December 10, 2021 - The Osijek Christmas tram ride is a unique Advent experience in the Slavonian metropolis. This year, there are two appropriately decorated trams on the regular line that you can catch every day and experience an unforgettable Advent ride through the city on the Drava, which began in 2011.

Recognizable, traditional, the brightest tram in Croatia, the Osijek Christmas tram is visited by almost 15,000 people in the season, and this year it shone in full glory, reports Turističke Priče.

You can find the schedule of the holiday tram at this LINK.

Photo: Osijek Tourist Board/Facebook

The size of a city is not defined by the number of kilometers or the number of inhabitants but is measured by the size of the heart, the strength of the spirit, the kindness of the people. Osijek has long been said to be a "city made to measure" and is big enough to fulfill your needs, desires, dreams and small enough to feel safe, comfortable, and intimate. Big enough to organize the longest walk around the city, small enough to adapt the concept of the Advent celebration to the current situation in a short time.

The senses conceived their Advent through the concept "it is not standing but moving, and it is not a place but a journey". Advent, conceived as a movement around holiday-decorated locations, revived Osijek, showed the character and spirit of Osijek, and revived memories of other times when daily walks and full streets were the main motives for good fun in Osijek for all generations.

Photo: Osijek Tourist Board/Facebook

And the only real success of Advent is happy and smiling people.  Positive emotions, sparkle in the eyes, gratitude, togetherness, which is not lacking in the Slavonian metropolis, which lives 354 days a year with full lungs.

If you want to learn more about the breathtaking capital of Slavonia, be sure to check Total Croatia's Osijek in a Page here.

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

December 10, 2021 - The cruise industry was one of the most affected due to the coronavirus pandemic, but this year Dubrovnik registered very positive numbers, with a cruise tax revenue estimated at almost 1.5 million kuna and would be invested in transport infrastructure to raise the standard of the destination.

As of January 1 this year, the City of Dubrovnik has started collecting tourist tax for cruise ships. It was announced back in 2019 when the relevant Ministry of Tourism introduced the so-called cruise tax.

After 2020, in which the cruise industry was paralyzed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many were skeptical this year in the months before the start of the summer season, with unfavorable forecasts in a city that in normal circumstances usually receive hundreds of cruises during peak season.

HrTurizam reports that this year there were a total of 135 cruiser touches that had over 50 passengers on board and as such were subject to a fee. Thus, the total revenue of the tourist tax paid by ships on international cruises for 2021 is 1,463,000 kuna, of which 85% - 1,243,550 kuna belongs to the City of Dubrovnik, and 15% - 219,450 kuna belongs to the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

These are earmarked funds that would be invested in transport infrastructure to raise the standard of the destination.

At a recent meeting with representatives of CLIA, the umbrella organization of cruise companies, Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Franković reported on the continuation of cruise tax revenue collection next year, where the City of Dubrovnik, as this year, will show flexibility in relation to the capacity of ships.

Namely, due to the fact that due to special safety protocols, conditioned by the COVID pandemic, cruise ships sailed mostly with only half the capacity, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports gave the opinion that, during these circumstances, the capacity of passengers on board the number of passengers on the ship calling at the port, not as the total capacity of the ship.

For more, check out our dedicated business section.

ZAGREB, 9 Dec 2021- Zagreb police said on Thursday they would press misdemeanour charges against a 42-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man for organising public gatherings against COVID certificates on several occasions late in November without having informed the police.

An investigation established that the woman organised the gatherings on 21, 22, 24, 25 and 29 November in St. Mark's Square, where Government House, Parliament House and the Constitutional Court are located, and nearby streets without informing the police or taking measures to keep the order.

The police said COVID rules, including assembly restrictions, were not complied with during the gatherings.

As to the man, the police suspect he organised and led a public gathering outside the County Court against COVID certificates and in support of Marko Francišković, who was arrested last Friday together with seven others on suspicion of inciting terrorism.

ZAGREB, 9 Dec 2021 - The European Commission has, under EU state aid rules, approved a Croatian state aid scheme for renewable electricity generation, valued at €783 million.

The €783 million programme will allow Croatia to provide state aid for renewable electricity generation with the help of numerous technologies. The scheme will contribute to reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the EU's Green Deal objectives and objectives regarding environmental protection, which is part of the Croatian recovery and resilience plan without unnecessarily disturbing market competition on the single market, Executive Vice-President for Competition Margrethe Vestager said on Thursday.

Croatia informed the EC of its intent to introduce the new support programme for electricity production from renewable sources - wind farms, solar power plants, hydropower plants, biomass plants, and biogas and geothermal power plants.

