July 7, 2020 - Life in Zagreb after the earthquake are returning to normal, and if you are a visitor, the city has never been more enchanting. 

 After 63 days of lockdown on idyllic Hvar, I have travelled quite a lot around Croatia in recent weeks. As I wrote previously, while many were dreaming of travel and the beaches on the pristine Adriatic during self-isolation, there was only one place that I really missed and could not wait to see again. 

Zagreb. 

Part of the reason, of course, was that my lockdown was spent on one of the 10 most beautiful islands in the world, but Zagreb kept calling me. The horror of the earthquake on top of corona was a tragedy, and I felt for so many friends in the city. 

Another reason was the fantastic response of Zagreb promoting itself to the world in the ensuing weeks. As most destinations settled with a lazy promotion of Stay Safe, Travel Later, Zagreb bared its soul with a number of innovative campaigns to include locals and visitors alike. It seemed as though there was no corner of the Croatian capital that was not examined. 

One thing I have learned in my travels is in recent weeks is that everyone has their own perspective of things based on their own individual lockdown experience. Having a view of the Adriatic and access to the sea made mine a lot more comfortable than most once I switched off my laptop after reporting on corona all day, and I can only begin to imagine what it must have been like to be holed up in an apartment during a pandemic and several earthquakes. Zagreb is in pain still, for sure, but it is also returning to a semblance of normal life after the devastating quakes. 

And rather enchantingly too. I have been several times in the last two months, and I can honestly say from the perspective of a visitor that I have never found it more beautiful or inviting. And whatever your stereotype of Zagreb was before, I think it might possibly change if you were to visit now. Come. 

These videos were taken during my recent visits. Flower Square on a late Saturday morning. 

Dolac market, the heartbeat of city life with its incredible fresh produce, and the majestic Zagreb Cathedral - the symbol of the city's earthquake pain - behind it. 

The greenery of the parks in central Zagreb is divine at the moment, and many are choosing to relax there with a book. After such a harrowing few weeks, the superficial view to the outsider is one of relaxation. The centre is emptier due to earthquake damage to buildings, as well as the lack of tourists. The air seems cleaner, and the addition of birdsong is welcome. 

Trams starting running again along Ilica and Ban Jelacic just a few days ago after extensive works, but before then, the people reclaimed the streets. It felt natural somehow. 

But the thing that I really noticed is just how alive Zagreb is right now, at the very local level. Seemingly wherever you go, there is something going on. Concerts in the park, open-air opera in front of the Croatian National Theatre. 

From opera to house music. Informal events all over the city, catering to an array of tastes. 

Relaxed. 

Just over a month ago, Forbes published a list of the 20 safest places to go post-corona, and Zagreb was on the list. We are certainly not post-corona yet, but Croatia did an outstanding job in containing the virus, Zagreb in particular when it had to deal with the additional disaster of the earthquakes. After days of zero new cases in all Croatia, more cases have been reported, and there are currently 897 active cases in the country. To give it some perspective with other countries, there are just 5 patients on a ventilator at time of writing (July 6), and the number of corona deaths in all of Croatia in the last 30 days is 9. 

Those who decide to visit Zagreb right now will find plenty to do as the city comes to life after its darkest hour.

These include Summer Evenings of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, which I stumbled upon above a rich cultural programme available to the public, which has recently ended for this summer. 

(Photo credit Sanjin Kaštelan)

Summer at the Stross 2020 - Strossmartre - "Carefully created musical programme, art installations integrated into space, somewhat nostalgic atmosphere of the open-air cinema, painters and their canvases and a glass of excellent wine..." See more on the official website. 

(Art Park Farm Facebook)

Art Park Zagreb is a newly rejuvenated park. Located in the city center between Zagreb Strossmayer Promenade and Tomićeva street. Enjoy a great atmosphere during numerous free events take place in the Art Park green oasis.

TIP: ARTISTS ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE WELCOME TO LEAVE THEIR MARK AND CONTRIBUTE TO THIS EVER-CHANGING OPEN ART GALLERY.

Art Park Zagreb project started in 2016. and it is successfully improving Zagreb summer since. This beautiful, but once derelict park is located in the city center. It has been revitalized and became Croatia’s first Street Art Park.

