News

May the 31st, 2022 - Thanks to social media, the Heart of Velebit bicycle race has become a bike standard, shining a light for all lovers of hiking and cycling in Lovinac and gorgeous, mountainous Lika. As Novi list/Marin Smolcic writes, Croatia continually attracts lovers of active tourism, from hiking to cycling and everything in between. While the sweltering heat of the height of the summer season commands little else but lying around and moving only to swim in the Adriatic, the pre and post season are excellent times to engage in some more active choices when spending time in…

May 30, 2022 - Defending champions KK Zadar have started this year's best of five finals series with an away victory in front of 2000 spectators at the Basketball Center "Dražen Petrović" in Zagreb and have taken over the role of favorites.  Cibona had gone into the game rested after defeating Gorica 2:0 in the semi-finals last Monday, while Zadar had to go all the way to beat KK Split in the third game Friday night.  The first half was a close game between the routine team of Zadar and the young team of Cibona containing plenty of talent. Okorn…

ZAGREB, 30 May 2022 - Croatia's commodity export in 2021 totalled HRK 144.3 billion, up by HRK 32 billion or 29% on the year, while import was valued at HRK 214 billion, up by 42 billion of 24%, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (DZS) reported on Monday. The foreign trade deficit was around HRK 70 billion, increasing by about HRK 9 billion (+16%) from 2020. The export-import ratio was 67.5% in 2021, whereas in 2020 it was 65%. With a share of 81% in the total export in 2021, the manufacturing industry generated an increase in exports of about 21%, to HRK 116.3 billion…

ZAGREB, 30 May 2022 - Croatian boxer Luka Plantić, a member of the Salona Boxing Club, ended up winning the bronze medal at the European Boxing Championships in Yerevan, Armenia after losing in the semi-final match.  The 25-year-old Plantić lost the semi-final match to Russian athlete Artem Ageev who competed for Serbia. Ageev is one of seven Russians wearing Serbia's colours at the championships in Yerevan. He won the first medal for Serbia's boxing team back in 1991. The bronze medal is Plantić's best career success after winning the junior European championships and second place in the junior world championships. A total…

May 30, 2022 - Istria is one of the most fascinating regions of Croatia, and while most are more familiar with its magical seaside towns like Pula, Rovinj, Umag, or Poreč, the many medieval towns in Central Istria are just as impressive and definitely worth being explored. In recent years, Istria has shown its might as a tourist destination, defying the surreal circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic by being easily reached by land from other European countries. But Istria is not at all a consolation prize for its proximity, quite the opposite. The largest peninsula in the Adriatic is…

ZAGREB, 30 May 2022 - Croatia will most likely decide to expand the existing floating LNG terminal on Krk Island and an investment decision is very close, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said in Brussels on Monday. "Various options exist and the best and most effective one is an investment in the existing terminal to increase its capacity," Plenković said ahead of an EU summit where the main topic will be Ukraine and the consequences of the Russian aggression, which is why the EU is endeavoring to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and diversify its supply routes as soon as possible.…

ZAGREB, 30 May 2022 - Slovenia supports Croatia's entry to the Schengen Area, Slovenia's future foreign minister Tanja Fajon said on Monday but warned that a consensus o the matter would be hard to achieve in the European Union before the Schengen policy was reformed. Slovenia supports the expansion of the Schengen Area to Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria but it will be difficult to achieve political agreement on that, Fajon said answering questions from the parliament's foreign affairs committee. She added that the reason for this was "mistrust" between members of the Schengen Area that emerged after the migration crisis of 2015 and 2016,…

May 30, 2022 - Good things are happening in Zumberak Nature Park, with the Sosice Visitor Centre the latest addition to this idyllic day trip from Zagreb.   It was only after moving to Zagreb that I realised just what a wealth of tourism options lay around the city. Zagreb County has a fantastic mix of nature, adventure tourism, heritage and gastronomy, with several great day trips for those looking to explore. The Around Zagreb website has proven a great success in the last couple of years, connecting the city to the tourism of its green surroundings.  One area I have…

May 30, 2022 - Complaining is a national sport in Croatia, but tucked away in a remote field near the historic eastern town of Vinkovci, I think I have found the most contented man in the country - a dour Yorkshireman named Steve.  Complaining is a way of life in Croatia (as in other parts of the world, no doubt), and I have lost count of the number of times I have been sat alone at a cafe with a cold one and been subjected to rants at the table next to or behind me. As much as I love…

ZAGREB, 30 May 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday offered his best wishes to citizens for Statehood Day underscoring the government's commitment to the protection of national interests and betterment of the lives of all Croatian citizens. "We are continuing with our dedication to make Croatia an even more organized, advanced, and developed state," the Prime Minister said in his message for Statehood Day. The government stands firmly with the business sector and Croatian citizens, particularly the most vulnerable, he said, underscoring that the government wanted to prevent social fracture. The government aims to use European funds to improve the quality…