January 10, 2021 - The renovation of traditional stone houses on Marjan in Split has begun as part of the 'Marjan 2020' project. 

HRT reports that the works are part of a large project which should be completed by the end of the year and includes the reconstruction and revitalization of the Botanical Garden, a new observatory on the Saddle (Sedlo), new bike and hiking trails, trim trail renovation, and complete multimedia signage.

The concrete roof has been removed from the stone house, which was once built in the port of Lubin. Although they have not served their purpose for a long time, each house has a name: Saddle, Baba Marta's House, Pojevina, Firefighting road, Nursery, and Police (Sedlo, Kuća babe Marte, Pojevina, Protupožarni put, Rasadnik, Policijska.

"This part includes works exclusively in the area of Bene, while we will move to the area of the top of Marjan in the next period," said Ante Šustić, the manager of the reconstruction project.

By the end of October, all seven Marjan houses will look like they were built - and will be a real example of traditional folk construction, says HRT.

"The old plaster should be removed, some should be grouted, and it will mostly be a cover of old stone slabs. This will be done by masters who are a little older and who have already done it," said Zdravko Budimir, a representative of the contractor.

The cadastre from 1831 shows that there were vineyards, olive groves, orchards, and pastures on the peninsula's southern slopes and part of the northern ones. As everywhere in Dalmatia, chapels and shelters for people and cattle were built next to them. After the renovation, the houses will be used for the education and promotion of Marjan.

"This is a very extensive project, Marjan 2020 - the hill of the past, an oasis of the future, which provides for numerous activities, in fact, the restoration and addition of content within the Marjan Forest Park. We are renovating the training area, the children's city, new walking and cycling trails will be built, the trim trails will be renovated, so we will renew a lot of these facilities through the project," said Radojka Tomašević, head of the International and European Projects Service of the City of Split.

The project's total value is 26 million kuna and most of it is supported by non-refundable European funds.

You can see the video on HRT.

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

ZAGREB, 10 January, HINA - The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported on Saturday evening that a quake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale was registered at 2229 hours Saturday 59 kilometres southeast of Zagreb, near Petrinja. The tremor, which was one in a series of aftershocks since the magnitude 6.2 earthquake which hit Sisak-Moslavina County southeast of Zagreb on 29 December, was felt in the capital city of Zagreb.

#potres (#earthquake) 09.01. u 22:29 kod Petrinje, M4.5. Izviješće slijedi u komentaru. Ako ste osjetili potres, molimo javite na https://t.co/E7EOdDpWtn pic.twitter.com/cnN84x3ULa

— Seizmološka služba HR (@seizmo_hr) January 9, 2021

The quake was also felt internationally, with reports from Belgrade and northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

The area of Petrinja and Sisak, where the quake occurred, is still recovering from a series of quakes, the most devastating of which was the 6.2 tremor of December 29, which has left many homeless, and thousands of homes destroyed.

Last night's quake was the strongest in recent days, but it was not an isolated tremor, with EMSC reported 45 other earthquakes in Croatia in the preceding 72 hours. 

For the latest information on the earthquake emergency, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

January 10, 2021 - A famous Hajduk fan song has brought love to two Petrinja earthquake volunteers. 

The earthquake that shook Petrinja, Sisak, Glina, and the surrounding area created huge material damage to the inhabitants of that area, but it also gave birth to some beautiful stories.

The entire country jumped to its feet, united in the desire to help people who were affected. One of the most touching stories comes from those on the ground volunteering.

Namely, 24 Sata reports that two volunteers, Jurica Gospodnetić and Danijela Bunčić, who you may have seen in photos from the affected area, did not know each other until the Petrinja earthquake.

But the two fell in love while helping others.

Namely, Jurica is from Split, and Danijela is from Petrinja. A photo of the couple embracing one another in volunteer gear quickly made its way around Croatia.

“We sat in a tent while we rested from volunteering, which is how we met a little earlier. Danijela had gotten up and left.

A cell phone started ringing, and the melody was 'Zbog Jedne Ljubavi' (Because of One Love), a famous Hajduk fan song. I thought it was my phone ringing, as I have the same melody. Nothing was clear to me. And then when she came back, our story began," Jurica said.

Both of their reflective volunteer vests say Torcida Hajduk 1950.

"My parents' house is damaged, as is my uncle's house and grandmother's house. But yes, being alive is most important. Since day one, we’ve both been here, only I was with the team from my street, coming here for groceries and driving around the villages. Just like him, we were each on our side," Danijela explained.

