January 27, 2022 - After 1277 days, the construction works on Pelješac bridge were completed yesterday, and now the technical inspection follows.

Jutarnji List reports that the technical inspection of the bridge began today, which should be completed by 31 January. Although the formal completion of the works is calculated after the completion of the technical inspection, because during the inspection some shortcomings can be identified that need to be further corrected, today it is possible to say that the construction works on Pelješac bridge have been completed.

The Chinese company CRBC started the construction of the Peljesac bridge on July 30, 2018. On that day, the President of the Croatian Roads Administration, Josip Škorić, handed over all the documentation to the CRBC representatives in Ston, a diary of works was opened and a report on the introduction of the Chinese contractor was signed. The deadline for completion of works was 36 months and 29 days. Although the technical inspection is included in that deadline, it can be said that the construction of the bridge took 52 days longer than planned.

But when you take into account that the works stopped for several months due to the coronavirus epidemic, it can be said that the bridge was completed before the set deadline. After the successful completion of the technical inspection, the procedure for obtaining all necessary permits for the bridge will follow.

At this moment, the works on the bridge have been completed and the connecting road leading from the Adriatic Highway to the bridge will be completed soon.

According to the latest official announcements from Hrvatske ceste, the connecting road from the Adriatic Highway to the bridge, and the new Pelješac road from the bridge to the Prapratno junction will be opened to traffic in the summer. The rest of the road, from the Ston bypass to Doli, should be completed by the end of this year at the latest.

For more, check out our travel section.

January 27, 2022 - Split area public bike system (Split, Solin, Trogir, Kastela, Podstrana, Klis, Dugopolje, and Dicmo) will receive 41 new stations with a total of 242 bicycles!

Representatives of cities and municipalities from the Split Urban Agglomeration area and project partners in the "Choose a bike!" project held a working video meeting on preparations to implement the public bicycle systems. As it was said at the meeting, the first deliveries of bicycles by the project partner "Nextbike" will follow in February, and preparations to install bicycle stations and power connections at other locations are underway, reports Grad Split.

The work on installing terminals in the whole urban agglomeration should be completed in the next few months. The first functional stations would be located in the Podstrana area, and the locations are already ready to receive bicycles. It was pointed out that most of the new contingent of bikes is planned to be set up in the Marjan Forest Park area and the city's outskirts. The construction and marking of bicycle roads in the Trogir area are expected to be completed by the middle of the year at the latest. As part of the activities of this integrated project, the City of Split and seven partners - cities and municipalities from the Split urban agglomeration (Solin, Trogir, Kastela, Podstrana, Klis, Dugopolje, and Dicmo), will receive 41 new stations with a total of 242 bicycles. In short, from the beginning of summer, the area from Podstrana to Trogir and from Split to Dicmo will be connected by a system of public bicycles.

The "Choose a bicycle!" strategic project is co-financed by the European Union within the ITU Call "Urban Mobility - Development of public bicycle systems in the Urban Agglomeration of Split." The project application was prepared by the Development Agency Split - RaST, with the support of the Service for International and EU Projects of the City of Split, which is now leading the project. The project's total value is HRK 13.6 million, of which the grant amounts to a total of HRK 10.8 million. This project to develop the public bicycle system is planned to popularize bicycles as an alternative form of public transport. An indispensable part is developing and improving the network of cycling infrastructure, which will enable faster access to public transport stops and serve as an upgrade of the existing form of public transport in the Split urban agglomeration.

These 41 new locations with bicycle terminals will be distributed in eight local self-government units following the analysis of needs and possibilities for the implementation of the system, as follows:

City of Split: 16 terminals with 50 electric and 20 classic bicycles.

City of Solin: 6 terminals with 12 electric and 26 classic bicycles.

City of Trogir: 3 terminals with 10 electric and 10 classic bicycles.

Kaštela: 6 terminals with 30 electric and 30 classic bicycles.

Municipality of Podstrana: 2 terminals with 6 electric and 6 classic bicycles.

Municipality of Klis: 2 terminals with 4 electric and 8 classic bicycles.

Municipality of Dugopolje: 4 terminals with 10 electric and 10 classic bicycles.

Municipality of Dicmo: 2 terminals with 4 electric and 6 classic bicycles.

