ZAGREB, 17 Feb 2022 - Croatia reported 6,359 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, out of 11,152 tests, and 47 related deaths, the national COVID-19 crisis management team said.

There are 31,059 active cases, including 1,933 hospitalised patients, of whom 132 are hooked to ventilators, while 15,772 persons are self-isolating.

Croatia has registered 1,032,033 coronavirus cases and 14,679 related deaths to date. So far, 985,845 recoveries have been registered, including 5,075 in the last 24 hours.

Also, 56.76% of the total population and 67.52% of adults have been vaccinated, including 65.29% of adults who are fully vaccinated.

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.

February 17, 2022 - After a two-year break, the 10th Indirekt music festival will be held in Umag on June 10 and 11 this year! 

How does an extended weekend at sea sound, embraced by the pine forest shade, warm rays of the sun, and the scent of festival season in the air - bold with the art and riffs of musicians who have conquered and shaken the domestic, regional, and international music scene?

Meet the smallest, biggest festival of the summer - Indirekt! 

Not everyone can unite the best of the domestic and regional independent scene in one weekend. Still, the Indirekt Festival team has succeeded, which has built a community of artists and musicians for ten years. This team thus uses a decade in action to draw the line under the domestic and regional scene and celebrate the achievements of those musicians who once slowly but surely stepped to musical maturity from a small, independent stage located in the far west of the country.

Indirekt presents: ABOP, Rolo, Nemanja, Stray Dogg, and The Black Room

Beginning with the after party, Indirekt presents electric group ABOP, one of the most successful Croatian instrumental bands, consisting of drummers Ivan Levačić (ELEVEN, Kries, Chui) and Ivan Vodopijec (Elemental), bassist Erol Zejnilović (Elemental, Kries), and Ivan Božanić (Pips, Chips & Videoclips) and Bogumil Kulaga on synthesizers. Delta, an album whose mix is credited to the pioneer of techno in this area Petar Dundov, brought them three Ambassador Awards, three nominations for the Rock & Off Award, and a bunch of new fans who will look forward to their performance at this year's Indirekt.

Another successful group during the pandemic is Nemanja, an acclaimed psych-funk band whose songs seem to have been written for the sea, with the sound of the waves. Nemanja is Luka Šipetić, an author and musician active in Para Lele and NLV, who recorded and released the albums Tarot Funk (2019) and Cosmic Disco (2020). He is accompanied by drummer Matej Perić, percussionist Karlo Lugarić, bassist Laura Matijašević, and synthesizer and organist Leo Beslać. For a complete impression, there are also video projections of Branimir Štivić (Će Zoone), which are an indispensable backdrop to their live music. Their rhythms have won over listeners worldwide: from Japan, through Brazil to the US and Canada. They also performed side by side with bands like Algiers and Kikagaku Moyo. During the album's promotion, they sold out KSET and Medika in Zagreb, and they also played in Ljubljana, Belgrade, Novi Sad, and throughout the region. In addition, they had their first live performance at Indirekt, so they are happy to return after their well-deserved success.

ROLO perfectly describes the very core of the festival - with their creativity, they re-examine and change the existing molds. This is evidenced by their latest album Ponte Rosso, which highlights the recognizable influences of three bands - Leut Magnetik, Wizard Of Stone Mountain, and False Mustache, where the members of this band come from. Earlier this month, they also released Stuntman, announcing their self-titled album.

On the wings of the new single Motel Monaco, Rijeka rockers The Black Room are returning to Indirekt to present their new album of the same name. The latest release is inspired by their latest European tour, during which they discovered other faces of cities in the region and their hidden corners that took them back to some forgotten times. The top audio production signed by Matej Zec (Let3), thoughtful visual aesthetics, and flawless realization have already given them a reach far beyond the borders of our small country, and the new album could very well move those borders even further. Jakov Katalinić, Leo Ventin, Kruno Kukuljan, and Ivan Ritoša will show concertgoers why it is so good to listen to live music again.

From Lisinski to Močvara, from Indirekt to collaborating with Devendra Banhart - this band has been through everything and is also going back to where it all, in a way, started. If you are a fan of Americana, you certainly know how much the audience adores Stray Dogg, a band led by Dukat Strajnić. With four albums, over ten years of gigs, and at least as many tours in Europe, they have gained cult status among fans of sound that rely on American and British folk and modern indie rock bands. The band arrives on the Indirekt stage in complete composition. You know you don’t want to miss this unique phenomenon on the regional scene.

