International Cuisine in Zagreb: Curry Bowl
August 3, 2020 - Continuing our series on Zagreb’s international food offer and the stories behind these cuisines and businesses. This time, the unique Sri Lankan cuisine offered by Curry Bowl
Spicy eats are best friends with beer, so it's no surprise to find several of the city's international food outlets on Zagreb's popular promenade of pivo, Tkalčićeva. Greek, Turkish and two of the city's Indian food outlets are located here, one of the latter being Curry Bowl. Owned by brothers Clement and Brian Senaratne, who also run the city centre's The Whole Wide World hostel, their small outdoor terrace is the perfect (and only) place to familiarise yourself with the food of the brother's native Sri Lanka. Situated over 1400 kilometres off the coast India, Sri Lankan cuisine is wholly different from anything you'd find on the mainland. Curry Bowl's salads, soups and curries are the perfect introductions to the island's distinct dishes, although for first-time visitors we strongly recommend trying the satisfying kotthu - a dish of chopped vegetables and egg, flavoured with garlic, ginger, lemongrass, curry leaves, spices and with a selection of meats and/or cheese as additional extras
Clement, Tamara and Brian Senaratne © Curry Bowl
Brian Senaratne: I came here in 2014 and my brother came to visit me in 2015. We did a trip around Europe together as he was due to marry the next year. We got to Amsterdam and my brother realised how much Zagreb had impressed him, so we came back. That's when the idea of our business was born. We'd been planning a change in our careers, to lose the suit and tie. I spent 13 years working for Microsoft and Clement worked in sales, first in telecommunications, then in insurance.
Clement Senaratne: My visit to Europe was in August, I went back home to get married in October, we came back to Zagreb in November and we opened the business in December.
Brian Senaratne: What we have created here is curry dishes that are comfortable for Europeans. We haven't played around with the flavours, it's still very authentic, but not everything is super hot and spicy. We offer different levels of spice, so you can choose. Moreover, the way the meals are presented is very different. In most parts of Asia, the food is presented to everyone in the middle of the table. We all eat the same and we eat with our hands. Here in Europe, everyone orders what they want to eat individually. And, of course they use a knife and fork. Actually, quite often people ask us if we use chopsticks to eat Sri Lankan food, ha! We don't.
The main difference between Sri Lankan food and food from the rest of India is that we use a lot of coconut. On the mainland, they use a lot of ghee, milk, curds and yoghurt. Dairy products. India is a big place, they have 62 different dialects and the food is just as varied. Our food is more like that from the south of Indian, similar spices, but we are an island. Therefore, the influence of other countries on our cuisine has been minimal. Sri Lankan cuisine has been preserved and is today much the same as it has been for hundreds of years.
© Curry Bowl
The spicing we use most frequently here is Sri Lankan curry powder. Every region has its own curry powder, its own unique blend of spices. The typical Sri Lankan curry powder has five to seven ingredients. We import two types of curry powder direct from organic producers in Sri Lanka, one for vegetarian dishes, the other for meat dishes. Almost every other ingredient we use here is produced in Croatia. We only import a few very specialised products, such as Sri Lankan Lion beer and King Coconut Water, which is Sri Lanka's favourite refreshment drink. The most popular dish on our menu is Kotthu, which is Sri Lanka's most famous street food. It's a mixture of roti, curry sauce, egg, vegetables and whichever meat you choose.
Clement Senaratne: After the restaurant was up and running, in 2016 we opened Curry Bowl on Obonjan island. It's open every summer except this summer. In 2017 we opened The Whole Wide World Hostel on Britanski trg in Zagreb. In 2018 we became distributors for Lion beer in Croatia. Our next step is to try and take the Curry Bowl brand outside of Croatia. 
© Curry Bowl
Brian Senaratne: What is the main difference between social life in Sri Lanka compared to that in Zagreb? Clement, maybe your wife can give her perspective? She travels very regularly between Zagreb and Sri Lanka for modelling work as she is a former Miss Sri Lanka.