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

January 27, 2022 - The owner of ''Semafor'', one of the cult cafés in Split, has asked the authorities to reconsider the decision to demolish the enclosed terraces in the city, arguing that it is the best alternative due to the winds and temperatures both in and out of season.

Caterers who have enclosed terraces in the public city area will not be able to extend the lease if they do not comply with the new regulations. If such a decision stands, it is certain that the cult place in the city could close its doors, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Café "Semafor", which opened back in 1970, will have its contract for the lease of public urban space expire just before the season, in May. As the closed terrace has been considered an illegal space based on new regulations, its only option is to switch to only tables and parasols instead.

''My terrace is not illegal and cannot be declared as such. It is just not in line with the Decision on Communal Order, which came into force less than a year ago. The public gets the wrong impression that this terrace has been standing there illegally for 40 or even 50 years. I have a permit from the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments from 1984, in which "Semafor" is allowed to set up awnings, new flower fences and plexiglass walls, a new stone floor, and set up an outdoor bar'', argues Željan Radman, the owner of "Semafor".

''I never set up an outdoor bar, and the plexiglass wall was replaced with an aesthetically, more beautiful, glass one'', adds Radman. He indicates that he regularly pays the rent for the use of public space and that he does not owe the City a single kuna.

''No one will sit there in the winter. I think it is necessary to review the situation, make a decision, and avoid saying that there can be literally nothing but parasols. At least some kind of pergola... Wind protection of 1.60 meters of fence is mentioned only in zones three and four, not in the center''.

''Then why would people even come to the center for coffee? This decision on communal order, and its dates, were made in the last term. I don't think the new government should blindly adhere to those deadlines, there is a possibility that some annex may extend that deadline so that everyone can keep this season intact'', Radman appeals, noting that in this situation the government should find a little empathy and not put all the terraces in the same basket.

''In the first zone, things are not the same everywhere. The same in the second zone. There are terraces that may or may not fit into the overall picture. I have to pay special attention to the platform on which the tables and chairs are set. Umbrellas would cost me around 250 to 300 thousand kuna, and all this is a new investment in times when caterers are on their knees. Now the banks do not give us loans because of the whole situation with COVID'', pointed the Semafor owner.

Radman believes the media has created a misconception that caterers made "billions" last season.

''In two years we have not worked for more than six or seven months. Two years ago, in 2020, the season was bad, interrupted in mid-August. Last year the season was only two good months. We cannot make up for two years of total catastrophe in two months'', Radman points out. ''If this decision by the previous government is implemented, we can only hope for the best'', he adds.

''Or I can close "Semafor" after 50 years of work, which raised generations of Split citizens, and I can rent space to someone else for a casino, a pharmacy, a shoe store... I don't even know what to do''.

''Let those who made such a decision come to me for coffee and sit for an hour in the terrace without protection from the wind'', Radman says. He wonders, ''if there can no longer be awnings in the first zone, what will happen to the ones in front of the fish market or all awnings on the waterfront?''

''I wouldn't ruin it. That is why I think that each space should be viewed individually'', says Željan Radman, who recalled the project task of arranging King Tomislav Street into Split Olympians Street, which was accepted by the City Council and taken over by Split architect Vjekoslav Ivanišević.

In that project, which was never realized, Radman notes, the "Semafor" café was supposed to move the terrace away from the baroque ramparts and keep the bar's glazed terrace.

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

January 27, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia brings more bad news to Zagreb Airport, as Air Serbia Belgrade-Zagreb winter flights have been further reduced in February, following Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Ryanair, and KLM.

The Serbian national airline Air Serbia will operate on a reduced basis on its only year-round route to Croatia - between Belgrade and Zagreb, this February, reports Croatian Aviation.

Thus, Air Serbia will mainly operate three times a week between Belgrade and Zagreb, on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays. This is a consequence of the low demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic in Europe. A month ago, it was clear that the airline wanted to operate on this line with significantly more weekly departures, however, there is no need. 

The airline planned daily flights on this route (28 return flights in February), but by February 24, as many as 14 return flights had been canceled, resulting in the withdrawal of 1,960 seats. 

In March this year, Air Serbia currently offers 5 weekly flights on this route, every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but there is no doubt that the airline will still revise its flight schedule and, in case of low demand, additionally cancel certain departures.

After Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Ryanair, and KLM, Air Serbia is just another airline in a series that has reduced the number of available seats to Zagreb.