State aid will be granted in the form of premium on top of market prices of electricity. The premium will be defined by a competition procedure and will not be higher than the difference between the average cost of production for each of the technologies to be used to produce energy from renewable sources and the market price of electricity. Beneficiaries will be selected following calls for applications to be advertised in the period from 2021 to 2023.

That programme will be open until 2023 and support will be paid to beneficiaries for a period of 12 years.

The EC assessed that the programme is in line with EU state aid rules and in particular with the Guidelines on State Aid for environmental protection and energy 2014 - 2020.

The EC found that the support is necessary for the further development of renewable energy production and to help Croatia meet European and national environmental protection goals. Support has a motivational impact because electricity prices do not cover the entire cost of renewable electricity production hence, without the support there would not be any investments by the selected beneficiaries.

The EC also found that the support is proportional and limited to what is necessary because the level of support will be defined in a competition and cannot exceed the difference between the market price of electricity and the cost of production.

The Commission also found that the positive effects of the measure, particularly those on the environment, exceed possible negative effects in regard to possible market competition disruptions.

ZAGREB, 9 Dec 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday that Croatia's anti-epidemic rules were among the most liberal measures in Europe, and failure to adhere to them could push the country into a fifth wave and potential lockdown.

The proposed amendments to the law on the protection of the population against contagious diseases would not have been necessary if the measures had been adhered to, the minister said in the parliament while presenting the bill of amendments.

"Many countries have introduced significantly stricter measures than those in force in Croatia and not adhering to one of the most liberal measures in Europe could easily lead us to a new, fifth wave of the epidemic and the potential situation of lockdown which we do not wish to repeat," Beroš told lawmakers.

It is encouraging to see that the coronavirus numbers have been falling over recent days, which isn't a coincidence but the result of decisions by the COVID response team that is based on expertise, Beroš said.

Accessible and free - vaccination and testing

"There is no reason to not implement the measures or to object to them; they aren't discriminatory nor do they create division, on the contrary, they are inclusive. An additional inspiration to respect rules is the appearance of the omicron variant, as a new threat," he said.

He recalled that vaccination and testing are accessible and free for citizens.

"Had we been united in implementing measures and in complying with them, these amendments would not have been necessary," said Beroš, explaining why penalties of HRK 30,000 to HRK 50,000 are being introduced for breaches of COVID certificates.

He denied insinuations by some opposition MPs that the amendments are being made for a "showdown" with some politicians from the Opposition.

"The amendments are being made to protect the health and lives of citizens. When you advocate testing, that just reflects the importance of the application of COVID certificates," Beroš said in his response to MP Miro Bulj who insisted that only testing could prevent the spread of the virus.

Beroš rejected criticism that COVID certificates restrict movement, in fact, on the contrary, they allow people to cross the border.

"No one claims that COVID certificates are an optimal tool but at the moment they are the best we have," said the minister.

He added that there is no need for a two-thirds majority in the Sabor to support the measures because the current crisis management model in the pandemic is good, fast and efficient and it is in line with the law that was adopted in the national legislature.

ZAGREB, 9 Dec 2021 - Croatia has registered 4,428 new coronavirus cases and 62 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Thursday.

The number of active cases stands at 27,683 and among them are 2,352 infected persons receiving hospital treatment, including 321 who are on ventilators. A total of 24,305 people are self-isolating.

Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 644,206 people have been registered as having contracted the SARS-CoV-2 virus, of whom 11,445 have died.

A total of 605,078 have recovered, including 3,904 in the last 24 hours.

To date, 3,548,144 people have tested for the new virus, of whom 12,833 in the last 24 hours.

As of Wednesday, 4,314,136 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered, with 54.65 per cent of the total population, or 65.17 per cent of the adult population, having been vaccinated. A total of 2,217,755 people have received at least one dose and 2,009,860 of them have been fully vaccinated, which is 59.28 per cent of the adult population.

December 9, 2021 - Dinamo beats West Ham 1:0 in London in the last round of Group H, thus securing second place of the group and the Europa League playoff round in the spring. 

Mislav Oršić secured the victory for the Blues with a fantastic goal in the 4th minute. The Croatian champion had many more opportunities to increase the score against West Ham, which played with a rather mixed squad, and only two permanent and two other occasional first-team players, among them former Hajduk Split star Nikola Vlašić.

Rapid's away victory against Genk (0:1) also helped Dinamo, but this result would only matter if Dinamo drew or lost. 

Dinamo secured either the Europa League or Conference League even before the match against West Ham. West Ham had secured first place before the match against Dinamo, and the Blues needed at least one point in London or for Genk to lose at home to confirm second place. 

The Europa League playoff matches are on February 17 next year, and the return matches are played seven days later.

In the end, West Ham won the group with 13 points, Dinamo is second with 10, Rapid is third with six and goes and will play in the Conference League in the spring, while Genk is at the back with five points.

