ZAGREB, 15 April (2022) - In the last 24 hours, 668 coronavirus cases, out of 2,871 tests, and five related deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said on Friday.

There are 5,522 active cases, including 503 hospitalised patients, 24 of whom are on ventilators, while 3,372 persons are self-isolating.

To date, Croatia has registered 1,112,491 coronavirus cases, the death toll is 15,720, and 59.46% of the total population, i.e. 70.73% of adults, have been vaccinated against COVID, including 68.64% of adults fully.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section and select your preferred language if it isn't English.

ZAGREB, 15 April (2022) - According to estimates by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK), in the week leading up to Easter Croatians will spend around HRK 1.6 billion, some 15% more than in regular weeks during the year, the Večernji List daily reports in its Friday issue.

This, however, will not be due to an increase in the number of fiscal receipts but in their value, caused by price hikes. This year, a more modest basket of food items consumed during the Easter holidays will amount to around HRK 550, the daily says.

Judging by surveys, as many as two in three or 66.5% of Croatians will economise on food for Easter as against 54.3% last year. Around 40% of respondents plan to spend up to HRK 500 and half of them plan to spend less than HRK 300.

The product range is broad, prices are as much as 30% higher and even though the offer is good, retailers are evidently not overloading the shelves and are much more careful about supplies compared to previous years, when Easter foodstuffs were sold one month after Easter, said Branko Bobetić of the Croatiastočar association of cattle breeders.

Croatians eat 5,000 to 6,000 tonnes of cured meats a year, of which 2,000 tonnes for Easter alone.

"Consumption in the week leading up to Easter is four times the average consumption and the good news is that more than 90% of those products are Croatian-made and are rarely imports, except for prosciutto," he said.

 For more news about Croatia, click here.

April 13, 2022 - DaddyHood Europe has announced that the first-ever Dadathlon Festival will take place in Punat, on the island of Krk, on April 30. In its first edition, the family event seeks to connect dads and their children through sports and fun activities, and in this way raise awareness about the value of active fatherhood in the lives of children.

Almost exactly one year ago, in the town of Punat on the island of Krk, DaddyHood Europe organized the first Dadathlon race event. The strict measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic were still in force, so the event consisted of a symbolic opening ceremony that brought together 10 parents and their children, who participated in a race along the Punat promenade. Despite the cold weather and wind, the gathered families enjoyed a great day in which they could feel the exciting reward of being together with their children.

Last year's Daddyhood Dadathlon races took place in three stages:

• April 17th to 24th: Running with kids
• June 20th to 27th: Cycling with kids
• September 19th to 26th: Trekking with kids

Last year, 500 dads applied for Dadathlon from 26 countries worldwide for the virtual competition.

The 2021 Daddyhood Dadathlon edition was held virtually and to allow flexibility to participants, each event was open for participation for one whole week. The races were conceived for individual teams (one father with his child/ren). It was possible to team up with other fathers and their children, to motivate each other and have even more fun, but each team member had to complete the full distance of the race. Participants were able to choose to take part in only one or two races but to complete the full Daddyhood Dadathlon, they needed to compete in all three races/disciplines.

However, it is worth noting that last year's Dadathlon festival actually took place all over the world, as 500 dads applied for Dadathlon from 26 countries worldwide for the virtual competition. Hundreds of parents shared their photos on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #DaddyHoodDadathlon and #DaddyHoodEurope to show off the good times they had exercising with their children during last year's competition.

TCN was at the opening of the first Dadathlon competition last year.

Now, this year, the Dadathlon festival will be celebrated in a big way and again in Punat. On this occasion, the Dadathlon Festival will feature local and diverse events for fathers, mothers, and their children in the town located southeast on the island of Krk. In addition, this year's event is approved by the EU Commission, following the successful application of Daddyhood Europe for funds from the European Union, which corroborates the exemplary organization, mission, and vision of the non-profit organization. The main event will take place on April 30 from 9:30 am in front of the Falkensteiner Hotel Park in Punat, on the island of Krk.

