December the 14th, 2022 - Catering and hospitality establishments located in this beautiful Istrian city are seeking lower Pula advent cottage rent, as they deem the current price too high and too difficult to imagine making much of a profit from.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the ''tenants'' (if you can call them that) of Pula advent cottages never dreamed that the weather forecast would be so unfavourable for them at this time of year, and the duration of their Pula advent cottage leases, which stretches for just over one month, is very short indeed. Owing to not only the poor weather but ongoing inflation and people's pockets being shallower than ever, it's already showing that their rental payout and their work, especially with such an expensive lease, will not really pay off for them in the end.

Continued weather problems have very significantly reduced the income of catering and hospitality establishment owners who rented expensive Pula advent cottages, which is why they decided to turn to the City of Pula's administration itself and request a reduction in the rental price, according to local portal Glas Istre/The Voice of Istria.

Yesterday, as Glas Istra learned, the catering and hospitality establishments facing these issues with Pula advent cottage rent prepared a joint letter which they claim that they intend to send to the local authorities. Whether the City of Pula will actually see what they're saying, meet them halfway and lower the price of cottage leases that they paid in advance, will only be known later. No matter how valid their reasons, there's no saying that they'll get a positive outcome when they receive a response from the city administration.

To briefly go into how who gets what is decided for the festive period, the Pula advent cottages were awarded to catering and hospitality establishments previously at a public tender, and the most expensive one among them costs a massive one hundred thousand kuna.

Danijel Britvic, one of the tenants who offers homemade local Istrian dishes on the edge of Giardino, has set aside a considerable 75,000 kuna, including VAT, for his Pula advent cottage, which likely isn't making him anywhere near as much of a return as he had expected and hoped.

For more, check out our dedicated news section.

January 13, 2022 - So where was the most beautiful Advent in Croatia in 2021? The results are in, and a celebration of Slavonia, Full of Life. 

I am still smiling from my 6-day trip to Slavonia and eastern Croatia back in November. Such an incredible, action-packed trip, and I genuinely think it was my most enjoyable week exploring of my 18 years in Croatia. 

In Slavonia.

In November. 

Osijek in particular opened my eyes to a truth that they are not telling you in Zagreb - that Slavonia is actually VERY Full of Life. Or perhaps they don't know. This is entirely possible when the Croatian National Tourist Board publishes 'promotional' articles on inflight magazines and cannot even find the right river that flows through Osijek. Read more in A Slavonian Geography Lesson for the Croatian National Tourist Board.

You can read about the magic of eastern Croatia and our 6-day trip in Time to Tell the Truth about Slavonia Full of Life. I encourage the Kings to read it as well - they might learn a few things about Croatian tourism in the east. 

Thankfully, Slavonia does not have to rely solely on the Croatian National Tourist Board to get its message across, and a very nice bit of PR, powered by the voice of the people, as Osijek has been voted the Most Beautiful Advent in Croatia 2021.

The vote, organised by the website Gradonacelnik.hr (the Croatian word for Mayor) held a 9-day poll of Advent in Croatia in 44 cities and towns, but there was only one winner with the most likes - Osijek. 

Closely followed by another continental Advent in Croatia - Varazdin. I visited both last month, and both were very impressive. 

And with Vinkovci in third and Slavonski Brod in fourth, it was a strong showing for continental and eastern Croatia. Having travelled a lot around Croatia, I can honestly say that the Advents away from the coast in general have a lot more soul, and apart from Zagreb, no other city comes close for winter living and life than Osijek. 

There is a LOT of ignorance about what can be found in eastern Croatia, both in Zagreb and the rest of the county. There is SO much more to the east than war, Vukovar, and emigration. It is time that that story was told in full. Small little awards like this are one tiny step in that direction. Congrats to all concerned. 

To learn more about Osijek, check out the Total Croatia Osijek in a Page guide. 

December 2, 2021 - As part of the campaign prior to the Christmas celebrations, users who access the Croatia Airlines Advent calendar will find daily special offers, discounts, and prizes, some that include up to 50% discount on flight tickets with the national company.

Although the greatest availability and demand for flights to or from Croatia occurs in the summer, December is a month where air traffic is justified under the pretext of reuniting with family and friends during the Christmas holidays. This year's Croatia Airlines Advent calendar presents special prizes to users of its services every day until Christmas Eve, reports Turističke Priče.

In the month of giving, it is enough to visit the LINK where a special one-day Advent offer will be opened every day. By opening the Croatian Airlines Advent calendar window, all travel lovers can discover many surprises and gifts, including discounts (up to 50%) for purchasing airline tickets on selected domestic and international flights of Croatia Airlines, upgrades from economy to business class, Economy Comfort seats and many other benefits. The offer of the day will be announced every day at 9 am.