West Ham as the winner of the group goes directly to the round of 16, Dinamo will play in the Europa League playoffs against one of the third-placed clubs in the Champions League, while Rapid moves to the Conference League playoffs. 

The Europa League playoff draw is on December 13 in Nyon at 1 pm. The Zagreb club could face RB Leipzig, Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Sheriff, Barcelona, ​​Atalanta, Sevilla and Zenit St. Petersburg.

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

December 9, 2021 -  What if it was possible to support Vukovar economically rather than just emotionally, while having an incredible discovery of eastern Croatia. Meet the proposed Vukovar Card and itinerary. 

The idea is simple, and it puts money into the Vukovar economy, allows Croatians from all over the country and the diaspora to have a direct connection and contribution to the Vukovar today, as well as having one of the most incredible weeks of discovery of a part of Croatia that few know about in details. Here is a detailed look at my recent 6-day trip to eastern Croatia in November. It was one of the best weeks of my 18 years in Croatia.

I presented the concept of the Vukovar Card recently in Vukovar Card: Support Local Economy Rather than Temporary Facebook Status.

The concept is simple.

Vukovar is a very emotive issue for all Croatians after the events of 1991, and November 18 sees an outpouring of emotion each year, as Facebook statuses are changed to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. 

While emotion and remembrance are appreciated in Vukovar, there is zero economic impact for a region which is suffering economically more than the rest of Croatia. 

Many Croatians have never been east and have little knowledge of the magic they are missing out on. 

The Vukovar Card provides a partial solution to that. 

Once in a lifetime, rather than heading to the beach for that 2-3 week holiday, take 7 days to head on east instead. Go and meet the people of Vukovar, drink in their cafes, eat in their restaurants, and enjoy a fabulous 7-day tour of eastern Croatia that will literally blow your mind and wonder how you have been missing out on all this for so long. 

Once you take the tour, you receive the proposed Vukovar Card. It is proposed that the Vukovar Card is like a loyalty card (a little like the ill-fated Cro Card). Hotels, restaurants and bar owners on the coast, can all play their part to boost the Vukovar economy by offering a 10% discount on selected services by bearers of the Vukovar Card. 

Nothing more complicated than that. 

I pitched the idea to the two regional tourist board directors, Ivana Juric of Osijek-Baranja County, and Rujana Busic Srpak of Vukovar Srijem County, and they were both supportive of the concept. I asked them to prepare a sample 7-day itinerary that would show that, far from being charity, the Vukovar Card was actually a great way to stimulate tourism in the east and give participants a genuinely amazing tourism experience. I told them that if they came up with the itinerary, I would make an appointment to present the concept to Minister of Tourism and Sports, Nikolina Brnjac, to see if we could get national support for the initiative. 

This is what Ivana and Rujana put together.  I am emailing Minister Brnjac later today. 

Proposal for visiting Croatian Danube region: Srijem and Slavonia and Baranja

Day 1

08.00 – departure from Zagreb

10.30 – Syrmian breakfast, restaurant Aquarius, Bošnjaci

11.30 – visit brandy tasting room Matkova pecara, Bošnjaci (announcement required)

Option: Forestry Museum in Bošnjaci

12.30 – visit to Gradište, Snašini kućari – tour of the estate, presentation of old crafts and traditional architecture (announcement required)

lunch

14.00 – visit to Otok, Bio-ecological centre Virovi: walk on the educational trail, kayaking, canoeing, cycling

16.00 – Nijemci, ride on the tourist boat Sv. Katarina from the centre of Nijemci according to the desired direction (reservation required)

18.00 – Vinkovci, tour: Vinkovci Town Museum, Birth house of Ivan Kozarac, overnight stay

Day 2

09.00 – visit to Vukovar

09.30 – Tour of the Eltz castle

10.30 – War hospital museum

11.30 – Franciscan museum

12.30 – Ride on the Danube

13.30 - Lunch, recommendation: „Lola“

14.30 – 16.30 – Afternoon city tour: Zadruga Vrhunsko vukovarsko, Vukovarsko pivo, Street art

16.30 – Vučedol Culture Museum

17.30 – Tour of the Memorial house Ovčara

18.00 – Departure to Ilok

19.00 – dinner

20.00 – Tour and tasting: Wineries/Vinarija: Ivan Čobanković, Papak

Ilok, overnight stay 

Day 3

09.00 - A tour of the medieval core of Ilok: the church of St. Ivana Kapistran with the monastery, Ilok Interpretation Center, Ilok City Museum

11.00 - Tour of Ilok cellars: tasting

12.30 – Lunch, recommendation restaurant of the hotel Dunav

14.00 – Principovac

Departure to Osijek-Baranja County 

NOTE: the program is proposed in a way to visit the key attractions and experiences of Vukovar - Srijem County in 3 days. The proposed facilities can be visited for a longer, more relaxed period of time, according to the choice of the traveller.

