June the 16th, 2022 - Croatian continental tourism has had yet another boost in the form of new hiking and mountaineering trails which are sure to attract not only nature lovers but those who love a nice glass of local Eastern Croatian wine.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at 253 metres above sea level, it isn't exactly the highest, but it is the easternmost checkpoint of the Croatian Mountaineering Bypass. Skandala is located in the heart of the Srijem vineyards on the magical Fruska gora, just above the well known wine destination of Ilok.

The beautiful rolling hills, landscapes and views of seemingly endless rows of vineyards are worth every step. A mountaineering stamp significant for mountaineers, a break in one of the wineries with a glass of fine local wine and enjoying part of the country few give enough credit to are more than enough of a reason to head to Eastern Croatia.

Of the six new hiking trails set to provide a spring in the step of this form of Croatian continental tourism, as many as four lead across Skandala. Two trails are named after it, the longer one is 14 kilometres, the shorter one is nine, both are circular, starting from the Vukovo lookout point, leading through vineyards to the highest peak of Liska at 297 metres above sea level, and back over Skandala, returning to the starting point.

From Bapska to Principovac, there is a 22-kilometre-long hiking trail, also the longest of these six new ones. Whoever decides to hike along it will follow the paths of Odescalchi, the famous Ilok prince's family, who planted the first Traminer vines on the Principovac country estate way back in 1710. Those who walk the 17-kilometre-long Lovka-Rados trail, which leads to the Easternmost Croatian settlement and its vineyards, will also enjoy the beauty of the vineyards and a refreshing glass of said Traminer.

Hikers will be able to enjoy the silence of Srijem on the 12-kilometre-long Slovak House (Slovacka kuca) trail that leads from Rados to Liska, and the 6.5-kilometre-long trail that leads from Principovac to the highest peak through vineyards and forests.

"In addition to mountaineers, cyclists, recreationists and athletes, these six new hiking and mountaineering trails are attractive to all sorts of nature lovers, as well as to lovers of high quality wines. These trails pass through famous vineyards such as Principovac, Vukovo and Rados, they're arranged, marked out, properly traced, mapped, and are connected to the already existing well-known hiking and biking trails of Srijem and Slavonia.

This new Croatian continental tourism offer local to Srijem and Slavonia is the result of successful cooperation between the Tourist Board of Vukovar-Srijem County and the Croatian Mountaineering Association (Cibalia) from Vinkovci, whose members regularly hike in this beautiful area,'' stated Rujana Busic Srpak, the director of Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board.

For more, check out our dedicated travel section.

27 Nov 2021 - Central Croatia is rightfully getting more and more acclaim as a top-notch travel destination. This is especially true when it comes to its offer of food and wine. Another step in the right direction is the unveiling of the new project Gourmet Tourism – GoWine.

There are numerous attractive towns, villages, and micro-regions around the Croatian capital Zagreb. Some of them are well known among Croatians, most of them unfairly neglected by international travellers. However, things are changing at a rapid pace and we are seeing an increase in promotional actions uncovering the wonders of Central Croatia. The Gourmet Tourism project is a joint effort by tourism boards of three towns: Sv. Ivan Zelina, Jastrebarsko, and Samobor and aims at promoting the food and wine offer in these three areas. This project is backed by the Zagreb County Tourism Board and authorised by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Increasing visibility of Jastrebarsko, Samobor, and Sv. Ivan Zelina

The primary goal of the project is to communicate a local offer of authentic food and wine more clearly and efficiently by creating interactive and printed maps, a promotional website (www.gowine.hr), WebVR app, as well as to give the project its own recognisable visual identity. The most attractive parts of all these three areas covered in the project are their wine roads. Using stylised maps, the users will now have an easy time navigating them. The locations of numerous local wineries and countryside estates offering quality, authentic bites and sips are now there for all to find and enjoy. With plenty to explore in the area, the creators of the maps had their hands full at selecting those local businesses that will represent the area well.

The presentation of the project itself took place at the beautiful Mirnovec Ethno Farm. While there was plenty of information to go through, representatives of the three tourism boards and their associates kept the protocol dynamic and interesting. With plenty of mouth-watering local food and delicious wine, all gathered members of the press were able to taste for themselves exactly what wonders lie in the vicinity of Zagreb. Well-known names of the Croatian food and wine scene: Mr. Bakalovic, Mr. Spicek, and Mr. Spiranec created a lunch menu perfect for showcasing the finest this region has to offer. 

So, next time you get a chance, make sure to explore the areas of Jastrebarsko, Samobor, and Sv. Ivan Zelina. With gowine.hr and all the local information one click away, you now officially have no excuse not to do so. Just make sure you go hungry and thirsty.

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