Art Park is being held at a new location, Ribnjak park, as well as the Matoš u Ribičiji (Matoš at Ribnjak) project. You can visit the official Art Park Zagreb website here.

Or explore the city as a family in a way that was impossible until recently with Zagreb Time Travel, a fantastic AR/VR journey into Zagreb's past meeting its fascinating characters from yesteryear as you explore the city.  

Don't miss Summer at Tehnički 2020 - "Daily parties with DJs, theatre and dance shows and performances, plus art exhibitions by young artists and curators, occasional pub quizzes..."

(Photo Nikola Madunovic, Ljepotu.hr)

And for a little movie culture, check out the Tuškanac Summer Stage - "The Tuškanac Summer Stage was opened on July 6, 1954 but ceased to function around 1970 and was forgotten for 42 years until the restoration and the new re-opening on June 27, 2012. Even though most citizens experience the Summer Stage only as an open-air cinema, the stage is also suitable for a variety of performative projects. The seating area of the auditorium is made of wooden benches and can accommodate about 700 visitors. The film program consists of collaboration with several film festivals throughout the summer season.

Zagreb after the earthquake is coming back to life enchantingly. Come and see for yourself. 

July 6, 2020 - After medical staff, firefighters, historical units and others, members of the Split Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired pilgrimaged to Our Lady of Sinj on Saturday, accompanied by friends, family members and priests.

Let us remind you that the occasional pilgrimages were initiated to popularize the Our Lady of Sinj Trail through the Revitalization of the Our Lady of Sinj Trail project. On Saturday, the pilgrims left at 7 am from Dicmo from the church of St. Jakov and Ana, and arrived in Sinj around 12 pm.

Upon arrival in Sinj, the pilgrims visited the Sinjska Alka Museum, where they were welcomed by the head of the museum Boris Filipović Grčić, and guided through the museum by curator Tomislav Barhanović. After that, they walked the streets of the city and arrived at the Church of Miraculous Lady of Sinj, where a Mass was celebrated.

These pilgrimages are conceived as a novena on the Saturday before the celebration of the Assumption of Mary. Therefore, the Sinj Tourist Board continues to invite all those interested in joining them in this unique and noble journey with reflection and meditation towards the largest Mary shrine in southern Croatia, the shrine of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj.

July 6, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split, Dubrovnik and Pula.

Croatian Aviation reports that the British leisure airline, Jet2, is introducing numerous routes from the UK to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula.

Following the decision to lift the mandatory 14-day self-isolation upon arrival in the UK from Croatia, the company has confirmed the launch of its seasonal lines by which many British tourists come on holiday to Croatia.

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

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From mid-July, Jet2 will launch as many as 12 direct lines from Great Britain to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula. Certain routes have been canceled, while the number of weekly flights has been reduced for all routes.

Lines to Dubrovnik

the Birmingham - Dubrovnik line is introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, from July 18,

the London - Dubrovnik line is introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, from July 18,

the Manchester - Dubrovnik line is introduced, 3 times a week (Thu, Sat, Sun), from July 16,

the Newcastle - Dubrovnik line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from 19 July.

Lines to Split

the Birmingham - Split line is introduced, twice a week (Wed, Sun), from July 15,

the East Midlands - Split line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Leeds - Split line is introduced, once a week, on Saturdays, from July 18,

the London - Split line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Manchester - Split line is introduced, twice a week (Tue, Sat), from July 18.

Lines to Pula

the Birmingham - Pula line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Leeds - Pula line is introduced, once a week, on Sundays, from July 19,

the Manchester - Pula line is introduced, twice a week (Thu, Sun), from July 19.

B737-800 aircraft with a capacity of 189 seats in the fleet of this carrier has been announced on the routes.

ZAGREB, July 6, 2020 - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Monday congratulated the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on their convincing victory in the July 5 parliamentary election, noting that there was room for the improvement of bilateral relations.

"I congratulate Andrej Plenkovic and the HDZ on their convincing victory. I am confident that there is room for the improvement of relations between Serbia and Croatia," Vucic said on Twitter.

