April 22, 2022 - Marks the 50^th Earth Day. Our beautiful planet is facing many problems, the biggest, of course, being climate change whose effects we can all see and feel happening. The race is on, the world's leaders are discussing change, some things are moving along, but is it enough? Earthday.org calls to action saying that "we need to act (boldly), innovate (broadly), and implement (equitably)". Google celebrates bees.

In Croatia, as Index writes, The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund announces three public calls totaling 96 million kuna to co-finance environmental projects related to climate change, biodiversity protection and waste management.

The first call is worth HRK 20 million and is intended for facilities owned by the Republic of Croatia, units of regional and local self-government or public institutions that finance projects aimed at reducing the consumption of ozone-depleting substances and fluorinated greenhouse gases.

These are projects aimed at replacing existing cooling systems with those that use new technologies and do not damage the ozone layer, and at the same time are more energy efficient. For an individual project, it is possible to receive up to 1.2 million kuna, or up to 100 percent of eligible costs. The goal is to facilitate the transition to technologies with a lower impact on climate change, both in terms of global warming potential and energy efficiency.

The second call is intended exclusively for public institutions for the management of national parks and nature parks and other protected parts of nature. 10 million kuna will be co-financed for projects that contribute to the control of the population of several invasive alien species.

Namely, the EU and the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development have identified priority invasive alien species and areas where they need to be urgently removed or controlled in order to prevent their further spread and negative impact on indigenous species and habitats.

These include the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus auropunctatus), pond slider turtles (Trachemys scripta), spinycheek crayfish (Orconectes limosus), signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus), the Ludwigia alpseima and Ailanthus altissima, also known as tree of heaven.

The third call is to encourage measures for the separate collection of municipal waste by local self-government units and companies and legal or natural persons - trade owners. 66 million kuna has been provided for the improvement of local waste management systems, and the purchase of communal equipment and devices will be co-financed, as well as various citizen education projects. After all, motivated and informed citizens are a key element of any successful system.

"Activities co-financed through the calls are a step towards green transition and only one part of the Fund's planned programs for 2022. By the end of the year, 14 more calls in the field of environmental protection and energy efficiency are expected to be published," the Fund announced.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 22, 2022 - Sv. Duje celebrations return after two years to honor Split's patron saint, Saint Dominus. The City has announced a packed program for Sudamja 2022!

Thanks to the more favorable epidemiological situation, this year's Sv. Duje celebration, or Split City Day, will return to the old normal. The Sudamja 2022 program, adopted by this year's Celebration Committee, includes over thirty religious, cultural, entertainment, and sports manifestations. This year's laureates are well-known, who will be awarded prizes for their life's work and personal and group achievements in the past year at a ceremony at the Croatian National Theater in Split on May 6, the day before Sv. Duje.

The events related to Sudamja started on March 15 with the Ballot Tournament, organized every Saturday in the Split port, and ends on May 15 with a revival race of rowing legends Oxford, Cambridge, and Split in the City Port. However, the most intense events start on April 28, which is the beginning of the Novena in honor of Sv. Duje. From that day on, Holy Masses, sermons, and concerts of spiritual music will be held daily in the Split Cathedral until May 7, when after the procession from Perstil through Hrvojeva Street to the Riva, a Mass will be held on the Riva led by the Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia Giorgio Lingua.

Numerous KUD performances and other events are planned, organized by the Split Tourist Board, while much of the entertainment was taken over by the city company Žnjan d.o.o. The first program is on Marjan to mark International Labor Day, May 1, then the traditional Sudamja fair on May 6 and 7, and a concert on the waterfront on Split City Day, May 7, where Klapa Cambi Kaštela, Goran Karan, and Grupa Vagabundo will perform. After the fireworks, Tedi Spalato and the Goran Rukavina Orchestra will hit the stage. This year, the traditional raffle with the performance of the mixed klapa Filip Dević before the start of the draw will not be missed.

