ZAGREB, 6 February, 2021 - The stumbling block in memory of Miroslav Šalom Freiberger, the Zagreb chief rabbi in WWII who was killed in Auschwitz in 1943, was re-installed in Zagreb's Amruševa Street on Friday after it was destroyed a month ago, the Zagreb-based NGO Centre of Tolerance reported.

During his term as the chief rabbi in Zagreb, Freiberger managed to save many members of the local Jewish community but was killed in Auschwitz right after disembarking from the train because he objected to Nazi brutality.

The first memorial, called 'stumbling block' or Stolperstein, commemorating victims of the Ustasha and Nazi regimes in Croatia, was installed on 1 October 2020 in Zagreb's 29 Gunduliceva Street, for Jewish child theatre prodigy Lea Deutsch, who lived at that address. 

Last year, a total of 20 stumbling blocks ("Stolpersteinen") were erected in Zagreb.

On 28 December, such memorial was installed in 8 Amruševa Street for the chief rabbi Šalom Freiberger.

The Stolpersteine project, initiated by the German artist Gunter Demnig in 1992, aims to commemorate individuals at exactly the last place of residency. This project has been implemented in more than 2,000 cities and towns in 25 countries. 

In attendance at Friday's re-installation of the "stumbling stone" in front of Šalom Freiberger's last residence were Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, some other Croatian officials, as well German Ambassador Robert Klinke, and representatives of the embassies of the USA, the State of Israel, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Canada and France and representatives of the Bet Israel community.

ZAGREB, 6 February, 2021 - Coronavirus figures in Croatia are still good, but we should not delude ourselves that the virus has disappeared, the head of the national coronavirus response team, Interior Minister Davor Božinović, told Croatian Radio in an interview on Saturday.

This infection is affecting every corner of the globe and all countries have the same priority - to protect human lives and enable the functioning of the economy, Božinović said. 

"It's a fact that Croatia has the least strict measures in place in the EU, yet we are managing to bring the figures down. Our aim is to bring them down to such an extent that we can say that everything is under control. We are preparing for the time of year that is crucial for the Croatian economy, and that is the tourist season," Božinović said.

He said that everything had been done to avoid a lockdown, but after some businesses were closed, the number of infections had begun to decline and was still declining.

"If this trend continues, if we see even larger decreases, we will certainly not waste time to modify the measures" so that businesses, such as cafes and restaurants, that are now closed can reopen, he added.

Božinović said that the government was considering easing the restrictions before the tourist season. "I cannot say when that will happen. It's not a question of if but when."

He assessed that six months from now the situation would look much better than it did today, because the virus would be spreading to a lesser extent due to warmer weather and vaccination.

"Vaccination is now going a little more slowly, but I think it will intensify already this month and in particular next month. In the second quarter we will certainly have enough doses to put the epidemic under control. I am optimistic in that regard," Božinović said.

Božinović was asked to comment on an incident that happened last weekend, when Italian members of the European Parliament unofficially arrived at the Croatia-Bosnia border with the aim of crossing it illegally and were stopped by Croatian police. One of the MEPs said it was not true they intended to cross the border illegally.

"We have a note from the Italian Embassy saying that they wanted to go the village of Bojna and continue to Velika Kladuša (northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina). This is the area where the border can be crossed only illegally," he said.

He added that the Italian MEPs "probably thought that their colleagues from the Croatian SDP were more influential here and would kick up a fuss about it."

"This, of course, turned out to be a wrong move for our colleagues as well, who did not even ask us what happened, but put their confidence in the statements made by the MEPs who were here privately," Božinović said.

For the latest news on coronavirus, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

February 6, 2021 - Another fabulous Croatian start-up, with quite a story about its origins. Looking for a healthy energy boost in your morning coffee? Meet Mushroom Cups.

I learned a lot about mushrooms this week. 

Although my inbox is a battle I will never win, I do enjoy the varied curveballs it throws my way. It is one of the things that keep this job so interesting - every day is different, and the inbox never fails to disappoint.  