And who is behind the Dadathlon Festival? Daddyhood Europe is a nonprofit organization founded by Marino Manzoni from Croatia, and Thomas Pickelner from Sweden. Their goal is to raise awareness about the importance of active fatherhood and its role in the development of their children. According to Marino, who has organized both Dadathlon Festivals in his hometown of Punat, ''the main part of the festival is the Dadathlon RUN, a 3km race by the sea for dads and children, accompanied by many fun activities for dads, moms, and children''. The festival is held with the support of the Municipality and the Tourist Board of Punat and is co-financed by the Erasmus + program, which is why participation is completely free.

''The kids will be able to try their hand at various sports and creative activities such as archery, table tennis, athletics, football, and karate, or join robotics or music workshops. They will also have a theatrical play and an inflatable castle!'', added Marino.

Marino Manzoni from Croatia, and Thomas Pickelner from Sweden, are the founders of DaddyHood Europe.

''And what about moms? "We haven't forgotten about moms who will be able to relax and attend fragrant salt workshops and enjoy Gin'o clock socializing and relaxing in the mom's corner''. Mom's corner, continuously throughout the day, will include:

• "Mom, how are you?" Talking about motherhood, by Nina Čikeš Stegić and Daria Mladenović.
• Presentation of the book "The Storyteller", by Martina Frka Milotić.
• Presentation of products and work of the association Women for the Island, by Jovana Čutul, Picolla Stella, and Miau couture
• Gin'o clock: socializing and relaxing with Kusshhh (Monika Kovač and Nives Matić)
• Workshop for making fragrant bath salts, with Almond natural cosmetics
• Mindfulness and breathing exercises, with Ivana Host.

In addition to the race and activities, this year's Dadathlon will feature a diverse gastronomic offer, and surely the highlight of the day will be the premiere of the documentary Daddyhood Adventure, produced by Marino and Thomas, which they recorded last year during their tour of the island of Krk with their 2-year-old children, and which seeks to raise awareness of the inevitable role of fathers in raising their children.

Daddyhood Adventure is a documentary made by DaddyHood Europe, in which Marino and Thomas explore not only the island of Krk, but also the importance of their role as parents in their children's lives.

And not only that, but this year's Dadathlon Festival also has a charitable side, and they will make boxes available for voluntary donations, which will be destined for the Krijesnica association, which provides support and help to children and families facing malicious childhood diseases.

To apply to the Dadathlon RUN race, you can register at this LINK.

To register your children in the workshops, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The complete program of this year's Dadathlon Festival is as follows:

09:30 - Gathering in front of the Falkensteiner Hotel Park in Punat.
10:00 - Opening of the festival and registration for the race for dads and children.
10:30 to 11:30 - Dadathlon RUN - 3km race by the sea.
12:00 to 12:30 - Telling stories for the youngest (Pčelica Nenica).
12:00 to 13:00 - Football for dads and children / Athletics (Atletski klub Krk).
14:00 to 14:45 - Archery 10-18 years (Maura Kal) / Robotics workshops 5-9 years (Stelaris).
15:00 to 15:45 - Sports workshop 4+ years (School of Sports ZVRK) / Music Workshop 4-7 years (Creative Krk).
16:00 to 16:45 - Karate 5-13 years (Karate Club Krk) / Majorettes 3-15 years (Majorettes of the island of Krk).
17:00 to 18:30 - Drama-stage workshop "Play with your body, animate your fingers" - Dad's picture book.
19:30 to 20:00 - End of the program and presentation of the film.
20:00 to 21:00 - Premiere of the documentary "Daddyhood Adventure".

Total Croatia News invites all dads from Croatia, from the Croatian diaspora, expats in Croatia, and from all over the world to participate in this year's Dadathlon Festival to spend valuable time with their children and family, have an unforgettable experience, and enjoy all that the wonderful island of Krk has to offer.

In case of additional questions, you can contact DaddyHood Europe via Facebook messenger or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can find more information on Dadathlon Festival's Facebook event.

