July the 8th, 2021 - The Croatian Surf n Fries company, which has since expanded to numerous locations across the Republic of Croatia, Europe and the rest of the world, is set to open its doors in more locations across the country and in the United Kingdom.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, although a good part of the total of 54 locations in the world where the Croatian Surf n Fries fast food chain franchises operate couldn't even be opened due to the measures put in place owing to the pandemic, Andrija Colak's project has far from gone stagnant.

In the meantime, a mobile facility has been opened on the island of Rab, a fixed store is being opened in Osijek, and a contract has been signed for opening a location in Brighton, UK, and it will be the Croatian Surf n Fries' first fixed location in the UK, Colak revealed on Tuesday.

"Throughout the pandemic, the number of franchises didn't fall, but there was no significant growth, and the biggest challenge is that due to the closures and lockdowns we couldn't realise the contract we had at bars at stadiums in France and the UK, which was signed almost a year ago," said Colak.

As is already known, back in September 2020, a contract was signed with the company Rapid Retail, and Croatian Surf n Fries food was set to be eaten at famous European stadiums, from Old Trafford in Manchester to the Stade de France, the French national stadium in Paris.

As the pandemic has so far banned gatherings in stadiums, the deal sadly hasn't come to fruition. Meanwhile, the Croatian Surf n Fries team is still developing its innovation of a machine that throws fresh french fries out into a cardboard box. So far, the only vending machine of the sort has been installed in Plodine in Rijeka.

"In addition to all of the above, we're working on the transformation of the menu, we're strengthening our chicken segment, which is increasingly popular in the fast food business, with the stagnation of beef. In addition, we're expanding the menu from "snack" to "full menu", introducing breakfast, while our focus is still on quality ingredients and local suppliers. We're also working on the introduction of retail products in the offer such as crisps, which will do well on the back of the already well-known brand of our fries,'' pointed out Andrija Colak.

For more, follow our business section.

July the 8th, 2021 - The amazing Mate Rimac Bugatti deal which has dominated the Croatian media space since its announcement has earned showers of praise from across the world as this remarkable Croatian entrepreneur continues to make automotive history.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the incredible news of the Mate Rimac Bugatti deal has reached the eyes and eyes of the world's media and attracted even more recognition for this Livno-born entrepreneur who is schooling the government in how investments are attracted, following a huge cash injection from no less than Porsche.

CNN states that the Volkswagen Group and Porsche have agreed to create a new company that merges Rimac Automobili, a Croatian company based in Sveta Nedelja near Zagreb that produces electric supercars, with the famous Bugatti.

The CNN article states that Rimac has so far specialised in developing technology for electric cars, including batteries. According to CNN, companies such as Jaguar, Aston Martin and the Swedish supercar manufacturer Koenigsegg are among Rimac's well known clients. The publication also cites Rimc's collaboration with the Italian Pininfarina, a company that was once known for designing for Ferrari.

The Financial Times describes the Mate Rimac Bugatti deal as "a deal that cements Rimac's position as an established force in the automotive industry," Index reports.

The fact that Bugatti will be controlled by an electric car specialist is a big step forward for Bugatti, a company known for its loud hypercars and 16-cylinder engines. The fact that the takeover is by someone from Croatia is astonishing to most, as the country is far from known for even dipping its feet into the car world, at least until Mate Rimac put it on the map.

Advances in battery technology have led to speeds beyond the reach of even the most advanced vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, according to the Financial Times, following the example of Rimac's amazing Nevera, which should be the fastest production car ever produced.

According to the Financial Times, Rimac said that by the end of the decade, Bugatti will produce a fully electric car, but until then it will focus on hybrid models.

For more, follow our business section.

July 8, 2021 - While others are raising funds to help the street cats of Split and Hvar, few heartless people still exist and are secretly poisoning these innocent animals. Will the rampant cat poisoning problem in Dalmatia ever stop? A look at the recent events with street cat poisonings in Dalmatia.

In the morning of July 7, 2021, TCN received a report from Luana Matosevic regarding a family of street cats that was found dead on the street of Dragutina Parčica in the centre of Zadar. 

"Close to my office, there is a small group of stray cats that are fed by an old kind lady every day. They live between buildings in a quiet place and they live peacefully. Together with this old lady, I have been feeding them and giving them antibiotics because the two kittens have a minor case of conjunctivitis. This morning, however, we found 4 of these cats poisoned - including a less-than-a-month-old kitten and her mother.", wrote Luana. 

