October 31, 2020 - Move your borders, head to eastern Croatia! - is the slogan of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board as part of the phenomenal #HeanOnEast concept.

Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam reports that the story was created last year for the needs of holding Croatian Tourism Days in Slavonia, and the great news is that the event has turned into a brand concept that continues. Thus, as a continuation of the story, an introductory slogan was created. The event was also held this year, but of course, on a much smaller scale due to the epidemiological situation.

New short promotional videos have now been recorded, promoting active and wine tourism and the gastronomy of Osijek-Baranja County.

Hedonism without borders - Colors, smells and tastes / #HeadOnEastCroatia

Hedonism without borders - Wine postcards / #HeadOnEastCroatia

Hedonism without borders - active in nature / #HeadOnEastCroatia

Goran Rihelj of HRTurizam emphasizes that without the activation of Croatian travel agencies, it is difficult to initiate a more serious focus on continental and rural destinations. The coronavirus crisis highlighted the need for nature, new destinations without large crowds, and a focus on the continent and rural areas.

The whole of Slavonia, Baranja, and Srijem already have something to offer and show, certainly enough for a seven-day program. However, first, the focus must be on three-day trips, i.e., a weekend trip to Slavonia.

"Move your boundaries, and start selling the continent in the market," Rihelj adds. 

#HeadOnEast is a great slogan and concept, and it is a great pity that it did not come to life as the slogan of the whole of Slavonia. But not all hope is lost, as moving forward through synergy is key.

Rihelj concludes - "You know, the distance between Osijek and Split and Zagreb is the same in both directions."

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, October 31, 2020 - War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved said in Vukovar on Saturday that the eastern city's Water Tower, which was inaugurated on Friday after being renovated, was a symbol of the defence of Vukovar and Croatia today and in the future.

We must all be proud of the completion of its reconstruction, he added.

Medved said the government supported the reconstruction project from the beginning, adopting at a session in Vukovar in 2016 a decision to support the project to whatever extent was necessary and investing more than HRK 20 million in the reconstruction.

"Just as it has been a symbol of Croatian unity until now, I'm confident the Water Tower will be so in the future too. This is a very strong contribution to remembering the suffering and heroic defence of Vukovar," he said after laying a wreath and lighting a candle at the local Homeland War Victims Memorial Cemetery together with Defence Minister Mario Banozic.

Medved said the renovated Water Tower sent a strong message to the Croatian people to build a society of prospects, without forgetting the past or the Homeland War victims.

Meeting on Remembrance Day commemoration next week

Speaking of this year's observance of Homeland War Victims Remembrance Day and Vukovar and Skabrnja Victims Remembrance Day on November 18, he recalled that the government last year proclaimed it a national holiday.

Medved said this year's commemoration was different because the coronavirus pandemic restricted the organisation of all events. He said Vukovar came up with several suggestions and that he convened a meeting for next week, inviting the mayors of Vukovar and Skabrnja as well as the director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health.

Medved said he was confident that after the meeting, they would adopt together a programme adjusted to the epidemiological situation.

Commenting on a bill on civilian Homeland War victims, which is in public consultation, he said it would be put into procedure by the end of the year.

After visiting the Water Towever, Medved said it was "full of symbolism and I believe that it will be for future generations what it was in the Homeland War and during the reconstruction, a symbol of unity, strength, security and prospects."

The renovated Vukovar Water Tower was inaugurated on Friday night, without the presence of the public due to the pandemic. Reconstruction lasted three and a half years and cost HRK 46 million. It is a memorial to the suffering of Vukovar and its people in 1991 during the aggression by the Yugoslav People's Army and Serb paramilitaries.

(€1 = HRK 7.57)

October 31, 2020 – The five-star Bellevue Hotel Spa Clinic on the island of Lošinj has been named "Croatia’s Best Hotel Spa" for 2020 by the prestigious World Spa Awards, an established global organization whose main goal is to promote and reward quality in the spa and wellness industry.