For more Daddyhood Europe news and content, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, visit our dedicated TCN page.

April the 15th, 2022 - A1 Croatia (A1 Hrvatska) is busy strengthening its presence and position in Eastern Croatia, which is regularly forgotten about in almost every sense and which has experienced by far the worst of the country's demographic crisis. Employment opportunities are being offered in the hopes of keeping hold of the workforce.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, in order to strengthen its position in Eastern Croatia and show young people that there are companies in which they can develop and work, A1 Croatia has opened 70 new jobs in its Osijek-based call centre. In addition, the wider goal is to improve the service by making agents more accessible so that they can devote more and better time to customers. With this move, Osijek, with new employment opportunities, becomes the second largest A1 Croatia business centre after Zagreb.

A1 Croatia has invested in arranging an additional 600 square metres of modern and functional office space, which will complete the working space in Eurodom to cover about 1000 square metres. About a hundred agents will work in it, and about 70 of them are currently being employed or are undergoing education and training.

The General Director for Private Users of A1 Croatia, Ivana Markovic, emphasised the importance of a positive working atmosphere because agents are expected to know and be able to do everything, which isn't easy at all.

A strong contribution to youth employment and retention

By choosing Osijek for the new location of the call centre, A1 Croatia is directly contributing to employment and retention, primarily of young people, in Osijek-Baranja County and the City of Osijek.

"Osijek is coming to life in the economic sense, which is confirmed by statistics. We've reduced the number of unemployed people in the city, there are more immigrants than emigrants, and the average salary has increased. We've freed investors from needing to pay utility/communal contributions, which leads to multimillions in terms of savings in the construction of commercial facilities. In terms of conditions, our Nemetin Economic Zone is one of the most attractive in all of Croatia. We're creating a positive economic environment, a significant part of which is A1 Croatia with its large Osijek investment,'' said the Mayor of Osijek, Ivan Radic.

The Osijek-based A1 Croatia call centre also employs more women than men, and the average age is around 25 years. With colleagues from sales and technology in the capital of Slavonia, A1 is the employer of more than 160 workers.

Ivan Skender, Chief Director for Business Transformation, Human Resources and Corporate Communications, stated that A1 Croatia continues to invest in its employees.

''In 2021 and 2022, we invested 8 percent in employee salaries and benefits to ease the impact of inflation. Regular and transparent communication and the creation of a motivating work environment are the foundations of our corporate culture,'' said Skender.

All new employees in the A1 Croatia Osijek call centre receive numerous benefits, among other things, they have the opportunity to receive a bonus for getting good results, they will be able to work from home and they'll also be improve their education to gain future skills.

For more, check out our business section.

April the 15th, 2022 - Nova Hrvatska Banka, or the New Croatian Bank, is set to start operations formally within the wider Hrvatska postanska banka (HPB) group following a long and extensive rehabilitation process.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, after a record year in which it achieved the best net profit in history in the amount of 202 million kuna, asset growth of 27.9 billion kuna and a capital adequacy ratio of 25.7 percent, Hrvatska postanska banka successfully implemented another demanding project - the rehabilitation of Sberbank d.d., more precisely the future New Croatian Bank d.d.

The Council of the Croatian National Bank (CNB/HNB) has made a decision on the successful completion of the rehabilitation procedure, which will formally start the New Croatian Bank's operations as Nova hrvatska banka d.d. within the HPB group. With this takeover, the completion of the rehabilitation process and the merger of the New Croatian Bank, HPB is ultimately strengthening its future position here on the Croatian market. The rehabilitation process itself was completed in a short time and the bank has been stabilised and is operating successfully.

Implementing this demanding process is a new step in strengthening HPB's business overall. As a new member of the HPB group, the New Croatian Bank brings with it a significant customer base, a complementary portfolio and additional strength for business growth and further expansion.

"After the record result we had last year, we believe that the synergy effects will bring new benefits to our customers, shareholders and employees," said Marko Badurina, President of the Management Board of HPB.

