Far from the calm yet rugged shores of Dalmatia in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, Dalmatian students are set to showcase Dalmatia's rich history with traditional klapa singing at the seventh student klapa festival.

As Gordana Igrec/Morski writes on the 16th of March, 2019, Klapa music can be heard up and down the Dalmatian coast and is an intrisic part of Dalmatian culture. From Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia up to northern Dalmatia, many different groups exist from area to area and from city to city.

The word klapa means ''group of friends'' and this type of a cappella singing, which focuses mainly on romance and love, as well as on the sea and various parts of Dalmatia, traces its long roots back to littoral church singing.

The seventh festival of student klapa organised by the Split students' association will be held on March the 23rd, 2019, at the Student Center in Zagreb (Studentski centar, Savska 25), starting at 20:30.

For the seventh year in a row, the festival offers students the opportunity to be part of a traditional and cultural event which works to present the richness of Dalmatian musical heritage to the public and to continental Croatia. All those interested in this type of music are invited to come and showcase their talents and present Zagreb with one of the most influential and recognisable symbols of Dalmatia - klapa singing. There's still time to register.

When one walks the usually busy streets of the very central European City of Zagreb, the sights and sounds of Dalmatia appear a world away. Owing to this festival, the capital will become a hub for the sounds of the city's resident Dalmatian youth, as it has been in previous years.

In this way, Dalmatian students are able to freely continue to cultivate their klapa singing traditions and their culture away from their coastal homes, and further  enrich the continental Croatian City of Zagreb, where they have come to study and work, and where many will remain permanently.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If it's just Zagreb you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Click here for the original article by Gordana Igrec for Morski

As Slobodna Dalmacija/Marija Loncar writes on the 13th of March, 2019, when he first came to Šibenik at the end of 2017 to volunteer at the Youth in the EU, 30-year-old Francesco Lombardi from a town near Naples had no idea he'd experience love at first sight upon arrival.

He had never been to Šibenik before and as he says himself, if someone had told him that after completing his eight-month volunteer job he'd want to stay here and get a job - he wouldn't have believed them.

Such is life, and that's exactly what happened, as Francesco said though a smile, he ''clicked'' with Šibenik at first sight. In addition, Dalmatian, therefore local Sibenik girls, he adds, are the most beautiful girls in Europe.

"Maybe I liked the city because of the sea, because my hometown is near the sea. The nature is beautiful, the old part of town is one of the most beautiful in Dalmatia. Moreover, with its beauty, Šibenik can easily stand alongside many cities in the world. Šibenik is a real little paradise!'' says the young Italian.

Francesco completed his studies in political science in Naples. After graduating, he volunteered, wrote music reviews, visited festivals and did interviews with musicians for local newspapers. He's interested in civic initiatives, and at one time formed an association with friends, wanting to further activate the citizens of Naples in solving their problems.

In Šibenik, Francesco, together with a fellow Romanian volunteer, first worked on the "Development in society" project, which was later selected by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programs as one of the examples of good practice of youth work and for young people, he'll travel to Brussels to present the project should he receive a positive decision on it from Zagreb in the coming days.

After completing that volunteer work, he remained in Šibenik and got hired by the Youth in the EU association and now, with a group of young people from Italy, Poland and Portugal, he's dealing with the issues of the future of the European Union and the importance of voting in the elections, ie the question - do we want to be citizens of the EU or just citizens in the EU - explains Francesco.

The project will be presented to all participants on the April the 16th in Šibenik, and Francesco's paid internship will be completed along with the project at the end of May. When that's done, will he seek a new job and stay in Šibenik? He still isn't sure.

''I feel very good here. Will I be here for amother five months or until the end of my life? I don't know. At the moment, I'm enjoying it as much as I can, because here, I do what I love and what I've been educated to do,'' he says.

In his leisure time, he loves to listen to music, he also loves sport. He used to play football, basketball, tennis, water skiing, but in Šibenik his hobbies are mainly music and movies.

''I miss having a cinema in town. If we want to watch movies, we need to go to Dalmare, and not all young people here have cars, so it's not really that easy for everyone. In the city I watched some movies organised by Kinoklub Šibenik. It's an interesting initiative,'' he says.

Although he's been living in Šibenik for almost a year and a half, Francesco admits that he doesn't understand Croatian as well as he'd like to, and part of the guilt for that he says, is shared by Šibenik's locals themselves.

''First if all Croatian is really difficult, and part of the guilt lies with me because I haven't been trying hard enough, but part of the guilt is in the hands of Šibenik's locals because they all speak good English. Not just young people but older people as well. They also speak Italian, but when I go to small shops and bakeries I always speak Croatian.