Today's offer of the day will be interesting for all those who decide to travel by plane from Osijek to Munich. Namely, if you decide to buy a plane ticket today, you will receive a 50% discount on the Osijek - Munich route, and the discount is applicable to all passengers in one reservation.

The Advent calendar offers travelers from Croatia and abroad the possibility of cheaper travel and additional quality of service, while at the same time an excellent opportunity to choose a valuable gift in the month of giving that can be shared with family members, friends or simply choose a gift for yourself.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated section.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

November 26, 2019 - The Croatian National Tourist Board has launched a promotional Croatia Advent campaign as one of the key motives for traveling here in the winter. 

HRTurizam reports that the campaign is being implemented in the markets of Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, France, Switzerland, Spain, Hungary and Slovenia until the end of December this year. The communication channels through which the campaign is advertised are YouTube and social networks Facebook and Instagram.

The Advent campaign is implemented through the new promotional video "Croatia, full of magic" and encourages the Advent offer of Croatian destinations.

According to the Croatia National Tourist Board, the campaign leads the user to the page "Croatia.hr", where in addition to Advent in Zagreb, which won the title of the best Christmas fair in Europe for three years in a row, the Advent events of SalajLand, Slavonia, Dalmatia, Kvarner, Istria and continental Croatia are also promoted. 

Over 50 foreign established journalists, bloggers and influencers from 11 European countries will visit Croatia in the organization of the Croatian National Tourist Board in December and will have the opportunity to get to know and experience the Croatia Advent offer firsthand. For example, Croatia will be visited by Russian MUZ TV, which creates the show "Independent Traveler", which is viewed by more than 25 million viewers across Russia.

Also, a team from Swedish RES TV and RES Magazine will record three special episodes dedicated to Zagreb's Advent, which are estimated to be watched by a total of 1.5 million viewers in Sweden. Croatian traditional holiday customs will be transmitted to its viewers by TVN Discovery, the oldest and largest private TV station in Poland, which is watched by over 8.38 percent of the entire Polish market.

"In the last few years, our country has become an increasingly sought after and attractive tourist destination in the winter, when diverse Advent programs come to the fore. I believe that the vibrant Advent facilities in many Croatian destinations such as Zagreb, Split, Osijek, Zadar, Rijeka, Porec, Dubrovnik, but also on the islands will attract numerous Croatian and foreign guests and contribute to the conclusion of a very successful tourist year,” said the director of the Croatian National Tourist Board Kristjan Staničić.

According to eVisitor, more than 410,000 tourists visited Croatia during last year's Advent, generating over one million overnight stays.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

As Glas Istre/Borka Petrovic writes on the 8th of November, 2019, the biggest news of this year's "December in Pula" program is the ice skating rink that will move from King Tomislav Square on Veruda to the very city centre. Mayor Boris Miletić justified the moving of the skating rink by claiming that it better adheres to the wishes of local kids and their parents, but also to the desire to bring all activities together in one place and stimulate additional liveliness in the city centre.

The installation of the ice skating rink, measuring 30 times 20 metres, will begin next week, more precisely on November the 13th, and the opening is planned for November the 29th. The rink will be open until January the 6th, 2020.

Traditionally, the first and last day of the ice skating rink's operation will be free of charge for everyone, as well as for all previously announced organised visits of preschool and school institutions.

Because of the ice skating rink of the rink and the turning of Giardini into a pedestrian zone, many changes in traffic regulations and public transport will be introduced in Pula.

Thus, for all traffic, as was the situation with previous years, Giardini will be turned into a pedestrian zone, Laginjina (at the intersection with Smareglinas street and Anticova street) will be closed from November the 13th onwards, and this year, Zagrebačka will be closed at the intersection with Dobricheva ulica, while Zadarska street (from the intersection with Istarska street to the intersection with Dobricheva street) will adopt a one-way system in the direction of Istarska street.

Carrarina is turning into a two-way impasse with the possibility of a semi-circular turn, and the taxi station will be relocated to the site of the current bus stop on Istarska street. All this was explained by Mayor Giordano Škuflić.

Igor Skatar, the director of Pulapromet, explained that the Pula city bus lines that otherwise operated along those sections would be diverted to the nearest surrounding stations, using mostly stops at the city library, Pula Arena and the market, and that changes to these routes would be available to the public on the company's website. The bus times will not change.