As Večernji.hr reports, launched in 2015, this annual awards program was created as a sister event to the World Travel Awards, which rewards excellence and fosters growth and innovation in tourism for the past 27 years.

Croatia's Best Hotel Spa award is a new international recognition for the Bellevue five-star hotel, which is also the holder of numerous other prestigious awards, including the one for the best luxury hotel in Croatia.

"We are extremely proud to have won the 'Croatia's Best Hotel Spa' award at the World Spa Awards this year! Lošinj is adorned with an exceptional and natural healing environment, and we have strived to achieve the harmony of the science of beauty segment, wellness technology, and effective natural rituals to create the perfect combination. But all this would not have been possible without the effort and work of our dedicated team," said Melissa Mettler, director of Spa and Wellness for Lošinj Hotels & Villas, the hotel brand that manages the Bellevue Hotel.

Island of vitality

The Bellevue Spa Clinic is a perfect refuge in the Bellevue five-star hotel, located in the picturesque bay of Čikat on Lošinj – the island of vitality. In this spacious wellness center, guests can fully indulge in integrative wellness programs and treatments from world-renowned experts and brands.

These include the famous French pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez, Forlle'd Japan, Pharmos Natur, and Valmont, as well as top non-invasive medical aesthetic therapies, which include Ultherapy, Exima, CryoSauna, Oxygen, and anti-aging treatments provided by a team of aesthetics, doctors, and dermatologists.

The Spa Garden is also worth mentioning. It offers guests outdoor relaxation in the sauna, hot tub, and small pool. Bellevue is also known for its lavishly designed interior that gives guests a complete sense of luxury.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, October 31, 2020 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Saturday that in the first 100 days of its term the government had done what it had promised to do, including the adoption of a law on reconstruction following the March 22 earthquake, and that it was turned to the future and the fourth decade of Croatia's democracy.

Plenkovic said this in response to questions from reporters covering his visit to Zagreb's central Mirogoj cemetery, where he laid wreaths on the occasion of All Saints' Day.

Asked about the government's first 100 days in office, Plenkovic recalled the fast formation of the parliamentary majority following his HDZ party's victory in the July 5 election, the inauguration of the parliament, the adoption of a law on the post-earthquake reconstruction of Zagreb and parts of Krapina-Zagorje and Zagreb counties, and the government's strong messages of reconciliation and co-existence.

He said his government was working to calm down what remained turbulent in the Croatian nation with regard to the past but that also wanted to turn to the future and the fourth decade of the country's democracy.

The PM stressed that he would fight against radicalisation and violent extremism in society and continue with the fight against corruption.

Plenkovic said that the National Security Council would hold a session but not next week due to "lack of room to meet".

None of us ever talked about curfew

Plenkovic said that no government member had ever spoken about the introduction of a curfew, noting that the current epidemiological measures against coronavirus were proportional to the dynamic of the spreading of the disease.

He recalled that one of the coalition partners (Reformists leader Radimir Cacic) had aspoken about that possibility at a coalition meeting due to similar measures that were being introduced by other countries.

The PM said that the key to fighting the epidemic is individual responsibility.

He would not comment on President Zoran Milanovic's view that whoever proposed imposing a curfew should be "put away", saying: "I don't have time for him."

Asked why he did not go to Mirogoj yesterday with Milanovic, who had invited him to do so together as such had been the practice in the past several years, Plenkovic said that the government had a usual working day on Friday and that they had planned the visit to Mirogoj for today.

Asked if the government could guarantee timely medical care to all patients not suffering from coronavirus and about the situation at Zagreb's KB Dubrava hospital, Plenkovic said that "generally, the government can certainly do that (guarantee timely medical care)" and that back in the spring the government had decided that KB Dubrava would be the hospital to help out the city's Dr Fran Mihaljevic hospital for infectious diseases in caring for coronavirus patients.

