August 15, 2022 - The SuperSport HNL 5th round was held last weekend, bringing some surprising results - especially amongst the traditionally top clubs. And we're not only talking about the Eternal Derby. A look at the SuperSport HNL round 5. 

Sibenik v Istra 1961 (0:0)

The 5th round opened on Friday, August 12, 2022, at Stadion Šubićevac in front of 1296 fans. 

This match wasn't too exciting to watch, as it finished without goals. Sibenik had eight shots compared to Istra's 9, while Sibenik held 44% possession to Istra's 56%. Sibenik committed 17 fouls to Istra's 7. 

Sibenik is currently in 5th place with 6 points, while Istra is in last place with 6 points. 

Gorica v. Lokomotiva (3:2)

Gorica and Lokomotiva played the next match on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Radnik Stadium in Velika Gorica.

A bit more exciting than Friday's game, Vasij put Lokomotiva ahead for 0:1 in the 9th minute, which was the result at the half. Kalik equalized for 1:1 in the 60th minute before Fruk made it 2:1 six minutes later. Da Cruz made it 3:1 for Gorica in the 79th. Five minutes later, Tuci scored for the final 3:2. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 5 points and one game in hand, while Lokomotiva is in 4th with 6. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (4:1)

Dinamo and Hajduk met for their first big derby of the season on Saturday, August 13, 2022, at Maksimir Stadium. Fourteen thousand three hundred one fans were in attendance. 

After continuous pressure from Dinamo in the first half, Hajduk went ahead thanks to Livaja and Atanasov, who scored in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for 0:1 Hajduk. And then things went downhill for the Split club, especially after coach Valdas went in with fresh legs in the defense. Dinamo was up 2:1 with goals by Baturina and Ademi in the 61st and 64th minutes. Gojak made it 3:1 in the 84th minute, and Orsic 4:1 in the 90+1'. 

Dinamo sits in 1st place with 13 points, while Hajduk sits in 3rd with 8 points but two games in hand. 

Osijek v. Varazdin (2:2)

Osijek and Varazdin met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, August 14, 2022.

After a scoreless first half, Jugovic made it 1:0 for Osijek in the 57th minute and Brodic 1:1 eight minutes later. Beljo put Osijek back ahead in the 77th minute for 2:1, and Peric made it 2:2 in the 81st. 

Will Osijek coach Nenad Bjelica finally get sacked? With unimpressive results round after round, his sacking seems inevitable. Croatian media reported on Monday morning that Nenad Bjelica would sit down with the president of Osijek, Ferenc Sakalje, to negotiate the best option for parting ways. 

Osijek is currently in 7th place with 5 points, while Varazdin is in 8th with 5. 

Rijeka v. Slaven Belupo (0:1)

Rijeka and Belupo closed the 5th round on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at Rujevica Stadium.

After a scoreless first half, Crnac scored for Belupo in the 70th minute, giving Belupo a massive three away points and pushing Rijeka to the bottom of the HNL table in second to last place. 

Rijeka is currently in 9th place with 4 points and one game in hand, while Belupo is in 2nd place with 8 points. 

You can see the HNL standings here. 

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August the 15th, 2022 - Sveti Jeronim is now taking to the sparkling and currently tourist-filled waters of Split-Dalmatia County, and the vessel is part of an enormous 186 million kuna wider project. Each single kuna of that eye-watering figure spent on the new boat is worth it, however, to keep this part of the Central Dalmatian coastline safe and secure.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the leaders of Split-Dalmatia County's local government unit and the More and Karst public institution recently presented a new vessel, Sveti Jeronim, from the wider project of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development entitled "The development of the framework for the management of the Natura 2000 ecological network".

The aforementioned vessel will sail under the name Sveti Jeronim, and it has exceptional maritime capabilities with the possibility of a sailing length of almost 30 miles. Split-Dalmatia County occupies the largest area of all of the Croatian Adriatic coastline and which welcomes countless tourists from across the world each and ever year.