"Hajduk hasn't brought us the title in 15 years! At least they brought us this," Jurica shouted happily.

I have two more weeks of holiday, and I will volunteer as long as I can, and after that, we will see where life will take us," Jurica concluded. 

You can see photos of the happy couple at 24 Sata

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary, and material aid, follow our dedicated section.

January 10, 2021 - Small renters in Split are especially struggling from the effects of COVID-19, and many are deregistering their accommodations as tourist facilities. 

It's no surprise that 2020 was uneventful when it comes to the number of tourists, resulting in an increased number of deregistered private accommodations, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Namely, many private accommodation owners have recorded fewer or no guests due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some are deregistering as tourist accommodation, while others are trying to get tenants for a limited period of stay in the facility, no later than June 1.

"In 2020, in the area of Split-Dalmatia County, 3266 citizens requested to cancel the provision of catering services in the household," says Stjepanka Marčić, head of the Department of Tourism in Split-Dalmatia County, which currently has 26,523 active landlords. Their total number decreased by 11 percent compared to the period before the pandemic.

The highest number of deregistrations was recorded in Split, where 1,200 landlords requested deregistration, i.e., 15 percent of the total number of registered. The least are on the islands of Hvar and Vis, five percent of them," said Stjepanka Marčić.

Citizens submitted requests to deregister throughout the year, most intensively during December 2020.

The most common reason for deregistering is that in 2020, they did not have a single guest, while at the same time, they had to pay taxes, tourist tax, and tourist membership fees. Many decided that it is not worth bearing the cost with no income.

This is confirmed by one landlord, who decided to deregister his apartment in the wider center of Split last fall.

"I paid half the sojourn tax, half was waived. And a membership fee to the Tourist Board, and two lump sum installments, and not a single guest. Not a guest, not even an inquiry. If I hadn't deregistered the apartment in October, I would have paid the last installment of the lump sum. It doesn't make sense," said the Split landlord. At the moment, he is not even thinking about whether to reactivate his apartment for tourist purposes.

"Who knows what will happen in a month? Who can be smart here? They will say that a new strain of corona has come again, and everything will close everything again. Vaccines and masks, and who has been vaccinated twice or thrice.

Of course, in June everything will reopen due to the tourist season and nothing will matter anymore nor will they control who enters the country. And then the locals will shut us down again in October," he added.

The Split-Dalmatia County Tourism Department is reluctant to predict whether and to what extent they will see renters return. 

"Citizens who have deregistered will follow the development of the market situation and, accordingly, will decide how to proceed. Some real estate owners in the city of Split have already decided on long-term rentals or renting to students, while others, depending on the situation in the countries of major markets, the interest of foreign and domestic guests, epidemiological rules, flight schedule and calming the pandemic, will consider reactivating their capacities," says Stjepanka Marčić.

Anyone who has deregistered their private accommodation from the Register of Landlords will have to submit a new request, accompanied by the legally prescribed evidence if they change their minds and want to re-host tourists. In the conducted procedure, an inspection will be carried out and a new decision will be made to provide catering services in the household.

By amending the Law on Catering Activity, the deadline for obtaining a permanent solution instead of a temporary one has been extended by one year. Renters who have a temporary solution with a deadline of 31 December 2020 may continue to provide services until 31 December 2021 on the basis of that solution and have no obligation to obtain a new one.

The same deadline applies to caterers who have obtained an interim decision on determining the minimum conditions or an interim decision on the categorization of catering facilities with a deadline of 31 December 2020. They can continue to perform catering activities until 31 December 2021 without obtaining a new decision.

Last year's weak tourist season forced many Dubrovnik renters to turn to long-term rentals, too.

Due to new tax solutions passed in the record 2019, according to which the maximum city taxes per tourist bed and also the maximum high tourist tax for 2021 in Dubrovnik were calculated, many renters canceled the categorization of their apartments.

According to the data of the State Administration Office of the Department of Tourism, as of December 15, 8,397 landlords were registered in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, while last year there were 8,725.

By mid-December, there were 328 fewer private renters or 2,071 fewer beds than last year. Of that, there is a reduction of 141 landlords or 843 beds in the city of Dubrovnik. 

Last year, private accommodation in Zadar was 7.34 percent full. This data best illustrates how much the epidemic had an impact on the occupancy of private apartments.

Although the Zadar Tourist Board registered 31 percent occupancy in July and 38 percent in August, it could not save the season. This also had an impact on the interest of renters, whose number is declining.

According to the current data in the eVisitor system, compared to the same period last year, there is four percent less capacity in basic beds and seven percent fewer renters in Zadar.