The HDZ won 66 votes in Sunday's parliamentary vote, and on the same day the Serbian electoral commission published official results of the June 21 election in Serbia, and of a repeated vote on July 1, at which Vucic's Serbian Progressive Party won 188 seats in the 250-seat parliament.

For more on the Croatian elections, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

As many third country nationals without legal residence here struggle to find a way to get into Croatia securely without being sent back home, EU citizens are still finding it relatively easy.

As Novac writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted a decision on the classification of countries into three categories, following which different levels of epidemiological measures are applied. Croatia was briefly on the green list, but has since been moved to the yellow list, which means that entry into Slovenia without quarantine is allowed to all Slovenian citizens, foreigners with permanent or temporary residence in Slovenia, EU citizens or and citizens of Schengen member states, with the exception of Sweden and Portugal.

For third-country nationals who don't hold temporart or permanent residence in Slovenia, a fourteen-day quarantine is mandatory upon entry into Slovenia. Guests and tourists who come to Croatia from other EU countries and on their way back from Croatia only pass through Slovenia can return to their homes without any restrictions.

"The epidemiological picture on the Croatian coast is still among the best in the Mediterranean, and so far, since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been no case of infection of tourists staying in commercial accommodation facilities, which confirms the work of the health system, civil protection and the security level in facilities and tourist companies is at the highest level. All guests who come to Croatia are safe and welcome,'' said Veljko Ostojic, director of the Croatian Tourism Association.

All citizens of the Republic of Slovenia who go to Croatia can return home without any problems with proof of residence in Croatia, but that isn't the case for neighbouring Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northern Macedonia or Kosovo, ie, for the countries on the "red list". They can do this if they show proof of accommodation, proof of ownership of a property or a vessel, as well as proof of payment of any accompanying fees. Additionally, all guests from other European countries will not have any problems passing through Slovenia on their way home.

According to the Croatian National Tourist Board, over 1.7 million tourists have visited Croatia since the beginning of the year, with over 8.7 million overnight stays having been realised.

In order to prevent crowds on the border with Croatia, all guests are advised to fill out the form available on entercroatia.mup.hr before setting off on their journeys.

As of yesterday, at the road border crossings Bregana, Macelj, Rupa and Plovanija, there are special lanes for guests who have filled in and submitted the Enter Croatia form before arrival.

For more, follow our travel page.

As Novac/Zlatko Simic writes on the 4th of July, 2020, Milan Majerovic-Stilinovic, head of communications at HDS ZAMP, spoke to Jutarnji list about the coronafund for musicians.

Judging by the performances of musicians, the coronavirus pandemic has brought this industry to its knees. Both the known and the unknown have their respective existential worries. What does ZAMP’s data on revenue decline from March to July say?

The figures aren't good, because they reflect the situation in which the entire music industry finds itself both here in Croatia and across the world: the total revenues of HDS ZAMP from all sources already fell by 30 percent in March this year when compared to March last year. April was even worse, with the absence of music events and the absence of payment for music licenses for most business users, the drop in revenue compared to April 2019 was as much as 72 percent. During June, the situation improved, but it's still impossible to be optimistic.

But radio stations and television channels still see the performances of Croatian artists. Where are the biggest losses?

They refer to those users who didn't work during the lockdown and didn't even receive any music license bills. Along with the cafes, clubs, restaurants and hotels, the biggest losses come from the concert industry. This year there are no big summer festivals, concerts in arenas, there are almost no city events and there aren't really even any weddings or similar smaller events... Of course, it isn't only the songwriters who are affected, but also the whole chain, from the performers, concert organisers and promoters, lighting technicians... Everyone's hands are tied because of this situation until further notice.

What measures have you taken to assist your members in receiving payment from the three aid packages?

The Croatian Society of Composers paid its members a total of 800,000 kuna in the form of aid from the Solidarity Fund, which otherwise, on an annual basis, amounts to 50,000 kuna. This speaks volumes about the seriousness with which the HDS approached the crisis: this amount was distributed to a total of 90 regular and associate members, ie, those most affected by the coronavirus crisis, as well as those who suffered damage during the Zagreb earthquake.

