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<strong>Press</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
Croatian National Tourist Board<br />
PREFERRED DESTINATION OF THE YEAR <strong>2011</strong>/2012<br />
Iblerov trg 10/IV<br />
10 000 Zagreb, Croatia<br />
Phone + 385 (1) 4699 333<br />
Fax + 385 (1) 4557 827<br />
E-mail info@htz.hr<br />
Web www.croatia.hr
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
are brought to us by boaters which is more than 10 percent of the<br />
total tourism revenue. We will therefore continue to strive, as much as<br />
possible, to meet their needs when it comes to infrastructure and the<br />
construction of a marina for mega-yachts, as well as raise the quality of<br />
service and safety at sea.<br />
Croatia is among the most desirable destinations for camping in Europe. As<br />
we are aware of the fact that camping is a lifestyle and a trend in tourism,<br />
next year we will strive to increase the number and quality of the campsites<br />
and their facilities. Indeed, campers are guests who are most concerned<br />
about preserving nature, which, in modern terms of climate change and<br />
pollution, is very important to maintain competitiveness.<br />
READY FOR NEW CHALLENGES<br />
Despite the crisis in the global market, Croatia’s tourist season 2010 finished<br />
with impressive results, increasing the number of nights as well as the total<br />
number of guests who visited our country. We are aware that this trend can<br />
only continue with new investments in better quality of accommodation<br />
and additional facilities as well as friendly, professional people who are the<br />
‘key to success’ in tourism. Croatia will therefore in <strong>2011</strong> continue to be a<br />
contender for a high quality lifestyle destination with a special emphasis<br />
on environmental preservation. All of the above will help it retain its status<br />
as one of the leading tourist countries in the Mediterranean, which will<br />
almost certainly contribute to Croatia entering the European Union.<br />
Among the biggest benefits of Croatian tourist destinations is the fact<br />
that we are almost the last unharmed, beautiful part of the European<br />
Mediterranean, which has long been in the tourism industry, and has<br />
managed to preserve authenticity, ambience and lifestyle. In addition,<br />
among the main ‘advantages’ are, without a doubt, a good enological and<br />
gastronomic offer and extremely valuable cultural and natural heritage.<br />
Visitors to Croatia are especially attracted to warmth, spontaneity and<br />
hospitality of their hosts and the fact that tourists in our country do not<br />
reside in specially designated areas, but together with the local population.<br />
Next year we plan to attract even more visitors eager for a rich cultural and<br />
natural heritage, which in Croatia is best illustrated by charming, urban<br />
centers and picturesque and authentic villages, great variety of landscapes<br />
and natural beauty. Moreover, there is still a large number of unknown<br />
places and attractions that have yet to be discovered in our country.<br />
Great advantage of Croatian tourism are its strategic position and good<br />
road infrastructure, which allow one to drive by car from most European<br />
countries up to Croatian destinations. This is supported by the size of Croatia<br />
which is ideal for a weeklong tour - the average length of stay of foreign<br />
tourists in our country. However, there are also a mild and pleasant climate<br />
and diverse cultural and eno-gastronomic program for touring throughout<br />
most of the year. Thanks to these advantages and with our innovative and<br />
creative approach we aim to get into the five top European destinations of<br />
cultural tourism.<br />
Another advantage of Croatia are its numerous islands, of which there<br />
are more than a thousand and which are widely recognized as ‘nautical<br />
paradise’. This confirms the fact that around 800 million Euros a year<br />
Although the Adriatic is ‘a major media star’, our country is so diverse that<br />
we can surprise the world with many more trumps.<br />
From season to season, the continental part of Croatia, the hinterland<br />
of the coastal regions and the interior of the islands enrich the tourist<br />
facilities with their original offer - from the cultural, historical and natural<br />
heritage to the indigenous foods and beverages that are the foundation<br />
of a successful eco-ethno tourism.<br />
Thanks to the abundance of thermal and medicinal springs and a long<br />
tradition of medical tourism, which are associated with the beginnings<br />
of tourism in Croatia, we continue to enrich the offer with various forms<br />
of medical, preventive and wellness programs in inland and coastal parts<br />
of the country.The potentials of Croatian wellness are aromatherapy,<br />
authentic essential oils, extracts of indigenous medicinal plants, mineral<br />
water and mud as well as the organic healthy food combined with unique<br />
wellness therapies, inspired by Mediterranean and exotic cultures.<br />
However, despite excellent results, we are ready to welcome the new<br />
tourism year and be competitive on the market as we are among the first<br />
countries that adopted the ‘Action Plan’ for <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
In addition to general advertising, in <strong>2011</strong> we will implement an even<br />
more extensive program of joint advertising, based on public-private<br />
partnership. The advertising of Croatian tourism will be implemented<br />
through 12 models of advertising through promotional campaigns,<br />
and /or through promotional sales channels of organisers of tours (tour<br />
operators and travel agencies) and air carriers, giving an advantage to<br />
advertising the programs which include organized air, coach and railway<br />
transport in the pre and postseason.<br />
Special advertising models are defined for domestic tourism, particularly<br />
the promotion of non-traditional tourism in touristically undeveloped<br />
continental and other areas.<br />
Also, among the plans are the establishing of a central online search<br />
engine for the Croatian tourist offer and the continued policy of liberalization<br />
of visa regimes with the countries which express the demand<br />
for travel to Croatia.<br />
Minister of Tourism and President of Croatian Tourist Board<br />
Damir Bajs<br />
1
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
I. CROATIA IN THE TOURIST SEASON 2010..............................................................................................................................................3<br />
II. CROATIAN TREASURES ......................................................................................................................................................................4<br />
III. CROATIA ON THE MAP..................................................................................................................................................................... 6<br />
IV. PEOPLE, TRADITIONS AND ATTRIBUTES: What Others Say About Us................................................................................................... 10<br />
V. GASTRONOMY AND ENOLOGY.......................................................................................................................................................... 13<br />
VI. NATURAL AND CULTURALLY-HISTORICAL SITES.................................................................................................................................. 15<br />
VII. TOURIST OFFER............................................................................................................................................................................25<br />
SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION (golf…)..............................................................................................................25<br />
NAUTICAL TOURISM...........................................................................................................................................................26<br />
CONGRESS TOURISM..........................................................................................................................................................28<br />
CULTURAL TOURISM...........................................................................................................................................................28<br />
ADVENTURE TOURISM........................................................................................................................................................32<br />
WELLNESS AND HEALTH TOURISM.......................................................................................................................................38<br />
NATURISM.........................................................................................................................................................................39<br />
RELIGIOUS TOURISM......................................................................................................................................................... 40<br />
RURAL AND ECO TOURISM.................................................................................................................................................. 41<br />
VIII. ACCOMMODATION CAPACITIES.....................................................................................................................................................44<br />
HOTELS AND SMALL FAMILY HOTELS ....................................................................................................................................44<br />
PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION............................................................................................................................................... 46<br />
CAMPS............................................................................................................................................................................. 46<br />
IX. INVESTMENTS.............................................................................................................................................................................. 48<br />
X. A MAGNET FOR CELEBRITIES............................................................................................................................................................57<br />
XI. INTRODUCING CROATIA THROUGH REGIONS – THE MUST-SEE PLACES (a list of the best that each region has to offer)..........................58<br />
ZAGREB ............................................................................................................................................................................58<br />
CENTRAL CROATIA............................................................................................................................................................. 60<br />
SLAVONIJA.........................................................................................................................................................................62<br />
LIKA – KARLOVAC............................................................................................................................................................... 64<br />
KVARNER.......................................................................................................................................................................... 66<br />
ISTRIA.............................................................................................................................................................................. 68<br />
DALMATIA – ZADAR............................................................................................................................................................70<br />
DALMATIA – ŠIBENIK...........................................................................................................................................................72<br />
DALMATIA – SPLIT.............................................................................................................................................................. 74<br />
DALMATIA – DUBROVNIK....................................................................................................................................................76<br />
XII. TOURISM STATISTICS.....................................................................................................................................................................79<br />
XIII. List of offices.......................................................................................................................................................................... 86<br />
2
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
I. CROATIA IN THE TOURIST SEASON 2010<br />
Croatian tourist indicators of 2010, a year marked by the global<br />
recession, have surpassed all expectations and the good results<br />
are best described by the fact that every 50 th European tourist is a<br />
tourist of Croatia.<br />
Data of the World Economic Forum shows that in the past three years<br />
Croatia has moved up four places on the tourism competitiveness<br />
list, from 38 th to 34 th place out of 133 countries in total, surpassing<br />
two countries in the region – Hungary and Slovakia, but also its<br />
competitors in the Mediterranean – Israel, Tunisia.<br />
Furthermore, the latest information from the World Tourism<br />
Organisation, according to the results for the third quarter, shows<br />
that Europe has achieved a rate of growth of 2.6 percent, the<br />
Mediterranean of 2.1 percent and Croatia of 4.5 percent.<br />
By doing so, Croatia has achieved its goal for 2010 and kept an<br />
increased market share on the European market. Congruent to<br />
this, Croatian results are almost three quarters better than the<br />
European average and two times better than the results of other<br />
countries on the Mediterranean. For the third year running we have<br />
surpassed our competitor countries and achieved top results with<br />
total numbers of tourist arrivals and overnight stays.<br />
This year once again, the largest numbers of tourists on our coast<br />
were German, Slovenian, Italian, Austrian, Czech and Polish, from<br />
which a decrease in the number of arrivals was only noted in Italian<br />
tourists, which was to be expected considering the economic<br />
situation, while other markets noted increases in arrivals and<br />
overnight stays.<br />
Good results were achieved by almost all the coastal counties,<br />
especially the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, where 8 percent more<br />
arrivals and 12 percent more overnight stays were noted in the first<br />
ten months of 2010. Apart from this there was also an increase in<br />
the number of arrivals from cruise ships, but also of the so called<br />
“avio” guests. Along with that, there was also a 6 percent increase<br />
in organized tour trips to our country.<br />
An indicator that Croatia will carry on achieving good results is<br />
the fact that in <strong>2011</strong>, 239 552 million kunas from the country’s<br />
budget will go towards the tourism industry, which is 5.7 percent<br />
more than in 2010. The largest part of this money will be aimed<br />
at promotion where 132 million kunas will be invested, which is 7<br />
percent more than in 2010.<br />
In <strong>2011</strong>, Croatia will work on keeping the aquired positions on the<br />
international market, with a special accent on promotion on the<br />
western markets and the strengthening of its position in the area of<br />
the so called “New Europe”, but also on positioning itself on some<br />
new European and outer European markets. The hard work of the<br />
Croatian Tourist Board’s Tokyo office has paid off and this is proven<br />
by the fact that more Japanese tourists visited Croatia in 2010, than<br />
Portugal and Greece together. The mentioned office received an<br />
award for being the best foreign representative office in Japan.<br />
3
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
II. CROATIAN TREASURES<br />
Croatia is a country of rich cultural and historical heritage and<br />
natural beauty, whose national and natural treasures are not only<br />
shown through numerous museums, galleries, churches, national<br />
and nature parks, which are monuments of the highest category<br />
and examples of exceptional beauty that make an important<br />
chapter in the UNESCO list of world heritage, but our historical<br />
and natural goods are visible almost every step of the way. If you<br />
follow the entangled white stone streets and ‘kaletas’ (tiny, narrow<br />
streets), sail through the exceptional sea archipelago and lively<br />
ports of the coastal towns of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia or climb<br />
the green hairpin-bends of Central Croatia to the fairytail forts and<br />
castles, every step of the way is guaranteed to bring another new<br />
experience.<br />
The uniqueness of our country is the fact that its teritory is a gracious<br />
intersection of as many as four cultural circles which complement each<br />
other – the spirit of Eastern and Western Europe, Central Europe and<br />
the Mediterranean. Croatia is a country of urban culture that counts<br />
more towns than any other part of the Mediterranean. Speaking of<br />
the centuries old history are hundreds of medieval churches with<br />
characteristic frescos and fascinating wattle reliefs. With nine of its<br />
cultural phenomena Croatia has become the country with the most<br />
protected non-material herritage in Europe, while in the world, the only<br />
countires with a longer list are China, Japan and Korea. Listed on the<br />
UNESCO list of non-material heritage are: lace making in Croatia; the<br />
two-part narrow interval singing of Istria and the Croatian coastal area;<br />
Festa of St. Vlaho, the patron saint of Dubrovnik; the annual spring<br />
procession of the queen Ljelja from Gorjani; the annual procession of<br />
the bell ringers from the area of Kastavština; the procession of the cross<br />
on the island of Hvar; the skill of making traditional wooden children’s<br />
toys from the area of Croatian Zagorje; Sinjska Alka – the knight’s<br />
tournament in Sinj; the skill of making licitars (decorative souvenirs)<br />
form the area of northern Croatia.<br />
New Tendencies and the Preserved<br />
Cultural Tradition<br />
Besides nurturing and preserving its traditional culture, Croatia<br />
keeps pace with new trends in music, film, theater and other arts<br />
through many events and festivals. Year after year, hundreds of festivals<br />
throughout the Croatian coast and inland attract more and<br />
more fans from home and abroad with their extensive and imaginative<br />
programs which take place in beautiful natural surroundings<br />
or in the centuries-old, historical palaces. Reviewers of reputable<br />
global media and tourist guides have in recent years printed much<br />
praise of the ‘open-air culture’ in Croatia, starting with the Dubrovnik<br />
Summer Festival within the walls of the Old Town and Split<br />
Summer Festival in Diocletian’s Palace which have both been taking<br />
place for the last fifty years, through to the Motovun Film Festival<br />
set on the hill of this Medieval town and the Pula Film Festival<br />
in the beautiful Arena, as well as the critically acclaimed festivals of<br />
electronic and pop-rock music. Numerous other cultural events that<br />
take place before or after the summer season have also recieved<br />
praise and international recognition.<br />
Because of its high cultural potential and in order to succeed in its<br />
quest to become one of the top 5 cultural destinations in Europe,<br />
Croatia has compiled an Ordinance granting quality labels in cultural<br />
tourism called ‘Doživi Hrvatsku - Experience Croatia’. The mentioned<br />
grade will be awarded in four categories: cultural destinations,<br />
cultural facilities, cultural events and cultural itineraries.<br />
The offer of cultural tourism is enriched and highly contributed<br />
to our valuable gastronomic and ethnological offer. The Croatian<br />
village, as a keeper of tradition, plays an important role here.<br />
Croatian rural areas have noted visible development in special forms<br />
of tourism – the production of indigenous and traditional products,<br />
4
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
the protection and preservation of natural and cultural heritage,<br />
traditional costumes and folk traditions as well as gastronomic<br />
specialities made from organic ingredients and wine cellars with<br />
indigenous wine sorts. In the past few years rural tourism has raised<br />
the quality and comfort of accommodation in traditional houses<br />
and came up with numerous content: from museums with ethno<br />
collections through to the possibility of recreation and relaxation.<br />
Bio-diversity and Sustainable Development<br />
Because it is located on the crossroads of several bio-geographic<br />
regions, Croatia is an area of above average diversity of land, sea<br />
and underground habitats; this is a rare European landscape, which<br />
on such a small space boasts as many as 8 national parks and 11<br />
nature parks. The untouched natural landcape and the rich flora<br />
and fauna represent a great itinerary for ecologic tourism.<br />
Along with the rich cultural history, the diversity of landscape from<br />
plains to high mountains and sea, Croatia represents an ideal place<br />
for adventure lovers. Unique landscape of the sea side, beautiful<br />
well-indented coast, bays, pine wood beaches, picturesque towns<br />
scattered along the coast and a thousand islands simply mesmerize<br />
with their uniqueness. The Croatian coast and the depths of the<br />
blue sea rich with flora and fauna uncover the miraculous world of<br />
centuries gone by, from ancient amphorae to sunken gallies and<br />
ships wrecked in the winds of the two world wars. This makes it a<br />
true haven for sailors and divers.<br />
Rest and Relaxation: Something for Everybody<br />
Because of the beautiful beaches, where everyone can find a bathing<br />
spot to suit their taste – whether looking for good time, romance or<br />
a quiet family vacation – the Croatian coast has been listed as a top<br />
destination in the past few years by the world’s media.<br />
Naturism is a way of life that nurtures the body, and sport and a<br />
healthy lifestyle play an important role in taday’s life. Croatia had<br />
already recognized the imporatance of naturism in 1953, when this<br />
was a brave step to take considering the moral norms of that time.<br />
It is estimated that 15 percent of all visitors to Croatia are naturists.<br />
Croatia is the third nation in Europe by its capacities in naturist<br />
camps, while the Istrian Koversada is the first commercial naturist<br />
camp in Europe. Around ten Croatian camps are distinguished by<br />
their attractive and exceptionally preserved natural locations, usually<br />
on the sea front itself. Besides the beautiful and peaceful ambience,<br />
the thing that all Croatian naturist camps have in common is security<br />
and high standards. They boast a rich gastronomic and shopping<br />
offer and have many different sports and recreation facilities.<br />
Modern day Robinson Crusoes can, in Croatia, enjoy the pleasant<br />
solitude or company of friends, surrounded by the blue sea. Many<br />
of some fifty lighthouses perched on rocky outcrops and dangerous<br />
promontories have been abandoned, but some have been<br />
granted new life when they were converted into unique places for<br />
vacation. Twelve of them are currently on offer, ranging from those<br />
‘conventional’ ones situated in tourist centres to the ‘Robinson’<br />
ones found on the most remote islands and inaccessible locations.<br />
The lighthouses erected in hard to reach places are in direct contact<br />
with elementary nature: deep sea, hard rock, sparse vegetation. All<br />
are finely carved and monumentally designed so that they appear<br />
like temples to ancient gods.<br />
Altough Croatia is foremost mentioned as the country of a thousand<br />
islands, it is also a country of a thousand castles. Among them we<br />
can count the medieval feudal fortified castles, castles and manors<br />
of northern Croatia which were built after the Turkish wars, from the<br />
beginning of the 17 th century, and Renaissance summer houses and<br />
castles in southern Dalmatia, especially in the area of Dubrovnik.<br />
Croatian Zagorje is often attributed the biggest concentration of<br />
castles and manor houses in Europe. A large number of Zagorje<br />
castles date from the Baroque period and are reminiscent of the<br />
high level of architectural art in this area over the past centuries.<br />
5
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
III. CROATIA ON THE MAP<br />
Croatia is located in south-east Europe, between Central Europe<br />
and the Mediterranean. By its geographic position it is a Central<br />
European and Mediterranean or a Pannonian-Adriatic country.<br />
Croatia stretches in the shape of an arch from the river Danube in<br />
the north-east to Boka Kotarska in the far south and is divided into<br />
three large geographic regions: coastal, mountain and pannonian.<br />
The coastal region is made up of islands, coast and plain hinterland.<br />
The mountain area is the least inhabited and is made up of Lika<br />
and Gorski Kotar and characterized by a high karst belt with karst<br />
fields and river valleys. The Pannonian region is the largest and<br />
most densly inhabited, making it the most important agricultural<br />
part of Croatia.<br />
How to Reach Croatia?<br />
Croatia borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and<br />
Herzegovina and Montenegro, while the Adtiatic Sea separates it<br />
from Italy. Thanks to its favourable geographic position Croatia is a<br />
very popular destination for many European tourists.<br />
Croatia by Car<br />
www.hak.hr<br />
www.hac.hr<br />
www.bina-istra.hr<br />
When travelling to Croatia by car, during the summer months it<br />
is not unusual to come across traffic jams on borders, especially<br />
at weekends when tourists enter and leave our country in large<br />
numbers, so this has to be taken into consideration while planning<br />
a trip. To avoid the prolonged travelling and waiting in line it is<br />
advisable to get information about the situation on the roads and<br />
ferry traffic from the Croatian Auto Club (HAK), the information<br />
centre of HAK can be reached on: +385 1 4640 800; or through<br />
Croatian radio 2 – on the frequency 98.5 FM.<br />
Croatia has intensively worked on road development in the past<br />
ten years and the main Croatian cities are now connected with a<br />
network of motorways. At pay tolls it is possible to use the domestic<br />
currency – kunas, euros or credit cards as a means of paying. The<br />
two main traffic directions which connect the inland to the coast are<br />
Zagreb – Rijeka (A6) and Zagreb – Split (A1).<br />
The newley built motorway network enables visitors to travel easily<br />
and comfortably throughout Croatia and experience the beauty of<br />
its diversity.<br />
The motorway Zagreb – Split is 380 kilometers long and represents<br />
the main artery of Croatia because it connects the south of Croatia<br />
to the continent and vica-versa. After the two new tunnel pipes<br />
of the tunnels Mala Kapela and Sv. Rok were made available for<br />
traffic in June 2009, a car ride from Zagreb to Split should not<br />
take more than 4 hours and 15 minutes, even during the summer<br />
months. Mala Kapela is the longest tunnel on the Zagreb-Split<br />
motorway, the right tunnel being 5780 and the left tunnel 5821<br />
meters long. The left tunnel of Sv. Rok is 5679 meters in length<br />
and the right one measures 5670 meters. In 2010, as part of the<br />
international program of tunnel safety testing EuroTAP (European<br />
Tunnel Assesment Program), the tunnel Sv. Rok came in at excellent<br />
third place among strong competition of 26 tested tunnels from 13<br />
European countries. Contributing to the high grade of the tunnel<br />
Sv. Rok, whose other pipe was open in 2009, was the well trained<br />
tunnel staff, on call 24 hours a day. We can point out that the tunnel<br />
Brinje, which is also on the A1 motorway, was proclaimed the best<br />
tunnel in Europe in 2007.<br />
6
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Due to the unfavourable conditions of the financial crisis the<br />
construction of ‘Dalmatina’ (A1) on the section Vrgorac-Ploče was<br />
slown down. It is expected that the A1 motorway will be connected<br />
to the town and port of Ploče by the end of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
The motorway Rijeka-Zagreb is part of the European direction E65<br />
and part of the pan-European traffic corridor 5b. It is extremely<br />
important for the development of tourism and economy, and based<br />
on the frequency of traffic, the most profitable Croatian motorway.<br />
In March 2010, the Hungarian part of the 5c corridor almost reached<br />
the Hungarian-Croatian border, with only around 20 kilometers<br />
missing.This has significantly shortened the travel time for a part<br />
of Hungarian tourists, so thanks to the excellent road infrastructure<br />
Rijeka can be reached from Budapest by car in less than five hours.<br />
The last section of the motorway Ljubljana-Bregana was made<br />
available for traffic from 30 June 2010. After many years of planning,<br />
this will finally put an end to jams and queues on the border crossing<br />
between Slovenia and Croatia. It is important to remember that<br />
Slovenia has implemented seven day vignettes at a price of 15 euros.<br />
The Istrian Y<br />
The construction works of the connecting road on the Istrian Y from<br />
Peličetij to Pomer, which is to be 8 kilometres in length, with an<br />
investment value of around 170 million kunas, have started in September<br />
2010. The estimated time of construction is 13 months. To<br />
establish a better traffic flow towards the entrance to Pula, before<br />
the tourist season, the first, 5 km long section, from Pula to the<br />
crossing with the road to Medulin, will be opened before 1 June<br />
<strong>2011</strong>.The road has three functions: it serves as an access road towards<br />
the south part of Istria; as a circulating road around the<br />
town of Pula which is frequently jammed with traffic and finally it<br />
serves as a “privileged itinerary” for tourist traffic moving towards<br />
Premantura, Medulin and Ližnjan. There is no doubt that this road<br />
will disencumber the entrance to Pula and significantly lessen traffic<br />
jams that occur during the season at entrances to the city.<br />
A part of the full profile of the 2A section of the Istrian Y phase was<br />
opened on 20 June 2010, 19 months before schedule. This is the<br />
motorway from Pula to Kanfanar, 28 kilometers in length. It is a<br />
section that has three intersections: Vodnjan-north, Vodnjan-south<br />
and Pula and 27 underpasses or overpasses. The investment value<br />
of this Istrian Y section is 86 million euros, while the whole Second<br />
A phase, which along with the sections Pula-Kanfanar and Umag-<br />
Kanfanar (49.2 km) and Kanfanar-Rogovići (18 km) amounts to<br />
320 million euros.<br />
The contractor has announced that another 50km of the Istrian Y<br />
motorway will be put into traffic by <strong>2011</strong> tourist season and by the<br />
end of the year, another 18km of motorway. A new rating system<br />
will be implemented after the full construction of the motorway – a<br />
closed system of charging. The user will in this case pay only for the<br />
length of the motorway he has travelled on.<br />
Croatia by Coach<br />
www.akz.hr<br />
A very large network of bus lines connects all parts of the country.<br />
There are regular international bus lines that connect Croatia with all<br />
the neighbouring countries as well as Switzerland, France, Germany<br />
and Slovakia. From the bus terminal in Trieste there are daily bus lines<br />
for Croatia throughout the year (Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Šibenik, Split,<br />
Dubrovnik). There is also a year round weekly bus line from Prag to<br />
Zagreb and the line Prag- Zadar-Šibenik-Split every 14 days.<br />
Bus connections between larger cities are pretty frequent, as are<br />
the regional lines.The most frequent bus terminal in Croatia in the<br />
Bus Station in Zagreb.<br />
Air Transport<br />
www.airport-dubrovnik.hr<br />
www.split-airport.hr<br />
www.zadar-airport.hr<br />
www.osijek-airport.hr<br />
www.airport-pula.hr<br />
www.zagreb-airport.hr<br />
www.airport-rijeka.hr<br />
Croatia can be reached by air from almost every part of the world.<br />
International airports in Croatia are in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik,<br />
Osijek, Zadar, Rijeka, and Pula, and in Brač and Lošinj only during<br />
the summer season.<br />
Sport airports in Croatia are in Zagreb, Čakovec, Slavonski Brod, Rijeka,<br />
Vrsar, Mali Lošinj, Sinj, Otočac, Čepin, Ivanić Grad, Koprivnica,<br />
Brač, Pula and Varaždin.<br />
Croatia Airlines, the Croatian national airline connects Croatia with<br />
numerous European cities. Along with Croatia Airlines, air connection<br />
to Croatia is maintained by over thirty airliners such as British<br />
Airways, Lufthansa, SkyService Airline, Iberia, STERLING, SAS, Delta,<br />
TAP Portugal, Austrian Airlines, Spain Air, Alitalia, Turkish Airlines,<br />
Malev, Air France, Aeroflot and CZA.<br />
During the spring, summer and autumn there are 16 low budget<br />
airlines flying towards Croatia, which connect Croatian cities with<br />
around eighty European destinations. Some of them that stand out<br />
are: Germanwings, Happag Lloyd Express, Clickair, Norwegian Air<br />
Shutlle, Wizz Air, Flyglobespan, Flybe, Thomsonfly, Easyjet, Ryanair<br />
and EstonianAir. Germanwings has the largest number of flights to<br />
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Croatia, followed by the German TUIfly, the Hungarian Wizz Air, NorwegianAir,<br />
the British easyJet and the Irish Ryanair.<br />
Apart from this, Croatia is connectd to many cities of the world by<br />
numerous charter flights. The Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian<br />
Tourist Board are placing special emphasis on a program intended<br />
for airliners ‘Wings of Croatia’, which is designed to encourage the<br />
inclusion of Croatian destinations in organized air transport during<br />
the main season as well as off season.<br />
All Croatian airports have noted an increased trade, some as much<br />
as 60-70 percent. Split Airport had the most flights in the summer<br />
season of 2010, when it was connected to 35 European cities. It<br />
was followed by Dubrovnik Airport where the airlines connected 29<br />
destinations. The airport in Zadar does not fall behind Split and Dubrovnik<br />
and has been achieving better results from year to year after<br />
its post war renovation. When we talk about low budget ailines,<br />
we have to mention Ryanair, which has been the number one airliner<br />
at Zadar airport with its 11 destinations in 2010.<br />
The announcments of airliners for the season of <strong>2011</strong> are good:<br />
Thomas Cook UK is returning to Istria and Dalmatia with flights to<br />
Pula and Split respectively. EasyJet will start flying to Zagreb from<br />
February, and British Airways flies daily to Dubrovnik from April.<br />
From the summer of <strong>2011</strong> Blue1 will have flights to Pula. The first<br />
guests from Finland will be arriving to Pula with this airliner from<br />
the 28 May, and regular flights will be connecting Pula and Helsinki<br />
until the 3 September <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Europe’s leading low fares airline easyJet has added Zagreb to its<br />
network of destinations in November 2010. Since early November<br />
flights have been scheduled four times a week from the capital<br />
of Croatia to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, and it has been announced<br />
that there will be five flights a week connecting Zagreb to<br />
London Gatwick airport starting in mid February <strong>2011</strong>. EasyJet has<br />
been flying to Split and Dubrovnik for some time now.<br />
Osijek airport has recently announced that the Irish low budget<br />
airline Ryanair will continue to connect Osijek and Frankfurt in<br />
Germany from the beginning of the summer season in May <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Last year, around 7000 passengers arrived on 50 Ryanair flights to<br />
the airport in Osijek, between the beginning of May and the end<br />
of October. A somewhat larger number of passengers flew in the<br />
opposite direction, making an increase of around nine percent in<br />
comparison to the previous year.<br />
From summer <strong>2011</strong>, Dubrovnik, one of the most attractive Croatian<br />
tourist destinations, should be linked to Venice and Athens by Croatia<br />
Airlines flights. Two flights per week are planned for Venice and<br />
as many as three flights per week for Athens.<br />
Croatia by Train<br />
www.hznet.hr<br />
A railway connects all the larger Croatian cities, apart from Dubrovnik.<br />
There are direct lines for Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Greece,<br />
Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and<br />
Montenegro. There are also lines to most other European countries<br />
but they are not direct.<br />
A train trip from Munish to Rijeka will, for example, last 9 hours<br />
while Vienna to Rijeka will take about 5 hours.<br />
The types of trains operating in Croatia are: Eurocity (EC), InterCity<br />
(IC), express (Ex), fast (B) and local trains.<br />
In August of 2010 Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia signed a declaration<br />
in Belgrade, in which they support the founding of a joint railway<br />
company which will enable competitiveness on the market for the<br />
railways of the three countries. On the relation Ljubljana - Zagreb<br />
- Belgrade - Dimitrovgrad – Istanbul there are currently 700 trains,<br />
while on the corridor number 4, which runs through Hungary, there<br />
are seven thousand trains. The joint railway company aims to improve<br />
the organization of transport.<br />
In August of 2010 Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia signed a declaration<br />
in Belgrade, in which they support the founding of a joint railway<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
company which will enable competitiveness on the market for the<br />
railways of the three countries. On the relation Ljubljana - Zagreb<br />
- Belgrade - Dimitrovgrad – Istanbul there are currently 700 trains,<br />
while on the corridor number 4, which runs through Hungary,<br />
there are seven thousand trains. The joint railway company aims to<br />
improve the organization of transport.<br />
All information about train time tables can be obtained by contacting<br />
the free number 060 333 444 or via the Internet site of the Croatian Railways:<br />
www.hznet.hr.<br />
Eurocity, Intercity and Euronight trains:<br />
EC ‘Mimara’: Zagreb – Villach – Frankfurt – Zagreb<br />
EC ‘Croatia’: Zagreb – Vienna – Zagreb (through Slovenia)<br />
EN ‘Venezia’: Venice – Zagreb – Budapest<br />
(Moscow, Kiev, Bukurest) – Venice<br />
IC ‘Zagreb’: Zagreb – Vienna (through Hungary) – Zagreb<br />
IC ‘Sava’: Belgrade – Zagreb – Villach – München – Belgrade<br />
IC ‘Kvarner’: Zagreb - Budapest – Zagreb<br />
IC ‘Drava’: Budapest – Osijek – Sarajevo – Budapest<br />
Fast trains:<br />
‘Lisinski’: Zagreb – München – Zagreb (night train)<br />
‘Maestral’: Zagreb – Budapest – Zagreb<br />
(Moscow, Kiev, St. Petersburg)<br />
Zagreb – Villach - Zagreb<br />
Belgrade – Zagreb – Zürich – Belgrade<br />
‘Nikola Tesla’: Zagreb – Belgrade – Zagreb<br />
Vinkovci – Banja Luka - Vinkovci<br />
Zagreb – Sarajevo – Ploče – Zagreb<br />
Zagreb – Sarajevo – Zagreb (night train)<br />
Ploče – Sarajevo – Ploče<br />
Villach – Zagreb – Belgrade – Villach (night train)<br />
‘Opatija’: Rijeka – Ljubljana – Rijeka (München, Vienna)<br />
‘Ljubljana’: Rijeka - Ljubljana (Vienna) – Rijeka<br />
Seasonal trains:<br />
Ljubljana – Pula – Ljubljana<br />
Budapest – Zagreb – Split – Budapest (night train)<br />
Special trains:<br />
Belgrade – Rijeka – Belgrade<br />
(June-September, week-ends, night train)<br />
Belgrade – Knin – Split – Belgrade<br />
(June-September, week-ends, night train)<br />
Prague – Split – Prague<br />
Tel: +385 (0)1 4573 208<br />
E-mail: posebni.vlakovi@hznet.hr<br />
<strong>Info</strong>rmation: 060 333 444<br />
By Boat or Ferry<br />
www.jadrolinija.hr<br />
www.splittours.hr<br />
www.blueline-ferries.com<br />
www.snav.it<br />
www.venezialines.com<br />
www.emiliaromagnalines.it<br />
www.azzurraline.com<br />
Periodic travel and ferry lines operate between Italian (Venice, Trieste,<br />
Ancona, Oescara and Bari) and Croatian ports.<br />
From late May to late September the coastal ferry line connects Rijeka<br />
and Dubrovnik to the docks in Split, Stari Grad on the island of Hvar and<br />
Sobra on Mljet. From <strong>2011</strong> instead of ‘Jadrolinija’s’ ferry ‘Marco Polo’ will<br />
be replaced by ‘Liburnija’ feribot. The cruise from Rijeka to the southern<br />
part of the coast is a good solution for drivers who wish to avoid a beautiful<br />
but tiring drive along the coast. If you have driven from afar, the<br />
ferry is the ideal place to relax before reaching your destination.<br />
All the ports, including the ones on the fifty inhabited islands, are reachable<br />
by regular ferry and boat connections. The frequency of all ferry<br />
connectiond increases during the summer season.<br />
The main Croatian shipping company, Jadrolinija, operates all the ferry<br />
and boat lines in Croatia and throughout the year sails from Zadar and<br />
Split to Ancona as well as from Dubrovnik to Bari. The ferries sail from<br />
three to seven days a week depending on the season.<br />
Blue Line agency holds concessions for some ferry crossings in Croatia.<br />
From 2010 the Blue Line fleet is richer for ‘Regina Della Pace’, a ferry which<br />
sails throughout the year, minimum three times a week between Split<br />
and Ancona and maintains the seasonal lines between Ancona and Hvar.<br />
Sailing into Croatian harbours in the summer period are Italian ship owners<br />
such as SNAV, Venezia Lines, Emilia Romagna Lines and Azzurra Lines.<br />
All the information about seasonal shipping lines can be found on<br />
the website of the Agency for coastal line sea traffic:<br />
www.agencija-zolpp.hr<br />
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IV. PEOPLE, TRADITIONS AND ATRIBUTTES: What others<br />
say about us<br />
Ever since the prestige world tourist guide Lonely Planet<br />
proclaimed Croatia the most popular destination a few years<br />
ago, it has become a favourite tourist site of all the world media<br />
which portray it as an untouched natural pearl and top lifestyle<br />
destination of rich cultural heritage.<br />
Different to the first articles and promotions which only praised<br />
the most famous coastal destinations, in the past few years the<br />
beautiful Croatian inland has been mentioned more and more. It is<br />
especially gratifying that the documentary with the most beautiful<br />
shots of the whole of Croatia, under the title ‘Wow Croatia’ was<br />
awarded with the prestigious American Emmy award.<br />
During 2010, three Croatian national parks found themselves on<br />
the list of the 100 most beautiful in the world, according to the<br />
website TimelessEarth.net. Along Plitvice Lakes, whose beauty and<br />
value was recognized by UNESCO which incuded them on the list of<br />
protected world heritage in 1979, we also have Brijuni and Mljet.<br />
Plitvice lakes found themselves on the list of the top ten most<br />
beautiful lakes in the world according to the magazine Budget<br />
Travel, which thinks that the 16 blue-green lakes of Plitvice, with<br />
hundreds of waterfalls and dense vegetation, could serve as a<br />
shooting location of the sequal of the Hollywood hit Jurassic Park.<br />
Even the Croatian capital Zagreb was characerized as an ideal<br />
weekend destination and an artistic centre of the region in the<br />
reports of the daily French newspaper ’Le Figaro’, primarily thanks<br />
to its new Museum of Modern Art. Zagreb is described as a<br />
perfectly preserved city which balances skilfully between Slavic and<br />
Mediterranean influences.<br />
Zagreb was described as a city of good vibrations, hospitality,<br />
warm atmpsphere and Mediterranean feel by EuropeanCityCards.<br />
com, the website of the well known European association<br />
European City Marketing.<br />
The Australian Sun-Herald has also praised Zagreb, especially the<br />
luxury hotel Esplanade which it called the triumph of art deco.<br />
Top Hotels<br />
The British Sunday Times has included four Croatian hotels among<br />
the top one hundred European hotels. On the list of the most<br />
desirable small hotels in Europe, which stand out with charm, style<br />
and an unusual character, the individual approach to their guests<br />
and beautifully designed interiors, were four Dalmatian pearls –<br />
Vestibul Palace in Split, Riva in Hvar, Lešić Dimitri Palace in Korčula<br />
and Bellevue in Dubrovnik.<br />
On their list of the most beautiful and desirable villas on the<br />
Mediterranean, the same newspaper included five Croatian holiday<br />
houses. These are the Dubrovnik Poet’s House, the villas Maruka<br />
and Dol on Brač, Kapetanova Kuća in Viganj on Pelješac and<br />
Kamena villa above Podgora.<br />
Furthermore, the Poreč all-inclusive hotels Valamar Club Tamaris<br />
and Valamar Tamaris Residence are this year’s laureates of TUI<br />
Holly 2010, the most prestige prize awarded by one of the world’s<br />
largest tour operators TUI.<br />
The members of the world’s largest travel portal Trip Advisor (10<br />
Best Travel Secrets) included the Poreč Valamar Club Tamaris among<br />
the ten best hotels in the world that are not yet familiar to world<br />
travellers and that should certainly be visited and experienced.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
The Beautiful Coast and Islands<br />
Korea Times proclaimed Dubrovnik as ‘A jewel of the Adriatic Sea’<br />
and the whole of Croatia - the Mediterranean Miss World and one<br />
of the safest countries in Europe where tourists can freely walk<br />
around, without any danger at any time of night and day.<br />
The editor of the prestige Financial Times, Alec Russell, compared<br />
today’s Dubrovnik to its hardest moments during war occupation<br />
and concluded that its beauties have not been destroyed by the<br />
aggressor or the large numbers of tourists who visit.<br />
The British monthly travel and lifestyle magazine ‘Conde Nast<br />
Traveller’ published a five page report about Dubrovnik under<br />
the title “Croatian treasure: Visit the beautiful Dubrovnik – a city<br />
by the sea” with the conclusion that “Dubrovnik is once again a<br />
chic destination”.<br />
The British Guardian has, on its internet edition, positioned<br />
Dubrovnik at the fourth place among the top ten destinations<br />
for a holiday in September, in the first days of the post season<br />
period of 2010.<br />
The beauties of Dubrovnik but also its top accommodation and<br />
facilities have been praised by the Belgian magazine ’Travel 2’,<br />
while the British Daily Telegraph, in its magazine Ultra Travel<br />
