Croatia: North VS. South

I met Mum in Zagreb and we stayed for 4 days. Zagreb is Croatia's capital and has a distinctly Austro Hungarian feel. The difference between here in Dalmatia and the North is huge. The culture, architecture, food, and even the language is different. I think it has to do with the fact that down here in Dubrovnik we are so Mediterranean. There isn't a lot of land you can build on because the sea is on one side and the mountains are on the other.  I think the best thing to do is show you what it looks like so here are a few pictures:

Houses in Dubrovnik are made more or less the same way with little to no ornamentation. This picture is from my balcony because I live halfway up the mountain. This is just Ploče neighborhood and an extreme example of what I described (the land and see squish). The other parts of Dubrovnik are wider but with the same problem.

Up in Zagreb there is way more land so buildings can be larger and taller.

The other difference is that Zagreb is much greener and Dubrovnik is dry and rocky.

Here are aerial views of both:

Dubrovnik: The green is mostly cypress type trees and scrub brush. You can see Old Town and Lokrum on the bottom right and to the left and behind Old Town stretches the rest of the city. Most tourists don't go further then Old Town so the rest of the city has a very local feel.

Zagreb: You can see that the city is stretched out much farther and has lots and lots of space. That green is all lush grass, trees, and bushes. The kind that need lots of water and rich soil.

Here are some pictures of Zagreb's greenery from the ground.