However, the city's Tourist Board points out that canceling the decision on temporary approval for the provision of catering services in the household is carried out by the Administrative Department for entrusted affairs of the Zadar County State Administration, so the exact number of deregistered capacities will be known in January. 

Finally, the number of deregistered accommodations in Šibenik-Knin County in 2020 is 9 percent, and in the city of Šibenik, it has risen to as much as 14 percent, which puts it alongside Split.

"Before the pandemic, there were 8670 landlords in the county, and today there are 7889 of them," said the authorities in the Šibenik-Knin County Department of Tourism. Most deregistered accommodations were recorded in the city of Šibenik, suburbs, and towns, especially in September.

"The most common explanations were uncertainty due to the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem is the payment of obligations, and the landlords do not have announcements of reservations and guests," said Šibenik-Knin County.

A large number of renters who have deregisterd accommodation have announced that they will report them again when the pandemic calms down. 

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

January 10, 2021 - A t-shirt campaign has been launched for GLG Petrinja (Petrinja Wind Orchestra) to raise enough money to repair the damage the institution suffered from the devasting earthquake on December 29, 2020. 

An earthquake doesn’t ask which building to tear down; family houses, administration buildings, hospitals… It doesn’t matter; it destroys everything that is in its way. Petrinja – a town, a home, and a place of many beautiful things that are now lost due to this earthquake (but not forever). The list of buildings that now lay in ruins is pretty long. The home of the wind orchestra of “GLG Petrinja” can also be found on this list. Unfortunately, working conditions weren’t great, but we never gave up. We were happy that we had a place where we could create and make others happy with our music. Although it wasn’t at its best, these walls were our everything: a place of laughter, happiness, joy, a place where you make friends, have great rehearsals, celebrations, gatherings… everything! Between these walls, you could find a different way of life. A life that not everyone gets a chance to experience. We are heartbroken because that place was a home to us and numerous other members that grew up inside those walls. That building is now useless. The orchestra has lost its home. That family with many children has lost everything… Music hasn't yet surrendered completely, but it is a question of time. All of you who know how and when orchestral music is made, precisely music created by “GLG Petrinja,” please help us in any way you can. Together we can restore that little bit of beauty that makes Petrinja known. Help us return the smiles that our music brought to the faces of our citizens. All for one musician, and one musician for all… that is where our strength and power lay.

The pure hearts of Croatians far and wide shine brightest in times of crisis, which we have seen on display in the aftermath of the Petrinja earthquake. While many channels for donations have opened in the last two weeks, a new t-shirt campaign has begun by Petrinja musicians to help repair the damage to the GLG Petrinja building. 

Namely, founded in 1808, GLG Petrinja is one of the oldest wind orchestras in Croatia. There are currently more than 60 active members, and several Petrinja citizens have played in the orchestra at some point. GLG Petrinja's current conductor is Josip Kapović from Metkovič, a tuba player in the Croatian Armed Forces Band.

TCN spoke to one of the campaign organizers and GLG Petrinja members, Iva Petračić, about how the idea and design came about. 

"My friend Vrban suggested that we make the shirts when he called me after the earthquake. I came up with the design with a few others that helped. A friend offered to assist with the graphic design, and now the shirt is here. I had all of the support from my orchestra and we really hope this will spread and that people will buy the shirt," said Petračić.

Along with the design, the t-shirt reads 'Vratimo glazbu tamo gdje pripada' (returning music where it belongs) with the time and date of the earthquake reflected. 

T-shirts cost 100 kuna each, and all proceeds will go directly to the GLG Petrinja.

SUPPORT GLG PETRINJA HERE

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary, and material aid, follow our dedicated section.

January 9, 2021 – The end of January in Croatia is traditionally marked by the famous Night of Museums event. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic and special epidemiological measures, the event will take place in a digital edition but also outdoors.

Hina reports that the applications for the 16th Night of Museums, which will be held on January 29, 2021, are now open. The events, whose topic this year is "Museum tasks in times of crisis," will be held online, except in those locations and facilities that may be outdoors, but following the prescribed epidemiological measures. Considering the circumstances, the event will be held under the name "Digital Museum Night".

Night of Museums in Croatia began in 2005 with several Zagreb museums. Today, it 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 of Night of Museums have been marked by a mass visit to museums, which exceeded 300,000 visits during one night.

As the Night of Museums event has completely taken on the characteristics of an unavoidable cultural event in Croatia, the organizers of its 16th edition will try to enable the loyal audience to enjoy the prepared events, mostly virtually.

