Bernard Tkalcec, the owner of the Zlatni Klas restaurant, is set to open his doors on the 1st of February in a sign of both protest and pure desperation in the face of ongoing coronavirus restrictions which continue to place enormous pressure on the catering and hospitality sector.

As ePodravina/Kristina Kos writes on the 28th of January, 2021, although there were certain announcements, the National Civil Protection Headquarters and the Government made a decision today that cafes will not be able to sell coffee outside or coffee to go, let alone work normally, until restaurants are permitted to open their doors.

Local portal ePodravina talked to numerous local establishment owners about how they're planning to survive when they can now sadly barely even make ends meet. The most clear of all of them was Bernard Tkalcic, the owner of the Zlatni Klas rural tourism establishment in Otrovanac near Pitomaca, which includes a restaurant and accommodation facilities.

''I'm part of an initiative of caterers called Let us work/Dajte nam da radimo in which a lot of entities are involved. We're currently in negotiations and I can tell you that a good part of us will open our doors on the 1st of February in protest, following the example of the Czech Republic and Italy. I believe that there will be about five thousand of us, and I will certainly be one of them,'' he announced. Bernard Tkalcec says that Croatia's caterers are now on their knees in desperation and that the state has well and truly turned its back on them.

''We saved people's jobs, but the subsidies don't even arrive on our accounts on time, and where are the other costs? We do make food for delivery, but those are the little things. Our traffic has dropped by 70 percent, this is no longer sustainable,'' Bernard Tkalcec warned.

He noted that he will open his doors out of desperation and explained that even serving coffee to go or coffee for cafe terraces makes no sense.

''People have already adapted to going and having coffee at petrol stations and at kiosks, and the points where they gather aren't controlled by anyone anyway. In the meantime, over 1000 caterers have already gone bankrupt, and the number of unemployed people is increasing every single day,'' said a concerned Bernard Tkalcec. He is of the opinion that the measures are too harsh and counterproductive.

''I'm disappointed that after 43 years of business I have to think about my very survival. These are measures that look like watching someone eat peanuts and cake when you're hungry,'' he concluded.

Goran Kvakaric, the owner of three cafes in Koprivnica, says that the situation is hopeless and that they can't just keep waiting and waiting for the moment they're told they can open.

''This is all an expensive joke, especially the announcement of the opening of the terraces and coffee outside. I don’t know how we could settle anything that way, and we pay 28 percent VAT!,'' he said, adding that Mayor Jaksic made it easier for them not to have to pay an rent for terraces and reduced the consumption tax. Vladimir Rus, a fellow owner and he president of the Koprivnica Caterers' Guild, agrees with him, saying that he wouldn't even bother opening his facility just to serve coffee outside or coffee to go.

Zeljko Evacic, the owner of the Latino bar in Krizevci, which is also a nightclub, complained that their traffic had dropped by 70 percent, even though they provide food and beverages outside anyway.

''The 500-square-metre restaurant can't survive by serving a few coffees outside or through the window, and our traffic has dropped drastically in the last few months before closing. It all depended on the number of infected people on any given day,'' he stated.

Hrvoje Bujas from the Voice of Entrepreneurs Association also spoke about the planned non-compliance with the measures, saying that this decision was catastrophic, and he made it known that he would not sit still when it comes to this.

''We waited and waited for the decision of the government to relax the measures, the hills shook, and then one big nothing was born! The decision itself is catastrophic and discriminatory, so some can sell coffee (bakeries, for example), and others who have MTU, and the necessary permits - can't! We're going to consult with all independent associations that support our work, independent initiatives, as well as with all of you, our members, we also have plenty of options from lawsuits to civil disobedience, and all options are open. #I want to work,'' Bujas wrote.

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

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages.

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Two of a total of 25 housing containers from a private donation were handed over on Thursday to the earthquake response team in Lekenik by officials of the Serbian Embassy in Croatia.