This part of Central Dalmatia will be served by the new vessel for the supervision and protection of the coast and the many islands which are dotted throughout the territory, but also for the preparation of anchorage studies and for the purpose of protecting the abundance of natural resources of these coastal Croatian areas.

"We managed to get the fastest and best vessel possible, but we should also keep in mind that our maritime area is by far the largest, almost one third of our part of the Croatian Adriatic coast belongs to Split-Dalmatia County," said prefect Blazenko Boban.

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

August the 15th, 2022 - The up and coming FT Park is set to boost the bustling Croatian capital city's shopping centre offer, with ambitious plans to have it completed and see it open its highly anticipated doors to shoppers by the end of next year.

If there is one thing that people tend to complain about when it comes to the increasingly popular Croatian capital city, it's the lack of large shopping centres. While the city absolutely has many shops, as well as the likes of Avenue Mall and the Arena Centre, which boast an array of shops, large areas such as IKEA and the nearby shopping centre with interesting architecture in Rugvica are a fair drive outside of the city's core.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the brand new FT Park is set to be built in Zagreb, adding a new touch to the city's overall shopping offer and experience with a modern-looking retail park, an attractive centre whose main advantage is the possibility of presenting customers with the best offer of home furnishing items all in one place. IKEA will seemingly no longer be the proverbial ''place of worship'' for all those looking to re-decorate their own homes, and furnish any properties they have down on the coast for renting out to tourists during the hot summer months.

In this modernly designed park, there will be a large Fero-Term showroom, along with tenant sales centres and a number of accompanying family facilities to keep children entertained while their parents shop.

The total area of the land on which Zagreb's new FT Park is being constructed spans 33,000 m2 in total, while the area of the retail park will cover 10,000 m2.

In addition to the Fero-Term sales hall, which will cover approximately 2,000 m2, another 8,000 m2 of sales and exhibition space will be made available in FT Park, offering companies spatial units ranging in size from 500 to 2,000 m2. There will also be a large car park in front of the centre for FT Park's visitors and shoppers.

The estimated opening time of FT Park is the end of 2023, according to the official website.

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

August the 5th, 2022 - Tuhi Green PlaNET is set to attract children and families from far and wide to this already extremely popular continental Croatian tourist facility located among the green rolling hills and pleasant atmosphere of Krapina-Zagorje County, not too far from the bustling capital city of Zagreb.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, the brand new Tuhi Green PlaNET is an interesting kids zone located within the wider Terme Tuhelj facility worth around 450 thousand euros in total. It is a game room located between the reception and the Lati hotel restaurant, dominated by an interactive Tube art installation – a combination of ropes and nets in the space, which was installed by the world-famous collective Numen/ForUs with children and all of their curiosities and imagination firmly in mind.

"This investment worth around 450,000 euros was realised in two different phases, and in addition to Numen/ForUs, two well-known Croatian companies also worked on the project, Regeneracija from Zabok installed the network, while MDK from Veliko Trgovisce was responsible for the construction work,'' they explained from Terme Tuhelj when discussing the installation of the new Tuhi Green PlaNET.

"Tube Tuhelj was conceived as an alternative, free, spiral direction of movement through space. Art installations of this type are characterised by the integration of the observer into the art installation itself.

In addition to all of the above, installations of these dimensions and this level of constructive strength represent a hybrid of architecture and sculpture, encouraging the release of the body from the imposed givens of the architecture, the hard and flat floor, wall and ceiling," pointed out Nikola Radeljikovic, who, along with Sven Jonke and Christoph Katzler, is part of the Numen/ForUse design team.

For more on Terme Tuhelj, Krapina-Zagorje County and other continental Croatian tourist destinations, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

August the 15th, 2022 - Dubrovnik and Porec sustainable tourism is resulting in some excellent numbers this summer tourist season, as both cities, but particularly Dubrovnik, desperately needed a more sustainable strategy than the mass tourism they've become (in)famous for.

As Morski writes, Dubrovnik's deputy mayor Jelka Tepsic has stated that since the beginning of this year, Croatia's southernmost city is at 80 percent of the overnight stays and 70 percent of the arrivals realised back in the pre-pandemic, record year of 2019.

