August 7, 2022 – September in Croatia is just the most beautiful time. For the best possible experience, in Virovitica-Podravina County they decided to make it wine month. Wine Not?

According to Press 032, the most anticipated wine event Slavonia and Podravina, Wine Not!? will once again gather lovers of wine, fine snacks, unique environment, art, and untouched nature on the famous Noble Route. The festival was announced in Orahovica, in the Patkoš boutique winery on the slopes of Krndija and Papuk.

The pink nocturne in noble dress in the unique Janković Castle on September 3 is the best introduction to as many as six exclusive wine events. A completely different experience awaits wine lovers on September 11 at a picnic in the beautiful Jankovac park forest of the Papuk Nature Park. Wine and art will be discussed on September 17 at Wine&Art in the Pejačević Castle in Virovitica, and on September 22 it’s all about Graševina in Dravska Priča in Noskovci. On September 24, a wine marathon will be held in Orahovica, followed by Wine and Poetry on October 1 in the Interpretation Centre – Petar Preradović's House.

Pexels (Taryn Elliott)

“I am extremely happy that after last year's events, more winemakers want to get involved in this beautiful story. Three criteria are decisive for the selection of wines to be tasted at the six wine events – top quality, all wines must be from the area of ​​Virovitica-Podravine County and, of course, they must be available on the market”, noted the well-known oenologist Ivana Nemet, ambassador of the event Slavonia and Podravina, Wine Not!?

“In recent years, Orahovica has been developing in the direction of wine tourism. In our area, the green Silvanac produces excellent results, and we have become known in the wine world for that variety. I am happy that in addition to the famous PP Orahovica winery, we also have beautiful small boutique wineries with excellent wines that attract an increasing number of wine lovers to our city”, said Saša Rister, mayor of Orahovica, at the presentation of this year's manifestation Slavonia and Podravina, Wine Not!?

Martina Jakelić, director of the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board, which in cooperation with the local tourist boards organises the six wine events, pointed out that this year's manifestation brings together important points on the Noble Route.

“For everyone who wants to be a part of this beautiful wine story, it is important to note that the number of places is limited, the registration fee for participation per event is HRK 100, except for the Wine Picnic in the Jankovac Forest Park, which will cost HRK 150, and the registration fee includes the rental of a picnic basket for two people. Registration forms and more information about the event can be found on the website of the Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board”, said Martina Jakelić.

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

ZAGREB, 7 August, 2022 - The on-site investigation of the bus crash that occurred on the A4 motorway in northern Croatia on Saturday morning, in which 12 Polish nationals were killed and 32 injured, has been completed, Interior Minister Davor Božinović told a press conference in Varaždin on Saturday afternoon.

The bus was carrying Polish pilgrims to the Marian shrine of Međugorje, southern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Božinović said that the personal effects of the passengers were stored at the Varaždin Police Department and would be released upon request from official institutions.

He said that Polish police officers, present in Croatia as part of the programme "Croatia, a safe tourist destination", assisted in facilitating communication with the crash victims and gathering information for the Polish Embassy.

The Varaždin County Red Cross has organised counselling for the victims and, if necessary, for emergency services staff who were the first to arrive at the scene.

Based on the information exchanged with the Polish police, "44 persons were on board the bus, 42 passengers and two drivers. 32 persons are currently hospitalised and 12 were killed," Božinović said.

Eleven passengers have been admitted to Varaždin General Hospital. "Five of them are in intensive care, three are in neurosurgery and three in trauma. Two patients have been operated on and two are having a thoracic drain inserted. Neither of them is in a life-threatening condition. All are stable," the hospital's director Damir Poljak said.

The on-site investigation, led by a county deputy prosecutor in cooperation with the police, found that the driver had lost control of the steering wheel and skidded off the road. Post-mortems were ordered for those killed and blood alcohol tests for the drivers, the State Attorney's Office (DORH) said on its website.

ZAGREB, 7 August, 2022 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Saturday he could not say for the time being if there had been any omissions in the medical treatment of reporter Vladimir Matijanić and that that would be determined by a medical inspection he had requested.

Asked to comment on the claims by Matijević's partner, reporter Andrea Topić, that the medical assistance he received was inadequate, Beroš said that he did not have sufficient information on the case for the time being and that the case would be looked into.

Topić has said in a post on social networks that doctors at the KBC Split hospital and emergency medical staff did not want to help Matijević.

She said that Matijević, who suffered from Sjögren's syndrome and interstitial lung disease and was suspected to have two other autoimmune diseases, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.