When I go out or to some cafe and when I meet up with people, it's always in Croatian. People tell me I speak well. Here young people speak great English. In all the countries of former Yugoslavia, in Albania... I travelled a lot of Europe and saw that people in all Slavic countries speak English well, but in Croatia it really stands out.

Although, as Francesco states, Šibenik locals are rather temperamental, just like his compatriots, they are slightly distant when it comes to making contact with new people. It's not easy to knock down this wall, but when it comes down to it, their friendship is deep and guaranteed.

''The coffee is very good here. But in Italy, when you order coffee, they know what you mean, and here there's a list of all different types: short, long, large, small macchiato, coffee with milk... In Italy coffee is a quick drink, and here if you order a coffee you know it will take you two hours... Drinking and talking... Pomalo (taking it easy),''

Somehow Francesco also managed to get used to some local pizzas, though, as he himself says, they have nothing on Italian pizzas. First of all because of the mozzarella, a cheese that his hometown is known for and without which there can be no real pizza.

''It's like going to Naples for a burek,'' laughs the Italian, who appears to have no plans to leave this stunning Dalmatian city any time soon.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

Click here for the original article by Marija Loncar for Slobodna Dalmacija

Split-Dalmatia County is getting ready to make the most out of nautical tourism.

Nautical tourism boasts a plethora of potential opportunities for Croatia, with more and more tourists from across the planet arriving in the sparkling Croatian Adriatic with their various vessels, eager to explore the country of 1000+ islands in the most authentic way, Croatia has started to step up its game in terms of opening its arms more to nautical tourism and the economic fruits that is likely to bring.

As Morski writes on the 14th of March, 2019, this autumn is set to bring work on Croatia's blossoming nautical tourism sector as central Dalmatia will see the opening of as many as nine construction sites designed for nautical tourism ports, as was announced by Split-Dalmatia County's tourist board.

The planned investments of the County Port Authority in the area of ​​Central Dalmatia, with the support of the appropriate ministry, amount to approximately 300 million kuna this year, which will significantly improve the entire area's maritime infrastructure, according to a report from Dalmatinski portal.

''The construction of a port with a waterfront and accompanying facilities in Omiš is being prepared. Throughout 2019, preparations will be being made for the beginning of the construction of the harbour and breakwater for all types of vessels except for the ferryboat in Bol on the island of Brač.

The Rogač port project on Šolta was realised, Stomorska port in the east of Šolta and Splitska on the island of Brač will be done up. In Sućuraj, on the eastern point of the island of Hvar, this autumn works on the re-doing of the harbour, which will result in completely new look for Sućuraj, are set to take place. The same will take place in Kaštel Stari, where a port project with all of the accompanying amenities is being implemented,'' added the Split-Dalmatia County tourist board.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more information on what's going on in Central Dalmatia, Split-Dalmatia County, and much further afield.

Click here for the original article by Dalmatinski portal

The Pelješac Bridge saga continues, and deadlines for various parts of the job, be it on the bridge itself or on its required access roads, rather unsurprisingly see more and more extensions...

As Josip Bohutinski/VL/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 13th of March, 2019, the State Commission for the control of public procurement procedures (DKOM) has dismissed an appeal lodged by Varaždin's Colas to modify the tender documentation for the construction of Ston's bypass of Sparagovići - Papratno and Papratno - Doli.

As Večernji list reports, Colas actually only lodged an appeal one day before the expiry of the bidding deadline on February the 14th, 2019. DKOM assessed this appeal, deemed it to be unfair and subsequently rejected it. The tender for the construction of the Ston bypass road was announced on December the 3rd, 2018, with the deadline for the submission of bids for the job set for the 21st of January this year.

Due to the requirements of potential contractors requesting explanations of the tender documentation, the bidding deadline has been extended several times. The estimated value of the works for the construction of the Ston bypass road is 449.1 million kuna, and according to the tender documentation, the chosen contractor will have a deadline for completing the works, which is currently 30 months from the date of introduction to the job.

While Croatian roads (Hrvatske ceste) can be satisfied with DKOM's decision on the (very late in the day) Colas appeal for this part of Pelješac Bridge's access road, when it comes to the second part of the Pelješac Bridge access road, the Duboka-Sparagovići section, the commission's decision will have to be waited on once again. Namely, the decision for this access sectiont to be built by the Greek company J&P Avax has received an appeal from Aktor SA, another Greek company that participated in the tender, as well as Austria's Strabag. J&P Avax offered 464.9 million kuna without VAT to build the Duboka - Sparagovići road section. The estimated value of these works currently stands at 482 million kuna. Offers for these works were officially opened in June last year.

