podgaric
Monument in Podgaric
"Star
Wars" fans will enjoy viewing this fascinating architectural feat, located
at the top of a hill in the small town of Podgaric, as it looks incredibly
similar to the famous Millennium Falcon, Hans Solo's well known space ship.
The monument towers over an artificial lake below. However this fascinating
monument has no relationship whatsoever with science fiction and the popular
"Star Wars" movies. The monument was erected in 1967 by Dusan Dzamonja
as a memorial to a 1941 uprising in Croatia.
The
structure is an impressive architectural feat and was commissioned by Tito,
the long-time dictator of Yugoslavia, who commissioned a number of similar
monuments throughout Yugoslavia. While the monuments were intended to symbolize
power and triumph, most have been poorly maintained since Yugoslavia fragmented,
but the Podgaric Monument is still worth a visit.
Podgaric
Monument, Croatia in the Public Domain by Plamen
The Relic
of St. Silvan in Dubrovnik, Croatia
A rather
more gruesome visit is to the Church of Saint Blaise in Dubrovnik where
under the altar of the church lies a waxy, reportedly incorruptible, body
of a 4th century martyr. In the image below, St.
Silvan can be seen with his head thrown back on the pillow, revealing
a bloody gash on his neck, the apparent means of his martyrdom.
While
not much is known about St. Silvan, his rather impressive and incorruptible
body has earned him a special display in the church. According to people
who have seen this site, the face does not appear to have been made out
of wax and the gash on the neck does not appear to have been painted on.
According to experts, St. Silvan has never decayed in the over 1,500 years
since his death.
The
Relic of St. Silvan (cropped) CC BY-SA 2.0 by Dennis
Jarvis
Enjoy
your off the beaten path in fascinating Croatia, where they are many more
interesting and exciting destinations to visit and watch some beautiful
scenes of Croatia in the video included below, taken from the air with
a DJI Phantom 3 Professional.