"Since during the first wave of the epidemic we had very good results, KB Dubrava did not have to admit a large number of patients. Now the situation is different and they are providing very good care for all patients," he said, noting that despite the great strain on it, the health system was capable of performing its other tasks as well.

Plenkovic dismissed claims that the government and the coronavirus crisis management team were waiting for All Saints' Day to pass in order to introduce stricter epidemiological measures.

Answering a reporter's question, he said that Vukovar Remembrance Day, November 18, would be marked in that eastern city in a dignified way, as always, and expressed satisfaction that the city's reconstructed Water Tower was inaugurated on Friday, for which the government gave more than HRK 20 million.

Plenkovic also said that Croatia was ready to help Turkey and Greece in removing the consequences of Friday's disastrous earthquake.

Accompanied by Culture and Media Minister Nina Obuljen Korzinek and War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved, Plenkovic laid wreaths at Mirogoj's Wall of Pain monument, the Central Cross in the section for fallen Homeland War soldiers, the grave of Croatia's first president Franjo Tudjman, the cemetery's Central Cross and the common grave of unidentified Homeland War victims.

Wreaths were also laid by a parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

ZAGREB, October 31, 2020  - In the last 24 hours, 2,769 new coronavirus cases and 15 related fatalities have been confirmed, the country's COVID-19 crisis management team said on Saturday.

There are now 15,952 active cases, including 1,049 patients who are receiving hospital treatment, of whom 82 are on ventilators.

With the 15 latest fatalities, the death toll has climbed to 546.

Since February 25, when the first case of the coronavirus infection was confirmed in the country, 49,316 people have tested positive for the novel virus and 32,818 of them have recovered, including 1,908 in the last 24 hours.

Currently, 27,940 people are self-isolating.

Since the onset of the epidemic, Croatia has conducted 494,022 tests.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 31st of October, 2020, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has stated that we're now entering the most difficult phase of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, but added that the growth in the number of infected people in Croatia is slower than it is over in Western Europe. He still believes that we can avoid further tightening of measures, including a damaging lockdown. The director of HZJZ, Krunoslav Capak, was a guest on RTL Danas (Today) recently. Asked what other measures could be introduced in the fight against coronavirus, he said that they presented the measures that came into force on Tuesday.

"We're just getting started with the measures. We're not going to introduce any new ones for a few days now because we need to see the results of these ones first,'' he replied, adding that HZJZ still has ''a whole range of measures'' in their arsenal.

''The additional limitation of the number of people who are permitted to gather together, the additional limitation of working hours, the additional limitation of the number of people who can participate in sporting competitions, training and so on. So... a whole host of other measures exist. I'm not announcing them and it doesn't mean that they'll come into force,'' the HZJZ director said.

Lockdown?

Capak said that the reason for the state of the financial and economic situation in the country is "absolutely not" the only reason why the National Civil Protection Headquarters isn't yet going for a new lockdown. "It's just one of the elements. Epidemiologists need to ban things and close things down because it reduces contact, and it's the most effective way to combat contracting this new infection,'' he said, adding that there are a number of ''social, psychological, financial and all other aspects'' that the government must address and take care of.

''The government that must take care of that. That isn't our job as epidemiologists, it's the job of  those who make the decisions, it's them who must take care of it,'' he said, adding that Croatia doesn't have as much growth as other, neighbouring countries and European Union countries.

"We've got the Scandinavians who are traditionally good, but most of these Central and Western European countries have seen huge growth. Our growth isn't so massive and we think our measures are good and balanced, and that these measures that we've adopted are good and that they're going to have an effect,'' the HZJZ director said.

When asked if he expects Croatia to go reach more than 3,000 newly infected people a day, he said that he thinks it's realistic "that the number will reach 3,000 in the next few days". "But after that, at least in my opinion, it won't really grow more,'' he noted.