Pulaparking director Branislav Bojanić also stated that there will be free parking throughout the month of December.

''After November the 15th, we will be more tolerant of drivers and will allow delays of five or ten minutes until things are settled. But one thing we won't tolerate in December is improper parking and we will be rigorous there,'' Bojanić stressed.

The director of the Pula Film Festival Public Institution, Gordana Restović, emphasised that with the nearby ice rink, the entire site will be surrounded by amenities - as usual, eighteen cottages with various facilities will be located there, as will two stages, a gastro corner and the magic forest for toddlers, and in cooperation with the Visualia Festival, this pedestrian zone will be further enriched by the installation of the "Passage of Wishes" (Prolaz želja), that is, light arches that will extend as far as 50 metres along Giardini street.

As usual, a large stage and more than twenty concerts will be available to enjoy on Portarata, and the traditional New Year's Eve celebrations will be held at the Forum.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel page for more.

Pag, as a popular summer island destination, might not strike you as a place to go in winter at all. Despite that, the Advent on Pag festivities have transformed the island from summer getaway to winter wonderland. 

As Morski writes on the 10th of December, 2018, the very first artificial ice rink ever to be built on the island has been constructed, and to add to the authenticity of Pag and its history, it has been placed in one of the island's former salt warehouses.

''This is the central part of Advent on Pag, a gift for the children and for young people, as well as for those who like to skate. Our advent is certainly among the best in the county, and further beyond that,'' stated Pag's mayor Ante Fabijanić at the opening of the island's brand new ice skating rink.

As mentioned Advent on Pag's ice skating rink has been placed in one of the island's former salt warehouses, according to a report from eZadar. Adveng cottages have also been set up alongside the ice skating rink with a variety of things on offer, including festive food, sweets and desserts, and drinks, with the whole area richly decorated and adorned with the spirit of the festive season. Ice skating will be available to all in the former warehouse as part of the Advent on Pag celebrations until the 13th of January, 2019, every day from 16:00 to 22:00.

Within the scope of this year's Advent on Pag, there will be various programs, including the Santa's grotto, numerous concerts, a puppet theatre for kids, kindergarten and school performances, lectures and workshops, and a special Christmas reception with Pag's citizens which will take place under the organisation of the Town of Pag's administration this year, in cooperation with several Pag-based companies.

Make sure to follow our travel and lifestyle pages for much more on advent celebrations up and down the country, and much more.

Click here for the original article by eZadar

December the 5th, 2018 - Advent in Zagreb is well and truly bringing the Croatian capital into the joyous atmosphere of the festive season, and the three time winner of the best advent destination in Europe is offering what it usually does at this time of year, once again - free public transport use at weekends.

As studentski.hr writes, the City of Zagreb has provided Zagreb's residents and tourists alike with the free use of the city's public transport every weekend for the duration of Advent in Zagreb, which will last until January the 6th, 2019.

Zagreb's long standing mayor Milan Bandić confirmed for a previous HRT radio show that the capital's trams and buses operating in zone 1 will not charge for their services on weekends during the period of the current advent festivities in the Croatian capital. The move comes as no surprise and has been the norm during advent.

Nevertheless, a small change is that one of Zagreb's most popular attractions, the Zagreb funicular (Uspinjača), which will be transporting passengers to midnight, has to be paid for as normal for the entire duration of Advent in Zagreb, which has otherwise not been the case over the past few years.

To be more specific, Zagreb's public transport will be free during the period from Friday at 12:00 (midday) to Sunday at midnight. It should be noted that during this period, traffic will be prohibited in certain otherwise busy areas, those areas are Nikola Šubić Zrinski Square (Zrinjevac), Strossmayer Square, and King Tomislav Square, where only public transport vehicles may be used during the aforementioned periods.

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for further information like this, and much more. If it's just the capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Click here for the original article by Anton Smrekar for studentski.hr

Source: HRT

Fancy spending part of the festive season in a rather unusual location? It isn't Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar or Zagreb, but Knin, one of Croatia's most historically important cities, located in the rugged hills of the Dalmatian hinterland. Advent in Knin is, just like other locations across the country, looking like it's definitely worth a visit.

While Croatia is continuing to struggle with the self-limiting chains summer tourism places on the country, winter tourism has been helped hugely by Zagreb's advent success over the past three years. The Croatian capital has come on leaps and bounds, going from all but overlooked tourism wise, to being voted Europes best Advent destination for three years running. A title the city wants to win again this year.