Tamara Senaratne: I love it here. The culture is just so different. I love the scenery too. For women in Sri Lanka, it doesn't always feel safe to walk on the streets. Here I feel completely safe, I feel a lot more free. The upbringing is just so different. In Sri Lanka, boys and girls are separated in education from a really young age.
Brian Senaratne: The British system! That comes from you guys, ha!
Tamara Senaratne: Ha! The result is that when you leave school you're not that familiar with the opposite sex, you don't know how to act with one another. I think a lot of people there have difficulty with that. When I came here, I was amazed that I could walk around at 10pm or 11pm on my own and feel completely safe.
Brian Senaratne: The scenery here in Zagreb is particularly enjoyable, especially the centre. We don't really have one central city that has developed in such a way in Sri Lanka, because each time we got new rulers – the British, the Dutch, the Portuguese – they changed where the capital was. The people we have met here, both in business and socially, have been very polite and welcoming. One of the most recent topics of discussion globally has been Black Lives Matter. I can honestly say we have not seen or experienced anything like that, any racism, while we've been here. We're very happy here.
Curry Bowl is located at Tkalčićeva 44
© Curry Bowl
You can read the introduction to our series on Zagreb international cuisine and the first installment here
To follow our whole series on international cuisine and to follow the Croatian restaurant and gastro scene, keep an eye on our Gourmet pages here
International Cuisine in Zagreb: Namaste
July 24, 2020 - Zagreb's food offer has grown considerably in quality and choice over the last decade, with Michelin stars galore and an exciting range of international cuisine options. We continue our look at some of the best new outlets offering meals never previously available in the Croatian capital, getting the story behind these businesses and their food. In this installment, we look at the authentic Indian cuisine and fine dining experience of Namaste
Attempts at offering international cuisine are not entirely new in Zagreb. But, quite a few who've tried have done little but that; try. Under-spiced, lazy and way off-mark, some approximations of exotic foreign dishes leave many an international visitor to Zagreb feeling underwhelmed. Situated across from Studenski Dom Stjepan Radić, a ten-minute tram ride from the city centre, Namaste is the total antithesis to such disappointments. Offering wholly authentic Indian cuisine and specialising in the menu of the subcontinent's south, Namaste is 100% the real deal.
An expansive set up with an exquisitely designed interior, this restaurant excels at offering a formal dining experience that will be a voyage of flavour discovery to the uninitiated. Prawn, fish, lamb and chicken curries are accompanied on the menu by freshly-prepared speciality breads, rice, salads, skewered kebabs and a myriad of paired sauces and chutneys, with a huge range of unmissable vegetarian options. To anyone passionate about food, a visit to Namaste is simply a must.
Dev Raj, proprietor of Namaste © Vedran Pažin
Interviewer: Hello Dev Raj! Raj means king, doesn't it?
Dev means God and, yes, Raj means king.
Interviewer: So, there's no mistaking you are the boss here!
Ha! I guess not. I was born and brought up in the south of India, in Bangalore, one of the biggest cities in the world. I first came to Croatia in 2004. I travel extensively. My main business is in granite and marble. It's the family business. We used to export a lot of it from India into Italy, especially Verona. I had an opportunity to go into the hospitality business in Croatia and that's the reason I first came. I subsequently set up in Croatia as the European base for the family business and we import our granite and marble through here to all regions of the Balkans and Europe.
The next business we moved into was the export of timber from here. We send timber from Croatia to India, Vietnam, UAE and China. Croatia has some of the best timber in the world. Certainly, the oak from here is among the best. If you go to a store like Oak Furniture Land in the UK, which has around 100 stores, probably 90% of the oak furniture they have comes from Croatia, although few people know that, because it first goes to Vietnam or China before being sent to the UK. Croatia also has excellent beech. We process the wood here, ship it to be made into furniture and then it is exported to places like the UK. It's a massive industry. On any given day, such exports from China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia total not less than $500 – 600 million.
Namaste © Vedran Pažin
We started the Namaste restaurant just over two years ago. It is my passion. I always wanted to have a restaurant here and I wanted to do it right. Croatia has been good to me and I wanted to be able to give something back, something really authentic. All of our spices, rice and even the wheat flour we use comes from India, every 15 days, via London. All of the vegetables, meat and herbs we use are produced here in Croatia.