Day 4.

16.00 Arrival in Osijek, check in Hotel Osijek 4* / Guesthouse Maksimilian 3* / Hotel Boutique Tvrđa 4* / Hostel Stara Pekara (or other)

17.30 Sightseeing of the city centre: discovering Picasso along the most beautiful river promenade in Croatia, Bridge of Youth, finding traces of Freemasonry and tour of Co- Cathedral; local craft beer tasting (Von Becker’s, Runda, Beertija, Gajba, etc.)

20.00 Dinner Crna svinja (meat), Čepin / Slavonska kuća (traditional), Osijek / Lumiere

(international, city center), Osijek / Hotel Osijek – Zimska luka restaurant (international,

city center), Osijek / Čingi lingi (traditional), Baranja-Bilje / or other 

Day 5.

8.30 Breakfast

10.00 Kopački rit Nature Park – Heart of the Danube, boat ride, interpretation centre or

boardwalk stroll, https://pp-kopacki-rit.hr/index-en.html

11.00 Tikveš castle sightseeing

12.00 Visit to Asztalos Art Ceramic Atelier, Suza; option: workshop can be arranged

https://www.facebook.com/Asztalos-Keramika-113478782041244/

12.30 Discovering the typical style old wine cellars in Zmajevac village

Wine tasting and lunch, Josić winery, http://josic.hr

14.00 Batina Battle Memorial Complex / WW II - Red Army

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Batina

Sightseeing point over the Danube and three countries - Croatia, Serbia, Hungary

15:00 OPG Matijević family farm in Suza village, tasting of local products with PGI certificate, http://www.kulen-matijevic.hr/

15.45   Belje wine road in the Bansko brdo hill, rolling wine yards and the breath-taking views of southern Baranja and Osijek in the background

16.30 Arrival to Osijek, break

19.00 Sightseeing of the Tvrđa, old town

Other options for Baranja:

• Village “museum” - Ulica zaboravljenog vremena / Street of forgotten time, Karanac

https://www.baranjska-kuca.com/

• Lunch in Baranjska kuća in Karanac (traditional), https://www.baranjska-kuca.com/
• Lunch in Hotel Lug (top chef), https://hotellug.hr/
• Vinarium Borarium, Zmajevac – collection of Baranja’s wine history
• Guided hiking on Bansko brdo with “Landranje team”

(https://www.facebook.com/LandranjeBaranjom/)

• Discovering Zlatna Greda, the forest lodge with adrenalin park and picnic site in the nature park Kopački rit, http://zlatna-greda.org/en/

Day 6.

Erdut-Aljmaš-Dalj area:

8.30 Breakfast

Milutin Milanković Cultural and Scientific center, http://www.milutin-milankovic.com/

10.30 One of the family run boutique wineries / Antunović – Dalj (https://vina-antunovic.hr/?lang=en) , Brzica – Erdut (https://www.brzica.com/), Magistra – Erdut (https://www.facebook.com/Vina-Magistra-286222865311970, Siber – Erdut (https://vinasiber.com/), Danubio (https://www.danubio.hr/, offers accommodation), Janečić (https://vinarija-janecic.hr/)…

12.00 Visit to Erdut vineyards / Erdutski vinogradi, historic wine estate

https://www.erdutski-vinogradi.hr/index.php/en/

Visit to Erdut tower

Lunch – OPG Etno kuća Stari dud / Zlatica Blagojević

https://www.facebook.com/etnokuca.staridud.1

Visit to Aljmaš – pilgrimage site, Lady of Shelter, Marian shrine since 1704 

Return to Osijek, free time

Day 7.

Đakovo:

Breakfast

9.30 State stud farm Đakovo – Ivandvor, http://ergela-djakovo.hr/en/about-us/ivandvor-2/

10.30 Visiting sacral cultural heritage - Cathedral of St.Peter 

http://tzdjakovo.eu/index.php/en/znamenitosti/muzeji/item/34-st-peter-s-cathedral?rid=175

State stud farm Đakovo – the stallion station, http://ergela-djakovo.hr/en/about-us/stallion_station/ 

Lunch, departure

Optional: visit to Wine cellar of Đakovo-Osijek Archdiocese and to family-owned wineries in Trnava and Mandićevac wine area surrounding Đakovo (fantastic views!). In case of visit during spring and summer we recommend also visit to Borovik lake.

I have personal and recent experience of just how amazing eastern Croatia is on a 6-day tour. Learn more in Time to Tell the Truth about Slavonia Full of Life.