Flights to Croatia: Austrian Airlines Resumes Traffic to Croatia from End of March
February 19, 2021 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Austrian Airlines resumes traffic to Croatia from the end of March.
Croatian Aviation reports that from the beginning of its summer flight schedule, Austrian national carrier Austrian Airlines will again operate to three Croatian airports from its base in Vienna; to Dubrovnik, Split, and Zagreb!
A spokeswoman for the airline confirmed the flight schedule for March and April. While the number of weekly flights for the rest of the summer months has not yet been defined, the airline will define the flight schedule for the rest of the summer season in the next two weeks.
With the first day of the summer flight schedule (March 28), Austrian will renew three routes to Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik airports.
You can find the confirmed flight schedule below:
Four flights a week to Dubrovnik and Split
The Vienna - Dubrovnik - Vienna line will also start operating from March 28, and in March, it will also operate on Tuesday, March 30.
In the first week of April, two flights have been announced (Thursday and Friday, April 1 and 2); three flights are available in the second week (additionally on Sundays). From the third week of April, the airline will have four flights a week to Dubrovnik, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
By the end of April, Austrian will operate 17 return flights between Dubrovnik and Vienna, using various aircraft types from its fleet (DashQ400, Embraer 195, Airbus 319, and Airbus 320), with A319 aircraft operating on most flights. 4,664 seats are on offer between Dubrovnik and Vienna until the end of April.
The same number of flights, 17 of them, was announced on the Vienna - Split - Vienna route. The company will gradually increase the number of weekly operations, just as in Dubrovnik, offering four flights a week every week from mid-April, also on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Concerning the line to Dubrovnik, larger aircraft (mainly A320) will operate to Split, so the number of offered seats between Split and Vienna is significantly higher than the other two lines to Croatia. A total of 5,400 seats between the two cities are currently available on the market.
It is currently possible to buy tickets for a direct flight to Zadar Airport from May 1. Still, Austrian Airlines has not yet defined its flight schedule from May to September, so it is advised you wait another 10 days when the flight schedule for the peak of the summer season should be confirmed.
The return of Austrian Airlines is important news for the three mentioned Croatian airports. Although this is a smaller number of flights than in 2019, Austrian will offer an enviable number of flights to Croatia in the pre-season given the current situation. Namely, in the stated period of only one month, a total of more than 15 thousand seats are available on the flights of this well-known airline.
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High Jump Champion Blanka Vlašić Retires at 37
February 19, 2021 - High jump champion Blanka Vlašić has announced the end of her career at the age of 37.
The celebrated Croatian athlete and high jumper could no longer cope with her injuries. She said goodbye to the fans and the public with a letter transmitted in its entirety below.
In her great career, Blanka has twice been an outdoor world champion. She won silver at the Beijing Olympics and bronze at the Rio Games. She has the second-best result of all time and is the Croatian record holder with a jump of 208 centimeters.
"Dear friends of athletics, my dear fans,
Ever since Rio, I have been trying to patch up my injury, a full four years of hope that I will again stand in front of the bar and challenge myself. I have been breathing sports since I was born, the high jump is an integral part of me, and it will always be that way. So I let the decision to end my career come naturally. Before I won bronze in Rio, many told me to give up, as I have already done a lot. But if I had listened to them, I would not have won another Olympic medal, a medal that is so special to me because I won it literally with one healthy leg. That competition pulled everything out of me, even what I didn’t know I had.
The years after brought innumerable rehabilitation treatments, hope, then disappointment, and so on indefinitely. Yet, although it would be clear at first glance to an outside observer that it was time to dedicate myself to new life challenges, the decision had to be mine. Before it came, I went through all the stages of grief, and for me, it was the hardest period of my career. And only after all, on a very ordinary and peaceful day, it came to my heart: "It's over." I knew it was time, and I was completely calm. On the contrary, I felt a relief that I would never have had if I had 'gone over the line’ and stopped in vain when many thought I should.
Throughout this process, I had the great support of my family, father and coach Joško, Bojan, and friends. They knew it was a struggle I had to go through on my own and fight for a clear-headed decision. Every athlete will understand me - parting is not easy. We leave behind great emotions, conquered peaks, victories over ourselves, magnificent moments that cannot be described in words. But it all remains a part of us. The part we carry into the future. And I carry all my successes and failures, and I will weave them into some new story. So I will always stay in the sport. With my experience and knowledge, I want to permanently and actively contribute to the further development of world athletics and sports in general.
