May 30, 2021 - After changing its date due to the pandemic, the Floraart International Garden Show will display a vast and colorful set of flower gardens at Lake Bundek, starting this Tuesday, June 1st.

After being announced, and then canceled due to the epidemiological situation in Croatia, the 55th Floraart International Garden Exhibition was scheduled for a new date, reports Turistčke priče. The big flower show will begin on Tuesday, June 1st, and run through Sunday, June 6th. Floraart will be held on more than 300 thousand square meters of open space in Zagreb's Bundek, in compliance with all epidemiological measures.

Credit: floraart.hr

On the outside, plant exhibitors will be presented with a range of their own products and various floral installations and displays of conceptual solutions in the design of smaller green areas. The competitions "Croatian CUP of Florists" and "International Competition of High School Agricultural Students in Flower Arrangement" will not be held this year.

Credit: floraart.hr

In the western and eastern open part of Lake Bundek, a rich sale of cacti, perennials, and flowers at affordable prices will be organized. Lovers of nature and flowers, after last year's break, will finally come to their senses, beautiful flower arrangements await them all over the lake.

Floraart International Garden Show is organized by Zagreb Holding - Zrinjevac branch, and the co-organizers are the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb Tourist Board. Admission is traditionally free, and it is recommended that citizens park in the east parking lot of the Zagreb Fair.

Along with the coastal cities like Split or Dubrovnik or the hundreds of destinations that you can find in the Croatian islands, Zagreb is also an attractive destination during the summer. You can find more information in our TCN overview on the festivals and events in Zagreb for this summer.

For more information on what the Croatian capital has to offer, such as what to see or do, be sure to check out our Total Croatia guide, Zagreb in a Page 2021. Now in your language!

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - The pumpkin seed oil made by the Sinković family farm in Bedekovčina, Krapina-Zagorje County is the champion of the 3rd International Alps-Adria Pumpkin Seed Oil Exhibition and the 10th Croatian Pumpkin Seed Oil Exhibition.

The prizes were presented in Varaždin earlier this week.

The 3rd International Alps-Adria Pumpkin Seed Oil Exhibition was organised by Varaždin County with the Alps-Adriatic Alliance and 12 Croatian counties. This year 168 pumpkin seed oils from Croatia, Austria, Slovenia and Hungary were submitted.

Fifteen 15 gold medals were awarded in the cold pressed pumpkin seed oil category and seven in the warm pressed category.

Varaždin County prefect Radimir Čačić awarded the pumpkin seed oil made by the Sinković family farm €2,000.

He said he was proud that five samples from five producers in the county had won five gold medals at the biggest world fair of food products, where 3,500 samples from over 90 countries had competed.

"This prize only goes to show that our colleagues in neighbouring countries have the same quality as well," said Čačić.

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ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - The Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanić, on Sunday celebrated Homeland Mass on the occasion of Statehood Day, underlining the importance of examining the truth about the Croatian people's past and its path to freedom.

Speaking of the Croatian people's past 30 years, Bozanić said that "so many times we close our eyes and hearts, letting that past be distorted."

Congratulating the Croatian people and believers on Statehood Day, he said every people was called upon to read its history in relation to God's plan and His acts. "In the past of the Croatian people, there are many reasons that lead to admiration. In all of its history, including the past three decades, there is a history of unity with God."

Bozanić said the truth about the past should be the foundation of the Croatian present as well as all future efforts.

"There is no political freedom without the freedom of the spirit," he said, calling for opposing enticing offers of well-being which spread selfishness and lef to slavery and the destruction of the spirit.

The service was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, ministers Tomo Medved, Nina Obuljen Koržinek, Tomislav Ćorić, Radovan Fuchs and Gordan Grlić Radman, the apostolic nuncio, Monsignor Giorgio Lingua, army and policy members, and other believers.

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ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - In the past 24 hours 186 coronavirus cases and 12 deaths have been registered in Croatia, the national COVID-19 response team said on Sunday.

There are 2,304 active cases and 809 hospitalised patients, including 87 on ventilators, while 10,604 persons are in self-isolation.

To date Croatia has registered 356,141 coronavirus cases and 8,014 COVID-19 deaths, while 345,823 patients have recovered, including 427 in the past 24 hours.

To date 2,011,339 persons have been tested for the virus, including 5,550 in the past 24 hours.