Food is different all over India. When you go to the south, where we are from, you see people eating more rice and things made from rice flour, such as dosa, which are like pancakes or igli, which is like a dumpling. Biryani is from there. Every state in the south of India has its own distinct flavours. Our food is very rich in spices and therefore very rich in flavour and in medicinal value. Alternatively, in the north of India, everything is based around the oven, like a Tandor clay oven. More bread, more wheat and spices which make the dishes hotter, because it's colder up there. We feature some cuisine from the north in our menu here.
We have a total of nine chefs in the restaurant. All of them are Indian and three of them used to work in London, so they are used to cooking for the European palette. All of them have experience working in 5-star hotels. Most of my waiting staff are also from India, the rest are from Croatia. Ours is one of the largest restaurants in south-east Europe and we set the bar extremely high. It is more like a fine dining restaurant. A lot of consideration went into the design and the furnishings and the staff always look spick and span. We selected the best of the best wine after pairing it with our food, which is normally not done. We made sure we got everything right. After a few months of being open, it worked and we could see some of the same faces coming back time and time again. We are full every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Before Corona, you would have needed a reservation to be able to eat here on one of those nights. The people who come have grown to love the flavours we do. Every time they come, they can count of the flavours being consistent and the meals just as delicious as the last time they ate here.
Namaste © Vedran Pažin
The most popular dishes here are the butter chicken, the chicken biryani and the dosa. They also love the lamb seekh, which I guess is a bit like the Indian ćevapi. My personal favourites? I love the daal, it's excellent. I also love the Chicken Chettinad curry, which is an authentic dish from the south of India, and the garlic naan. I also love the fish dishes. The chef responsible for the fish dishes is really one of the best guys in the world at making that style. He was famed for doing so in southern India before I persuaded him to come here. We only use fresh Croatian fish in such dishes and we use Orada and Brancin, the best we can get. Everything we make is first tasted and quality checked before being put onto the plate and presented to the diner.
What do I think of Croatia as a country in which to do business? It's a good question, a hard question. It's a very small country for me to have come to for our international family business. But, to its advantage, it is located very centrally in Europe. East and south-east Europe are incredibly accessible from here and there are two beautiful ports in Ploce and Rijeka. If I want to travel anywhere else in Europe, I can do so from any of the large number of airports they have here. So, for good connections and logistics, Croatia gets an A star. For nature too, also an A star - Croatia has the best beaches and coast plus incredible natural resources. These are the plus points. But, they still have some distance left to travel in regards to accommodating foreign business.
Namaste © Vedran Pažin
For instance, if you're a businessman or entrepreneur who wants to come and set up a business in Croatia, this first step of setting up a company is easy. Employing local staff is also very easy. But, if you want to bring in specialist staff from another country, it's a huge risk, because they will only guarantee their working visa for one year. If I want to invest $100, 000 to 1 million here, why can I not bring my specialist, experienced staff from another territory in order that it succeeds? It's a huge risk that their visa will not be extended. One good aspect is that you can approach anyone for help – the bureaucrat or even the minister – and tell them what you need. You can get that access. They will listen and understand, although sometimes the reaction can be very slow and there's always a huge amount of paperwork. They love their paperwork. They need to get rid of a lot of that. And they need to set up a standard window of opportunity for investors from any region, with a full package designed to assist you in setting up business here. If they did that, the GDP could double within 10 years. It's a slow progress that has been taking place since independence and the war. But, God has given them the best resources and the people are good, so I believe they will get there.
