ZAGREB, July 22, 2020 - The Dukat company is willing to buy up milk from Meggle contract farmers, the Zagreb-based company stated on Wednesday after recently Meggle announced that it would shut down its plant in Osijek.

Dukat recalls that it cooperates with more than 2,000 small, medium and big milk producers throughout Croatia.

"The milk production in Slavonia must not cease," says Dukat. 

The decision made by Meggle Croatia prompted Agriculture Minister Marija Vuckovic and local authorities to hold a meeting with Meggle executives on Tuesday. After the meeting, the minister reassured contract farmers in the Osijek area that the buying up of their dairy products would continue.

Vuckovic said that all 280 contract farmers of Meggle Croatia should rest assured that the buying up of their products would continue. The 280 contract farmers have between 25,000 and 26,000 kilos of milk for sale. Dukat's representatives also attended the meeting.

July 22, 2020 - Along with Aida, which is the most popular and most performed opera title of the Split Summer Festival, Nabucco will be performed twice by the Croatian National Theater Split opera at the 66th Split Summer Festival. 

Namely, Dalmatinski Portal writes that in addition to this year's premiere performance on Tuesday, July 21, Nabucco will be performed on Thursday, July 23, at the Peristyle. The performances are directed by maestro Jure Bucevic for the first time, and the play is directed by Georgij Par and Jelena Bosancic.

Along with the Orchestra, Choir and Ballet of the Croatian National Theater in Split, the protagonists are singers who have presented themselves to the Split audience since the premiere of this Nabucco production. The title role of the Babylonian king Nabucco is Italian baritone David Cecconi, Boze Juric Pesic plays Ismael in the first performance, and in the second, the role will be sung by Brazilian tenor Max Jota. As Abigaille, we will again watch and listen to soprano Daniela Schillaci, already well known in Split. Ivica Cikes and Bozo Zupic will take turns in the role of Zaccaria, Antonija Teskera will be played by Fenena, and. Mate Akrap, Vinko Maroevic and Branka Plestina Stanic will play the roles of Priests, Abdall and Anna.

The peristyle performance of the Nabucco opera was the first music and stage production made exclusively for the open stage at the Imperial Square in front of the Split Cathedral. Verdi’s masterpiece premiered at the Peristyle a total of six times. This summer, under the musical direction of maestro Jure Bucevic, who is making his debut as the Nabucco conductor, we will watch a production that premiered in 2018 and is directed by Georgij Paro and Jelena Bosancic.

Nabucco is an opera that has permanently established Giuseppe Verdi’s reputation as a great opera composer.

"With this opera, my artistic career really begins," said Verdi himself.

The four-act opera, composed in 1814 on a libretto by Temistocle Soler, is based on the Old Testament books On Kings, Jeremiah, Lamentations, and Daniel, and plays by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu. The historical events of the expulsion of the Jews by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar are the backdrop to a romantic and political plot. The choral aria Va pensiero is certainly the most popular in opera and, as such, has become a recognizable and unavoidable part of the general culture as an expression of the general longing of peoples for freedom.

In addition to the conductor and director, the author's team consists of set designer Dinka Jericevic, costume designer Sonja Obradovic (according to the ideas of Irena Susac and Leo Kulas), choreographers Miljenko Vikic and Ljiljana Gvozdenovic, choirmaster Frane Kuss, lighting designer Srdan Barbaric, and stage movement author Ljiljana Gvozdenovic.

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July 22, 2020 - The famous Zlatni Rat beach is a trademark of Croatia, and particularly of the island of Brac and the town of Bol.

HRTurizam writes that now, this symbol is the first beach in Croatia, and among the first in Europe, with its very own, bilingual website - www.zlatniratbol.com.

 The extraordinary story of Zlatni Rat is its natural phenomenon where the beach itself changes its shape and position depending on the wind that blows, waves and sea currents, which form the very top of the beach. It is continually evolving. Interestingly, measurements have shown that Zlatni Rat, which is also known as the 'Golden Horn', is growing longer every year.

The website aims to inform guests about the offers on the beach, provide various service information, beach etiquette, as well as real-time weather forecasts, but also the related offer of the destination Bol.

Tourist workers in Bol are currently achieving about 50% of last year's tourist traffic, and they hope to be at about 70% of last year's traffic by the end of July.

Most visitors are from Germany, followed by Slovenes, Czechs, Croats and Austrians.

"Given the situation, we can be satisfied with the arrivals. If there are no major difficulties related to the coronavirus, we hope to achieve about 70% of last year's visits at the end of July. From July 24, in addition to the existing line, we expect the introduction of a second catamaran line directly to Bol. It is important to point out that we adhere to all epidemiological measures to make our guests feel safe and comfortable," said the director of the Bol Tourist Board, Markito Marinkovic.

