June 21st, 2021 - Representatives of the government, firefighters, and army on Monday said at the Divulje airbase that they had seen that firefighters and the system were prepared for the wildfire season ahead. 

Defence Minister Mario Banožić, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, Firefighter Chief Commander Slavko Tucaković and the Chief-of-Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Robert Hranj, visited the Operational Fire Command at Divulje.

They said that all the necessary steps have been taken for preparedness for the coming wildfire season but called on citizens and tourists to alert and immediately report any fires erupting.

We have seen that the Operational Fire Command is prepared for the coming season, said Defence Minister Banožić.

He said that the Croatian Amy had prepared land, sea, and air forces for the fire-fighting season.

Six Canadair planes available, one damaged.

Banožić said that six Canadair planes are available, in addition to six Air Tractors and one helicopter. The Armed Forces will ensure up to 200 soldiers on stand-by for emergency interventions and two landing boats and two rubber dinghies.

He added two Canadair planes and one Air Tractor were currently having a technical inspection while a bird damaged one Canadair plane.

Interior Minister Božinović underscored that the government would continue equipping emergency services, including firefighters. He recalled that the second-last shipment of state-of-the-art firefighting vehicles was delivered last week and that the last shipment of 94 vehicles will arrive ahead of the tourist season.

Croatia has received funds to maintain two Canadair planes

Božinović said that the European Commission had just announced that Croatia had been approved €1.8 million to maintain two Canadair planes that will be part of a joint European force, prepared to assist with forest fires across borders.

He added that Croatia would continue to absorb funds from the EU, saying Croatia has been recognized as a responsible partner worth investing in at the EU level.

Firefighting Chief Tucaković said that this year the system would be connected with 96 cameras that will transmit information about wildfires to the Divulje Operational Fire Command. Drones will also be engaged in that task, he said.

"We are in the process of employing 1,172 firefighters in seven coastal counties, which will contribute to improving the entire firefighting system to react faster to wildfires," said Tucaković.

For more, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

June 21st, 2021 - The European firefighting fleet will consist of 11 firefighting planes, including two from Croatia, and six helicopters, for this year's wildfire season, the European Commission said on Monday.

The rescEU firefighting fleet will consist of two firefighting airplanes from Croatia, two from Greece, two from Italy, two from Spain, and six firefighting helicopters from Sweden. This comes in addition to one firefighting airplane from France and two from Sweden, which is part of the rescEU fleet on a long-term basis.

"Ahead of this year's forest fire season, we must do all that is necessary to reduce the impact of fires. Therefore, our proposed rescEU firefighting fleet will include 11 planes and 6 helicopters and can be readily deployed any time during this forest fire season," said Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič.

The season's risk for forest fires is forecasted to be above average, with temperatures expected to be higher-than-average from June to September in the Mediterranean region, the Commission said. The season might also see less rainfall, especially in central Europe and many areas of the Mediterranean, it added.

For more, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

June 21, 2021 - A strong lineup of Zagreb officials opens Zagreb Digital Nomad Week at Canopy by Hilton. 

Tourism is changing, and new opportunities are presenting themselves, just as more tradiional mass tourism seem to be a thing of the past. 

The pandemic has helped accelerate the previous trend towards remote work, with an oft-quoted pre-pandemic figure of one billion remote workers globally by 2035, a number which now sounds conservative. 

Croatia has been one of the more high-profile countries in the world over the last year with its efforts to introduce the digital nomad permit, which came into effect on January 1, 2021. 

The number of applicants is increasingly steadily, but the bigger PR message gained both from the visa push (only Estonia in Europe had a digital nomad visa when Croatia's was announced last summer), coupled with  Croatia's more relaxed stance on allowing travellers to come in, and its position as an EU country outside the Schengen zone, has attracted a steady number of digital nomads over the last year. 

Saltwater Nomads, in cooperation with TCN, the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board organised the first-ever digital nomad conference in Croatia last October, followed by the world's first digital nomad-in-residence program in Dubrovnik which ended last month.   

The focus has now shifted to the Croatian capital, where Zagreb Digital Nomad Week 2021 & Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Project kicked off this morning at Canopy by Hilton, one of 7 locations over 7 days, exploring 7 DN-related themes. 