However, Croatian Aviation believes that 1,960 fewer seats aren’t too big a number, especially compared to the aforementioned carriers. Austrian withdrew 3,600 seats to/from Zagreb, British Airways almost 5,300, Eurowings over 5,500, and Ryanair more than 23,000 seats!

There are 40,000 seats on sale, but due to low demand, flights were canceled, which led to the withdrawal of this capacity.

Last year, Zagreb Airport justified the suspension of flights by reduced demand, claiming that the same was happening in the region and Europe. Croatian Aviation adds that this is not an accurate figure, as Austrian was present last winter in Belgrade, Skopje, Sarajevo, Pristina, Podgorica, but not at Zagreb Airport. This winter, the airline again suspended flights between Vienna and Zagreb. The same could also apply to Eurowings, which is present in the region, while the number of weekly flights to Zagreb has been drastically reduced.

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

January 27, 2022 - After a two-year delay, Hideout Festival’s monumental 10th Anniversary Edition gets a whole lot bigger with the Hideout Festival 2022 lineup now announced and a wave of incredible headliners added. 

Now also playing from July to 7, 2022, will be Gorgon City, Mike Skinner, Paul Woolford, John Summit, Alan Fitzpatrick, Darius Syrossian, DJ Seinfeld, Maya Jane Coles, Denis Sulta, Doorly, Denney, Mall Grab, Mafalda, Adelphi Music Factory and many more on top of the first wave of names such as Camelphat, Sonny Fodera, Andy C, Jamie Jones, Jayda G, Eats Everything, Sherelle, Bad Boy Chiller Crew and loads more. Flight packages from all over the UK and accommodation options in the nearest town, Novalja, are available, with festival tickets starting at £159 + BF and reservable for a £50 deposit at https://hideoutfestival.com

For nine festivals in the last 12 years, the gorgeous beaches of Croatia have been the scene of some very special musical memories thanks to Hideout. The festival was one of the first to be set up on Zrce Beach and since then has continually raised the bar each and every year. In 2022, the world-renowned Papaya, Aquarius, Noa, Kalypso, and the intimate Euphoria will all host once more, with beach-side open-air dance floors, sun-soaked wooden terraces, next-level production, lights, and world-class sound all providing irresistible details with uninterrupted views of the glistening Adriatic.

Musically, this year's event will be the biggest and best ever. All bases are covered from techno to house, tech to bass, drum & bass to disco, and garage. There are plenty of returning favourites as well as break out new names in this latest wave of acts which includes a set from garage innovator Mike Skinner, the always electric Paul Woolford, techno kingpin Alan Fitzpatrick and house mainstays Mall Grab and Darius Syrossian. DJ Seinfeld will bring his heartfelt and lofi sounds, Gorgon City offer a fresh take on house and Maya Jane Coles joins the dots between house, bass and tech in her own unique way. Add in NTS favourite and eclectic funk, disco, Latin and soul selector Mafalda, playful party dynamo Denis Sulta, plus more from Doorly, Emily Nash, Denney, Adelphi Music Factory, John Summit, Tarzsa, Metrik, Bou, Amyelle, and more and you have another essential lineup.  

These names are on top of the already announced delights of Camelphat, Sonny Fodera, Andy C, Jamie Jones, Jayda G, Eats Everything, Skream, Sam Divine, HAAi, Horse Meat Disco, Sherelle, Shy FX, TSHA, Bad Boy Chiller Crew and loads more. 

Of course, this much-anticipated return to sun-kissed dancing offers more than just music: the whole of Zrce Beach will become your playground with water sports, banana boats, jet skis, pedalos, the famous Bungee Jump, massages on the beach, and plenty of rental options including quads, boats, and pedalos in Novalja.

The final countdown is on, the party is in sight... secure your tickets now before it's too late. 

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

January 27, 2022 - After finishing 8th place at the EHF Euro 2022, the Croatia men's handball team will play the 2023 World Handball Championship qualifiers this April. 

The Croatia men's handball team ended their performance in the last round of the EHF Euro 2022 main round with a draw against the Netherlands.

After last year’s World Championship in Egypt and missing out on the Olympics, this is another handball competition to forget. The Cowboys finished in eighth place.

While the coronavirus disrupted coach Hrvoje Horvat's plans, we were fortunate to witness new handball talent, with players like Tin Ličin, who was not originally part of the team. 

So, what's next? 