Namaste is located at Selska cesta 217
Namaste © Vedran Pažin
You can read the introduction to our series on Zagreb international cuisine and the first installment here
To follow our whole series on international cuisine and to follow the Croatian restaurant and gastro scene, keep an eye on our Gourmet pages here
An Expat Guide to International Zagreb Cuisine: Lazeez Lebanese Cafe
August 29, 2020 - Lazeez Lebanese cafe
Introduction
The construction work never ends. Ask any resident of Zagreb trying to sleep through summer with the window open, they'll tell you. When city streets fell silent during the height of the Corona lockdown, you could still hear the cranes, the steel, the engines, the profanity. Office blocks interrupt the horizon. Roads - wide like rivers in spring - appease the ever-increasing flow of traffic from the suburbs. And, yes, water erupts from all new fountains. Under the mayorship of Milan Bandić, the Croatian capital's appearance has changed considerably in the last 10 - 15 years.
But, beyond the reshaped streets and skyline, what kind of city will the mayor bequeath when he eventually leaves office? Over recent times, one heralded achievement has been that Zagreb has become a multi-ethnic, multicultural European capital. And, whether you're a fan of the mayor or not, you cannot deny that's true. The gangs of tourists guided around summertime streets are not the only exotic new additions here. In the last decade, Zagreb's population has evolved to embrace folks from all over the world. And nowhere is this more noticeable than in choice of food on offer.
Where once you'd have struggled to find much beyond pekara and pizza, burger and burek, ćevapi and the odd Chinese, Zagreb's food menu now boasts cuisine from all over the world. And, as new arrivals have broadened the palette of the city, just as many locals have been inspired to offer alternative eats. In this series, we'll take a look at some of the best that's now on offer and get the story behind these businesses and their food.
Lazeez Lebanese cafe
Located next the Tuškanova tram stop, just a few minutes walk from Kvaternikov trg or Džamija (Meštrović Pavilion / Home of Croatian Artists), Lazeez is an informal cafe and takeaway that specialises in the food of Lebanon, where owner Ihab Abisaid originally comes from. In warmer months, there are few greater rewards after a morning's shopping on the outdoor market, Tržnice Kvatrić, than relaxing on the covered terrace of Lazeez, snacking on a salad or the best hummus in the city. For dinner, they offer a range of platters and authentic kebab-like wraps, popular middle-eastern dips, falafel and hot, filled flatbreads called arays.
Ihab Abisaid © Total Croatia News
I left Lebanon in 1993 and went to Moscow, where I finished Dental school. In 2011 I came here and opened the city's first Lebanese restaurant on Radnička. I worked there for two years and then went back to Moscow. But, I missed Zagreb. My whole family love Zagreb. It's so safe here and the weather is so much better. It's a great place to raise a family.
I came back in 2018 and ran a restaurant on Tkalčićeva with a partner, before moving here to set up Lazeez on my own. I go back to Lebanon twice every year to visit my extended family. Although I'm not Muslim, we don't use any pork meat here simply because it just isn't used in Lebanese food. In Lebanese cuisine there are lots of vegetarian dishes, especially salads and dips, and lots of barbecued dishes. Sesame oil, sesame paste, and tahini are key ingredients. We use them in dips like hummus, which is made from chickpeas, and muhamara, which is made with walnuts. We make falafel from chickpeas and our sandwich wraps are flavoured with Lebanese sauces, which are a completely different flavour to what you can find elsewhere in Croatia.
Falafel and side dishes at Lazeez © Veki Pazin
I think people enjoy the food here because it's natural and healthy, as well as being delicious. We use fresh herbs every day – parsley, mint and coriander. The spices we use are more exotic than you would find in local cuisine. Cumin features a lot and there is a classic Lebanese mix that contains seven spices in measured amounts. We use that often, especially in the meat dishes, and it's key to giving our food its Lebanese identity. Lebanese food is quite spicy, but it's not hot, like with too much chilli. The spices we use add flavour, not heat.
© Veki Pazin
I employ several members of staff here. Our full-time chef is from Syria and she is essential - Syrian food is quite similar to Lebanese. Before Corona we had one guy from Algeria working here, but the rest of the staff are Croatian. On our terrace every day you can meet people from many different countries and cultures, although most of our customers are Croatian. Zagreb has changed greatly since 2011. For me, what's most noticeable is the change in mentality. People are a lot more open now, accepting of outsiders and willing to try new things, like our food. I think people are more interested in eating healthy now, too.