He could not be vaccinated against coronavirus due to his medical condition.

Topić said that despite severe symptoms caused by COVID-19, hospital staff refused to admit him.

She described in her post how many times they had contacted the hospital and the emergency medical service, saying that after the first emergency home visit, emergency medical staff again refused to take Matijanić to hospital. After his condition further deteriorated, an emergency medical team arrived again but it was too late, she said.

Topić also said that staff at KBC Split had told them that no medical institution in Croatia had a drug prescribed for patients with serious conditions to prevent severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Asked to comment on this, Beroš said that doctors prescribed medicines based on the patient's medical condition.

"I cannot believe that anyone whose condition requires it would not be prescribed the medicine they need," he said, noting that there were currently several medicines for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms and that it would be investigated what condition the reporter was in and if it had required therapy and which.

August 7, 2022 - Inland tourism is often given a back seat when we're talking about Croatian tourism. However, big investments and changes are happening, and we bring you an interview with one of the big players, Goran Fabris of Poreč and Rovinj fame, currently doing his magic in Toplice Jezerčica (Jezerčica Spa) in Hrvatsko Zagorje.

Robert Kuščar of the Volim Zagorje Facebook Page, a Zagorje enthusiast, talked to Goran Fabris, a member of the Rudan d.o.o. Tourism Sector Board, one of the most successful domestic hoteliers with extensive experience in Valamar in Poreč, Maistra in Rovinj and Jadran in Crikvenica.

How much is the total investment in Donja Stubica?

If we observe the entire investment cycle, which should last 4-5 years, the total investment should amount to HRK 440 million. This includes the total remodelling of the existing hotel facilities. We plan to expand from the existing 47 to slightly more than 200 rooms. In the same period, we will additionally invest in the existing camp. Of course, the most important thing to highlight is the investment in a new aquapark on an area of ​​almost 2 hectares. It is this aquapark and its close connection to accommodation facilities that should ultimately represent a novelty in continental tourism in Croatia, because it implements ideas and business standards that have long been known for in Austria, where exactly such resorts record improving results year after year.

Is continental tourism even economically profitable?

When we talk about profitability - there is a public perception that tourism is not and will never be highly profitable, which is ultimately correct. The development of tourism always brings along a whole series of benefits for the local community, and its profitability always depends on several basic factors. Some of the most important are: the legal framework that includes tax rates such as VAT, etc., but also the destination itself, because building a hotel in Rovinj or Donja Stubica is not the same. Rovinj is the best example of how the vision of one man, accompanied by the financial potential of a company, created a destination that, over the past two decades, has been branded precisely on the basis of investment in new facilities. Our desire is to do something similar in Toplice Jezerčica. We believe that the investment will have a long-term positive impact not only on Stubica but also on Zagorje as a whole. This is precisely why we believe that we will get the support of the local community, as well as the administration at the state level because each of them can help us a lot. The Ministry of Tourism has made huge strides in understanding the needs of the tourism sector in recent years, so we hope that this direction will continue. It is very important for us to succeed in realizing the funds from the National recovery and resilience program. In addition, the support of the local community regarding spatial plans, building permits, and exemption from paying communal contributions would help us a lot. These are all important steps that lead to a faster and more profitable investment.

Once the complex is finished, how many new jobs will there be?

Today, there are 70 people employed in Toplice Jezerčica. We believe that ultimately, once the project is completed, that number should be at least three times higher.

What are the novelties you plan on bringing, compared to today's spas?

The existing facilities will be upgraded to 4* this year, and 170 new rooms, new congress facilities, renovated wellness facilities, and indoor and outdoor water facilities will be added to this through the next two phases of the investment. The camp will remain the same size, but with an increase in capacity and additional investments in raising the quality of accommodation. It's important we mention the new Aquapark, with facilities that currently do not exist in the continental part of Croatia.

Are the hotel and swimming pools being demolished and are new ones being built or upgraded?

We will demolish, renovate and build. For now, we can only reveal that in our development plans we have limited ourselves to the space we own. We are not planning additional expansion beyond the existing plots we own. It is a big and serious investment project, so we have to play it safe. Making plans in an area that has not been legally resolved in terms of ownership would be frivolous, to say the least, but also irresponsible,

How come you recognized Zagorje as a destination for high tourism?

Rather, we could say that Zagorje found us. When we first received information about the possibility of an acquisition, we recognized a good opportunity for our new step forward in the tourism business, and the new ideas and plans just came out of nowhere.