Photo of a kitten and her mother before they were found poisoned | Photo credit: Luana Matošević

Upon discovery of this heinous crime, a woman called the police and reported the incident. According to Antenazadar.hr, Ivana Grbin, the spokesperson for the Zadar Police, informed them that after receiving a report about several dead cats that were found on Dragutina Parčića Street on the morning of July 7, 2021, police officers together with a veterinary inspector were dispatched to check the scene. Currently, investigations are being carried out to determine all the circumstances. 

Mother and kitten found poisoned the last 7th of July, 2021 in Zadar | Photos by: Nina Begonja

"We don't know who did this, but someone gave them poisoned food. The old woman who fed those cats every day has some suspicions as to who could have done it. Apparently, there are two people in the neighborhood who detest cats - but we have no proof.", Luana added.

There are two small kittens who did not get poisoned. One of them was adopted by Luana herself, and the other one was brought to the veterinary hospital by the woman who called the police. The kitten is still looking for her forever home. 

Last year, TCN reported on this horrendous crime that's been plaguing the streets of Dalmatia for decades. Cat poisonings have been reported in the city of Split, on islands Čiovo, Hvar, and Brač and now in the city of Zadar. A lot of the incidents go unreported, too, because people simply believe that the authorities do not care. A spike of cat poisoning incidents has been observed to happen every summer. Jutarnji List reported last August 2020 that 17 cats were found poisoned, beaten, and even drowned on Hvar Island in a matter of weeks. The act of poisoning cats in summer sadly stems from the idea that street cats are pests, and that they need to go before the tourists arrive. "The motive is simple - out of season, cats are desirable because they 'control pests and snakes' so everyone feeds them and lets them reproduce uncontrollably, and in season, they are 'enemy number 1 when tourists come'", one source who has witnessed cat poisoning in Čiovo told TCN last year.

Video credit: Nina Begonja

Poisoning stray cats is not a solution to solve the stray population problem - the act is also harmful to dogs and humans especially, young children. It is detrimental to the tourism industry, too. The poisoning of 17 cats last year on the island of Hvar led some tourists to flee from their accommodation after finding a dead cat in the courtyard. The residents of Hvar were also terrified to bring their kids or their pets outside in fear of coming across this potent poison. 

TCN asked Luana if some measures have been discussed within the community to combat this problem and she answered, "People in Dalmata need to be sensitized more about respecting animals. We could start by starting to educate them about it from a young age in school. For example, in Switzerland, the schools engage the kids to help frogs cross the streets, they bring the students out to observe animals in nature, and sometimes, they allow students to bring their own pets in schools and present them to their classmates. Nothing extraordinary, but I think these activities will help a lot to sensitize people towards animals, especially children." She also added that Nina, the woman who reported the incident, will continuously engage with the police until they do something concrete.

"A lot of people are invested in finding out more details about this incident and ways to solve it. The idea to ask the municipality to put cameras in places where there are street cats and to sterilize the other cats left in that area has been proposed. HRT television and RTL Provjereno already contacted them to talk about the problem with poisoning, so this would hopefully go on a national level.", Luana said. 

Emphasizing that all animals are important, Luana told us that a lot of people have suggested that municipalities with veterinarians should invest more time in sterilizing stray cats and should invest some money in opening a shelter not only for dogs but also for cats and other wild animals like AWAP in Zagreb. According to her, in Dalmatia, there is not any rescue centre for other animals such as turtles, bats, rabbits, rodents, birds, etc.

Illegal wildlife poisoning

The poisoning of stray cats is not the only problem in Croatia, last year, poisoning of domestic and wild animals has been reported by 4Vultures.org. The illegal wildlife poisoning which happened in mid-January last year in the Lika region left many carcasses of wolves, foxes, cows, and even the endangered and protected Golden Eagle. According to 4Vultures, the most common poison used in Croatia are Carbofuran and Methomyl - two highly potent poisons that have long been banned in the EU which can easily kill humans who come in contact with it. The search team suspected that the poisoning was done by a local herder who tried to specifically target wolves in the area. They reported that two calf carcasses were found with ears cut off  (to remove the identity of the cattle's owner) and were injected with poison and left as bait. Soon afterward, inspectors found dead animal carcasses and also signs of severe diarrhea and vomiting which made it clear that these animals died from poisoning and under severe torment. The practice of illegal wildlife poisoning in Croatia has also caused the extinction of two vulture species in Croatia - the Cinereous and Egyptian Vulture. 