especially praises Dubrovnik’s architecture, which it describes as<br />
’inspiration for the soul’.<br />
The magazine CIT (Conference & Incentive Travel) presents Dubrovnik<br />
as a ’hot spot’ for congresses and business meetings and<br />
gives an overview of a string of hotels that successfully organize all<br />
types of business meetings and gatherings.<br />
The Spanish ‘Hispanic Meeting & Travel’ published a postcard of<br />
Dubrovnik on its cover with the title ‘Going Global’. According to<br />
this magazine Croatia is one of the most beautiful destinations of<br />
Central Europe with over a thousand islands.<br />
Dubrovnik has also found itself on the list of the respectable tourist<br />
guide Frommer’s among the top ten best cities for strolling.<br />
In 2010, The Mirror, one of the most popular British tabloids,<br />
dedicated a whole article to the Croatian coast in its ‘Travel’ section,<br />
which reads enthusiastically about the warm sea, the beautiful<br />
towns of Split, Zadar and Trogir, and all this ’less than three hours<br />
from Gatwick’, one of London’s airports.<br />
The list created by world travellers and published on the website<br />
travelandleisure.com points out Hvar as the favourite destination of<br />
the British jet-setters. This island was simoultaneously listed at fifth<br />
place among the ten best islands of the world, while the American<br />
magazine ‘Islands’ included the Croatian island Brač among the top<br />
ten most desirable islands to live on in the world.<br />
The Central Dalmatian island Vis, was included by Yahoo Traveller<br />
on the list of ten undiscovered dream islands. ’With its medieval<br />
villages, virgin bays, old ruins, olive groves and finest vineyards in<br />
Dalmatia, Vis is predetermined to become the next ‘hot spot’ for<br />
fun and entertainment on the Adriatic’, says Yahoo Traveller.<br />
In the British magazine Travel Weekly, Zadar was described as<br />
a place for sailing enthusiasts as well as everyone in search of a<br />
good holiday, especially lovers of good music. At the same time,<br />
according to the European on-line magazine for electronic music<br />
Resident Advisor, Zadar hosts the best summer festivals among<br />
which the most famous one is the Garden Festival.<br />
Under the title ‘Croatia – A Water Heaven’, the most famous and<br />
biggest weekley magazine in Taiwan ‘Yi Zhou Kan Magazine’<br />
(<strong>English</strong> transl. ‘Next Magazine’) has recently published a report<br />
about Croatia with the largest part dedicated to Šibenik, spread<br />
over five richly illustrated pages.<br />
The epitaph of a prestige destination was recently awarded to the<br />
island of Rab in the Spanish Gijon. Rab is the only coastal destination<br />
in Croatia and this part of Europe that has received this award for<br />
excellence. Several important segments of the destinations quality<br />
were graded.<br />
At the prestige international competition Rebrand 2010 Global<br />
Awards the branding of the city of Pula was pointed out as one<br />
of the best world transformations of an existing brand, while the<br />
island of Rab was given the international ‘QualityCoast’ award for<br />
best coastal destination.<br />
Top Sailing<br />
In its sailing programme called ‘Mansail’ the American TV station<br />
CNN described the Dalmatian coast as ‘Cote d’Azur of the east and<br />
the hidden jewel of the Mediterranean’, whilst recommending<br />
sailing lovers to visit it in the autumn, when tourist crowds subside<br />
and the weather is still warm.<br />
Hollywood stars Sean Connery, Gwyneth Paltrow and Pierce<br />
Brosnan have publically expressed their love of the Dalmatian<br />
coast, while Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone searched for an<br />
island to buy, states CNN.<br />
The Spanish specialized ‘Cruises News Media Group’ has proclaimed<br />
Croatia along with Turkey the best cruise ship destinations in 2009<br />
and awarded them an ‘Excellence Cruise Award’.<br />
On Frommer’s website Dubrovnik is recommended as one of the<br />
five most beautiful Mediterranean cruiser harbours.<br />
Beaches<br />
The beach Zlatni Rat on the island of Brač is one of the top five<br />
European beaches according to the British Daily Teleraph which<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
points out this sandy beach as one of the pearls of the Adriatic<br />
Sea. Along with Zlatni Rat, British reporters were impressed by<br />
several other Croatian beaches such as Usamljena Plaža (the Lonely<br />
Beach) in the vicinity of Rovinj, beach Medveja in Lovran, described<br />
as an ideal modern gathering place for a ‘family with style’ and<br />
Kraljičina Plaža (the Queen’s Beach) next to Nin with an almost<br />
three kilometre long sandy beach, which they recommended to<br />
their readers. Also on the list is Šunj Beach (on the island of Lopud)<br />
which makes an ideal hideout for all those who want to enjoy the<br />
sun and the sea without any disturbances.<br />
Zlatni Rat and the beach in Rovinj were praised by the inernet<br />
magazine Wild Junket, while the Bonj Beach in Hvar found itself<br />
in the elite company of the 20 most beautiful European beaches,<br />
according to the British intenet portal Timesonline.co.uk. This<br />
beauty of Hvar was described as a ‘supercool beach club’ on the<br />
trendiest Croatian island from which a beautiful view stretches<br />
onto the nearby Pakleni Otoci. The respected Irish magazine<br />
The Irish Times included the sandy beach in Porat bay in Buševo,<br />
among the top seven most beautiful beaches in the world, in a<br />
centrefold report.<br />
Good Forecasts for the Future<br />
Proving that the world media will not get bored of Croatia any time<br />
soon are the claims of the Loney Planet, which emphasises that<br />
Croatia is more popular than ever with numerous show business<br />
personalities coming to visit.<br />
This leading tourist brochure publisher mentioned Croatia in its first<br />
recommendations for <strong>2011</strong>, pointing out Istria as a romantic region<br />
which has to be visited.<br />
The British Times included Croatia on the list of top ten world<br />
destinations for a getaway from everyday life in the new decade<br />
and the low budget airline Jet2.com among its top destinations as<br />
a country that offers a combination of sun, sea and cultural events.<br />
Gastro<br />
American global TV station CNN has included Croatia among the four<br />
most exciting world gastronomy destinations. Here, Dalmatia founf<br />
itself in the company of the most interesting tourist destinations<br />
which also offer top quality culinary specialties – together with<br />
Andalusia in Spain, Burgundy in France and Patagonia in Chile.<br />
The Marunada (Chestnut festival) held in Lovran was recently<br />
included by the British Guardian among the best European<br />
gastro festivals for autumn 2010, while Croatian gastronomy was<br />
celebrated at the world’s professional chef competition ‘Istanbul<br />
Gastronomy Festival’, where the Croats won 12 medals.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
V. GASTRONOMY AND ENOLOGY<br />
A rich diversity of Croatia is guessed at by many who are guided<br />
by sophisticated flavours of its multitude of specialities. Indeed,<br />
while sitting at a table that serves dishes which contain the names<br />
of certain Croatian regions: Paški sir (Pag cheese), Slavonski<br />
kulen (Slavonian dry pork sausage), Drniški pršut (Drniš dry ham),<br />
Istarska supa (spiced, warm wine with baked torn bread), Cres<br />
lamb, Goranski želudac (stuffing made of bread, ham, bacon,<br />
onion and eggs), Kvarner scampi, Zagorje strudel, Ston oysters,<br />
Viška or Komiška pogača (pie stuffed with tomatoes, onions and<br />
salty sardines), međimurska gibanica (Medimurje pie)... The flavors<br />
of these dishes are very different but with a clear link – they are all<br />
Croatian and all perfection.<br />
Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and is known as the cuisine of<br />
the many regions. Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and<br />
ancient times. Differences in the choice of foods and ways of cooking<br />
are most notable when we compare the mainland and coastal<br />
regions. The continental cuisine was influenced by the earlier,<br />
Proto-Slavic roots and recent contacts with the well-known culinary<br />
schools - Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish. Meat products, freshwater<br />
fish and vegetables dominate this cuisine. Coastal region is<br />
characterized by the influence of the Greeks, Romans and Illyrians,<br />
and more recently Italian and French Mediterranean cuisine. It is<br />
characterized by a multitude of sea food prepared in various ways<br />
(fish, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, lobster ...), olive oil, ham,<br />
various vegetables and well-known wines.<br />
A Wide Palette of Quality Wines<br />
www.vinistra.com<br />
www.zagorskevinskeceste.net<br />
www.udruga-dingac.hr<br />
www.klaster-srijem.com<br />
www.vinum-croatica.hr<br />
www.udruga-brenta.hr<br />
www.kutjevacki-vinari.hr<br />
www.vinski-klub.hr<br />
As grape-vine breeding has been nurtured in this area since the<br />
ancient times, Croatia is rightly proud of its wide palette of wines.<br />
More than a thousand different wine labels are on offer, from which<br />
900 are with the protection and control of geographical origin.<br />
There are five viticulture zones in the world determined by the<br />
number of hours of sunshine and temperature. Croatia has each of<br />
them and the world’s first vine-growing nation France has four. The<br />
result of this diversity is a sumptuous wine mosaic from fresh, airy,<br />
fragrant and aromatic wines in the north, to strong, sweet and full<br />
boddied wines in the south.<br />
Viticulturally Croatia is separated into the continental and coastal<br />
regions, which are then separated into 12 sub-regions. The area<br />
of the coastal region stretches through Istria, along the Adriatic<br />
coast and the Dalmatian hinterland. The whole region is separated<br />
into four wine growing sub-regions: Istria and Croatian Primorje,<br />
Northern, Central and Southern Dalmatia and Dalmatian Zagora.<br />
There are a number of sub-regions in continental Croatia: in the<br />
northwest part there is Zagorje-Međimurje, Prigorje – Bilogora,<br />
Plešivica, Pokuplje and Moslavina, and in the northeast there is<br />
Slavonija and Podunavlje.<br />
Most widespread white variety in continental Croatia is Graševina<br />
(most similar to Reisling), largely grown indigenous varieties are<br />
Škrlet (Scarlett) and Kraljevina, and excellent wines are produced<br />
from various world-wide varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Riesling,<br />
Traminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon.<br />
13
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Red continental varieties are Pinot Noir, Portugizac and Frankovka,<br />
as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The two latter varieties<br />
are more appreciated in coastal wine growing regions where the<br />
most famous indigenous variety is Dalmatian Plavac Mali. The most<br />
famous Croatian wine variety is indeed Plavac and its different types<br />
are named after the places where they grow like Dingač, Postup,<br />
Ivan Dolac and the like.<br />
Interestingly, recent research has shown that the Californian<br />
Zinfandel and Italian Primitivo have come from an old sort of<br />
Dalmatian Plavac, also known as Crljenak. The noticed white<br />
coastal sorts are Istrian Malvazija, Žlahtina, Pošip, Rukatac and<br />
Vugava from Vis.<br />
Every Croatian tourist region has its wine aces, offered through the<br />
project “Wine roads” as a special form of selling of agricultural<br />
products of each wine growing area on which agricultural estates<br />
and other participants offer their products and other original<br />
specialities, especially wine. Apart from the tourist and hospitality<br />
offer, a major part of the wine roads tour are the beautiful natural<br />
surroundings through which the roads pass, as well as the historical<br />
and cultural sites.<br />
One of the most famous Croatian olive groves is located in the<br />
area of Luna on the island of Pag, where about 80 000 indigenous<br />
wild olive trees, separated into allotments by old stone walls, are<br />
grown on 400 acres of land. The oldest olive trees there are over a<br />
thousand years old. Lovers of this area are working on a proposal<br />
for inclusion of this site in the register of UNESCO cultural heritage<br />
sites.<br />
To present our rich gastronomy and enology at its best on the<br />
world market, the Ministry of Tourism, The Croatian Culinary<br />
Association and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce have<br />
launched a project of branding the Croatian eno-gastronomy<br />
offer. Their first assignment in realizing this intention is gathering<br />
recipes for a cook book with indigenous Croatian dishes, which<br />
have their own culinary story and visual identity.<br />
Croatian Olive Oil<br />
www.azrri.hr<br />
www.dalmatinsko.com<br />
Croatian olive growers have preserved their grandparents’ olive<br />
groves as they strive to preserve the tradition of olive cultivation<br />
and respect for nature and organic production. Along with the<br />
superior flavor and taste they aim to offer a guarantee of safety<br />
of the product. The processing of oil takes place in Croatian oil<br />
refineries, where modern equipment for cold processing is used,<br />
thus preserving the original flavor and aroma as well as the richness<br />
of antioxidants and vitamins.<br />
14
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VI. NATURAL AND CULTURALLY-HISTORICAL SITES<br />
Rich Cultural and Natural Heritage<br />
www.kultura.hr<br />
www.min-kulture.hr<br />
www.cromaps.com<br />
www.dzzp.hr<br />
www.zastita-prirode.hr<br />
Croatia is a country which holds many monuments of culture and natural<br />
beauties and whichever place you visit or choose for your vacation<br />
you will always find yourself close to some of the numerous natural<br />
beauties or architectural sites of world importance, cathedrals, historical<br />
squares and many forts and castles which are scattered on Croatian soil.<br />
Croatia is full of historical cities, cities of centuries’ old traditions,<br />
many of which hold historical legends about their originating, such<br />
as Zagreb, Rovinj, Pula, Zadar, Nin, Šibenik, Trogir, Split, Hvar, Korčula,<br />
Dubrovnik and many others.<br />
Ancient traces are visible from the grand monuments of Roman Pula<br />
and the largest forum on the eastern side of the Adriatic in Zadar, all<br />
the way to the divine Palace of Dioklecian in Split. A historical stroll will<br />
bring us to Zadar’s pre-Romanesque St. Donat from the 9 th century<br />
and further into the world of the miraculous Romanesque monument<br />
town Trogir or the islands of Krk and Rab. After a gothic chapter in<br />
Zagreb, Pazin or Ston on Pelješac, we come to the Renaissance town<br />
of Osor on the island of Cres, the Šibenik cathedral, the islands Hvar<br />
and Korčula and in the end to the amazing and unique Dubrovnik.<br />
The spirit of Baroque is felt in Varaždin, Bjelovar and Vukovar, while<br />
19 th century heritage is felt in Rijeka, Osijek and unforgettable Zagreb.<br />
Holding an important place in culturally-historical inheritance<br />
are the medieval towns of Istria located on hilltops which provide<br />
natural protection. From the outside they look like a fort, while on<br />
the inside the medieval town is netted with narrow, curvey streets.<br />
The centre of city life is the church on the central square.<br />
Croatia can be proud of seven culturally-historical and natural beauties<br />
included on the UNESCO list of world monumental heritage.<br />
These are: the Palace of Dioklecian in Split, the Basilica of Eufrazije<br />
in Poreč, Plitvice Lakes, the Romanesque town of Trogir, the Old Town<br />
of Dubrovnik, the Šibenik Cathedral and Starogradsko Polje on Hvar.<br />
At the same time Festa of St. Vlaho, lacemaking of Lepoglava, Hvar<br />
and Pag, the bell ringers of Kastav, the procession of the cross, twopart<br />
singing and playing of the Istrian scale, the spring procession of<br />
the queen Ljelja, the traditional production of wooden toys from Croatian<br />
zagorje, the knight’s game Sinjska Alka and the craft of licitar –<br />
making of cakes and souvenirs among which the most famous is the<br />
licitar heart, are the nine cultural phenomena on the UNESCO list of<br />
protected non-material heritage. Thanks to them we have become a<br />
country with the most protected non-material goods in Europe, while<br />
in the world the only countries that have a longer list are China, Japan<br />
and Korea. Sinjska Alka and the licitar craft were included on the<br />
UNESCO list on the 16 October 2010. Also, on the same day, put on the<br />
list was ‘ojkanje’, the remnant of ancient Ilirian and pre Ilirian singing<br />
from the area of ancient Dalmatia (today’s Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina<br />
and Montenegro), which the Croats adopted and nurtured.<br />
The Republic of Croatia has also sent an application list of cultural and<br />
natural goods to the World Heritage Centre. From cultural goods we<br />
have the Episcopal complex in Zadar, the Croatian ‘limes’ in Varaždin<br />
(border defence system of Ancient Rome), the Fort in Osijek, widening<br />
of the Palace of Dioklecian and the historical core of Split, the town of<br />
Lubenice on Cres, castle Veliki Tabor, the historically-urbanistic Ston<br />
with Mali Ston, the town of Motovun, the desert Blaca, the vineyards<br />
of Primošten and the town of Korčula. From natural goods also inlisted<br />
are North Velebit, the national parks Kornati and Telaščica, while<br />
in the category of cultural and natural goods we have Lonjsko polje.<br />
15
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Culturally-Entertaining Manifestations<br />
Making the Croatian cultural offer epecially attractive are the numerous<br />
cultural and entertainment open-air manifestations, whether they are<br />
theatre, film and music festivals or traditional knight games events<br />
such as Sinjska Alka and Korčula’s Moreška. A unique street festival is<br />
Špancirfest in Varaždin.<br />
The town Đurđevac in Podravina and its legend about Picoki (chickens)<br />
have been included in the tourist net of twenty European destinations<br />
of excellence that nurture non-material cultural heritage. The legend<br />
of Picoki speaks of the bravery and quick wit of the people of Đurđevac,<br />
who after a long siege of the city outsmarted the Turkish army by<br />
throwning their last cockrel at them, to make them think they have<br />
more than enough food.<br />
The town of Nin, in the Zadar County has been proclaimed a European<br />
destination of excellence in 2010 because it has the most potential for<br />
the development of eco and cultural tourism.<br />
With the national parks Risnjak, Paklenica, Plitivce Lakes and North<br />
Velebit in the mountain area and the islands Kornati, Mljet, Brijuni and<br />
the waterfalls of the river Krka in the coastal area, Croatia is a real pearl<br />
of natural beauty. With two arboretums in Trsteno near Dubrovnik, and<br />
Opeka near Vinice, numerous historical parks and protected nature<br />
parks, this country is full of endless greenery with 4300 plant, and as<br />
many animal species.<br />
From the 11 nature parks, some like Kopački Rit near Osijek, Lonjsko<br />
Polje in Posavina and Vransko Lake near Pakoštane are carefully<br />
preserved and watched over zoological and botanical reserves. Croatia<br />
has many protected species of animals such as the bear in Kutarevo,<br />
dolphins and Mediterranean she-bears in the waters of Kvarner, the<br />
griffon vulture on the cliffs of Cres, the white storks in the village Čigoć<br />
in Posavina, as well as the herds of wild horses who all find their last<br />
free European refuge on the mentioned locations.<br />
By the number of diverse species Croatia is among the countries<br />
richest in flora in Europe. For example, at specific locations on Velebit<br />
and the Kvarner islands there were counted almost 3000 species of<br />
plants. The untouched green areas of Gorski kotar, Lika and Southern<br />
Istria, represent a real treasury of numerous endemic species by their<br />
ecological value and concentration of protected nature parks.<br />
Recreation in Preserved Nature<br />
Preserved nature is an ideal destination for everyone who likes walking,<br />
hiking, camping and looking forward to relaxation and the return to<br />
true nature. The inland is perfect for mountain biking, climbing, hiking,<br />
adventure races, camping, riding, hunting, fishing, rafting and caving.<br />
Caves and pits are one of the outstanding natural phenomena of<br />
Croatia. Our country is famous in the world for its deep pits. From the<br />
53 Croatian pits deeper than 250 meters, more than half of them (53<br />
percent) are on the Velebit Mountain, while the other significant area<br />
is Biokovo Mountain with 19 pits. From the 52 caves that are deeper<br />
than 1000 meters most of them have been researched in Kordun, Lika,<br />
Velebit and Dalmatia. Istria, Medvednica, Gorski Kotar and Žumberak<br />
are also famous for their deep caves.<br />
Lovers of adrenalin activities such as rafting, parachuting or paragliding,<br />
will discover Croatia as a country of extreme challenges whether they<br />
find themselves on the continental of coastal part.<br />
For lovers of archeology, Croatia is a real discovery because of three<br />
compulsory locations. The most important is definitely the rich<br />
fossil site near Krapina in which the largest and richest collection<br />
of the Neanderthal man, scientifically known as Homo Sapiens<br />
Neanderthalensis, was discovered in 1899. Following that are the<br />
Vučedol Neolitic culture near Vukovar as well as Salon, the biggest<br />
complex of ancient monuments and the metropolis of the Roman<br />
province of Dalmatia.<br />
It is valuble to know that the first European calendar was found in<br />
Croatia. It was drawn on a ceramic pot from Vučedol near Vukovar, made<br />
between 3000 and 2400 BC, at the same time as the first cuneate scripts<br />
appeared in Mesopotamia and the first hieroglyphics in Egypt.<br />
The Croatian blue depths of the sea with rich flora and fauna and traces<br />
of times gone by, from ancient amphoras to sunken galleys and ships<br />
wrecked in the world wars are a real haven for sailing lovers and divers.<br />
Those in search of relaxation in an authentic and unique ambience<br />
wil be able to rest in one of the 12 attractive lighthouses located in<br />
‘conventional’ tourist centres or at unreachable robinson locations<br />
on the furthest islands. True lovers of the sea, nature and silence<br />
will certainly find their place under the sun here. All the lighthouses<br />
are architecturally monumental, raised in their solitude as the most<br />
faithfull guardians of sailors and the sea.<br />
Monuments Under UNESCO Protection<br />
www.min-kulture.hr<br />
www.unesco.org<br />
The extreme value of natural and cultural beauty on Croatian soil<br />
was recognized by UNESCO in 1979 when it included the Old Town of<br />
Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes, which remain the most famous tourist<br />
symbols of Croatia today, on the list of world heritage.<br />
The walls of Old Dubrovnik encircle the exquisitely preserved complex<br />
of sacral and secular buildings from each period since the founding of<br />
the town in the 7 th century. Along with the protective walls and towers<br />
are the main street of the Old Town – Stradun, the headquarters of the<br />
rulers of the Dubrovnik Republic -Knežev Dvor, the church of the patron<br />
saint St. Vlaho, the Cathedral, three large monasteries, the customs<br />
building and the Town hall. The Republic of Dubrovnik represented<br />
a special political and territorial unit, proud of its culture, successful<br />
16
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trading and especially the freedom and independance they managed<br />
to keep during turbulent centuries.<br />
The natural pearl Plitvice Lakes, which are made up of 20 emerald green<br />
lakes and pools that gradually flow over separated by dolomite barriers<br />
composed of sedimented limestone made by the river Korana. Water<br />
overflowing between the lakes at different levels creates a magnificent<br />
architectural phenomenon of nature in motion. The lakes are surrounded<br />
by dense beech, fir and juniper forests where there are bears, wolves and<br />
rare birds such as the hazel-hen and the long-eared owl.<br />
Along with these two jewels, in 1979 UNESCO also protected the palace<br />
of the Roman emperor Diokletian around which Medieval Split was<br />
created. The Palace of Diokletian is one of the most significant works<br />
of late classicist architecture, not just because it has preserved some<br />
original parts as well as the whole complex, but also by a number<br />
of original architectural forms which represent new, early Christian,<br />
Byzantium and early medieval art. As part of the palace and later the<br />
medieval town, is also the Romanesque cathedral of St. Duje that was<br />
created on the territory of the former emperial mausoleum and so<br />
stands for the oldest ecclesiastic building in the world.<br />
After the independence of Croatia in 1997, also included on the<br />
UNESCO list was the Romanesque historical core of Trogir built on the<br />
foundations of a Greek village from the 3rd century BC.<br />
The midevial core of Trogir, surrounded by walls, encircles a well<br />
preserved castle and tower, as well as numerous buildings and palaces<br />
from the Romanesque, Gothic, Rainesscance and Baroque periods.<br />
The most important building is the cathedral of Trogir with a portal<br />
of the west gate, a masterpiece of the craftsman Radovan, the most<br />
important example of Romanesque-Gothic art in Croatia.<br />
Also in 1997, UNESCO protected the complex of Eufazije’s Basilica in<br />
Poreč, one of the oldest and most beautiful early Christian monuments<br />
from the 6 th century, whose early Byzantine mosaics can compare only<br />
to those in Italian Ravenna. The complex with the tripartite basilica got<br />
its final shape in the 13 th and 15 th century, is made up from the bishop<br />
residence, baptistery, atrium and a number of Romanesque and<br />
Rainesscance buildings. It is possible to follow all phases of building,<br />
adaptation and renovation through floor mosaics and signs as well as<br />
reconstruct the life of the Christian community in Poreč.<br />
From the year 2000, the cathedral of St. Jakov in Šibenik is also on<br />
the UNECSO list. It was the most important construction project on<br />
Croatian soil in the 15 th and 16 th century. This three part basilica has a<br />
32 metre dome on the inside part. The construction of the cathedral<br />
was began in the Venetian Gothic style but completed in the style of<br />
Toscan Rainessance. Almost 15 decades had passed from when the<br />
decision to build it was made in 1402 to its completion in 1555. It is<br />
the only building in Europe in which the walls, arches and domes are<br />
constructed by a unique method used in carpentery. The technique<br />
of building that was first introduced by Juraj Dalmatinac and carried<br />
on by Nikola Firentinac is best recognized in the gable of the main<br />
fascade. The result is the harmony of the stoney unit, the method<br />
of stone lying and the absolute harmony of the inside and outside<br />
volume of the cathedral.<br />
Starigradsko Polje (Starigrad field), whose plantations of grapevines<br />
and olives have stayed ‘practically unchanged’ from the first<br />
colonization of anciet Greeks, making them a unique testimony of<br />
geometrical division of land system used in ancient times has been<br />
on the UNESCO’s list since 2008.The largest agricultural land on the<br />
Adriatic islands was colonized in 385 BC by about a hundred families<br />
from the Grek town Paros. They started creating outbuildings and living<br />
quarters on their estates. The luxurious ones date from the Roman<br />
times and up until today, the remains of around 60 of them have<br />
been recovered. Today Starigradsko Polje represents the best preserved<br />
ancient Greek landscape on the Mediterranean.<br />
Non-material Heritage on the UNESCO list<br />
www.min-kulture.hr<br />
www.unesco.org<br />
Croatian heritage recived valuable recognition in 2009 when UNECSO<br />
included seven of the 16 worldly cultural goods for which Croatia had<br />
applied. A year later, Sinjska Alka and the craft of licitar were included<br />
on the list of non-material heritage. These are religious manifestations,<br />
traditional crafts, folk music and traditions that have been nurtured<br />
and unchanged in this area for centuries. Throughout history many<br />
traditions intertwined so their purpose and meaning changed, which<br />
often gave the prehistoric or pagan traditions the character of Christian<br />
religious celebrations.<br />
For example, the pre-Christian custom of Zvončari iz Kastva (bell<br />
ringers from Kastav) found its ‘new’, modern role during the carnival<br />
time, particularly in the hinterland of Rijeka where groups of masked<br />
men, dressed in sheepskin, horns and masks, visit different villages<br />
on their kilometers long treck. Some wear masks, and others, various<br />
headgear, while chanting for good harvest and fertility. All are dressed<br />
in sheep skin turned inside out and carry bells which ring in different<br />
ways as they move – a skill which requires specific physical endurance.<br />
Specific foods are related to this custom as are the handicrafts of mask,<br />
head gear and bell making as well as traditional dances.<br />
Similar is the annual spring procession Ljelja iz Gorjana which, it<br />
is believed, sources its tradition from the earliest Slavic customs.<br />
Although ethnologists associate Ljelja with the supreme Slavic god<br />
Perun, today it is linked to the Catholic feast of Pentecost. Girls from<br />
Gorjani walk around the village in a procession and perform a ritual<br />
made up of particular songs and dances with swords. They are<br />
divided into queens and kings - kings carry swords and wear man’s<br />
hats decorated with flowers, while queens, like brides, wear white<br />
wreaths on their heads. They select songs from a broad repertoire<br />
which are appropriate for families they visit; songs are usually sung<br />
17
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to a young girl or man or a young bride. The Kings will then perform<br />
a dance with swards, and Queens will comment dance movements<br />
through their song. Finally, a folk dance accompanied by musicians is<br />
performed and everyone can join in.<br />
The Christian tradition of Dubrovnik has been preserved through a<br />
procession in the honour of the patron saint St. Vlaho, who according<br />
to the legend defended Dubrovnik from the Venetians in 971. The<br />
oldest written document testifies that the Fiest of St. Vlaho has been<br />
celebrated since the year 1190. Every year, on the 3 rd of February,<br />
bishops and priests carry the relics of St. Vlaho in the procession,<br />
while worshipers in awe kiss their palms and gently touch this relic<br />
in prayers for themselves and the city. After the procession the<br />
flagbearers leave with their flags and go back to their villages where<br />
thay pass on the blessings of their saint to the people who could not<br />
go into town that day.<br />
The unique rite of Christian piety is preserved in the central part of the<br />
island of Hvar through the procession ‘Za Križen’ (Procession of the<br />
Cross) which has been taking place on the night of Good Friday for<br />
the last five centuries. The procession links six of the island’s villages:<br />
Jelsa, Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanj and Vrboska. Processions start at the<br />
same time from the six parish churches (10pm) led by the cross bearer<br />
who carries a cross (weighing up to 18 kilograms) as a sign of petition<br />
or thanksgiving for his own or his familly’s covenant. He is followed<br />
by a selected group (singers and candelstick bearers) wearing white<br />
brotherhood tunics, as well as many worshipers and pilgrims, stopping<br />
at churches, chapels and other places where they are welcomed by the<br />
priests and then in the morning they return to their parish church. The<br />
backbone of the procession is Gospin plač (weeping of Our Lady) an<br />
octosyllabic Passion text from the 15 th century, which is sung in the form<br />
of musical dialogue by selected singers called kantaduri.<br />
Musical heritage of Istria and the Croatian coast has been preserved<br />
in the so-called two-part narrow intervals singing. This type of two<br />
part singing is based on untempered tonal relationships and the<br />
characteristic color of the tone which is in vocal music achieved<br />
by powerful singing partly through the nose. Improvisation and<br />
variation are common in both parts during the performance and<br />
most of the tone sequences are assembled from four to six tones.<br />
Metro-rhythmic formal structure and the structure of the text range<br />
from simple to very complex forms, displaying a specific relationship<br />
between music and text.<br />
From traditional crafts UNESCO has recognized the value of Croatian<br />
lace and the art of making traditional wooden toys in the Croatian<br />
Zagorje. There are three main centers of lace making marking a<br />
continued long tradition. These are Lepoglava in Hrvatsko Zagorje<br />
where lace is made using small sticks – bobbins, Pag where lace is<br />
made using needles and the town of Hvar with its agava lace.<br />
Making wooden toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje developed in the<br />
19t th century. The toys are specifically hand made by men and painted<br />
by women. About fifty different types of toys are still produced ranging<br />
from various instruments, tamburas, toys in the shape of animals to<br />
functional objects.<br />
Sinjska Alka is a Croatian knights’ game that is held every year on the<br />
first Sunday of August in Sinj, on the anniversary of the thriumph over<br />
Turkish conquerers on the 14 August 1715. On this day 700 Croatian<br />
soldiers from Sinj managed to fight off the attack of Mehmed-pasha<br />
Čolić’s Turkish army, which counted 60 000 soldiers. In the ‘alka’<br />
competition, the horse rider has to pass the 160 meter racetrack in<br />
full gallop – the time tolerated is up to 12 seconds- and try to hit the<br />
centre of the small iron ring which is called alka, with his spear. The<br />
alka is located 3.2 meters above the ground. The alka is made up of<br />
two concentric rings, where the smaller ring in 3.54 cm and the bigger<br />
one is 13.3 cm. The rings are connected by three shanks that separate<br />
the outer ring into three equal fields. The aim of the game is to collect<br />
as many points possible during three tries. The value of each field is<br />
different – the top field above the small ring is worth two, while the<br />
lower left and right field each bring one point. A direct hit into the small<br />
ring (‘u sridu’) is worth three points. Every direct hit is celebrated by<br />
the sounds of brass music and shots from ‘mačkul’ - old cannon. If the<br />
18
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contestant just touches the alka with his spear, it is said he has shot<br />
at nothing (‘uništa’) but if the alka stays untouched it is said that he<br />
has missed (‘promašio’). During the alkar horse gallop none of the<br />
knights equipment is allowed to fall off. If this happens and the knight<br />
does not notice, he might get another chance to race but only with the<br />
permission of the Alkar duke. If the knight does notice that he has lost<br />
a part of his equipment he must race the track without shooting at the<br />
alka and with his spear lowered.<br />
The skill of making ‘licitars’ (honey dough decorations) - a colourful<br />
cake made from honey dough – has from a long time ago been<br />
preserved in the circles of families who are into honey making crafts<br />
from central and lowland Croatia. The licitar is made from completely<br />
edible ingredients, it is bright red in colour and produced in various<br />
shapes and sizes. The smaller licitars are in the shapes of hearts, cherries,<br />
babies, birds, mushrooms, horseshoes, small wreaths and small horses<br />
and are all favourites in Croatian homes for the decoration of Christmas<br />
trees. The larger ones are used mostly as gifts for special occasions like<br />
Valentine’s day. The tradition of expressing love by a licitar heart has<br />
been eternalized in the ballet of the same name, by Krešimir Baranović,<br />
which has been preformed on stages across the world. The tradition<br />
of licitar making started in the middle ages, indeed, in 16 th and 17 th<br />
century, when in numerous European monestaries cakes were made<br />
with the help of richly decorated wooden moulds. In the 18 th and 19 th<br />
century in Zagreb, Karlovac, Koprivnica, Samobor, Varaždin and other<br />
towns, licitar makers were respected craftsmen and their products were<br />
a favourite among all the classes.<br />
Along with Sinjska alka and the skill of licitar making, in 2010 UNESCO<br />
recognized the value of ‘ojkanje’, which it included on the list of nonmaterial<br />
cultural heritage.<br />
Ojkanje is the remnant of the ancient Ilirian and pre Ilirian singing<br />
from the area of ancient Dalmatia (today’s Dalmatia, Bosnia and<br />
Herzegovina and Montenegro) which the Croats adopted and nurtured.<br />
It is characterized by voice shaking and still preformed from the area<br />
of Karlovac all the way to Konavli. Ojkanje is still present and often<br />
referred to as old fashioned singing. In Dalmatian zagora it is called<br />
‘treskanje’, in the hinterland of Zadar it is called ‘orzenje’ while in the<br />
Karlovac area they call it ‘rozganje’. Ojkanje from Zagora is much older<br />
that the ‘ganga’or ‘rera’ (Imotski, Sinj, Herzegovina). Ojkanje is much<br />
older than the medieval ‘dijafonija’, form which the classical polifony<br />
later developed. Ojkanje also has characteristic texts and experts point<br />
out how this is a case of perfect music forms. Ojkanje is preformed by<br />
two or more singers using a unique voice shaking technique. The song<br />
lasts for as long as the lead vocal can hold his breath.<br />
The list of protected and endangered Croatian goods is quite long and<br />
counts more than 80 of them, so the Ministry of Culture will aim to put<br />
more of them, such as the Slavonian ‘bećarac’ dance and the silent<br />
dance from Dinara on the UNESCO list.<br />
Architectural Pearls of all Epochs<br />
www.arhitekti-hkaig.com<br />
info.hazu.hr<br />
Croatia holds valuable artwork and architecture from every cultural<br />
epoch – from pre-history up until today – but we are most proud of<br />
the valuable heritage from the time of ancient Greek colonalization<br />
and the later Roman urbanization that Croatian immigrants came<br />
upon in the 7 th century. However, the periods in which Croatian artistic<br />
accomplishments became a part of the European cultural circle are pre-<br />
Romanesque, Rainessance and the 20 th century. Croatian heritage is<br />
a totally unique appearance in Europe because intertwined in history<br />
of this area were all four points of the compass – the European east<br />
and west, the central European north and the Mediterranean south.<br />
This compound and mingling of cultures has resulted in numerous and<br />
varied historical monuments.<br />
Roman antiquity of the classical period left an indelible mark on the<br />
city of Pula, where we continue to marvel at the magnificent Arena,<br />
whose architectural shell is one of the best preserved in Europe.<br />
Moreover there is Slavoluk Sergijevaca (the Triumphal Arch of Sergius),<br />
or as the people of Pula call it the ‘Golden Gate’, and Augustov Hram<br />
(Augustus Temple), dating from the first century. In the area of Split,<br />
near Diocletian’s Palace of Late Antiquity (UNESCO heritage), lie the<br />
remains of Salona, which was briefly the capital of the Roman province<br />
of Dalmatia. The early Christian era has left huge archaeological<br />
treasures in Salona without which the history of Christianity and Europe<br />
would be unthinkable.<br />
Pre-Romanesque period has left the Rotonda Svetog Trojstva (Rotunda<br />
of Holy Trinity) in Church of Sv. Donat in Zadar, which is comparable<br />
with the Chapel of Charlemagne in Aachen, from the same period - 9 th<br />
century. Rotonda is a unique building from the heritage of the early<br />
Middle Ages, the temple in which the elements of the Byzantine and<br />
Carolingian architecture intertwine. Romanesque period left large<br />
churches and monasteries as well as magnificent palaces in Krk, Rab<br />
and Trogir, difficult to find elsewhere in Europe.<br />
Ston and Mali Ston were built during the Gothic period as two towns<br />
connected by walls and towers that stretch several miles in length. The<br />
result is one of the most extensive preserved 14 th century fortifications,<br />
used by the Dubrovnik Republic in order to defend the entire peninsula<br />
of Pelješac. Also during the Gothic period, but this time in the north<br />
of the country, the easternmost Catholic cathedral in Europe was built<br />
in the 13 th century Zagreb. Fort Medvedgrad with its octagonal chapel<br />
situated on the mountain Medvednica also dates from this period.<br />
The Renaissance period shaped the character of coastal and island<br />
towns such as Osor, Pag, Šibenik, Hvar and Dubrovnik, while Baroque<br />
left the deepest traces in the northern cities of Varaždin, Bjelovar,<br />
Požega, Slavonski Brod and Vukovar. Impact of 19 th century architecture<br />
contributed to the development of Rijeka and Osijek into larger cities<br />
with beautiful examples of Art Nouveau architecture. Art Nouveau<br />
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had a strong influence in Zagreb and in particular the “Zagreb School”<br />
of modern architecture between the two world wars, which brought<br />
together Le Corbusier’s functionalism and Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic<br />
approach to architecture.<br />
Important Sacral Sites<br />
Although rarely found in world textbooks, about one hundred churches<br />
that date from the time of the Kingdom of Croatia (from the 9 th to early<br />
12 th century) are very important for the world’s sacral art because of<br />
their uniqueness and number. Their different forms of decorative stone<br />
and relief motifs are very diverse and particular parts of them represent<br />
some of the most famous examples in Europe at that time, such as the<br />
stone plate from the Church of Sv. Nediljica from Zadar, which dates<br />
from the early 11 th century. Also highly preserved is the Romanesque<br />
relief carved on the wooden doors of Split cathedral which through 28<br />
reliefs depicts the life of Christ. It is the work of the artist Andrija Buvina<br />
(1214). Here we also find the greatest work of Gothic goldsmiths’ art<br />
- the sarcophagus of gilded silver from the shrine of Sveti Simon (St.<br />
Simon) in Zadar from 1380, portraying numerous reliefs of modern life.<br />
Cathedrals in Croatia vary according to many distinctive characteristics.<br />
Cathedrals from the Roman period have been preserved in Pula and<br />
Split (Cathedral of Sv. Duje was the mausoleum of Emperor Diocletian<br />
before Christianisation), the Romanesque cathedrals are located<br />
in Krk, Senj, Rab, Zadar and Trogir and Gothic examples are found<br />
in Korčula and Zagreb. Šibenik Cathedral - a monument under the<br />
protection of UNESCO - is the only building in Europe which did not<br />
use the classic building methods and where walls, vaults and domes<br />
were first constructed separately, as precisely cut stone units, which<br />
were then assembled into the whole using methods of masonary<br />
craft. The result is harmonious intertwining of the whole stone<br />
structure, stacking methods, and the absolute unity of interior and<br />
exterior volume of the cathedral. The construction technique which<br />
was first introduced by Juraj Dalmatinac is best seen in the gable of<br />
the main facade (the form of a trefoil), one of the oldest in Europe,<br />
as well as the only one that continues as a natural part of the threenave<br />
church plan in harmony with the shape and size of the arches.<br />
Baroque sacral architecture is visible in the cathedral in Dubrovnik,<br />
and historicistic examples are found in the cathedral in Djakovo (Neo-<br />
Romanesque) and Osijek (Neo-Gothic).<br />
Contemporary Architecture<br />
However, Croatian contemporary architecture is on the trail of the<br />
dazzling times of its famous predecessors. Today’s architects regularly<br />
win international awards for their achievements. For example, at the<br />
World Architecture Festival 2009 in Barcelona, Croatian Architects won<br />
two gold medals for two buildings. These are Zagreb Arena sports hall<br />
and the building of medical emergency in Zagreb. It was concluded<br />
that the Zagreb medical emergency building deserves the award<br />
because it satisfies all the criteria of the importance of public sphere<br />
for the benefit of the community. Or, as a member of the jury, architect<br />
Aaron Betsky defined it, it is not ‘a machine to live, but to maintain<br />
life’. The jury also decided that the Zagreb Arena deserved the award<br />
because of the simplicity, elegance and efficient structural concept,<br />
while the building transformed the area it is situated in, becoming a<br />
catalyst for its development.<br />
Modern icon of the city of Zadar – The Sea Organ, which is the first<br />
natural organ in the world, was also recognized by European architects<br />
and awarded the European Prize for Urban Public Space in 2006 at the<br />
third Biennale in Barcelona.<br />
Sea Organ is an architectural achievement which shows that urban<br />
public space can be designed in an unusual way which is at the<br />
same time simple, distinctive and original. As a subtle construction,<br />
Sea Organ allows one to communicate with nature and thus, to the<br />
greatest extent possible, promotes the harmony of architecture and<br />
art with nature. The organ is located in the underwater part of the<br />
city’s waterfront, where waves and currents pass through the musical<br />
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pipes set under the sea, creating an incredible sound, the so-called ‘sea<br />
music’, which fills up a wide area along the sea promenade.<br />
At the very tip of the Zadar peninsula shines ‘The Greeting to Sun’ by<br />
the same architect, Nikola Bašić. The Greeting to Sun consists of three<br />
hundred multi-layered glass panels set flush with the stone-paved<br />
promenade in a circle diameter of 22 meters. It is conceived as a spatial<br />
installation in the form of an amphitheater surrounded by the blocks<br />
of stone which will hold a stylish display of all the planets of the Solar<br />
System and their orbits. According to Alfred Hitchock this is the precise<br />
part of the Zadar promenade from which one can enjoy the most<br />
beautiful sunset in the world.<br />
Natural Beauties<br />
www.zastita-prirode.hr<br />