Among the gems this week was an introduction from a friend to a company called Mushroom Cups:

Hi Paul,

Please, meet Stipe - a great entrepreneurial story, HQ in Solin, winning European awards with their super mushroom injected beverages.

And so my fungal journey began. Mushroom-injected beverages? My mind went back to my student days at Manchester University - what could this one possibly be about?

And what a fantastic story, as Mushroom Cups CEO Stipe Rezic enthusiastically filled me on his award-winning and highly unique range of products that are already benefiting people in various ways. 

Stipe is a former professional basketball player, who played for the Croatian national team for several years. As part of his efforts to be at his sharpest, he tried new supplements, diets and exercise methods. One of the downsides of such as approach was the detoxing from artificial supplements, which even necessitated the need for surgery at one point.

And then the first mushroom transformation in his life, with the discovery of cordyceps mushrooms. The effect was magical - so much energy from the moment he and his teammates started taking it at the University Championship in Cordoba.  And that additional energy manifested itself into success. From rank outsiders (the Croatian Basketball Association had even booked return flights two days before the final), our cordyceps mushroom heroes went on to overperform and take the silver medal. 

The second phase of the mushroom development was even more personal, involving Stipe's father, who had a rare allergy which made the skin on his feet crack all the way to the blood. The simple act of walking was enough to start the bleeding, and his blood pressure was all over the place. Doctors, diets, various types of medicine were all to no avail, and then Stipe learned that of the 20 most important medical innovations in the 20th Century, 10 of them were derived from mushrooms. He thought back to his cordyceps mushroom experience and had a hunch that the solution lay in mushrooms. 

And so it proved. 

The journey was not without ridicule and doubt, but gradually Stipe found a community of people with impressive references and critical minds who considered his idea viable. By working with them and taking inspiration from their mushroom success stories, he continued his research, eventually making one jar of home-made mushroom extract mix.

Having tried so many other concoctions from people with more reputable scientific credentials than his son, Stipe's father looked unimpressed at the gift of the jar, and it remained unopened a few days later when Stipe came to see him. His son was understandably angry after all his efforts, and Stipe impulsively mixed all the mushroom contents into the coffee jar, so that he would not forget to take it - coffee drinking is a religion in Croatia. He took a photo of his father's feet (see above), saying he would compare it to the results in 60 days. 

And just 30 days later.

Fast-forward 6 years, and 70-year-old Dad is apparently running around like a 50-year-old, even winning a balote tournament recently. 

Amazing stuff. I asked Stipe how he got started with Mushroom Cups:

"I was speaking of coffee with mushrooms so we had a lot of laughs just by the mention of it. But as soon as I talked more about my experience and the power of the mushroom kingdom most of my friends would get quite intrigued. They were actually the ones who pushed me to open the business after a few mushroom success stories in my family." 

From its Solin headquarters just outside Split, Mushroom Cups already has clients all over the world for its range of innovative mushroom-infused organic products to boost immune systems, improve endurance and strength, boost learning and focus, and refuel mind and body. The best sellers in the web shop are 

• Go Glow - for immunity and well being with Chanterelle and Chaga
• Go Sharp - for productivity and creativity with Chanterelle and Lion's Mane 

Next week is a big one for Mushroom Cups, as they will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for the first Gourmet coffee in the world infused with wild Mediterranean mushrooms (Croatian Chanterelles). The goal is to provide a healthy yet tasty upgrade for people who love specialty coffee, but also to promote Croatia as a country of great food, beautiful nature, and exceptional athletes.   The project will be publicly supported by 3 Olympic medalists (Mario Ancic, Blanka Vlasic and Dino Rađa). 

Mushroom Cups launched a Kickstarter campaign on February 9, 2021 to take things to the next level, including a very cool video. Learn more about the campaign, which will run for a month, here.

Great story and - although I am yet to try it - what looks like a really great product. And one which also played its part in the recent earthquake relief in Petrinja. With the help of an EU grant for innovation of small businesses, we bought more than 200.000,00 kuna worth of wild Chanterelle from the earthquake-damaged area.

You can learn more about Mushroom Cups and their healthy range of products on the official website. 