By 29 May, 1,748,726 vaccines have been administered, with 1,270,392 persons receiving the first dose and 478,334 both.

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May 30, 2021 - Despite the adversities encountered as a result of the pandemic, the Bakar tourist board has been awarded for its ''Heritage Chest'' project. The goal of the Heritage Chest is to animate the local population in order to collect and preserve valuable heritage material.

As reported by turistickeprice.hr, the tourist board project, designed during the pandemic, called the Heritage Chest, won the national annual award Simply the Best for 2020. This award for creativity, innovation, development, and improvement of the tourist offer of the destination is traditionally given by UHPA (the Association of Croatian Travel Agencies) and the tourist magazine Way to Croatia.

Bakar is an ancient port and one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic. The Mediterranean Sea is the deepest inland right here in the Bakar Bay, which reaches a depth of up to 44 m!

In his arms, Copper proudly ascended the hill like a stone amphitheater. It has been present on the stage of history for 5,000 years, and its core was registered as a cultural monument in 1968. Every step through its streets and surroundings reveals a new, exciting story and unexpected contrasts.

Credit: Bakar Tourist Board Official Facebook Page (Photo by Miljenko Šegulja)

The wider area of ​​the City of Bakar covers as much as 125.60 m2 and unites numerous natural diversity. Bakar and eight surrounding places (Hreljin, Krasica, Kukuljanovo, Plosna, Ponikve, Praputnjak, Škrljevo, and Zlobin), dry stone vineyards of Bakarska prezidi with a praputnjar part called Takala, a karst lake that arises and disappears in Ponikve, Hreljinska Gradina at 321 m above sea level by the sea, the top of the mountain Rišnjak and many other reasons for coming to the Bakar region.

At the time of the pandemic and in very demanding working conditions, in which the tourism sector, in particular, was put to the test, the Tourist Board of the City of Bakar showed its creativity and decorated itself with a valuable award with its innovative project. Two Simply the best awards were won:

• Tourist agency "VIA MEA" won the award in the category ‘‘Travel agency - Cooperation with the local community to improve the tourist offer of the city of Bakar and to develop a new tourist product - heritage gastronomic event Tuna fest’’

• Heritage Chest won the award in the category ‘‘New project in tourism for excellence, creativity, and improvement of the tourist offer of the destination’'.

The Heritage Chest project arose from the need to continue working despite the consequences of the epidemic and in a creative way, with the support of the local community, to overcome the problems due to reduced budgets in conditions of difficult tourist functioning. The goal of the Heritage Chest is to animate the local population in order to collect and preserve valuable heritage material.

Credit: Bakar Tourist Board Official Facebook Page (Reproduction by Miljenko Šegulja)

Numerous residents and lovers of the Bakar area responded to the invitation of the tourist board by sending it photos, old postcards, author's songs, stories, and interesting records about various historical figures. The casket contains Praputnjarski records and numerous interesting stories, such as the one about the blind copper aquifer Ivan Čop, who lived in Bakar at the end of the 19th century.

Credit: Bakar Tourist Board Official Facebook Page

The story of the women of the Roberti family from Bakar, who for more than 150 years, from generation to generation, passed on and carefully kept the recipe for the Bakar cake, also found its place in the chest. The Tourist Board of the City of Bakar in cooperation with the bakery "Vrbnik'' managed to revive this recipe and include in its offer Bakar cake: a dessert of sumptuous taste, which further enriched the gastronomic offer of the City of Bakar.

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ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday congratulated Croatia on Statehood Day, saying the relationship between the two countries was defined by shared values and thanking it for the close military cooperation.

"On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Croatia as you celebrate your Statehood Day," Blinken said in a statement on the Department of State website.

"The United States and Croatia are steadfast Allies and partners, and our relationship is defined by shared values that help us progress on critical fronts, including strengthening trade and investment ties, enhancing energy security, and confronting the climate crisis," he said.

"This year, we also commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Croatian Armed Forces, and the United States offers its thanks for the decades of close military cooperation our two countries have enjoyed," Blinken said

"Our thriving defense partnership is evidenced by our continued participation in joint and NATO training exercises (...)  A valued NATO Ally, Croatia is an important contributor to both Transatlantic security and European prosperity."

Croatia was also congratulated by Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker, who said in a video message on the U.S. Embassy Zagreb Twitter account that "our people-to people links are stronger than ever."