Five bands and five great reasons to secure your tickets now for this year’s Indirekt, a festival that over ten years has built a dense network of fans who love music and to share that love with others. Early bird tickets will be available on Entrio until March 15 for 100 kuna for two festival days or 80 kuna for one day. And since this is only a third of the program, who knows what other ace is hiding up their indie sleeves. 

The program is co-financed by the City of Umag, the Umag Tourist Board, and funds from the competition, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Music Union.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

February the 17th, 2022 - The Sladic Winery from near Skradin is impressing foreign visitors to Croatia from across the world with their flavours and their tasting room. The Germans and Swedes are among those who have had an impression left on them thanks to this Croatian winery.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marta Duic writes, the Sladic Winery is engaged in the production and cultivation of various indigenous Croatian varieties, they have vineyards in three locations which stretch over six hectares and produce a massive 35,000 bottles a year. The business is run by Joso and his sons Ivan and Marko, and in Plastovo near Skradin, they have a tasting room where guests from all over the world come and taste what they've produced. Ivan Sladic pointed out that the most common foreign guests are French, Americans and British nationals, and although their original market is the rest of Dalmatia, 20 percent of the Sladic Winery's production is exported to Sweden and Germany.

“Growing these vines and wine production has been in our tradition for a long time now and has evolved from generation to generation. The tradition began with my great-grandfather, but for the last 25 years, the Sladic Winery has had bottled bottles of the highest quality wine placed on the market. For us, the past year was challenging and unpredictable and marked by the collegiality of those in the catering and hospitality industry, as well as winemakers, to help get rid of old stocks in this difficult situation,'' said Ivan Sladic.

The Sladic Winery's current focus is on autochthonous varieties and they have as many as ten labels under their belts, and in 2020 they placed one of the first sparkling wines in Dalmatia from the Marastina variety. They believe in this variety the most and started building a business with it, and they make four different products from it - fresh maraschino, sparkling wine, aged wine in wood and dessert wine.

“Our Deorum, a maraschino dessert wine, has a special story behind it. It is produced according to a traditional recipe that is over one hundred years old. We also made a documentary about it, which showcases the entire production process. The maraschino dessert wine meant a lot to our region and was one of the biggest European brands. It was appreciated among people because the production process involved with it is very difficult, only 10 percent of the total amount of grapes is actually obtained, so we can say that it is real nectar in terms of wine,'' explained Sladic, emphasising that this wine was recognised back in 1934 by the Institute of General Pathology and the pharmacology of the Royal University of Zagreb, which approved for maraschino to be used for the preparation of medicines and medicinal wines.

As he added, this is a unique case in this country, and there are few examples in the world of a wine being officially included among medicines. They plan to plant two more hectares of the lasin variety, which thrives exclusively in the area, to place their babic on the market, and to improve the technology in their cellar from the Wine Envelope.

"We care about constantly improving our products in order to achieve the maximum, because our varieties have excellent parameters to be side by side with the world's great wines," they concluded from the Sladic Winery.

For more, check out Made in Croatia.

February the 17th, 2022 - Sljeme cable car tickets will first be sold at alluring promotional prices now that the cable car has finally received a permit for its use following months of issues and spanners in the works.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the long-awaited Sljeme cable car has finally received a permit for its use, meaning that its opening is likely by the end of this month, Deputy Mayor of Zagreb Danijela Dolenec said at a recently held press conference, and Sljeme cable car tickets, which will be promotional at first, will be known next week.

"By the end of the week, a report on the safety of the cable car is expected, and the last step involves work permits from the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Infrastructure. It remains possible and certain that the cable car will finally be put into function by the end of this month,'' said Dolenec.

Sljeme cable car ticket prices should be known as early as next week.

“At the beginning of next week, in any case before the opening, we'll present the Sljeme cable car ticket price list, with the proviso that it will operate according to a promotional price for a while. We're still doing analyses and having consultations,'' said Mayor Tomislav Tomasevic.

When asked whether the average family with children would be able to afford Sljeme cable car tickets, Tomasevic said that this was the idea behind the pricing plans.

Answering a question about the course of the social dialogue with the unions regarding the announced dismissals of the redundant workers in Zagreb Holding, Dolenec pointed out that "the management and the unions are very intensive in the consultation process".

"Let's wait a little longer. I'm sure that some of the employees will take severance pay themselves and leave of their own accord,'' said Tomasevic.