For more incredible Croatian innovation, check out the TCN Made in Croatia section.

February 6, 2021 - The Croatia and USA water polo teams are currently in Zagreb as the 'Barracudas' prepare for the Olympic qualifying tournament in Rotterdam from February 14 to 21, 2021. 

HVS reports that the USA joined Croatia in Zagreb for their Olympic qualifying preparations before the team heads to Rotterdam next week. The USA national team led by Serbian expert Dejan Udovicic will play five training matches with Croatia, while two of them will be official matches. In other words, matches with referees, a scoreboard, and timekeeping.

"We couldn't have wished for a better sparring partner at this moment and for what awaits us. They are a phenomenally physically fit team, exceptional swimmers. They have a rough style of play that is on the verge of exclusion or personal fouls, and that is how I expect Russia and Germany to play against us in Rotterdam in the group. Both France and the Netherlands will probably try because they are technically inferior to us, but they can match our strength, wrestling, and swimming. Thus, the USA will be of great help to us before the tournament in Rotterdam," said Croatia coach Ivica Tucak before the first match on Saturday evening at 7 pm.

For the past few months, the USA first worked together with Greece in Athens, then won the tournament in Podgorica, defeating Montenegro and the B team of Serbia, and before arriving in Zagreb, trained with Serbia in Belgrade. After Zagreb, they plan to train with Italy in Recco. What is special about the current USA national team is that atypical for pre-Olympic years, many of their national team players are playing in Europe. Most of them, as many as 13 of them, are in Greece, and one member of Team USA is also in Croatia - Alex Obert at Jug Adriatic Osiguranje. The reason is quite clear, in the USA, there are mostly universities, while sports complexes and swimming pools are closed. Since there are no competitions, it is only logical that their national team members enjoy what Europe offers. 

Two of the Croatia-USA matches are friendly, though they should have a competitive zeal. Apart from the American way of approaching sports, it should be noted that Croatia will play with full force, especially after Tucak announced that these two games should dispel any minor doubts he has about the player list for Rotterdam.

"These few days with the Americans will surely come in handy. The staff will get an even clearer picture of the team to make the best use of it in Rotterdam," adds the captain of the national team Andro Bušlje.

Center Luka Lončar added:

"What we are doing here now is the final glaze, implementing the coach's tactical ideas, as if we were at the highest level in Rotterdam. The atmosphere is great, as if we have been working together, playing together, and have been friends for several years."

Croatia and the USA will also meet on Sunday, February 7 at 7 pm. Since spectators are not allowed at the Sava swimming pool, you can watch both matches live on Planet Sport 1 or stream them at the Croatian Water Polo Federation Facebook page (hvs.hr).

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

February 5, 2021 – Croatia gets one more protected area as Mount Dinara becomes the 12th Croatian nature park.

Today, the Croatian Parliament proclaimed the Mount Dinara Nature Park. The Park will encompass the area of the Dinara massif (Dinara, Troglav, and Kamešnica), the Cetina River's upper course, and the Hrvatačko, Paško, and Vrličko karst fields. The highest peak of Croatia – Sinjal (1831 m), is located in the Park, too. These mountains are part of the Dinaric Alps, also commonly known as Dinarides, a mountain range in Southern and Southeastern Europe.

As the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Ćorić said, the Mount Dinara Nature Park proclamation is an important moment for nature protection in Croatia, reports the Ministry.

"Mount Dinara Nature Park has become the 12th nature park in Croatia. Together with eight national parks, we have completed a set of 20 protected areas in the categories of nature and national parks," said the Minister.

Source: Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development

With an area of 63,052 ha, Mount Dinara Nature Park stretches through Šibenik-Knin and Split-Dalmatia counties. It is thus the second-largest nature park in Croatia, after Velebit Nature Park.

With the proclamation of Mount Dinara Nature Park, the share of protected areas in Croatia's land area, together with the area of the ecological network Natura 2000, makes 39 percent of Croatia's land area protected. There are 11 areas of the Natura 2000 ecological network in the Park area – two conservation areas important for birds and nine conservation areas important for species and habitat types.