www.dzzp.hr<br />
www.natura2000.hr<br />
Did you know that by its drinking water Croatia is the richest European<br />
country or that Croatian word for karst – ‘krš’ – has become accepted in<br />
the world as a term for describing an area of prevailing rock and stone?<br />
The clean waters of rivers and the sea, the various plant and animal<br />
communities, the endemic nesting grounds and the untouched<br />
landscapes guarantee an experience in clean and free nature. There is<br />
nothing like a preserved environment and you will not need to make an<br />
effort to enjoy it in Croatia.<br />
The moderate continental and mild Mediterranean climates enable a<br />
rich choice of activities at any time of the year. The number of sunny<br />
hours in Croatia is by far above the European average – close to two<br />
thousand sunny hours a year on the continent and around 500 more<br />
on the coast and islands.<br />
National Parks<br />
Croatia has eight national parks, four in the coastal and four in the<br />
mountainous region. These are Brijuni, Kornati, Mljet, River Krka,<br />
Plitvice, Risnjak, Paklenica and Northern Velebit.<br />
The archipelago of Brioni which consists of Veli and Mali Brijuni with 12<br />
islands has been a retreat oasis since ancient times which apart from<br />
its natural beauty offer interesting historical sites. The islands stretch<br />
along the southwestern coast of the Istrian peninsula, from which<br />
they are separated by about 3 kilometers wide Fažanski Kanal (Fažana<br />
channell). Here, a memory is preserved of the Austrian industrialist,<br />
former owner of the islands, Paul Kupelwieser, who made Brioni a<br />
destination for the European elite, as well as the memory of former<br />
President Josip Broz Tito, who received the world’s statesmen and<br />
many famous personalities on the island.<br />
The Kornati archipelago is the densest archipelago in the Mediterranean<br />
and it consists of 152 islands, islets and rocks between the islands Dugi<br />
Otok and Žirje. The national park consists of 89 of the islands. Only<br />
about a quarter of the park area is land, while the remaining part is<br />
the marine ecosystem. It abounds in natural and cultural peculiarities.<br />
Vertical cliffs which face the open sea are the crowns of the Kornati<br />
islands and the most popular phenomenon of this park as well as<br />
being habitats for rare species. The sea-bed of Kornati reveals other<br />
remarkable stories. It is worth knowing that the land part of the Kornati<br />
Islands is privatly owned.<br />
National Park on Mljet Island occupies the western, forested<br />
part of the island with five types of forests and the remnants of<br />
ancient forests which are the habitats of numerous songbirds and<br />
the snake-eagle. Veliko Jezero (Great Lake) covering 145 hectares<br />
and 46 meters deep and Malo Jezero (Small Lake) which covers 24<br />
hectares and is 29 meters deep attract naturalists and other curious<br />
lovers of nature. In the middle of Veliko Jezero there is an islet Sveta<br />
Marija on which an ancient Benedictine monastery dating from<br />
12th century is situated. Due to its exceptional esthetic ambience<br />
and strong spiritual and cultural atmosphere, the islet became a<br />
symbol of the whole island and the National Park of Mljet.<br />
Virgin-pure, karst river Krka with its seven magical waterfalls originates<br />
near Knin, and, in two thirds of its length, runs through canyons. It is<br />
exceptionally rich in endemic flora and fauna, with 222 different species<br />
of birds. Mills along the river and on top of waterfalls, ruins of defensive<br />
fortifications overlooking the canyon and the picturesque estuary<br />
of river Čikola above Skradinski Buk are all peculiarities of this river’s<br />
landscape. Estuary of the river Krka – the 23.5 km long Lake Prukljansko<br />
– streaches all the way to Skradinski Buk and is rich in shellfish as well<br />
as fresh and salt water fish. A small island is situated on a 13 km long<br />
Visovačko lake, between the Roški waterfall and Skradinski Buk – on<br />
it, a Franciscan monastery is set in an idyllic park with a long cultural<br />
history. Monastery Krka (Arhanđelovac) is situated in the wider part of<br />
the canyon, in the area of Kistanje.<br />
The most famous national park on the continent – Plitvice Lakesis<br />
a beautiful formation of forest landscapes situated between<br />
the mountains Mala Kapela and Plješevica, a system of 16 lakes<br />
connected with numerous waterfalls. Prošćansko and Kozjak lakes are<br />
the biggest lakes with the highest altitude (on dolomitic rock), and<br />
the lower lakes - in a limestone layer - end in a waterfall some 136<br />
feet below, at the source of the river Korana. Ancient forest reserve<br />
Čorkova Uvala (bay), with 120 species of birds and numerous caves,<br />
complement this exclusive landscape. In the mountain climate, snow<br />
and ice, between November and March, cover the hills, forests, lakes<br />
and waterfalls, while in the summer months a perfect refuge from<br />
the heat can be found.<br />
National park Risnjak is situated in the western mountain range in the<br />
area of Gorski Kotar, where the Alps meet the Dinaridi mountain range.<br />
The park encompasses Veliki Risnjak (1528 m) and Snježnik (1506 m)<br />
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and abounds with the features of the karst terrain - faults, chasms,<br />
caves and pits. Large areas are covered with old coniferous forests and<br />
mountain meadows as well as subalpine and alpine flora with many<br />
endemic species. Bears, wolves, chamois, alpine deer, wild boar and<br />
lynx are the largest representatives of wildlife. Mountain rivers and<br />
streams are a habitat for trout and other salmonid fish.<br />
North Velebit lies to the south-east of Risnjak. This, widest part of<br />
Velebit streches from notch Vratnik (698 m) on the road Otočac-Senj to<br />
Veliki Alan (1379 m) and it consists of the bare rock of Velebit Channel<br />
on its sea-facing side and the forested lowlands on its continental side.<br />
On peak Zavižan (1594 m) there are a mountain lodge and botanical<br />
gardens, an excellent starting point for hiking and riding tours. Rocky<br />
mountain trail Premužiceva Staza leads through the reserve Rožanski<br />
Kukovi and offers beautiful views of the sea and the islands of Rab as<br />
well as the strict nature reserve Hajdučki Kukovi.<br />
On the south part of Velebit is Paklenica, whose impressive torrent<br />
gorges open up the virgin wilderness, so close to the beaches of<br />
the Adriatic. This is one of the most attractive natural areas in the<br />
Mediterranean: the dense forests of black pine and beech, caves,<br />
troughs and fresh-water springs are all nestling below the highest<br />
peaks of Velebit. Velika Paklenica is the climber’s mecca, while visitors<br />
of caves are attracted by the impressive Manita Peć. A stoney path leads<br />
from the entrance to the park through a gorge to the mountaineer’s<br />
hut. A few well-kept shelters are also located on the mountain.<br />
Eleven Nature Parks<br />
Biokovo was declared a nature park because of the exceptional value<br />
of its plant and animal species, geomorphological forms and natural<br />
beauty covering an area of 19 550 hectares.<br />
Kopački Rit is an area which significantly changes its appearance<br />
during the year, depending on the intensity of flooding, mainly from<br />
the Danube, and much less from the Drava River. Nature Park Lonjsko<br />
Polje is the largest protected wetland not only in Croatia but in the<br />
entire Danube basin.<br />
The forests of Medvednica descend almost to the very center of Zagreb.<br />
Besides the peace and greenery, this mountain is abundant in rich<br />
diversity of wildlife.<br />
The characteristics of Papuk represent an important segment of<br />
biological and landscape values of the region of Slavonia. The diversity<br />
of geological phenomena, well-preserved flora and vegetation and<br />
habitats of a number of animal species, represent real wealth.<br />
Bay Telašćica is characterized by three fundamental phenomena - it is<br />
the largest and safest natural port in the Adriatic, its cliffs rise to 200<br />
meters above sea level and descend to a depth of 90 meters and its<br />
salt-water lake Mir has healing properties.<br />
Nature Park Velebit is a major hub of endemic flora and continental<br />
fauna in Croatia, while the Vransko Lake (Dalmatia) is the largest lake<br />
in Croatia and one of the richest ornithological reserves.<br />
Nature Park Učka is primarily characterized by an exceptional variety of<br />
features in a relatively small area, and Lastovo archipelago comprises of<br />
44 islands, islets, rocks and reefs which form a part of the municipality<br />
of Lastovo. The largest in this group are Sušac and Lastovo. This area is<br />
one of the best preserved marine areas in the Adriatic.<br />
Nature Park Žumberak covers about 350 km², and its purpose is to<br />
protect and promote the natural beauty of the area.<br />
A Nautical Paradise With a Thousand Islands<br />
Croatia is a country of a thousand islands, 1244 to be precise, which<br />
makes it one of the most beautiful indented coastlines in the world.<br />
50 inhabited islands are situated on 6176 km of coastline and the<br />
rest are small islands, reefs and rocks which all contribute to our<br />
well-indented coast.<br />
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Every island is different from the other and has its own story and<br />
destiny. The first trip to the Adriatic coast and islands is a journey into<br />
the unknown. Each next trip will be the return to the already familiar<br />
beauty of this country, always different but equally fascinating.<br />
Given the number of islands and reefs, as well as marinas that can<br />
satisfy even the most demanding sailors, Croatian Adriatic coast can<br />
rightfully be called a paradise for boaters. Although nautical season<br />
lasts from late April to mid-autumn, the period from June to September<br />
is ideal for boaters who, along with their passion for sailing, want to<br />
enjoy the classic pleasures of the seaside holliday.<br />
Sailors who do not own a boat can charter one in one of the 900<br />
professional charter companies with approximately 3 500 high-quality<br />
and well-equipped vessels. When you have decided whether you want<br />
a sailing-boat, motor yacht or a catamaran, you are left with nothing to<br />
do but cast off into the open sea, while the best route depends on the<br />
port you chose as your starting point.<br />
Istria<br />
We begin the story about islands with Brijuni. These 14 islands are<br />
located on a seven kilometre stretch between Pula and Rovinj. In this<br />
area nature has created a real small paradise- a true harmony of plant<br />
and animal life, historical monuments and comfortable hotels. For<br />
example, golf is played on Brijuni on a unique golf course dating from<br />
1922, which then held the flattering title as being one of the largest<br />
and the most beautiful. Today, on this 18-hole course, golf is played in<br />
the company of deer, mouflons, rabitts and peacocks.<br />
Kvarner<br />
The golden or green Krk both is, and is not an island. It is surely an<br />
island by its idyllic nature and peaceful oasis away from everyday life,<br />
but as it is well-connected to mainland by a bridge it also appears not<br />
to be an island. Cres and Lošinj - one island or two? In ancient times<br />
they were separated by a channel which was dug out by the Romans,<br />
but are now connected by a bridge.<br />
Among the 1185 islands and cliffs scattered along the Adriatic coast<br />
which are mainly composed of hard, sharp rock and a handfull of soil,<br />
Susak is one of the rare islands that nature has created from sand. 20<br />
million cubic meters of sand is precisely what gives a distinctive flavor to<br />
the wine produced on Susak. The next island in Kvarner is Rab. Due to<br />
its rich Mediterranean vegetation and sandy beaches, the local council<br />
declared it a bath and spa in 1889.<br />
The Zadar aquatorium<br />
Pag is an island full of mythical olive groves, rich in sea salt, famous for<br />
its lace and cheese which is a world famous delicacy.<br />
Silba, an island of ship owners and captains, offers its harbours as a<br />
haven for seafarers, away from the wild gushes of wind.It is also known<br />
as an island without cars.<br />
The island Ugljan is the ‘suburb’ and the garden of Zadar and it was<br />
named after the mass production of oil. The nearby island Pašman has<br />
grown into Ugljan. They seem like twins and the only difference is that<br />
Pašman is a little more peacefull.<br />
Iž is famous for its rich Mediterranean vegetation. The traditional<br />
occupations of the locals, fishing and farming are a guarantee of the<br />
good food that is offered on the island. On Dugi Otok you can rest in<br />
the natural reserve on an area of 114 km².<br />
The Šibenik area<br />
According to the legend, Kornati, a labyrinth of sea passages and<br />
islands had come from a large number of rocks that God had<br />
leftover after the creation of the world. He threw them into the sea,<br />
looked at them and came to a conclusion that nothing more needs<br />
to be corrected.<br />
The picturesque island of Murter stands out among the islands with its<br />
surface of 18 square kilometres. Murter is an island of fishermen, olive<br />
groves and ship builders.<br />
The island Prvić is located near the tourist pearl Vodice, an oasis of<br />
Mediterranean flora and fauna.<br />
The island Zlarin is located south-west from Šibenik. In the fifteenth<br />
century it was famous for extraction of corals and sea sponges.<br />
Žirje is the furthest inhabited island of the Šibenik archipelago with<br />
fantastic fishing areas and many bays for sailing lovers.<br />
The Islands of Split<br />
The island Brač is the highest and third by its size island on the Adriatic,<br />
whie its beach Zlatni rat is one of the most famous symbols of Croatian<br />
tourism. On this island there is an unusual rocky desert – Blaca, which<br />
was founded by Glagolitic priests in the 16 th century when they were<br />
running before Turkish conquerers. South of Brač is Hvar, the longest<br />
island on the Adriatic. This is an island of vineyards, olive groves<br />
and lavender. Hvar is, without any doubt, an exceptional island. It is<br />
characterized by comfortable winter and summer resorts, moderate<br />
climate and rich sub-tropical vegetation.<br />
Pakleni otoci are a special and interesting group of islands with<br />
pebbled and sandy, mostly nudist beaches and a rocky sea bed perfect<br />
for underwater fishing. Far from the mainland and its worries is the<br />
island of Vis, abundant in palm trees. The island Biševo stretches across<br />
6 square kilometres with many caves chiselled into steep shores.<br />
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The Dubrovnik Area<br />
Although it is officially a peninsula, Pelješac seems like an island. A<br />
narrow channel seperates it from Korčula. It is said that Korčula is an<br />
island with the most legends and monuments, and along with Lokrum<br />
and Mljet it is the most wooded island in Croatia. Far on the open sea<br />
is the island Lastovo, with a surface of 50 square kilometres, with an<br />
indented pebbled coast, sandy beaches and a number of islands on its<br />
west and east side. Alongside Pelješac there is the green Mljet, which<br />
covers 100 square kilometers.<br />
Due to its pine forests, karst caves, two picturesque lakes connected<br />
with the sea, pebble and sandy beaches and fishing grounds abundant<br />
in fish and lobsters, the western part of the island enjoys a national<br />
park status.<br />
More Than 300 Regattas on the Adriatic<br />
The popularity of sailing on the Adriatic coast is confirmed by the fact<br />
that more than 300 races are organized annually, mostly in central<br />
Dalmatia. The most popular races are also held there: Mrduja, Vodice<br />
Easter Regatta, Kornati Cup and Latinsko Jidro on Murter as well as<br />
Vis and Komiža Regatta. The world’s best match-racing skipper, New<br />
Zealander Adam Minoprio, took part in the finals of of last year’s ACI<br />
Match Race in Split.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
VII. THE TOURIST OFFER<br />
SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION (golf…)<br />
www.crogolf.com<br />
www.razvoj-golf.hr<br />
www.igs.hr<br />
www.marlera.hr<br />
www.kempinski.com/en/istria<br />
www.biskagolf.com<br />
The program of golf development in Croatia forsees the building of<br />
around thirty golf courses on the Adriatic coast and the continent. 18-<br />
hole courses were opened in 2009 in the Golf and Country Club Zagreb<br />
as well as in Crveni vrh in Savurdija as part of the Kempinski resort. A<br />
9-hole golf course was opened in Sveti Martin on Mura. New courses<br />
with all additional facilities are proof that this sport is becoming more<br />
and more important.<br />
Apart from the eight newely opened courses in Savurdija and Zagreb<br />
there are two more 18- hole glof courses on Brijuni and Krašić, while<br />
the others are 9-hole courses and smaller practice grounds. Numerous<br />
investors have begun building their golf-projects. For example, the<br />
famous former Croatian footballer Dražen Ladić has started the<br />
construction of a golf course and resort on Marlera, close to Ližnjan.<br />
The whole resort should be finished in two years time. His vision is that<br />
Marlera Golf LD becomes the most beautiful golf course in Europe, with<br />
27 holes, a five star hotel with 160 rooms, wellness and spa, casino and<br />
additional accommodation units.<br />
Predicted for spring <strong>2011</strong> is the beginning of the contruction of the<br />
first phase of the Golf resort Biska Golf Isra in Fratarska šuma (Friar’s<br />
forest), planned on 67 acres of land opposite the camp site Park Umag,<br />
located next to Karigador in the Brtonigla county.<br />
Almost 60 million euros is being invested in the first phase of building<br />
– the construction of an 18-hole golf course and around eighty<br />
villas, golfers’ houses and additional buildings with the relevant<br />
infrastructure. The second phase forsees the building of a hotel with<br />
additional fascillities.<br />
Big ambitions are also harboured by the creators of the project<br />
’Golf Park Dubrovnik’ which is planned to be constructed on the<br />
north slopes of the mountain Srđ on a surface of around 350 acres.<br />
According to the project idea, two high quality golf courses with 27<br />
(18+9) holes and a practice ground are planned as part of ‘Golf Park<br />
Dubrovnik’. Along with this there will also be a Golf academy led by<br />
the world’s most famous golfer Greg Norman. Next to the courses and<br />
the additional contents, predicted is the construction and renovation<br />
of other sport and recreational fascilities, such as the horseriding club,<br />
tennins courts, biking and jogging paths, wellness, fitness and similar.<br />
The restaurant offer will be made up from the gastronomical tradition<br />
and the specialities of the wider area of Dubrovnik, but also from other<br />
parts of Croatia. Shopping will be made possible by a system of smaller<br />
boutiques where indigenous Dubrovnik and Croatian souveniers will be<br />
on offer as well as world known brands. Entertainment will be offered<br />
through night clubs, discoteques, open air airamphitheatres, casinos<br />
and social games such as Bridge and snooker.<br />
The construction of two five and seven star hotels and the renovation<br />
of tourist apartments and residential villas are also planned as part of<br />
‘Golf Park Dubrovnik’. Together with the cable car which leads to Srđ,<br />
the renovated fort ‘Imperial’ enriched with new facilities and numerous<br />
active holiday possibilities, ‘Golf Park Dubrovnik’ will contribute to the<br />
significant step forward and competitiveness of the whole Dubrovnik<br />
offer on the evermore demanding international tourism market.<br />
Just how popular golf is becoming is proven by the fact that this<br />
sport has also arrived in Zmajevac, a place in Baranja famous for its<br />
vineyards, wine roads and numerous wine cellars. There we have an<br />
open golf practice course, golf school and golf club and plans are being<br />
made for the construction of a smaller golf course and hotel.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
‘Extreme Contents’<br />
www.adria-velebitica.hr<br />
www.rizvancity.com<br />
www.paintball.hr<br />
www.paintballcroatia.com<br />
www.visit.hr<br />
Almost all tourist resorts offer their guests conventional recreational<br />
facilities such as aqua aerobics, tennis, table tennis, sand volleyball,<br />
basketball, football. Those who are dreaming of recreation in the form<br />
of action movies will be attracted by the offer of paintball playing<br />
fields. Because the vast natural areas in the vicinity of towns and<br />
tourist resorts are favourable for playing paintball, there are many<br />
paintball grounds in Istrian towns and continental Croatia but also<br />
more and more in Dalmatia and Lika. The adventure centre Rizvan<br />
City, containing a paintball ground and a forest adventure park, unique<br />
in Croatia is situated in the untouched wildness of Lika at the foot of<br />
Velebit. Extreme sports are also on offer on the island of Vis. This island<br />
offers its guests original ‘Military Tours’ where they can get to know<br />
the secrets of the island whose main characteristic was the fact that<br />
is was isolated from visitors for almost 50 years. The largest Adriatic<br />
base of the former Yugoslav army is full of hidden labyrinths, tunnels,<br />
passages and caves. It is estimated that there are 70 km of tunnels and<br />
passages on Vis which the former army had been building for decades<br />
and which form a real underground labyrinth. This is where weapons,<br />
fuel, ammunition, underwater mines, rockets and torpedoes were kept<br />
and some served as commanding places of the navy for the whole<br />
Adriatic and as hiding places for ships and submarines. During the so<br />
called ‘Military Tour’, there is also a tour of Tito’s cave, the highest peak<br />
of Vis - Hum and the cross in honour of the fallen British soldiers. During<br />
the break there is tasting of the famous flat cake from Vis, domestic<br />
wine and shnapps.<br />
Skydiving<br />
www.vugrek-skydive-simulator.com<br />
At the other end of Croatia in Novi Golubovec in Zagorje tourists are<br />
offered the possibility of flying with the help of a Vertical air tunnel (free<br />
fall simulator). This unusual, large device hides inside it a ship engine<br />
with horsepower of 1000. When the captain presses the accelerator,<br />
the propeller pushes air through the tunnel at the speed of 50 meters<br />
per second. This is enough for you to fly several meters up into the air<br />
in a moment. Modelled on similar devices in the world, the members<br />
of the Vugrek family designed and constructed treir own air tunnel.<br />
Experts claim that this kind of flying is not dangerous. If you do fall,<br />
you will end up on mats or net, so you can experience the world from a<br />
birdseye perspective without any worries.<br />
Horeseback Riding<br />
www.konjicki-savez.hr<br />
www.terapijsko-jahanje.com<br />
www.krila.hr<br />
Horseback riding is an ideal form of recreation which enables you to<br />
successfully de-stress and raises your level of psycho-phisycal abilities.<br />
The beauty of the horse, its warmth and rhythm of movement<br />
represent a combination with a unique therapeutic effect. Riding is<br />
relaxing and useful to overall well being, raising the level of psychophisycal<br />
abilities, while eliminating stresses so a person becomes<br />
content with themselves and their body. Therapeutic riding, apart from<br />
recreational and sports riding, includes an educational and medicinal<br />
component. The most famous riding centres in Croatia are located in:<br />
Slavonia, Istria and Dalmatia.<br />
From small family farms on country estates and the modern horsecentres<br />
with riding schools, expert training and the evermore<br />
popular therapeutic riding, all the way to the most famous<br />
traditional horsing competition – the great Sinjska Alka, Croatia<br />
has a rich offer for riders. In Đakovo – Slavonija, you can find the<br />
State Horse farm of the magnificent Lipicaner breed, which has<br />
been bred here since the 13 th century.<br />
NAUTICAL TOURISM<br />
www.aci-club.hr<br />
www.hjs.hr<br />
During the first nine months of 2010, the Ministry of Sea, Transport<br />
and Infrastructure and harbour headquarters issued 2.11 percent<br />
more vignettes to foreign sailors than in the whole of 2009, which<br />
was a record year by the number of issued vignettes. The domestic<br />
charter fleet counts around 4000 vessels and in 2010 more than 302<br />
thousand sailors sailed through charters, which is a rise of 3.28 percent<br />
in comparison to the year before.<br />
This year again, most of them were Germans, followed by Austrians,<br />
Slovenians, Italians and Poles. Thanks to the good organisation of<br />
security measures and sea rescue searches in our sea, there was not a<br />
single fatal accident noted in the season of 2010. However, this took a<br />
great deal of work to achieve and the National Centre for Search and<br />
Rescue participated in 319 action rescues in which 783 people were<br />
saved by the end of September. Apart from this, 6.5 thousand vessel<br />
inspections were carried out and fines of a total of 2 million kunas were<br />
issued, mostly for high speeding too close to the shore.<br />
By the end of 2010, test trials of the VTS system for supervision of sea<br />
traffic are planned to be carried out, with a view of finalizing the full<br />
version by the second half of <strong>2011</strong>. This will be a radar system with 17<br />
base stations for automatic identification that will enable the visibility<br />
of every object larger than three cubic meters on the sea. Operators will<br />
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be able to supervise sea traffic in our part of the Adriatic 24 hours a day,<br />
with an accent on ships that carry dangerous cargo.<br />
Croatia has 21 020 berths, which is 2.6 nautical berths per kilometre, in<br />
97 nautical tourism ports. Considered under nautical tourism ports are<br />
anchorage-grounds, moors, dry marinas and marinas. When we add<br />
the number of berths in harbours open for public traffic and sports’<br />
harbours, the number of berths rises to 35 thousand.<br />
The construction of 15 thousand new berths for sail boats is a part of<br />
the Government’s strategy ‘three times fifteen’ by which it is planned<br />
that by the year 2018 fifteen thousand new berths at fifteen prestigious<br />
destinations across the Adriatic will be constructed in order to reach an<br />
annual profit of 15 billion kunas from nautical tourism.<br />
A significant Increase of Charter Fleet Capacities<br />
More than 900 highly professional, modern and expertly organized<br />
charter companies with around 3 500 quality and highly equipped<br />
vessels, intended for professional sailors as well as recreationalists,<br />
are active in Croatia. In their offer charter companies have sail<br />
boats, motor boats, catamarans and smaller boats as well as speed<br />
boats. In Croatian charter around 75 percent of vessels are sail<br />
boats, while the rest are motor yachts and other types of vessels.<br />
The Construction of the First Marina<br />
for Mega-yachts<br />
www.ncp.hr<br />
By the middle of <strong>2011</strong> Šibenik should be getting a new marina worth<br />
17 million euros which will be ready to accommodate the largest of<br />
the world’s mega yachts. The nautical centre Prgin and its Turkish<br />
partner Dogus Group, will in this way put Šibenik neck to neck with<br />
modern nautical centres such as Monaco, Cannes, Palma de Mallorca<br />
and Portofino. Mega yacht marines differ from other marines by<br />
the possibility to accommodate vessels longer than 25 meters. An<br />
important role in this is held by the pallet of services offered in such<br />
marinas and tourist destinations like boat maintenance, shopping<br />
and historical sites.<br />
More and More River Sailors<br />
www.port-osijek.hr<br />
www.luka-vukovar.hr<br />
Developing in the shadow of nautical tourism is river sailing. In Europe<br />
this brings good profits, which is yet to be achieved in our country.<br />
Apart from cruisers, there are more and more river sailors who sail into<br />
Drava and make a stop at Zimska Luka (Winter Harbour) in Osijek. River<br />
tourism is highly developed in Europe and the most attractive route<br />
leads from Vienna to the Black Sea. Zimska Luka in Osijek has in the<br />
past few years, with its renovated berths, lighting and video surveillance<br />
been the best equipped in this part of Europe and is slowly becoming a<br />
favourite docking place on nautical charts. This nautical season already<br />
counts around twenty dockings, while help and nautical services are<br />
free of charge. Along with 420 berths, on the club’s waiting list there<br />
are fifty sailors with their vessels. In the words of the Drava and Danube<br />
sailors, once you get to feel the shores of the river and get to know its<br />
peace and wildness, you become the river’s captive forever.<br />
CRUISES<br />
www.portdubrovnik.hr<br />
In the period from January to September 2010, 673 foreign cruises<br />
were realised in Croatia. On these ships were 872 994 passengers,<br />
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who spent 1439 days in Croatia in total, which is 2 days on<br />
average per cruise. The most foreign cruise ships which sailed<br />
into Croatian sea territory for the first time were noted in the<br />
Dubrovnik-Neretva County (75.6 percent) and the Split-Dalmatia<br />
County (15.2 percent), which is 90.8 percent all together. The<br />
other 9.2 percent of foreign cruise ships evidented their first<br />
arrival on Croatian territory in the other four coastal counties.<br />
In relation to the same period in 2009 the number of trips is 10<br />
percent higher, and the number of passengers entering Croatia in<br />
such a way is 7.3 percent higher. The total number of days which<br />
these passengers spent in Croatia is 8.7 percent higher.<br />
It is estimated that the total profit from cruise trips in Croatia is<br />
around 32 million euros and that in the next ten years the total<br />
direct and indirect income from international cruises could go up<br />
to 200 million euros.<br />
CONGRESS TOURISM<br />
business.croatia.hr/hr-HR/Kongresni-i-insentiv-ured<br />
www.poslovniturizam.com<br />
Although only a few hotels in Croatia are officially registered as congress<br />
hotels, this branch of tourism has been given more and more attention<br />
on the coast as well as the continental part of the country, which is<br />
not surprising since it is a known fact that a guest visiting as part of<br />
a congress, expert gathering, seminar or similar business program,<br />
spends up to three times more than an ‘ordinary’ tourist.<br />
More than half a billion euros has been invested in the past few years<br />
in the construction of congress halls and additional facilities, so now<br />
Croatia has 148 venues with a congress offer. Dominating among them<br />
are hotels, 134 of them to be precise. Visitors who come on business<br />
can choose between 22 five star hotels, 74 four star hotels and 38 three<br />
star hotels. Croatia also offers 14 independent venues which offer the<br />
possibility of organizing conferences, seminars, workshops and similar<br />
business meetings.<br />
The largest convention centers are in Zagreb, Opatija, Dubrovnik,<br />
Pula, Rovinj, Cavtat, Poreč, Umag, Savudrija, Rijeka, Mali Lošinj, Novi<br />
Vinodolski, Split, Hvar, Brač and Plitvice Lakes.<br />
Kvarner, as the leader in this area has 27 hotels and three separate<br />
buildings with a total of 94 rooms for conferences and meetings<br />
with a capacity of 14 000 seats, while the ‘Grand Hotel Adriatic’<br />
has the longest tradition in congress tourism on the Adriatic coast,<br />
with 200 conventions held to date. Meeting the needs of congress<br />
tourism in Dubrovnik there are 26 hotels and two independent<br />
venues with a total of 116 congress halls. In Istria, however, the<br />
conference facilities are available in 23 hotels and one independent<br />
venue which together have 78 halls.<br />
As part of the project of establishing conference centers as an integral<br />
part of the tourist infrastructure in Croatia, which has so far been<br />
neglected, the Ministry of Tourism plans to build three new businessconvention<br />
complexes in Split, Opatija and Dubrovnik.<br />
The building of a convention centre in Split, with a capacity of about<br />
1500 seats, is planned at the site of the former military barracks in<br />
Dračevac donated to Split by the government. Dubrovnik decided to<br />
build a convention center in the vicinity of the hotel complex near Babin<br />
Kuk, while Opatija made the biggest step and in early 2009 began to<br />
prepare the tender for the construction of its congress complex.<br />
CULTURAL TOURISM<br />
www.cromaps.com<br />
www.kultura.hr<br />
www.culturenet.hr<br />
Croatia is unique, not only because of its crystal clear blue sea, but also<br />
because its real treasure lies in the diversity of layers of rich cultural<br />
heritage. This is also supported by the fact that more than 20 percent<br />
of tourists are primarily motivated by culture.<br />
From prehistoric times until today, the whole country has been dotted<br />
with numerous types of monuments, each of which has bestowed its<br />
historic trail.<br />
With architectural jewels of all eras, especially those protected by<br />
UNESCO, Croatia has in recent years positioned itself as the promised<br />
land on the cultural map of the world for visitors to cultural festivals.<br />
From Festival to Festival<br />
Rich festival activities for virtually all ages and tastes - from Šibenik<br />
Children Festival, through a variety of music, film and theatre festivals,<br />
folklore, new circus and contemporary dance as well as the Festival of<br />
Science - attract more and more tourists from home and abroad.<br />
Cultural and entertainment open air facilities are a real treat for lovers<br />
of theatre, film, and almost all musical genres. Genuine cultural<br />
connoisseurs will find it hard to resist the staging of Shakespeare’s<br />
Hamlet in the night atmosphere of beautiful Dubrovnik fortress<br />
Lovrijenac or King Lear on Mali Brijuni, the island within the national<br />
park Brijuni. Even Verdi’s masterpiece “Otello” sounds more spectacular<br />
on the magical Prokurative in Split. In the Arena of Pula many famous<br />
musicians performed, such as the tenor Placido Domingo, flamenco<br />
guitarist Paco de Lucia and funky jazz performer Jamiroquai. In<br />
addition to musical events, the amphitheater stages film and theatrical<br />
performances. The most famous film event in the Arena is the Pula Film<br />
Festival, which is the oldest and most famous film festival in Croatia,<br />
and the fifth largest in Europe. The Motovun Film Festival also has<br />
fans from the country and abroad, and this year it entered its second<br />
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decade. Special charm to the Motovun festival along with its excellent<br />
program is also given by the setting - the medieval town of Motovun is<br />
situated on a romantic hilltop in the Istrian inland.<br />
Movie enthusiasts can visit some thirty film festivals and about a dozen<br />
film shows in Croatia. The most important and recognized abroad<br />
are: the Zagreb Film Festival, Documentary Film Festival Zagreb Dox,<br />
Mediterranean Film Festival in Split, Rovinj Ethno Film Festival, Film<br />
Festival Vukovar, the Croatian Festival of Animated Film in Zagreb,<br />
Subersive Film Festival, Short Film Festival in Tabor, Libertas Film Festival,<br />
Human Rights Film Festival, International Festival of Experimental Film<br />
and Video as well as the Festival of Zagreb Jewish Film.<br />
Open Air Culture<br />
Dubrovnik Summer Festival (Dubrovačke ljetne igre) is among the<br />
longest running and the most familiar of the musical theatre festivals<br />
with an international reputation which is in the Association of European<br />
Festivals, and which this year celebrated its 61st successful edition. As<br />
part of the summer festival, lasting over a month and a half, more than<br />
2000 artists from all over the world participate in more than 70 theatre<br />
performances, music, dance, art and opera performances staged on a<br />
dozen scenic and environmental sites. Split Summer Festival (Splitsko<br />
ljeto), also internationally renowned, is five years younger than<br />
Dubrovnik Summer Festival. Split Summer Festival, however, focuses<br />
mainly on opera productions from around the world. Famous singers<br />
step out in front of the audience, inspired by the ancient ambience of<br />
the old town, palace and streets which are the perfect audio backdrop.<br />
Alongside opera, throughout the course of a month the Split Summer<br />
Festival offers its visitors a number of plays, ballet productions and<br />
exhibitions, and in recent years jazz concerts and film screenings as well<br />
as street theatre and performances.<br />
Rijeka Summer Nights is another event which offers its guests an<br />
attractive and exciting art program. For twenty-six days this summer,<br />
Rijeka and its guests can enjoy the 28 programs in ten locations.<br />
This year’s event was concluded on swimming pools Kantrida with a<br />
spectacular Water Ball.<br />
For those eternal seekers of new experiences that break down the<br />
boundaries between music and adventure, the music festival of<br />
world class electronic music performers Hartera (held in June) is the<br />
right place. Wandering through the halls of the former paper factory<br />
in Rijeka, after which the festival was named, they will find just that<br />
- dance music in the mystical atmosphere of the factory architecture<br />
refreshed by contemporary artists. Hartera is building an independent<br />
image among European festivals and welcomes anyone who is looking<br />
for a good time.<br />
A real lure for domestic and foreign guests in Rijeka is the Rijeka<br />
Carnival. Six centuries of carnival traditions of this region and the<br />
influence of Venetian and Austrian carnivals are the foundations on<br />
which the renewed Rijeka Carnival began to build its own distinctive<br />
identity in 1982. Starting with only three local carnival groups and about<br />
a hundred participants it has grown into an international event, which<br />
today has over ten thousand participants from ten countries around<br />
the world. Carnival madness begins by a ritual of choosing the Carnival<br />
Queen and the surrendering of the keys of the city to the master of<br />
the carnival. Concerts, exhibitions, performances and festivities fill<br />
the days in anticipation of the crown of the carnival festivities - a large<br />
carnival masquerade. Competition in imagination, wit and originality,<br />
fireworks of colors and shapes, result in a parade of allegorical wagons,<br />
thousands of masks and an immeasurable number of viewers.<br />
Among the long-running events, there is one event for the youngest<br />
participants - International Children’s Festival in Šibenik, which<br />
celebrated its fiftieth birthday this year. The citizens of Šibenik are<br />
especially proud of this festival, because, as they say, it contributes<br />
to the ‘children’s spirit’ in town, which during the two weeks of the<br />
festival becomes an open and playful stage. Another ideal destination<br />
for children is the town of Ogulin in the north-western part of Croatia<br />
at the foot of the magnificent mountain Klek, when it hosts a festival<br />
of fairy tales in June. All those who want to experience the fairy tale<br />
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can do so, along with enjoying the many natural beauties and culturaleducational<br />
facilities for at least a couple of days. This unique project in<br />
Croatia was inspired by the creativity of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić (Croatian<br />
writer of fairy-tales 1874-1938) for whom the area of Ogulin has been<br />
an inexhaustible inspiration for her work - a unique combination of<br />
natural beauty and numerous myths and legends.<br />
Many more towns and tourist resorts are a stage for numerous<br />
cultural and art performances, concerts, knights’ games and other<br />
entertainment. We will mention Musical Evenings in St. Donat, Pula<br />
Summer Festival, Opatija Summer Festival, Ulysses Theatre in Brijuni,<br />
Festival of Dalmatian Songs and Pirates’ Battles in Omiš, Festival<br />
of Dalmatian Chanson in Šibenik, Liburnia Jazz Festival, Sinj Alka,<br />
Rapska Fiera (Rab Faire), boat marathon in the Neretva valley and<br />
many others.<br />
A very attractive event is held in Zadar called the ‘Night of the full<br />
moon’, when public lighting is extinguished and people enjoy food,<br />
song and dance under the auspices of the moon, torches and lanterns.<br />
Near Zadar in Petrčane, on a beautiful beach with pine trees the festival<br />
of electronic music Garden has been held for the past five years and<br />
during that time gained a worldwide audience and reputation which<br />
has made both Zadar and Croatia an inevitable and absolutely ‘in’<br />
destinations. Europe’s leading on-line magazine for electronic music<br />
Resident Advisor has put Garden at high, second place among the top<br />
summer festivals. Almost everyone who was at the first festival comes<br />
back every year and brings their friends, so during the season 15-20<br />
thousand people come to seven different events. In addition to Britts,<br />
Germans, Spaniards and Italians the Garden festival is mostly visited by<br />
Australians, New Zealanders, Brazilians and even Japanese.<br />
Another music festival gained worldwide fame and audience. This<br />
is the Zagreb T-Mobile INmusic Festival on Lake Jarun in Zagreb due<br />
to which the respected BBC journalists declared Croatia a promised<br />
land for European festival goers. Top international musicians such as<br />
Massive Attack, The Flaming Lips, Morcheeba and others, attracted<br />
not only the domestic guests but also those from Austria, Germany,<br />
Czech Republic, Hungary, Great Britain, America, Canada, Russia, New<br />
Zealand, Macedonian, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Bosnia and Serbia.<br />
Also boasting an international audience is a very different music<br />
festival – the Baroque Evenings in Varaždin. The program of Baroque<br />
evenings is aimed at exploring and performing European and Croatian<br />
baroque music, and also introducing the artistic, literary and culinary<br />
treasures of the Baroque era during the time of grape picking in this<br />
wine-growing region.<br />
Ethno music festival ‘Ethnoambient Salon’ has been taking place on the<br />
ruins of ancient Salona within the Gradina fortress for the last decade,<br />
bringing together enthusiasts in love with the sounds of traditional<br />
heritage from all over the world. UNESCO, as well as the audiences,<br />
recognized the value of this event and it included Ethnoambient in its<br />
program of International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.<br />
Attractive Contents of Continental Croatia<br />
Continental tourist regions are also trying to compete with those by<br />
the sea, and along with spring and autumn festivals they are devising<br />
programs to attract visitors to their area during the summer. For<br />
example, young artists and creative people from around the world<br />
were this summer attracted to Baranja village to an unusual festival<br />
which aimed to create artistic sculptures out of straw. On the last<br />
day of the festival the artists joined forces and made a 10 meter high<br />
tower which they burned down evoking the archetypal images from<br />
16 th Great Arcana card of the Tarot and recalling the biblical Tower<br />
of Babilon, and a similar story from the Indian epic Ramayana. An<br />
unusual event, called the Celtic Night takes place in early September<br />
in the town of Sisak, on rafts floating down the river Kupa. Only during<br />
that one magical night can you be in the company of fairies, Celts,<br />
Romans, Druids and sorceresses, but also the historical characters of<br />
Sisak. Ten historic sailing rafts which carry pictures and memories of<br />
glory days and events from the rich history of Sisak are carried by a river<br />
current during the Celtic Night. Sisak has historically been determined<br />
by its rivers Kupa, Sava, and Odra as well as Celts and Romans, the<br />
conquerors and soldiers, heroes and generals. Enjoying a historical reenactment,<br />
visitors can refresh themselves with a magic potion offered<br />
as a gift by druids and sorceresses on the promenade along the river.<br />
During the time of music and dance festivals in Central Croatia the<br />
whole area becomes a cultural event like no other. For example, fans of<br />
the rural atmosphere will never fail to attend Vinkovci Autumns so the<br />
people of Vinkovci often say: ‘Once you experience the atmosphere of<br />
Vinkovci Autumns, you have to come back!’ Indeed, it is hard to resist<br />
the charms of those dozen autumn days when the hosts are trying to<br />
please you in every way. The whole town and its visitors are carried<br />
by song and dance. Vinkovci Autumn is a folklore festival, which not<br />
only nourishes the Slavonian tradition but the customs from all over<br />
Croatia, in order to thus mark the time of year when nature rewards<br />
our perennial work.<br />
Museums as Points of Entertainment<br />
www.mdc.hr<br />
www.hrmt.hr<br />
www.mhz.hr<br />
www.msu.hr<br />
www.split-guide.info/museums_hr.htm<br />
www.noc-kazalista.com<br />
www.hrmud.hr<br />
The idea of how to make museums attractive to masses was thought<br />
of a few years ago by employees of the Museum of Arts and Crafts<br />
in Zagreb who came up with the ‘Museum Night’ concept, which<br />
starts at 6 pm and runs until 1 am. Admission is free. The first ‘Night<br />
of Museums’ was held on 15 December 2005 when six museums,<br />
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mostly in Zagreb, participated .On the 29 th January 2010 joining in the<br />
event were eighty museums from all over Croatia. The first time many<br />
museums just left their doors open until one o’clock in the morning,<br />
but by next year they began to introduce new content. Exhibition halls<br />
were entered by acrobats and magicians, belly dances were performed<br />
among Egyptian exhibits, unusual exhibitions of vintage underwear<br />
and shoes were held, forgotten traditional dishes were prepared,<br />
crossbow firing competitions were organized, children were taught the<br />
basic art techniques in playrooms, wine was mulled, hot cakes from<br />
nearby bakeries were served and there were fireworks.<br />
Most institutions used this unique opportunity to advertise their<br />
own holdings through organized guided tours and distribution of<br />
free museum publications and souvenirs. Other institutions also<br />
started joining in with the scheme, and even the local bars and cafes<br />
adjusted their opening hours to the museums’, which is probably an<br />