The public was quite appalled by some of the names asking for help. By what criteria were the most vulnerable members selected?

First of all, regular members of the society were helped, all 36 of them, who suffered significant losses or damage during the earthquake due to the inability to conduct their business, which they proved when applying for the tender with records, personal statements, etc. 54 associate members of the society, in accordance with their asset and family status, also received help from us. HDS has only seriously considered applications from people who see music authorship as an important source of their income in life, not just an occasional occupation.

Now concerts and summer tours are being postponed again, and even in the campaign it wasn't possible to sing. Bands and singers who make their living from concerts are in the most difficult position. How else can ZAMP help them?

The real losses will be known in autumn when many, including musicians, will feel a decline in their income. HDS ZAMP is preparing a special ''coronafund'' for this period, and is actively working on the monetisation of online content to monitor the transition from real stages to virtual ones. We're monitoring all funds and sources of help for creatives, so we're inform our members about them, and we're also helping out legally.

A small number of songwriters live well on royalties. Did any of these famous names remember their colleagues who sang their songs and set up a special aid fund for them out of solidarity?

The performers were taken care of quickly and correctly by their umbrella association, the Croatian Music Union, through its funds and tenders.

You've been in this industry for years, how do you explain that after so many concerts, sold records and performances in the diaspora and at weddings, many don't even have any money in their socks after a couple of months?

That's nothing new, just like other industries, some musicians are skilled entrepreneurs who will make ten kuna from one kuna tomorrow, and some spend everything on the way out of the bar where they earned it. In recent years, the situation has been very favourable for most musicians, various types and forms of music have been used more and more, tourism has grown, and with it, the entertainment industry has too. No one even thought that such a tectonic disturbance could possibly occur.

But I read on your website that 23 songs are submitted daily, and the activity during the coronavirus pandemic increased by 45 percent when compared to last year. What does all that mean?

This means that most of them still used isolation creatively, either for bursts of inspiration or for arranging and finishing the songs that were sitting in the drawer. I hope that this will be one of the positive aspects of this situation and that they will satisfy the artistic needs of the audience, but also the material needs of their authors, once the music business starts up again in full force.

What's the situation in the countries around us, including in the EU?

The situation in Croatia is still significantly better than it is in most other countries, especially in those in our immediate region. For example, despite all of the challenges of doing business in the middle of a pandemic, HDS ZAMP successfully realised as many as two royalty calculations in April and June. These amounts have helped many authors to overcome the crisis period more easily, although we, like other countries and societies in the region, are facing a difficult winter period and a significant drop in revenue, perhaps 50 million kuna in total.

As a longtime journalist, what do you miss about your old job? I'd bet you're making a documentary about the Croatian music industry?

You'd lose that bet, but you're not far wrong - I've been hiking a lot in recent years and spending time in nature. So, just today my first book ''What I Learned on the Mountain'' came out. It contains 50 short ''stories in progress''. In musical terms, I don’t know if the book will be a hit, I'd be happy for it to become and remain a slow-burning evergreen.

For more on the coronafund and life during the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia, follow our lifestyle page.

ZAGREB, July 6, 2020 - Political analysts Davor Gjenero, Vjekoslav Raos and Nikola Baketa said on Sunday, after preliminary election results were released, that the new government could be formed soon considering the convincing victory of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

"Plenkovic has evidently won a mandate to form the government without coalition partners, in cooperation with minority representatives only. We have not had such a situation since 2003 and under the current election law, Plenkovic has won the best result for HDZ in its history," said Gjenero.

Raos said the HDZ's unexpectedly convincing victory showed that Plenkovic's tactic with calling early elections before a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic and the economic repercussions of the lockdown had proved to be the right one.

Baketa also noted that the turnout of less than 50% played into Plenkovic's hands.

The analysts believe that the government will be formed relatively quickly, with Baketa saying that 66 seats is a comfortable negotiating position should there be a need for talks on a coalition.

"It would be very good for Croatia to have a stable parliamentary majority because of the difficult situation that is to follow. It would be good if the HDZ could also secure additional support, not necessarily by offering participation in the government, but through programme cooperation with some parties," Baketa believes.

