Splavom od Zagreba do Crnog mora

Marino Zurl’s Splavom od Zagreba do Crnog mora recounts an unusual undertaking by two young journalists. In 1958, Zurl and his colleague Nenad Gol leave Zagreb on a raft, intending to reach the Black Sea by river. Their actual journey provides the foundation for an adventure narrative driven by journalistic curiosity and a desire to explore.

Travelling along the Sava and the Danube, they connect their starting point with the Danube region and a distant coastal destination. Seen from the water, landscapes and settlements acquire a different perspective, while the journey offers opportunities to encounter people and life along the rivers. At its heart are the experiences of travellers choosing an unconventional means of transport and a departure from everyday routines.

Combining documentary travel writing with the appeal of adventure, the book introduces younger readers to the possibilities of river travel. It also offers a glimpse of travelling in the late 1950s, before today’s communications and planning tools. Zurl’s undertaking invites readers to imagine how waterways close to a familiar city can lead towards distant shores.