I am proud of my career. First of all, I am grateful to God for the blessing of talent and the circumstances in which that talent could flourish. To friends and fans who believed and jumped along with me. Although athletics is an individual sport, I always felt like part of a team because I didn’t jump just for myself. Running the lap of honor with the Croatian flag has always been the greatest honor for me. With peace in my heart, grateful for every inch and every applause, I turn a new page in my life."
Read more about Blanka here.
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VIDEO: Future Split Ferry Port after Reconstruction
February 19, 2021 - You may have noticed some construction around the Split ferry port over the last few days and are wondering what exactly is going on. Don't worry; this video of the future Split ferry port after reconstruction should clear things up.
Namely, the coast in the area is being extended to enable quality mooring of catamarans. The same project will enable expanding the passenger corridor and better flow of passengers and other pedestrians using the Coast of Prince Domagoj. From 2016 to 2019, the number of passengers transported by catamarans increased by 60%. In 2016, 714,034 passengers were transported, and in 2019, 1,145,818 passengers. Following the project's implementation, four catamaran berths will be put into operation, which are currently out of order.
The upgrade will enable the operational shore to function for mooring and unmooring of catamarans by separating the operational shore into the part for mooring, loading, and unloading, and the supply of ships from the part that serves for pedestrian communication. Simultaneously, a part of the operating area used by cars and trucks to board ferries will be separated by a green belt.
Reconstructing the existing Coast of Prince Domagoj I and II is planned so that the existing operational coast will be extended five and a half meters towards the sea, improving the existing service, port functionality and increasing the safety of port users. The current operational shore is about four meters wide, and the extension will provide an operational shore nine and a half meters wide. The Coast of Prince Domagoj I's length is 135 meters, and the Coast of Prince Domagoj II is 125 meters. The newly created area of the operational coast is about 1400 m2.
The shore will be paved with stone and equipped with utilities, lighting, supply cabinets for supplying ships with electricity and water, and additional green areas and decorative floor slabs that will visually separate the part for mooring, loading and unloading, and supply of ships from the part used for pedestrian communication. It is important to note that the project envisages ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility. Thus, the project enabled unhindered communication throughout the location and access to the public traffic area - all without barriers.
The deadline for the execution of works is nine months. The maximum amount for co-financing the costs of the project with public funds is HRK 42,284,052.27 or 100% of eligible costs of the project, of which HRK 35,941,444.42 or 85% comes from the EU Cohesion Fund through the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020, and HRK 6,342,607.85 or 15% from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia.
The project 'Reconstruction - extending the Coast of Prince Domagoj I and II in the City Port of Split' is planned as the first phase of the 'Reconstruction and expansion of St. Peter's Pier in the City Port of Split' project. With the implementation of these projects, the infrastructure will complete the pool of the Split ferry port and ensure optimal traffic flow, level of services, and sustainable development for the decades ahead, according to the Split ferry port.
Source: Dalmatinski Portal
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No, It's Not Another Quake - Zagreb Chimneys Due for Demolition on Sunday
February the 19th, 2021 - Some Zagreb chimneys are set to meet their end this Sunday and the local authorities have issued a warning to people in case their memories of the earthquake are triggered by the sound - No, it isn't another quake.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, due to seismic damage caused to the load-bearing structure, some Zagreb chimneys, more specifically of the Crnomerec Brickyard, will be demolished on Sunday at noon. At the location of the former Ciglane Zagreb, next to the tram turnaround in Crnomerec, an industrial complex with two chimneys at the address Ilica-Ciglanska ulica 7 was abandoned.
These Zagreb chimneys are located in the eastern and western part of the main building with brick kilns - the height of the western chimney is 49.8 metres, and the height of the eastern chimney is 62.2 metres.
Due to last year's terrible earthquakes, on the March 22nd here in Zagreb and on December the 29th in Petrinja, the chimneys were heavily damaged. Due to this damage, their stability was disturbed and their very structures now represent a danger, so on Sunday, February the 21st, 2021, a controlled demolition will be carried out to remove this concern.