unprecedented case. In cooperation with the Ministry of Economy,<br />
Labour and Entrepreneurship, the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, the<br />
Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the National Competitiveness Council<br />
and the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia, the Association for<br />
Network Development and creativity declared ‘Museum Night 2008’<br />
the best innovative and creative project of that year. Two years later<br />
record attendance was achieved: museums throughout the country<br />
were visited by 278 000 people on that night, out of which 160 000<br />
were from Zagreb. The record holder is the Museum of Contemporary<br />
Art with 33 000 visitors.<br />
Along with this extremely successful concept on the Croatian museum<br />
scene a series of good projects had also developed. These are primarily<br />
the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb and<br />
the Museum of the Krapina Neanderthals, then the opening of the<br />
Archaeological Museum in Vid near Metković, the renovation of the<br />
existing palace and interpolation of contemporary architecture at the<br />
Museum of Ancient Glass in Zadar.<br />
Hight-tech Neanderthals<br />
The museum of Krapina has all the features of a world-class museum<br />
and will certainly be one of the most important cultural and scientific<br />
institutions in Croatia. The most attractive part that depicts the life of<br />
Neanderthals was designed and built by Parisian sculptor Elisabeth<br />
Daynes, one of the most famous experts for hyper-realistic, dermoplastic<br />
sculptures. In accordance with new scientific knowledge, the<br />
Neanderthals are portrayed as social beings that take care of the sick<br />
and helpless and have funeral rituals. The exhibition space between<br />
two hills – Hušnjakovo and Josipovac has a surface of 1200 square<br />
meters and is divided on two floors. A tour of the museum begins by a<br />
screening of a 16-minute film about the life of Krapina Neanderthals.<br />
Popularization of the museum scene was certainly helped by the<br />
brilliant idea of two former lovers to open the Museum of Failed Love.<br />
The idea blossomed into a Croatian touring exhibition consisting of<br />
items donated by ordinary people in memory of their past or tragic love.<br />
With its unusual exhibits the Museum of Failed Love visited Malaysia,<br />
Ireland, Philippines, South Africa, USA, Slovenia, Slovakia, Macedonia,<br />
Canada and Portugal in the last three years. After successful tours this<br />
unusual museum recently got its permanent exhibition space at the<br />
Zagreb’s Upper Town.<br />
‘Visia Dubrovnik5D museum’, is a new tourist attraction which has from<br />
the beginning of June 2010 been available to visitors of this Croatian<br />
tourist pearl in the south of the country. This is a museum where by an<br />
inventive method, elements of amusement parks like Disneyland and<br />
Gardaland are combined with elements of modern museums. Located<br />
in a renovated part of the Monastery of St. Klara at the entrance to<br />
the old town, the museum will be using high-5D and Virtual Reality<br />
technology to offer visitors a very exciting and unique way through the<br />
history and cultural characteristics of Dubrovnik and Croatia.<br />
Thanks to the HERITECH project funded by the Belgian government,<br />
Biograd na Moru will become the first city in Croatia to have its cultural<br />
heritage stored and presented in digital format on the internet. The<br />
HERITECH project, worth 139 000 euros, is dedicated to preservation<br />
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and promotion of cultural heritage in the 21st century, based on<br />
modern technology. In the beginning, the database will contain about<br />
70 monuments from the list of protected cultural heritage, and will be<br />
upgraded through time.<br />
Night of the Theatre<br />
Following in the footsteps of successful ‘Museum Night’ is its theatrical<br />
counterpart. The event ‘Night of the Theatre ‘, in fact, has taken on<br />
European proportions. The program took place not only in Croatia but<br />
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Slovakia, from 10 am on<br />
the 20 November, until 3 am on the 21 November 2010. Lovers of the<br />
theater did not only enjoy theatre performances but also exhibitions,<br />
workshops, concerts, installations, performances, interviews with<br />
actors, touring dressing rooms, trapdoors, tailoring rooms... 56<br />
institutions from 25 Croatian cities participated in this event and<br />
almost 50 000 people rushed to the theatre which surpassed the<br />
figure from 2009 by almost two times when there were 30 000<br />
occupied theater chairs. Passing through the 26 theaters in Slovakia<br />
were up to 10 000 people and in Bosnia and Herzegovina, some 15<br />
000 people visited the 33 theaters in 17 cities. Although Montenegro<br />
subsequently joined, about 1000 visitors watched performances in<br />
the Montenegrin National Theatre in Podgorica. Effort and great<br />
commitment of each theater paid off because putting a smile on<br />
every visitors face young or old, is priceless.<br />
ADVENTURE TOURISM<br />
Diving<br />
www.submania.hr<br />
www.ronjenjehrvatska.com<br />
www.diving-hrs.hr<br />
It is said that the Adriatic coast is one of the most beautiful in the<br />
world, but to really get to know it one must look below the sea<br />
surface.<br />
Thanks to the exceptional clarity and richness of the underwater<br />
caves, potholes and reefs, diving tourism in Croatia is experiencing<br />
real expansion. The Croatian Adriatic is among the richest in the<br />
world by wrecked ships in the sea. Otherwise, it is assumed that there<br />
are at least 1500 underwater caves and holes still undiscovered in the<br />
Adriatic. At its sea bottom there are fifteen thousand sunken ships -<br />
stranded ships, submarines, aircraft and torpedo ships. Encounters<br />
with the wrecks are a unique experience. Each ship carries an<br />
interesting story; each story is a monument to an individual courage<br />
and tragedy. In the past ten years, diving tourism increased by 15<br />
to 20 percent. The number of professional diving centres which<br />
have been set up in the most attractive locations on the Adriatic is<br />
simultaneously growing.<br />
The Istrian seabed is particularly popular because of its shallowness,<br />
and the biggest attraction is the wreck of the Austro-Hungarian ship<br />
Baron Gautsch near Rovinj. Along the coast of the peninsula many<br />
other local, Italian and British ship wrecks can be found.<br />
For divers who prefer to explore the underwater reefs and walls the<br />
most attractive will be the northernmost islands of Kvarner, while<br />
in central Adriatic the most popular diving destination is Kornati,<br />
where you can always find a quiet location sheltered from waves<br />
and wind. The large islands of central Dalmatia are well covered<br />
by diving centers, especially in the areas of the most interesting<br />
locations around Čiovo, the southern coast of Šolta, Brač, Hvar,<br />
Pag and Dugi otok. A special place in this area belongs to the island<br />
Vis, rich in attractive diving sites and ship wrecks, and caves such as<br />
those on Biševo.<br />
Cycling<br />
www.hbs.hr<br />
www.bicikl.hr<br />
www.pedala.hr<br />
Two-wheel enthusiasts progress more slowly, but get to experience<br />
the Croatian environment, especially the smell of meadows and the<br />
freshness of waterfalls, birds singing or the wonderful taste of spring<br />
water, with all their senses. Village roads, forest tracks and paths<br />
through fields and vineyards lead to locations which are not in the<br />
usual tourist routes. Circular bicycle paths are marked and described<br />
in national and nature parks. The Plitvice Lakes National Park has<br />
the most beautiful trails for cyclists that can be found in Europe. All<br />
areas are open for cycling tours. They do not require too much effort<br />
and offer an incredible diversity of landscape-mountains and valleys<br />
of sunny Istria, trails through the forests of Gorski Kotar, green hills of<br />
Hrvatsko Zagorje, Slavonia and Turopolje plains. You can cycle to the<br />
islands, which are less green in the summer, but they are surrounded<br />
by breathtaking blueness.<br />
The most ambitious cycling project in Croatia is the Drava Route – an<br />
international cycling trail. The first marked trail along the Croatian<br />
coast of the Drava River was opened from Legrad to Pitomača in<br />
2002. The project is expanding to the east and should be completed<br />
as soon as Croatian bike paths fully connect with those in Slovenia<br />
and Hungary.<br />
Wherever you reach a hill or mountain in Croatia, you will find<br />
excellent terrain for mountain biking. For more serious ascends and<br />
adrenaline filled descents the good choices are Učka, mountains of<br />
Gorski Kotar, Žumberak or paths through Vinodol on to Velika Kapela,<br />
from Lika to Velebit, mountain areas between Dalmatian rivers and<br />
on the landward side of Biokovo.<br />
32
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Kayaking<br />
www.croatiatraveller.com<br />
www.kajak.hr<br />
www.rekreacija.hr<br />
Clear and warm, green waters of the Croatian rivers, interesting to<br />
all lovers of kayaking, have sources in the mountain foothills and run<br />
through canyons, flowing through limestone barriers in the sparkling<br />
curtain of waterfalls. They captivate with their beauty, not danger. High<br />
spring water levels allow an exhilarating experience, while summer<br />
tours are ideal for beginners. All major tourist centers organize daily<br />
kayaking excursions down the rivers Kupa, Gacka and Zrmanja. Paddling<br />
in a kayak you will discover the sites that many locals have never seen.<br />
Even though kayaking in Croatia has a long tradition and the rivers are<br />
beautiful it is not a mass sport. Spring and early summer are an ideal<br />
time for kayaking adventures on the rivers Dobra, Mrežnica, Una, Kupa,<br />
Korana, Cetina, Krupa and Zrmanja.<br />
Rafting<br />
www.dalmatiarafting.com<br />
www.foris.hr<br />
www.raft.hr<br />
www.adventure-sport.net<br />
Rafting has a long tradition in Croatia as a mode of water transport.<br />
However, true, modern adventure-rafting began on the wild waters of<br />
the Croatian rivers only in the late eighties, when the amazing beauty of<br />
Croatian rivers, known to only a few adventurers, enthusiastic kayakers<br />
and fishermen, were discovered. The first pioneers of commercial river<br />
trips and experts on Croatian waters did not anticipate the popularity of<br />
rafting on rivers which have very few strong rapids and rare big waves.<br />
Thanks to them, thousands of people have had close encounters with<br />
the unforgettable magic of rivers, green river banks, steep canyons and<br />
clear depths. All the rivers are green and clear to the bottom and whilst<br />
those on the continent are surrounded by thick forests and mountains,<br />
the ones near the sea have green banks and deep rocky canyons.<br />
The rivers on which rafting is organized are: Cetin, Una, Korana,<br />
Mrežnica, Krka, Zrmanja and its tributary Krupa.<br />
Speleology<br />
www.speleo.hr<br />
www.speleologija.hr<br />
Croatia as a real karst area is abundant in caves. More than 11 500<br />
caves and pits have been discovered on the mainland, the islands,<br />
under the sea, along rivers and in the mountains. There are still<br />
many areas where systematic speleological research has not yet been<br />
done. Speleology associations, clubs and societies and caving groups<br />
in mountaineering associations also bring amateurs along on their<br />
caving expedition trips. The most famous and most charming are<br />
Modra Špilja (Blue Cave) on Biševo and Zmajeva Špilja (the Dragon’s<br />
Cave) on the island of Brač and the cave ‘altars’ near the desert<br />
Blaca. The caves of Papuk and regions of Kordun, Lika, Dalmatia and<br />
Zagora are open to visitors without experience for enjoying various<br />
forms of stalactites and stalagmites. The most attractive caves are<br />
located in Istria, Gorski Kotar and Medvednica, and for true fans of<br />
the underground we recommend Veternica near Zagreb, Cerovac<br />
caves near Gračac and Lukina Jama (Luka’s pit) on Velebit, where you<br />
can meet the olm, while in Šandalji located near Pula, you can find<br />
the oldest remains of prehistoric man - Homo erectus.<br />
Some caves in addition to their beauty also hold interesting tourist<br />
attractions. For example, in cave Veternica one can find traces of the<br />
remains of the extinct cave bear and sometimes you can see examples<br />
of fossils and bats; in Đurovića cave, under the Dubrovnik airport,<br />
authentic Konavle wines are exibited, while natural lighting effects<br />
(blue reflex in sea water) are abundant in Plava Spilja (Blue Cave)<br />
on Biševo. Baredine pit, the only pit renovated for tourists in Croatia,<br />
displays the olm in its natural environment.<br />
33
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Near the end of 2010 after 103 years, the cave ’Strašna Peć’ on Dugi<br />
otok, which was visited in 1904 by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph,<br />
the <strong>English</strong> prince Edward VIII and Miss Wallis Simpson, was once<br />
again opened to the public. Archaeological finds confirmed that the<br />
prehistoric man lived here during the Neolithic period. In the belly of<br />
the cave there are many cave decorations, pillars, magnificent halls,<br />
bat colonies, numerous speleothems and other attractions.<br />
Mounteneering and Mountain Climbing<br />
www.plsavez.hr<br />
www.planinarenje.com<br />
www.planinarenje.net<br />
Even though Croatian mountains are not very high, since there is no<br />
peak above 2000 m, they are still very interesting to mountaineers.<br />
The Dinaric range, most of which is located in Croatia, is known in the<br />
world as a typical karst region. The main feature of karst terrain both<br />
above and below the rich earth’s surface is what makes climbing in<br />
Croatia so special. Climbing in the karst terrain actually has much<br />
in common with climbing in the high mountains. The sharp karst<br />
rock formations, domination of bare karst, scarcity of water, poor<br />
vegetation, harsh climate and sparse population require the same<br />
amount of effort from hikers and climbers as would a much higher<br />
mountain. However, the Dinaric Range offers a lot of diversity. The<br />
northern mountains, such as Gorski Kotar, are lower and milder,<br />
while those in the south, especially the Dalmatian mountains, are<br />
higher and more deserted. The mountains between Sava and Drava<br />
rivers are quite different. They have a much older composition, milder<br />
shapes, are relatively low as well as rich in water and vegetation and<br />
as such are ideal for walks in the hills and gentle hiking.<br />
Skydiving, Air-gliding or Balloon Flights<br />
www.padobranstvo.hr<br />
www.adventure-sport.net<br />
www.baloni.hr<br />
Parachuting, gliding or ballooning over the diverse landscapes in the<br />
favorable climate conditions attract more and more fliers to Croatia.<br />
The sun and mountains along the coast, like Učka and Biokovo,<br />
create first class flight conditions which can also be experienced on<br />
the islands. Those who come to enjoy the flying are not tied to only<br />
one location. Mountains which follow the coast are perfect for cross<br />
country flights - many hours in the air overlooking the coast, sea and<br />
islands - a real travel adventure with the help of the wind!<br />
Adventure racing<br />
www.adventurerace.hr<br />
www.pp-ucka.hr<br />
www.adnatura.hr<br />
Adventure races in Croatia are organized a dozen times a year and<br />
are of different duration and severity, from mild and transient to<br />
very demanding, multi-day competitions. Athletes and recreation<br />
enthusiasts, ready for extreme feats, while doing so, discover the<br />
wilderness and the beauty of mountain and forest areas, rivers, islands<br />
and the sea. The diversity and richness of the landscape and terrain<br />
provide the organizers of the races with inexhaustible possibilities in<br />
planning of adventure racing routes.<br />
LIGHTHOUSES<br />
www.plovput.hr<br />
www.alh.hr<br />
Many lighthouses erected in dangerous capes and cliffs of the Adriatic<br />
coast were granted new life when they were renovated as unique places<br />
for vacationing. Offered at the moment are 12 attractive lighthouses,<br />
from ones in ‘conventional’ tourist centers to inaccessible ‘Robinson’<br />
locations on the most remote islands on which true lovers of the sea,<br />
nature and silence will find their place under the sun.<br />
The Shores of Istria<br />
The oldest lighthouse on the Adriatic was built in 1818 in Savudrija, the<br />
northernmost point of the Croatian coast. As the lighthouse is situated<br />
next to a hotel resort it is an excellent choice for those who are not<br />
inclined to remote locations and ‘robinson tourism’ (term used in<br />
Croatia for holidaying in isolated locations).<br />
Devoted to the same type of guest is the Rt Zub lighthouse, built in<br />
1872 on the Lanterna peninsula, between Poreč and Novigrad.<br />
A more authentic experience of the solitary lives of lighthouse keepers<br />
can be found on Porer – an 80m wide cliff situated 2.5 km away from<br />
mainland and Istrian town Premantura.<br />
The lighthouse Sv. Ivan (St. John) was built in 1853 on the most distant<br />
islet of a small archipelago in front of Rovinj. Beautiful underwater<br />
landscapes with a wealth of fish species make this an attractive<br />
destination for lovers of solitude, fishing and diving.<br />
Central Dalmatia<br />
Veli Rat on Dugi Otok (Long Island) is considered one of the most<br />
beautiful lighthouses on the Adriatic coast. It was named the ‘off-<br />
34
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
shore gate-keeper of Dalmatia’ probably due to magnificent views<br />
that surround it and is one of the few lighthouses which can be<br />
reached by car.<br />
Another lighthouse which can be reached by car, is Sv. Petar (St. Peter),<br />
built in 1884 on the peninsula of the same name at the entrance to<br />
Makarska, only a 20 minute walk from the city.<br />
Islet Prišnjak is situated only three hundred meters from the west coast<br />
of the island of Murter. The surrounding waters are rich in fish and the<br />
lighthouse is only 15 meters away from the beach.<br />
The Robinson South<br />
Palagruža lighthouse was built in 1875 on the island bearing the same<br />
name in the middle of the Adriatic Sea. This is the farthest Croatian<br />
island of exceptional beauty and rich history.<br />
The Island of Sušac is situated 23 nautical miles south of Hvar and<br />
13 nautical miles west of Lastovo, and is surrounded by the views of<br />
the vast open sea which give one the impression of being separated<br />
from the world.<br />
In the middle of the south side of the island of Lastovo, at the entrance<br />
to the bay Skrivena Luka (Hidden cove) lies the cape Struga. Because<br />
of its distance from the shore the lighthouse stands remote and alone<br />
and it seems that it is emerging from the blue sea and sky.<br />
The newly renovated lighthouse Pločica is located on the island with<br />
the same name situated between Korčula, Hvar and Pelješac. This<br />
spacious lighthouse, built in 1887, can accommodate a larger number<br />
of guests and is ideal for a big group of ‘Robinson-tourism’ followers.<br />
Different to the ‘Robinson’ lighthouses of the south and a novelty in the<br />
offer is the lighthouse Grebeni, built in 1872 and situated on the island<br />
of the same name located about three hundred meters away from the<br />
Dubrovnik tourist complex Babin Kuk.<br />
CROATIAN BEACHES<br />
www.lijepa-nasa.hr<br />
www.croatia-beaches.com<br />
www.blueflag.org<br />
www.crobeaches.com<br />
www.visinfo.org<br />
www.picigin.org<br />
www.zrce.hr<br />
www.holidays-in-komiza.com<br />
The Croatian coast was described by the world media as a top<br />
destination in the summer of 2010. The reason was not only good<br />
value for money, but also the beautiful beaches where everyone can<br />
find a place to swim to their liking - whether they are seeking fun,<br />
romance or a peaceful family vacation.<br />
Good reviews in the foreign media this year, are mainly down to<br />
high-quality entertainment content, and, in the opinion of the<br />
British Guardian, Croatia is listed as an excellent replacement for<br />
Ibiza. However, on more than 1700 kilometers of coastline, with hot<br />
entertainment, there are more and more great beaches equipped with<br />
extensive facilities for children or a spot for building sand castles like<br />
Zlatni Rat on Brač, which, according to the Daily Telegraph, is the most<br />
beautiful beach in Europe.<br />
Sandy Oasis<br />
While there are not many sandy beaches in Croatia, along with the<br />
already mentioned Zlatni Rat - the only beach perpendicular to the coast,<br />
which often changes its shape under the influence of different currents -<br />
one of the most popular is Lumbarda on Korčula. On the nearby island<br />
of Mljet, the beach Saplunara situated on the southeast side of the<br />
island’s national park is a magnificent sandy lagoon. A mile long bay is<br />
surrounded by pine trees, and consists of two beautiful sandy beaches<br />
called Velika and Mala Saplunara (Big and Small Salpunara).<br />
35
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Less than a kilometer from the village Lopud, situated on the island of<br />
the same name is the beach Šunj. The path to Šunj beach runs through<br />
the very heart of the island, past the cemetery and church on the slopes<br />
of the beach. The famous beach Saharun lies in central Adriatic. Fine<br />
white sand gives a unique turquoise colour to the sea at this beach<br />
situated on the north western side of Dugi Otok, not far from the town<br />
of Božava, with a small pine wood nearby from which you can watch<br />
the open sea.<br />
Beaches for the Whole Family<br />
The largest and most photographed sandy-pebble beach after Zlatni<br />
Rat on Brač is Rajska Plaža (Paradise Beach) in Lopar on Rab. This<br />
beach is ideal for children and those who are not skilled swimmers due<br />
to 500 meters of shallow water through which one needs to walk to<br />
get to the deep water. It is about 1500 meters long and located in the<br />
centre of Lopar with a hotel and campsite in the vicinity. Crveni Otok<br />
is another famous location, well-known for its sandy beach which is<br />
situated a 10-minute boat ride away from the town of Rovinj. On the<br />
Makarska Riviera, in Brela, a pebble beach Punta Rata, has for years<br />
been regarded as the best kept beach in Croatia and possibly Europe.<br />
Due to the shallow sandy bays children particularly enjoy Sabunike<br />
near Nin, an attractive tourist destination also known for its curative<br />
mud suitable for rheumatic and skin disorders.<br />
Wilderness or Luxury<br />
One of the particularities of the Croatian coast is a series of little hidden<br />
places that can only be reached by a difficult descend down a steep<br />
cliff or by boat. These are mostly beaches on situated on islands like<br />
Stinive, Stončica, Milne and Srebrna on the island of Vis. It is similar<br />
with beaches on the Kornati islands, where without much effort you<br />
can find a place in which you will literally be left alone with the sea.<br />
On the way to distant islands, people who know their way about will<br />
never miss the beach Biševo (Porat, Mezoporat) or Skrivena luka on<br />
the island of Lastovo, and lovers of Pakleni otoci - the bay Palmižana.<br />
The most elite beach on the Adriatic is Bonj in Hvar, whose stone cabins<br />
offer a private place to relax or nap. Guests can enjoy refreshing drinks<br />
on the terrace bar at the top floor or a delicious meal in the bar by the<br />
sea. It is similar at Dubrovnik’s beach Banje, known for its unique view<br />
of the city walls. Also at the top is the beach of the exclusive hotel Lav in<br />
Split, which has a diving school, water sports center, sports activities on<br />
sand, yoga classes and similar.<br />
Entertainment and an Active Holiday<br />
Along with Zrće (island of Pag), which has in recent years become<br />
synonymous with unruly summer fun and the reason why Croatian<br />
summers are being compared to those of Ibiza, Petrčani is another<br />
location which was, due to its Garden and Soundwave Festivals in<br />
July and Electric Elephant in late August, a centre of music events on<br />
the coast. The main location for fun and parties is the beach, which<br />
is surrounded by the sea on three sides, as well as on board the ship<br />
Argonaut which sails from Petrčani to the Garden Club in Zadar during<br />
the festival.<br />
Kamenice beach, nesting under a steep cliff about ten minutes walk<br />
from the town center of Komiža on the island of Vis, was until a couple<br />
of years ago a quiet retreat for locals in search of solitude. However, a<br />
nightclub that has opened right next to the sea has become a magnet<br />
for musicians and guests from around the world.<br />
Cult Split beach, Bačvice, is best known for ‘picigin’ (an amateur sport,<br />
type of valley-ball played in shallow water of a sandy beach), a sport<br />
that was invented here, as well as for fun. The gathering spot of the<br />
entertainment-hungry people of Split, in the summer months also<br />
becomes a great location for their guests.<br />
Kite Surfing and Windsurfing<br />
www.smsportnet.com<br />
www.avantura-teambuilding.hr<br />
www.adventuredalmatia.com<br />
Surfmania Center, which organizes courses for kite surfing and<br />
windsurfing opened in Nin, on the longest sandy beach in Croatia.<br />
Courses are held on this long and sandy beach in the Zadar area,<br />
specifically in the lagoon near Nin where conditions for learning<br />
are among the most favorable on the Adriatic. Kite surfing (kite<br />
boarding) is an extreme water sport that combines surfing and<br />
hang gliding (windsurfing). Kite boarding is considered to be<br />
more free style, while kite surfing is more focused on techniques<br />
of mastering the waves. A kite surfer stands on a kite board with his<br />
feet in bindings and uses the power of a large kite high in the air to<br />
pull himself along the water surface. Kite surfing also allows you to<br />
perform various stunts.<br />
Besides the lagoon in Nin the best places on the Adriatic for kite<br />
surfing and windsurfing are: the canal between Korčula and<br />
Pelješac peninsula; Viganj - a small town near Orebić; the mouth<br />
of Neretva; Povlja and Bol on the island of Brač (in Bol there is a<br />
special beach for kite surfing as well as kite surfing schools and a<br />
Rescue Service ), Hvar (Island Hvar); Žnjan beach in Split, the bay<br />
and beache Pantana in Trogir, Jadrija (a large resort and beach<br />
of Šibenik) and a beach in Biograd. On the island of Krk there is:<br />
Punat and Klimno - a shallow, enclosed bay and sandy beach;<br />
Premantura near Pula, and a large sandy beach inside the camp<br />
Kažela in Medulin.<br />
36
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Hunting and Fishing<br />
www.hls.com.hr<br />
www.lovacki-portal.com<br />
www.ribolovni-savez.hr<br />
In Croatia there are 1060 hunting grounds which spread across 5500<br />
square kilometers, and some of them are genuine pearls of the offer.<br />
The Croatian Hunting Association has been looking after the hunting<br />
grounds for as long as 85 years. It counts 55 000 members and 10 000<br />
other hunters. Annually, around 10 000 foreign hunters visit Croatia<br />
and in order to increase this number the Croatian Hunting Association<br />
is quickly renewing its hunting facilities of high category.<br />
Croatia has a wealth of preserved and particularly diverse nature. It has<br />
ratified all international conventions on nature protection, and various<br />
forms of protection cover 18 percent of the territory as well as many plant<br />
and animal species. About 48 percent of Croatian land area is covered<br />
by forests which are among the healthiest and best preserved in Europe.<br />
An insight into the Croatian national hunting culture and natural<br />
heritage of wildlife associated with Croatian territory can be best<br />
obtained in the Museum of Hunting in Zagreb. As the ultimate hunting<br />
trophies may not be taken abroad, the Museum of Hunting keeps all<br />
those that were bought by the state. Here you can see a collection of<br />
more than 400 trophy game, an osteological collection of more than<br />
200 exhibits of fossils, a collection of more than a thousand bird eggs,<br />
about 350 stuffed mammals and birds, 52 pieces of hunting weapons,<br />
nearly 200 exhibits of hunting supplies and ammunition and a<br />
collection of more than 400 exhibits of hunting badges and medals.<br />
The richest hunting ground in Croatia is certainly Kopački Rit which<br />
inhabits five to seven thousand deer. It is also a place where the best<br />
trophy deer in Europe were shot.<br />
Fishing lovers can choose from the many continental freshwater rivers<br />
or the sea which is accessible on every part of the Croatian coast, with<br />
the exception of national parks.<br />
From different marine species like sea bass, dentex, gilthead and tuna<br />
to freshwater specimens, such as trout or catfish, Croatia is certainly a<br />
top destination for sports fishermen.<br />
Croatia has a rich tradition in underwater fishing as the first gun<br />
for spear fishing arrived to Croatia early last century, while the first<br />
world championship in underwater fishing was held in Mali Lošinj<br />
as early as 1957.<br />
The best fishermen in the world gather every year in September in<br />
Jezera, a small fishing village on the central Dalmatian island of<br />
Murter, in order to compete in the hunt for ‘big fish’ or in ‘Big Game<br />
Fishing’. Hunting, combating, mastering and drawing out fish that can<br />
be as heavy as several hundred kilograms, among which, apart from<br />
the blue tuna, there are luca, swordfish and albacore tuna, is extremely<br />
demanding, and requires great strength, patience and knowledge of<br />
the fishermen . It is an adrenaline sport, uncertain and unpredictable<br />
until the very end, which reveals new challenges where team work<br />
skills and competitive spirits are concerned.<br />
For the place of the freshwater champion from year to year fishermen<br />
compete on the banks of the Drava, Sava and Danube with their<br />
tributaries, and the champion in 2010, a fisherman from Koprivnica<br />
pulled out a 33 pound carp. It should be noted that in the waters of the<br />
four rivers of Karlovac, Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra the largest<br />
carp caught up to that moment weighed 25 pounds.<br />
On all of the continental rivers lovers of pike and catfish, and the best<br />
white fish such as perch or sturgeon will definitely be content. Widely<br />
known is the trout from the karst rivers, particularly Lika’s beauty<br />
Gacka, where brown trout grows five times faster than in other areas.<br />
37
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Health and Wellness Tourism<br />
www.cromedicalnetwork.com<br />
www.croatiamedicine.com<br />
www.umt.hr<br />
Croatia, where tourism is the economic artery, has a lot to offer to<br />
tourists interested in health services. Even though the share of this<br />
branch is only one percent in domestic tourist traffic, the percentage<br />
could significantly increase very soon.<br />
In development so far, as well as in the estimates of the future<br />
development of health tourism, the main potential and support is the<br />
diversity of natural resources, environmental quality of the Croatian<br />
territory, highly developed medical standards as well as the medical<br />
education system and kinesiology, healing waters, the sea, beneficial<br />
climate and healthy foods, which are all comparative advantages that<br />
have developed a new Croatian product - health and wellness tourism.<br />
Polyclinics for Services of Health Tourism<br />
The development of health tourism is noticeable in Istria, Kvarner<br />
and Dalmatia, but also increasingly in Zagreb because of its good<br />
geographical position and rich choice of services. There are twenty<br />
private clinics with good working conditions, and these include, for<br />
example, the department of plastic reconstructive and aesthetic<br />
surgery in the hospital in Dubrava and the departments of plastic<br />
surgery in hospitals in Zagreb, Rijeka and Split, and smaller units in<br />
Osijek, Varaždin and Dubrovnik.<br />
Dentists on the Adriatic are increasingly combining the offer of<br />
accommodation and dental services, so tourists from Italy, spend their<br />
annual holiday in the apartment of their dentist and at the same time<br />
have prosthetic service performed. Such practice is most developed<br />
in Kvarner and Istria, and lately Dalmatia too. Dental tourists come<br />
to Croatia primarily because of reasonable prices and the quality of<br />
service. Lately, foreigners have been coming to Croatia for orthopedic<br />
surgery and physical therapy services. An interest for medical services<br />
in Croatia has been increasingly shown by clients from Great Britain,<br />
Russia, USA, and other countries.<br />
The Association for the development of medical tourism was founded<br />
in 2009, with a particular aim to develop medical tourism and enrich<br />
the Croatian tourist product, which brings together existing providers<br />
in the medical tourism industry and those who will soon become the<br />
same. The association promotes offers in medical tourism and connects<br />
all of the providers involved, from agents and hoteliers to airliners.<br />
Wellness tourism was recognized in Croatia, through the growing<br />
offer of wellness services as part of a hotel or individual wellness<br />
centers. All five star hotels and most four star ones have wellness<br />
included in their offer.<br />
The Richness of Healing Water Sources<br />
The Croatian Chamber of Economy has launched the protection of the<br />
brand ‘Croatian Wellness’ in order to affirm all the special features<br />
and advantages that Croatia has to offer in the field of aromatherapy,<br />
medicinal herbs and clear sea. For example, the island of Lošinj marks<br />
one hundred and twenty five years of medical tourism this year. This<br />
is a unique island which boasts well preserved natural environment in<br />
which the purity of the sea and air, mild climate, vegetation, aromatic<br />
scents, along with relaxation and rest, have a beneficial effect on the<br />
human body and make people healthier and happier.<br />
On the Lošinj archipelago health tourism has been developing since<br />
the Austro-Hungarian times, and Veli and Mali Lošinj were proclaimed<br />
a climate health resorts back in 1892 because of their rich vegetation,<br />
quality of air and marine aerosols. Scientists, however, found two<br />
hundred and sixty-two species of benthonic algae, in the seas around<br />
Lošinj, of which a large number have beneficial effects on human<br />
health through different kinds of application.<br />
According to the bio-climate analysis of the last thirty years, Lošinj has<br />
over 2600 hours of sunshine a year, which is on average about seven<br />
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hours a day, and that ranks it among the sunniest places in Croatia. It<br />
has moderate daily fluctuations, which helps reduce stress.<br />
In addition to aromatherapy Croatia is rich in mineral water springs, of<br />
which - according to the data from the Committee for Health Tourism -<br />
there are 222 in total. In central Croatia these are: Tuhelj spa, Krapina<br />
spa, Stubičke spa, Varaždin spa, Ivanić Grad (Naftalan), Terme Jezerčica,<br />
Daruvar, Spa St. Martin and Topusko. In Slavonia there are Lipik and<br />
Bizovac, and in Istria and the Adriatic: the Istrian thermal springs, Vela<br />
Luka, Šibenik, Lovran and Duga Uvala. Thalassotherapy clinics operate<br />
in Opatija, Crikvenica, Veli Lošinj, Hvar and Makarska.<br />
Existing wellness offer seeks to complement medical services, because<br />
it significantly affects the extension of the tourist season and the arrival<br />
and longer stay of elderly tourists.<br />
An excellent example of the application of medical tourism in practice is<br />
the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation - Biokovka in Makarska,<br />
which operates commercially 365 days a year and with their offer<br />
enables nearby hotels to fulfill their capacity. Interestingly, it attracts a<br />
large number of guests from Norway.<br />
Also on the right track is Opatija’s Special Hospital for Medical<br />
Rehabilitation and treatment of diseases of the heart, lungs and<br />
rheumatism Thalassotherapia, which is based on centuries-old<br />
tradition of Liburnian spa tourism. Today it is a leading center for<br />
cardiac rehabilitation in this region and one of the largest laboratories<br />
for functional non-invasive cardiac diagnosis. Their Thalasso Wellness<br />
Center offers medical wellness, disease prevention and health<br />
maintenance.<br />
Their orientation towards health tourism was brilliantly demonstrated<br />
by hotel Minerva in the Istrian town of Medulin, which focuses on guests<br />
with respiratory problems - asthma, bronchitis and allergic diseases<br />
where health problems are caused by factors within their environment.<br />
Offered to guests are also various different facilities, from schools of<br />
breathing and exercising in the sea air to numerous programs under<br />
the supervision of specialist doctors, physical therapists, pulmonologists<br />
and pulmonary physiotherapists. The infrastructure of the hotel is<br />
also fully adapted to the aforementioned type of guests so during its<br />
construction, refurbishing and equipping only the natural and ‘healthy<br />
materials’ that were not treated with any chemicals were used.<br />
During the two decades of its existence, Terme Selce has developed<br />
its own protocols in rehabilitation of injuries that have enabled a quick<br />
and successful return to the activities to a number of top athletes, world<br />
and Olympic champions, but also the continuation of normal life for<br />
people of all ages and different professions. Indeed, Terme Selce was<br />
among the first to develop medical wellness. The clients of Terme Selce<br />
are mostly domestic guests, but its services are also used by about 30<br />
percent of foreigners from around fifty countries worldwide.<br />
The Wellness Tourism Trend<br />
Krapina Spa and thermal springs, which has a long tradition of healing<br />
with medicinal thermal water sources, got its first exclusive hotel<br />
with suites - Villa Magdalena in June 2009. This is a four- star hotel<br />
and offers nine luxurious accommodation units. The building of the<br />
largest complex of indoor pools and wellness facilities in Croatia is also<br />
planned on the site in the near future.<br />
Lovran is proud of its first SPA Wellness Academy in Croatia, where<br />
personnel are trained for this segment of the tourism product.<br />
From hotels in Croatia which carry the title of a wellness oasis we<br />
recommend Wellness Otok (Wellness island) part of hotel Istria, which<br />
stretches over 1650 square meters on the island of St. Andrew, which is<br />
just a ten minute boat ride from Rovinj. Wellness Island is designed with<br />
a Mediterranean theme in mind and offers relaxation in an authentic<br />
Mediterranean garden featuring very comfortable and natural settings<br />
with modern interior and equipment. The idea of Wellness island is<br />
based on the benefits of Mediterranean plants, substances of the sea<br />
and the mild microclimate of Rovinj by which Rovinj is a destination<br />
known throughout the world.<br />
Also interesting is the Novi Vinodolski Spa Hotels & Resort - the largest<br />
wellness / spa center in Europe. More than 10 000 square meters<br />
inside and 4000 square meters of outdoor space hide a multitude of<br />
unique massages, treatments and programs. The offer is completed by<br />
a cosmetic surgery clinic, dental services and medical check ups.<br />
NATURISM<br />
www.camping.hr<br />
www.dnh.hr<br />
As we have already pointed out, Croatia was the first country which<br />
opened its doors to naturists way back in 1953 and almost twenty years<br />
before that, in 1936, the King of Britain, Edward VIII took a nude dip in<br />
the sea on the beach Kandarola on Rab.<br />
Since then, naturism has developed in other Mediterranean countries<br />
which attract tourists with specialized naturist centers, hotels and even<br />
‘naked’ cruises. Croatia is now the third nation in Europe by the capacity<br />
offered in nudist camps. Because naturists respect the balance between<br />
man and nature, and prefer to stay outdoors, enjoy sports and healthy<br />
food, the specialized nudist camps which put Croatia at the very top<br />
of Europe are especially popular among naturists. Croatian Naturist<br />
camps are noted for their attractive and extremely well preserved<br />
natural locations, usually near the sea. Along with the beautiful and<br />
peaceful environment the thing that all Croatian nudist camps have<br />
in common is security, high standards and a rich gastronomic and<br />
shopping offer but also various sports and recreational facilities.<br />
Of the 11 that are currently open, six of them are in Istria. Among them<br />
is Koversada near Vrsar, the largest naturist resort in Europe, situated<br />
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on 120 acres, with more than five thousand meters of coastline. The<br />
peak of the season is certainly the traditional Miss Nudism pageant<br />
which is organized every August on the sandy beach of the camp.<br />
According to the Association of Naturists, the best campsites are<br />
Valalta near Rovinj, which deserves the highest marks because of the<br />
numerous events it has to offer, Solaris which is 12 kilometers from<br />
Poreč and Kanegra in Umag.<br />
Other specialized nudist camps are Ulika in Poreč, Istra in Funtana,<br />
Bunculuka, Politin and Konobe on the island of Krk, Savinje in Tkon on<br />
Pašman and Nudist in Vrboska on Hvar.<br />
According to data from the Croatian Camping Association, these camps<br />
showed a trend in the increase of about three percent in the number<br />
of guests. In addition to the camps in Istria, there are several wellknown<br />
nudist beaches near Rovinj, Poreč and Medulin, and there is<br />
also a rich offer on the Kvarner islands. Along with Kandarola in Rab<br />
and the beaches Ciganka and Sahara in Lopar, also well-known are the<br />
beaches Baldarin and Kovačine on Cres and Sunčana Uvala in Lošinj.<br />
On Pag naturists can enjoy the special parts of the camps Šimuni and<br />
Straško and a part of the beach in Zrće, and in the Zadar area they can<br />
swim on the beach Punta Skala on the peninsula near Petrčane. There<br />
is also Crvena Luka and Sveta Katarina near Biograd, the nudist beach<br />
near the resort Kozarica near Pakoštane and famous Sabusa beach<br />
near Kukljica on Ugljan.<br />
The Šibenik region is known for its beaches at camps Kosirina, Slanica,<br />
Čigrađa and Jazina in Murter, its bays on the island Smokvica near<br />
Primosten and Plitka Punta in Vodice.<br />
Hvar is the first naturist destination out of central Dalmatian<br />
islands. Accessible by a boat from Jelsa is a beach on the island<br />
Zečevo, and from the centre of Hvar, almost throughout the<br />
whole day you can get to the beaches Jerolim, Stipanska, Mlin<br />
or Palmižana which is slightly further away. Famous beaches on<br />
Brač are Paklina near Bol, Mutnik and Punta, and on Vis the best<br />
known are those in Komiža and Rude close to Rukavac.<br />
On Korčula clothing is not welcome at nudist beaches FKK, part of<br />
beach Badija, then Prozid in Vela Luka, Velika and Mala Stipa and<br />
Langa. Near Makarska the famous beaches are Vrulja (between Pisak<br />
and Brela), Dračevac between Tučepi and Podgora, but also a part of<br />
the beach Sveti Petar, on a peninsula within the city. The most popular<br />
and beautiful beach Nugal is located near the town of Makarska.<br />
The Pelješac peninsula is known to naturists by the beaches Ostupa in<br />
Orebić, Pričuvac in Lovište, Prapratno in Ston and Grdni Do in Žuljana.<br />
The Dubrovnik area - apart from the well known beaches in Lapad in<br />
the Babin Kuk area and on Lokrum - is famous for naturist resorts on<br />
the nearby Elafiti which include the part of the beach Šunj on Lopud,<br />
on the north side of Koločep near Donje Čelo or Župa Dubrovačka close<br />
to the places Plat and Mlini.<br />
RELIGIOUS TOURISM<br />
www.svetiste-mbb.hr<br />
www.vepric.net<br />
www.trsat-svetiste.com<br />
www.svetiste-ludbreg.hr<br />
www.katolici.org<br />
www.sveti-josip.hr<br />
www.svetiste-aljmas.hr<br />
www.gospa-sinjska.hr<br />
www.pozeska-biskupija.hr<br />
dubrovnik.hbk.hr<br />
www.biskupija-hvar.com<br />
www.vodnjan.hr<br />
Every year more than 300 million pilgrims across the world visit a<br />
number of shrines, among which there are a handful in Croatia.<br />
One of the most famous and most visited Croatian shrines is located in<br />
Marija Bistrica, with around 800 000 pilgrims visiting every year. There<br />
have been pilgrimages to this beautiful and quiet place in Zagorje for<br />
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314 years. One of the certain motivators for coming to Marija Bistrica<br />
is a wooden statue of Our Lady to which magical powers have been<br />
attributed. Church documents say that between 1688 and 1786, 1109<br />
miraculous events were noted and were subsequently recognized after<br />
careful research. Also impressive is the Bistrica Calvary, the 15 stations<br />
of the Cross, each of which is a valuable piece of art.<br />
Around Marija Bistrica - which opened the top hotel ‘Kaj’, as part of<br />
the Bluesun Group – there is a marked 8km long cycling trail and a<br />
15km long walking path ‘for body and soul’, while the Sculpture Park is<br />
a result of perennial colonies of wood carvers.<br />
The Karlovac area has been the home to the shrine of St. Joseph on<br />
Dubovac since 1987. The most important pilgrimage is on the 19 March,<br />
the day of St. Joseph. Also well known is the traditional pilgrimage on<br />
the Feast of the Assumption to the Church of Sv. Marija Snježna in<br />
Kamensko, located four kilometers from Karlovac.<br />
The Ludbreg shrine of the Precious Blood of Jesus reveals the legend<br />
that still attracts visitors today. According to tradition, in 1411 a priest<br />
noticed blood in the chalice after saying words of conversion. It is still<br />
kept today in a special reliquary in the parish church, and the main<br />
pilgrimage is on the first Sunday in September.<br />
The Feast of the Assumption in Sinj has been celebrated since 1715,<br />
when 700 people of the Cetina Krajina carrying a picture of the Virgin<br />
Mary, fled before the Turkish attackers. They found refuge in the town<br />
fortified above today’s Sinj and when they were about to be conquered,<br />
according to the legend, the Turks saw a white female image,<br />
illuminated with bright light after which they started to run away.<br />
Sailors and pilgrims visit the Marian shrine of Our Lady of Trsat.<br />
There are 561 steps leading to the shrine, and what Marija Bistrica<br />