This year's classical music concerts include the string philharmonic of the Berlin Philharmonic at the Croatian Home in Tončićeva and a joint performance by the Varaždin Tamburitza Orchestra with tamburitza players KUD Jedinstvo and Klapa Sv. Juraj-HRM after the raffle on May 7 on the Riva.

Stjepko Rošin designed this year's Sudamja poster. 

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 22, 2022 - It's been a long two years without the morning grub at one of our favorite wine and dine spots in Split. But we are happy to announce that the wait is now over - and breakfast is back at Zinfandel Food & Wine Bar! 

It's no surprise that the sister restaurant of one of Split's best Riva breakfast spots has been known to serve up a mean morning meal, but when we say that Zinfandel breakfast is back and better than ever after two-year hiatus, you know we are talking about the real deal. 

Not only is Zinfandel serving the famous brekky dishes from Brasserie on 7, like the hollandaise-heavy eggs benedict and carmelized banana french toast topped with cinnamon cream cheese, but they're rolling out several new breakfast dishes that'll ensure your day starts on the right foot. 

Break the day with a selection of new dishes, including the spicy 'Turkish eggs' or poached eggs with garlic-infused yogurt sauce, chili & pepper, and butter sauce. 

If you're looking for the ultimate hangover cure or something to hold you over until dinner, dig into the hearty gourmet breakfast baguette, stuffed with two fried eggs, ham, rocket, and aioli. 

Since no breakfast menu is complete without eggs Florentine, Zinfandel crafts theirs with hollandaise, baby spinach, mushrooms, and homemade English muffins.

Those wanting to keep things a light should choose the Greek yogurt and chia parfait, with housemade toasted granola, lime, and honey, or the Superfood smoothie bowl with spirulina, baby spinach, toasted granola, and fresh fruits.

A fresh fruit platter is also on offer for breakfast. 

There is no reason to let your tummies grumble until lunchtime. Whether you're looking for something light, classic, or keep you full throughout the day, Zinfandel has something for everyone. 

Breakfast is served at Zinfandel Food & Wine Bar every day from 8 am to 11:30 am. You can explore all menus here.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April the 22nd, 2022 - Croatian Post (Hrvatska posta) has been making headlines for all the right reasons over the last few months, with everything from turning towards the green and digital transition to making huge investments making the news. 

Now, following the openings of new sorting centres and major cash injections, Croatian Post is set to provide a very welcome wage increase of 20 percent to around 8000 of its employees.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, just last week, Croatian Post, one of the largest employers in the Republic of Croatia, made the decision to increase the salaries earned by as many as 8,000 employees in operational jobs by as much as 20 percent this year.

The President of Croatian Post, Ivan Culo, pointed out: ''With all the challenges going on on the market at the moment which have affected our business - further development, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the earthquakes in 2020, our strength has always been our people.

With all of the investments the company has made in infrastructure and digitalisation, which have been made strategically over the last six years, I'm glad that we have made this decision. Our people are competitive on the labour market and it is up to us as employers to be competitive as well. Our employees are our window to our customers and as a company operating in a liberalised market for almost a decade now, we know very well that a satisfied worker is the path to a satisfied customer.''

For more on Croatian companies, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

April the 22nd, 2022 - With Croatian Schengen entry looming and changes at the nation's border crossings being mulled, we also need to look at what the new ETIAS system will mean for quick trips in and out of Croatia will mean for residents of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as for other neighbouring non-EEA countries, such as Montenegro and Serbia. Seven euros will need to be paid by citizens and residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina when entering Croatia across the Croatian-BiH border as of 2023.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, due to the upcoming introduction of the ETIAS system, an electronic application will have to be submitted for each entry into the European Union (EU), and while the process usually takes a few minutes, it can, in very rare cases, take thirty days. This new rule will also apply to the citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. But there are exceptions.

BiH citizens and residents could soon pay for each and every entry they make into the European Union, including the Republic of Croatia.

