April the 12th, 2022 - Ever fancied getting away for a bit to somewhere isolated and idyllic and just collecting your thoughts? Becoming a Croatian lighthouse keeper may offer you all of that, and the ability to not go totally insane by being able to spend some time at home, too.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the company “Plovput” from Split has announced a competition for the position of a Croatian lighthouse keeper at the position of Sveti Ivan na Pučini, close to Rovinj in Istria. Although many would like to find themselves in this role today, one should know that this is actuallt really specific and distinctive profession, and that there are only about thirty people qualified for this job left on the Adriatic today.

The salary paid to a Croatian lighthouse keeper is between 6 and 7 thousand kuna per month, according to Morski.hr. It's also quite convenient that the successful applican't won't have to spend months at a time looking after the lighthouse, but will instead be there at their workplace for 15 days, and they can then be at home for another 15 days.

However, the lighthouse keeper will have to take care of all their necessities and will have to prepare well for their stay on a lonely cliff out on the Croatian Adriatic, counting on the fact that they might have to stay a few days longer due to the nature of the job. Not to mention the unpredictable elements.

In the description of the Croatian lighthouse keeper's workplace, Plovput, among other things, states the control of the nautical characteristics of the lighthouse, the main light and the backlight, the fog siren and control of all maritime signalling objects in sight, as well as the manual activation of the fog siren in case of automatic failure in visibility less than 1000 metres.

On top of that, they'll have to be in charge of the maintenance of all of the devices and equipment for navigation safety, they'll need to participate in search and rescue operations at sea, record for the Radio Journal of meteorological data of the State Hydrometeorological Institute for the purpose of correct invoicing, and prepare and submit meteorological reports to both DHMZ and Plovput.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

January 10, 2021 – After the initial opening in Umag in 2018, on the 200th anniversary of the lighthouse services on the Croatian coast, the exhibition "More than light and salt – 200 years of Croatian lighthouses" will open in Biograd na Moru.

The exhibition opens on January 12, 2021, at the Homeland Museum Biograd na Moru, regarding Saint Anastasia's feast and a city day. It was also organized regarding the 200th anniversary of the lighthouse service on the Croatian coast, which officially began with the commissioning of a dedicated facility in Savudrija in 1818.

Today, the lighthouse in Savudrija is a protected cultural asset. After two centuries, it testifies to the rich Croatian maritime tradition and the challenges of being a lighthouse keeper, a very rare profession.

Savudrija Lighthouse / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

To mark this significant anniversary, the exhibition was organized in April 2018 in the Umag City Museum, showing objects from the history of the lighthouse service, documentaries, marine lighting technology, and photographs from private collections.

After the initial opening in Umag, in partnership with the Croatian Maritime Museum Split and the Maritime Waterways Institution Plovput d.o.o., the exhibition was organized in numerous museums along the Adriatic coast – Rijeka, Zadar, Dubrovnik, Split. The last exhibition was held in February 2020 at the Technical Museum Nikola Tesla in Zagreb.

Visitors have the opportunity to see Croatian lighthouses from the period of the countries that once ruled the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. For example, the Austro-Hungarian postcards from the collection of the prominent collector, the late Luka Dragičević, and photographs from the extraordinary little-known album of the Croatian Hydrographic Institute.

Lighthouse Veli Rat, Dugi otok / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

The exhibition touches on questions about how lighthouses' construction changed the locations where they were built and how the lighthouses themselves changed through wars, modernization of technology, and man's abandonment due to automation.

In addition to exhibits that testify to the long list of duties of today's extremely rare profession of lighthouse keepers, a documentary material is presented that provides valuable information about lighthouse keepers' activities throughout the last century: living and working in almost unimaginable conditions.

The significance of this vocation in the 21st century is thematized on the example of today's Savudrija lighthouse keeper Mario Milin Ungar, who is the fifth generation of lighthouse keepers in his family.

The exhibition dedicated to Croatian lighthouses will be open until February 28, 2021, and the opening event will be held in compliance with prescribed epidemiological measures.

Source: Biograd na Moru

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

One Croatian island has caught the attention of The Guardian, and if you're a lover of not only peace and quiet but total isolation and disconnection from the world, it should catch yours, too...

Croatia boasts plenty of truly incredible destinations from coast to continent. Dalmatia of course makes all the headlines and has done for years now, but as more and more tourists discover Croatia away from Dalmatia, venturing into Istria, the continental part of the country and even as far as the otherwise very overlooked Eastern part of Croatia, more specifically Slavonia, Croatia's amazing diversity as a country is becoming highlighted.

But what of the 1,000+ Croatian islands dotted along the rugged coastline? It's not as if they're never mentioned. In fact, as nautical tourism takes off more and more in Croatia, even the furthest-flung islands are being visited by those wanting to discover them for themselves. As the coast becomes busier with each and every passing summer season, many tourists are looking for something ''off the beaten path'' and secluded, their own private island, as it were.

While the former Agrokor boss Ivica Todorić had no problem having a Croatian island (Smokvica) all to himself and his family for many years, for the vast majority of us mere mortals, that's nothing but a pipe dream, a fantasy. We fantasise about having a slice of paradise all to ourselves so much amid our stressful and busy lives that we watch Tom Hanks in the classic Castaway film and feel envious, despite his isolation and having to cure his toothache with the aid of a rock, of course.

The popular British daily newspaper The Guardian, which has sung the praises of numerous Croatian destinations several times, has published an interesting list of fifteen of the best ''off-grid'' places to stay in Europe. From lakeside cabins in Finland and organic farms in Italy to timber houses in Bulgaria and bubbles in France (yes, bubbles), the list highlights some of the continent's best destinations for total isolation, peace and quiet, and a break from it all in the most authentic of senses.

Among the likes of Ireland, Portgual, Norway and France, Croatia's Sveti Ivan lighthouse near Rovinj has made the cut. Here's what The Guardian has to say:

''Sveti Ivan lighthouse stands on a tiny islet at the southernmost point of the Rovinj archipelago. There are two two-bedroom apartments in the lighthouse building, and fantastic sea views from the 23-metre tower. The lighthouse has a water tank and solar power, but no wifi. Two beaches with shallow water on opposite sides of the islet are best for swimming, plus there are rock slabs for sunbathing, and good spots for fishing, diving and dolphin-spotting. Provisions must be bought in Rovinj, which is 30-45 minutes away by boat, depending on the weather.''

Fancy paying it a visit yourself and well and truly disconnecting with the hustle and bustle of the modern world for a while on a quiet Croatian lighthouse island? We wouldn't blame you.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle and travel pages for much more.