Twelve daily ferry lines between Split and Supetar and one catamaran line between Split and Bol currently run to Brac, and twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays) Zagreb is connected to Brac by air. At the beginning of August, there are plans to introduce an airline from Frankfurt to Brac, which would be active until October 23, 2029. 

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

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As Marta Duic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of July, 2020, the location of the first Domino's Pizza pizzeria is the Croatian capital of Zagreb, close to the Sheraton Hotel, and the arrival of this global leader in pizza delivery, which has more than 16,300 branches in more than 85 countries, is due to the company All about pizza.

The company's CEO, Mihael Sviben, and his business partner Nils David Gornall have been working on the development of this business venture for more than two years now. The tradition of this American company dates back to 1960, and the first Zagreb branch of Domino's Pizza will start operating on Monday, July the 27th, 2020.

Local artists took part in arranging the 300-square-metre space, and Sviben pointed out that they wanted to be different and at the same time autochthonous and showcase the true uniqueness of Zagreb.

"Like any young entrepreneur, I have big plans, but for a start, we're going to focus on Zagreb. Domino’s is known for its incredibly fast delivery, and to achieve that, we need to work with small delivery zones. From our first branch, we're going to deliver only to parts of Zagreb, so the focus of our first expansion will be Zagreb as a whole, but our plans after that are much bigger,'' explained Sviben.

As he said, they had no problems finding employees to work at Zagreb's brand new Domino's Pizza, however, the coronavirus pandemic unfortunately changed their plans. When they first presented Domino’s pizza in Croatia in February, their plan was to open something physical in May.

"And we're more than happy to have this opportunity to open our doors in these unpredictable times. We're a team whose key is to offer a service that is on a par with the aforementioned fast delivery, and we strive to offer customers the best of both worlds, as well as the original American recipe on which Domino’s Pizza is based, just like local combinations of flavours and ingredients,'' added Sviben.

One of the most popular, almost classic types of Domino’s Pizza is Pepperoni. According to Sviben, the quality and safety of these products are crucial when choosing ingredients for their pizzas.

“All of our ingredients have been tested and approved by Domino’s International. Whenever possible, we procure locally, but we also cooperate with other European suppliers,'' said Sviben. "We believe that with our many years of experience in pizza delivery and our hybrid menu, we'll be able to bring something new to the already exciting pizza scene in Croatia,'' noted the entrepreneur.

His colleague in this project, Nils David Gornall, also explained what else is a plus for them. “Our main advantage is that everything is designed as a pizza theatre and everything is created in front of you. People especially like to watch the dough be rolled out,'' he said.

Sviben also noted that Domino’s Pizza carefully selects its locations, and the key to the chain’s success across the world is, in addition to quality, the speed of its delivery, which will be a maximum of thirty minutes. Delivery is eco-friendly as it is done by bicycle.

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As Morski/Andreja Dodig writes on the 21st of July, 2020, a group of recreationists and sports lovers gathered back at the beginning of May this year with the idea of ​​founding a tennis club and a tennis school on Lastovo.

Krešimir Dodig, the individual who first came up with this idea, thanks to his recreational tennis experience and acquaintances, collected a donation from the "Oroslavje" tennis club in the form of basic equipment (rackets, balls, nets).

The existing concrete playground located next to the pitch belonging to the "Omladinac" Lastovo football club was arranged and put to use with the help of a monetary donation from the aforementioned football club and with the great efforts of the local population who organised and arranged everything independently. Assistance and support was also provided by local institutions of the Municipality of Lastovo, the Tourist Board of the Municipality of Lastovo, the Lastovo Islands Nature Park and numerous local hospitality facilities.

Tennis is an extremely fun and social sport that can be played by all generations so this initiative intends to bring together interested individuals of all ages. The idea was met with a great response among the locals and visitors to Lastovo, with the emphasis of the initiative placed on the fact that primary school children (aged 7-14 years) are given the opportunity to attend tennis school for free. The school has been run by two licensed tennis coaches since July the 8th (Robi Jankovič and Gregor Ficko) with the help of two assistants (Jakob Jankovič and Matija Dodig), and other members of the club have been attending it since the beginning of the school on July the 20th.

At the very beginning of the operation of this Lastovo tennis school, 22 children were present, but by the date of this text, the number of children increased to 43, which means that as many as 86 percent of the children living on Lastovo are involved in this commendable sports initiative.

After the first phase, a presentation training for parents was held on July the 16th, where trainers presented learning methods, a programme of work in athletic, mental, technical and tactical education, and the children presented their acquired skills and knowledge to their parents.