Accompanied by representatives of the Serb National Council (SNV), which conducts the earthquake-relief drive "Banija is Our House", Davor Trkulja, the acting charge d'affaires at the embassy, presented the donation.

"After this stressful event, which affected Sisak-Moslavina County, people in Serbia reacted with great empathy regarding everything that occurred and so the Serbian government, at the proposal of the president, was among the first to decide to make a donation, giving Croatia €1 million in emergency aid for the earthquake victims," said Trkulja.

Other institutions in Serbia, including regional governments, joined in quickly,  with Belgrade donating €100,000 to the Zagreb-Ljubljana (Orthodox) Eparchy, he said.

"Serbia's Embassy too became involved in the drive and secured €100,000 from donors to procure 25 housing containers and these first two are part of that donation. They are equipped with bathrooms and fittings and can be occupied immediately. We have procured six larger containers... that have two extra rooms," Trkulja explained.

Donation campaigns are continuing, Trkulja said, thanking the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolitanate and SNV for their assistance. "I call on all people of good will to do all they can to help the earthquake victims," he added.

MP Dragana Jeckov of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) said that the aid Serbia sent in the first days after the devastating earthquake would not be forgotten. She expressed her gratitude for the money donated.

At the same time, she recalled the SNV's earthquake-relief drive, noting that many donors had made contributions. Numerous individuals and organisations, she underlined, helped as much as they could with money, food, toiletries and other goods.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Cooperation between Croatia and Hungary can serve as an excellent example to others as there is almost no area in which the two countries' armies are not cooperating in, Croatian Defence Minister Mario Banožić said during an official visit to Hungary, his ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

Banožić, accompanied by the Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff, Admiral Robert Hranj, led a Croatian state delegation on a visit to Budapest during which the minister held his first bilateral meeting with Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benkő at which the two countries' excellent cooperation in the field of defence was confirmed.

The two ministers recalled their countries' cooperation in the EU and NATO as well as regional and multinational initiatives and joint training and exercises.

Banožić thanked the Hungarian government, his host and the Hungarian Archdiocese for aid sent after earthquakes hit Zagreb in March 2020 and Sisak-Moslavina County at the end of 2020.

"A long and difficult process of reconstruction is ahead of us but the support of our allies and partners is encouraging. The earthquake as well as the coronavirus pandemic have really shown the importance of continuous investment in armed forces' capabilities as an investment in the safety and wellbeing of all our citizens," said Banožić.

The two ministers welcomed Hungary's taking over the post of the Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission commander in 2021 and the new multinational command in Székesfehérvár as the currently most important defence cooperation project.

"We believe that multinational cooperation, including with the EU and other partners, provides opportunities for increasing overall deterrence and defence capabilities," said Banožić.

The two officials also expressed satisfaction with their countries' participation in the Multinational Special Aviation Programme in Zadar and their membership in the Regional Special Operations Component Command.

They commended cooperation in the field of training and within the EU, including three Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects. Also mentioned was the potential for cooperation within a future European defence fund.

Benkő expressed satisfaction with the talks, saying that the Croatian government and army were doing a great job in coping with the coronavirus pandemic and the consequences of last year's earthquakes and that he believed the two countries' armies would continue their excellent cooperation.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021- Croatia presented its tourism sector at this year's first international travel show, CMT Digital in Stuttgart, which is the first major tourism-related event in Germany in 2021 marking the start of a period of tourism sales and promotion, the Croatian Tourism Board (HTZ) said on Thursday.

The head of the HTZ office in Germany, Romeo Draghicchio, said that the presentation of the Croatian tourism industry at this fair was important for the promotion and positioning of Croatia on the German market, which supplies the largest number of tourists to Croatia.

"In addition to presenting tourist attractions in Croatia, the main points of our presentation included industry novelties and trends to show interested visitors that Croatia is a safe and well-prepared destination. The greatest interest was shown in camping services because the CMT fair is traditionally geared towards campers," Dragghiccio said.