The chosen method of demolition will see both of these Zagreb chimneys rotated in a northwesterly direction. The direction was chosen with regard to the environment and the possibility of them falling into free space and the protection of facilities that are in operation in the vicinity, with the least damage potentially done to the brickyard's facilities, the statement said.
"For the purpose of removing the Zagreb chimneys at the location of Ilica 288 at the building of the Old Brickyard on Sunday, February the 21st, from 11:45 to 12:15, traffic along Ilica in the part from Selska cesta to Oranica street will be disabled. The actual chimney removal itself is scheduled for 12 noon,'' the company carrying out the demolition reported.
Residents of Crnomerec who live in the immediate vicinity have been asked to open their windows and lower the blinds by 11:45 and keep them open until the end of the detonation is announced with an audible signal to prevent their windows from cracking. Residens were also asked not to stand by their open windows and watch the Zagreb chimneys being taken down. All side streets along that part of Ilica will also be closed off to traffic, and pedestrians will not be allowed to move freely during that time.
Bypass routes during the aforementioned works will be: Ilica - Oranica - Zagrebacka cesta - Prilaz baruna Filipovica and Ilica - Selska cesta - Zagorska - Tomislavova - Zagrebacka cesta - Oranica - Ilica.
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Plenkovic: Vaccines Must Protect Croatian Citizens Until Tourist Season
February 19, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at Thursday's Government's that vaccines must protect Croatian citizens until the tourist season.
HRTurizam reports that if the epidemiological situation continues to develop in a good direction, measures could be further eased from March 1, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković pointed out at Thursday's 44th Government session.
Prime Minister Plenković said that the trend of declining COVID-19 cases continues for the tenth week in a row and that the weekly average is 75 confirmed cases per million inhabitants. He added that the dynamics of vaccination are intensifying. With new shipments, there will be over 700,000 doses in Croatia by the end of March, which will significantly increase the number of vaccinated citizens.
Whether this means that catering facilities or at least terraces will finally open remains to be seen.
The weekly average is 75 confirmed cases per million inhabitants, which puts Croatia in third place in the European Union, behind Finland and Denmark.
Plenković: We expect significantly more vaccine doses by June to ensure maximum protection of citizens until the tourist season
By the tourist season, we want to ensure the maximum possible protection of citizens with the vaccine, said Plenković and added that the Government's task is to ensure as many vaccine doses by the end of the first quarter and reminded that another 600,000 doses should arrive in Croatia by the end of March. He added that significantly more doses should come in April, May, and June to ensure maximum protection for citizens until the tourist season.
"Croatia, like other members of the European Union, relies on the European Medicines Agency for the safety and reliability of vaccines and medicines. Something that ultimately goes directly into the context of any of our fellow citizens' health conditions must be reliable. We need to have confidence in the vaccine or drug that is coming to our market. The key is that once the EMA approves a drug and all agencies confirm it at the national level, then the responsibility for that drug or for that vaccine lies with the pharmaceutical company. In the variant that we put this medicine on the market without these filters, then we also respond in that way, and that is why Hungary went through the verification procedure," Plenković said about the possibility of purchasing the Russian vaccine two days ago.
If the reliability of these vaccines is proven, additional quantities will be used to speed up the vaccination process, Plenković added, emphasizing that Croatia is not currently considering vaccine production but aims to protect citizens with the purchased vaccines.
By the way, Croatia ordered 2.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, 1.9 million doses of Pfizer, one million doses of Moderna, and one million doses of Johnson & Johnson. It is important to emphasize how all three vaccines are effective so that there are no fatalities, severe symptoms, hospitalization, and respirators.
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Finance Minister Maric Feels Confident About Croatian EU Cash Negotiations
February the 19th, 2021 - Croatian Finance Minister Maric has spoken of his confidence of how Croatian negotiations are progressing in relation to the payout of European Union (EU) funds.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Finance Minister Maric has stated that intensive communication is being undertaken and is currently taking place, with 45 meetings having been held so far with all departments involved in them.
''Just as it is for all European Union member states, Croatia is obliged to send the final version of the document regarding their payout by the end of April this year,'' stated Finance Minister Maric.
"After that, there will be a process of evaluation of the document by the European Commission, and the Council needs to say something on those lines too, and then, accordingly, programmes will be approved for everything that will be written inside it," he added.