When can we expect the first machines on the construction site?

The works on the reconstruction of the existing capacities will start in early October, and the much more demanding ones related to the Aquapark and new hotel capacities will depend on the rate of us + obtaining the necessary permits and the results of tenders related to the realization of the right to grants.

Will the Toplice Jezerčica be completely closed during the construction, or are you planning to build and operate it?

If possible, we would definitely like to preserve the continuity of the water features, but I must admit that we have not yet made a final decision on this. It is certain that the accommodation facilities will not be in operation from the beginning of October until sometime around the end of November

Will the name Terme Jezerčica remain? Previous experiences have shown that foreign tourists have a hard time trying to pronounce this word, which reduces the marketing and branding potential.

The projects like this always require a serious marketing approach, with the elaboration of all the necessary details related to the defined "final product" and being able to present it in the markets. In our case, that task is additionally demanding because we are still not able to clearly define the time course of the investment, let alone the course of accompanying marketing activities. I agree with you that the existing name may not be overly marketing demanding, but I must emphasize that our first goal is to become a kind of a "riviera" for those who can reach us by a two-three hours car ride!

ZAGREB, 6 August, 2022 - The Health Ministry on Saturday requested a report on the provision of medical assistance by the KBC Split hospital and other medical institutions in Split to reporter Vladimir Matijanić, who died on Friday.

A ministry inspection team will look into medical documentation and contact with staff in the medical institutions involved in the case to establish facts that can help determine if action taken in the case was in line with the prescribed procedure or if there were omissions in the provision of adequate care to the patient, the minister said.

The public will be informed of the ministry findings in a timely way, the minister said.

An internal control is also underway also at the KBC Split Hospital.

Reporter and Matijanić's partner Andrea Topić claims the emergency medical service refused to have Matijanić hospitalised despite his difficult condition caused by coronavirus infection.

She also claims that the emergency service for infectious diseases and the doctor on duty also failed to respond and that two days before his death, Matijanić, who suffered from an autoimmune disease, was told that there was a shortage of a drug prescribed to prevent more severe symptoms of COVID-19 in patients like him.

ZAGREB, 6 August, 2022 - Croatia has registered 250 new COVID cases and 10 related deaths in the past 24 hours, the national COVID response team reported on Saturday.

There are now 8,005 active cases in the country, including 605 hospitalised patients, 25 of whom are on ventilators, while 4,655 people are self-isolating.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 1,192,555 people have become infected with coronavirus in Croatia and 16,389 of them have died as a consequence while 1,168,161 have recovered, including 1,450 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 59.58% of the total population, or 70.85% of adults, have been vaccinated.

ZAGREB, 6 August, 2022 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Saturday talked on the telephone with his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki following a bus crash in northern Croatia in which 12 Polish nationals were killed, extending his condolences to the victims' families.

Twelve people were killed and more than 40 were injured in the accident, which occurred at 5.40 am on Saturday on the A4 highway in the direction of Zagreb when a bus with Polish licence plates, carrying pilgrims to the Marian shrine of Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, skidded off the road on the highway section between Jarek Bisaški and Podvorec, in Varaždin County.

"I have extended my his condolences to the victims' families on behalf of the Government and informed the Polish prime minister that competent services are on the ground and that the injured passengers are being treated," Plenković said in a Twitter post.

Latest updates from the crash here.

ZAGREB, 6 August, 2022 - Croatia plans to buy a €500 million naval ship, the Jutarnji List daily reports in its Sunday issue. 

Speaking of plans for the future equipment of the Croatian Army, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Knin on Friday that Croatia was planning to buy a multipurpose warship.

This is the first time the government has officially confirmed plans for the procurement of a vessel, a corvette, for the Croatian Navy.

Naval experts have been working for some time now on defining the technical characteristics of the vessel and its purpose. Its procurement is expected to be included in the next long-term plan for the development of the Armed Forces.

The government has opted for a new ship, abandoning previous plans to buy a used ship.

Plans for the procurement of a corvette for surface, submarine and air warfare were announced at the end of 2021 by the Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff, Admiral Robert Hranj.

The vessel would be used for the protection of the state border but the Croatian Navy would also use it for possible navigation in the Mediterranean and even on oceans.

The corvette would be around 100 metres long and it would be the longest Croatian Navy ship.

According to Hranj, the ship could join the Croatian Navy between 2025 and 2030.

Corvette is a naval vessel around 100 metres long, equipped with several medium and small calibre guns as well as surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles and antisubmarine weapons. It can carry one naval helicopter.