Citing the results of a survey by the FUR holiday and travel research association, he said that measures in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus would be the decisive factor in deciding on a holiday destination this year.

January 28, 2021 - The (mostly online) 16th Museum Night will be held on January 29, 2021. A look at the program in Split.

This year's Digital Museum Night, held under the theme 'Museum tasks in times of crisis,' will be held online, and in some cases, outdoors, following the prescribed epidemiological measures.  

Those of you in Split can enjoy the following program:

Split Archaeological Museum 
18.00 - 01.00

A virtual tour of the museum with Don Fran

Virtual 360°-degree walk through the museum https://www.armus.hr/muzej/virtualna-setnja

Museum of Fine Art

19.00 - 21.00

DISCUSSION WITH THE ARTIST: MAJA GJAJIĆ AND MAJA FLAJSIG
At 7 pm, via the Zoom platform and their Facebook profile, follow the conversation between artist Maja Gjajić and curator Maja Flajsig

20.00 - 22.00 

PRESENTATION OF THE SECOND CITY EXHIBITION
Through short conversations with curators and artists from 8 pm to 10 pm, they will present the exhibition Second City - a selection of works by Split and Dubrovnik artists on the museum's Facebook and Instagram profiles

More info HERE

Croatian Maritime Museum

12.00 - 22.00 

VIDEO ON THE "FIRST ON THE ADRIATIC" EXHIBITION
A short video presents the exhibition "First on the Adriatic" created in collaboration with the Museum of the City of Crikvenica and the Croatian Maritime Museum in Split. Authors Tea Rosić and Ljubomir Radić and narrators gave a personal contribution to this exhibition with their memories and stories. The Bodulka ferry left its mark in maritime traffic as the first ferry on the Croatian Adriatic coast.

Split City Museum

The Split City Museum has prepared several virtual programs, as follows:

- EXHIBITION "FRAGMENTS OF THE IMPERIAL PALACE IN SPLIT" - virtual presentation of the exhibition

- EXHIBITION "VENETIAN CASTLE IN SPLIT" - virtual presentation of the exhibition

- GALLERY EMANUEL VIDOVIĆ - audiovisual presentation

You can follow these and other programs on their Facebook and web pages, as well as on the pages of the Museum Night 2021.

More info HERE

Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments

18.00 - 01.00
FILM: CHURCH AND HERMITAGE OF ST. JEROME ON MARJAN
18.00 - 01.00
FILM: NUMISMATIC COLLECTION OF THE MUSEUM OF CROATIAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS

18.00 - 01.00

FILM: EXHIBITION SPLIT DOORS-ARCHEOLOGY OF BRAC AND SOLTA

18.00 - 01.00
FILM: MEDIEVAL SYMBOLS

18.00 - 01.00
FILM: FORENSIC FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION

18.00 - 01.00
FILM: RESEARCH 2020 HOLLOW CHURCH

18.00 - 01.00
PODCAST #1 SECRET SARCOPHAGUS WITH HIPPOCAMPI

18.00 - 01.00

PODCAST #2 MEDIEVAL OSTROG - COMMUNITY OF FREE PEASANTS

18.00 - 01.00
PODCAST #3 VISUALIZATION OF HISTORY - EXAMPLE OF SPLIT RIVA

More info HERE

Mestrovic Gallery

16.00 - 01.00
IVAN MESTROVIC (1883 - 1962) - FILM

16.00 - 01.00
VIRTUAL WALK TO THE MUSEUMS OF IVAN MEŠTROVIĆ

16.00 - 01.00
MEŠTART

16.00 - 01.00
ARTISTS AT MEŠTROVIĆ

16.00 - 01.00
MESTROVIC: A NEW DIMENSION

16.00 - 01.00
VIRTUAL EXHIBITION "IVAN MESTROVIC AND ALL HIS LOVE"

More info HERE

Split Cathedral Treasury

09.00 - 17.00
PRESENTATION OF THE SPLIT CATHEDRAL TREASURY

More info HERE

Academy of Arts

19.00 - 23.00
NIGHT OF THE ACADEMY OF ARTS

More info HERE

Star Village Mosor

18.00 - 23.00
BLACK HOLES - NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS IN 2020

More info HERE

Since the first city edition in 2005 with six Zagreb museums, Museum Night in Croatia has recorded almost 3.5 million visitors. Last year, 240,540 visitors enjoyed the museum exhibitions in more than 250 locations in 110 cities and municipalities in Croatia.