In the Croatian state budget itself, he noted, the vast majority of these funds aren't there yet and Croatia has no plans to make space for that. However, he added, the country can count on the fact that according to the latest information we have on a thirteen percent advance for the first year of use of the total amount of grants for 2021,'' as was reported by HRT.
"Most importantly of all, the document is significant in itself, but its implementation is even more important. Most of them are grants and I think we negotiated it very well and we have an above-average share of grants. For the most part, those 6 billion come from the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
The European Commission's remarks aren't only directed towards Croatia, but towards all countries for which the relationship between investment and structural reforms related to recovery must be more evenly coordinated. We'll use loans if necessary, but of course the focus is on grants,'' concluded the Finance Minister Maric before the government.
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Expats in Croatia/Pandemic Edition: Clare Brown from UK in Split (VIDEO)
February 18, 2021 - The global pandemic rages on and we’re still locked down with restrictions and social isolation. Some people are surviving and others are thriving. What’s their story? Episode #4 with… Clare Brown from the UK.
It’s almost one year since the World Health Organization declared covid-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Nobody expected what came next and certainly nobody expected things to last this long. But here we are, wondering when it will be over and hoping the vaccine will restore some sense of normalcy.
In the meantime, how are people filling their days? When it’s all said and done, how do they want to remember this time looking back? In this new series we’ll hear from all sorts of people in Croatia about their pandemic experience and their predictions for the future.
Episode #4 with… Clare Brown from the UK.
Clare Brown is not your typical law librarian. This proper English girl from the UK has taken Croatia by storm in the most beautiful and adventurous way. Initially visiting the country on holiday, several years ago, she fell in love with the region. Over the years she’s traveled throughout Croatia and the neighboring countries and has lived in different parts. Then, on a random night out, she looked across the room and saw a tall, handsome stranger. While most people lamented the pandemic, it was a side note to her budding romance. She speaks Croatian, makes rakija, cooks food from the family garden, loves a good coffee on the beach, and knows “a man” for everything. Croatian lifestyle resonates with her and she fully embraces it. The icing on the cake? Last year she married the handsome, tall guy! And now she’s a mom—to Bunny, an adorable little guy who hops around the floor and nibbles on dandelion greens. This expat is living the dream.
Story and photographs ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt. https://photo-diaries.com
For more of Cyndie's experiences, check out her Croatia Through the Eyes of a Digital Nomad column.
Are you an expat in Croatia who would like to share your experiences during the pandemic in Cyndie's video series? If yes, please contact her on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
We are also keen to interview any digital nomads who have successfully applied for the new visa, after the first success in Istria - Meet Melissa Paul, Owner of Croatia's First Digital Nomad Visa. Please contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Nomad Visa.
Olympic Qualifiers: Croatia Water Polo Tops Germany in Final Group Stage Match (22:8)
February 10, 2021 - In game five of the Olympic Qualifiers in Rotterdam, Croatia water polo tops Germany (22:8).
On Thursday evening, Croatia and Germany met for the final group stage match, after which we will learn the pairs of the quarterfinals.
Behind Croatia are four rounds made up of three victories and one defeat at the Olympic Qualifying tournament in Rotterdam thus far. Recall, Croatia won their first match against Romania at 16:6, defeated the Netherlands 25:8, topped France 10:13, and lost to Russia yesterday 13:14.
Croatia v. Germany Recap
Luka Bukic scored the first goal of the match for Croatia (1:0), while Luka Loncar made it 2:1 with 6:14 to go in the first. Maro Jokovic scored for 3:2 a minute and a half later.
Luka Loncar scored for 4:2 and Josip Vrlic scored for 5:3 which was how the first quarter ended.
Jokovic and Buslje opened the second quarter with goals for Croatia (7:3), and Vukicevic made it 8:4 with four minutes to go. Loren Fatovic scored for 9:5 with just under two minutes to go. Buslje scored twice to end the second quarter at 11:5.
Vukicevic opened the third quarter with two goals for 13:5 with 6 minutes to go. Lovre Milos scored for 14:5, and Rino Buric for 15:5. Buslje scored to end the third quarter at 16:6.
Thanks to Vukicevic, Buric, and Bukic, it was 18:6 with just under six minutes to go in the final quarter. Loncar scored for 20:7 shortly after, while Bukic scored two goals for 22:8, which is how the match ended.