''During the summer, we had 30 to 35 percent asymptomatic people. Today we think we have a little less of them, about 25 to 13 percent. We currently have 14,000 active cases and 987 people hospitalised, that’s about 7 percent. 7 to 10 percent is realistic in that there are more severe cases that require hospitalisation. We have 71 on respirators, which is 0.5 percent of the total active cases in Croatia,'' he said.

He revealed that Croatia can cope with even over the current amount of 10,000 people tested in a day. "We still have about 20 to 25 percent of the space because in some counties the numbers are lower and they test less," he said, adding that here in Zagreb, we're "on the verge of not being able to cope anymore."

"Because Zagreb now has huge numbers," the HZJZ director said, the praising people who work day and night to process coronavirus test samples.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 30th of October, 2020, Croatian Roads will install 1,088 new digital cameras along its entire motorway network as part of the project for the reconstruction of the video surveillance system and video detection system, the value of which is around 41 million kuna.

Croatian Roads' supercameras, boasting an impressive video detection system, can detect extraordinary situations on the motorway in mere seconds, such as people driving in the opposite direction, a stopped vehicle or a vehicle moving too slowly, writes Vecernji.hr.

Croatian Roads explained that more and more vehicles on the country's motorways are creating a real need to increase overall traffic safety over them. At the same time, most emergency situations on motorways tend to occur in the zones of junctions. In order to prevent the possible consequences of emergencies on motorways, Croatian Roads pointed out, it is necessary to detect them in time and with the help of variable traffic signals to transmit messages to traffic participants and warn all competent intervention services in a timely manner. Therefore, a system of video surveillance and video detection has been introduced on motorways, which performs the constant monitoring and analysis of traffic conditions. The new cameras are being placed in locations where there is the greatest possibility of incidents.

They explained that in their operational centre, in addition to monitoring the traffic situation at all times, the weather conditions on the route are monitored and the necessary measures are taken in case of emergencies or worsening meteorological conditions. Effective emergency management depends entirely on the rapid detection and verification of incidents. With every minute lost, the risk of another, secondary accident caused by the initial incident increases dramatically. Every second employed in resolving the initial incident situation is important, they explained, adding that the effective management of emergency situations can save lives, and the reaction itself is most dependent on the rapid detection and verification of incidents.

Advanced automatic incident detection technologies, according to Croatian Roads, detect all significant incidents within seconds, and the result is mitigation of the consequences of the incident and the avoidance of secondary accidents. Traffic data, compressed images and alarms are sent to the control room. And the system can, as they explain from Croatian Roads, be integrated to serve as a trigger for other systems, such as traffic lights, variable traffic signs or information displays.

''When generating an alarm, the reference operator in the control room receives not only the alarm signal but also the visual information by recording the event itself and thus decides on the necessary actions in the most informed way possible. Real-time analysis of camera images enables more efficient management of traffic on highways,'' the Croatian Roads experts explain.

In case of emergencies, they added, their timely detection enables the quick intervention of the competent services, and other traffic participants can be notified in a timely manner in order to avoid secondary accidents. In the existing video surveillance and video detection system on HAC motorways, there are problems with camera optics, output signals, low resolution, and the cameras don't have the appropriate zoom or detail review.

Digital instead of analog

Therefore, in accordance with modern technological standards from the security and traffic information aspect, Croatian Roads started the process of the reconstruction of the existing video surveillance and video detection systems. Last year, they prepared the implementation and project documentation which envisaged the replacement of these older analog cameras with modern digital IP cameras and the installation of additional digital cameras in locations where it is currently not possible to meet the requirements of automatic incident detection.

Croatian Roads stated that IP cameras or Internet Protocol cameras are digital video cameras that transmit videos over a computer network. They have better image quality, advanced recording technology and the ability to connect a large number of cameras to a surveillance system. In addition, HAC explained, digital cameras have advanced features such as analysis, advanced motion detection technology and remote focusing. Videos are stored digitally, using network video recorders.