There will be a new World Championship organized jointly by Sweden and Poland in a year. These two national teams, as well as the current champion Denmark, have a spot already secured. Europe will add at least 12 more national teams, three of which will qualify directly as the best at the current Euros, while nine national teams will play in the qualifiers.

As Denmark and Sweden reached the semifinals, the European Championship fifth-place leads directly to the World Championship. Spain also won a spot because they reached the semifinals.

Croatia will thus have to qualify for the World Championship, for which a draw will be held already on Saturday. After that, they will be included in the second round, which will be played in two matches between April 11 and 17 this year. Their opponents will be some of the national teams that will play the first round between March 14 and 20.

Slovenia, Portugal, North Macedonia, Slovakia, BiH, and other possible opponents are not harmless rivals, so Croatia hopes for a good draw. 

Who coach Horvat will choose to join the national team then remains to be seen.

First round:

Seeded teams: Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Northern Macedonia, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine

Unseeded: Belgium, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Israel, Greece, Italy, Romania, Switzerland

Second round:

Seeded: Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Serbia, Germany, Russia, Montenegro, Netherlands

Unseeded: nine first-round winners

Source: Gol.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

January the 27th, 2022 - An impressive meteor travelling at 22 kilometres per second burned up in Croatian skies during the evening hours on the 25th of January.

When it comes to freak natural events, we've had quite enough of them. From pandemics and earthquakes, the sight of a burning meteor hurtling at an unstoppable speed towards Croatia was the last thing most people wanted to witness on a quiet winter evening, despite how impressive it looked. Luckily, the meteor burned up in the atmosphere, leaving nothing of itself left behind on earth.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Croatian Astronomical Union reported that a meteorite glowing like a brand new moon burned up in Croatian skies at around 18:00 on the 25th of January, 2022, and according to preliminary results, nothing is left of it because it burned up completely in the atmosphere just northwest of Zadar.

''Considering the numerous reports and inquiries from people, we would like to inform you that a meteor with a level of brightness like a new moon with a magnitude of about -7, which was moving at a speed of about 22 kilometres per second, burned up in Croatians skies in the evening of the 25th of January at around 18:00,'' the statement from the aforementioned union said.

The stunningly bright meteor was recorded on its journey down to earth by the cameras of the Croatian, ie the Global Meteor Network.

According to the calculation done of the orbit, the meteor which burned up in Croatian skies close to the area of Zadar was sporadic, meaning that it didn't belong to any currently known meteor swarm, and it originated from the asteroid belt between the planets of Mars and Jupiter, which lie at distances of 330.13 million kilometres and 871.25 million kilometres from Earth, respectively.

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

January the 27th, 2022 - The Pearl of the Adriatic, Croatia's tourist Mecca... whatever you want to call it... Dubrovnik has been a filming destination for large companies from across the world for several years now. With Robin Hood, Game of Thrones and Star Wars under its belt, a new series of the popular series Jack Ryan is allegedly set to be filmed in Dubrovnik next.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Croatia's stunning southernmost city will be the backdrop for yet another mega-popular series, as Dnevnik Nova TV found out, as the new season of the Jack Ryan series will be filmed in Dubrovnik. The star of this action thriller is John Krasinski, and filming in the beautiful UNESCO city under Srdj will, according to sources, begin next month.

"The idea of if being filmed in Dubrovnik came to our notice. If it weren't for the Game of Thrones, there would have been next to no tourists in Dubrovnik during the two years of the coronavirus pandemic. Even today, some Korean women ask when locals when they're planning take the backdrop down,'' said Ante.

The gorgeous old Jesuit Stairs, which were already popular for things like wedding photos, became even more popular after they appeared in an American series. Dubrovnik is now expecting another big production which will be very welcome for most following two very difficult years for tourism, with Dubrovnik being a destination people typically reach only be air.

"According to information from the City of Dubrovnik, about 300 people will participate in this project," said reporter Mario Juric.

Extras are already wanted for what is set to be filmed in Dubrovnik, but some local people don't like seeing all the filming going on. They come here, they create chaos and the question remains how much it suits us, it's not all about the money. Is the message clear?'' noted local Dubrovnik tourist guide Ranko Bautovic.

There is currrently a vow of silence about all other details about what is allegedly set to be filmed in Dubrovnik from the city administration, the American-Croatian production company, as well as from HAVC.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.