In addition to J&P Avax, the job of constructing twelve kilometres' worth of this section was desired by six other companies and consortia. In the selection decision, it was stated that J&P Avax's bid was, according to the selection criterion, rated the most economically advantageous. The Aktor SA offered 464.6 million kuna, and Austria's Strabag offered 478.3 million kuna. The lowest bid was offered by Integral engineering from neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina - 321.2 million kuna, but that was rejected for its unusually low price tag. Colas, the company to lodge an appeal, also had its offer of 52.5 million kuna rejected, and the China Road and Bridge Corporation were also rebuffed with their offer of 647.8 million kuna, because these offers exceed the estimated value of the works, and the Chinese didn't extend the validity of their offer. Offers were also submitted by the GP Krk association and Euro-asfalt from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a 444.3 million kuna price tag.

The scheduled deadline for construction of the Duboka - Sparagovići road section currently stands at 33 months from the date of the contractor's introduction to the job. Given the fact that in such proceedings, DKOM requires two months to decide on an appeal, the beginning of construction of this section can likely be expected to begin sometime during the middle of this year and not before.

The bid for equipping and supplying the Duboka - Sparagovići section came to an end in February with three offers. The estimated value of these works stands at 38.2 million kuna, and all three bids received are well above this amount. Valard offered 52.9 million kuna, Dalekovod offered 57.3 million kuna, and Elektrocentar Petek offered a handsome 59.5 million kuna. Croatian roads have stated however that they will cancel this bid and announce a new one in which everything needed for the Duboka - Sparagovići section and the Ston bypass will be unified.

Croatian roads have also pointed out that the deadline for completing the entire Pelješac bridge project, meaning the bridge's actual construction and the construction of its access roads, is now January the 31st, 2022.

Make sure to follow our dedicated news and business pages for more information on the construction of Pelješac Bridge and much more.

Click here for the original article by Josip Bohutinski/VL on Poslovni Dnevnik

We reported recently on the truly tragic situation that Ston's precious oysters had found themselves stuck in. In short, this famed gem of southern Dalmatian cuisine had fallen victim to Norovirus after septic tanks weren't being cleaned out properly, and the traditional Days of Mali Ston Oysters, which was due to be held on the 16th of this month, had to be cancelled for health and safety reasons.

While the news was indeed as sad as it was alarming, has a solution to Mali Ston's Norovirus problem been found?

As Morski writes on the 11th of March, 2019, there appears to no longer be any detected presence of the potentially deadly Norovirus in Mali Ston. This was confirmed to Dubrovacki list by dr. Sc. Eddy Listeš from the Veterinary Institute of Split.

The last tests on the matter were carried out last Friday, but unfortunately the paperwork confirming the absence of Norovirus from the area and its beloved oysters has not yet reached those to whom such a document of confirmation is of vital importance.

To briefly recall, back at the very beginning of March, discovered via the regular sampling of the seawater and shellfish (oyster) quality, the presence of Norovirus was established.

Norovirus, otherwise of human origin, is the cause of infections of the digestive system. Norovirus wreaks havoc in the human digestive system, causing violent diarrhoea, vomiting, the inability to hold any food or liquid down, often resulting in dehydration and the need for emergency hospital treatment, and sometimes even in death. It is transmitted from person to person, via the fecal-oral route, typically through food contaminated by the fecal matter of infected persons and contact with surfaces contaminated with Norovirus. Norovirus is highly contagious and its symptoms, which as described above are often severe, tend to manifest quickly.

Having the potentially massive health issues that could be caused by the consumption of Mali Ston oysters which have come into contact with Norovirus in mind, a decision was made by the organiser of the traditional Day of Mali Ston Oysters to cancel the beloved event, writes Dubrovacki list.

Vlado Onofri, a respected senior scientific advisor at the University of Dubrovnik said that septic tanks, which in themselves would not be problematic were the situaton involving just several family houses, were the cause of the Norovirus issue. The situation that has arisen in the Dubrovnik area as a whole is that there are now a lot of apartments and far too many people, without anyone properly dealing with the septic tanks and the dangerous bacteria and viruses that gather there.

"Septic tanks can't withstand that pressure and it (everything that builds up in them) has to come out somwhere. That's it. We've sh*t on ourselves,'' stated Onofri.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more. If it's just Dubrovnik and southern Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow.

As eZadar writes on the 11th of March, 2019, quite a significant number of American citizens live in Zadar and the islands belonging to Zadar County, many of these people are Americans who hold dual Croatian and US citizenship, and one of the aspects of the US Embassy's activity is to provide consular services to its citizens.

The US Embassy has recently launched an initiative called MeetUS, which aims to create a group of experts for each county that will work on extending and strengthening the activities of the US Embassy in the Republic of Croatia. Every year, a team of American and local members of staff of the US embassy will focus on one county to strengthen co-operation with local representatives of all sectors of society.