''Currently, 26,000 guests are staying in the City of Dubrovnik and this is a real indicator of the success of this summer season, but also of the good management of the destination, because through our ''Respect the city" project, we want to provide a high quality of stay to our visitors, but also boost the quality of life of our fellow citizens,'' said Jelka Tepsic.

Porec has also achieved two million overnight stays on the same day as it did back in 2019, and Porec sustainable tourism is the new way in which this gorgeous Istrian city is leaning.

''We've reached two million overnight stays, we're also happy that we've managed to reach that number of overnight stays we have at the time we have, even when we have 700 less beds in the city due to the reconstruction of two hotels. We extended our summer tourist season, the pre-season was also good, as even before Easter we had 40 percent more visitors staying in Porec than we did back during the record year of 2019. All this is happening because we combined what's private and what's public, sport and tourism, and in doing so we brought a large number of tourists to the city,'' said the mayor of Porec, Loris Persuric.

One of the key goals for Dubrovnik is the creation of sustainable tourism. Jelka Tepsic explained what this specifically refers to:

''Five years ago, Dubrovnik was highly prominent among European destinations as a city that is actually in danger of being crippled beyond return due to too many tourists. We were almost on the blacklist for many people, so we made a management decision to change with the desire to achieve a balance between the quality of the stay for our visitors and the quality of life of our fellow citizens,'' she stated, emphasising that they managed to introduce rules and restrictions for cruise ships, so now they have a limit of 4,000 guests in one part of the day, or just two cruisers. So this year, she said, we're witnessing the full application of these new rules in Croatia's tourist Mecca. They can now limit traffic around the historic core, have a surveillance system, have improved parking conditions, and the list goes on.

''Sustainable development is also important in Porec, as is Porec sustainable tourism,'' said Mayor Persuric. The basis of everything, he explained, is the spatial plan of the local self-government unit, which, in addition to accommodation capacities, also develops the city's complete infrastructure. They are ready, he says, for a large number of apartments and accommodation capacities to spring up, and although they definitely do have some unfortunate examples of illegal construction, that number is thankfully not that large.

For more on Dubrovnik and Porec sustainable tourism, not to mention that of other Croatian cities and destinations, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

August 14, 2022 -  The fourth edition of the Croatian Walking Festival will take place again this year during the first weekend of September in Gospić and Otočac.

This year, the Croatian Walking Festival, a mass sports and recreational event, will be held under the auspices of the IML Walking Association. After several years of efforts, the event achieved world recognition by being included in the annual IML calendar, and the organisation's members from all over the world will be arriving to Lika.

The fourth edition of the festival will once again be held in early September, on the 3rd and 4th of that month. Many have already applied, including many international participants. This year is expected to break records in that sense: "This year we became a part of the IML family, which will attract numerous walkers from all over Europe and next year from the whole world. With this event, we are trying to extend the tourist after-season, as these guests tend to stay for several days after the event to explore the surroundings," explains the director of the Lika-Senj County Tourist Board, Ivan Radošević.

The Croatian Walking Festival starts from Otočac on the already popular routes of Gacka, and continues in Gospić, where the routes named after Tesla are already marked. You walk along six routes of varying intensity that combine the natural and cultural beauties of Lika and are adapted in such a way that everyone can participate. "Walkers" will be able to choose between three routes, 10+, 20+ and 30+ kilometers in both towns. That means that all age groups can register for the Walking Festival, regardless of fitness level. The only thing you absolutely need is goodwill and the desire to meet new people while going through the unique experience in beautiful Lika.

At last-years Lika Festival there were around a thousand walkers, and this year, with the strong tailwind provided by the IML, an even better turnout is expected. In Gospić and Otočac, they will collect points that are valued by the IML, and the enthusiasts who visit the IML events number in the tens of thousands. "It was a difficult path to become part of the IML family, but after numerous trips around Europe and by bringing their scouts here, both formally and informally, we convinced them that our festival deserves to be part of the IML family. Here I must mention the walkers from Croatia who helped to create this festival, and we also proved that a non-competitive form of the festival can take root in our country, promoting a healthy and active life along the way," adds Mile Milković, secretary of the Croatian Walking Association.