and Sinj are in their areas, Trsat is in Kvarner and its surroundings.<br />
Also, residents of Croatian Primorje (Senj and its surroundings) and<br />
Lika, hold a traditional pilgrimage on the Feast of the Assumption to<br />
the Shrine of Our Lady of Krasno on Velebit, which is renowned for<br />
miraculous healings.<br />
In October of 1998 Pope John Paul II visited the shrine in Solin where<br />
the first church was built in the 10 th century, and for the Nativity of Mary<br />
on the 8 September, many pilgrims visit the shrine Vepric in Makarska,<br />
dedicated to the Birth of the Virgin Mary.<br />
Many cities devoted their streets and squares to John Paul II who<br />
has visited Croatia twice, and a visit to Croatia by his successor Pope<br />
Benedict XVI was announced for June <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Famous Croatian religious (Marian) centers are also: the Diocese of<br />
Knin, the Shrine of Our Lady of Sanctuary in Aljmaš, Shrine of Our<br />
Lady in Voćin, the Shrine of Our Lady of the water in Ilača, the Shrine<br />
of Our Lady of tears in Pleternica - in which the image of Our Lady of<br />
Syracuse is revered.<br />
Our Lady of the Stone Gate is the patron of the city of Zagreb and the<br />
feast of Our Lady of the Stone Gate, which is celebrated on the 31 May,<br />
is also the Day of Zagreb. Stone Gate is best known as a votive chapel<br />
with an image of Our Lady of the Stone Gate.<br />
Patron Saints’ holidays traditionally attract thousands of visitors to<br />
places of worship in other cities. Two such places are Dubrovnik for the<br />
festa of St. Vlaho and Split for the holiday of St. Dujmo.<br />
The decision of UNESCO to include Croatian religious manifestations<br />
on the list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage such as the Easter<br />
‘procession of the Cross’ on Hvar, could be used for tourism purposes in<br />
order to extend the tourist season to the pre-Easter period.<br />
Every year thousands of visitors make pilgrimages to the church of<br />
St. Blaž in Vodnjan which contains a collection of relics and the so<br />
called mummies of saints. The three non-decayed and almost entirely<br />
preserved human bodies have not been embalmed so their existence is<br />
actually a scientific enigma. In fact, behind the great altar of the Vodnjan<br />
church, in the stifled and artificial light of the crystal sarcophagus,<br />
lay the mummified bodies of Saint Leon Bembo, Giovanni Olini and<br />
Nicolose Bursa, and parts of the body of St. Sebastian and St. Barbara.<br />
Stored in the Vodnjan cathedral are 370 relics or earthly remains of 250<br />
saints from the period spanning over fifteenth centuries, from all areas<br />
of the former Roman Empire. Along with the best preserved European<br />
mummies, this church holds a thorn from the crown of Jesus, pieces<br />
of the cross which was used for his crucifixion, a fraction of the Virgin<br />
Mary’s veil and the cloth in which the holy prophet Simeon held baby<br />
Jesus when he was forty days old.<br />
RURAL AND ECO TOURISM<br />
www.ruralis.hr<br />
www.azrri.hr<br />
www.selo.hr<br />
www.ekoetno.hr<br />
www.hotel-balatura.hr<br />
www.seoski-turizam.net<br />
www.ziva-zemlja.hr<br />
www.dzzp.hr<br />
www.lastovo.org<br />
www.darkskyparks.org<br />
www.turizam-smz.hr<br />
www.kuterevo-medvjedi.hr<br />
www.eko-mavrovic.hr<br />
From year to year rural households in Croatia are increasingly turning<br />
to tourism activities - the so-called rural tourism, which is primarily<br />
based on residing in a healthy environment and eating organic food.<br />
The infrastructural amenities of Croatia give this type of tourism a<br />
special charm. The offer is very diverse because of the variety in climate,<br />
hydrology, relief and history of the different areas, which can provide a<br />
specific offer on the country estates. Accordingly, each spatial entity -<br />
Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, Croatian Zagorje, Prigorje, Međimurje<br />
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and Podravina, Posavina, Pokuplje, Moslavina, Gorski Kotar and<br />
Žumberak, Kordun and Lika, Istria, Croatian Primorje and Dalmatiaoffers<br />
a genuine tourist experience. Whether it is the gastronomic<br />
specialties made from organic natural foods and wine or the preserved<br />
natural and cultural heritage, which includes folk customs, art and<br />
traditional crafts. In recent years, rural tourism has improved the<br />
quality and comfort of accommodation in traditional houses and<br />
designed numerous facilities for recreation and relaxation. Also on<br />
offer there is sightseeing in a balloon, carriage rides, horse riding,<br />
various sports, hiking through the woods to vineyards or old wine<br />
houses, visiting wine cellars and farms, visiting native ethno-collections<br />
and demonstrations of how a mill operates as well as folk-music events<br />
and similar activities. For example, in the Dalmatian hinterland guests<br />
are attracted by bull-fights, Farm Olympics and the Miss Dalmatinska<br />
Zagora (Dalmatian hinterland) pageant in national costumes during<br />
the so called ‘Midsummer Night’.<br />
Incentives for Creativity<br />
The development of this type of tourism is supported by the government<br />
in cooperation with commercial banks’ credit programs, most notably<br />
‘The development of tourism in the country side’. Specifically, in<br />
Croatia there are currently 360 rural tourism households, and the goal<br />
of this program is to at least double this figure.<br />
When talking about the comfortable ambience and accommodation<br />
it should be noted that ethno hotel ‘Balatura’ opened in 2009 with<br />
the help of incentives from the program “Under the Ancient Roofs’.<br />
It is situated in the quiet valley Vinodol in the hinterland of Crikvenica,<br />
6 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea, surrounded by rugged hills and<br />
forests. A three hundred year old family farm, consisting of four<br />
connected stone houses, was turned into a comfortable guesthouse,<br />
giving the importance to the detailed reconstruction of the historical<br />
building, which was supervised by conservators. This is a facility which<br />
because of the preserving of the architectural heritage of Vinodol has<br />
the status of common cultural heritage for tourism purposes.<br />
Ministry of Tourism has recognized the importance of the project for<br />
the revitalization of the Slavonian village Stara Kapela, located on the<br />
border of Požega, Slavonski Brod and Nova Gradiška. It is, in fact, the<br />
first Croatian ‘anti-stress village’ which was created five years ago by<br />
a group of enthusiasts gathered in the association Eko-Etno Village<br />
Stara Kapela. Members of the association (which today has 50-odd<br />
members) no longer wanted to witness the extinction of the village<br />
and the deterioration of Slavonian heritage so they decided to restore<br />
the damaged and abandoned old farms. Up until now, four properties<br />
have been entirely restored, five are in the process of opening to tourists<br />
and three are being finalized.<br />
The Leading Role of Istria<br />
Although Istria has played a leading role in Croatian rural tourism for a<br />
long time, more and more households in the so-called Zagreb ring, the<br />
Croatian Zagorje, Moslavina, Posavina, Slavonia and the Dalmatian<br />
hinterland have started this type of tourism, with eco-ethnic villages<br />
mushrooming all around.<br />
The unique profile and organizational diversities of different<br />
households emerged through the development of tourist services in<br />
rural households of Istria. These specifics depend on resource basis,<br />
occasional or permanent residence of the household owner at the<br />
service site, structure of services, organizational models and agricultural<br />
production. Starting from these factors the following types of rural<br />
households were profiled in Istria: agricultural tourism, rural holiday<br />
houses, rural B &Bs, rural family hotels and rest houses on a wine route<br />
road. Continental Istria, with its inns and luxury villas with swimming<br />
pools, and with agricultural tourism farms has in recent years been a<br />
hit and a must see destination on the European and world tourist map.<br />
Old Istrian estates renovated in the spirit of original Istrian architecture<br />
are today the best example of preservation of traditional heritage,<br />
by which we give our confirmation to the reconstruction of our most<br />
attractive resources but also support families by renting houses or<br />
selling their products and services.<br />
Ecological Agriculture<br />
Environmental activities, primarily organically grown foods, are closely<br />
connected to rural tourism. At the end of 2009 there were 817 organic<br />
farms, businesses and cooperatives involved in this kind of production<br />
in Croatia. Organic production has now reached around 15 000 acres.<br />
It is estimated that in early <strong>2011</strong> the number of organic farmers in<br />
Croatia could reach 1000, or cover 20,000 acres of eco-surfaces.<br />
The largest number of organic producers is in the Osijek-Baranja<br />
County - 166, where there is the largest organic production surface<br />
of approximately 4000 acres and the largest number of cattle,<br />
approximately 1500 of a total of 2300 for the whole of Croatia. Brod-<br />
Posavina County is in second place with 1329 acres, while the Požega-<br />
Slavonia County is in third place with 1240 acres. 44 percent of the<br />
Croatian ecological agriculture area is in these three counties and<br />
23.6 per cent of farms have organic produce. Istrian producers in turn<br />
formed the association ‘Istrian Eco Product’ consisting of only organic<br />
producers - olive growers, livestock producers, honey, vegetable, fruit,<br />
wine and other producers.<br />
The best producer in the area of Požega and Slavonia and one of the<br />
greatest Croatian organic producers is the famous boxer Željko Mavrović.<br />
He was recognized by several reputable international foundations,<br />
led by Bill Gates’ foundation, as the only European manufacturer<br />
with a vision of community development. In a special publication<br />
(www.communityfoodenterprise.org) of the reputable international<br />
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foundation headed by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (www.<br />
gatesfoundation.org) Mavrović’s eco-estate in Sloboština near<br />
Požega was listed among the 24 eco-ethno -projects in the whole<br />
world that represent examples of successful food production.<br />
Biological Diversity and Natural Preservation<br />
Along with organic farming Croatia is also working on the<br />
preservation of its diverse plant and animal wealth. In addition to<br />
protecting the natural heritage of national and nature parks, we<br />
are trying to maintain and preserve the bio diversity of our country<br />
through an ecological network which is, according to the rules of<br />
the European project Natura 2000, divided into internationally<br />
important areas for birds and other wildlife. The Croatian Ecological<br />
network covers 47 percent of land and 39 percent of marine territory<br />
and migration corridors: the migration corridor for birds Palagruža<br />
- Lastovo - Pelješac and a corridor for sea turtles, a coastal belt of<br />
up to 50 metres in depth. European Natura 2000 locations are<br />
brilliant natural heritages of this continent, and our Gorski Kotar,<br />
as the most important habitat for large carnivores (wolves, bears<br />
and foxes) is a candidate for becoming a NATURA area. The state<br />
institute for nature protection in the framework of PHARE project<br />
aims to - in cooperation with the local community - introduce<br />
a management plan for the area in order to protect this unique<br />
habitat. One of the tasks is the forming of the Center for visitors<br />
in Gorski Kotar, where eco-tourists can learn all about these great<br />
beasts. Important habitats of large carnivores - in this case, wolves,<br />
bears and lynxes – are also Primorje and northern Lika. Another<br />
Croatian candidate for becoming a NATURA area is Vransko Lake and<br />
the border area Jasen, which are the most important grounds for<br />
birds in Croatia.<br />
A famous habitat of white storks is the village Čigoč, which has<br />
since 1994 been carrying the title ‘European Stork Village’, and<br />
has established itself as an eco-destination. Specifically, in 2010<br />
Čigoč hosted between 8000 and 10 000 tourists, mostly European,<br />
particularly French and Scandinavian, but also those from the far<br />
away United States of America and Australia. Volunteers come from<br />
many countries to Kutarevo village at the foot of Velebit where there<br />
is an asylum for bears, so they can take care of these animals.<br />
Lastovo holds a place on the ecological map of Croatia - our most<br />
prominent inhabited island, which with its archipelago of 46 islands<br />
and reefs has the status of a nature park. The value and beauty of<br />
this 195 square kilometer archipelago was included among the<br />
‘ten heavenly gardens of the Mediterranean, whose preserved and<br />
untouched beauty is key to identifying the overall biodiversity of<br />
the Mediterranean’ by the World Organization for Environmental<br />
Protection (WWF). Lastovo is, moreover, also known as the place with<br />
the least light pollution in Europe. For several years, in conjunction<br />
with the ‘Dark Sky of Slovenia, ‘Dark Sky Camp’ has been organized in<br />
Lastovo, where astronomers from all over the world come to observe<br />
the stars (especially the Milky Way and Saturn).<br />
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VIII. ACOMMODATION CAPACITIES<br />
www.upuhh.hr, www.hoteli.com.hr<br />
HOTELS AND SMALL FAMILY HOTELS<br />
In the last four years 25 billon Kunas were invested into new hotel<br />
capacities and the modernization of existing ones. Due to the<br />
economic crisis and the recession, the investment momentum<br />
has slowed down and according to the plans of the government a<br />
much needed financial injection to tourism should be received by<br />
the sales of former military facilities to interested local and foreign<br />
investors. Specifically, the state currently owns 45 former military<br />
properties that are spread over an incredible 22.7 million square<br />
meters along the Adriatic coast, from Savurdija to Čilipi including<br />
the islands. None of these properties are located more than five<br />
kilometers from the sea coast.<br />
The conversion of former military buildings in attractive<br />
tourist locations would significantly increase the number of<br />
accommodation facilities which, according to the Central Bureau<br />
of Statistics amounted to 969 726 registered permanent beds on<br />
31 August 2009. It is estimated that the accommodation capacity<br />
in Croatia in 2010 amounted to about one million beds. Within the<br />
total accommodation capacity of Croatia, 12 percent of beds are<br />
found in hotels. About 250 small, family-run hotels, with<br />
16 000 beds, create 15 percent of the total hotel capacity in Croatia.<br />
Thanks to the infrastructural investments made before the crisis<br />
started in 2009 and 2010, about 30 percent of Croatian hotel<br />
capacities are made up of four and five star hotels.<br />
According to data from the Ministry of Tourism from July 2010, the<br />
Croatian hotel network had a total of 581 hotels. Most of them, some<br />
313, are three-star hotels.<br />
Luxury Hotel Accommodation<br />
In the network of top hotels there are 150 four-star hotels and about<br />
30 five-star hotels on offer. The largest number of five-star hotels,<br />
thirteen of them, is in the Dubrovnik area. In the last two and a half<br />
years the number of four-star hotels has increased because this is a<br />
required and appreciated category on foreign markets.<br />
In Dubrovnik, which is an exclusive destination, guests are offered<br />
the following highest category hotels: Ariston, Bellevue, Dubrovnik<br />
Palace, Excelsior, Hilton Imperial, Kazbek, More, Rixos Libertas, The<br />
Pucić Palace and the Grand Villa Argentina, which consists of five sections:<br />
Villa Argentina, Villa Orsula, Villa Glavić, Villa Sheherezade and<br />
Hotel Argentina. Also on offer in Dubrovnik is the luxury Villa Agave<br />
which hosted the Hollywood actor and Oscar winner Kevin Spacey<br />
among its first guests. This villa, formerly the residence of the famous<br />
archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (from 1875 to 1882), is situated in an<br />
exclusive location close to Hotel Excelsior, on a cliff above the blue<br />
sea, with a view of the Old Town, situated only 850 m away, and overlooking<br />
the mystical island of Lokrum. From June 2010, Dubrovnik’s<br />
offer has become richer by another exclusive accommodation unit,<br />
the lighthouse Grebeni, located on the island of the same name,<br />
about three hundred meters away from Dubrovnik’s tourist resort<br />
Babin Kuk. Even though it is in Dubrovnik, visitors are offered isolation<br />
which is almost unthinkable at other locations in the city. Other hotels<br />
situated nearby Dubrovnik are Admiral Hotel in Slano, Dubrovnik<br />
Sun Gardens in Orašac and Hotel Croatia in Cavtat.<br />
Guests of Dubrovnik eager for superior comfort and luxury are also<br />
offered the beautiful Villa Elita, which was built in the nineteen thirties<br />
using the same white stone that was used for the construction of<br />
villas for the aristocracy of the Dubrovnik Republic. Villa Elita is com-<br />
44
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
pletely renovated, so along with Villa Sheherezade and Hotel Kazbek<br />
it now forms one of the most luxurious accommodation facilities<br />
in southern Croatia and beyond. Villa Elita can be rented only as a<br />
whole - it is not possible to rent just a room or an apartment.<br />
Villa Dubrovnik - a brand new hotel with luxury rooms and suites is<br />
situated on one of the most desirable locations in Dubrovnik, near<br />
the sea in Sveti Jakov. From each of the rooms stretches a ‘million dollar’<br />
view, which made this Dubrovnik hotel world famous. A unique<br />
accommodation set aside from traffic jams as well as a fascinating<br />
view of Lokrum and the historical old town are just a few characteristics<br />
of Villa Dubrovnik which earned it the inclusion among the 50<br />
best hotels in the world selected by a reputable magazine Conde Nast<br />
in 1999. New Villa Dubrovnik is an elite ‘leisure and spa resort’ with<br />
wellness facilities and the maximum comfort and privacy. Apart from<br />
the rooms and suites in the main building guests can enjoy the apartments<br />
in a separate villa located in the hotel gardens. All rooms have<br />
a balcony overlooking the sea and the guests can be transfered to the<br />
Center City by a boat.<br />
Located on the island of Korčula is the magnificent Lešić Dimitri Palace<br />
which is a perfect blend of rich historical heritage and modern<br />
comfort and design.<br />
In the Kvarner region there are four five-star hotels, three of them located<br />
in Opatija: Ambasador, Millennium, WA Mozart and the fourth<br />
one, The View, which is part of the Novi Spa Hotel & Resorts in Novi<br />
Vinodolski. Zagreb’s five-star hotels are the Sheraton Hotel, The Regent<br />
Esplanade Hotel and The Westin. In the area of Istria the three<br />
luxury hotels are Monte Mulini on Rovinj’s Crveni otok, Sol Coral in<br />
Umag and the Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Savudrija, which is also<br />
the first Croatian five-star Golf & Spa Resort. In the Dalmatian area of<br />
Split the five-star hotels are Atrium Hotel in Split, Le Meridien Lav in<br />
nearby Podstrana and President in neighboring Solin. The opening of<br />
yet another exclusive hotel in Split is planned in <strong>2011</strong>. This will be the<br />
hotel Marjan, which became part of the Hilton hotel chain in 2009.<br />
All the hotels are located in elite locations and offer their guest a<br />
spectacular panoramic view of the historical center or the sea and in<br />
some cases both. Rooms are functional and equipped with designer<br />
furniture and carefully selected materials. The hotels offer exclusive<br />
restaurants, spa and wellness centers and various sports and other<br />
activities.<br />
For guests who want a comfortable home in the quiet of the countryside<br />
there are exclusive villas on offer that are decorated and furnished<br />
to the highest standards with beautiful gardens and swimming pools<br />
and all the amenities necessary to meet their expectations and the<br />
achievement of perfect relaxation on the Adriatic coast from Istria<br />
to Dubrovnik, including of course the islands. In these exceptional<br />
homes guests will feel the beauty of summer house living and enjoy<br />
their holiday, which will be further complemented by the use of their<br />
own private swimming pools, cultural events, gastronomic exploring,<br />
active tourism possibilities and other attractions.<br />
In July 2010 in Petrčane near Zadar, a unique project was competed - the<br />
luxury resort Punta Skala IMMO Exclusive Petrčane, which offers the elite<br />
clients the purchase of fifty detached residences - nine of which are luxury<br />
family villas in the first row next to the sea and 41 are villas with three or<br />
four apartments (a total of 147 dwellings). The properties are ready to be<br />
moved into. Prices of apartments range from 2500 to 3500 Euros per<br />
square meter, while the price of a fully furnished luxury villa, which includes<br />
the garden and grounds with swimming pool and garage, is from<br />
one to two million Euros. Punta Skala IMMO Exclusive Petrčane is located<br />
11 kilometers northwest of Zadar, on the peninsula of Punta Skala. The<br />
opening of a luxury hotel of the highest category Falkensteiner Hotel<br />
& Spa Iadera which boasts a wellness center of 6000 square meters is<br />
planned on the same peninsula in May <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
Boutique hotels and small, family run hotels which cater for specific arrangements,<br />
and offer rich gastronomy and wine as well as more intimate<br />
interiors and an individual approach to each guest are all on offer<br />
for those eternally seeking something new and different. Superior service<br />
and interiors are also offered in luxurious apartments.<br />
SMALL AND FAMILY HOTELS<br />
www.omh.hr<br />
Small hotels are a recognizable tourist product that Croatia can<br />
offer and sell. It is precisely these hotels that have a major role in<br />
highlighting the quality, uniqueness and diversity of our tourism<br />
offer. Almost all the family hotels are open all year round. Owners of<br />
small family-run hotels ‘compete’ in who will come up with a better<br />
and richer offer and a more diverse content, from excursion tours,<br />
sports activities, meetings, discussions and participation in activities<br />
with the local population, to ordering rent-a-cars, reserving airline<br />
flights and more. Another great value in the offer of small hotels is<br />
that guests are cooked meals exclusively made from domestic foods<br />
and products of local manufacturers. Specifically, authentic cuisine<br />
based on local foods, on one side raises the value of such a hotel and<br />
on the other, helps local manufacturers, forming the foundation of<br />
responsible and sustainable tourism.<br />
From season to season, family hotels are gradually becoming one of<br />
the most popular tourism products in Croatia. Therefore, it is planned<br />
that by 2018 the number of small hotels should grow to 1000, with at<br />
least 70 000 beds. Plans are being made about the transformation<br />
of around 2000 current, high-quality buildings, mostly apartments,<br />
into small, family-run hotels. Most new buildings will be of a four<br />
star category. This clearly demonstrates that Croatia has caught<br />
the rhythm in this niche, especially because in the light of the so<br />
called humane tourism, the imperative is set that along with superb<br />
food and accommodation, the guest is the priority and has the full<br />
attention of the host.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION<br />
Landlords offering private rooms and apartments dispose of about<br />
500 000 beds. Approximately another one million beds are located<br />
within the 250 000 holiday houses on our coast. Since The Istrian<br />
Tourist Board launched a project for standardized quality of private<br />
accommodation - “Domus Bonus” in 2006, this region has stood<br />
out with a rich offer and high quality of this type of accommodation.<br />
Facilities that meet the prescribed standards receive the certificate<br />
“Domus Bonus”, as a guarantee of quality accommodation. A kind of<br />
counterpart to the Istrian ‘good home’ is the ‘Kvarner Family’ project,<br />
which includes the branding of about three thousand private rooms<br />
and apartments of high quality renters in the Kvarner region. The aim<br />
is to include a third of the 11 000 landlords from the area of Primorje-<br />
Goranska County into this system in the next three years.<br />
CAMPS<br />
www.camping.hr<br />
www.topcamping.hr<br />
www.camping-croatia.com<br />
Campers say that the reasons for a growing number of tourist arrivals<br />
in Croatia are the natural beauty and hospitality, but also a high<br />
degree of quality in Croatian camp sites. This is probably the reason<br />
why campers stay in Croatia on average twice as long as in other<br />
European destinations, where they remain for two or three days.<br />
Croatia, due to its location on the Mediterranean, is the top destination<br />
for campers. Campers are always returning to Croatia, and with<br />
good promotion and more events, even more campers are certain<br />
to come. In the next few years, work will be done on increasing the<br />
number of camp sites, as well as improving the quality of existing<br />
ones, because it is the campers themselves who are most concerned<br />
about the preservation of nature, which in modern terms of climate<br />
change and pollution is very important for maintaining competitiveness.<br />
Although the camping season of 2009 was declared to be a<br />
record one, even better results were achieved in 2010. In the first<br />
eight months, our 235 camp sites achieved 1.9 million arrivals and<br />
12.7 million overnight stays, with the largest increase in the Šibenik-<br />
Knin County and the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.<br />
Camp sites represent 25 percent of the total accommodation capacities<br />
in Croatia. The most developed regions in terms of the number<br />
of camp sites, their capacity and service quality are Istria and Kvarner<br />
with islands, while Dalmatia is the most attractive part of Croatia because<br />
of the nature, the beautiful coastline and numerous islands.<br />
Most camp sites are situated along the coast near the beach.<br />
In addition to choosing the natural environment, guests can choose<br />
whether to camp in large, dynamic caravan parks or in smaller ones,<br />
where the emphasis is on individuality and privacy. Moreover, in recent<br />
years, the Croatian camping offer is tailored to the demands of<br />
the market, which seeks mobile homes as well as furnished bungalows<br />
and apartments within the camp sites. Also on offer we have a<br />
few real ‘holiday villages’ like for example, Zaton in Nin or Bi-Village<br />
in Fažana. Considerable attention is given to raising the level of hospitality<br />
and shopping services in the camp sites, as well as the safety<br />
of guests. It should be noted that the quality of Croatian camp sites<br />
generally corresponds to European criteria, while the prices of camping<br />
are among the more favorable on the Mediterranean. However,<br />
one should bear in mind that camping outside the camping sites is<br />
prohibited by law. As far as camping facilities are concerned - campers<br />
can often enjoy swimming pools, wellness centers, sports fields,<br />
riding, sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, scuba diving, hiking schools<br />
as well as some entertainment and cultural amenities. For example,<br />
the camp site Paklenica will organize Winnetou Week in April of <strong>2011</strong><br />
at which the guest of honor will be Marie Versini – the celebrated actress<br />
from the movies about Winnetou. Located in the National Park<br />
Paklenica are some of the most beautiful film locations where movies<br />
about the legendary Indian chief were made. Outside the camp<br />
site, campers can enjoy many excursions and tours of natural and<br />
cultural beauty.<br />
As in previous years, Croatian camp sites have received prestigious<br />
international awards from foreign camping associations like the one<br />
from the Italian Federcampeggio as well as auto clubs, such as the<br />
German ADAC and the Dutch ANWB.<br />
The German ADAC, in its ‘Camping Caravaning Fuehrer 2010’ guide,<br />
stressed that Croatian camp sites are located in beautiful natural surroundings<br />
and that there is an ongoing visible improvement in their<br />
quality, especially in sanitary facilities. In their guide for 2010, similar<br />
to 2009, they listed 103 camp sites, 19 of which are marked with a<br />
symbol of substantial improvement of quality.<br />
In 2010, ADAC again awarded a yellow sign to the same camp sites<br />
as in 2009 - Zaton in Zadar, Kanegra, Stella Maris, Park Umag and<br />
Finida in Umag, Lanterna and Solaris in Poreč, Poljana on Mali Lošinj,<br />
Vir on Hvar and Nevio in Orebić. Zaton and Park Umag received the<br />
prestigious ADAC red sign, which means ‘Superplatz’, and is awarded<br />
only to camp sites which by the rating of ADAC inspectors achieved<br />
remarkable results in the past season. This label was received by only<br />
80 camp sites in Europe in 2010.<br />
In the guide ‘Campinggids 2, 2010’ of the Dutch ANWB we can find<br />
82 Croatian camp sites, of which six got the recommendation of<br />
this auto club: Kovačine (Cres), Konobe and Pila (Punat), Adriatic<br />
(Šibenik) and Rio and Zaton (Zadar). The best average ratings were<br />
received by camp sites Lanterna, Solaris and Ulika in Poreč and<br />
Orsera in Vrsar.<br />
The award of the Italian Association of campers Federcampeggio<br />
is given to the camp sites chosen by the readers of ‘Il Campeggio<br />
Italiano’. According to the criterion of ‘likability and ecology’ the<br />
chosen camp sites were Alan Paklenica, Stobreč-Split and Zablaće<br />
Baška on the island of Krk. While based on the ‘likability and quality’<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Italian campers were most impressed by camp sites Kovačine on<br />
Cres, Park Soline in Biograd and Poljana in Mali Lošinj. A special<br />
award was given to camp site ‘Zaton Holiday Village’ in Nin near<br />
Zadar, as one of the best camp sites of Europe, because it invests<br />
a lot in environmental development and the quality of service. A<br />
special award was also received by camp site ‘Park Umag’.<br />
The portal www.zoover.com paid a tribute to the camp sites Sirena<br />
(Novigrad) Jasenovo (Žaborić - Brodarica), Paklenica and the Oaza<br />
Mira (Drage, near Zadar) for being the best camp sites in Croatia,<br />
according to the recommendations of readers. The award is even<br />
more important when we know that Zoover is one of the leading<br />
websites for sharing experiences and recommendations of tourists<br />
from all over the world.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
IX. INVESTMENTS<br />
www.mint.hr, www.hbor.hr<br />
The Croatian Ministry of Tourism should have 239 552 million Kunas<br />
from the budget at its disposal in <strong>2011</strong>, or 5.7 percent more than in<br />
2010 when it had 226 million Kunas. The largest portion of that money<br />
will be directed to the promotion of tourism, for which 132 million<br />
is planned, or 7 percent more than in 2010, while 107 million will be<br />
spent on the development of the tourism sector through a variety of<br />
items. In <strong>2011</strong> 2,1 million Kunas will be spent on incentives to develop<br />
rural tourism, while 8 million will be allocated for the reconstruction<br />
of cultural and natural heritage as a tourism product. SMEs in tourism<br />
will be given incentives through the development and export<br />
bank of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian bank for reconstruction<br />
and development, through the program ‘Incentives for Success’. They<br />
will be allocated around 44 million kunas (7 percent more than in<br />
2010). Funds for the training of personnel in tourism and hospitality<br />
have been increased by 30 percent to 2.9 million. Almost twice as<br />
high will also be resources for infrastructure that will in <strong>2011</strong> amount<br />
to 3 million compared to 1.8 million in 2010.<br />
Investments in Croatian tourism in 2010, although slowed and reduced,<br />
continued despite the crisis. Below we bring an overview of<br />
the most important, but also some very ambitious ones.<br />
Longevity Will be Researched in Istria<br />
www.istra-istria.hr<br />
Istrian County Prefect Ivan Jakovčić and the world-renowned molecular<br />
geneticist Miroslav Radman, Director of the Mediterranean Institute<br />
for Life Sciences in Split (MedILS) signed an Agreement on the<br />
developing of a project of the Maditerranean Referal Centre for measuring<br />
antioxidant potential of Mediterranean foods, in the second<br />
half of November 2010. Project implementation requires the opening<br />
of a laboratory for measuring the impact that consuming Istrian<br />
products has on the body. The first measurements will involve fruits,<br />
vegetables, olive oil and red wine. It is estimated that by the end of<br />
<strong>2011</strong> the laboratory could operate independently. About 600 thousand<br />
Kunas will be allocated from the budget of the Istrian County for<br />
this ‘gastro-scientific’ project.<br />
The Renovated Hotel Korkyra<br />
www.hotel-korkyra.com<br />
The luxury hotel Korkyra in Vela Luka on the island of Korčula opened<br />
its doors before the start of the tourist season of 2010. 7 million Euros<br />
were invested in the renovation of this four-star hotel, while its<br />
owners tried to make it the perfect combination of tradition, original<br />
architecture and spirit of the old town of Korčula Island with contemporary<br />
designed, luxury rooms that offer all the benefits of high<br />
class hotels. The hotel has 58 modern accommodation units in three<br />
categories – double rooms, double deluxe rooms and junior suites.<br />
Guests have access to a fitness center, pools, saunas, excellent ambient<br />
lighting and audio-video systems. Also, for its visitors, hotel staff<br />
have created several packages, which include picking olives with a<br />
visit to the local olive growers and the traditional preparation of virgin<br />
olive oil or transportation to the island Prozid for a romantic dinner<br />
by candlelight, which is according to the New York Times, one of<br />
the 12 most beautiful excursions in the world.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Valamar Riviera and Valamar Rabac<br />
www.valamar.com<br />
Open in June 2010 was the newly renovated four-star hotel Valamar<br />
Riviera in Poreč. 50 million Kunas were invested in the renovation.<br />
The hotel has 105 rooms decorated in a nautical style and eight<br />
premium residence luxury suites. It is one of a few yacht hotels in<br />
Istria, situated in the old town center of Poreč. The hotel offers a<br />
skipper bar, Parentino wine bar, à la carte restaurant Spinnaker with<br />
a variety of local and international dishes but also a show-cooking<br />
restaurant with rich Mediterranean and traditional cuisine, which<br />
offers the possibility of food and drinks delivery to yachts moored in<br />
the marina. Riviera Valamar offers a free trip to Venice to the guests<br />
who decide to stay for six nights.<br />
Valamar - Rabac d.d. will invest five million Kunas in the renovation<br />
of the accommodation units and horticulture as well as improving<br />
the marketing position through the development of family room<br />
offers and access trails to the hotel in the tourist resort Girandella<br />
for the period 2010/<strong>2011</strong>. Planned for the period <strong>2011</strong>/2012 is the<br />
continuation of capital investments into the hotel Valamar Sanifor<br />
and apartments Lanterna amounting to more than 38 million Kunas.<br />
Heritage Hotel Marinska kula<br />
www.raafourty.com<br />
Opened in mid-July of 2010 in Marina, near Trogir, was the four-star<br />
Heritage hotel Marinska Kula, located in a beautiful building of a<br />
tower, which has been recording the history of this picturesque village<br />
for over 500 years. The hotel has 16 air-conditioned rooms with a sea<br />
view, which bear the names of the Mediterranean herbs and all have<br />
internet access. The interior of the hotel and rooms is dominated<br />
by hand-made furniture from solid olive wood, and located on the<br />
ground floor is the restaurant ‘MarinaDA’, which serves dishes baked<br />
under the ‘peka’ (the dish is covered by a metal dome covered in<br />
hot ashes and baked in a clay oven), even though it does not have a<br />
chimney. The gastronomy offer is based on the freshest ingredients<br />
which are supplied by domestic and local producers, while the<br />
exquisite wine list was created in collaboration with the best Croatian<br />
wineries.<br />
Butique Hotel Kukuriku<br />
www.kukuriku.hr<br />
The famous slow food restaurant Kukuriku was the beginning of what<br />
came to life in full light in June of 2010 – the boutique hotel Kukuriku<br />
in Kastav above Rijeka. The four-star hotel is located in a castle built<br />
in the 15 th century, which was the centre of the Kastav ‘kapitans’ who<br />
governed Kastav in the name of the master of the City. Moreover,<br />
one of the first schools in the wider area of the northern Adriatic<br />
region was opened in the former castle in 1770. Kukuriku Hotel has<br />
15 luxurious rooms of original and carefully designed interiors. The<br />
ground floor has a bar from which a special tunnel leads into the<br />
former ‘water supply tank’ which is located below the town’s main<br />
square Lokvin. In two attractive, luxuriously furnished and almost<br />
seven meters high rooms, wine experts and wine lovers will be able<br />
to enjoy an exclusive offer of the world’s finest wines. In one of the<br />
rooms there will be a wine shop, while the other is designed for wine<br />
tasting and more intimate dinners for twenty or so people. A beautycenter<br />
with a sauna as well as a massage and relaxation parlor can<br />
be found in the posterior part of the first floor. Lovers of good food<br />
will enjoy a variety of dishes in the restaurant Kukuriku which is<br />
widely known beyond Croatia and which has now been moved onto<br />
the hotel premises. The hotel, in which around two million euros has<br />
been invested, has a multifunctional hall for meetings.<br />
Lighthouse-hotel Grebeni Receives its First Guests<br />
www.alh.hr<br />
Located on the island of Grebeni, about three hundred meters away<br />
from Dubrovnik’s tourist resort Babin Kuk is the lighthouse hotel of<br />
the same name which received its first guests in June 2010. At the<br />
lighthouse, which has been welcoming ships since 1872, guests have<br />
a resting house at their disposal which together with the lighthouse<br />
stretches on over 140 square meters. There are three double bedrooms,<br />
one single bedroom, bathrooms, a kitchen, a hallway and two spacious<br />
terraces with almost 350 square meters of space with set chairs and<br />
parasols. If they desire to, guests can use the services of the Hotel<br />
Dubrovnik Palace at any time, which is like the lighthouse, a part of the<br />
Adriatic Luxury Hotels group. Additionally offered are the services of a<br />
butler and a top chef, as well as an express service enabling telephone<br />
communication with the hotel for ordering household services. As a<br />
special attraction, guests can take an underwater trip to visit the Italian<br />
ship Taranto which sank a mere twenty meters from the lighthouse in<br />
1943. According to the legend, parts of the ship ‘Taranto’ scattered on<br />
the sea bed are waiting for someone to assemble them so the ship can<br />
rise to the coast and finally find its purpose.<br />
Villas Poli of Saint Anton<br />
www.istria-villas.info<br />
Villas Poli of Saint Anton in Gračišće in Istria opened their doors in<br />
the tourist season of 2010. This is a complex of three villas, Villa<br />
Melkior, Villa Gašpar and Villa Baltazar, on more than 380 square<br />
meters of accommodation, where guests are offered top quality<br />
equipment and comfort, in the warmth of an old Istrian fireplace in<br />
the traditional atmosphere of rural Istria.<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
The renovated traditional Istrian houses, surrounded by stone walls<br />
bear four stars, and are located in the old town core of Gračišće next to<br />
the chapel which bears the name of the mentioned saint. Renovation<br />
of the old abandoned houses from the 18 th century took two years.<br />
The villas have been renovated in a unique blend of traditional and<br />
modern. They are furnished with renovated old furniture, and as the<br />
aim of the owners is to operate the facilities throughout the year, each<br />
room is equipped with under floor heating, while they are also air<br />
conditioned. Each villa has satellite television, a washing machine and<br />
outdoor shared barbecue, and in due time the complex should get an<br />
outdoor pool with sun lounges and an outdoor shower and gallery.<br />
Guests also have access to bicycles and table tennis equipment. There<br />
is also a rustic wine cellar which can host 25 to 30 people. The wine<br />
cellar is located on the ground floor of Villa Baltazar, the largest among<br />
the three two-storey houses, where the total floor area is 200 square<br />
meters and it can accommodate 8 persons. Villa Melchior is half the<br />
size of Villa Baltazar with the capacity to host 4 to 6 people and the<br />
smallest is Villa Gašpar, with the capacity to host 2 to 4 people. The<br />
complex is suitable for team building and pets are also welcome.<br />
The Building of a Golf Resort Has Begun<br />
www.marlera.hr<br />
The construction of a golf course and resort on Marlera near Ližnjan<br />
has begun and it is expected that the entire resort will be built in two<br />
years. The project was created by the famous former Croatian football<br />
player Dražen Ladić.<br />
Marlera will become the second professional golf course in Istria,<br />
after the golf course on Crveni Vrh near Savudrija as part of the<br />
Adriatic Kempinski Hotel. In addition to golf, the project encompasses<br />
the building of a five-star hotel, 80 apartments and 27 villas on 16<br />
acres, while the green surfaces will spread across 14 acres. This is<br />
a project worth 150 million euros which is being built in a fishingfarming<br />
village in the southeast of Istria that overlooks the Kvarner<br />
bay and the islands of Cres and Lošinj. This hidden corner of blue<br />
sea and indented coastline which plunges into it with rocks and<br />
gravel, will give each visitor the chance to discover the beauty of this<br />
30-kilometer long undeveloped coast. In addition to golf, the lovers<br />
of active holidays in Ližnjan are offered the center for equestrian<br />
sports Libora, and those with a passion for hunting can enjoy a large<br />
hunting ground which, in its dense oak forests, hides wild rabbits,<br />
partridges, pheasants, deer and wild boar. Ližnjan and its waters are<br />
marked on the maps of many windsurfers and divers who consider it<br />
to be one of the best and most beautiful locations for their passion.<br />
Coastal cycling routes with landscapes of outstanding beauty also<br />
make it a unique destination.<br />
The Building of a Marina for Mega-yachts<br />
Has Begun<br />
www.ncp.hr<br />
The construction of the first mega-yacht marina on the Adriatic has<br />
begun in the nautical center ‘Prgin’ (NCP) in Mandalina near Šibenik.<br />
The marina, worth seventeen million euros, with 79 modern berths<br />
for mega yachts up to one hundred meters in length, should be<br />
completed by June <strong>2011</strong>, and fully ready for the reception of sailors.<br />
It will be the first marina in this part of the Mediterranean able to<br />
service mega-yachts owned by, for example, Roman Abramovich, Bill<br />
Gates and other wealthy men of the world and will enable them to<br />
visit Šibenik more often.<br />
The investor of this marina for mega yachts project is the Turkish Dogus<br />
Group, which along with the NCP on Mandalina plans to build a hotel<br />
- nautical complex worth at least one hundred million Euros. Building<br />
plans are being made for several five-star hotels, twenty luxury villas<br />
with swimming pools, a marina and other nautical activities.<br />
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New Accommodation Capacities in Split<br />
www.gollybossy.com<br />
www.hotelpresident.hr<br />
www.hotel-marjan.com<br />
www.hotel-bellevue-split.hr<br />
www.radissonblu.com/resort-split<br />
www.hotelluxesplit.com<br />
‘Golly & Bossy’ is a new hostel in Split, which received its first<br />
guests in 2010. This design hostel with an unusual, witty and autoironic<br />
name (naked and barefoot) is located in a neo-Classicist<br />
building which used to be a department store, in the centre of the<br />
city on Morpurgova poljana. The hostel is abundant with modern<br />
and interesting design solutions and is fully equipped technically.<br />
There are 28 rooms with a total of 138 beds. On the first and<br />
second floors are rooms with four and six beds, while the third<br />
floor is of a hotel type with twin beds in the rooms. Each room<br />
is equipped with a shower, toilet and free internet. The balcony<br />
provides an attractive view of the historic center of Split, and in<br />
front of the facility is a large terrace.<br />
Room numbers are unusual and each number represents an<br />
important year in the history of Split. For example, in front of<br />
room 1221 it says on the floor that this was the year in which Split<br />
was attacked by pirates, while room number 2010 indicates the<br />
year the hotel opened its doors.<br />
Besides the new hostel in the centre of Split, a few smaller<br />
family hotels were opened and it is expected that the projects<br />
Marjan Hilton, hotel Central and Villa Matić will be completed<br />
in <strong>2011</strong>. Renovation of the hotels Bellevue and Ambasador is<br />
being planned, as is the building of a new hotel not far from<br />
the famous beach Bačvice in Split. In mid-August of 2010 the<br />
renewed hotel Radisson Blu Resort Split (former hotel Split) also<br />
began working. This four-star hotel is situated just a few steps<br />
away from a beautiful beach and overlooks the islands of Šolta<br />
and Brač. Guests have access to 240 modern rooms, 9 meeting<br />
rooms, 4 restaurants and a spa center. Split`s accommodation<br />
offer became richer by 30 rooms and 56 beds at the hotel ‘Luxe’<br />
(four stars) in the season of 2010, which opened at the site of<br />
an old steam dye-house near the city harbor. The contemporary<br />
design of the hotel attracts attention with interesting avant-garde<br />
lighting which looks particularly wonderful from the street, while<br />