The Management Board of the New Croatian Bank was appointed as follows: Tadija Vrdoljak, President of the Management Board, Boris Bekavac and Ognjen Brakus, members of the Management Board.

For more on Croatian banks and financial institutions, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

April the 15th, 2022 - The most well known Croatian hacker, Denis Perisa Darkman, has come up with something rather innovative and creative indeed - a new smart house of sorts.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatian computer scientist and hacker Denis Perisa Darkman now has a new brainchild. To be more specific, he has devised a system of sensors that can automatically close windows in a house as soon as the first drop of rain starts falling outside.

This idea came to him thanks to no less than his pet cat, who may get into bother when left alone at home.

When it comes to Denis Perisa Darkman's cat-inspired idea, the blinds close on their own in the ground floor apartment if it starts to rain outside. Denis placed a small optical sensor on the roof of his building in the Sibenik neighbourhood Krvavice, where he lives, and that does the job, RTL news writes.

"When the first drop of rain falls down and hits the sensor, it sends out information that it is currently raining in this neighbourhood. The second phase takes place anywhere. So, I put that information publicly, online, so that everyone can use that information for their own projects,'' said Denis Perisa Darkman, a computer scientist and hacker.

Denis' cat helped him come to this idea, as he wanted to make sure his beloved pet was safe whenever he wasn't home with him. Just before the sensor on the windows closes the blinds in case of rain, a sensor from inside the apartment shows whether or not his cat is inside or outside, as well.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

April the 15th, 2022 - The India-Croatia Startup Challenge competition is gearing up with partner companies including the likes of Infobip and Koncar in hopes of encouraging more cooperation between startups from these two countries.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investment (HAMAG-BICRO) and Startup India are organising the India-Croatia Startup Challenge competition in cooperation with partner companies Infobip, Koncar and HexGn, along with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of India in Croatia.

After the launch of India-Croatia Startup Bridge, a digital platform designed to strengthen international cooperation, innovation environment and trade and economic cooperation between Croatia and India, HAMAG-BICRO and Startup India have been busy continuing the various activities designed to encourage cooperation between Indian and Croatian startups.

Following this, a competition, the India-Croatia Startup Challenge, has been designed to find innovative startup solutions for three challenges in the fields of sustainability, livelihoods, sustainable development goals, green energy, education and skills development: Clean Water and a Better Quality of Life, Reduced Inequality and Dignified Labour and Economic Growth.

Participants in the India-Croatia Startup Challenge who offer the best solutions can win cash prizes, mentoring, incubation and business solutions for their further growth. The total value of the prize pool is estimated at 43,000.00 US dollars.

The partner companies of the India-Croatia Startup Challenge will work to provide the following benefits for the best solutions made by Croatian and Indian startups that will participate in the competition:

Infobip will select up to 3 best startup solutions from among 12 successful participants and award each of them with a prize in the form of Infobip products and services worth a total of 10,000 dollars. The selected startup teams will receive the support of the talented and experienced Infobip team in order to make the most of the possibilities of Infobip's products for their growth.

Koncar will provide a cash prize in the amount of 10,000.00 kuna (around 1,694 dollars) for the best startup solution to the Dignified Labour and Economic Growth area.

HexGn will provide a free scale up programme worth 2,000 dollars to each of the 12 successful participants (six from India and six from Croatia). The programme will run for 45 days twice a week.

Interested startup companies can submit their innovative solutions until May the 20th, 2022 on the official Startup India website via this link. The winners will be announced at an event organised by HAMAG-BICRO on June the 14th, 2022, and it will also be announced on their website.

For more, check out our business section.

April 15, 2022 - Significant progress has been made in the research of the seabed around Hvar, testifying to the island's importance as far back as ancient times thanks to new Adriatic treasures found. 