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

February the 17th, 2022 - Spring is beginning to (very slowly) spring, and the arrival of beautiful wild Croatian flowers can be seen in certain parts of the country in forests, along grass verges, and in gardens. If you're caught picking or trying to sell them without permission, however, both you and your bank account will be in for a shock.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian State Inspectorate has stated that with the appearance of the first wild spring flowers, and unfortunately owing to their soft and beautiful appearance, people have begun picking them and removing them from their natural, wild environments, which directly affects their sustainability. Therefore, the State Inspectorate would like to remind people that it is forbidden to pick and sell strictly protected species of Croatian wild flowers which begin appearing during spring.

These are snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis L.), sweet or English violet (Viola odorata L.), dogtooth violet (Erythronium dens-canis L.) or snowflakes, which look like larger snowdrops (Leucojum spp.) It is necessary to obtain the permission of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development before any of these can be touched, the State Inspectorate stated.

They added that, in accordance with Art. 64 of the Law on Nature Protection, the decision of the competent ministry must be obtained for the collection/removal from nature of Croatian flowers which are native and wild for the purpose of their processing and subsequent sale.

It isn't necessary to obtain the permission of the competent ministry for the collection of native wild Croatian flowers for yourself, whereby the collection of these plants for ''personal needs'' is considered the collection of up to five individual pieces of underground parts of the plants (bulbs, tubers, roots or rhizomes), or up to two kilograms of stems with leaves and flowers, five stalks (of thumb and forefinger circumference) of stems with leaves and/or flowers, one kilogram of leaves, one kilogram of flowers, or 0.5 kilograms of seeds per day.

A fine in the amount of 25,000 kuna to 200,000 kuna for a legal entity, 7,000 kuna to 30,000 kuna for a natural person and a responsible person from within a legal entity for the taking of native wild Croatian flower species for processing/sale without the explicit permission of the competent ministry shall be imposed.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

February 17, 2022 - The new Apfel Center in Makarska will be completed in October and cover 14,000 square meters, focusing on culture, sports, and health. 

After the Makarska company "Apfel," owned by entrepreneur Mijo Pašalić, built a residential building with 13 apartments for 16 of its employees last year in Makarska, and a house in Banja for the Boltužić family, now it's time for a project of great importance for Makarska and its Riviera, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Namely, the Apfel cultural and sports center will cost 80 million kuna, will employ 30 people, and is located at the eastern entrance to the city, more precisely at Volicija. The center, whose construction began two years ago and which employs about 100 contractors, will be completed in October and will cover 14,000 square meters and have 100 parking spaces.

The project that will unite culture, sports, and health was developed by the company "Lukić projekt" and was publicly presented by the leader Matko Pašalić.

As he explained, at the entrance to the Center, there will be a Mediterranean garden of 3500 m2 with three gazebos and a barbecue, in which fellow citizens will be able to organize various celebrations and gatherings. There will also be a children's park, a field with artificial grass for indoor soccer, and a hard surface tennis court.

In 4300 m2 of the inner part, there will be a parquet playground, a court with artificial grass, and behind it a court for padel tennis, a children's playroom, while in the middle of the Center there will be a cafe and pizzeria with indoor and outdoor terraces and a children's park.

On the 1st floor of the Apfel Center, there will be three fitness halls and gyms equipped to the latest standards, which will satisfy both recreational and professional athletes, all with service facilities, and in the eastern part a multimedia hall with 360 cascading seats for concerts, congresses, plays, and performances. However, negotiations are still underway with the City to have a cinema in the hall.

On the 2nd floor, there will be a health section - a polyclinic and office space, with Apfel negotiating with top specialist doctors who would come to Makarska once a week and perform specialist examinations so that locals do not have to go to Split for wider health care. 

Furthermore, upstairs there will be an office of nutritionists and physiotherapists, and there will be places for all entrepreneurs, crafts, and associations. As Pašalić said, all sports facilities are for amateur athletes and fellow recreational citizens.

Since its founding in 1996, Apfel has been actively involved in the life of the wider community, not only as an observer but also as an active generator of public events. The company's business plan has always included promoting cultural and sports content in society, whether through sponsorship or the organization of events. 

"As a natural continuation of participation in the sports and cultural life of the Makarska Riviera, the Pašalić family came up with the idea of a Sports and Cultural Center that would unite public events that enrich everyday life in one place. In the Apfel cultural and sports center project, we were supported by both the current and former authorities. The idea of building the center arose after long thought about what our city lacks, so we started with sports fields and continued with everything else. I am convinced that the Center will have good attendance and positive response among our fellow citizens," said Pašalić, adding that part of the program is designed as a year-round and part as a seasonal.

