Places mentioned in this post:   Groznjan, Croatia Plovanija, Croatia Umag, Croatia Piran, Slovenia In the time it takes to drive from Idaho Falls to Salt Lake City, Utah, on this side of the world you can also drive from Vicenza, Italy to Grozjnan, Croatia. (roughly 3 hours) Day One: Groznjan, Croatia / Plovanija, Croatia / Umag, Croatia I can't even take 1% of the credit for researching and finding these places in Croatia. My sister, Charmaine, did all the legwork months in advance, scouring websites, YouTube, and building a spreadsheet of possibilities. All I did was drive us there, but I'm so glad I got to be a part of this scenic excursion!  Groznjan is up in the lush hilltops of Croatia, centrally located in the northern part of the country.  Fewer than 170 people call this village home. Interestingly, 39% of the municipality of Istria, which includes Groznjan, speak Italian as their primary language. This is because the area was under Venetian rule from 1358 until 1797