Throughout the work of the tennis school for children, the coaches train local potential coaches who prepare for the continuation of the Lastovo tennis school after the end of this three-week summer camp. The wish of the initiators is that all members of the club go through the tennis school, and that playing tennis provides them pleasure.

Considering the position and location of the existing court, the possibilities of its expansion, the indescribably good microclimate for playing tennis and the existing infrastructure, projects for the formation of an entire tennis camp are also planned.

In addition to the development of physical and mental abilities, tennis has a social, fun character and can significantly enrich life on the island as well as the tourist offer of Lastovo. Islanders and local institutions have already recognised the potential and importance of this project, which can mean a lot for the future of their children, the population, as well as visitors.

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As Jozo Vrdoljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 20th of July, 2020, Xiaomi, one of the leaders in terms of smartphones and consumer electronics products, has opened the doors of the first Mi Store in Split. After the opening of the first Mi Store in Zagreb's Arena Centre back in 2018, thanks to Bijelić Co., Xiaomi is continuing to expand its business and the availability of its products in the southern region.

As part of the Mi Store, located in City Centre One in Split, which will cover 160 square metres, Xiaomi will exhibit its rich portfolio of smartphones and AIoT smart products. The Mi Stores in both Split and Zagreb were opened in partnership between Xiaomi and the company Bijelić Co., thanks to which, the online Mi Store was launched this year.

''In the next vision of nurturing friendship with its customers, Xiaomi is committed to constant innovation, with an unwavering focus on quality and efficiency, thus providing amazing products at affordable prices to enable everyone in the world to live a better life thanks to innovative technology. I'm glad that even more Xiaomi fans in Croatia will have the opportunity to get better acquainted and enjoy our devices. I'd like to thank our partners and everyone who participated in the opening of the second Mi Store in Croatia. Thanks to them, the store will be able to offer even more innovative products to everyone,'' said Tony Chen, General Manager of Xiaomi for Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordic and Baltic regions.

Xiaomi is currently the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the entire world, present in more than 90 countries and regions globally. It has established the world’s leading consumer IoT platform to which more than 235 million smart devices are connected.

"The huge level of interest from users in the southern part of Croatia was the main reason for us to open the first Mi Store in Split. We respect the wishes and needs of our customers and make decisions accordingly, given that satisfied customers are our number one priority in determining future investments. In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, despite many obstacles, we maintained the stability of Xiaomi's distribution network of smartphones and consumer electronics devices across all markets, all in order to deliver devices to their end users on time. Our expertise in applying requirements from the global market to the local market and a highly efficient distribution network were precisely the fundamental reasons why Xiaomi chose us as the only strategic partner on the markets of Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Austria,'' said Viktor Bijelić, owner and president. Management of Bijelić Co, Xiaomi's authorised distributor for Croatia, Slovenia, Austria and Montenegro.

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As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of July, 2020, last year, the City Council of the City of Bjelovar made a decision to include itself in the Socially Incentived Housing Programme (POS), reports Lokalni.

In the meantime, the City of Bjelovar has secured the land necessary for the construction of the new POS apartments, published public calls for applications for apartments from the programme and adopted all of the prescribed spatial plans. Traffic, communal, energy and other infrastructure was also built, which is a condition for issuing a building permit.

Accordingly, the City of Bjelovar was recently visited by Dragan Hristov, the Director of the Agency for Legal Transactions and Real Estate Brokerage (APN) and his assistant Josipa Tokić. The reason for their arrival in Bjelovar was the signing of a pre-agreement on mutual rights and obligations between the City of Bjelovar and APN, as well as an agreement on the transfer of ownership to the Agency for Legal Transactions and Real Estate, which could allow the Agency to implement socially supported housing programmes in Bjelovar and as such request a building permit.

By signing this contract, the City of Bjelovar wants to provide its citizens with the lowest possible selling price per square metre of an apartment from the POS Programme.

''As many as 22 families contacted us and the price of the apartments should be below 1000 euros per square metre. At City Council sessions, we're often asked what exactly we do for young families. This project is intended for them. We currently have about 200 building permits for these apartments. So, apartments are still being built, which is great news. Bjelovar has become a desirable to live, a lot of people have moved here, they are building their lives here, finding jobs, and planning for the future,'' said Mayor Dario Hrebak, who has become well known for his modern stances on anti-corruption and administration digitalisation.

20 apartments will be built, and if there are some apartments left in the end, the City of Bjelovar will buy them itself to rent out. The apartments will be located in Antuna Šoljana Street in the northern part of the city.