The year-round plan of activities includes seminars and congresses, hosting performances and concerts, cinema screenings, basic and specialist health services, daily fitness programs, children's birthday celebrations, a sports school for the youngest, team sports in indoor and outdoor sports fields, a team-building organization for companies, children's playroom, use of gazebos with barbecue, and many other facilities, while the periodical programs include the Festival of Satire, Days of Slavonia, children's competitions in various sports and many other events that will accompany the seasonal calendar.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

February the 17th, 2022 - PM Plenkovic has revealed the Croatian Government's highly anticipated inflation measures to try to curb the negative effects globally rising prices are having on the domestic economy and as such on the country's residents.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, PM Plenkovic has stated that Croatia's inflation measures will be put into force as of April the 1st this year.

"The current global rise in energy prices has caused a wave of rising prices across Europe. Fuel prices in Europe are rising due to higher demand after the coronavirus crisis, the second reason is the situation with Russia, which is the largest supplier and has reduced production, Norway can't increase its production, in Europe there is higher demand due to recovery and colder winters. 43% of European gas comes from Russia, 23% comes from Norway, 11% from Algeria. Europe imports 61% of its total energy needs and 90% of its gas needs, which accounts for 21% of energy consumption,'' said PM Plenkovic, adding that the package of measures will be in force from the aforementioned date.

“The average price is 120 mW / h, 2.7 times higher than in Croatia. In Croatia, we had a system in which the prices were regulated for a year. If it weren't for this intervention, the prices for electricity would increase by 23 percent from April the 1st, and for gas, by 79 percent ", he emphasised.

"The package we're presenting today is worth 4.8 billion kuna. It was done systematically, in coordination with all ministries and bodies. It applies to households, companies and farmers. It's universal, meaning it's aimed at all users. It refers to the reduction of household bills, tax relief, one-off benefits for pensioners, a special programme for fishermen Gas prices will grow to a maximum of 29 percent with these measures in place. As far as gas is concerned, if we did nothing, 0.326 kW / h would jump to 0.574 kuna. When we reduce VAT, we arrive to 0.482, and with an additional subsidy we come to 0.382 kuna per kW / h,'' said PM Plenkovic.

''These benefits will apply to all households that use gas. The amount of support directly on the bill is 10 lipa per kilowatt-hour. The amount of the discount is shown on the invoice with a separate item. The cost of this measure is 600 million kuna, and we'll provide it by selling greenhouse gas emissions at auction. By changing the law, we'll permanently reduce the VAT on gas and heating from 25 percent to 13 percent. This equalises the VAT on electricity and gas and thermal energy,'' he added.

Gas will be reduced from 25 percent to 5 percent from April the 1st, 2022 to March the 31st, 2023.

VAT on food is also being reduced from 13 percent down to 5 percent on fresh meat and fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, edible oils and fats, baby food, agricultural costs, seedlings, fertilisers and pesticides, and from 25 percent to 5 percent. percent on butter and margarine. VAT on products such as sanitary pads and tampons is also being reduced from 25 percent down to 13 percent. VAT on tickets for sports, cultural and other events is also being reduced from 25 and 13 to 5 percent.

The amount of vouchers for the most vulnerable in society is also being doubled, increasing from 200 to 400 kuna.

For more, check out our politics section.

February 17, 2022 - The new Ryanair Leeds-Zadar flight is the 8th route from the UK to this Croatian airport this summer! 

Irish low-cost airline Ryanair released tickets on another new route from Zadar Airport on Wednesday, reports Croatian Aviation. 

Namely, Ryanair announced tickets on its twelfth new route from Zadar airport for the upcoming summer flight schedule and the eighth Ryanair flight between Zadar and the UK! 

This is a regular seasonal line between Zadar and Leeds (Bradford Airport), which will operate from May 3 this year. Two flights a week have been announced, every Tuesday and Saturday. On 52 return flights, Ryanair will offer a total of 19,136 seats, operating between the two cities on B737-800 aircraft with a capacity of 189 seats.

The line should operate until the very end of the summer flight schedule this year, i.e., until October 29, 2022. The plane will depart from Leeds in the early morning hours to Zadar, while the return from Zadar is planned before noon.

With this new announcement, Ryanair currently plans to offer a total of 45 scheduled, direct flights from Zadar Airport in the upcoming summer flight schedule. According to the announcements, it is expected that Zadar will achieve a large increase in terms of the number of passengers compared to last year, and potentially exceed the figures from the record, 2019.

“If the summer season begins without any major problems, this year we can expect more passengers and better financial results. Our estimate is that we will handle more travelers in 2022 than in 2019 when we had 801.347 passengers. We will see by how much," Zadar Airport's General Manager, Josip Klišmanić, said on Ex Yu Aviation. You can explore the entire Ryanair network on the airline's official website. 

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.