The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) system should be launched next year, which will mean new rules for entering Croatia. Before travelling to the EU, and as such neighbouring Croatia, BiH residents and citizens will have to fill out an electronic form and pay a one-time fee of seven euros before crossing the Croatian-BiH border, RTL reports.

The official EU website in Bosnia and Herzegovina states that residents and citizens of that country will have to fill in an online application form via the appropriate website or via the mobile application. If the person is unable to apply (due to theur age, literacy level, computer literacy or a lack of access to the required device), the application can be submitted by a third party. All applicants between the ages of 18 and 70 will have to pay an electronic fee of seven euros per application. Each positive application will be valid for three years, or until the travel document being used expires, whichever comes first.

A travel authorisation without which it will not be possible to cross the Croatian-BiH border in most cases will be issued within mere minutes of the application being submitted, and rarely, due to the additional verification of permits, a person may have to wait up to 30 days, but this will likely barely ever be the case.

The applicant may also appeal if they receive a rejection to their request to cross the Croatian-BiH border.

ETIAS was created following a November 2016 proposal for the establishment of a European travel information and authorisation system to strengthen security controls for visa-free travellers to the EU, which currently applies to citizens of more than 60 countries.

However, Croats living in BiH and holding Croatian citizenship, and those who have registered, legal residence in Croatia, will not have to pay to enter the country, while other citizens without any of the above will have to. Of course, entry into Croatia will also have to be paid for by the citizens of Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

It's important to note that British citizens, who were until recently EU citizens, will also have to pay to enter Croatia.

Those who have legal residence in Croatia under the Withdrawal Agreement (which means they are still treated as EU citizens as they exercised their right to free movement under the EU laws which once applied to them), will also not be subjected to ETIAS as long as they proactively show their residence/ID cards along with their valid passports when entering Croatia. This is especially the case for permanent residents.

For more, make sure to check out our travel section.

April the 22nd, 2022 - Croatian air traffic this summer tourist season looks set to surpass the figures of the pre-pandemic, record year of 2019 according to current information and predictions.

The global coronavirus pandemic dealt the world's travel and tourism industry a horrendous and unprecedented blow, the likes of which we've never seen before. Countries like Croatia, which rely very heavily on foreign tourists coming and spending money to drive the economy, suffered terribly as a result of epidemiological restrictions not only in this country but in the countries with which it is most connected.

It seems that 2022's summer season is set to finally put an end to all of that nail-biting worry, and although the war in Ukraine is certainly having a negative effect on travel, particularly from the US market for whom Croatia looks too close to Ukraine on the map of Europe, many working in this sector are not worried. Croatian air traffic for this year is just one confirmation of that.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, according to the information provided by the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) from Croatian airports, Croatia will be connected with the rest of the world thanks to as many as 66 air companies throughout 2022's summer schedule. Most of the Croatian air traffic this summer season will be realised by operators such as Ryanair, Croatia Airlines, easyJet, Lufthansa and Eurowings.

The highest rotation is expected in the airports of Zagreb and Split (around 10,000), and the highest rotation since back in the record tourism year of 2019 is expected by the airports of Zadar (+ 63%) and Rijeka (+ 8%).

During this year's summer season, Croatia will be conected to 131 foreign cities, which is just a little less than the 134 foreign cities with which it was connected back in pre-pandemic 2019. The largest amount of rotational traffic between the Republic of Croatia and other European countries will be with Great Britain, France, Italy and the Netherlands.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

April the 22nd, 2022 - Croatian economic analyst Damir Novotny has spoken about the ongoing situation with inflation across the country, the International Monetary Fund's most recent predictions for Croatian GDP growth (or lack of), and when we might expect the very height of this current inflation wave to peak.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, we recently wrote about the IMF predicting Croatia's GDP growth to stand at 2.7 percent this year, which is significantly  less than was predicted back in the autumn forecasts.