Following the group stage, the quarterfinal stage will commence on Friday, February 19, in which the four best teams from each group will meet. The pairs will be determined by their positions in the standings (A1 - B4, A2 - B3, A3 - B2, and A4 - B1).
The four winning teams will play in the semifinals on February 20. The finalists of the qualifying tournament, as well as the national team that wins the match for third place on February 21, will qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, which are scheduled from July 24 to August 8, 2021.
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Europa League Last 32: Dinamo Zagreb Tops Krasnodar in Game 1 (3:2)
February 18, 2021 - Dinamo Zagreb tops Krasnodar in the first match of the Europa League round of 32.
Dinamo and Krasnodar met for game one of the Europa League round of 32 in the Russian city of Krasnodar on Thursday evening.
The Croatian champion arrived in a snowy Russia on Wednesday, where temperatures were around -10 degrees Celsius. The temperature during the match was expected to drop to -11 and even -13, though commentators said it was -6 in the first five minutes of the match.
Recall, Krasnodar finished third in the Champions League group behind Chelsea and Sevilla and ahead of Rennes. Dinamo, on the other hand, was undefeated in their Europa League group and finished on top ahead of Wolfsberg, Feyenoord, and CSKA Moscow.
Dinamo entered this match without any surprises in the starting 11, while Krasnodar's starting lineup was without Wanderson, their best player.
Lineups
Krasnodar: Gorodov, Smolnikov, Kaio, Martinovič, Černov, Olsson, Cabella, Vilhena, Sulejmanov, Berg, Claesson
Dinamo: Livaković, Ristovski, Theophile-Catherine, Lauritsen, Gvardiol, Majer, Jakić, Ademi, Ivanušec, Oršić, Petković
Krasnodar v Dinamo Recap
Dinamo was fierce at the start of the match, forcing plays up the wings for an early and dangerous corner kick. Without letting Krasnador taste too much of their half, both teams maintained much of the match in the middle of the pitch.
It didn't take long for Dinamo to find the back of the net. In the 15th minute, Mislav Orsic's cross eventually found the head of Bruno Petkovic for 0:1.
Dinamo couldn't hold onto their lead for too long, and just under 15 minutes later, Krasnador's Berg equalized for 1:1, which was the halftime result.
Krasnodar welcomed Wanderson to the starting lineup of the second half, though that didn't help their chances much. Eight minutes into the second half, Orsic nailed a corner to Petkovic, who scored his second goal of the match for the Dinamo lead (1:2).
Krasnodar dominated in the minutes that followed and threatened Dinamo's goal more than a few times. They even scored from offside.
But Krasnodar's moment finally came in the 69th minute when Claesson equalized for 2:2.
Dinamo led for the third time of the match in the 74th minute thanks to the fancy footwork of Ivanusec and brilliant goal by Atiemwen (2:3).
Four minutes were added by the ref at the end of the match, though neither team was able to score.
Dinamo and Krasnodar will meet in Zagreb next week.
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Amendments to Tourism Services Act Aligned with EU Directives
ZAGREB, 18 February 2021 - The government sent a bill of amendments to the Tourism Services Act to parliament on Thursday, which will make it possible for travellers to exchange their vouchers for travel that was cancelled after March 2020 for new arrangements or get a refund.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac underlined that the amended law was aligned with the EU package travel and linked travel arrangements directives with regard to refunding money for travel arrangements that were not consumed after 1 March 2020 and for which travel organisations issued consumers with vouchers.
"After the amendments to the law enter into force, travellers who were issued with vouchers can choose whether they want a substitute travel arrangement or cancel their agreement and get a refund within 14 days of cancelling the agreement," Brnjac explained.
The amendments also recognise qualifications of tourist guides in response to two actions that the European Commission launched against Croatia for breach of EU law, which are in the last phase before launching proceedings before the EU court, she added.
The bill was put to public consultation from 8 January to 7 February and 445 comments were submitted to the Ministry, of which 92 were partly accepted, while the majority (232) were rejected and 121 were taken note of.
The majority of the comments related to professional qualifications and examinations for tourist guides which was not the focus of the proposed amendments. Tourist guides lodged the most objections claiming that the ministry had neglected them while allowing foreign tourist guides to operate in Croatia.
The Ministry said it would regulate qualifications and examinations for tourist guides in a new regulation, noting that the existing regulation has been in force since 2008.