there is a unique view of the city centre stretching from the rooms.<br />
Moreover, the five star hotel President, which offers 94 luxurious<br />
double rooms and four residential apartments, has four conference<br />
rooms (one of which can accommodate 600 participants) and a<br />
wellness center opened its doors in 2010 in Solin. The hotel is<br />
situated in a quiet corner of Solin, near Gospin otok.<br />
Zagreb’s Hotel Palace in a Partnership<br />
With Worldhotels<br />
www.palace.hr<br />
Zagreb has recently made a partnership with the hotel corporation<br />
Worldhotels, which does not include ownership rights, but services<br />
of sales, marketing, distribution, technological support, PR, global<br />
branding, management of revenue and internet selling.<br />
Palace is the first hotel in the region which became part of the<br />
group Worldhotels, and plans of this corporation are to expand<br />
cooperation onto other hotels in other Croatian cities, such as Split<br />
and Dubrovnik.<br />
Worldhotels is the fourth largest hotel group in the world after the<br />
Hilton, Marriott and Sheraton. Established in 1970 it collaborates<br />
with 450 hotels at 250 destinations in 65 countries. To gain access<br />
to the group Worldhotels, a hotel has to fill about 300 quality<br />
standards. Quality control is carried out by ‘mystery customers’ who<br />
with the help of around 1500 criteria control the quality of service.<br />
Hotel Palace, one of the oldest hotels in Zagreb, opened back in 1907.<br />
The Renovation of Tower Ćipiko<br />
www.kastela-info.hr<br />
The upgrading and renovation of the protected cultural monument<br />
tower Ćipiko in Kaštel Novi has begun. The aim is to reconstruct and<br />
restore the tower and return it to its original condition as it was in<br />
the 15 th century as well as open a four-star hotel. The hotel will have<br />
some 50 rooms, business facilities and exclusive apartments in the<br />
tower. It is an investment worth 75 million Kunas.<br />
The tower Ćipiko is a fortified mansion with inclined ground floor<br />
walls which was built in 1512 by a nobleman from Trogir called<br />
Pavao-Antun Cippico, together with a fortified settlement for<br />
village farmers built next to it. The castle gives the impression of a<br />
powerful fortress, but the decorated balconies and windows point<br />
to its residential-summer house purposes. It is the monumental<br />
tower Ćipiko, which houses the town museum that is the symbol of<br />
Kaštel Novi, the town located 17 kilometers from Split.<br />
Valuable ancient Croatian findings from the sites Bijaći and Radun<br />
as well as Hellenistic pottery from the area of Resnik are preserved<br />
within the archaeological collections of the Museum of Kaštel. Rich<br />
heritage and history are preserved and nurtured at the Museum of<br />
Kaštel among the stone walls of the tower Ćipiko. A walk through<br />
the typical coastal narrow streets of Kaštel Novi, next to the stone<br />
porches and arches leads to the wine cellars of Kaštel’s wine makers<br />
in which they keep exquisite wines, the fruits of their vineyards<br />
nurtured with love and knowledge.<br />
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Umag’s Hotel Meliá Receives Five Stars<br />
www.istraturist.com<br />
The Istraturist hotel Coral in Umag has officially become a five-star<br />
hotel thanks to its re-branding by one of the biggest hotel brands in<br />
the world, Meliá Hotel & Resorts.<br />
Istraturist has retained ownership of the facility whilst the partner<br />
company, Sol Meliá, is responsible for marketing, sales and<br />
operations. Among other changes in the Meliá Coral brand, the<br />
biggest one relates to providing the highest level of service that<br />
meets luxury standards.<br />
The Meliá hotel brand focuses on creating a unique experience for its<br />
guests, and this is achieved by the combination of elements such as<br />
making guests feel welcome immediately upon entering the hotel,<br />
then forming the sense of connection to the brand enabled by high<br />
quality service of the specially trained hotel staff who strive to predict<br />
the guests desires, as well as an element of surprise that will surely<br />
surpass all expectations, says Coral.<br />
Hotel Meliá Coral, along with creative entertainment programs for<br />
children and adults, is ideal for a joyful family vacation or a romantic<br />
getaway for couples. A wellness center covering an area of 1200 square<br />
meters and fully equipped conference rooms that are ideal for any<br />
business meeting form a part of the hotel Meliá Coral. The hotel offers<br />
244 rooms and 6 luxury suites, one of which is presidential, and it is<br />
located three kilometers from the center of Umag, in the settlement<br />
Katoro. The hotel is situated on the promontory next to the sea.<br />
Besides being an ideal summer residence, the hotel is an excellent<br />
choice for all types of business meetings, promotions and socializing.<br />
The offer is perfectly rounded off with top quality wines in the Tapas<br />
Bar and a large selection of delicacies in the tavern Mediteran as well<br />
as relaxing treatments in the Wellness Center Coral Fusion Spa and<br />
a modern conference hall. The novelties at the hotel are the newly<br />
opened Automat Club Elite as well as the Beach Club on the beach,<br />
ideal for relaxing in the shade of a canopy with a refreshing drink.<br />
‘Princeza Jadrana’ – A Chain of Nautical Centres<br />
www.visitdubrovnik.hr<br />
The project ‘Princess of the Adriatic’, worth 180 million euros, was<br />
introduced in the spring of 2010 in Dubrovnik, and it predicts the<br />
construction of seven nautical centers on Adriatic islands in the next<br />
seven years.<br />
Investors are interested in building maritime centers in Luka Šipanska,<br />
in Polače within the National Park in Mljet; in Jurjeva Luka or bay<br />
Kremen on Lastovo; at the shipyard Inkobrod; on the islet Badija in<br />
Korčula; and Olib, Vrgada and Kaprije.<br />
The nautical centers would encompass marinas of smaller capacity<br />
up to 200 berths, and a range of additional facilities. In cooperation<br />
with airports in Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik they plan to be directly<br />
connected by air with the use of hydro-planes. This would not be a<br />
classic type of marina, but a nautical center of a developing character,<br />
whose mission would not be to serve as a ‘shopping center’ for sailors<br />
but to keep the guests at a destination island for longer, with the help<br />
of its offer.<br />
Soon a Richer Offer of Lighthouses<br />
www.plovput.hr<br />
The Croatian tourist offer should be richer for another 15 lighthouses.<br />
This is the plan of the company Plovput, which cares about all the<br />
48 lighthouses on this side of the Adriatic, of which 11 can be rented<br />
to tourists. The aim of the company is to put a large number of<br />
lighthouses in the function of tourism as soon as possible, and this<br />
should be accomplished by leasing of the lighthouses. Since all of the<br />
lighthouses, which are monuments of culture and date mainly from<br />
the 19 th century, are in very poor condition as they have not been<br />
invested in or maintained as well as because of their age, Plovput<br />
intends to lease them to interested investors who would renovate<br />
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them, rent them out to tourists, and later return them to Plovput.<br />
They would be leased out for ten years and those selected lighthouses<br />
needing less work, for five years. Currently, the 11 lighthouses with<br />
21 apartments have provoked great interest in both domestic and<br />
foreign tourists.<br />
Soon an Aqua Park in Lika<br />
www.lickosenjska.com<br />
A 60 million Kuna project was introduced in 2010 in the town of<br />
Gospić situated in the centre of Lika - an ecological aqua park in<br />
Široka Kula, a village on the Ljubovska plateau, which would stretch<br />
over 75 000 square meters.<br />
The project envisages the construction of an authentic village with<br />
120 houses adapted to the area of Lika, then an aquatic center, sports<br />
hall, zoo park, hotel and shopping facilities.<br />
Following is geo-hydrological research, testing the possibility of using<br />
sources of electricity and gas and making studies on their impact on<br />
the environment.<br />
Little Venice in Zablaće<br />
www.sibenikregion.com<br />
French entrepreneur Bernard Lamy presented a project in Šibenik,<br />
consisting of the building of a large settlement on more than three<br />
square kilometers on the plateau of Zableće. The project envisions<br />
the construction of golf courses, sports fields, parks and beaches, and<br />
the entire complex would stretch from the fortress of St. Nikola, over<br />
existing Soline, adjacent to Solaris.<br />
The existing salt lakes (Soline) would be additionally attractive with<br />
an entire network of existing and new artificial canals and lakes,<br />
which would have drawbridges in several places. In this way, the salt<br />
lakes would remind of Venice and its attractive canals. In addition to<br />
the apartments and a large number of luxury villas, the building of a<br />
number of small hotels as well as marinas which would be adjacent<br />
to the first row of houses is also planned.<br />
Terra Istriana<br />
www.terraistriana.hr<br />
’Terra Istriana’ is the name of the future tourist resort that should be<br />
built on the site of the former cement factory in Umag. The project<br />
worth about 200 million Euros will be built on an area of 118 acres<br />
in the southern part of Umag. The plan envisages the construction of<br />
villas, hotels with 80-odd rooms and a marina with 200 berths. The<br />
main feature of the resorts which will make ‘Terra Istriana’ differ from<br />
others is the lake and agriculture as an integral part of the complex.<br />
It will consist of architecture inspired by the Adriatic and have a strong<br />
link with the lake and sandy beaches.<br />
Lake Fiandara will be a location designed for sports activities. Here<br />
there will be a viewpoint with two to three islands, and all necessary<br />
facilities for sporting activities. Also planned is the construction of<br />
various shopping centers and fishing villages. In the organic farming<br />
zone, there will be a botanical garden. Another attraction should be<br />
a Roman amphitheater, where open-air meetings and performances<br />
will be held and watched from anchored boats or from the auditorium<br />
built around it.<br />
The rural village with villas called Jezersko Selo will stretch over ten<br />
acres. Also envisioned is an animal park with deer, mouflon, sheep<br />
and donkeys.<br />
Maistra d.d.<br />
www.maistra.hr<br />
Maistra d.d. invested 210 million Kunas in the prestigious five-star<br />
hotel Monte Mulini in Rovinj, with 119 rooms. Currently on-going is<br />
the construction of the Hotel Lona, another five-star hotel in Rovinj,<br />
worth 40 million Euros, with which Maistra will encircle the first<br />
part of its comprehensive development plan. This is the biggest<br />
investment in Croatian tourism in 2010.<br />
Hotel Lone will be the first Croatian hotel in the prestigious Design<br />
Hotels collection, which received this world-famous brand even<br />
before the scheduled opening of the hotel in <strong>2011</strong>. The hotel should<br />
be finished by the middle of the tourist season of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
The New Terminal at Zagreb Airport<br />
www.zagreb-airport.hr<br />
The government has urged foreign investors to come forward to the<br />
tender for the construction of a new terminal at Zagreb airport, which<br />
will be built on the model of ‘build, operate, transfer’, or BOT.<br />
The construction of the terminal is scheduled to begin in <strong>2011</strong><br />
and would be done in three phases. The first to be built will be the<br />
passenger terminal of 40,000 square meters, enough for three to four<br />
million passengers, with three air- bridges through which passengers<br />
will enter the aircraft, which will be a cost of 150 million Euros. In the<br />
second phase, when the number of passengers reaches five million,<br />
the terminal would be expanded with air-bridges on the west side of<br />
the building and this investment would cost 72 million Euros, while<br />
in the third phase, which would cost an additional 44 million Euros,<br />
air bridges would be added on the east side terminal, which would<br />
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expand the terminal by 30,000 square meters. The building will<br />
be upgraded in line with the growth of passenger numbers and<br />
ultimately be an investment of 266 million Euros.<br />
According to the BOT model, the project leader would be a company<br />
that invests money in the construction of the terminal, but also with<br />
the greatest interest in attracting new passengers to the Zagreb<br />
Airport. This private partner would manage the airport for 20-30<br />
years and then return the control rights to their owners (the State,<br />
the City of Zagreb, Zagreb County and the City of Velika Gorica).<br />
A Hotel as a Part of Rebro Hospital<br />
www.hotelpartner.hr<br />
The ‘Hotel Partner’ company has achieved the right to lease the<br />
business and hotel complex in the hospital Rebro for twenty years<br />
and will soon open a three-star hotel, nine shops and business<br />
premises, which will include a pharmacy, supermarket, restaurant,<br />
news stand, drug stores and similar facilities. The hotel will have<br />
a capacity of 60 double rooms, which will be offered to the public<br />
at a price of around 500 Kunas.<br />
Arena Centre<br />
www.arenacentar.hr<br />
Situated next to the multi-purpose sports hall Arena Zagreb on<br />
Lanište is a new shopping, business and entertainment complex<br />
Arena Centre which opened in November 2010 and which extends<br />
over as many as 175 000 square meters. This is the place to<br />
experience the classic combination of shopping, entertainment<br />
and culinary moments. As part of the Arena Centre, there are<br />
10 large and 200 small and medium-sized shops of domestic<br />
and foreign occupiers, a hypermarket on 10 000 square meters,<br />
Cinestar multiplex cinema with 9 screens and a garage with 3000<br />
parking spaces.<br />
It is important to point out that the Arena Center in fully adapted<br />
for persons with special needs. It was designed in collaboration<br />
with the Croatian Association for the training of guide dogs and<br />
mobility and the Croatian Association of the deaf and blind ‘Dodir’.<br />
Cvjetni Prolaz<br />
(The life style centre on Zagreb’s flower square)<br />
www.spillerfarmer.hr<br />
Project ‘Cvjetni Prolaz’ (Flower Passage) will be completed during<br />
<strong>2011</strong>. The luxury lifestyle center with exclusive homes, shops,<br />
cafes and an underground garage is worth more than 100 million<br />
euros. It is a project that will fundamentally change the vision of<br />
the heart of the city.<br />
Centre Supernova<br />
www.supernova.hr<br />
Currently being built in Buzin is the shopping mall Supernova<br />
on 262 000 square meters, and the opening is expected before<br />
Christmas <strong>2011</strong>. Spreading over three levels of the shopping<br />
center (ground plus two floors) will be about two hundred shops,<br />
restaurants, children’s playroom, a casino, bowling alley, a<br />
multiplex cinema with six screens...<br />
71 000 square meters are planned for shops, 5000 for restaurants,<br />
6300 for business premises and 8000 for six cinemas halls.<br />
Along with the shopping center there will be a nine floor office<br />
building which will also include a hotel. The center will have parking<br />
spaces for as many as 3500 vehicles.<br />
A Shopping Centre of the Fourth Generation<br />
www.phoenixplaza.com.hr<br />
A regional shopping centre Phoenix Plaza is planned to open<br />
in the spring of <strong>2011</strong> and will unite a shopping center with<br />
rich entertainment facilities, business center Phoenix Gallery,<br />
conference facilities, a modern wellness center and innovative<br />
housing residences. The investor in this project is Phoenix Group<br />
which has chosen this location for a future shopping center with<br />
the help of hired leading European consultants. The location of<br />
Phoenix Plaza will be close to the main road that connects the<br />
center of Zagreb with the ring road of Zagreb and motorways<br />
A3, A4 and A12, 300 meters from the fast urban railway and 15<br />
minutes drive from Zagreb airport. 200 000 potential customers<br />
pass through these roads on the daily basis. The future shopping<br />
center will be of the fourth generation, i.e. a center where people<br />
can spend all day with various entertainment, educational and<br />
cultural facilities. The biggest attraction will be the largest tropical<br />
aquarium in Europe, with the volume of 1500 cubic meters of<br />
seawater, with over 80 different fish species and over 20 000<br />
living organisms. The entrance to the aquarium will be located<br />
at the highest level and will take visitors by a panoramic elevator<br />
to its bottom into the replica of a Dubrovnik merchant ship. From<br />
there, through an acrylic tunnel, they will be able to enter into<br />
a souvenir shop, 300 square meters in size where they will be<br />
able to buy products with an aquarium theme. Phoenix Plaza<br />
will have the most modern multiplex cinema with six screens<br />
and over a thousand comfortable seats. Movie enthusiasts will<br />
be able to see the latest movie hits from all over the world and<br />
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attend themed projections by genre and national cinematography.<br />
In addition, visitors will be able to enjoy modern playrooms with<br />
games and interactive 3D simulations. The playrooms will be on<br />
1800 square meters, and the entertainment facilities should make<br />
Phoenix Plaza a regional center for entertainment.<br />
A Casino in the Hotel Croatia<br />
www.hotelcroatia.hr<br />
Hotel Croatia in Cavtat, one of the most famous 5 star hotels on<br />
the Adriatic coast and the Dubrovnik Riviera, is opening a new<br />
casino and enriching its offer. Hotel Croatia has been a known<br />
congress tourism and holiday destination on the Croatian and<br />
foreign market for many years.<br />
The Exclusive Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera<br />
www.falkensteiner.com/en/hotel/iadera<br />
The opening of the first 5 star hotel in North Dalmatia is planned<br />
in May <strong>2011</strong>. This will be the Hotel and Spa Iadera located in the<br />
resort Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences Punta Skala, along with<br />
the family hotel Diadora, and 187 luxury apartments Senia.<br />
The value of all investments in Punta Skala is around 160 million<br />
Euros and 43 million Euros alone have so far been invested into<br />
the hotel and spa Iadera. The spa Iadera will have 210 rooms<br />
with breathtaking views of the sea and Velebit and available to<br />
guests throughout the year will be the most modern conference<br />
facilities, excellent cuisine and the impressive Acquapura SPA<br />
Centre on 6000 square meters.<br />
Agrokor is Investing 30 Million Euros Into the<br />
Belje Winery and Hotel<br />
www.belje.hr<br />
Mega-firm Agrokor, which owns Belje Cellars, announced it is going<br />
to invest 30 million Euros in the new winery. A luxury hotel will be<br />
built on the premises of the current winery next to the 450 year old<br />
cellar in Kenževi Vinogradi.<br />
Thermal Springs Tuhelj are Building a Hotel<br />
With a Convention Centre<br />
www.terme-tuhelj.hr<br />
The thermal springs spa in Tuhelj will in <strong>2011</strong> invest 12 million Euros<br />
in building a new four-star hotel and the refurbishing of the existing<br />
hotel and reception.<br />
The new accommodation will include 130 double rooms (12 of which<br />
will be suites) and a modern multi-purpose conference center for the<br />
reception of about 450 people. The project will expand an existing<br />
wellness center through the construction of additional saunas.<br />
Construction should be completed by the beginning of 2012.<br />
Doli – ‘Hrvatski san’ (The Croatian dream)<br />
In the south of Croatia, in Sestrice Coves situated in the town Doli<br />
near Dubrovnik, a top tourist complex that will rival the world’s elite<br />
destinations such as Abu Dhabi or Monte Carlo should be completed<br />
by 2015. It is a project that bears the name of “Croatian Dream”<br />
worth 1.5 billion Euros in its first phase and by completion as many<br />
as five billion Euros.<br />
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The total size of all the space on which the various activities are<br />
planned is 5000 hectares, of which one part is in Bosnia and<br />
Herzegovina. The building plans for this area include 13 of the most<br />
famous hotel chains in the world, 56 five to seven star rating luxury<br />
private villas, mega-yacht marina with 400 berths, commercial<br />
airport, golf course, 350 suites, a stadium, promenade, shopping<br />
centre, streets and plazas with luxury shops, galleries, museums,<br />
restaurants, bars, clubs, market centre, multipurpose hall for concerts<br />
and sports events and even a film studio. All this will be interwoven<br />
with olive groves, lavender fields and vineyards. The hotels and villas<br />
on Sestrice Coves will have a total of 3500 beds, and next to the<br />
hotels there will be impressive villas of 2000 square meters.<br />
The authors of the project envisaged the growing and production of<br />
healthy food for the tourist complex on the nearby Popovo Polje, and<br />
there is also an idea to build a village in Bosnia in which the employees<br />
of “Croatian Dream’’ will live. Building of the most luxurious tourist<br />
resort on the Adriatic coast in an idyllic unspoilt nature of Sestrice<br />
Cove, situated 27 kilometres northwest of Dubrovnik, opposite Elafitis<br />
Islands, should begin during the course of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />
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X. A MAGNET FOR CELEBRITIES<br />
Croatian natural and cultural beauty and tourist potential has<br />
been recognized by many world-famous stars that have been<br />
regular guests of Croatia in recent years.<br />
Some of them did not hide their delight, like for example one<br />
of the richest people in the world Bill Gates, who recommended<br />
Croatia as an ideal holiday destination in his interview for the<br />
prominent Forbes magazine. The summer of 2010 was marked by<br />
the images of a Hollywood actress Eva Longoria dancing while on<br />
holiday in Croatia and one of the best tennis players of all time,<br />
John McEnroe, walking on the streets of Dubrovnik. The famous<br />
‘desperate housewife’ Eva Longoria praised Croatia as a beautiful<br />
country and said that she had a wonderful time there, during her<br />
appearance in the talk show with Ellen DeGeneres.<br />
The second ranked tennis player in the world, Novak Djokovic was<br />
having fun in Split and the French handball player of Croatian<br />
origin Nikola Karabatic decided to vacation in Croatia after seven<br />
years. He visited relatives in Poljice near Trogir, visited Dubrovnik<br />
and went to a concert in Primošten.<br />
Adriatic cities and towns are a favorite destination for celebrities<br />
but the most popular is still Dubrovnik. In 2010, the famous<br />
American actor Morgan Freeman was the guest of honor of<br />
Dubrovnik Film Meeting Festival, which has for the several last<br />
years been organized in cooperation with the Sarajevo Film<br />
Festival. After he visited Croatia in 2009 for the first time Kevin<br />
Spacey returned to Dubrovnik in order to celebrate his birthday<br />
in 2010.<br />
Other celebrities that could be seen on the streets of Dubrovnik<br />
this season were the world’s most famous flamenco guitarist<br />
Paco de Lucia, crime series star Dennis Franz, former German<br />
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Hollywood acting couple Goldie<br />
Hawn and Kurt Russell and actress Gabourey Sidibe, nominated<br />
for an Oscar for her very first role in the film Precious.<br />
In recent years Dubrovnik’s guests included Gillian Anderson,<br />
Mickey Rourke, Steve Buscemi, and many others. Beautiful<br />
Croatian beaches, many hidden coves and excellent cuisine have<br />
already been discovered by stars such as Steven Spielberg, Andre<br />
Agassi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Sharon<br />
Stone, Tom Cruise, Bono Vox, Beyonce and Jay-Z as well as many<br />
others from the world of celebrity.<br />
Some of the musical greats did not come to Croatia only for leisure<br />
but also to perform whether in solo concerts or performances<br />
on festivals. Here are just a few familiar names to mention:<br />
Seal, Natalie Cole, Metallica, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Eros<br />
Ramazzotti, Massive Attack, Cesaria Evora, Limp Bizkit, Artic<br />
Monkeys, Elton John, Moby, Kraftwerk, Lily Allen, Santana, Patti<br />
Smith, David Byrne, Jose Carreras, Pet Shop Boys, The Flaming<br />
Lips, Billy Idol and Morcheeba.<br />
The rich concert season of 2010 concluded with the mega popular<br />
Lady Gaga and her spectacular concert in Zagreb Arena on 5th<br />
November 2010 and Sting who was accompanied by the Royal<br />
Philharmonic Orchestra, presenting his old hits in a new light.<br />
Excellent concert offerings in Croatia will continue in the future.<br />
Famous American rock band Bon Jovi has announced a concert on<br />
the 8 June <strong>2011</strong> at the Maksimir stadium in Zagreb. Their concerts<br />
have so far been seen by more than 34 million people in the world<br />
and as part of their world tour ‘The Circle Tour’ they will hold a<br />
concert in Zagreb for the first time. As the band has never played<br />
in the region, their concert will surely attract audiences from<br />
neighboring countries as well.<br />
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XI. INTRODUCING CROATIA THROUGH REGIONS – THE MUST-SEE PLACES<br />
(a list of the best that each region has to offer)<br />
ZAGREB<br />
www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr<br />
www.zagreb.hr<br />
www.galerijaklovic.hr<br />
www.msu.hr<br />
Zagreb is an old medieval town at the intersection of important<br />
routes between the Adriatic coast and Central Europe which offers<br />
a baroque atmosphere of the Upper Town, picturesque open-air<br />
markets, a handful of shops, restaurants and bars. Also contributing<br />
to the characteristic atmosphere of Zagreb are the many green<br />
parks and walkways.<br />
A walk through Zagreb is an interesting and enjoyable journey<br />
through history and the present. The longest street in Zagreb, Ilica,<br />
divides the old and romantic Upper Town from the younger and<br />
always hectic Lower Town. The oldest parts, Gradec and Kaptol from<br />
which Zagreb has grown, are among the best preserved Secession<br />
town cores in Europe. The Upper and Lower town are linked by the<br />
Stone Gate, another distinctive image of Zagreb associated with<br />
legends and beliefs, faith and peace.<br />
What You Must See<br />
In the center of town is the park Zrinjevac, one of the most romantic<br />
promenades and destinations of Zagreb for art lovers. This is the first<br />
in a series of eight connected parks in Zagreb within the so-called<br />
Lenuci horseshoe. Because of the art galleries and museums that<br />
surround it and the busts of Croatian historical figures displayed in it,<br />
the square is perhaps the most beautiful Zagreb’s pathway into the<br />
history of Croatia. At the heart of Zrinjevac is the musical pavilion in<br />
which summer promenade concerts have been held since the end of<br />
19 th century.<br />
Among the sights of Zagreb is the Mirogoj cemetery which opened<br />
in 1876. Because of the monumental neo-Renaissance arcades, the<br />
graves of prominent figures of Croatian political and cultural life<br />
and a large number of gravestones - the works of famous authors,<br />
Mirogoj is the inevitable destination of many guests of the city.<br />
The Zagreb Cathedral is the most impressive Croatian religious<br />
building, built in neo-Gothic style. From the outside it is 77 meters<br />
long and 48.20 meters wide. The towers are 108 meters high. The<br />
internal area is 1617 square meters and can accommodate more than<br />
5000 people. The cathedral is located within a medieval fortress.<br />
The western part was destroyed so in front of the cathedral stretches<br />
Kaptol square. The Archbishop’s Palace was built into the fort from<br />
the south and east side, and in the north there are the remains of the<br />
fortress, well-preserved towers and ramparts.<br />
Located on the central square in Zagreb is a monument to Ban Josip<br />
Jelačić, after whom the square was named. The monument was<br />
built in 1866 by Antun Dominik Fernkorn, and even though it was the<br />
first large public sculpture in Zagreb it was removed for ideological<br />
reasons in 1947. It was again placed on the square in 1990.<br />
Zagreb – A City of Culture<br />
The Croatian capital is often called the ‘city of museums’, because<br />
it has more museums per square meter than any other city in the<br />
world, a place rich in culture and urban life.<br />
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The town has around fifty museum, gallery spaces and private<br />
collections and 20 theatre and music venues. The oldest is the<br />
Croatian National Theatre whose neo-baroque building was opened<br />
by Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1895.<br />
Museums and art collections have exhibits from all over the world,<br />
with a remarkable historical and artistic value. A special rarity is the<br />
Zagreb mummy with the longest Etruscan text in the world and the<br />
remains of the Krapina Neanderthal (Homo Krapinensis).<br />
With the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2009<br />
Zagreb and Croatia received the largest and most modern museum<br />
institution. The museum contains several collections - paintings,<br />
sculptures, drawings, prints, posters and works on paper, photography,<br />
film and video and media art. Along with a number of important<br />
works of Croatian and foreign names who spread the boundaries of<br />
art and changed its course, two site-specific project were designed<br />
for the museum: Carsten Holler’s Double Slide and The Eyes of<br />
Purification by Miroslav Balka. The gallery Klovićevi Dvori in Zagreb<br />
has for years been organizing exhibitions by outstanding national<br />
and international artists for the public.<br />
Zagreb offers a year-round wide variety of events of both mainstream<br />
and alternative culture. The theatre and concert season lasts all<br />
year and the city is abundant in theatres, concert halls and other<br />
entertainment venues. From spring to autumn, many of the events<br />
and exhibitions, which account for the unique atmosphere of the city,<br />
are held in the open air and are a real attraction for visitors.<br />
Every year the streets of Zagreb are colored by various costumes of<br />
participants of the International Folklore Festival. During the summer,<br />
citizens and visitors to the city like to go to the Upper Town, where in<br />
the atriums of the Museum space at the Jesuit Square, St. Catherine’s<br />
Church and the Church of St. Mark, concerts of classical and modern<br />
music are held.<br />
Street entertainers, performers, actors and various alternative theatre<br />
artists from more than 30 world countries have entertained Zagreb<br />
audiences for more than a decade at a street festival ‘Cest is d’Best’<br />
(‘cesta’ means street). The city offers several open-air festivals, which<br />
attract audiences eager for the latest music trends and world-class<br />
stars. The best known among them is the praised ‘Inmusic’ festival<br />
which takes place in the beautiful nature of Jarun Lake.<br />
International multicultural meetings are brought together under the<br />
title ‘Autumn in Zagreb’: World Theatre Festival, Zagreb Film Festival,<br />
Queer Zagreb and the Festival of New Circus as well as some major<br />
exhibition projects.<br />
Along with the Zagreb Film Festival and Animafest - World Festival of<br />
Animated Film, with a tradition of more than thirty years - the lovers<br />
of the seventh art are also attracted to ZagrebDox which has become<br />
the largest international festival of documentaries in the region.<br />
As well as through its celebreted film festivals, Zagreb is marked on<br />
the cultural map by its superb Eurokaz - International Festival of New<br />
Theatre, which is considered a major theatrical event in this part of<br />
Europe. Eurokaz encompasses theater, dance, performance and other<br />
related arts. The program emphasizes the concept of innovation and<br />
creates new theatrical languages. From 2010 Zagreb will be hosting<br />
the Festival of New Theatre ‘Nu:Write Theatre Festival’.<br />
Zagreb is also known as a city with a rich contemporary dance scene,<br />
and it is therefore not surprising that The Week of Contemporary<br />
Dance is the largest international dance festival in the region.<br />
In recent decades it has profiled itself as a European jazz centre, so<br />
it has been visited year after year by the most famous names of this<br />
musical direction.<br />
In the winter months attracting with its program is the Concert hall<br />
Vatroslav Lisinski, as well as concerts at the newly built Arena in Zagreb.<br />
Thanks to the efforts of enthusiasts Zagreb was chosen as the<br />
organizer of Eurocon, Europe’s biggest gathering of fans of science<br />
fiction and related genres. A small but selected team, led by members<br />
of the SFera Association, managed to, through long experience in<br />
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organizing SFeraKon, the largest such gathering in Croatia, and one<br />
of the largest in Europe, obtain the pan-European Convention 2012.<br />
Eurocon was held in Zagreb 1986 and was extremely successful, and<br />
should have been held and 1992 but was prevented by the war.<br />
Sport and Recreation<br />
In addition to the culture, Zagreb is also known as the city of greenery,<br />
recreation and sport. Along with the horseshoe of seven squares that<br />
frame the city centre there is the Forest Park Maksimir with the zoo,<br />
recreation centers Jarun, Bundek and Sljeme, the highest peak of<br />
the mountain Medvednica. Located not far from Jarun is the Golf &<br />
Country Club Zagreb. In the vicinity of the Sava River is the Sports<br />
Park Mladost, at whose pools the World Cup in waterpolo was held in<br />
2010. The athletic tournament ‘Hanžek’ is held every year at Mladost<br />
and is visited by the biggest names from the world of athletics.<br />
CENTRAL CROATIA<br />
www.tzzz.hr<br />
www.tzbbz.hr<br />
www.tz-koprivnicko-krizevacka.hr<br />
www.tz-zagorje.hr<br />
www.tzm.hr<br />
www.turizam-smz.hr<br />
www.turizam-vzz.hr<br />
www.sisakturist.com<br />
www.pp-medvednica.hr<br />
www.pp-zumberak-samoborsko-gorje.hr<br />
www.mhz.hr/kumrovec<br />
www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr<br />
www.vbv.hr<br />
www.spancirfest.com<br />
Central Croatia encompasses the area from Zagreb to the northern<br />
towns of Krapina, Varaždin and Medjimurje, Podravina area around<br />
Koprivnica and Đurđevac and eastern areas around Sisak and Bjelovar.<br />
Although not seen as a typical tourist region this is a very interesting<br />
area which offers great opportunities for recreation, cultural tourism,<br />
sightseeing of interesting towns, castles and natural attractions.<br />
A hilly area rich in vineyards, covered by forests and intersected by rivers,<br />
with many Baroque churches, monasteries, castles, forts and museums<br />
is open to tourists who will find year-round attractions there.<br />
Accordingly, central Croatia is profiled as a ‘short holiday region’<br />
characterized by Baroque, spas and castles.<br />
The rich history of this region is presented to visitors by a number<br />
of historic festivals that remind of important events and traditions<br />
of the past.<br />
For example, in the first days of September, on the promenade<br />
along the River Kupa, the ancient city of Sisak remembers its former<br />
citizens during the ‘Celtic Night’. Along with the fires of druids and<br />
Celtic priestesses, who share their ‘magic potion’ with passers-by,<br />
everyone participates in a mystical ritual of invocations of ancient<br />
warriors, beauties, bishops and their pursuers, warrior conquerors<br />
and defenders of life and liberty.<br />
Each June, in honor of all the Croatian knights this town celebrates<br />
the Sisak Knight’s Tournament under the walls of the fortress from<br />
the 16 th century where the famous battle of Sisak took place - a<br />
milestone that marked the halt of Turkish penetration into Europe.<br />
In the lights of fireworks, with fanfare, drums, the cheers of the<br />
audience, the Knight champion takes the prize for his efforts and<br />
bravery, the Golden Sword of the Mayor of Sisak.<br />
Reminding of the time of the wars with the Turks is Picokijada in the<br />
Podravina town of Djurdjevac, which was because of this included<br />
in the network of 20 European destinations of excellence that<br />
nurture intangible cultural heritage. Picokijada was held for the<br />
42nd time in 2010, recalling the legend of courage and ingenuity<br />
of the people of Đurđevac, who came to the idea to fire their last<br />
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cockerel from a cannon after a long siege of the city and in this way<br />
discourage the hungry Turkish army.<br />
The historical epic event entitled ‘Renaissance Festival’ is organized<br />
at the ramparts of the old town of Koprivnica. The knights hone their<br />
swords under the tents before the duels, hunting falcons circle in<br />
the air executing orders of their masters, merchants and craftsmen<br />
attract customers with a loud voice to their booths full of crafts and<br />
products typical of the distant past.<br />
What You Must See<br />
The Croatian Zagorje is characteristic by the largest concentration<br />
of castles and manor houses in Europe. Even if this statement is not<br />
entirely accurate it is certain that this area has the most castles in<br />
Croatia. A large number of Zagorje castles date from the Baroque<br />
period and are reminiscent of the high level of architectural art in<br />
this area over the past centuries. The most commercial castle in<br />
Croatia, which is annually toured by more than 60,000 visitors and<br />
is one of the best revitalized is Trakošćan. The castle grounds have<br />
characteristic features of a Romanesque castle, later converted into<br />
a luxurious residence. Examples of successfully restored heritage are<br />
also the castle Oršić in which The Museum of the Peasant Uprising<br />
was open in 1973 and Veliki Tabor, where in 2007 a pentagonal<br />
tower was renovated and further works are in progress. The Zrinski<br />
Fortresses in Čakovec and Varaždin in the northwest of Croatia are<br />
also well-preserved and are today one of the main attractions of<br />
these interesting tourist cities.<br />
Because of its preserved Baroque city centre, museums, parks and<br />
numerous events such as the traditional international festival of<br />
Baroque music, Varaždin is a favourite destination for many tourists.<br />
The City Fort, the central part of town often compared to Baroque<br />
Vienna, numerous museums, galleries and art collections as well as<br />
the Varaždin cemetery, protected as a horticultural monument, are<br />
the main tourist destinations. Contributing to the number of visitors<br />
in recent years is also the street festival - Špancirfest. The organisers<br />
describe this city festival held in late August as a ‘whirlwind of<br />
music, dance and laughter and an exciting stroll’.<br />
Near Krapina is the most famous site of Neanderthals in this part<br />
of Europe, which Dragutin Gorjanović - Kramberger discovered in<br />
1899 in a cave on Mount Hušnjakovo. The Museum of Krapina<br />
Neanderthals was opened in February 2010. The museum in<br />
Krapina has all the features of a world class museum and will<br />
certainly be one of the most important cultural and scientific<br />
institutions in Croatia. The most attractive part which depicts the<br />
life of Neanderthals was designed and built by a Parisian sculptor<br />
Elisabeth Daynes, one of the biggest experts in hyperrealistic<br />
and dermoplastic sculpture. In accordance with new scientific<br />
knowledge, the Neanderthals are portrayed as social beings<br />
who take care of their sick and weak and have funeral rites. The<br />
exhibition space between two hills - Hušnjakovo and Josipovac - has<br />
1200 square meters and is divided into two floors whilst the tour of<br />
the museum begins by a screening of a 16-minute film about the<br />
life of the Krapina Neanderthals.<br />
Thermal Spring Spas and Recreation<br />
This region is characterized by the thermal springs which are in line<br />
with modern trends in the planning and construction of thermal areas<br />
and have become an ideal place for rest and recreation, health and<br />
beauty programs. Biking and hiking trails, wine routes, the old crafts<br />
and traditions and a rich gastronomic offer are an ideal combination<br />
for a weekend trip or an active holiday.<br />
Croatian Zagorje, Prigorje and the Zagreb ring are proud of a rich<br />
cultural and historical heritage as well as many sports and recreational<br />
events throughout the year. The nature Park Medvednica has been<br />
protected since 1981 and the Nature Park Žumberak in Samoborskogorje<br />
since 1999. It is an interesting fact that in the area of the park a<br />
habitat of as many as 30 species of orchids was discovered!<br />
Lonjsko polje, near Sisak, is a protected habitat for endangered<br />
plant and animal species such as storks, herons, white-tailed eagles,<br />
otters, beavers and wild cats. In the surrounding villages of distinctive<br />
wooden architecture the unique Posavina horses are bred.<br />
If you visit Međimurje at any time of the year you will be amazed by its<br />
preserved cultivated hilly landscapes, picturesque landscapes of the<br />
Mura River, natural and recreational areas of the Drava River and the<br />
rich plains. Constructed along the Drava River is the most ambitious<br />
cycling project in Croatia – the Drava Route – an international cycling<br />
path whose construction was launched by representatives of Italy,<br />
Austria and Slovenia.<br />
Protected Ethnic Heritage<br />
The Museum ‘Staro Selo’ (Eco-Village Kumrovec) situated in<br />
the western part of the Krapina-Zagorje County in the village of<br />
Kumrovec, is a unique open-air museum, with preserved original<br />
rural homes from the turn of the 20 th century. The history of ‘Staro<br />
Selo’ (Old Village) began by the setting of the monument in front<br />
of the birth house of Josip Broz Tito in 1948. The birthplace of a<br />
former Yugoslav president and one of the most famous leaders on<br />
the world’s political scene in the second half of the 20 th century,<br />
today holds a museum with historical and ethnological collections.<br />
About 40 residential, commercial and auxiliary facilities were<br />
subsequently arranged in the village.<br />
The tradition of naive painting - an indigenous Croatian style that<br />
features rural life in harmony with nature and all its beauty is<br />
nourished in Podravina. It portrays the life of Podravina villages,<br />
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vast fields, forests and meadows. This is the main reason why in the<br />
first weekend of July Koprivnica turns into a huge exhibition space<br />
dedicated exclusively to naive art.<br />
The Central Croatian area is also known for its crafts tradition, so<br />
its no wonder that the art of making traditional wooden toys in the<br />
Croatian Zagorje, the making of lace in Lepoglava and traditional<br />
honey cakes called ‘licitars’ in northern Croatia are all registered on<br />
the UNESCO list of protected intangible heritage.<br />
SLAVONIJA<br />
www.tzbpz.hr<br />
www.tzosbarzup.hr<br />
www.tzzps.hr<br />
www.tzvsz.hr<br />
www.tzvpz.hr<br />
www.kopacki-rit.hr<br />
www.ergela-djakovo.hr<br />
www.tzosijek.hr<br />
www.tzgsb.hr<br />
www.pozega-tz.hr<br />
www.zlatovez.com<br />
Slavonia is rich in cultural and historical heritage, unique continental<br />
architecture, churches, fortresses and castles. However, the region<br />
bases its tourist image on gastronomy, nature, peace and rural<br />
environments - in brief, a primordial joy of living. Contributing to<br />
this are quality spas and health resorts on the basis of thermomineral<br />
water.<br />
In recent years, this eastern Croatian region has, along with agriculture,<br />
given tourism the leading role in its economic development strategy.<br />
Much was invested in the renovation of existing and construction of<br />
new, mostly small family hotels, health and recreational complexes,<br />
transport infrastructure and environmental protection.<br />
The lowland eastern part of Croatia, bordered by the rivers Drava,<br />
Danube, Sava and Ilova, therefore, has become an oasis for tourists<br />
who want to replace the bustle of the city for at least a short while<br />
with the serenity of greenery and relaxation by staying in real nature.<br />
Approached with special care was the protection of local gastronomic<br />
delights so the Ministry of Culture has enlisted the Slavonian ‘kulen’<br />
sausage as ‘protected intangible cultural property’. Kulen is a specialty<br />
of selected pork meat, a premium sausage, which offers the ultimate<br />
gourmet experience.<br />
As an additional content to visitors of Slavonia there are also diverse<br />
forms of active tourism. A number of cycling lanes have been<br />
constructed and marked and an offer of adventure tourism was also<br />
designed.<br />
In addition to fishing on the waters of Slavonia there is also a rich<br />
tradition of hunting, particularly the big game. On open hunting<br />
grounds there are trophy wild animals such as deer, wild boar and roe<br />
deer, while bred in fenced hunting grounds are deer and mouflon.<br />
What You Must See<br />
The deer with the most trophies in Europe have been found in the<br />
forests of Kopački Rit, the most attractive tourist destination which<br />
is also a protected nature park. This is a large floodplain on the vast<br />
right side hinterland of the Danube in the confluence of Drava and<br />
Danube. More than 2000 biological species reside here, many of<br />
which are rare and endangered on the world and European level.<br />
Visitors can tour Kopački Rit in specially constructed tourist boats<br />
and accompanied by expert guides. It is advisable to visit the Tikveš<br />
castles located within the Nature Park in the centuries-old oak<br />
forest, a favorite gathering place of many statesmen and celebrities<br />
in the past times.<br />
From whichever side you approach Đakovo, the first thing you will<br />
see is the glow of the two brick towers and the dome of the most<br />
beautiful cathedral in the area from Venice to Istanbul. Although<br />
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Đakovo is not a county center and is by its size only the sixth city of<br />
eastern Croatia, it is precisely Đakovo that is the seat of ecclesiastical<br />