You can find Lazeez Lebanese cafe at Zvonimirova 59
New 96 Patients with COVID in Croatia, Currently 728 Active Cases
ZAGREB, July 3, 2020 - In the last 24 hours, 96 out of 1,464 tests performed in Croatia for Sars-CoV-2 have returned positive, the national COVID-19 crisis response team stated on Friday.
Currently, there are 728 active cases, and of the 88 are receiving hospital treatment, including four placed on ventilators.
In the last 24 hours, there have been two more deaths in connection with this infection, bringing the death toll to 112.
Currently, 4,943 persons are placed in self-isolation.
Since 25 February, when the country reported its first confirmed case of this communicable disease, a total of 3,008 people have been diagnosed with it.
To date, 2,168 have fully recovered.
Svilaj Bridge Between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina Completed
ZAGREB, July 3, 2020 - The 660-meter-long Svilaj bridge across the Sava River at the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina has been completely built, and will be put into use once Bosnia and Herzegovina finish access roads from its side, the Croatia motorway operator (HAC) stated on Friday.
The construction of the bridge, worth 171.8 million kunas, started in 2016.
This is a joint investment of Croatia's HAC and the relevant authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the project was financed by Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina at a ratio of 50:50 with 58% of Croatia's share part being covered by EU funds from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF).
The 29-meter-wide bridge has six lanes.
The bridge is on the pan-European Vc corridor route between Budapest via Osijek and Sarajevo to the Croatian seaport in Ploce.
Skoro: HDZ, SDP Agree About Their Interests
ZAGREB, July 3, 2020 - Homeland Movement leader Miroslav Skoro accused the HDZ and the SDP on Friday of agreeing about their interests, although they were supposed to be political opponents, for example, that it was not necessary to amend the election law or revoke their perks.
Speaking at the final campaign press conference, Skoro said he was not worried about the election results because he believed in a better tomorrow, but that he was worried about a deep rift in Croatian society given that 50% of eligible citizens did not wish to vote.
"We are offering this state the possibility to make a move with good far-reaching consequences. They are offering another move with bad consequences."
Skoro said he feared what would happen after Sunday's election because the epidemiological situation was not good. "The whole world is closing again, only we are opening and exposing ourselves in the interest of one man and two parties, Andrej Plenkovic, in the interest of the HDZ and the SDP."
Plenkovic and Bernardic can't be prime ministers
Asked if he was willing to sit down on Monday and talk about the next government, Skoro said the Homeland Movement was willing to talk with anyone who wished Croatia well. He added, however, that neither HDZ president Plenkovic nor SDP president Davor Bernardic could be a prime minister.
Skoro said he did not think a new election would be called because there were enough smart and wise people who would recognise the need to remove Plenkovic and Bernardic.
Paradiso Bar: The Place to Spend Your Saturday Night in Split
July 3, 2020 - What would a Split summer be without cool cocktails, live music, and lounge bar vibes? Paradiso Bar has it all.
Temperatures are rising in Split, and yet another Dalmatian summer is well and truly on its way. And without the usual seasonal crowds in the city center (yet), we're able to enjoy some of Split's best charms almost to ourselves.
One of Split's best-kept secrets is Paradiso Bar, a sleek and sexy cocktail bar sandwiched between the famous Marmontova shopping street and celebrity steakhouse Chops Grill. Whether it's your summer sanctuary or your winter wonderland, Paradiso is tried and true in everything they do.
With the summer season kicking off, Paradiso has spiced up its weekend evenings with live music to accompany their selection of signature cocktails, many of which are created using fresh-squeezed juices to help keep you cool in the Split heat. Whether you choose a tangy Paloma or want to keep things classy with an Espresso Martini, the cocktail masters at Paradiso can satisfy any palate, and at promotional prices, ranging from 48-52 kuna!
But those tempting cocktails aren't the only reason you should head to Paradiso this weekend.
