News

March 15, 2022 - A March treat for the people of Zagreb, as the 4th edition of Festival of Lights kicks off tomorrow, with quite a programme.  Some things change, and some things stay the same.  I have been writing about tourism in Croatia for over a decade now, and each year there is little new to write about some destinations. Many on the coast offer the sun and the sea, as they have for the last 50 years, and the tourists arrive like clockwork.  (Photo J. Duval) But there are other destinations which are working hard and investing in…

March 14th, 2022 - The entire Memorial Collection of Maksimilijan Vanka will be restored and moved from Zagreb back into its home on Korčula As announced by Korčula Mayor Nika Silić Maroević, the lovely villa in Korčula town that was once owned by Croatian artist Maksimilijan Vanka is finally to be restored. In 1935, Vanka moved to the US where he's best remembered for painting the Millvale Murals in the St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church. The renowned painter and sculptor used to spend summers on Korčula island, where he founded an art colony and socialised with his fellow artists. His former holiday…

March 14th, 2022 - Komiža residents are worried whether the public infrastructure of their town, which covers an area of 48 square kilometres and has a population of 1,500, will be able to withstand the increase in road traffic expected after the new hotel opens for business Residents of Komiža, a coastal town on Vis island, have been voicing their concerns lately in regards to the announced construction of a new hotel, reportedly twice as big as what the public infrastructure in this little town could withstand. The first public presentation of the new Hotel Biševo was scheduled for today,…

14 March 2022 - Croatia's foreign minister told his Estonian counterpart Eva-Maria Liimets on Monday that Croatia was being solidary with Ukraine by sending it financial aid and defence equipment and taking in refugees, warning of possible destabilisation in Bosnia and Herzegovina due to the war in Ukraine. The talks between Minister Gordan Grlić Radman of Croatia and his Estonian counterpart Eva-Maria Liimets focused on the Russian aggression on Ukraine. "The importance of the unity and solidarity of the EU and transatlantic partners was underlined, as was the importance of continuing the implementation of restrictions against Russia," the Croatian ministry said in a statement. Grlić Radman…

March 14, 2022 - With KK Split and KK Zadar as last year's finalists, two of the big favorites for the Croatian title in the HT Premijer Liga met tonight at Gripe to battle for a good spot in the playoffs.  The Croatian league is again dominated by the big four teams, including Cibona and Cedevita from Zagreb. All four are qualified for the playoffs, and tonight's game was important not only for prestige but also to secure a good spot in the upcoming playoffs. A total of 8 teams qualify for the playoffs. The six teams that played the championship…

14 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday that France had expressed readiness to help Croatia to control its airspace and that their early warning and control aircraft had already flown over Croatian skies. The Croatian premier added that that talks were being held with the US to see how they could help Zagreb. After a meeting of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Presidency and National Council, the prime minister said that the unmanned aerial vehicle that had crashed in Zagreb on Thursday night carried explosive, a sort of bomb, and that the ongoing investigation was aimed at establishing who…

14 March 2022 - PM Andrej Plenković said on Monday the unmanned aerial vehicle that had flown in from Ukraine and crashed in Zagreb last Thursday carried explosive, a sort of bomb, and the ongoing investigation was aimed at establishing who had launched the drone and how, and if it had been a mistake, sabotage or plan. Speaking to reporters after a session of his HDZ party leadership, Plenković thus corroborated claims previously presented by Defence Minister Mario Banožić. "We held a meeting today with all the relevant bodies that are together investigating what happened. We have obtained preliminary information on the type of the military drone…

14 March 2022 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Monday said on Twitter that he had spoken with Defence Minister Mario Banožić and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Admiral Robert Hranj, about investments in strengthening the capabilities of the Armed Forces. Shortly before that, he said that a meeting had been held with members of the government and relevant institutions about the facts established so far about the crash of the military aerial vehicle in Zagreb. The competent bodies are conducting an investigation that will shed light on all circumstances. We are intensively communicating…

14 March 2022 - Croatia has recorded 141 new coronavirus cases and 18 COVID-related deaths in the last 24 hours, the national coronavirus response team reported on Monday. The number of active cases currently stands at 8,497. Among them are 774 infected people who have been hospitalised and 51 of them are on ventilators, while 6,441 people are self-isolating. A total of 4,585,240 people have been tested for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to date, including 1,348 in the last 24 hours. Since 25 February 2020, when the first case was confirmed in Croatia, 1,073,527 people have been registered as having been infected with the novel virus, of whom…

March 14, 2022 - The Zagreb Fair, which from the beginning was the main mass vaccination point in the Croatian capital, will no longer fulfill these functions, according to the "Dr. Andrija Štampar" Institute, which also announced new vaccination points and schedules. The Institute of Public Health "Dr. Andrija Štampar'' informed on Monday that the point for mass vaccination at the Zagreb Fair will no longer be operational, and the working hours of vaccination places in health centers are also changing, reports Večernji List. The Zagreb Fair, located on Dubrovnik Avenue in Novi Zagreb, was the main point of mass vaccination…