Due to the specific situation, there will be no program booklets, posters, or banners, as all registered programs will be visible on the event's digital platform. As a longtime partner, Croatian Radio Television will prepare a special show on its first channel, using material from the digital platform.

Museum Night began in Croatia in 2005 with several Zagreb museums and has grown into the most important event of Croatian museums and one of the most significant cultural events in Croatia. The Croatian Museum Association, the organizer of the event, reminds us that the past 15 years have been marked by increased visits to museums, which exceeded 300,000 visits during one night.

Besides almost all museum institutions in Croatia, interesting programs attracted many visitors to other heritage institutions, archives, libraries, cultural centers, religious communities, associations, and educational institutions.

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

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Veterans' Affairs Minister Tomo Medved said on Thursday that 928 housing containers had been set up in the earthquake-hit area in central Croatia whereby the largest part of urgent requests for accommodation were resolved. 

"We have on the most part resolved priority requests for urgent accommodation because the local response teams initially submitted 880 urgent requests," said Medved during a cabinet meeting.

Medved, who is at the helm of the task force for dealing with the aftermath of the 29 December devastating earthquake, informed that 278 housing containers were set up this week in Sisak-Moslavina, Karlovac and Zagreb counties.

Currently there are 112 containers and 23 mobile homes at the Lekenik base. We have been informed that another 451 housing containers will be delivered and to date 939 have been connected to the electricity grid.

There are currently 59 families with 161 members in all, who have been accommodated in state-owned flats.

Medved underlined that the administrative preparations for the construction of a container settlement in Petrinja have been completed and a company has been hired to commence the necessary works. As soon as the groundworks are over, housing containers will be set up in the settlement.

"That will create the conditions for people who cannot live in their own homes in Petrinja to live in the immediate vicinity in housing containers or mobile homes," said Medved.

Removing structures that pose a threat

The necessary paper-work is being prepared to remove damaged buildings, particularly those that pose a threat. By the end of the week, demolition of these building and removal of debris should commence. 

Medved advised the first telecommunications base station was being set up in the area which should allow a better signal and enable students to join in online classes.

The civil protection authority has inspected 533 locations for the placement of housing containers. Firefighting units have conducted 727 interventions while the GSS mountain rescue team have conducted 117 operations.

Red Cross Croatia has distributed 120 tonnes of food, 48,000 meals and visited 469 locations. In addition the Hrvatske Vode water management company and police are at the permanent disposal   of the local population.

Medved informed that there are still 117 people accommodated in the Petrinja military barracks and that 78 of them have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

To date, 45,232 applications reporting damage to homes in the area have been received and a total of 26,505 buildings have been inspected, 3,109 of these have been labelled red or unfit for use.

Describing the situation in Glina, Medved said that of a total of 7,403 properties, 2,672 of them were occupied prior to the earthquakes while 4,731 were vacant.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Ćorić said on Thursday that new measures for the enterprise sector would be made today and that most existing COVID-19 restrictions would stay, describing plans by some cafe and restaurant owners to stage protests as pointless.

"Today new measures will be adopted for the enterprise sector in the context of the current epidemiological situation. Depending on the dynamic of those measures, the government will continually monitor the sector and look for funds to help it for as long as the restrictions are in force," Ćorić told reporters ahead of a government session.

Asked if the current restrictions would be prolonged, he said that most of the measures would stay in force.

Asked if he would allow cafe owners to serve takeaway coffee, Ćorić said that it was one of the details discussed several times by epidemiologists sitting on the government's advisory council and economists.