"We value the contributions that Croatian Americans have made to our ties through the years. And every year more and more American tourists discover the beauty of your Adriatic coastline and other sites. We hope that those numbers will increase," he said, adding that "the best days of our bilateral relationship lie ahead of us."

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ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković on Sunday extended greetings on Statehood Day, calling for new unity and realising the vision of a Croatia with quality living for all Croatian people as an obligation to all who contributed to the creation of the Croatian state and freedom.

Faced with the challenges of the present and the biggest crisis since the Homeland War, caused by the pandemic and devastating earthquakes, we are called upon to achieve new unity, just as during the establishment and building of the state, Jandroković sad.

Together, we wish to realise the vision of a Croatia whereby we will enable quality living for all Croatian people, protect their health and rebuild homes, ensure that they stay and make the economy competitive and crisis-resilient. We also need to be connected with and care for Croats abroad, he said.

By celebrating Statehood Day, we observe the inauguration of the first democratically elected multi-party parliament on 30 May 1990, which was a key step in the realisation of the Croatian people's centuries-long striving for its own free and independent state, said Jandroković.

Many contributed to the realisation of that goal, but defenders, the families of killed and missing defenders and the first president, Franjo Tuđman, deserve special gratitude, he said, adding that today one should also remember all those who participated in the creation, defence and affirmation of Croatia in various ways.

Today, when we live in a modern and democratic state, a member of the European Union and NATO, we have the obligation to teach new generations that the Croatian state and freedom were not granted but won in war, struggle and sacrifice, Jandroković said.

But, he added, it is because of young people that we must turn to the future and ensure for all our citizens the best life possible.

The development and progress of modern technologies, the issue of demographic revitalisation, environmental protection and the ecology, youth mobility, security and stability are our challenges as well as opportunities, Jandroković said.

An opportunity for Croatia to be a successful country of satisfied people by strengthening solidarity in society and responsibly governing the state, focused on problem solving. In doing so, we must not forget to cultivate the rich cultural heritage and protect our Christian values. That's our obligation to all the killed and missing defenders and civilians as well as members of their families, thanks to whom today we can proudly celebrate Statehood Day, he added.

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ZAGREB, 30 May, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Sunday issued his Statehood Day message in which he underscored the importance of the first multiparty parliament, established on 30 May 1990, for the following period of Croatia and he pointed out the importance of the post-pandemic and post-quake recovery.

Croatia is observing Statehood Day on Sunday in memory of 30 May 1990 when, after decades of communist rule, the foundations of the modern Croatian parliament, the Sabor, were created and its historic role in the preservation of Croatian statehood was confirmed.

"Statehood Day has great importance for all of us, because the foundation of the first democratically elected multiparty Sabor on this day in 1990, meant the birth of a Croatian democracy," Prime Minister Plenković said in his message, extending his best wishes to Croatia's citizens in the country and abroad on the occasion of this public holiday.

On this day 31 years ago, Croatia restored its sovereignty after centuries-long strugle for its own state and since then the Croatian people has been managing its state in a democratic way, he added.

Plenković recalled all the challenges Croatia has weathered to date, including the 1991-1995 Homeland War, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 devastating earthquakes, and underscored that "Croatia can be proud of its achievements in last three decades of its independence."

"We established the institutions of a democracy, gained international recognition, set up a respectable army, defended and liberated our homeland, reconstructed the war-ravaged areas and built a modern state that is now a member of NATO and of the European Union which we already chaired. We have restored the economy and enabled investments in the upgrade of the infrastructure."

The priorities in the coming period are the recovery of the economy at a faster rate and the post-quake reconstruction.

"We are committed to the implementation of a set of necessary reforms and investments that will improve the living standards of our citizens and further modernise our economy and make it more competitive and resilient to future crises."

For that purpose we will make use in the best possible way of 24 billion euros of EU funds put at Croatia's disposal, the premier promised.

We will continue developing our democracy, solidarity, tolerance in the society as well as social responsibility, he added.

Croatia is on the right track to join the passport-free Schengen area and the euro area in the next years, which will make Croatia's European Union integration deeper and also strengthen the security along the Croatian borderlines, as well as bolster the national economy, he says in his Statehood Day message.

Plenković thanked Croatian war veterans for their sacrifice during the Homeland War in which Croatia defended itself against the Great Serbia aggression. 

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