Croatian economic analyst Damir Novotny explained to HRT that the Croatian economy did grow last year, making up for the loss of 8 and something percent. He noted that economists see these changes in GDP as an aggregate state, but when it comes to how it will affect a certain strata of society, only time will tell.

“Some will lose, some will gain because, when it comes to inflation, there's a redistribution of economic resources and it's a special tax that isn't declared, but it is still a tax. That said, inflation is still relatively low and we can't say that hyperinflation is a current threat to Croatia, although there is always a danger,'' Croatian economic analyst Damir Novotny said.

"Lower growth forecasts and what is even more important - the uncertainty that this time brings means less demand for loans, and loans are still the most important source of income for banks," said Zdenko Adrovic.

Croatia as a Eurozone member

He also noted that Croatian banks will unfortunately worsen their lending conditions because they are threatened by the growth of bad or non-performing loans, so banks need to insure themselves in some way. As for interest rates, the director of the Croatian Association of Banks, Zdenko Adrovic, expects growth, but not in a sudden sense.

Economic analyst Hrvoje Stojic believes that inflation will reach its maximum in the autumn, especially across the Eurozone, and in this country, this wave will be delayed and will be moved towards the second half of the year.

As for the introduction of the euro in Croatia, it is a political decision more than anything else. Croatian economic analyst Damir Novotny believes that in January 2023, Croatia will be a member of the Eurozone. He also thinks that it will be useful because at this time it would represent a new umbrella that can protect the country from major shocks, so people shouldn't be afraid of that.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 22, 2022 - The traditional Camellia exhibition has now turned into the Opatija Camellia Festival, celebrating these colorful flowers in April each year. 

Again, these fragrant flowers in the first days of April beautified the already fabulous Opatija. The Association of Camellia Lovers organized the traditional 14th exhibition, which has grown into the Camellia Festival this year.

The J. Šporer Art Pavilion in the heart of Opatija was the scene of this unique event that is being talked about throughout the region. In addition to choosing the most beautiful camellia, a carousel of various events dazzled the city. According to Mira Shalabi, president of the Association, they have been thinking about the festival for the past years, but the coronavirus atmosphere prevented them from doing so.

"Many helped, from the City of Opatija to the Opatija Tourist Board and Kvarner and others. Angiolina Park also looks magnificent, and altogether it has completed the tourist offer," says Shalabi, emphasizing that they currently have about a hundred valuable members. 

Katica Dražić, a camellia expert at Opatija Kindergarten, presented a camellia bush and flower to the children. A workshop on camellia cultivation was held in the Angiolina Park nursery and the topics were agrotechnical measures, transplanting from cuttings, marcotting, protection, and care. Lectures were given by Jan Bernd-Urban, founder of the Association of Camellia Lovers and an expert in the history of camellias and Opatija, and Romana Lekić, advisor to the Dean for Tourism at Edward Bernays Zagreb in Villa Antonio, presented the symbol of love camellia and magic of Angiolina Park.

The musical performances at the opening featured Olga Šober, national champion of opera and maestro Nada Matošević Orešković with the aria "E strano" from the opera La Traviata, guitarist Natko Štiglić, the choir of the elementary school R.K. Jeret and young accordionist Dorian Rubesha.

"On Saturday, a guided walk through Angiolina Park was organized, a visit to the exhibitions in the Sporer pavilion, voting for the most beautiful camellia flower, and a presentation and tasting of green tea "Camellia sinensis" in the nearby town of Veprinac. The Zora ensemble delighted the audience with their dances, and Vivien Galletta, Goranka, and Marin Tuhtan from HNK Rijeka sang several popular arias," added Shalabi, thanking many members of FIJET, the Association of Tourist Journalists and writers in tourism on arrival.

The most beautiful camellias were awarded to Boško Lukić, Nada Grizilo, and Vesna Komadina.

All photos by Slobodan Kadic

For more, check out our lifestyle section.