The Park area is rich in other values derived from the centuries-old tradition of human use of space – semi-natural habitats, indigenous breeds and varieties, and rich cultural and historical heritage. The Dinaric karst is a phenomenon recognized at the international level that covers a much wider area, and it was named after the Dinara as a type locality.

Source: Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development

Over 1000 plant species live here, a fifth of the total Croatian flora, and 75 of them are national endemics. Also, over 20 endemic animal species live in this area, and due to the untouched vast complexes of forests and grasslands, it is essential for our large carnivores – wolves, bears, lynxes. High Dinaric grasslands are the most important locality in Croatia for the yellow mountain viper (Vipera ursinii macrops), an endemic Dinarides snake species.

The protection of this area will have positive effects on nature conservation, but also the population and the economy of the wider region. The revitalization of extensive livestock is expected, as well as other traditional activities and new opportunities for sustainable use of space.

Source: Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 6 February, 2021

- Croatia has registered 424 new cases of coronavirus infection and 22 related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team said on Saturday morning.

The number of active cases currently stands at 2,904. Among them are 1,143 infected people receiving hospital treatment, including 106 who are on ventilators.

A total of 14,315 people are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in the country, 235,126 people have been infected with the novel virus, of whom 5,144 have died and 227,078 have recovered, including 453 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 1,223,360 people have been tested, including 5,605 in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team said.

For the latest coronavirus news from Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section.

ZAGREB, 6 February, 2021 - We will return to our normal lives by the summer, Professor Ugur Sahin of Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz, the co-founder of the biotechnological company BioNTech and creator of the first vaccine against coronavirus, told Večernji List newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.

Asked when the COVID-19 pandemic would stop, Sahin said that it would not stop, but would be brought under control.

"I have no doubts that, if everything goes well in Europe, we will achieve enough control in September, but we will reduce the mortality rate already in March and April. We will be seeing minor outbreaks afterwards because not all people will have been vaccinated. We will have to learn to live with this situation. From time to time there will be severe infections because of non-vaccination or immunosuppression. We will have to live with that, but we will return to our normal lives no later than the summer. That's what I believe," the scientist said.

"We have to see how long the immunity will last after vaccination. The immunity will drop, the virus will change, and at one point we will realise that we need a new vaccine. The question is whether that is five months, 18 months or two years. Right now I don't know. If we see that the vaccine is well-tolerated, there are no serious side effects, we might opt for being vaccinated every year, to be on the safe side. That's one option. But we have to see yet," he added.

Asked if his vaccine could protect against new strains of COVID-19, Sahin said they had so far tested it on the British variant and that the results of the tests on the Brazilian and South African strains would be made public soon.

"The level of protection against the British variant is the same, while it is slightly lower in the case of the South African and Brazilian variants. But that's nothing we should worry about. It is important to say that antibodies are just one level of protection and that there are other levels as well. In any case, we want to assess how a certain strain can change and do a clinical study with one or two variants to see how often changes occur," Sahin said.

Speaking of the future of messenger RNA vaccines, he said that the approval of this vaccine might accelerate approvals for future ones.

For the latest on coronavirus in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

ZAGREB, 6 February, 2021 - Foreign cruise ships all but disappeared from the Croatian Adriatic in 2020 as only 26 visited Croatia last year, or 96.4% fewer than in 2019, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (DZS).

The situation with cruise trips is the same across the world as their number has globally declined by over 90%. According to optimistic estimates by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the market might recover in the second half of 2021 if vaccination against COVID-19 and the distribution of vaccines continues and travel restrictions are eased.

The 26 trips to Croatia were made by 10 foreign cruise ships, down by 84.7% compared with 2019, and they brought slightly over 4,000 passengers, which was a decrease of as much as 99.6%.

A majority of trips (20) were made in the first quarter of the year. One trip was recorded in July and the remaining five were made in August and September, while no trips were registered in the second and the fourth quarter.

The ships sailed under the flags of Belgium, Greece, Italy, the Marshall Islands, the Wallis and Futuna Islands and Malta. They visited only two counties - Dubrovnik-Neretva (85% of the 26 trips) and Istria (15%).

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

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