This sporting event is unique in Croatia, and year after year the organizers emphasize their well-known motto that with every minute you walk, you can extend your life by one and a half to two minutes! You can apply by August 23, here. The festival is organised by the Croatian Walking Association and co-organized by the Lika-Senj County Tourist Board and Lika travel d.o.o.

August 14, 2022 - More fires in Istria, including one causing problems near Pula Airport. Live updates from Index.hr. 

Today around 12 o'clock, a fire broke out in the area between Pula Airport and Muntić.

HAK (Croatian Roads Association) reports that the road from the Airport to Valtura is closed to traffic.

An hour ago
Firefighters issued a statement about the fires:

"20 firefighters with 9 fire engines of the Pula Fire Brigade, and all voluntary fire brigades from Pula were engaged in the intervention to extinguish the fire in the open area between Pula Airport and the village of Muntić, which was reported at 12:00 p.m. Two Air Tractors AT- Fire Boss have joined the action. The current burned area is about 20 hectares.

The fire near the village of Štokovci is being extinguished by 27 firefighters with 13 fire trucks from the Pula Fire Department, the Rovinj Fire Department, the Pazin Fire Department, the Buzet Fire Department and volunteer firefighting companies from the area of ​​Pula and Rovinj. 3 Canadair CL 415 planes have also been called in to help. The burned area has not yet been estimated.

The fire near Peroj was localized at 2:45 p.m. There are 12 firefighters on the ground with 5 fire trucks from the Pula Fire Brigade and volunteer fire companies from Fažana, Vodnjan, Peroj and Medulin. Currently, extinguishment is being carried out, and the burned area is about 2 hectares."

3 hours ago
"There are no casualties, the houses are not threatened"
"The fire in Peroj is under control, it will be fine. The one in Muntić is now in a more favorable condition, and with the help of the Canadairs, it will be controlled. There is another fire in Bijažići and Bibići. Almost all the forces of the Pula fire district are on the ground.

Five teams from Rovinj, one from Pazin and one from Buzet came to help. Two Canadairs have also arrived, and a third will probably arrive, but it is not certain yet. There are no victims, the houses are not threatened, the electricity is cut off in some parts, and the road between Savičenta and Juršić is closed," said Kozlevac, Glas Istre reports.

4 hours ago
"Firefighting is made difficult by a strong bura wind"
"Extinguishing three fires in open spaces in the County of Istria is in progress.

One open space fire is near the village of Muntići, towards Valtura, another near the village of Juršići towards Svetvinčenat and the third near Peroj. The fire engulfed the area of grass and white gorse," reported the Croatian Fire Association.

"Extinguishing the fire is made difficult by a strong storm. About 80 firefighters with about 30 fire trucks are participating in the extinguishing intervention, and two Canadians are also coming to help," said county fire chief Dino Kozlevac.

Forces from the Fire Department of Pula, the Public Fire Department of the City of Pula and all voluntary fire brigades, three teams from the Fire Department of Rovinj and one team each from the fire departments of Pazin and Buzet were engaged in extinguishing the fire.

You can follow live updates from Index.hr (Google Translate is your friend) here.

ZAGREB, 14 Aug (Hina) - The 26th international street festival Cest is d'Best will be held in Zagreb on 18-21 August.

The international, multimedia street festival promotes Zagreb identity, bringing life to the city's squares and streets, restoring their charm and optimism, and erasing the boundary between the established forms of culture and its alternative forms, its organisers say.

Festival director Zlatan Jaganjac said that despite the difficult situation in the past few years, particularly due to the coronavirus pandemic and the March 2020 earthquake, the festival had been without interruption.

He said that this year's edition would feature a number of events for all age groups, including concerts, theatre, and dance performances, as well as painting, circus, and other workshops.

The festival will also include a tricycle race of garbage collectors.