authority in Slavonia, and during a significant time of Croatian history<br />
even the Catholic Church in Bosnia was governed from it.<br />
Therefore, located in Đakovo is the most impressive and most important<br />
sacred building of Slavonia and Baranja – the Cathedral of St. Petar.<br />
Located next to the cathedral is a museum dedicated to the man<br />
responsible for its construction and one of the greatest historical figures<br />
in Croatia, Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, which further increases the<br />
importance of this site. Because of its importance the cathedral far<br />
exceeds the size of the city of Đakovo. The tradition of breeding horses<br />
can be experienced in a stable, located on the eastern edge of the<br />
town. The Đakovo stables are visited not only by horse lovers but also<br />
by ‘ordinary’ tourists, and because of its great importance should also<br />
be taken into consideration as a special attraction.<br />
In its heritage Slavonia also holds two very valuable baroque<br />
fortresses situated in Osijek and Slavonski Brod.<br />
Osijek Fort is a successful combination of military, secular and sacral<br />
architecture. Its central square is dominated by the building of the<br />
Main Barracks from 1726 with the most luxurious baroque stone<br />
portal in Croatia and Kužni Pil (a votive monument built to warn<br />
off plague), which is along with the one in Požega the only such<br />
monument in Croatia. Brod Fortress, built during the Hapsburg<br />
Empire and now restored still exists in its original form. It was the<br />
largest fort of its time with an impressive Cavalier (fortification<br />
constructed in the interior of the fort), whose defence system at the<br />
border of the Ottoman Empire ensured steady peace for Slavonia for<br />
as long as two and a half centuries.<br />
Slavonian Wines<br />
In the 19 th century Slavonian wines were drank at European courts,<br />
particularly at the Habsburg court, and this is the region which has<br />
recently become the birthplace of Croatian private wine making. In<br />
this tourist area there are two wine regions - Slavonia and Podunavlje<br />
and twelve wine growing hills.<br />
The oldest preserved cellar in Slavonia and one of the oldest in Croatia<br />
is located in Kutjevo, the center of Slavonian winemaking, famous for<br />
its Graševina. The basement, which is now owned by Kutjevo winery<br />
was built in 1232 by Cistercian monks, and is today used for archival<br />
storage, mainly of predicate wines and old oak barrels.<br />
The subject of attention of wine connoisseurs and tourists from<br />
Croatia and the world are the cellars of Ilok, which annually attract<br />
more than 20 000 visitors. Delivered from these cellars were 11 000<br />
bottles for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.<br />
The winery in nearby Erdut is known for the largest wooden barrel<br />
in the world which holds 75 000 liters, while the Merlot from the<br />
Belje cellars from 2008 triumphed at London’s Decanter World Wine<br />
Awards 2010, first winning a gold medal, and then a trophy for the<br />
wine elected among the gold-winning wines.<br />
Across Slavonia much attention is invested in wine roads, and the<br />
Baranja and Erdut wine growing hills were the first in Croatia to<br />
become a part of Vintours or wine roads of the European Union.<br />
Keepsakes of the Rich Past<br />
Stored in the castle of the Eltz family in Vukovar, are the museum<br />
treasures of this region, especially the archaeological remains of<br />
Vučedol culture with the well-known Vučedol dove. The Vučedol<br />
archaeological site is located along the Danube near Vukovar, and<br />
is one of the most important archaeological sites in Croatia. Because<br />
of the value of its findings it gave the name to an entire Eneolithic<br />
culture, and is also its origin. Vučedol was a village of farmers,<br />
herders, hunters and processors of copper, which experienced its<br />
‘golden’ era from 3000 to 2200 BC.<br />
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In 2010, after years of preparation, the construction of a unique Vučedol<br />
project began. The project will consist of two parts. The scientific and<br />
archaeological units will include archaeological excavations, the museum<br />
of Vučedol culture, archaeological park and school and experimental<br />
archeology as well as art and educational workshops. Tourist and<br />
sports-recreation unit will be formed by a motel, restaurant, bungalows,<br />
sports facilities, water sports, fishing, tourist ports, cycling paths, a riding<br />
club, a zoo and an aquarium. All this will be complemented by a rich<br />
gastronomic offer and tourist events.<br />
It is said that Slavonia is the cradle of tambura (member of a family of<br />
long-necked lutes) music. The first tambura orchestra was founded in<br />
Osijek in 1847 and since then Osijek has become not only the Croatian<br />
tambura centre, but also the centre of the entire Slavic south.<br />
One of the highest achievements of our folk art and probably the<br />
greatest achievement in the activities of women from Slavonia and<br />
Baranja is golden embroidery. Made by this technique are the richest<br />
Slavonian costumes which are now again made in their original form,<br />
as well as items that adorn our homes and enrich our tourism offer.<br />
LIKA – KARLOVAC<br />
www.tzkz.hr,<br />
www.lickosenjska.com<br />
www.speleologija.hr<br />
www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr<br />
www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr<br />
www.kuterevo-medvjedi.hr<br />
www.mcnikolatesla.hr<br />
www.ogfb.hr<br />
www.bjelolasica.hr<br />
The green heart of Croatia is the best name for the place where the<br />
coast and the particularly well-preserved continent meet and where<br />
plains and mountainous parts merge. It is an area of preserved<br />
nature, clean rivers, and further south in Lika, the most valuable<br />
karst national parks in Europe. The Karlovac and the Lika-Senj<br />
counties are destinations for true lovers of natural beauty and<br />
almost untouched wilderness, to which, due to the excellent<br />
transport links, this region is closer than ever.<br />
National Parks in Lika, the beauty of Karlovac rivers Kupa, Korana,<br />
Mrežnica and Dobra, forested hills of Velika and Mala Kapela, the<br />
greenery of Lika’s and Kordun’s karst have marked the tourist offer<br />
of this area with activities like hiking, swimming in clear waters,<br />
paddling and rafting, fishing on lakes, rivers and their mountan<br />
tributaries, adventure rafting and canoeing. There is also hunting<br />
in the forests of Draganić to Klek and Modruš as well as winter<br />
sports like skiing on the slopes of Bjelolasica. Mountain roads and<br />
trails, bicycle paths, karst caves, thermal spas and many other<br />
natural treasures of this area offer endless opportunities for rest<br />
and recreation.<br />
Healthy air and untouched nature, quality of water and rich hunting<br />
grounds, provide excellent opportunities for a pleasant respite from<br />
the daily bustle and the reason for coming back. Lika, dominated<br />
by the impressive Velebit massif, delights with its karst fields, river<br />
valleys, sinkholes and caves. An unmatched natural phenomenon<br />
is the river Gacka, a habitat of many interesting and rare flora and<br />
fauna. Perfection by the sea and an unforgettable experience of<br />
the intensity of nature is also the most beautiful lobby of the finest<br />
art that nature has created by playing with water and stone four<br />
thousand years ago.<br />
Administratively, this region also includes some Mediterranean<br />
areas like the so-called Podgorje with the cities of Senj and Karlobag<br />
and part of the island Pag. Zrće, a long pebbled beach on the island<br />
of Pag is a synonym for crazy summer fun and is affectionately<br />
known as the Croatian Ibiza. In the area of Luna on Pag is one of<br />
the most famous Croatian olive groves stretching over 400 acres<br />
with about 80 000 indigenous wild olive trees, fenced with stone<br />
walls of which the oldest is more than a thousand years old. Lovers<br />
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of this area are making a proposal for inclusion of this site onto the<br />
register of cultural heritage of UNESCO.<br />
What You Must See<br />
Karst National Parks Plitvice Lakes and North Velebit are the<br />
inevitable destinations for all nature lovers. Plitvice Lakes are a<br />
forested mountain area in which there are 16 smaller and larger<br />
lakes of crystal blue-green color fed by numerous rivers and streams,<br />
and connected to each other by foaming cascades and thundering<br />
waterfalls. Vast areas of forest, exceptional natural beauty of lakes<br />
and waterfalls, rich flora and fauna, mountain air, contrasting<br />
colors of autumn, forest trails and wooden bridges and much more<br />
are all part of a unique composition, which UNESCO has proclaimed<br />
to be world heritage.<br />
North Velebit is a part of the mountain, which UNESCO proclaimed<br />
to be a World Biosphere Reserve. Inside the park there is a strict<br />
nature reserve Hajdučki and Rožanski Kukovi, one of the deepest<br />
pits in the world (discovered in 1999) Lukina Jama, the botanical<br />
reserve ‘Visibaba’ together with a site of endemic Croatian sibiraea<br />
(Sibiraea altaiensis ssp. croatica), the botanical reserve Zavižan -<br />
Balinovac – Velika Kosa and the famous Velebit Botanical Garden.<br />
The park is intersected by numerous hiking trails, of which the most<br />
famous is Premuzićeva Trail.<br />
Due to its geographic location along the densely populated area<br />
of bear habitats of North Velebit, the first shelter for young bears<br />
in Croatia was founded in Kutarevo. The sanctuary ‘Velebit Bear’<br />
is run by a team of nature lovers made up of experts in the field<br />
of biology and ecology, but also volunteers, whose motivation is<br />
their great love of bears. All of them put a lot of effort into selflessly<br />
caring for the resident bears of Kutarevo, in order to ensure not<br />
only a safer future for the cubs, but also the living conditions that<br />
are closest to nature. The Velebit young bear sanctury in Kuterevo<br />
will serve as part of a visitor center and an attractive point for the<br />
promotion of the Nature Park Velebit.<br />
In the village of Smiljan, six kilometers from Gospić, there is a<br />
Memorial centre ‘Nikola Tesla’ (www.mcnikolatesla.hr) situated in<br />
the birth home of one of the most famous scientist and inventors of<br />
the 20th century. The Memorial Center combines science, art and<br />
tourism and presents Tesla`s inventions which changed the course<br />
of world history. Among other things the centre exhibits Tesla`s test<br />
stations from Colorado Springs, turbines of remote control boats<br />
and a multimedia educational center.<br />
The Wealth of Water and a Caving Paradise<br />
Central Lika is characterized by many underground facilities, and is<br />
rightly called a caving paradise. One fourth of the total number of<br />
caves protected as geomorphologic nature monuments in Croatia<br />
is located in this area. From the specific cave areas the one which<br />
particularly stands out is the cave park Grabovača with Samogradska<br />
Cave near Perušić. The Karlovac area is also a real mecca for cavers.<br />
The experts claim that in the Karlovac County there are some of the<br />
most beautiful caves in Croatia. Here are four of the five longest<br />
cave systems in Croatia, led by Đulin Ponor – Medvedica near Ogulin<br />
with over 16 kilometers of excavated channels. Numerous caves hide<br />
clear lakes and streams, but also peculiar fauna like the human fish<br />
(olm). Vrlovka cave near Kamanja, whose entrance is right next to<br />
the Kupa River, has 330 meters of the canal which can be toured.<br />
Increasingly popular destinations for caving tourists are some of<br />
the unadapted and less accessible caves, which can be visited in the<br />
company of experienced cavers. Such is the Vražić cave in Barilović,<br />
Gvozdenica on Skradska gora, Vodena jama and others. The region of<br />
Karlovac- Lika stands out with an abundance of fresh water. The bays<br />
of Lika, Gacka and Krbava between Velebit, Kapela and Plješivica, are<br />
a natural reservoir of particularly high-quality drinking water. The<br />
depths of its karst underground are a source for a number of larger<br />
and smaller springs. These karst springs are the sources of surface<br />
streams which enhance the landscape of this unique mountain area<br />
with their calmness. Water in karst areas is more than a symbol of<br />
life. Here is where man, stone and water intertwined their paths and<br />
left distinctive traces in time and space. Therefore, the karst waters<br />
are not just monuments of nature, but also significant cultural and<br />
historical sites. The most prominent such site in the continental part<br />
of the County of Lika is the springs of Gacka, on the southeastern edge<br />
of the Gacko field. Here the karst basal expires into nine wells, three<br />
of which are larger – Veliko and Malo, Tonković Spring and Majerovo<br />
Spring. Water resources of the area are complement by the beauty<br />
of the four rivers of Karlovac: Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra on<br />
whose green, seductive waters fishing is an indescribable pleasure.<br />
Mythical Mountains<br />
A special place in the spiritual landscape of this area belongs to<br />
Velebit Mountain, the ‘holy mountain’ decorated with ‘bells under<br />
the stars’ and symbolic names for places from the famous shrine<br />
of Our Lady of Krasno (17 th century) on northern Velebit, to the<br />
prominent hill top Sveto Brdo (1751 m) in the southern part of the<br />
mountain range. All paths, from Primorje, Gacka and Lika, lead to<br />
the shrine dedicated to nature, a special place for meditation and<br />
meeting with our own being.<br />
Klek has been an inspiration to people’s imagination for centuries:<br />
according to the legend, during stormy nights, witches, fairies and<br />
elves from around the world gather around midnight, and their<br />
dancing and screaming is heard all the way to Ogulin. In order<br />
to provide tourists with a unique experience, during the time of<br />
operation of the eco-tourist train Karlek in Ogulin, visitors can meet<br />
costumed witches from Klek.<br />
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KVARNER<br />
www.kvarner.hr<br />
www.pp-ucka.hr<br />
www.supovi.hr<br />
www.risnjak.hr<br />
www.ri-karneval.com.hr<br />
www.gorskikotar.hr<br />
www.tz-rijeka.hr<br />
www.blue-world.org<br />
www.hnk-zajc.hr<br />
The diversity and richness of natural and cultural-historical heritage<br />
together with numerous facilities based on health and relaxation<br />
give this region the image of the Adriatic lifestyle destination. Special<br />
values of Kvarner are recognized in the sophisticated experience as<br />
well as rejuvenating and joyful atmosphere, which, in combination<br />
with tourist segments adapted to all types of guests, make Kvarner<br />
an extremely attractive destination.<br />
The coast, the islands and the highlands are three different natural<br />
areas at a relatively short distance from each other, which make the<br />
Kvarner tourist offer extremely varied. The Kvarner tourist region<br />
includes the islands of Rab, Krk, Cres and Lošinj, the Opatija riviera<br />
and the Crikvenica-Vinodol riviera and then the town of Rijeka, the<br />
ring of Rijeka and Gorski Kotar.<br />
Thanks to the mild climate and proximity to Zagreb and Central<br />
Europe, this region is the cradle of Croatian tourism, so no wonder that<br />
located in Opatija is the Croatian Museum of Tourism, a specialized<br />
museum that deals with the history and heritage of tourism.<br />
The meeting of the sea and the mounts enable Kvarner to also<br />
provide guests with a typical winter tourist offer. Hotels with a wide<br />
range of year-round content on the coast, and snow, twenty to thirty<br />
kilometers away in Gorski Kotar, are the specificity of this offer.<br />
Adding to this are also natural beauties, led by the National Park<br />
Risnjak based in Crni Lug near Delnice which has 6400 acres of<br />
woodlands and the mountain massif Učka, a protected nature park<br />
between Istria and Kvarner.<br />
As well as a summer, winter, recreational and wellness destination,<br />
Kvarner is one of the leading conference destinations in Croatia, with<br />
almost 15 000 seats in 140 rooms within 50 venues.<br />
The Kvarner region has the largest number of ports for nautical<br />
tourism, 32 of them, of which 16 are marinas with more than three<br />
thousand berths in the water and almost two thousand on land. The<br />
marinas are spatially deployed in the northern coastal part of Kvarner<br />
(Ičići, Opatija) and on each of the Kvarner islands.<br />
Bašćanaka Ploča (Baška tablet), one of the oldest monuments of<br />
the Croatian language, written in old Croatian Glagolitic script was<br />
discovered in this area, specifically in Baška on the island of Krk<br />
around 1100.<br />
What You Must See<br />
Rijeka, the biggest Croatian harbour and a city of lavish architecture,<br />
museums, theatres and art is the host of one of the finest and most<br />
recognizable carnivals in Europe. Located in Rijeka is the building of<br />
the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, a protected monument<br />
and a masterpiece of architecture of its time, created by renowned<br />
architects Hermann Gottlieb Helmer and Ferdinand Fellner, who have<br />
designed the most beautiful theatres in Europe. The main front of<br />
the Rijeka theatre is adorned with statues by the famous Venetian<br />
sculptor Augusto Benvenuti, which are rated among his best works,<br />
while in the hall, the ceilings are painted by the famous Gustav Klimt.<br />
Rijeka’s carnival is a distinctive blend of European carnivals, primarily<br />
Venetian and Austrian, with elements of folklore and mythology<br />
of ancient Slavs. Starting with only three local carnival groups and<br />
a hundred participants in 1982, the Rijeka carnival has grown into<br />
an international event that brings together over ten thousand<br />
participants from ten countries around the world. Steeped in<br />
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centuries-old tradition, the International Carnival has over the years<br />
given the city of Rijeka, the region and Croatia a distinctive and<br />
impressive manifestation which is attended by numerous organized<br />
carnival groups, individual participants, spectators and media as<br />
well as many guests from home and abroad. Testifying to the rich<br />
tradition of Rijeka’s carnival are Kastav’s Halubaj bell-ringers, who<br />
were included on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage in 2009.<br />
Rijeka is also known for one of the oldest shrines in the world, the<br />
famous Franciscan monastery in Trsat with a precious art collection<br />
and a gallery with a chapel of votive gifts.<br />
Coastal and island towns – the cities and towns of Kvarner make<br />
a unique string of urban gems. In some of them, from the very<br />
first moment, you feel the aristocratic spirit, while others reflect<br />
their medieval roots and folk way of life. Some, like Opatija,<br />
Crikvenica, Lovran and Mali Lošinj are dominated by elegant<br />
villas and gardens, which bring a breath of Central Europe to the<br />
Mediterranean, while the others show that they have developed<br />
around old fishing ports or ascended to nearby elevations like<br />
Volosko, Moščenićka Draga, Opatija, Mošćenice, Veprinac,<br />
Valun, Baška, Kastav and Vrbnik. These places represent the<br />
Mediterranean in the best sense of the word.<br />
Griffon vultures and dolphins are trademarks of the Cres-Lošinj<br />
archipelago, which had a common name Apsyrtides, during the<br />
ancient times, after the Greek hero Apsyrtus, famous from the<br />
stories about Argonauts who went wandering around the world<br />
and visited our islands. The griffon vulture is one of four types<br />
of scavengers which still live in Europe, and they maintain their<br />
habitat on the island of Cres. It nests on steep cliffs above the<br />
sea, sometimes at a height of only 10 meters, where they can be<br />
easily seen. As they are an endangered species, scientists from<br />
the environmental center mark the young birds so that they<br />
could identify them later. The Eco Centre has a special role in<br />
saving young vultures that fall into the sea, or which are found<br />
sick and wounded. Therefore, a recovery center was built, where<br />
injured vultures are looked after until their release back into<br />
nature. Coastal waters of Cres and Lošinj are a protected habitat<br />
for dolphins, which can be ‘adopted’ by guests and visitors. This<br />
directly encourages their protection which has been the main aim<br />
since 1987. Launched at that time was the project for researching<br />
and monitoring of dolphins as well as the sea in general for<br />
the protection of all endangered species. Special attraction of<br />
this marine area is the Mediterranean or sea monk seal, which<br />
has been again increasingly seen in the Adriatic Sea. From a<br />
gastronomic aspect there are the famous Kvarner scampi.<br />
Wellness and recreation<br />
Kvarner offers a variety of wellness facilities including indoor and<br />
outdoor pools, saunas, bio saunas, steam baths and a number of<br />
massage parlors and cosmetic treatments, as well as locations with<br />
healing sea mud. Adding to this value are two hospitals for medical<br />
rehabilitation – Crikvenica’s and Opatija’s Thalassotherapia. Acting in<br />
Lovran is the first Spa Wellness Academy in Croatia, where personnel<br />
are educated for this particular segment of the tourism offer. Special<br />
wellness programs, vital programs, massages, natural aromatherapy,<br />
the picking of medicinal plants and nature walks are good for the<br />
body and soul of every guest. Olympic and world champions and<br />
Croatian sports’ stars have found the Kvarner ‘health and wellness’ to<br />
be a place for their rehabilitation after sporting exertions.<br />
Kvarner has also become known for its bicycle paths and treks, which<br />
are increasing and include larger and larger areas. This is clearly<br />
seen in the names of these bicycle paths - Through the Old Towns<br />
of Liburnia, The Bell Ringer Paths, Mountain Tours of the Opatija<br />
Riviera, Kastav, Around the Source of Riječina, The Hinterland of the<br />
Crikvenica Riviera, Vinodolski, Frankopan Castles, Lošinj and Cres, In<br />
the Realm of the Griffon Vulture, The Paths of Krk’s Shepherds and<br />
Farmers, Lopar and Kalifront on Rab, Great Tour of Gorski Kotar, Gorski<br />
Kotar Lakes, Intimate Track, etc.<br />
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Top quality food and chosen wines<br />
Differences within the Kvarner region and tourist tradition significantly<br />
influenced the development and quality of gastronomy, which is<br />
interwoven with specialties of coastal, island and mountain region –<br />
from the best kind of fish, shellfish and crab, through to the highland<br />
hunting specialties. However, the Kvarner cuisine excellently catches<br />
up with the times, which is best described in the fact that some of<br />
the best Croatian restaurants that foster global trends such as slow<br />
food or molecular gastronomy are found in this region. Kvarner wine<br />
growers still cherish the indigenous varieties like Vrbnička Žlahtina,<br />
Trojišćina and Istrian Malvasia.<br />
ISTRIA<br />
www.istra.hr<br />
www.labin.hr<br />
www.kamenjak.hr<br />
www.to-porec.com<br />
www.histrica.com<br />
www.istria-gourmet.com<br />
www.azrri.hr<br />
www.vinistra.com<br />
Istria is mild and self-effacing, warm and welcoming, green and<br />
blue and always at the crossroads of European historical and<br />
regional events. It is a region of dinosaurs, legends of giants,<br />
legionnaires and gladiators, sailors and admirals, writers and<br />
charismatic world leaders, who often tailored the fate of mankind<br />
in this environment. Stemming from the turbulent history and rich<br />
culture of Istria is openness and tolerance of its population, which<br />
has for centuries, through life in harmony with other nations, learnt<br />
to respect diversity.<br />
Aware of this diversity and fast development Istrians are<br />
exceptionally devoted to sustainable development. Staying in<br />
Istria is pleasant all year, because there is a lot that lures one into<br />
this ‘green Mediterranean haven’. Istrian tourist attractions are<br />
authentic towns and villages, romantic and relaxing holidays and<br />
excellent gastronomy and wines.<br />
Scattered along the banks and hills, among vineyards and olive<br />
groves, the Istrian towns are just like people, some preserved and<br />
honorable while others, damaged by time and adversity remain only<br />
as romantic ruins and abandoned scenery. While the ones on the<br />
coast exalt with their full-blooded belonging to the Mediterranean<br />
as typical coastal ancient municipal towns with their ports, boats<br />
and cheerful gushing streets, the other ones - medieval towns,<br />
blooming in the Istrian hinterland hills, are real Central European<br />
burghs that exude the spirit and peace of the continent.<br />
Istria is full of archaeological and cultural-historical monuments,<br />
as evidenced by proof of life of prehistoric people of the Paleolithic<br />
in Istrian caves, more than 400 forts from the Bronze and Iron<br />
Age, the fascinating monuments of urbanization by the Romans<br />
and Eufrazijeva Basilica, one of the most beautiful early Byzantine<br />
churches in Europe as a striking symbol of the rule of Byzantium<br />
in Istra.<br />
The Amphitheater or Arena in Pula is one of the six largest Roman<br />
amphitheaters in the world. Erected in the first century during the<br />
reign of Emperor Vespasian, it was used primarily for the gladiator<br />
fights in front of 20 000 spectators.<br />
In Beram near Pazin, lies one of the most valuable achievements<br />
of Istrian medieval painting - a late Gothic fresco in the church of<br />
St. Mary on Škriljinah by Vincent of Kastav. These are more than<br />
40 Biblical scenes portrayed within a typical Istrian context, which<br />
generally speak of the life of Mary, and less about the life of Christ.<br />
Three mummies of saints are kept in the church of St. Blaise in<br />
Vodnjan and it has been established that their internal organs have<br />
also been preserved. This is a true miracle, given that the bodies are<br />
not embalmed or adequately conserved.<br />
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Blue and Green<br />
Besides being abundant in untouched green oases and romantic<br />
coves by the sea, Istria hides many undiscovered corners. Stretching<br />
along the sea are grassy, sandy, rocky and stone paved beaches,<br />
while the inland is impressive with remarkable river tributaries,<br />
lakes, waterfalls, caves, rich forests, hills and mountain slopes.<br />
Animal life is also diverse on land and in the sea.<br />
The unavoidable National Park Brijuni in the south of Istria is for<br />
its various flora and fauna and cultural and historical heritage<br />
one of the most beautiful Mediterranean archipelagos. Brijuni<br />
are made up of two large and 12 smaller islands. The Nature<br />
Park Učka also has lush vegetation, diverse wildlife, caves and<br />
mountain paths, boarding houses and restaurants. The Palud<br />
swamp is an ornithological reserve near Rovinj, where there are<br />
more than 200 bird species. Because of its attractive 11-kilometerlong<br />
inlet, the Lim Canal is one of the most beautiful protected<br />
Istrian landscapes. Also impressive is the Pazin Pit, with its caves,<br />
lakes and a hundred meter high cliffs, which was described in a<br />
novel by the great Jules Verne.<br />
What You Must See<br />
The protected landscape Rt (cape) Kamenjak, the southernmost<br />
cape of Istria, is interesting not only because it is inhabited by<br />
nearly 500 plant species, but also because of the beautiful bay,<br />
‘wild’ beaches, clean sea and attractive underwater world. Because<br />
of endemic plants and very specific habitat for some species of<br />
birds, the landscape has been legally protected since 1996. The<br />
very specific and valuable landscape of Kamenjak is made up of a<br />
combination of lawns, bushes and underbrush. On the grasslands<br />
of Kamenjak grow numerous species of orchids, including the<br />
endemic Istrian serapias. The coastal belt is the only habitat of<br />
several rare plant species in Croatia. Kamenjak’s beauty can be<br />
explored by bicycle as the cycling trail passes along the entire cape.<br />
Due to the colliding of the strong sea currents diving is permitted<br />
only for professionals, but the winds are suitable for surfing,<br />
although it is previously necessary to check the weather-forecast,<br />
because the changes in weather conditions are sudden. For visitors<br />
who need refreshment or a snack there is the ‘Safari Bar’ which will<br />
certainly delight anyone by its original appearance and interesting<br />
hosts.<br />
Among the Istrian sights which should most certainly be seen is<br />
the Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč as it is the most valuable cultural<br />
monument of the city, and has been placed under UNESCO protection<br />
since 1997. Built on the foundations of the earlier aisled basilica<br />
in the middle of the 6 th century in the time of bishop Euphrasius,<br />
after whom it was named, the basilica is one of the oldest and<br />
finest early Christian monuments, whose early Byzantine mosaics<br />
can be compared only with those in Ravenna, Italy. Along with the<br />
basilica, which was given its final shape in the 13 th and 15 th century,<br />
the complex is made up of the Bishop’s Palace, baptistery, atrium<br />
and a series of Romanesque and Renaissance buildings. From the<br />
floor mosaics and from preserved inscriptions it is possible to follow<br />
all the phases of construction, refurbishment and restoration, and<br />
also to reconstruct the life of the Christian community in Poreč.<br />
In the eastern part of Istria, only three kilometers from the sea,<br />
lies the picturesque medieval town of Labin, full of antiquities<br />
and beauty. Located on a 320 meter high hill, it was apparently<br />
inhabited 2000 years BC. It is the birthplace of Matija Vlačić, the<br />
reformer and collaborator of Martin Luther, and a city of many<br />
galleries and artists. Credit for the artistic flair of the city can be<br />
given to the project Labin Art Republic, which revived the historic<br />
and cultural heritage of the city. In July and August at outdoor and<br />
indoor venues of the Labin old town there are music performances,<br />
theater, visual arts and other programs involving local and foreign<br />
performers. Located next to Labin is Dubrova, a rustic complex<br />
of buildings on landholdings of the Labin’s patrician Franković<br />
family from the 17 th century. Located within the rectangular, walled<br />
estates, which were once farm buildings, is the Sculpture Park,<br />
one of 270 best in the world and among the top 10 in Europe.<br />
The International Sculptors’ Symposium has been held in the Park<br />
every August and September, since1970, where artists work on the<br />
enrichment of park collections. It is planned for the Sculpture Park<br />
Dubrova to grow into a museum of modern sculpture.<br />
A similar sculpture park is located in the western Istrian town of Vrsar.<br />
This is a sculpture park of Croatian and European contemporary<br />
sculptor Dušan Džamonja, whose sculptures are exhibited in the<br />
most eminent museums of the world. The park was created in 1970<br />
as a private gallery of the artist’s sculptures, graffiti and drawings.<br />
Istrian Wine and Delicaces<br />
The largest Croatian peninsula is one of the best wine-growing areas<br />
in Central Europe due to favourable agricultural conditions. Istrians<br />
are especially proud of the quality of Istrian Malvasia, Teran and<br />
Momjan Muscat. Thanks to the label ‘IQ’ (Istrian quality) premium<br />
wines from many world famous grape varieties are also produced<br />
in Istria. Most Istrian vineyards and cellars are situated on the hills<br />
in the northwest part of the peninsula. The centres of winemaking<br />
in this part are the towns of Brtonigla, Momjan, Buje and Buzet,<br />
while in the southern part wine cellars are mostly located in Kaštelir,<br />
Vižinada, Višnjan and Motovun. Istria currently has seven wine<br />
roads (Buje / Brtonigla / Umag / Novigrad, Poreč, Vrsar / Funtana,<br />
Rovinj, Vodnjan/ Pula, Labin / Rabac and central Istria) with 110<br />
wine itineraries. Istrian winemakers have been awarded with many<br />
prestigious international awards and their quality is recognized by the<br />
world’s leading wine magazine Decanter.<br />
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Istria has achieved great success in the production of olive oil, which<br />
has for years won awards at international olive competitions. Istrian<br />
cuisine is known for its long tradition of taste and smell created in<br />
domestic kitchens. Homemade dishes, which should undoubtedly<br />
be tried are based on pasta, meat or fish, and with them come<br />
the desserts, round fritters, crispy ‘kroštule’ (traditional crispy fried<br />
pastry) and ‘cukerančići’ (dry pastry with sugar). Dishes such as<br />
‘boškarin’ (Istrian cattle which was almost extinct) can be found on<br />
the menus for the last several years. Thanks to the project ‘Istrian<br />
cattle from breeding to the table’ there is enough boškarin for<br />
gastronomic delights. The wine and gastronomy guide through<br />
Istria, ‘Istra Gourmet’, has for many years been advising lovers of<br />
domestic Istrian dishes and wines about the best Istrian restaurants,<br />
taverns and farm houses.<br />
DALMATIA – ZADAR<br />
www.zadar.hr<br />
www.tzzadar.hr<br />
www.nin.hr<br />
www.paklenica.hr<br />
www.pag-tourism.hr<br />
www.velebit.hr<br />
www.telascica.hr<br />
www.vransko-jezero.hr<br />
www.tzg-biograd.hr<br />
The region of Zadar, on the northern part of the Dalmatian coast<br />
with the largest urban center in Zadar which is three thousand years<br />
old, is called the ‘door to national parks’. Its unique geographical<br />
location literally opens the door to five national parks - Paklenica,<br />
Waterfalls of Krka, Plitvice Lakes, Kornati and North Velebit each of<br />
which provide breathtaking beauty.<br />
Natural Phenomena<br />
What makes the Zadar region special are the islands - over three<br />
hundred of them constitute one of the densest island groups on<br />
the Adriatic.<br />
Favorites of the Zadar region are the canyons of Velika and Mala<br />
Paklenica, with a series of hiking trails and cliffs ideal for rock<br />
climbing located just a few kilometers from the coastline. On the<br />
southeastern part of Dugi Otok is the Nature Park Telašćica, one of<br />
the safest natural harbors for boaters on the Adriatic coast with an<br />
intriguing natural phenomenon of the salt lake Mir, whose water is<br />
warmer than the sea! Famous for ‘crowns’ or cliffs facing the open<br />
sea, Kornati are situated between Zadar and Šibenik, about 15<br />
nautical miles from them, because of which they are divided among<br />
these two regions.<br />
The Mediterranean vegetation in the picturesque karst areas of this<br />
region is a habitat for mouflon, but also a place for rest and hunting<br />
since Roman times. Additional charm is given by the ornithological<br />
reserve on Vransko Lake, which is the largest natural lake in Croatia<br />
and the only habitat of herons in the Croatian littoral.<br />
What You Must See<br />
Zadar has for centuries been the capital of Dalmatia, and its rich<br />
cultural heritage is visible everywhere on the cobbled streets of the<br />
peninsula, the old city center adorned by the stone church of Sv.<br />
Donat from the 9 th century, the most explored Roman forum on this<br />
side of the Adriatic and the Romanesque pearls - the church of St.<br />
Stošija from the 13 th and St. Krševan from the 12 th century. Then the<br />
church of St. Šime, where there is a gold-plated silver chest of St.<br />
Šime from 1380. This is a masterpiece of medieval goldsmith craft<br />
of Zadar, where the saint’s relics and many other values are stored.<br />
The oldest university on Croatian soil was founded in Zadar, in 1396,<br />
ranking it among the oldest university cities in Europe.<br />
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The Sea Organ has become the modern icon of the city, a unique<br />
architectural wonder on the city’s waterfront. This is where waves,<br />
by vibrating and passing through the musical tubes create ‘sea<br />
music’ which fills a wide area along the sea promenade. At the<br />
top of the Zadar Peninsula shines the Greeting to the Sun of the<br />
same architect Nikola Bašić. ‘Greeting to the Sun’ consists of three<br />
hundred multi-layered glass panels set at the same level as the<br />
stone-paved promenade in a circle diameter of 22 meters. It was<br />
conceived as a spatial installation in the form of an amphitheatre<br />
surrounded by the blocks of stone with a stylish display of all Solar<br />
System planets and their orbits. It is from this part of the waterfront<br />
that you can see, in the words of the famous Alfred Hitchock, the<br />
most beautiful sunsets in the world. Among the many Zadar<br />
favourites is the Museum of Ancient Glass which holds the largest<br />
collection in this part of Europe. The Zadar square situated in the<br />
enclosed space Arsenal, is a monument of the highest category,<br />
built in the 18 th century during the Venetian rule as a storehouse<br />
for military fleets. In recent years, it has become one of the city’s<br />
centres of publics cultural and entertainment life, rich with events.<br />
Today, due to its special atmosphere and rich life, Zadar is one<br />
of the most popular Croatian tourist destinations. The London<br />
Times declared it ‘the entertainment centre of the Adriatic’, and<br />
the Guardian ‘a new Croatian capital of cool’. Many of the world’s<br />
media wrote about the festival of electronic music Garden, which<br />
has been held since 2005 in Zadar and Petrčani nearby, and is<br />
included among the best festivals in Europe.<br />
Royal cities – located less than 20 kilometers from Zadar is Nin,<br />
the oldest Croatian royal town. For 12 centuries Nin has preserved<br />
the old church of the Holy Cross, the smallest cathedral in the<br />
world. Only 36 steps long, the church in Nin was built according<br />
to the position that the sun takes during the year and serves as a<br />
clock and a calendar, but also a place for prayer. The treasury of<br />
the parish church ‘The gold and silver of Nin’, is located on the<br />
historical island along with the parish church of St. Anselmo. It<br />
holds the oldest and most valuable relics from Croatian church<br />
history. Exposed in the Museum of Antiquities of Nin are the<br />
partly reconstructed ‘serilije’ boats, from the first century which<br />
were used by Liburns and Histrians. The remains of two serilija,<br />
discovered in the ancient port of Zaton, are the best preserved<br />
ships with sewn construction in the Mediterranean. In addition to<br />
discovering its history, visitors can see the natural way of producing<br />
sea salt in Nin. The salt factory in Nin produces special floral salt<br />
which is a natural source of magnesium and calcium. Nin is the<br />
national winner of the European Destination of Excellence 2010<br />
and the largest site of therapeutic mud in Croatia. The site of the<br />
healing mud is located along the famous Queen’s beach.<br />
Biograd na Moru stood out as a Croatian city from 10 th to 12 th<br />
century when the first Hungarian-Croatian king Koloman was<br />
crowned there. Today it is a typical tourist town, which has,<br />
thanks to its excellent location in the middle of the Pašman<br />
canal, evolved into an important nautical destination. The city<br />
has four collections: Archaeological, Ethnographic, a collection of<br />
paintings and a history department. The most interesting exhibit<br />
is the cargo of a ship from the 16 th century, which belongs to a<br />
unique collection in the Adriatic. It contains over 10 000 unique<br />
objects of inestimable value.<br />
National Park Paklenica covers only a part of the Velebit Nature<br />
Park, the largest Croatian mountain which UNESCO proclaimed a<br />
World Biosphere Reserve. Paklenica is an unusual area between<br />
the sea and the mountains, rich in natural forests of beech, black<br />
pine and mountain pine. This is the habitat of the endemic plants<br />
of the Croatian name ‘pjeskarica’ (Arenaria orbicularis) and other<br />
animal and plant rarities, full of karst formations. It is widely<br />
known by the canyons of Mala and Velika Paklenica. The National<br />
Park Paklenica covers an area of 96 km². Vaganski peak is the<br />
highest (1757 m). Held in the Park is a unique event called BIG<br />
WALL SPEED CLIMBING, a traditional Labour Day hikers meeting<br />
which includes the international competition in speed climbing<br />
on big rocks. Paklenica was one of the locations where movies<br />
about the famous Indian chief Winnetou were filmed. Today there<br />
is a tour called ‘Trails of Winnetou’ which along with Paklenica<br />
includes excursions to national parks Krka and Plitvice Lakes,<br />
Velebit Nature Park and the canyon of river Zrmanja.<br />
An Enchanting Archipelago<br />
The Zadar region has the most populated islands of all Croatian tourist<br />
regions. With as many islands as there are days in a year, many straits,<br />
channels and sheltered bays, with a safe anchorage in eight marinas, it<br />
lures sailors, but also those wishing to enjoy the solitude and unspoiled<br />
coastline and crystal clear waters. Along with the uninhabited Kornati<br />
islands, the larger islands such as Dugi Otok, Ugljan, Pašman and Pag<br />
also provide hidden places, bays, beaches, peace, silence and solitude.<br />
On the external side of the island the sea is often deeper than 50<br />
meters and visibility is always excellent and so has diverse marine<br />
life. Numerous fish species and lush forests of purple, red or yellow<br />
gorgonians fascinate all diving enthusiasts.<br />
Many of Zadar’s islands hold valuable historical heritage, such as<br />
monasteries, forts, towers and lighthouses. But the islands’ most<br />
valuable cultural heritage is located on the island of Pag, the island of<br />
salt, cheese and lace, which is connected to the mainland by a bridge.<br />
The city core of Pag from the 15 th century is known for its gridded streets,<br />
which are the result of planning by the famous Croatian architect<br />
Juraj Dalmatiac. In its center there is a church of the Assumption of<br />
the Blessed Virgin Mary from the same period. The lace making in<br />
Pag has been protected as UNESCO’s intangible heritage since 2009.<br />
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DALMATIA - ŠIBENIK<br />
www.sibenikregion.com<br />
www.sibenik-tourism.hr<br />
www.otokprvic.info<br />
www.npkrka.hr<br />
www.kornati.hr<br />
www.shipyard-betina.com<br />
www.marina-betina.hr<br />
www.tzo-murter.hr<br />
www.dalmati.com<br />
www.jurlinovidvori.org<br />
www.tz-primosten.hr<br />
www.vodice.hr<br />
www.vransko-jezero.hr<br />
www.latinskoidro.hr<br />
Šibenik, the most protected natural harbor of the middle Adriatic not<br />
far from the mouth of the river Krka into the sea, is the center of the<br />
tourist region with the two national parks and green hinterland that<br />
naturally blends with the coast, rich in historical and cultural heritage<br />
and territorial waters with three hundred islands, islets and reefs.<br />
Out of 249 islands only six are inhabited: Žirje, Zlarin, Prvić, Kaprije,<br />
Krapanj and Murter.<br />
Islands as Guardians<br />
of Mediterranean Tradition<br />
Because of its indented coast, the Šibenik part of Dalmatia is also<br />
called the ‘crown of the Adriatic’, and it is described as a ‘nautical<br />
paradise’. Available to sailors are 12 marinas and 7 anchorage<br />
locations, with a total capacity of 3480 berths in the sea and 1320<br />
berths on land. The main advantages of this area are the picturesque<br />
islands and preserved and authentic locations. The archipelago of<br />
the Kornati National Park is a real magnet for boaters and Skradin,<br />
located in the Šibenik hinterland near the National park Krka is<br />
nautically important because it is the marina within closest proximity<br />
to the waterfalls of the river Krka.<br />
Unspoiled nature of the protected area, flora and fauna, caves<br />
and pits in the forested mountains of Dinara and on its slopes are<br />
fundamentally incompatible with the view that stretches from these<br />
heights onto the laced network of islands in the Kornati National<br />
Park, which extend through the Zadar and Šibenik-Knin County. Each<br />
of the islands scattered along the open sea of the Šibenik archipelago<br />
hides something interesting.<br />
Zlarin has the most famous coral pickers on the Adriatic; Krapanj is<br />
a place on the lowest and least populated Croatian island, known by<br />
sea sponge ‘hunters’. Island Prvić next to Vodice hides two places of<br />
protected cultural heritage - Prvić Luka and Prvić Šepurine, and is<br />
known for Faust Vrančić, the inventor of the first usable parachute in<br />
history. His family’s summer house can still be seen in Prvić Šepurina,<br />
and according to his own wishes he was buried in the church of Our<br />
Lady of Mercy in Prvić Luka. A memorial park dedicated to him is<br />
currently being built there and there is a temporary exhibition of 50<br />
models showing his inventions situated nearby. Murter is connected<br />
to the mainland by a bridge. It is a fishing village where the town<br />
of Betina which has a long tradition of building wooden boats is<br />
situated. As a reminder of the strong connection of the people of<br />
Murter and Betina each year on the occasion of the feast of St. Mihovil<br />
they hold the regatta called the ‘Latin Sail’. Only the ‘triangle’ Latin<br />
sail is used on the traditional sail boats arranged in three categories:<br />
leut, gajeta and kaić.<br />
What You Must See<br />
While the other Croatian cities began their life as settlements of the<br />
ancient Illyrians, Greek colonies or Roman urban agglomerations,<br />
the origin of Šibenik is connected with the arrival of Croats to the<br />
Adriatic area around the 9 th century. Many fought for the possession<br />
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of the city, from Byzantines to the Venetians, Ottomans and Austria.<br />
For four hundred long years it was an independent commune under<br />
Venetian rule and during this time the most significant landmarks<br />
were created. Today one of them is a symbol of the city and a<br />
monument under the protection of UNESCO, the cathedral of St.<br />
Jakov - a masterpiece of Juraj Dalmatinac from the 15 th century. It<br />
was built during a period of 105 years solely from stone from the<br />
islands of Brač, Rab and Korčula and represents the only building in<br />
Europe built by a principle of sloted in stone plates with no connective<br />
material between them. The Cathedral is unique among Renaissance<br />
churches because of the facade in the shape of a trefoil and a series<br />