Gjenero believes that SDP leader Davor Bernardic should step down, while Raos believes that the poor result of the RESTART coalition is due to a bad order of candidates on slates as well as television debates, which have additionally discouraged centre-left voters from supporting RESTART.

Baketa believes that the second biggest election loser is the Homeland Movement, which had expected 20-30 parliamentary seats and a strong role in the government.

Gjenero said he believed that the Homeland Movement was a party financed with Russian money.

Raos believes that Croatia has leaned to the right due to the 16 seats won by the Homeland Movement as well as that it has accepted the status quo by giving strong support to HDZ.

The analysts said that the green-left coalition We Can! had scored a very good election result, with Gjenero noting that that group of civil society professionals had used their skills in the campaign in a very good way.

Baketa believes the We Can! coalition used the political stage it had in the Zagreb City Assembly to present itself to voters as a new camp and that it has won over not only voters of RESTART or the SDP but also a lot of undecided voters and people who did not previously take part in elections.

Gjenero said that Bridge, which had expected fewer seats than it won, had decided to become a clericalist party, a platform supported by a certain number of voters and infrastructure provided by civil society activist Zeljka Markic.

As for the significant difference between election results and party approval ratings, Baketa said that opinion polls did not serve to predict the election outcome but give an insight into the situation at the time when they are conducted.

Raos said that this was also due to a low turnout as well as the fact that polls insufficiently cover voters right of the centre, that most polls are conducted nation-wide while only a few were conducted at the level of constituencies.

Also problematic is the fact that a relatively small number of polls were conducted since January, around 20 by three agencies, he said.

"Parties that can afford internal polls conduct them. HDZ claimed that internal polls showed a much better result for the party and it seems they were right," said Raos.

Djenero believes that HDZ supporters are very reluctant to talk about their political preferences, hence the difference between the actual election result and the polls. 

"Our analysts do not make election forecasts but rather only present the results of opinion polls. A forecast of the election outcome requires much more than that," he said.

For more on the Croatian elections, visit the dedicated TCN section. 

As Morski writes on the 4th of July, 2020, a beautiful fin whale was spotted recently swimming peacefully in the bay of Omisalj. This species of whale's closest relative is the enormous blue whale, otherwise the largest animal on Earth.

''I think you can hear from my voice in the video how excited I was. It was pure luck that I was looking in the right direction at the right time and that the whale decided to take another breath before diving back down. If I hadn’t been able to record those few seconds, nobody would have believed me. Professor Magda Sindicic from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine identified him as a great northern whale, referred me to their database and I entered the sighting data. Honestly, I didn’t want to make the video public purely because I didn't want someone to upset him. But my friends wanted to share it and now a lot of people have seen it. I hope that it won't harm him,'' the author of the video, Goran Mehanovic, told the Bodulija.net portal.

Great northern whales are protected by law and are on the endangered species list. They usually come to the Adriatic in search of food, most often for small blue fish and planktonic shrimp. The animal is on average 20 metres long and weighs 70 tonnes.

Fin whales live in all of the world's oceans. They spend their summers in polar or moderately cold waters, and in winter they come to moderately warm and tropical seas. As the seasons are reversed in the northern hemisphere when compared to the southern hemisphere, they're never encountered at the equator. Some zoologists consider these to be two separate subspecies: the northern fin (B.p.physalus) and the southern fin (B.p. quoyi).

Whale fins live in groups of 5 to, possibly, 10 animals. Before whaling, there were "schools" of fin whales and up to 300 animals in them. They swim faster and dive deeper than most other large whales. They can swim at a speed of about 37 km/h and regularly dive to a depth of 200 metres, staying under the water for fifteen minutes at a time. These whales feed almost exclusively on krill. They feed, much like the blue whale, exclusively in their summer habitats, and during the winter they consume their fat stores.

They only have one baby, and the mother gives birth to it when she arrives at her summer residence. The baby is about 6.5 metres long and weighs 1,800 kilograms at birth. They reach sexual maturity at the age of about 10, and live to be more than 100 years old.

Watch the video taken near Omisalj below:

For more, follow our lifestyle page.