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July 22, 2020 - Offering Arabic food, Middle Eastern lunches like falafel and dips with salad, or spicy grilled meat wraps, Layali Lebanese holds an authentic provenance.

Once famous mostly as a run of beer bars and backpackers, over recent years Tkalčićeva in the capital's upper town has also become the focal point of international cuisine in Zagreb. But, even among the city's more exotic menu of meals, Layali Lebanese Restaurant stands alone. Offering Arabic food, their light, Middle Eastern lunches like falafel and dips with salad, or spicy grilled meat wraps hold an authentic provenance. Mastermind behind the menu is Zafer Hindash, who comes from the Middle East. He runs the restaurant with his nephew Bernard Solaković. Both practicing Muslims, alcohol is not permitted on their premises, so this is a destination that's all about the food

Zafer Hindash and his nephew Bernard Solaković © Total Croatia News

Zafer: My name is Zafer Hindash and I'm 53. I was born in Jordan but I left there in 1976. I lived almost all my life in Dubai. My brother got a job there, so we moved the whole family. The things I remember from Jordan are the people, the neighbours, the atmosphere. It was a very similar feeling in Dubai when we arrived. There were not so many rich people there back then, unlike today. You cannot imagine what it was like to be there to see all the changes. Really, it felt like everything was running too fast. You could walk down the street one day, come back the next and it would look totally different. A few years ago, I was searching for the next place I could be, for retirement. I went to Turkey, I visited here and I liked it. I left Dubai in 2017 and came to Zagreb.

Bernard: I didn't really know so well Arabic food until Zafer came here. I'd tried things my aunt would make on her visits here from Dubai. The food inside a Muslim home here in Zagreb is different from what you would find in a Catholic home. We brought many dishes here from Bosnia, which is where the older generations of my family are from, so it's very normal for us to make pita and burek at home. Some people might only buy this from pekara. We also make baklava at home and other sweet specialties.

© Layali Lebanese Restaurant

Zafer: I travelled a lot and, honestly, most places are the same; you can find good people everywhere. But, I love it here. The people, the neighbours. The pace of life is more stable here than in Dubai. I am at an age now where you cannot handle everything moving so fast. This is now the best place for me to be.

Bernard: At first, people couldn't understand why we don't serve alcohol here. Tkalčićeva is so famous for drinking. But, after we explained that it is a religious thing, that this is our Hallowed way of working, people accepted it. We offer instead our Arabic teas and coffee.

Zafer: I was in business all my life. This is the first time I worked with food. Before this, it was only a passion in my home. Preparing food is like the sea; so many spices, so many different combinations. The food we make at Layali is the food I love to make at home. I would describe our food as Arabic, but really now, some of it is international. They ask for it everywhere. And not just falafel and hummus. I get shocked when people ask for muhamara or fatoush. I guess food and people travel a lot more these days.

© Layali Lebanese Restaurant

Bernard: It can be tricky to eat out here if you are a Muslim, because so much of the meat here is mixed and it may contain some pork. It's even more difficult if you strictly adhere to religious rules which dictate you can only eat Halal meat. We have a Halal supplier for all of our meat here. There are farms in Croatia and the wider region which provide meats in this way.

Zafer: All of our spices are imported. We tried everything that is on offer here, but nothing is quite the same as back home. All the spices we use are really fresh. We import them from Lebanon or Dubai. We use the fresh parsley from here. In every Arabic home, you'll find a mix of seven spices. It's very important to our cuisine and it can differ from house to house, from region to region. We have different spice mixes for each meat dish we make. We tone down the spices to more suit European tastes but, if someone asks, we make it how we make it back home.

© Layali Lebanese Restaurant

Bernard: In my home, we mostly eat meat. We don't actually eat so many vegetarian main courses. But, when I eat the vegetarian options from Layali, such as falafel, I really don't miss the meat. It really encourages you to eat less meat. I feel lighter - especially when I'm working - if I eat like this. It's perfect for a lunch in this hot, summer weather.

Zafer: If I'm not working, I love to walk. I love the city and I love the weather. I walked all over Zagreb. I don't have a map, I just walk. I love the old buildings and the nature. In Dubai, all the buildings are new. It looks artificial to me. When I'm tired, I stop in some cafe for a drink. Especially I love the rain. When it rains, I walk. If I eat somewhere else, I usually take pizza. It's something we don't make here.

© Layali Lebanese Restaurant

You can find Layali Lebanese Restaurant at Tkalčićeva 59

You can read the introduction to our series on Zagreb international cuisine and the first installment here

To follow our whole series on international cuisine and to follow the Croatian restaurant and gastro scene, keep an eye on our Gourmet pages here