of 71 realistic portraits on the apses.<br />
The famous architect Juraj Dalmatinac also supervised the<br />
construction of the well known Šibenik wells that are today the stage<br />
for various cultural and entertainment events. Šibenik also boasts<br />
the richness of religious buildings, as there were 24 churches and six<br />
monasteries built in the tenth century. Today, only half are still in use,<br />
while others have been converted into museums, galleries, art and<br />
living spaces. On the central Square of the Republic of Croatia are<br />
valuable historical buildings - the City Hall and the Rector’s Palace.<br />
Among the important buildings in the heart of the city is the Šibenik<br />
Theatre, built in 1870.<br />
In the vicinity of Šibenik are Vodice, a town well known for its lively<br />
tourist attractions, entertainment and friendly locals, who welcome<br />
guests as dear friends. Although known as a destination for guests<br />
looking for fun, the natural peace of the beaches in Vodice and quiet<br />
coves provide each guest with a well-deserved vacation.<br />
The Kornati archipelago spreads over an area of about 320 km² and<br />
includes about 150 small and large islands and reefs, of which 89<br />
are a part of the National Park Kornati. Here the sea is especially<br />
blue, and the vertical cliffs dive headlong into its depths from a few<br />
hundred meters. The charm of secluded bays leaves every lover of<br />
the sea breathless. The archipelago was named after the largest<br />
island Kornat. The center of life on this island used to be around the<br />
field Tarac, dominated by the fortress Tureta, built in the 6 th century.<br />
Located there is the Church of Our Lady of Tarac, the Queen of the Sea<br />
built on the ruins of an early Christian church from the 16 th century.<br />
Believers from the island of Murter each year, on the first Sunday in July,<br />
have a pilgrimage to Our Lady of Tarac, and the covenant procession of<br />
boats is one of the most beautiful religious events in Croatia. Although<br />
the Kornati archipelago is not permanently inhabited, a few laborer’s<br />
and fisherman’s houses are scattered around the picturesque bays<br />
of Žut, Sita and Kornati and the islands reflect the presence of their<br />
respective owners. Today, these houses are converted into restaurants<br />
and accommodation for ‘Robinson’ tourism and have become a favorite<br />
destination for boaters and tourists.<br />
The National Park Krka, the realm of the wondrous karst beauty -<br />
River Krka, which passes through canyons two thirds of its way to the<br />
sea, represents the complete opposite to Kornati. On this green path<br />
it spills over seven waterfalls one of which the last one is Skradinski<br />
Buk. The park is inhabited by 222 species of birds which puts it among<br />
the most valuable bird areas in Europe. It can be visited by boat, car<br />
or on foot. Also unavoidable is the ethno-museum in one of the<br />
old mills. In the area of the National Park Krka is the only falconry<br />
center in Croatia, where during the tour you can see presentations<br />
of hunting with falcons and demonstrations of falcon skills. The Krka<br />
National Park hides in its bosom two distinct historical and cultural<br />
pearls – the Orthodox Monastery of St. Archangel Krk and the<br />
fairytale monastery Visovac where Franciscans have kept valuables,<br />
old paintings and art, since 1400. The area around Krka is rich in ruins<br />
of antique settlements and prehistoric sites, as well as the remains of<br />
a Roman aqueduct, which is a protected monument.<br />
Cultural and Natural Richness<br />
Cultural and historical monuments still bear witness to the long<br />
settlement and architectural capabilities of the population of the<br />
region. In this area there are as many as 12 medieval fortresses, 230<br />
monuments and 600 archaeological sites. Particularly interesting are<br />
the ancient sites of Bribirska glavica, the Roman Skardona and four<br />
fortifications of Šibenik - St. Mihovil, St.Ivan, Šubićevac and St. Nikola.<br />
Also of great importance for tourism is the fortress of Knin, which was<br />
occasionally the seat of Croatian kings.<br />
Bribirska glavica was named the Croatian Troy with good reason<br />
because of the mystical combination of nature and ancient structures.<br />
Due to its strategic position for a full six thousand years it was the<br />
central town of the entire region. All civilizations recognized the<br />
importance of this old Liburnian settlement, the Roman municipality<br />
of Varvaria, by which Bribir was named. The mythical Bribir was the<br />
seat of the powerful Croatian feudal ruler Ban Pavao Šubic Bribir.<br />
Primošten has the richest and most picturesque vineyards in the<br />
entire region that speak of human diligence and struggle in this<br />
sparse area. In 2009 they were introduced as the UNESCO candidate<br />
for the list of protected world cultural heritage, and their image is<br />
permanently placed in the main United Nations building in New<br />
York, representing the sorrows of human labor through the centuries<br />
and the struggle of people with Dalmatian stone. Produced from the<br />
grapes from the vineyards of Primošten is the famous wine Babić,<br />
one of the best Croatian red wines. Another gastronomic souvenir<br />
of the Šibenik area is the Drniš ‘pršut’ (dried ham) whose quality is<br />
recognized throughout the world. Among the Šibenik sights we can<br />
set aside the Nature Park Vransko Lake, which is a unique swamp<br />
terrain in our coastal areas. This area is of international importance<br />
as a resting and feeding place for migratory birds. As many as 140<br />
bird species from Central, Northern and Eastern Europe use this area<br />
as part of their migration route.<br />
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DALMATIA – SPLIT<br />
www.dalmatia.hr<br />
www.visitsplit.com<br />
www.alka.hr<br />
www.tztrogir.hr<br />
www.tzhvar.hr<br />
www.otok-brac.info<br />
www.braconline.com.hr<br />
www.solta.hr<br />
www.tz-vis.hr<br />
www.solin-info.com<br />
www.biokovo.com<br />
Central Dalmatia with its cultural heritage, natural beauty and style<br />
of life is an unavoidable area for entertainment, relaxation and<br />
enjoyment with a tradition older than 2000 years!<br />
Only in Central Dalmatia can you find within a range of only 30<br />
kilometers two cities with their heritage protected by UNESCO. This<br />
is the Diocletian Palace in Split and the historical center of Trogir<br />
between which is located the largest archaeological site on the east<br />
coast of the Adriatic - Salona, once the seat of the Roman province of<br />
Dalmatia. The town of Hvar, on the island of the same name, is also<br />
a place of exceptional cultural and historical heritage. A city which is<br />
surrounded by seven centuries old walls is dominated by the town<br />
square, the largest one in Dalmatia, surrounded by Renaissance<br />
and Baroque palaces. On the island there is also a UNESCO World<br />
Heritage monument – Starogradsko Polje. It is the largest and most<br />
productive field on the Adriatic islands, which stretches 6 miles east<br />
to Vrboska, bordered by the picturesque villages of Dol and Vrbanj on<br />
the southern slopes. This landscape, shaped by millennia of human<br />
activities, has retained a system of routes and major plots since the<br />
time of the Greek city of Pharos (fourth century BC) and is the best<br />
preserved ancient subdivision (HORA, AGER) in the world.<br />
Works that the inspired artists created in stone, marble and wood<br />
on the soil of central Dalmatia from ancient times to the present day<br />
have not only remained in the churches and museums, but are still<br />
on the houses, facades and within historical cores of the cities, mostly<br />
in the Romanesque and Gothic style.<br />
The variety of Dalmatian spirit can also be seen in the intangible<br />
heritage, through religious, traditional, folk-music and chivalrous<br />
events passed on from generation to generation. Because of its<br />
uniqueness, the Hvar Easter Procession of the Cross and Sinjska<br />
Alka, the Knights Tournament, which takes place every first Sunday<br />
in August, are included on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage.<br />
The art of lacemaking by the women of Hvar is also an intangible<br />
protected world asset.<br />
What You Must See<br />
Split, the largest city in Dalmatia, and the second largest in Croatia,<br />
grew out of the palace built by the Roman emperor Diocletian 1700<br />
years ago in order for him to spend the last years of his life there.<br />
An industrial, academic and economic center of the region keeps its<br />
‘green soul’ on the hill Marjan situated in the western part of the<br />
peninsula, where a forest park near the city offers pleasant walks<br />
away from the city noise under the pines by the sea. An interesting<br />
legend is associated with an impressive monument to Bishop Grgur<br />
of Nin, the work of the famous sculptor Ivan Meštrovic. The statue is<br />
located near the northern entrance to the Palace of Diocletian, and<br />
the legend says that if you touch his bronze toe, your wishes will come<br />
true.<br />
Diocletian’s Palace, heritage under UNESCO protection, is one of<br />
the best preserved Roman monuments in the world. The Emperor’s<br />
palace was built as an interpolation of luxury summer house - villa<br />
with the floor plan of a Roman military camp (castrum), divided<br />
into four parts by two main streets. The southern part of the palace<br />
was in the scheme designed for the emperor, his apartment and<br />
the corresponding state and religious ceremonies rooms, while the<br />
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northern part was intended for the Imperial Guard - the army, servants,<br />
storage and related ancillary facilities. Within the palace there is a<br />
cathedral, which was built in the 7 th century on the mausoleum of<br />
Emperor Diocletian, and it was named after the patron saint of Split,<br />
St. Duje. Taking place in the basements of the preserved part of the<br />
palace are various events such as Diocletian’s dinner and evenings of<br />
local music. The musical and theatre program of the Split Summer<br />
Festival takes place on Prokurative and Peristil.<br />
In the Romanesque town of Trogir each stone is a monument.<br />
With an old town, whose coastal parts are surrounded by the sea<br />
from each side, Trogir was included on the UNESCO list of protected<br />
world cultural heritage in 1997. Trogir’s medieval core comprises of<br />
a preserved castle and tower and many buildings and palaces from<br />
the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Trogir’s<br />
grandest building is the cathedral with its portal of the western door,<br />
a masterpiece by Radovan and the most significant example of<br />
Romanesque-Gothic style in the country.<br />
Located in Solin are the remains of the ancient city of Salona, which<br />
is thought to have originated in the fourth century BC. Salona was<br />
a port of the Illyrian Dalmatians, in which the Greeks and Romans<br />
also lived. Julius Caesar proclaimed Salona the center of the Roman<br />
province of Dalmatia in 48 BC. The town core was a trapezoidal<br />
shape surrounded by walls and towers which contained a complex<br />
of urban basilicas, the subsequently erected monumental cathedral<br />
with a baptistery and thermal baths. The peristil (the central square)<br />
of the thermal baths with the area for baths with heating stoves<br />
and changing rooms is recognizable even today, as are the early<br />
Christian buildings next to the basilicas related to the activities of St.<br />
Dujmo. In the southern part are the remains of a forum, a temple<br />
and a theatre from the first century. The most magnificent building<br />
is the amphitheatre which could accommodate nearly 19 000<br />
spectators and was built in the second half of the second century<br />
in the far northwestern part of town. Antique Salona is the largest<br />
archaeological site on the eastern Adriatic coast and has to this day<br />
remained in ruins and only partially explored, but what was found<br />
says enough about its size and importance.<br />
A region of Contrast<br />
Central Dalmatia represents a harmony of urban spaces, in the<br />
remarkably preserved environment of the populated coast with the<br />
longest natural sandy beaches and Dalmatian pines on the coast<br />
as well as a series of green-covered islands. The Central Dalmatian<br />
islands of Brač, Hvar, Šolta, Vis and some other islets are favorite<br />
destinations that attract tourists with a combination of natural<br />
beauty, cultural and historical heritage, cuisine, luscious wines and<br />
entertainment.<br />
Islands for Everyone to Enjoy<br />
Brač, the largest island of the Split archipelago, is slowly turning<br />
into a suburb of Split. It is well connected with fast boat lines with<br />
the center of the region and is the place of the most famous white<br />
stone masonry tradition which is still ‘harvested’ in local quarries.<br />
The Parliament and the New Palace in Vienna, the Parliament in<br />
Budapest, but also Diocletian’s Palace and the cathedrals in Trogir<br />
and Šibenik were all built with high quality stone from Brač. The town<br />
of Bol on the island of Brač is symbolized widely by the famous beach<br />
Zlatni Rat, whose appearance changes depending on the direction<br />
of the wind and waves. Also located on Brač is the fascinating hermit<br />
monastery Pustinja Blaca, which was built by Glagolitic monks fleeing<br />
from the Turks in 1550. With its telescope and concert piano shipped<br />
from Vienna the monastery still bears witness to the culturally rich life<br />
on the medieval island.<br />
The sunny island of Hvar also stands for one of the world’s most<br />
beautiful islands. It is not known whether it attracts more with the<br />
harmony of history and art or the beauty of nature and the seductive<br />
scent of lavender. It is worth walking through the stone streets worn<br />
out by centuries and the largest island square on both sides of the<br />
Adriatic as well as visiting Arsenal and touring the first municipal<br />
theater in Europe, built in 1612. Entertainment and fun almost never<br />
stop on the island of Hvar, as they start on the beaches and then<br />
continue at the after beach parties which are organized in local cafes,<br />
and then, after a short break and dinner, entertainment continues<br />
until the small hours and culminates in an open-air disco. It is not<br />
unusual to encounter a world of celebrity on the island of Hvar.<br />
A number of beautiful coves for swimming and gastronomy on the<br />
island of Šolta are ideal for a family vacation. Vis is the furthest<br />
inhabited island from the mainland, and according to a World<br />
Environment Organization (WWF) is one of the ten best-preserved<br />
islands of the Mediterranean. The main towns of this island are Vis and<br />
Komiža. The town Vis is the oldest urban settlement on the Adriatic<br />
coast - situated away from busy civilization; it is an unavoidable<br />
destination for those who like to vacation in the quiet and authentic<br />
seaside atmosphere. Vis is famous for its gourmet cuisine and relaxed<br />
lifestyle. Near the island of Vis is the island Biševo, known for its Blue<br />
Cave, one of the most beautiful natural phenomena on the Adriatic.<br />
It is only 17 meters wide and 31 meters long and is entered by boat<br />
through the narrow strait between the rocks. Sunlight penetrates<br />
through the submarine opening, lightening up the sea and visitors in<br />
silvery-blue colours. Nearby is the only known habitat of the sea-bear.<br />
The Tourist Coast and the Mysterious Zagora<br />
Besides the islands, the aces of Central Dalmatia are also the small fishing<br />
towns known for their numerous beautiful pebble and sandy beaches<br />
and small secluded coves where you can enjoy the peace and solitude.<br />
75
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
The chain of mountains, among which is one of the highest in<br />
Croatia, separate the continental hinterland characteristics of<br />
Zagora from the Mediterranean beaches. The massif of the<br />
Nature park Biokovo rises directly above the beaches, and it is<br />
said that its ‘feet are in the sea, and its forehead in the lightning’.<br />
On a sunny day its peak St. Jure, at 1762 meters above sea level,<br />
offers a view that stretches to the furthest islands of the Adriatic.<br />
Biokovo is a habitat of a number of endemic plant and animal<br />
species and caves. Wandering on its sparse meadows still today<br />
are chamois, mouflon, eagles, wild boars, wolves and other<br />
animals. It is well known by the phenomenon of the spectacular<br />
sunrise on a summer morning, and the unique view that shoots<br />
onto the Central Dalmatian islands of the Adriatic as well as the<br />
Dalmatian hinterland. The best examples of specific hydrography<br />
and morphology of Dalmatian karst are Crveno and Modro Lake<br />
near Imotski. Both lakes are characterized by a specific shape,<br />
dimensions and colors, and they are the so-called cave lakes,<br />
which means that they were formed by the collapsing of ceilings<br />
of large caves.<br />
Among the outstanding examples of karst natural beauty is also<br />
the Cetina Canyon, eight miles long from its mouth in Omiš and<br />
upstream to the Radman mills. It is a protected geomorphologic<br />
phenomenon that was created by the Cetina River on its way to<br />
the sea. Cetina has in its lower flow deeply cut into the limestone<br />
surface between Mosor and Dinara, forming the canyon up to<br />
300 meters in height, which is a special challenge for all those<br />
craving adrenaline.<br />
DALMATIA - DUBROVNIK<br />
www.tzdubrovnik.hr<br />
www.lastovo.org<br />
www.np-mljet.hr<br />
www.visitdubrovnik.hr<br />
www.visitkorcula.com<br />
www.mljet.hr<br />
www.tzcavtat-konavle.hr<br />
www.visitpeljesac.com<br />
Dubrovnik as a regional center in the far south of the Croatian coast<br />
deservedly bears the title the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’. The harmony of<br />
ancient buildings and walls, by which it is surrounded, imposes<br />
itself as a surreal scene from a fairy tale. The Dubrovnik area is like<br />
a kaleidoscope made up of its history in which the flag of ‘Libertas’<br />
(freedom) has been flying for centuries and its modern Riviera, with<br />
a number of picturesque places on the coastline, mystical islands<br />
and the green and fertile valley of Neretva.<br />
This area exudes with beauty of buildings and gorgeous artwork that<br />
has been left behind by well-known sculptors, painters and builders<br />
equally in the small towns like Ston on the Pelješac penninsula,<br />
Konavle or Trsten as in the cities of Korčula and Dubrovnik. By<br />
building villas and summer houses, the human hand and nature<br />
seem to have walked amicably hand in hand with each other. The<br />
result of this happy relationship is an elegant tourist destination of<br />
culture and heritage.<br />
Located in Cavtat is the birth place of Vlaho Bukovac, one of the<br />
most famous Croatian painters and fathers of Croatian modern<br />
painting. The monumental features of the Bukovac house are<br />
not only its architecture and garden space, but the legacy of the<br />
Bukovac name, his art and family legacy.<br />
Also pointed out in the cultural and historical mosaic of the<br />
Dubrovnik region should be the Ston Walls from the 14th century -<br />
the longest fortification system in Europe, as well as the remains of<br />
the ancient city of Narona in the Neretva area of Vid. This is one of<br />
the most important cities of antiquity on the Eastern Adriatc coast<br />
with more than 30 Roman monuments.<br />
76
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
What You Must see<br />
The old city of Dubrovnik, is called the pearl of the Adriatic mainly<br />
because of its rich cultural and historical heritage. The famous<br />
George Bernard Shaw wrote that ‘those who seek paradise on<br />
earth must come to Dubrovnik’. Every historical story and legend<br />
has left its traces and is recorded on the stone facades of the historic<br />
center and the stone slabs of Stradun and the surrounding streets,<br />
the church of the patron saint St. Vlaho and fortresses including<br />
Lovrijenac situated on a steep cliff 37 meters high. However, the<br />
most recognizable historical determinant of this UNESCO protected<br />
city are its intact city walls, which surround the city in an unbroken<br />
series of 1940 meters. Dubrovnik’s city walls are full of forts,<br />
bastions, towers and separate fortresses, and are one of the most<br />
beautiful and strongest fortification systems in the Mediterranean.<br />
Walk along them gives a true picture of the stone beauty of the<br />
city dominated by the most famous street in Dubrovnik - Stradun<br />
- a place of great events among which are the Dubrovnik Summer<br />
Festival and the religious feast of St. Vlaho which has been on<br />
UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage since 2009.<br />
The stunning view of the beauty of Dubrovnik and the island of<br />
Lokrum can be enjoyed from the nearby mountain Srđ. Every half<br />
an hour, above the roofs of the city and the slopes above the main<br />
motorway, you can get to and from Srđ by the renewed Dubrovnik<br />
cablecar. In 4 minutes, which is how long the ride takes, the travelers<br />
find themselves at an altitude of 405 meters. Visitors can enjoy Srđ<br />
on two panoramic terraces, in the gift shop and the snack bar with<br />
a varied selection of drinks and meals.<br />
In recent years, sailing across the waters of Dubrovnik have been the<br />
newly built ‘karakas’, replicas of wooden passenger and merchant<br />
ships from the times of the Dubrovnik Republic. The late 16 th century<br />
Dubrovnik karaka counted among the largest ships in the world, and<br />
now transports visitors on tours of hidden bays and islands around<br />
Dubrovnik as well as along the ‘pirate route’ of the Adriatic coast.<br />
The town of Korčula - the historical and tourist center of the island<br />
of Korčula is known as the birthplace of the famous traveler Marco<br />
Polo. Since the time when the famous explorer left his native island,<br />
the medieval town of Korčula has been completely preserved to<br />
the present day, developing into a kind of urban stone sculpture<br />
of regular lines. What makes it special is the architecture whose<br />
creators wanted the city streets to be based on a ‘fishbone’ model,<br />
which are at all times, bathed in the morning and afternoon<br />
sunlight, but not during the highest midday heat. And while the<br />
works of Korčula`s stonecutters impress with their persistence,<br />
vitality to the streets of Korčula is brought by ‘Moreška’, one of the<br />
three knights’ dances (the other two are kumpanija and moštra) in<br />
original costumes from the 16th century that can only be seen on<br />
this beautiful island. The International Festival of wine and song is<br />
still held every July in honor of the famous sailor Marco Polo and<br />
bearing his name, as is the staging of the sailing of Marco Polo into<br />
the harbor of Korčula each May.<br />
The National Park Mljet occupies the northwestern part of the<br />
island of Mljet and covers an area of 5375 acres of protected land<br />
and surrounding sea. The island is 3 km wide and 37 km long. 90<br />
percent of the park area is covered by forests. The renowned Lakes of<br />
Mljet are known worldwide. Veliko and Malo Jezero (Big and Small<br />
Lakes) are connected by a narrow canal through which sea water is<br />
interchanged under the influence of the tides. Above the canal is<br />
a stone bridge called Mali most. In the middle of Veliko Lake is the<br />
island of Santa Maria on which stand the Benedictine monastery<br />
and church from the 12 th century. The Veliko Lake stretches across 145<br />
hectares and has a maximum depth of 46 meters and the Malo Lake<br />
across an area of 24 hectares with a maximum depth of 29 m. It<br />
attracts naturalists and other lovers of nature with its secrets. Today<br />
on the island of Mljet, there are five types of forests. Along with the<br />
forests, particularly important biologically are some other habitats:<br />
coastal sand dunes, steep and high cliffs as well as those in the<br />
interior of the islands and plants of coastal reefs.<br />
Natural Heritage<br />
Natural features of the Dubrovnik region are characterized by a mild<br />
and warm Mediterranean climate, so there is rich Mediterranean<br />
and subtropical flora with attractive orchards of lemons, oranges,<br />
palms and agave. The coastal area is relatively narrow and varies<br />
a lot - from the rocky and steep coastline and deep bays to sandy<br />
beaches, fertile valleys and high hills that descend to the sea. The<br />
undersea in turn opens a magical world of beautiful red corals to the<br />
lucky few. Located in Trsteno are the oldest renovated Renaissance<br />
park in Dalmatia (1502) and the only arboretum on the whole of<br />
the Croatian coast. It is rich in exotic plants such as eucalyptus and<br />
camphor. Two giant plane trees older than 400 years are unique<br />
specimens of their kind in Europe. The park itself boasts a lovely<br />
Baroque fountain with figures of Neptune and nymphs.<br />
The islands of Mljet, Lastovo and the group of Elaphite islands Šipan,<br />
Lopud and Koločep attract many tourists and lovers of untouched<br />
nature with their beautiful landscapes and beaches. The island of<br />
Lastovo, due to its huge distance from the coast appears lonely, so it<br />
seems to be plunging into the blue sea and sky. The Romans called<br />
it the Emperor’s island because of the numerous fields, lush forests,<br />
a beautiful wreath of islets and rocks which surround it, countless<br />
bays and abundance of fish. The Lastovo archipelago, made up of<br />
46 islands and rocks, is a protected nature park. Lastovo is one of<br />
the darkest places in Europe, and all who visit the island can enjoy<br />
the charms of stars, planets and the Milky Way as they were before<br />
the explosion of artificial light over Europe.<br />
Gifts of Nature<br />
The mighty river Neretva, which comes from neighbouring Bosnia<br />
and Herzegovina, flows into the sea through a fertile delta near<br />
77
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
the towns of Ploče, Opuzen and Metković, creating an area of very<br />
fertile agricultural land covered with forests of tangerine and melon<br />
fields. It is itself a widely known habitat of river eels and mullets<br />
since this is the area where fresh water mixes with the sea. On the<br />
Neretva safari, traditional Neretva boats called ‘trupice’ are used<br />
to sail through. The peculiar peace of the area is only occasionally<br />
violated by the voting of birds above the swamp. Near the villages<br />
of Vid, Prud and Orepak are ornithological reserves where birds<br />
come during the winter, while the south-eastern part of the Neretva<br />
delta is a hatchery for a number of fish species.<br />
The Mali Ston Bay is another fruitful area, which is, due to the<br />
natural flow of nutrient salts from land, a known mussel farm.<br />
Especially famous are the Ston oysters, which are served at the<br />
nearby restaurants and are shipped to major urban centres. The<br />
Pelješac Peninsula is famous for its excellent wines. Glory to the<br />
wines of Pelješac was brought by PZ Dingač whose wine of the same<br />
name became the first internationally protected wine in the area of<br />
former Yugoslavia in 1961. Proving Pelješac to be a great wine site<br />
was confirmed six years later by Postup, which has also received<br />
international protection of geographic origin. Wine opportunities<br />
on Pelješac have in recent years attracted many foreign investors.<br />
78
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
XII. TOURISM STATISTICS<br />
OVERNIGHTS AND ARRIVALS OF REGISTERED TOURISTS PER COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE, I-XII 2009 / I-XII 2010<br />
Arrivals<br />
Overnights<br />
Index<br />
I.–XII. 2010.<br />
Index<br />
I.–XII. 2010. I.–XII. 2010.<br />
Average<br />
I.–XII. 2009. I.–XII. 2009.<br />
Structure of number of<br />
overnights, overnights<br />
% upon<br />
arrival<br />
I.–XII. 2009. I.–XII. 2010.<br />
I.–XII. 2009. I.–XII. 2010.<br />
Total 10 270 490 10 604 116 103,2 54 988 432 56 416 379 102,6 100,0 5,3<br />
Domestic tourists 1 576 694 1 493 374 94,7 5 758 924 5 424 058 94,2 9,6 3,6<br />
Foreign tourists 8 693 796 9 110 742 104,8 49 229 508 50 992 321 103,6 90,4 5,6<br />
Austria 776 450 810 340 104,4 4 258 338 4 420 058 103,8 8,7 5,5<br />
Belgium 93 913 103 341 110,0 509 980 545 342 106,9 1,1 5,3<br />
Belarus 3 547 2 605 73,4 20 001 17 986 89,9 0,0 6,9<br />
Bosnia and<br />
Herzegovina<br />
212 505 217 051 102,1 1 077 624 1 047 909 97,2 2,1 4,8<br />
Bulgaria 34 678 29 586 85,3 70 899 58 791 82,9 0,1 2,0<br />
Cyprus 1 194 1 292 108,2 3 692 3 738 101,2 0,0 2,9<br />
Montenegro 9 089 9 798 107,8 31 960 29 917 93,6 0,1 3,1<br />
Czech Republic 578 517 605 732 104,7 3 961 828 4 170 084 105,3 8,2 6,9<br />
Denmark 76 068 77 412 101,8 562 683 567 053 100,8 1,1 7,3<br />
Estonia 7 352 5 464 74,3 24 159 19 860 82,2 0,0 3,6<br />
Finland 24 612 27 145 110,3 95 110 108 557 114,1 0,2 4,0<br />
France 393 192 388 320 98,8 1 510 894 1 464 114 96,9 2,9 3,8<br />
Greece 18 570 32 567 175,4 42 522 70 697 166,3 0,1 2,2<br />
Ireland 29 252 28 933 98,9 126 881 124 131 97,8 0,2 4,3<br />
Iceland 1 638 1 562 95,4 5 245 4 825 92,0 0,0 3,1<br />
Italy 1 057 893 1 018 375 96,3 4 925 252 4 731 832 96,1 9,3 4,6<br />
Latvia 7 658 7 142 93,3 24 460 23 749 97,1 0,0 3,3<br />
Lithuania 23 514 20 029 85,2 82 665 70 692 85,5 0,1 3,5<br />
Luxembourg 3 745 4 152 110,9 15 630 17 345 111,0 0,0 4,2<br />
Hungary 298 359 297 667 99,8 1 594 794 1 604 753 100,6 3,1 5,4<br />
Macedonia 30 421 23 376 76,8 139 427 98 967 71,0 0,2 4,2<br />
Malta 1 485 1 265 85,2 6 490 5 544 85,4 0,0 4,4<br />
The Netherlands 296 086 285 257 96,3 2 424 071 2 244 521 92,6 4,4 7,9<br />
Norway 66 269 85 135 128,5 387 475 489 923 126,4 1,0 5,8<br />
Germany 1 463 281 1 525 133 104,2 11 166 827 11 476 383 102,8 22,5 7,5<br />
Poland 417 849 454 445 108,8 2 685 037 2 895 162 107,8 5,7 6,4<br />
79
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
OVERNIGHTS AND ARRIVALS OF REGISTERED TOURISTS PER COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE, I-XII 2009 / I-XII 2010<br />
Arrivals<br />
Source: Central Bureau of Statistics<br />
I.–XII. 2009. I.–XII. 2010.<br />
Index<br />
Overnights<br />
I.–XII. 2009. I.–XII. 2010.<br />
Index<br />
I.–XII. 2010. I.–XII. 2010.<br />
I.–XII. 2009. I.–XII. 2009.<br />
I.–XII. 2010.<br />
Structure of<br />
overnights,<br />
%<br />
Average<br />
number of<br />
overnights<br />
upon<br />
arrival<br />
Portugal 26 087 28 171 108,0 58 214 70 060 120,3 0,1 2,5<br />
Romania 64 536 57 761 89,5 294 486 253 556 86,1 0,5 4,4<br />
Russia 121 971 164 999 135,3 1 051 991 1 375 981 130,8 2,7 8,3<br />
Slovakia 292 450 310 031 106,0 1 974 402 2 084 013 105,6 4,1 6,7<br />
Slovenia 962 604 1 016 572 105,6 5 512 808 5 885 315 106,8 11,5 5,8<br />
Serbia 85 211 86 797 101,9 433 445 419 553 96,8 0,8 4,8<br />
Spain 180 013 211 094 117,3 360 003 423 468 117,6 0,8 2,0<br />
Sweden 112 613 118 682 105,4 628 127 637 408 101,5 1,3 5,4<br />
Switzerland 129 737 149 176 115,0 550 120 613 441 111,5 1,2 4,1<br />
Turkey 20 594 37 590 182,5 61 206 115 659 189,0 0,2 3,1<br />
United Kingdom 229 068 241 217 105,3 1 191 571 1 172 720 98,4 2,3 4,9<br />
Ukraine 35 720 50 258 140,7 246 630 346 005 140,3 0,7 6,9<br />
Other European<br />
countries<br />
16 978 24 114 142,0 53 763 73 143 136,0 0,1 3,0<br />
South Africa 4 790 5 578 116,5 13 938 14 056 100,8 0,0 2,5<br />
Other African<br />
countries<br />
5 114 5 715 111,8 22 816 23 285 102,1 0,0 4,1<br />
Canada 34 763 41 483 119,3 98 933 114 692 115,9 0,2 2,8<br />
USA 118 996 132 751 111,6 314 442 341 398 108,6 0,7 2,6<br />
Other North<br />
American countries<br />
1 419 2 380 167,7 4 095 7 841 191,5 0,0 3,3<br />
Brazil 9 836 14 015 142,5 25 323 35 740 141,1 0,1 2,6<br />
Other South and<br />
Central American 14 671 17 788 121,2 38 014 45 691 120,2 0,1 2,6<br />
countries<br />
Israel 28 421 32 657 114,9 66 167 80 293 121,3 0,2 2,5<br />
Japan 163 173 147 119 90,2 221 002 204 422 92,5 0,4 1,4<br />
China 7 534 13 195 175,1 15 479 23 143 149,5 0,0 1,8<br />
Korea, Republic 10 407 18 483 177,6 14 824 25 786 173,9 0,1 1,4<br />
Other Asian<br />
countries<br />
24 906 39 916 160,3 61 726 99 967 162,0 0,2 2,5<br />
Australia 51 452 64 526 125,4 128 472 157 872 122,9 0,3 2,4<br />
New Zealand 10 685 12 164 113,8 27 406 28 533 104,1 0,1 2,3<br />
Other Oceania<br />
countries<br />
2 910 3 386 116,4 6 161 7 347 119,3 0,0 2,2<br />
80
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
How to Reach Croatia?<br />
www.prometna-zona.com<br />
Croatia by Car<br />
www.hak.hr<br />
www.hac.hr<br />
www.bina-istra.hr<br />
Croatia by Coach<br />
www.akz.hr<br />
www.ak-split.hr<br />
www.autobusni-kolodvor.com/kolodvor.aspx<br />
Air Transport<br />
www.airport-dubrovnik.hr<br />
www.split-airport.hr<br />
www.zadar-airport.hr<br />
www.osijek-airport.hr<br />
www.airport-pula.hr<br />
www.zagreb-airport.hr<br />
www.airport-rijeka.hr<br />
A Wide Palette of Quality Wines<br />
http://vinistra.com/<br />
www.zagorskevinskeceste.net<br />
www.udruga-dingac.hr<br />
http://klaster-srijem.com<br />
www.vinum-croatica.hr<br />
www.udruga-brenta.hr<br />
www.kutjevacki-vianari.hr<br />
www.vinski-klub.hr<br />
www.hrvatska-vina.com<br />
Croatian Olive Oil<br />
www.azrri.hr<br />
http://dalmatinsko.com/<br />
NATURAL AND CULTURALLY-HISTORICAL SITES<br />
Rich Cultural and Natural Heritage<br />
www.kultura.hr<br />
www.min-kulture.hr<br />
www.cromaps.comwww.dzzp.hr<br />
www.zastita-prirode.hr<br />
Croatia by Train<br />
www.hznet.hr<br />
www.vlakovi.com<br />
By Boat or Ferry<br />
www.jadrolinija.hr<br />
www.splittours.hr<br />
www.blueline-ferries.com<br />
www.snav.it<br />
www.venezialines.com<br />
www.emiliaromagnalines.it<br />
www.azzurraline.com<br />
www.agencija-zolpp.hr<br />
GASTRONOMY AND ENOLOGY<br />
Gastro<br />
www.gastronaut.hr/gastro_regije.htm<br />
www.kuhar.hr<br />
www.istria-gourmet.com<br />
http://www.tastedalmatia.com/gastronomy.php?jezik=HR<br />
www.gastro.hr<br />
Monuments and Non-material Heritage<br />
under UNESCO protection<br />
www.min-kulture.hr<br />
www.unesco.org<br />
www.kultura.hr<br />
www.tzdubrovnik.hr<br />
www.visitsplit.com<br />
www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr<br />
www.to-porec.com<br />
www.tztrogir.hr<br />
www.tzhvar.hr<br />
www.sibenik-tourism.hr<br />
www.mhz.hr<br />
www.alka.h<br />
www.halubajski-zvoncari.com<br />
www.licitar.hr<br />
www.gorjani.net<br />
www.pag-tourism.hr<br />
www.lepoglava-info.hr<br />
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PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Natural Beauties<br />
www.zastita-prirode.hr<br />
www.dzzp.hr<br />
www.natura2000.hr<br />
Horeseback Riding<br />
www.konjicki-savez.hr<br />
www.terapijsko-jahanje.com<br />
www.krila.hr<br />
National Parks<br />
www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr<br />
www.brijuni.hr<br />
www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr<br />
www.paklenica.hr<br />
www.npkrka.hr<br />
www.np-mljet.hr<br />
www.kornati.hr<br />
http://risnjak.hr<br />
Nature Parks<br />
www.pp-ucka.hr<br />
www.pp-velebit.hr<br />
www.kopacki-rit.com<br />
www.pp-medvednica.hr<br />
www.telascica.hr<br />
www.pp-papuk.hr<br />
www.biokovo.com<br />
www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr<br />
www.park-zumberak.hr<br />
www.vransko-jezero.hr<br />
www.lastovo.org<br />
GOLF AND RECREATION<br />
www.crogolf.com<br />
http://razvoj-golf.hr/<br />
www.igs.hr<br />
www.marlera.hr<br />
www.kempinski.com/en/istria<br />
www.biskagolf.com<br />
‘Extreme Contents’<br />
www.adria-velebitica.hr<br />
www.rizvancity.com<br />
www.paintball.hr<br />
www.paintballcroatia.com<br />
www.visit.hr<br />
Skydiving<br />
www.vugrek-skydive-simulator.com<br />
NAUTICAL TOURISM<br />
www.aci-club.hr<br />
www.hjs.hr<br />
www.ncp.hr<br />
www.port-osijek.hr<br />
www.luka-vukovar.hr<br />
www.portdubrovnik.hr<br />
CONGRESS TOURISM<br />
http://business.croatia.hr/hr-HR/Kongresni-i-insentiv-ured<br />
www.poslovniturizam.com<br />
CULTURAL TOURISM<br />
www.cromaps.com<br />
www.kultura.hr<br />
www.culturenet.hr<br />
www.kulturni-turizam.com<br />
www.croatia.hr<br />
Museums as Points of Entertainment<br />
www.mdc.hr<br />
www.hrmt.hr<br />
www.mhz.hr<br />
www.msu.hr<br />
www.split-guide.info/museums_hr.htm<br />
www.noc-kazalista.com;<br />
www.hrmud.hr<br />
ADVENTURE TOURISM<br />
Diving<br />
www.submania.hr<br />
www.ronjenjehrvatska.com<br />
www.diving-hrs.hr<br />
Cycling<br />
www.hbs.hr<br />
www.bicikl.hr<br />
www.pedala.hr<br />
82
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Kayaking<br />
www.croatiatraveller.com<br />
www.kajak.hr<br />
www.rekreacija.hr<br />
Kite Surfing and Windsurfing<br />
www.smsportnet.com<br />
www.avantura-teambuilding.hr<br />
www.adventuredalmatia.com<br />
Rafting<br />
www.dalmatiarafting.com<br />
http://foris.hr<br />
www.raft.hr<br />
www.adventure-sport.net<br />
Hunting and Fishing<br />
www.hls.com.hr<br />
www.lovacki-portal.com<br />
www.ribolovni-savez.hr<br />
Speleology<br />
www.speleo.hr<br />
www.speleologija.hr<br />
Mounteneering and Mountain Climbing<br />
www.plsavez.hr<br />
www.planinarenje.com<br />
www.planinarenje.net<br />
Skydiving, Air-gliding or Balloon Flights<br />
www.padobranstvo.hr<br />
www.adventure-sport.net<br />
www.baloni.hr<br />
www.paragliding.hr<br />
Adventure racing<br />
www.adventurerace.hr<br />
www.pp-ucka.hr<br />
www.adnatura.hr<br />
WELLNESS AND HEALTH TOURISM<br />
www.cromedicalnetwork.com<br />
www.croatiamedicine.com<br />
www.umt.hr<br />
www.wellness.hr<br />
www.spa-wellness.com.hr<br />
www.toplicesvetimartin.hr<br />
www.terme-tuhelj.hr<br />
www.bizovacke-toplice.hr<br />
www.tuheljsketoplice.com<br />
www.stubicketoplice.net<br />
www.daruvarske-toplice.hr<br />
www.istarske-toplice.hr<br />
www.minerva.hr<br />
www.krapinsketoplice.com<br />
www.thalassotherapia-opatija.hr<br />
www.thalasso-ck.hr<br />
www.biokovka.hr<br />
www.kalos.hr<br />
www.toplice-lesce.com<br />
www.ljeciliste-topusko.hr<br />
http://visitcroatia.net/hrvatska/wellness<br />
LIGHTHOUSES<br />
www.plovput.hr<br />
www.alh.hr<br />
NATURISM<br />
www.camping.hr<br />
www.dnh.hr<br />
CROATIAN BEACHES<br />
www.lijepa-nasa.hr<br />
www.croatia-beaches.com<br />
www.blueflag.org<br />
www.crobeaches.com<br />
www.visinfo.org<br />
www.picigin.org<br />
www.zrce.hr<br />
www.holidays-in-komiza.com<br />
RELIGIOUS TOURISM<br />
www.svetiste-mbb.hr<br />
www.vepric.net<br />
www.trsat-svetiste.com<br />
www.svetiste-ludbreg.hr<br />
www.katolici.org<br />
www.sveti-josip.hr<br />
www.svetiste-aljmas.hr<br />
www.gospa-sinjska.hr<br />
83
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
www.pozeska-biskupija.hr<br />
http://dubrovnik.hbk.hr<br />
http://www.biskupija-hvar.com<br />
www.vodnjan.hr<br />
RURAL AND ECO TOURISM<br />
www.ruralis.hr<br />
www.azrri.hr<br />
www.selo.hr<br />
www.ekoetno.hr<br />
www.hotel-balatura.hr<br />
www.seoski-turizam.net<br />
www.ziva-zemlja.hr; www.dzzp.hr<br />
www.lastovo.org<br />
www.darkskyparks.org<br />
www.turizam-smz.hr<br />
www.kuterevo-medvjedi.hr<br />
www.eko-mavrovic.hr; www.dalmati.com<br />
www.kezele-vino.hr<br />
http://visitcroatia.net/hrvatska/seoski-turizam<br />
www.agroturizam.com<br />
ACOMMODATION CAPACITIES<br />
www.upuhh.hr<br />
www.hoteli.com.hr<br />
www.omh.hr<br />
http://visitcroatia.net/<br />
CENTRAL CROATIA<br />
www.tzzz.hr<br />
www.tzbbz.hr<br />
www.tz-koprivnicko-krizevacka.hr<br />
www.tz-zagorje.hr<br />
www.tzm.hr<br />
www.turizam-smz.hr<br />
www.turizam-vzz.hr<br />
www.sisakturist.com<br />
www.pp-medvednica.hr<br />
www.pp-zumberak-samoborsko-gorje.hr<br />
www.mhz.hr/kumrovec/<br />
www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr<br />
www.vbv.hr<br />
www.spancirfest.com<br />
SLAVONIJA<br />
www.tzbpz.hr<br />
www.tzosbarzup.hr<br />
www.tzzps.hr<br />
www.tzvsz.hr<br />
www.tzvpz.hr<br />
www.kopacki-rit.hr<br />
www.ergela-djakovo.hr<br />
www.tzosijek.hr<br />
www.tzgsb.hr<br />
www.pozega-tz.hr<br />
www.zlatovez.com<br />
CAMP SITES<br />
www.camping.hr<br />
www.topcamping.hr<br />
www.camping-croatia.com<br />
INVESTMENTS<br />
www.mint.hr<br />
www.hbor.hr<br />
www.istra-istria.hr<br />
Tourist regions<br />
ZAGREB<br />
www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr<br />
www.zagreb.hr<br />
www.galerijaklovic.hr<br />
www.msu.hr<br />
ISTRIA<br />
www.istra.hr<br />
www.labin.hr<br />
www.kamenjak.hr<br />
www.to-porec.com<br />
www.histrica.com<br />
www.istria-gourmet.com<br />
www.azrri.hr<br />
http://vinistra.com<br />
www.tzgrovinj.hr<br />
www.tz-umag.hr<br />
www.pulainfo.hr<br />
www.tz-motovun.hr<br />
www.tz-groznjan.hr<br />
www.infofazana.hr<br />
www.brijuni.hr<br />
www.pp-ucka.hr<br />
84
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Lika – Karlovac<br />
www.tzkz.hr<br />
www.lickosenjska.com<br />
www.speleologija.hr<br />
www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr<br />
www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr<br />
www.kuterevo-medvjedi.hr<br />
www.mcnikolatesla.hr<br />
www.ogfb.hr<br />
www.bjelolasica.hr<br />
www.tz-senj.hr<br />
www.karlovac-touristinfo.hr<br />
www.tz-grada-ogulina.hr<br />
www.novalja.info<br />
KVARNER BUCHT<br />
www.kvarner.hr<br />
www.tz-rijeka.hr<br />
www.pp-ucka.hr<br />
www.supovi.hr<br />
www.risnjak.hr<br />
www.ri-karneval.com.hr<br />
www.gorskikotar.hr<br />
www.tz-rijeka.hr<br />
www.blue-world.org<br />
www.hnk-zajc.hr<br />
www.tz-vinodol.hr<br />
www.tzg-crikvenice.hr<br />
www.tz-krk.hr<br />
www.tzg-cres.hr<br />
www.tz-malilosinj.hr<br />
DALMATIA – ŠIBENIK<br />
www.sibenikregion.com<br />
www.sibenik-tourism.hr<br />
www.otokprvic.info<br />
www.npkrka.hr<br />
www.kornati.hr<br />
www.shipyard-betina.com<br />
www.marina-betina.hr<br />
www.tzo-murter.hr<br />
www.dalmati.com<br />
www.jurlinovidvori.org<br />
www.tz-primosten.hr<br />
www.vodice.hr<br />
http://vransko-jezero.hr<br />
www.latinskoidro.hr<br />
DALMATIA – SPLIT<br />
www.dalmatia.hr<br />
www.visitsplit.com<br />
www.alka.hr<br />
http://tztrogir.hr<br />
www.tzhvar.hr<br />
www.otok-brac.info<br />
www.braconline.com.hr<br />
www.solta.hr<br />
www.tz-vis.hr<br />
http://solin-info.com<br />
www.biokovo.com<br />
www.makarska-info.hr<br />
www.tz-omis.hr<br />
www.brela.hr<br />
DALMATIA – ZADAR<br />
www.zadar.hr<br />
www.tzzadar.hr;<br />
www.nin.hr<br />
www.paklenica.hr<br />
www.pag-tourism.hr<br />
www.velebit.hr<br />
www.telascica.hr<br />
www.vransko-jezero.hr<br />
www.tzg-biograd.hr<br />
www.kornati.hr<br />
DALMATIA – DUBROVNIK<br />
www.tzdubrovnik.hr<br />
www.lastovo.org<br />
www.np-mljet.hr<br />
www.visitdubrovnik.hr<br />
www.visitkorcula.com<br />
http://mljet.hr<br />
www.tzcavtat-konavle.hr<br />
www.visitpeljesac.com<br />
www.lastovo.hr<br />
www.dubrovackoprimorje.hr<br />
www.neretva.info<br />
www.tzston.hr<br />
www.dubrovnik-riviera.hr<br />
www.a-m-narona.hr<br />
85
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
XIII. List of offices<br />
Kroatische Zentrale fur Tourismus<br />
Rumfordstr. 7, 804x69 MUNCHEN, DEUTSCHLAND<br />
tel: +49 89 22 33 44<br />
fax: +49 89 22 33 77<br />
e-mail: kroatien-tourismus@t-online.de<br />
Kroatische Zentrale fur Tourismus<br />
Hochstr., 43, 60311 FRANKFURT, DEUTSCHLAND<br />
tel: +49 69 238 5350<br />
fax: +49 69 2385 3520<br />
e-mail: info@visitkroatien.de<br />
Oficina de Turismo de Croacia<br />
Calle Claudio Coello 22, esc. B, 1°C,<br />
28001 MADRID, ESPANA<br />
tel.: +34 91 781 5514<br />
fax.: +34 91 431 8443<br />
e-mail: info@visitacroacia.es<br />
Horvat Idegenforgalmi Kozosseg<br />
Magyar u. 36, 1053 BUDAPEST, MAGYARORSZAG<br />
tel/fax: +36 1 266 65 05; +36 1 266 65 33<br />
e-mail: info@htz.hu<br />
Ente Nazionale Croato per il Turismo<br />
Piazzetta Pattari 1/3, 20122 MILANO, ITALIA<br />
tel: +39 02 86 45 44 97<br />
fax: +39 02 86 45 45 74<br />
e-mail: info@enteturismocroato.it<br />
Ente Nazionale Croato per il Turismo<br />
Via Dell’Oca 48, 00186 ROMA, ITALIA<br />
tel: +39 06 32 11 0396<br />
fax: +39 06 32 11 1462<br />
e-mail: officeroma@enteturismocroato.it<br />
Chorvatske turisticke sdruženi<br />
Krakovska 25, 110 00 PRAHA 1, ČESKA REPUBLIKA<br />
tel: +420 2 2221 1812<br />
fax: +420 2 2221 0793<br />
e-mail: info@htz.cz; infohtz@iol.cz<br />
Office National Croate de Tourisme<br />
48, Avenue Victor Hugo, 75116 PARIS, FRANCE<br />
tel: +33 1 45 00 99 55<br />
fax: +33 1 45 00 99 56<br />
e-mail: infos.croatie@wanadoo.fr<br />
Office National Croate du Tourisme<br />
Vieille Halle aux Bles 38, 1000 BRUXELLES, BELGIUM<br />
tel: +32 255 018 88<br />
fax: +32 251 381 60<br />
e-mail: info-croatia@scarlet.be<br />
Kroatische Zentrale fur Tourismus<br />
Am Hof 13, 1010 WIEN, OSTERREICH<br />
tel: +43 1 585 38 84<br />
fax: +43 1 585 38 84 20<br />
e-mail: office@kroatien.at<br />
Chorvatske turisticke združenie<br />
Trenčianska 5, 821 09 BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA<br />
tel: +421 2 55 562 054<br />
fax: +421 2 55 422 619<br />
e-mail: infohtz@chello.sk<br />
Croatian National Tourist Office<br />
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4003, NEW YORK 10118, U.S.A.<br />
tel: +1 212 279 8672<br />
fax: +1 212 279 8683<br />
e-mail: cntony@earthlink.net<br />
Croatian National Tourist Office<br />
2 Lanchesters, 162-164 Fulham Palace Road<br />
LONDON W6 9ER, UNITED KINGDOM<br />
tel: +44 208 563 79 79<br />
fax: +44 208 563 26 16<br />
e-mail: info@croatia-london.co.uk<br />
86
PRESS <strong>2011</strong><br />
Narodowy Ośrodek <strong>Info</strong>rmacji Turystycznej<br />
Republiki Chorwacji<br />
IPC Business Center, ul. Koszykowa 54,<br />
00-675 WARSZAWA, POLSKA<br />
tel: +48 22 828 51 93<br />
fax: +48 22 828 51 90<br />
e-mail: info@chorwacja.home.pl<br />
Kroatiska Turistbyran<br />
Kungsgatan 24, 11135 STOCKHOLM, SVERIGE<br />
tel: +46 853 482 080<br />
fax: +46 820 24 60<br />
e-mail: croinfo@telia.com<br />
Kroatisch Nationaal Bureau Voor Toerisme<br />
Nijenburg 2F, 1081 GG AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS<br />
tel: +31 20 661 64 22<br />
fax: +31 20 661 64 27<br />
e-mail: kroatie-info@planet.nl<br />
Hrvaška turistična skupnost<br />
Gosposvetska 2, 1000 LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIJA<br />
tel: +386 1 23 07 400<br />
fax: +386 1 230 74 04<br />
e-mail: hrinfo@siol.net<br />
Kroatische Zentrale fur Tourismus<br />
Badenerstrasse 332, 8004 ZURICH, SWITZERLAND<br />
tel: +41 43 336 20 30<br />
fax: +41 43 336 20 39<br />
e-mail: info@kroatien-tourismus.ch<br />
Croatian National Tourist Board Japan<br />
Ark Hills Executive Tower N613<br />
Akasaka 1-14-5, Minato-ku<br />
Tokyo 107-0052<br />
tel: 0081 03 6234 0711<br />
fax: 0081 03 6234 0712<br />
e-mail: info@visitcroatia.jp<br />
Хорвaтckoe туристическое соовщество<br />
Краснопресненская наб. 12, подъезд 6, офис 1502 123610<br />
МОСКВА, POCC ИЯ<br />
ТЕЛ: +7 495 258 15 07<br />
ФАКС: +7 495 258 15 08<br />
e-mail: htz@wtt.ru<br />
The Authors of Photograpies:<br />
Milan Babić, Marijo Bandić, Mario Brzić, Andrija Carli, Đani Celija, Damir Fabijanić, Ljubo Gamulin, Sergio Gobbo, Ivan Hreljanović,<br />
Damil Kalogjera, Braslav Karlić, Juraj Kopač, Renco Kosinožić, Boris Kragić, Nino Marccuti, Damir Martinović, Dragutin Olvitz, Ivo Pervan,<br />
Saša Pjanić, Mario Romulić & Dražen Stojčić, Zlatko Ramničer, Nenad Reberšak, Zvonimir Tanocki.<br />
87