The project is a collaboration between Saltwater Nomads, TCN, Doma Zagreb, the Digital Nomad Association Croatia, and the Zagreb Tourist Board (funded by the latter), and there was a high-profile turn out from city and national officials to open the conference. 

After the opening welcome from Saltwater Nomads CEO Tanja Polegubic, State Secretary for Tourism and Sport, Sandra Herman, was next to speak. Herman pointed out the support the Ministry has given to the push for the digital nomad permit, a collaboration between various ministries, and Dutch entrepreneur Jan de Jong, whose open letter to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on LinkedIn last July started the permit initiative. 

The new Mayor of Zagreb, Tomislav Tomasevic, was represented by Ivo Spigel, one of the founders of the Mozemo platform working with the new city administration. Spigel pointed out the excellence of the Croatian startup scene and plans for digitalisation. A younger and more forward-thinking city administration seems keen to engage with the new opportunity of remote work for Zagreb. 

Martina Bienenfled, CEO of the Zagreb Tourist Board, voiced her strong support for the digital nomad initiative, seeing it as a great opportunity for Zagreb tourism to develop in a new direction. A safe, affordable European capital, with enviable lifestyle, great gourmet options, activities and nature in and around the city,, with great connectivity and English widely spoken are just some of the competitive advantages. 

The 7 days will each focus on an individual theme - cybersecurty, online presence, remote careers, tax & finance, the future of work, wellbeing, and explore Zagreb. The keynote speakers are a mixture of in person and remote speakers. Mandy Fransz of Make the Leap Digital, flew in from the Netherlands, and she will have her keynote speech on Oline Presence tomorrow at 09:00 at BIZkoshnica Coworking, tomorrow's host. 

Day 1 focused on the theme of cybersecurity, with Marko Rakar - recognised by the World eGovernment forum as one of the “Top 10 who are changing the world of politics on the internet” - as the keynote speaker. Rakar gaven an entertaining and thought-provoking presentation, which had everyone in the room a little more concerned about their online security. You can read Rakar's pre-conference TCN interview here.  

And no digital nomad conference would be complete without its own mascot, and Miso the dog made his presence felt during the opening speeches. 

Each evening this week includes a networking Happy Hour, followed by a themed tour of the city by local specialists, Secret Zagreb. 

The rest of the programme is available online on the Saltwater Nomads website, and each session is livestreamed. Registration is free, both online and in person, and you can see the rest of the program and register here.

Meet Friday's keynote speaker, Albert Cañigueral, one of the Dubrovnik nomads-in-residence, and recently appointed to lead the Catalan Government's Transparency and Open Data division. Albert will be focusing on the topic of the day, the future of work.  

Meet tomorrow's host - BIZkoshnica, Zagreb Coworking Since 2015: Mirela Marovic Omerzu Interview.

Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld on Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, Ryanair, Tourism in Pandemic

Want to be a Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador and live in the city for a month between July and December? 

For the latest news and features od digital nomads in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

June 21, 2021 - Coach Zlatko Dalić and vice-captain Ivan Perišić addressed the press to speak about Croatia ahead of Scotland on Tuesday. 

The Croatia national football team coach Zlatko Dalić and vice-captain Ivan Perišić addressed the press the day before the decisive match for a spot in the EURO 2020 round of 16. 

After losing to England (0:1) and drawing to the Czech Republic (1:1), Croatia will face Scotland on Tuesday at Hampden Park. The stakes are high; for both teams, the victory brings the round of 16. 

It was announced this morning that Billy Gilmour tested positive for COVID-19. This hurts Scotland considerably, but does it change anything for Croatia?

"The rules are the same for everyone; we have to concentrate on ourselves and our victory; the rest is irrelevant. Some play at home; some can’t even have fans on away pitches. We have to get together and try to get through the group. There is no fear for tomorrow," said Ivan Perišić.

"It is not easy for any national team when they lose an important player. Scotland has a solution, they will be ready for us; they play in front of their fans, but we are concentrated on us, and a lot will depend on us," added Perišić.

How does Zlatko Dalić see the situation?

"Before the Euros, we knew that the third game would be decisive. This is the last chance we have to advance. That was the goal, and we must do everything to achieve it," said Dalić.

Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour tested positive and has to go into ten days of isolation, but not the whole team. Dalić believes that his absence will not weaken Scotland much, but he also adds that Croatia is damaged because they are playing without its fans.