"We are fully aware that any relaxation that brings revenue to sectors means a slightly better status in the context of long-term survival. On the other hand, we are also aware of the argument presented by epidemiologists that the current situation is very sensitive, not only for Croatia but the whole of Europe," said the minister, mentioning in that context the appearance of new virus strains.

When asked if he was afraid of protest activities announced by some cafe and restaurant owners, who have said that they will either reopen their businesses or take to the streets, Ćorić said that such announcements were irresponsible and pointless.

"Our primary concern should be people's lives and health. That should be a priority to everyone," he said, repeating that in the past months maximum effort had been made to save jobs.

ZAGREB, 28 January 2021 - Health Minister Vili Beroš said on Thursday the COVID-19 crisis had cost Croatia over HRK 2.5 billion to date.

"I don't know what awaits us, what new viruses will bring, but so far we have responded to the threat well. As far as I know, no one has been denied a service," he told the opposition in parliament in a debate on the first report on the COVID measures taken from March 2020 to mid-January 2021.

All the measures have been aimed at protecting health, proportionate, and they have not affected anyone's basic rights, Beroš said.

I wonder how we did it

The COVID crisis has cost us enormously, I wonder how we did it given the execution of budget revenues and the health budget, the minister said responding to Željko Riner of the ruling HDZ, adding that over HRK 685 million had been spent on tests, HRK 450 million on treatment and HRK 115 million on sick leave.

As a small country, Croatia did not have the strength to enter negotiations with pharmaceutical companies alone. The European Commission did it for the 27 member states when it was not known who would manufacture a vaccine and when, Beroš told Marija Selak Raspudić of the opposition Bridge.

She said the contracts with those companies were usurious and asked what Croatia was doing to make them more transparent. "I don't know if they are usurious," replied Beroš.

Renata Sabljar Dračevac of the opposition Social Democrats (SDP) asked if most Croatian citizens would be vaccinated by the summer.

Beroš said the government started considering the need to procure vaccines long ago. "Why so many doses? We procured them when we didn't know who would develop the vaccine first and when. Most member states focused on AstraZeneca, yet Pfizer turned out to be the first," he said, adding that vaccination would be delayed due Pfizer's fewer doses.

Beroš said Croatia could not turn to other manufacturers because their vaccines had not been approved by the European Medicines Agency.

Rada Borić of the opposition green-left bloc asked about Croatia's stand on the Russian and Chinese vaccines. Beroš said they were not safe for Croatian citizens because "they have not undergone clinical trials, only the first and second stages... When it's safer, we'll certainly discuss it."

About 100 doses for politicians irrelevant in total number

Beroš justified the fact that about 100 MPs and ministers were among the first to be vaccinated. "About 100 doses is irrelevant in the total number. We estimated that the promotional impact of their vaccination is more significant," he told Stipe Mlinarić (SDP), who said that vaccinating politicians before older people was a wrong message.

Hrvoje Zekanović of the opposition Sovereignists asked how come Bosnia and Herzegovina had fewer cases given that it did not have a lockdown. Beroš said "many elements have an effect on that."

Responding to the opposition's criticism over the closure of bars and restaurants, he said that "according to epidemiologists, they are absolutely sources of the spread of the virus." He said epidemiologists were considering whether to reopen them and that the summer tourist season was already being considered.

Beroš dismissed the claim by Domagoj Prica (SDP) that the measures were extreme, saying they were adopted based on what was known and information from the world, and that they were adjusted to the moment with the intention to respond in the best way.

Vesna Vučemilović of the opposition Homeland Movement asked why children who went to school could not practice sports. Beroš said he was confident certain sports would be allowed as part of measures to go into force on 1 February.

He said the possibility of introducing an accelerated retirement plan for medical staff who worked with COVID patients was being considered. Responding to Katarina Peović of the opposition Workers' Front, he said this was not simple under the Labour Act but that this did not mean its amendments would not be considered if the crisis were to last.