Reporting on animal abuse and punishment for violators

Animal Friends in Croatia advises animal violence witnesses to immediately call 192 and promptly request police intervention to prevent further endangerment of the animal, and the witness should file a written criminal report for the abuse and/or killing of the animal to the competent Municipal State Attorney's Office for violation of Article 205 of the Criminal Code. The incident also needs to be reported to the competent veterinary inspection and the witness needs to include as much evidence (photographs/videos, witness statements, autopsy findings, veterinary documentation) as possible to prove the allegations in the report. It is important to note that anonymous applications are generally not considered.

You may send your report and application for veterinary inspection to their website: dirh.gov.hr or to their e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To see the list of veterinary inspections by cities and counties, CLICK HERE. 

Killing or torturing animals in Croatia can see you imprisoned for up to a year.

If you'd like to get involved by helping the animal associations of Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

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

For more about Croatia, CLICK HERE.

July 7, 2021 - Dinamo tops Valur in the first match of the Champions League qualifiers at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. 

Croatian champions Dinamo defeated the Icelandic club Valur 3-2 in the first round of the Champions League qualifiers. Dinamo had the home pitch advantage, a 3-0 lead, and a series of missed opportunities. However, Valur shocked the Zagreb team at the end with two goals in one minute, leaving it completely open for the return match.

Dinamo was up 3-0 and had a penalty in the 82nd minute, which Ademi missed. Arijan Ademi (8, 72) and Lovro Majer (42-11m) scored for Dinamo, while Kristinn Sigurdsson (88) and Andri Adolphsson (90) scored for Valur. 

The return match is on July 13 in Reykjavik. After that, Dinamo will play against the Cypriot club Omonia if they advance to the second qualifying round.

"One calm, controlled game, and a routine victory turned into one crazy game. Still, in the end, we won. You don't normally have to grind your teeth with victories, but we really have to look into this one. After 3-0 and a penalty and a potential 4-0, we complicated it with a couple of unfortunate reactions and one black hole of 10 minutes. We lived too long in Ademi's missed penalty, and the opponent knew how to use it. The conclusion is simple, we will have to use all available means in Reykjavik and fight for the match we have already won," said Krznar and continued:

"Decreased concentration, a black hole. We conceded two really ridiculous goals, but two goals now have to make us serious and fill the plane for Iceland. Does that mean that Petković, Ivanušec, and Oršić will play? I don't know yet, but it means that all the players we have will be in the frame and will compete for the match. I repeat, it is not drama or panic, but we must be careful and concentrated there."

Dinamo has never started the European season so early. Dinamo was weakened against Valur by not playing its best players who are free after playing at the European Championship.

After a several-month break, the fans returned to Maksimir Stadium. However, only those with a Covid certificate could enter the stadium, and there were just over 1,000 spectators.

Source: HRT

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

July 7, 2021 - Polish windsurfer Maciek Rutkowski and Dutch windsurfer Sara Wennekes are the winners of the 2021 Zoo Station Bol PWA World Cup, due to which the world's best windsurfers have occupied Bol on Brač for the past week, thus further attracting and entertaining many tourists and sports enthusiasts.

During six days of competition, 39 men and eleven women competed in a total of 15 separate regattas.

Roni Marinkovic

Croatian competitor Enrico Marotti was also excellent, finishing second in the overall standings ahead of Matteo Iachin from Italy, and Palma Čargo, who finished second in the foil competition and third in the fin competition. Tuesday-Lou Judd from France was faster than Palma in the fin competition. Luka Mratović was 18th, Matko Jovanović 29th, Ian Anić 32nd, Ivica Podrug 36th, and Mistral Matulja 38th. In the women's competition, Katarina Pelivan was eighth, Lara Bulić ninth, and Urška Kavčič Desnica tenth in the fin competition.