The capital's continued success has rubbed off on other towns and cities up and down the country, with Dubrovnik's winter festival drawing more and more visitors each year, Split putting on an equally impressive show, and locations like Zadar, Rab and Pag following suit. It's not enough to say that Croatia desperately needs to try harder to free itself from the clutches of the three to four month long ''sea and sunshine'' destination box, but the chains are beginning to loosen with each passing year, and thanks to Zagreb's popularity at this time of year, other more overlooked Croatian cities are beginning to find their place.

As SibenikIN writes on the 28th of November, 2018, Advent in Knin is set to kick off very soon. The ice skating rink in front of the Franjo Tudjman school will be officially opened this coming Sunday at 17:00, and Knin's city administration, as well as the organisers of Advent in Knin have invited all those interested to be there.

In addition to the official opening the ice skating rink, the Christmas lights placed across the city will be turned on, and all the events for Advent in Knin 2018 are set to begin on Sunday, according to Huknet.

The ice rink will remain open until January the 2nd, 2019, and on Sunday a festive cottage serving drinks and food located next to the ice rink will begin its work. Advent in Knin will see to it that ice skating, as well as all of the required equipment for skating will be free for everyone.

The remaining five festive cottages partaking in this year's Advent in Knin festivities will be located in the park below the school playground and they will open considerably later, on December the 21st, when numerous cultural events are set to begin in the same location, also as part of Advent Knin's event programme for 2018.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for more news on the numerous advent programmes for various locations across the country.

Advent in Pag is said to boast a very rich program this year!

Winter is just around the corner, and that means that numerous cities across the country are turning the page from summer tourism to winter tourism and opening up their respective Advent programs. With Advent in Zagreb, the winner of the best European title for three years running, boasting the best Advent festivities yet, and Advent in Split and Dubrovnik doing the same, what can other, smaller destinations offer this winter season?

Pag has become a hit destination in recent years, with tourists flocking from all around to this other-worldly looking island in the Northern Adriatic sea during the warm summer months. As Croatia's fifth largest island, and the one with the longest coastline of them all, Pag has a lot to offer its visitors during the summer, from history to one of the world's most famous beaches and party destinations, Zrće, in the town of Novalja in the island's northern region.

That being said, Pag is much more than just sea and sun on an island with a bizarre and unusual landscape that looks as if it fell from Mars.

As eZadar/Radio Pag writes on the 14th of November, 2018, Pag is set to put on a proverbial show for Advent in Pag this festive season, and for the first time ever, an ice skating rink will be placed on the island for locals and tourists alike to enjoy. 

Under the organisation of the Tourist Board of Pag and the City of Pag's administration, this year Advent in Pag will boast a very rich festive program for all. In addition to the new ice skating rink which will make its Pag debut this winter, there will be much more content including festive cottages and stands with traditional food.

Pag's old streets will be richly decorated, as will the squares and the waterfront. Pag's mayor, Ante Fabijanić, has stated that this year, Advent in Pag will be even better than previous ones held on the island.

Make sure to keep up to date with our lifestyle page for more.

Advent in Zagreb has seen Croatia's capital go from strength to strength in terms of tourism over the last few years.

Attracting visitors from all over the world and gaining the title of the Best European Advent Destination for three years running, Advent in Zagreb isn't messing around when it comes to turning the city into a winter wonderland to get you ready for the most wonderful time of the year. Scrooge or not, it's hard to resist Zagreb at this time of year.

As 24sata writes on the 3rd of November, 2018, Zagreb's tourist board has its fingers crossed that this year will also be a great one, with the aim of attracting a record number of arrivals and overnight stays. 

This year, the much loved Advent in Zagreb will begin on December the 1st, and as Martina Bienenfeld, the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board told RTL, the christmas spirit and cheer is spreading out over the city much more, and advent will also take to some new locations across the capital.

Advent in Zagreb's organisers are already claiming that this year will be the most beautiful to date, and things have already got started.

There are already decorations being readily put up along the streets of Zagreb, given the fact that, as previously mentioned, this year things kick off as early as December the 1st with a little warm up taking place just a few days earlier.

As Bienenfeld stated, Advent in Zagreb will take to some brand new locations in the city, and owing to that some of the locations people have frequented in the past few years will naturally be overlooked, therefore they will be shut down.

To briefly recall Advent in Zagreb's incredible rise to fame and recognition, Zagreb's advent has been proclaimed to be the most beautiful in Europe for three years running and continues to attract very high numbers to Croatia's previously very much overlooked capital city. The Christmas spirit will stay in the capital in the form of advent for five weeks.

Want to stay up to date with Advent in Zagreb and what's going on in the capital? Make sure to follow Total Zagreb and keep yourself in the loop.