By Catherine Polatidis '26
During Notre Dame’s spring break, a group of forty students embarked on a life changing journey to Croatia. Located right next to the Adriatic Sea, Croatia and its abundance of culture offered a new perspective for us Notre Dame students to consider in their world view, along with a rich history and lasting memories.
Beginning on March 27th, we started our journey in Dubrovnik, Croatia, a historical city, whose ancient walls and inner city opened up to the Adriatic Sea and winding European style alleys. Here, we met our tour guide, Amy, who guided us through this overseas experience.
After leaving Dubrovnik and its terracotta rooftops, we departed on a large tour bus for the city of Split. Although it was Easter Monday and many shops were closed, it was still possible to gain an understanding of what the larger city offered. With a population of around 160,000, Split resembled a fusion of Croatian architecture and Western European cities. We only spent one night in Split but were able to experience its cafés by the water, luxurious hotel and famous historic sights like Diocletian's Palace, an old castle belonging to the ancient Roman empire, Diocletian.
The next day, we were able to experience Plitvice Lakes National Park which is Croatia’s largest National Park. Here the water was crystal clear, reflecting a greenish tint from the limestone deposits that slowly rolled down the surrounding mountains and into the lakes. After departing from this breathtaking view, the Chez Nous Sisters made their last stop of Croatia in Zagreb.
Zagreb, being the largest city in Croatia with almost a million people, offered the most cosmopolitan experience with its bustling streets, crowded farmers markets and high speed trams. Here the students learned about Zagreb's past including the two rivaling towns that were synthesized into one all because of a shared farmers market.
Finally, our last stop was the charming city of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Represented by the symbol of a dragon, which could be seen on their many hanging banners, Ljubljana was by far the cleanest city we students experienced, split into two by a large canal and then intersecting into long streets resembling a classical European city. Our tour guide informed us that their acclaimed garbage sorting system helped them become one of the European Union’s best recyclers which they had won many awards for. The city also had many modern forms of art, contrasting their classical building style but nevertheless enchanting. After our last evening in Ljubljana, experiencing an ominous underground cave, the students departed from Slovenia and solemnly headed home.
After such a life changing experience, our Chez Nous sisters now have life long memories in their hearts and future stories to tell that will stay with them forever.
Photos Courtesy of Catherine Polatidis '26
Edited by Aryana Mehran '26, Catherine Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant
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