Aligned with the summer theme, it's only appropriate that Paradiso is calling in Sunny Day Band to play for you this Saturday, July 4. This popular band combines a mix of saxophone, acoustic guitar and female vocals and performs a repertoire of music styles from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Forgetting your dancing shoes would be a big mistake.
And if, by chance, you plan on coming with a group of friends this weekend and don't want to fuss over the cocktail list - yes, Paradiso has bottle service, too. Beginning at 480 kuna, you can grab a bottle and four mixers of your choice. Keep in mind that prices vary, and bottle service can hit 720 kuna depending on the label you choose.
The Paradiso fun starts this Saturday at 9 pm. Table reservations can be made by calling 091 365 0000.
Keep up with Paradiso Bar on their Facebook page
To read more about Split, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Croatian Police: Special Entry Lanes at Borders for Enter Croatia System Users
July 3, 2020 - Croatian police have announced some interesting breaking news on how to enter Croatia on their Twitter feed.
Važna obavijest‼️
— MUP-RH (@mup_rh) July 3, 2020
Kako bi skratili vrijeme prelaska preko državne granice i omogućili bolju protočnost, na graničnim prijelazima poput Bregane, Macelja, Rupe i Plovanije, obilježene su posebne trake koje će moći koristiti putnici najavljeni putem sustava Enter Croatia ?️ ? pic.twitter.com/dSuLpRMFfn
In English, what they're announcing is that they've installed special lanes for easier entry into Croatia for those who have used the Enter Croatia system, and filled out the border entry forms there. Those passengers will be able to cross the Croatian border much more easily and faster at the Bregana, Macelj, Rupa, and Plovanija border-crossings to Slovenia (which are the border crossings where usually most traffic jams occur, as most passengers arrive in Croatia from there).
This is one more reason to fill out the paperwork at https://entercroatia.mup.hr/, as the new lanes could really speed-up your entry into Croatia - during the weekend that starts today, we're expecting to see lanes forming at the borders, so do yourselves a favour and enter Croatia through the literal fast-lane!
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
'Dubrovnik - Safe Vacation' Animation Biggest Tourism Fail of Summer?
July 3, 2020 - The animated film 'Dubrovnik - Safe Vacation' is part of the marketing campaign of the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board to revitalize tourism post-corona.
Dubrovacki Dnevnik reports that the 1.33-minute long cartoon, worth 100 thousand kuna, was to be placed on domestic and foreign markets, on airplanes and on cruisers that might have sailed to Dubrovnik in 2020. The City and the Tourist Board decided to step outside of the advertising box and show the beautiful Dubrovnik in a different light. While some applauded the campaign, others are laughing.
The animated video, which has since been removed on YouTube but can be seen on Vimeo, features Knight Orlando, who tells viewers about the beginnings of quarantine in Lazareti in 1377 and explains how to fight epidemics, while presenting the beauties and offers of Dubrovnik. Orlando emphasizes that Dubrovnik is still a safe city that cares about health. 'We knew then, we know today' is the conclusion of the animation, which aimed to attract tourists to this 'safe' Croatian destination.
"If, for example, they were British, would they decide to visit Dubrovnik because of the animation?", the former Minister of Tourism Pave Zupan Ruskovic said briefly.
Of course not.
The cartoon talks about what the Republic did centuries ago and 'what it did then is certainly not a guarantee that it will work today'.
"People are interested in what has been done today in that sense, if that is their motive for coming. To claim that we are a corona-free destination at the moment is an unreasonable message. It should be realistic because the worst is when the guest feels cheated, and it is the biggest possible anti-advertising," says Ruskovic. She thinks it's good if the animated film is intended for the youngest, but she also wonders if the children even know who Orlando is?'
The long-time leader of the Croatian Tourist Board and former Minister of Tourism Niko Bulic believes that 'the animated film tells the story and now is the time to attack and attract attention'.
"We are here, we are safe, we are beautiful, come! I would go the other way around, with stronger messages, invitations, emphasizing the beauties of Dubrovnik. Like other countries, go with a direct message," believes Bulic, who sees the biggest problem is the fact that the tourist bourds have been left without an inflow of money, and there has been no reaction from the Government. For example, he states that in 1999, the government approved special funds for the promotion of Croatia due to the action of NATO forces in Kosovo.