Clive Bevan

"I was happy to do my best, I rode great, and the equipment was fast and well-chosen. I am very pleased with the results. Congratulations to all the competitors on a great fight, they were all fantastic, and I like this success even more," said Enrico Marotti, from Volosko, a multiple Croatian champion, amateur world champion in 2018 and probably Croatia's best slalom surfer of all time.

Clive Bevan

Twenty-one-year-old Palma Čargo from Split, who is also preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, had a similar opinion: “It was wonderful for me to achieve such a good result at home. I felt great the whole regatta, and it was seen in the results. Congratulations to the winner and all the competitors who, I must admit, were not easy to overtake," she said.

Clive Bevan

This year, PWA Bol took place for the first time on Zlatni rat, and for the first time, it scored points for the championship with the highest number of points, which enabled us to see the best windsurfers in Croatia.

"I am extremely pleased with the regatta and the time it served us; the conditions were fantastic. I am most pleased that Bol has shown itself in its full light as one of the world's most attractive destinations for windsurfing, and it seems to me that Zlatni rat had never looked more beautiful than when it showed its sporting side. I thank the municipality of Bol, the tourist community, and companies for their trust, and I look forward to the arrival of the world's windsurfing elite in Croatia in the coming years," said Toni Bulić, regatta organizer, longtime sports lover, and owner of Zoo station Bol boards in Croatia.

Clive Bevan

Bol on Brač proved to be a real windsurfing mecca with a strong mistral and generally excellent conditions for the World Cup, which was greatly contributed by the beauty of Zlatni rat. As a result, the world's best windsurfers leave Croatia with great impressions and fond memories that will further promote our tourist and sports offer. Furthermore, competitors in the IQ foil Olympic class come to Zlatni rat in September to compete.

Photos: Roni Marinkovic and Clive Bevan @clivebevanphoto
Recordings: TRIO stories

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

ZAGREB, 7 July, 2021 - The Zagreb Stock Exchange (ZSE) Crobex and Crobex10 indices rebounded by 0.45% to 1,969 points and by 0.36% to 1,214 points respectively on Wednesday, thus snapping their seven-day losing streak.

Today's turnover was a modest three million kuna.

None of the stocks passed the one million kuna mark.

In terms of the volume of trading, the best performer was the HT telecom, 777,000, with its price rise of 1.06% to HRK 190.5 per share.

A total of 33 stocks traded today, with 17 of them registering price increases, six recording price decreases and 10 remaining stable in price.

(€1 = HRK 7.481569)

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

ZAGREB, 7 July, 2021 - MP Dragana Jeckov of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) said on Wednesday that there are "definitely" no segregated schools or exclusively Serb schools in Croatia, let alone a segregated state education system.

Jeckov made the statement in parliament following statements in the media by "quasi-reformists of minority education," primarily the one conducted in the Serbian language and Cyrillic script.

"Certain myths need to be debunked," she said, including the one that Serbs in Croatia have separate schools and that they are being taught from textbooks from Serbia, based on the so-called Serbian programme.

"In Croatia, there are definitely no segregated schools, there are no exclusively Serb schools, let alone schools that are segregated from the state education system," said Jeckov.

The truth is that students go to school within the same building, that they usually go in the same shift, that they have extra-curricula activities together. The only difference is that members of the minority community are taught in their mother tongue and only if their parents decide so.

"Model A is used by the Italian and Hungarian and Czech minorities and they enjoy their minority rights to a greater extent than Serbs because their schools are registered as minority schools, unlike those for Serbs," she said.

She said that the Serb minority is not asking for more than others but it hasn't achieved the level of rights that others have, and that there is no alternative to education in the mother tongue and script.

MP Stipo MIinarić, of the Homeland Movement (DP) retorted that she was not telling the truth.

"Schools are segregated. Children are segregated from kindergarten age to secondary school. That is not good for Vukovar, the Serb community, the Croatian people, for anyone. Why are children being segregated?" he asked.

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

July 7, 2021 - Why is a sailing yacht the best office for digital nomads? Cyndie Burkhardt tells all. 

Many digital nomads enjoy Split’s climate and working with a sea view, which are among the best perks of being here. If beautiful blue water, fresh air, and sunshine are your thing, you can satisfy your inner nature-lover while working ON the sea, with the right yacht and the right skipper.