''Through various projects, Croatian Motorways is continuously carrying out activities to increase safety levels on motorways. Although we recently received a high rating for safety on motorways, our investments in safety continue, as shown by this project of the modernisation of the video surveillance system,'' said the President of the Management Board of Croatian Roads, Boris Huzjan.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes on the 30th of October, 2020, the Istrian company Latus, which has been operating since back in 2001, is located in the small town of Orbanici near Zminj, and the initiators of this dairy business, Maja and Sandi Orbanic, are pioneers in this industry because cheese production isn't as popular on Croatia's largest peninsula as the production of wine and olive oil is.

Latus, which is family run and boasts about 20 cows, is a continuation of the tradition as the Orbanic's have been engaged in cattle breeding for generations.

"It's a type of love that lasts a long time, it's what draws us and makes us even better. Cheese-making in Istria is something that's been going on only in more recent times, and our Istrian cows provide five litres of milk a day, while for a kilo of cheese, you'd need ten litres. Although it was difficult at the beginning, it didn't discourage us.

Once upon a time, cheeses in Istria were small, they were kept in wheat, and the real development began in the late 80s and early 90s, and then serious production began. At that time, Istrians had more sheep than cows and few people produced cheese at home, so we decided to change that,'' Maja Orbanic stated as she recalled the beginnings of Latus' venture.

The first cheese they made was Zminj cheese, a semi-hard cheese without rind that matures in a vacuum, followed by an Istrian cheese done ''according to nona's recipe'', but again, this was something different because the milk is pasteurised. When Latus started with production, they had 160 litres of milk a day, and today they process as much as 10,000 litres and have 20 products in their assortment that they offer for tasting.

Among them are cheese with pepper, truffles, indigenous Istrian and Zminj cheese, cottage cheese and other dairy products such as yogurt and whey. In addition to the tasting room, they also have a small shop on the ground floor, and today they cooperate with a dozen subcontractors from across Istria and produce 120 tonnes of cheese annually.

"When we started, we had 24 subcontractors, and we say that the ten that we're cooperating with today are endemic. However, the quality of Istrian milk is top notch, our cows give up to 300 litres a day and are on free grazing from April to November and the rest of the year they're in the barn,'' explained Maja Orbanic.

It is interesting to note that last autumn they produced the very first Croatian mozzarella, and their most famous cheese - Veli Joze, which won the title of Croatian champion three times, was (like most great things) created by accident. The mozzarella expert is Sandi, and they explained that it is "not mozzarella for salad, but for taste". They produce it in small quantities, to order, and in this field they also cooperate with Istrian pizzerias.

Latus otherwise boasts 27 employees, eight women work in the production system itself, and they also have nine retail outlets.

"We sell as much as 90 percent of production in Istria and a little less in stores in Zagreb such as Mrkvica, Grga Cvarka and Speceraj and in Slovenia. We also export our products through tourists who come for tastings,'' said Orbanic.

The tasting room was renovated five years ago, and since rural tourism is flourishing in the interior of Istria, many foreign tourists are their guests. However, Orbanic says that when it comes to group visits to cheese dairies and tastings, it's usually Croatian visitors turning up in groups, while foreigners lean a bit more more towards individual visits.

"There are a lot of holiday homes around us and foreigners who come to us expect this authentic experience, explore the territory and Istrian customs, and this is our great advantage because that is exactly what we offer.

If our olive growers and winemakers weren't so good, it would be harder for us to position ourselves on the market like this. They work hard from year to year and our entire gastro scene is growing thanks to their achievements, says Orbanic.

The next cheese they're working on and currently experimenting with is brie, and when satisfaction is reached, that too will take to the market.

For the last significant investments in the dairy business, Latus withdrew funds from the EU for equipping its barns and bettering its machinery, and they also applied for the recently announced tender for renewable energy sources, so they're far from lacking in plans for further growth.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.