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.

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.

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.

You can register your participation by January 21, 2021.

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

January 9, 2021 – For common tourist improvement, ten tourist boards of the Zadar archipelago have united into a unique tourist brand called Zadar Region Island Adventure.

In order to better promote themselves on the market, tourist boards from Sali, Kali, Preko, Kukuljica, Tkon, Pašman, Ugljan, Božava, Silba, and the City of Zadar joined forces. Thus, Zadar Region Island Adventure was born, gathering ten tourist boards of the Zadar archipelago islands. The City of Zadar has signed for Brgulje, Ist, Mali Iž, Molat, Olib, Premuda, Rava, Zapuntel, and all other small towns are under the administration of the City of Zadar.

Uniform and sustainable development

This cooperation's basis is the Law on Tourist Boards and the Promotion of Croatian Tourism. Within this law, the agreements on tourist board associations can be concluded in a project or formal form.

"We have teamed up as a project, which means that each tourist board still has its independence and works for themselves, but when it comes to projects for joint tourist boards, then we stand together as one tourist board named Zadar Region Island Adventure," explains Jure Brižić, Mayor of Preko Municipality for Zadarski list.

Island of Iž in the Zadar archipelago / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

On December 16, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports issued a consent to unite tourist boards. Through the association, tourist boards receive financial resources from the Fund for Associated Tourist Boards, established for that purpose, into which funds from paid tourist taxes and membership fees are poured.

In the Zadar Region Island Adventure project, the most important thing, says Brižić, is the uniform and sustainable development of islands and tourism on the entire Zadar archipelago.

"So far, we have had a situation where each tourist board has made its own brochures and told its own story. Practically, we all have one story, the same problems, but also the same advantages and the same products. It was unthinkable for us to go to the fairs alone, and we were unrecognizable. Namely, when you tell tourists that you are from Preko or Kali municipalities, it means nothing for them. When you tell them that you are from the island of Ugljan, it already means something. Now that we will present ourselves as the Zadar region, it will come in convenient for promotion," says Brižić.

Nautical, gastronomic, and cultural tourism development

According to the Agreement, uniting Zadar archipelago tourist boards aims to jointly promote the entire area and develop joint projects and programs. Besides, their goal is to achieve better results in tenders for EU projects.

Ivan Košta, director of TZO Preko, points out that they saw their chance in the association and launched a Zadar Region Islands Adventure initiative.

Dugi otok in the Zadar archipelago / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

"Our goal is to highlight our potentials, i.e., recognizable products in joint tourist branding, marketing, and market entry. The entire Zadar archipelago and part of the Kornati islands are included in this project. The Zadar archipelago is large, diverse, and much more accessible than other islands. We think that together we could make a better brand and tourist product and help our region's betterment," says Košta for HRturizam.

United, they have almost 30,000 inhabitants, which allows them to participate in larger projects, attracting more money. In this way, they will create a unique tourism product that will make them more recognizable globally.

The most important of the numerous activities is the development of nautical, gastronomic, and cultural tourism. Also, improvements to transport connections are planned, such as hop-on, hop-off ships, as well as making joint maps with points of interest – "Island cruise & bike routes" and "Discover local island products."

Besides, existing projects will be implemented, such as "From the anchorage to the lookout," during which certain lookouts will be arranged on the islands.

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, 9 January, 2021 - The Bosnian towns of Dubica and Srebrenica on Friday sent a total of 22 containers to Petrinja, and the delivery of the donation to the quake-hit area was organised within "Banija Is Our House" humanitarian initiative of the Serb National Council (SNV).

Addressing the ceremony of the handover of the donation, Serb Orthodox Metropolitan of Zagreb and Ljubljana Porfirije said in Petrinja that the Serb Orthodox Church (SPC) would continue to tirelessly help the local community.

He recalled that after providing humanitarian relief to quake victims, it would also be necessary to help them reconstruct their homes.

The dignitary who visited Petrinja, Glina and their environs said that the 29 December devastating quake "wreaked Biblical havoc" and expressed condolences to the families of the seven people who lost their lives in the disaster. 

The Banija Is Our House humanitarian initiative, which has raised over HRK 500,000 and €27,000 for earthquake victims, held its inaugural meeting in Petrinja on Friday, bringing together representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serb National Council (SNV) and other Serb organisations in Croatia.

Aid for the victims is arriving also from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the SNV said, adding that trucks with construction material and 72 container homes were being delivered in cooperation with the Red Cross and the relevant services.

For the latest information on the earthquake emergency, follow the dedicated TCN section.