"We are damaged around this situation; we are certainly stronger with the fans. We play against two hosts, and various things about the coronavirus have been surrounding us for a month. It will be very difficult; we are playing against an opponent who has the quality and who is motivated. We have to go out on the field as favorites. We must not lose patience; we must not lose our heads. Patience will be very important," added the coach.

"We travel every three days; these are not realistic conditions. I would not want Croatia to do something outside the field, but I think that the conditions must be the same for everyone, and they are not. But I want Gilmour to recover and everything to be resolved on the field."

Players are constantly being tested, and of course, there is the pressure of whether they will be positive.

"We are all under pressure about positive tests. We are all in psychological uncertainty that something will not happen and that someone will not be positive, so that we all go into isolation. I really wouldn’t want it all to expand; I hope there won’t be anything more. We are worried about COVID-19 in the Scotland national team, but we have to play that game."

Asked if any of his players had asked him not to play due to the positive result, Dalić said they had not yet been able to talk because they had just arrived.

"We just arrived in Glasgow, had lunch, and of course we'll talk. It is clear that everyone is in fear and uncertainty, but we have to play the game and focus on the game and forget the rest. Such is the situation throughout the championship. We are all negative and very careful, but you never know what might happen."

Is the absence of Gilmour a gain for Croatia?

"Every player is an absence for the team. Gilmour played well against England but entered that game as a reserve. Scotland has stronger players; I don't see that as a win for us. Scotland is a strong team, they play at home, and that one player who is not standard and will not play is not our advantage," added Dalić.

Source: HRT

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

June 21, 2021 - Croatia and the world have discovered Lika’s potential in recent years, but what makes it so special? A closer look at Lika's potential. 

Located in central Croatia, the Lika region is bordered by the Adriatic coast to the west, Dalmatia in the south, Bosnia-Herzegovina to the east, and Kordun and Gorski Kotar to the north. It encompasses the inland part of Lika-Senj county and the northernmost part of Zadar county. The regional capital is Gospic, a small town located on the east side of Velebit, the mountain range which separates the inland from the Adriatic coast. The physician Nikola Tesla, the 19th-century politician Ante Starčević, the former Austro-Hungarian Generaloberst Stjepan Sarkotić, and the actor Rade Šerbedžija were all born in Lika. 

Lika has traditionally been the least developed part of Croatia. In the 1950s and 1960s, during communism, Croatia was industrialized. However, for some reason, Lika was left behind. Then, the 1991-1995 Homeland War happened. During these years, large parts of Lika were completely devastated. Then, in the 2000s, things began to change. The new Zagreb-Split highway (A1) was built through Lika. Suddenly, Lika became a link between Central Europe and Dalmatia. The highway created new jobs and new opportunities. In 2007, the Nacional newspaper reported that 70% of the companies operating in Lika were doing fine. The Croatian average was 69%. In the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, many Croats had their bank accounts blocked. In 2019, Lika-Senj county had the lowest percentage of blocked accounts. As we speak, a giant hydroelectric dam is being built in Kosinj. Once completed, it will provide the whole region with electricity and, of course, create new jobs. 

In recent years, it seems that Croatia and the world have discovered Lika’s potential. Lika is Croatia’s least developed region, but that comes with an advantage - lower taxes and house prices. Lika has a perfect location, 2 hours from Zagreb and Rijeka and only 1 hour from Zadar. The Adriatic coast can be reached within an hour. It’s fully possible to live in Lika, where the house prices are lower, and work in Zadar, Rijeka, or Zagreb, where the wages are higher. In fact, people are already moving from Slavonia, Dalmatia, and Zagreb to Lika! In the near future, a new highway will be built from Otočac to Rijeka via Senj and Crikvenica, over Velebit and along the Adriatic coastline. Once completed, the travel distance to Rijeka will be reduced to less than 2 hours.

The Lika region is probably most known for the Plitvice Lakes. Located in the northern part of the region, the lakes, with their sparkling turquoise water, are interconnected by a series of waterfalls. In 1979, the area became a national park. The surrounding landscape is like a Bavarian postcard - green forests, rolling hills, and white houses with flower-bedecked balconies. The Karlovac-Zadar route, until 2005 the main traffic link between Zagreb and Dalmatia, runs through the area. 