As 24Sata writes, iron ship cannons, amphorae for the transport of wine and olive oil, ceramic vessels, and many other items are just some of the findings of the latest research on the seabed of the island of Hvar. The findings prove that Hvar was an important maritime center 3000 years ago, in fact, one of the "guardians" of traffic in the Adriatic Sea. Research of the Hvar seabed has been going on for decades, and the last one was conducted by the company Khantaros, along with the Art Academy of the University of Split which both specialise in underwater research. All was done with the support of the Split-Dalmatia County through the project "Maritime is good!". According to everything that was found, Hvar was one of the important points for the control of maritime routes and the establishment of maritime dominance in the Adriatic and the eastern Mediterranean during late antiquity.

In certain positions that show the highest density and value of material archaeological research using a probe will continue, with expectations of finding extremely valuable archaeological artifacts. This research could provide key information about the history and archeology of Hvar and Dalmatia in general. 24Sata spoke about the details with the head of the research, Teo Katunarić Kirjakov, a senior lecturer at the Academy of Arts of the University of Split:

“Near the island of Šćedro, which means ‘Merciful Island’ in Old Slavonic, a real multitude of traces of life from all periods have been found. Šćedro has always been an island that has protected sailors in its safe harbours, from prehistoric times to the present day”.

However, the "Merciful Island" failed to provide a haven for a cargo ship with wine amphorae from the second or first century BC, which was caught in a storm and violently pulled to the seabed. Neatly arranged amphorae of the ship's cargo still lie intact in the depths of the sea. It is the only fully preserved ancient shipwreck in the Split-Dalmatia County and as such we must preserve it, said Tea Katunarić Kirjakov and added that extremely valuable finds were discovered in the bay of Stari Grad:

“The bay of Stari Grad is deep and well protected from almost all winds, and people have lived along the shores of the bay since prehistoric times. And then in 385/384 BC the Greeks from the island of Paros founded a colony at the bottom of the bay of today's Old Town and named it Faros”.

The Greeks not only significantly changed the appearance of the islands they occupied but also the appearance of the coast and the seabed of the bay. It is not certain what the seashore next to the town and the bay in front of it looked like in ancient times, but in the area of the Bonj bay, an artificial embankment along the rocky shore is visible. This is perhaps the most valuable and the only preserved part of the built ancient coast, as explained by Katunarić Kirjakov. Near the town of Sućuraj, in the far east of the island of Hvar, numerous valuable finds were also discovered:

“The eastern cape of the island of Hvar, Cape Sućuraj, and its deep well-protected bay was an unavoidable port in that waterway, while the oldest underwater find in the area is a Greek-Illyrian helmet from the fifth century BC”.

Finds from all periods have been recorded in the wider waters of Sućuraj, including a Roman shipwreck and a fighter plane from World War II - concluded Tea Katunarić Kirjakov, who went on to describe her personal experience of diving among objects hundreds and thousands of years old:

“It's a magnificent thing. The most impressive find is the Roman shipwreck near Šćedro, where all artifacts have been completely preserved, unlike many other locations that were devastated. By the way, parts of a Roman villa with a breakwater are also being explored under the sea near Šćedro. It is possible that the Roman ship that sank near the island was sailing toward it. And when you dive in and arrive at that world of peace and quiet that you disrupted after two thousand years, it’s simply indescribable. We must preserve such locations, we must not allow their devastation, concluded Katunarić Kirjakov.

24Sata also discussed the latest research with Igor Mihajlović, a senior conservator and archaeologist at the Department of Underwater Archeology of the Croatian Conservation Institute, who researched several shipwrecks in the Hvar area:

“The most recent site currently being explored is a shipwreck in the Pakleni Islands, which can be dated to the 17th century.

Three large iron anchors, six iron cannons, fragments of glass cups, several specimens of maiolica-type ceramic vessels, and numerous items related to the ship's weapons were found.

The interesting thing about this shipwreck is that the probe in the stern area found bone remains of a 170 cm tall man. Along with the bones, a bronze saint's medal from Rome was found, with the image of St. Longinus piercing Jesus on the Cross. These findings indicate a sudden sinking of a ship caused by extremely bad weather or an attack by another ship.

An extremely rare find was collected from the site – a ship bell made of bronze. So far only four ship bells from the period from the 16th to the 18th century have been found, concluded Mihajlović.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.