I grew up by the beach and I love being in, on, and near the water. When friends invited me to join their week-long yachting vacation I didn’t hesitate to say yes. It’s been a goal of mine to experience this beloved Croatian pastime and pre-season was an ideal time of year—not too hot and not too many tourists. We were going to sail around the islands and our sights were set on Vis, Brač, Hvar, and others. Was it warm enough to pack a bathing suit? Check.

This is why you yield to the Croatian wind, it makes trees literally grow parallel to the earth. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

The ideal remote work

I was a little concerned about getting behind on work because I wanted to relax on the trip without being tethered to a device. I found out there was reliable Wi-Fi onboard and I could login anytime and check my business. Thankfully, that turned out to be true and I never had an issue getting online when I needed to follow-up on a project or check-in for a Zoom meeting. Once I tested the connectivity I relaxed—I’d be able to work and play this week. My vacation wasn’t a digital nomad charter, but it was a good opportunity to see how hard or easy it would be to work when sailing.

Morning view from my cabin, somewhere in the Adriatic Sea. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Our yacht was a Lagoon 40 and with the four of us plus the skipper and his wife the space was comfortable enough, although I’ll never get used to cooking in such a compact kitchen. Good thing I have experience with a shoe-box size NYC apartment, it was practically the same thing, although the yacht had much more room to move about than my place back home.

Born on the water

Our skipper, Danijel Razi, was game to hit the islands we mentioned but he hesitated a few times when we asked about the itinerary. Vis today? Maybe later, he replied. I noticed that he kept looking up at this little pointer thing on top of the main sail (a wind vane). He watched the weather and the wind and every nautical detail with his eyes and his instincts, but he didn’t really watch the fancy equipment. His main concern was the viability of the trip and safety. I was curious, what did this guy know and how did he know it?

An homage to the Beatles and Yellow Submarine; public art on Šolta. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

It turns out Danijel was born in Viganj, a very windy village on Pelješac that’s a popular sailing destination. Viganj is part of Orebić county, a former maritime center known historically for traditional sailing and navigating, where all the men go out to sea. These guys have lived on the water for centuries before marine electronic systems were invented—working on commercial boats, trading goods, and traveling the world. Danijel comes from a long line of sailors, including his grandfather and earlier generations, and he inherited their skills and their lifestyle. Sailing is in his blood and he clearly loves it.

A typical bay and a small village could be any Croatian island; where there’s water there are boats. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Fun fact

Viganj is the second most famous windsurfing location in Croatia, after Bol.

The sound of full sails blowing in the wind and the feeling of gliding across the water makes you want to sit quietly and fully experience it. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Sailing to the island destinations we hoped for, including some bays for swimming, was amazing and there was only one day when the Bura wind adjusted our plans. Skipper Danijel followed nature’s direction and everything worked out. I got in my first swim of the season, which was a tad bit cool but so refreshing.

We’re here and we know

If I do this again, and I hope I do, I learned that a little research can help you get the trip you expect and avoid getting hit with unexpected costs and disappointment.

Danijel preparing to tie up at a mooring buoy. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

So who are the best skippers and hosts? Without a local presence, charter companies are missing things that people would appreciate knowing. Booking a boat is not like a hotel room—there are lots of details to know about each yacht, itinerary, and destination. Danijel and his crew are based in Croatia. For more info on things you need to check, go here.

A beach near the Franciscan Monastery and Church of St. Mary of Grace, Hvar. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

When to go

As far as I’m concerned, any day on the water is a great day. For digital nomads who are in Croatia year-round, I suggest that you consider traveling before and after peak season—April to June and September to November. Prices are lower, destinations are less crowded, you can see the islands better, and service is more attentive with fewer tourists. If you can only go during the summer, just do it!

A quiet street in Vis. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

For thrill-seekers who want something a little different, regattas in Croatia are underrated. It’s possible to join one just to sit on a boat as a counterbalance when a team needs extra weight. How cool is that? Danijel collaborates with some of the teams and I’m already on his list to be notified when my bum is needed, haha. You can be too, contact him by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Danijel confirming our mooring buoy. All photos ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt.

Learn more about Danijel’s yacht charters and catamarans, including trips to Greece.

Story and photographs ©2021, Cyndie Burkhardt. https://photo-diaries.com

Learn more at TCN’s Digital Nomads channel.

TCN now has a new resource in Total Croatia Sailing Page. Get answers and information about Croatia’s favorite pastime on the water.