As said, the Velebit mountains separate the inland from the Adriatic coast. Since 1999, the northern part of the Velebit mountains has been a national park. Nature is majestic, with high, forest-clad mountains, deep canyons, and crystal clear streams. 

Zavizan, the highest meteorological station in Croatia (1676 m), is located within the national park. The Zavizan peak overlooks the Adriatic Sea and the island of Rab. Not far from the national park lies the Alpine village of Krasno, with its Edelweiss Dairy (Sirana Runolist) and its 18th-century pilgrim’s church. Farther east lies Kuterevo, a small village that is known for its brown bears’ sanctuary. The bears are being taken care of by volunteers from all over the world. All these places are located along the road from Otocac to the coastal town of Senj. 

As a matter of fact, the Lika region is full of see-worthy places, from the Gacka field and the crystal clear Gacka river in the north and the historic Krbava field (Krbavsko polje) in the south to the Alpine landscape in the west. The landscape is a mix of the Austrian Alps, the American prairies, the Scandinavian black forests, and the green Bavarian hills. The air and the water are clean, and as said, it’s only 30 minutes to the Adriatic coast. If you want to live in a temperate climate but have the subtropical zone next door, Lika is a perfect choice. 

For more, follow our travel section.

June 21st, 2021 - Split unveiled the largest small sea snail mural in the world. 

Dalmacija News reports, this tiny creature, only 12 mm in size, is extremely important for the balance of marine ecosystems. It is under constant threat from concreting and embankment of beaches. Instead of concrete coming to him, with the help of WWF, the World Conservation Organization, it now adorns the 300-square-foot facade of the building. Each species has its place in the ecosystem - it is up to us to preserve them. After all, our survival on Earth depends on them.

You can see what a little sea snail looks like when it comes to life here! Activation is easy, using a smartphone or tablet. With the help of the free Artivive application, a mural is scanned in the park in Blatine in front of Šimićeva 70, and this mysterious creature will come to life on the screen of the device.

The mural of the largest small sea snail was created based on a photograph by sea expert Pero Ugarković, painted by Split academic painters and street artists Luka Duplančić and Ivan Svaguša, and his virtual life was breathed in by animators Mate Žaja and Duje Stojak.

The mural production was carried out by WWF Adria, co-financed by the European Union, and in cooperation with the City District of Blatina, the Tourist Board of the City of Split, and the Split-Dalmatia County - Administrative Department for Tourism and Maritime Affairs. The mural was created as part of the pan-European Fish Forward project to raise awareness of the social and environmental impacts of the consumption of fishery products and WWF's project to transform coastal fishing in the Mediterranean.

Here you can check out how the famous mural comes to life!

For more articles, make sure to follow our lifestyle section.

June 21st, 2021 -  The Croatian Tourism Board (HTZ) has launched cooperation with leading global travel platforms and specialized travel media Lonely Planet and Culture Trip to provide the latest information on Croatian holiday destinations and tourism services in eight European markets.

"Cooperation with such important global travel platforms, which are followed by nearly 20 million unique visitors a month, is important in promoting Croatian tourism and travel destinations. This will give us additional visibility in key European markets from which we expect the largest number of visitors this year," HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said in a statement on Monday.

Cooperation with the Lonely Planet platform, which is visited by 11.5 million unique visitors a month and has about 32 million views a month, will cover the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. The focus will be on the culture and gastronomy of the continental regions of Slavonia and Baranja, Croatian nature parks, the southern island of Brač, and the coastal city of Zadar.

Cooperation with Culture Trip, which attracts about 18 million unique visitors a month and has about 8.1 million followers,  will focus on cycling, rural tourism, boating, island hopping, and cultural landmarks.

 For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

June 21st, 2021 - Croatia has registered 11 new coronavirus cases and eight COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus crisis management team reported on Monday.

The number of active cases currently stands at 535, of whom 282 are hospitalized, and 19 of them are on ventilators. A total of 4,129 people are self-isolating.

Since late February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in the country, 2,112,159 people have been tested for the novel virus, including 1,674 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 359,184 persons have been registered as having contracted the virus, of whom 8,182 have died, and 350,467 have recovered, including 65 in the last 24 hours.

By 20 June, 2,359,472 doses of vaccines against COVID-19 have been administered, with 1,450,798 persons receiving at least one dose and 908,674 receiving both doses. In addition, 4,422 vaccine doses were administered on Sunday.

For all, you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.