"We should have reacted in March and prepared an action that would be a direct call saying we will be ready, come. Direct promotion, and not stories that are for a nice time," says Bulic.
Although he did not see the cartoon, the former first man of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival and Marin Drzic Theater, Petar Miso Mihocevic, points out ‘if it is expertly judged that such a campaign makes sense, if it is well marketed and the target audience is known, it certainly makes sense because animations are a serious thing, and they are awarded Oscars'.
"It can be a real way of presentation that is not documented by anything or already overused photos, recordings, videos. Unfortunately, we only sell beauty and never content. This is some new content," Mihocevic says and concludes:
"The beauty of the City is increasingly marred by the surrounding Neum architecture so that it will get lost in that awful ugliness. It may be better to draw it in the future than to show the real picture."
The cartoon would not attract long-term tourist guide Fran Haklička to the City:
"It is too much, the text is too much, and the animation should not have been done in any way. It ends with ‘we knew then and we know now’ - what is that saying? Dubrovnik has always been wise and modest, and that is not in that film. It is terrible to show the beauty of Dubrovnik by a drawing for 100 thousand kuna," Haklička complains.
PR expert Kresimir Macan says that we are happy to have this Dream City serve as a backdrop, but we also have an advertisement in which that City is not seen.
"The ad says: come see something you won't see in the ad. We will see how the people for whom this advertisement is intended will react. In this way, I would advertise a cat in a bag that has nothing to show, and Dubrovnik has a lot to show. The story is good, but it should have been real," says Macan and wonders if this film creates emotion at all?
"Were the viewers able to connect and say 'wow, this is beautiful!'? The question is, can you say that with a cartoon? The previous video of the City of Dubrovnik was impressive. I was delighted with the power of the speedboat coming out of the port, and you want to enter Porat at that moment. It is a detail in the direction and emotion that the previous video achieves. There are a lot of moments that draw you to the City. Here the message may have been conveyed but the atmosphere desired was not created. Although, I like the story because it’s a great link to quarantine," Macan says.
Who will want to come to Dubrovnik based on the video, Macan doesn't know either.
Maybe the idea was that Dubrovnik is so famous, so it doesn't have to be advertised with photos. There are a lot of assumptions.
After this, Dubrovnik will receive another cartoon, which will promote the 'Respect the City' campaign.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
High-Speed Internet Access for Lika as Valuable Project for Region Approved
Lika is set to get a cash injection worth almost 100 million kuna which will see it have the proper access to a high-speed Internet network, which is something Croatia's ''green heart'' has been lacking.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 3rd of July, 2020, Gospić, Otočac and the much loved and heavily frequented Plitvice Lakes have had important funds approved for them for the implementation of the Broadband Internet Infrastructure Development Project which is worth almost one hundred million kuna in total.
Gospić, as the project holder, along with the City of Otočac and the Municipality of Plitvice Lakes which is participating in the project, was approved financial resources in the maximum amount of 75 million kuna for the implementation of the Broadband Internet Infrastructure Development Project for Gospić (PRŠI), a project which is worth 98 million as a whole.
With the implementation of this extremely important project for this region of Croatia, every picturesque little village and hamlet in these areas of Lika will have the proper access to a high-speed Internet network.
This is very important news for the growing tourism sector in Lika, which has recently been being discovered by foreign tourists more and more, because the poor Internet network was what guests often complained about, and the implementation of high-speed broadband access will greatly contribute to improving the quality of Lika's economic development in general.
The project, which started back in July 2017, includes the implementation of the next generation fixed broadband access network (NGA) with a speed of 100 Mbit/s in all settlements of Gospić, Otočac and the Plitvice Lakes area where high-speed broadband access services are currently not available. More specifically, this refers to areas where operators otherwise don't plan to invest in next-generation fixed broadband access networks over the next three years.
This is one of the most financially valuable European Union-funded projects in the Gospić to take place, and Gospić is the first area in Lika-Senj County to actually start implementing the project.
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