The aim of the initiative is to strengthen and maintain good relations with key stakeholders in public administration, the economy, the education sector and civil society as a whole throughout Croatia. The purpose of this particular initiative is to present the county with the US embassy staff, get better acquainted with local needs and find ways to cooperate further.

On Tuesday, March the 12th, 2019 Meeting with the Director of the Zadar Tourist Board, Mr. Mari Palek and the staff will be held in the premises of the Zadar Tourist Board at 10:30.

The US embassy staff who will come to Zadar County for an informal, working visit are:

Anja Picelj-Kosak - Media Specialist
Mirjana Pribanić - Budget Analyst
Darby Carter - GSO EPAP Officer
Željko Medić - Visa Assistant

In the light of the upcoming tourist season, and especially given the increased Croatian marketing activity on the American broadcasting market and the knowledge of booking by hoteliers and travel agencies, one of the topics to be tackled is the increasing number of American tourists arriving in Zadar and the wider Zadar County.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated politics and lifestyle pages.

One of the richest people in the Balkans is putting his money where his mouth is in Dubrovnik's picturesque Lapad area, known for its beach, Cave Bar More, and numerous hotels. Tihomir Brajković is kicking off his investment in Dubrovnik with the construction of six luxury villas in this location in the Pearl of the Adriatic.

As Novac/Anton Hauswitschka writes on the 9th of March, 2019, Tihomir Brajković, a well known businessman from Kiseljak, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one of the richest people in the Balkans, is busy going to work constructing six brand new luxury villas in Babin kuk (Lapad) just above Hotel More. The removal of trees and other rubble has already begun, and excavation work could be next, according to a report from dubrovački.hr.

Brajković, or more specifically his very appropriately named Dubrovnik-based company ''Six Luxury Villas d.o.o.'', is the owner of some very attractive land located along Ulica Kardinala Stepinca (Cardinal Stepinac street) right next to some residential buildings.

Unconfirmed news from Dubrovnik's city administration claims that Brajković has indeed started with the preparation of a land parcel according to the current general urban plan in the construction zone, and it is soon expected that the investor will request the necessary building permits to continue. This procedure, as they say, may take up to a year, but as long as the current spatial plans are properly in place, there is no reason that all of the necessary documentation won't be able to be obtained.

The very few who have seen the conceptual design say that they are buildings that will give their future owners the ultimate sense of total luxury and that their architectural bases remind them of the buildings across on the other side of town in the Eastern location of Sveti Jakov. Novac tried to find out directly from the Kiseljak entrepreneur what will exactly happen when he starts building in Dubrovnik, but contact with him from Dubrovnik failed.

Brajkovic founded the company ''Six Luxury Villas'', based on Vukovarska Ulica (Vukovar street), in the former DTS building, back in 2015. More specifically, the company's founder is his Swiss company PET engineering AG, which is led, at least according to the Swiss register, by Josip Šubašić, while Brajković himself is the director of the Dubrovnik-based company.

It's worth recalling the fact that Tihomir Brajković is the owner of Tibra Pacific and Meso-Impex, and has made his fortune in the construction sector, more precisely in terms of housing construction. In Sarajevo, in the Stup area in August last year, Brajković started building a business-residential complex which consisted of three buildings, while at the same time the media in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina incessantly ran negative stories on his Meso-Impex company, which allegedly owes the state more than 9 million convertible marks.

Brajković also become better known to the Croatian public when he planned to build a residential building in Makarska back in 2015 with its own state-owned observatory and astro park incorporated into it.

Although Forbes recently listed him on its enviable list of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the region, Tihomir Brajković himself is a man who seems to consciously avoid the media and other forms of publicity. An individual picture of him is impossible to find, he isn't inclined to making media statements, nor is he inclined to accepting other types of interviews. In recent years however, he has quietly invested heavily in numerous projects and investments and even managed to negotiate the construction of a hydro power plant on the river Bosna with authorities in Zavidovići.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for more on doing business in Croatia, investing in Croatia, and the overall business and investment climate within the country.

Click here for the original article by Anton Hauswitschka for Novac/Jutarnji

Cruise ships are a doubled-edged sword for Dubrovnik, and it seems resolving matters isn't quite as straight forward as one would have hoped. Could a new daily per passenger fee be the answer the southern Dalmatian gem is looking for to avoid going the same way Venice did?

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 8th of March, 2019, as of 2021 the City of Dubrovnik will introduce a daily tax for guests of cruise ship passengers in the amount of one euro per person, from which the city will be able to turn about 950 thousand euros into cash in just one year. The main part of the revenue will be intended for the maintenance of the city's road, as the mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Franković revealed to Poslovni Dnevnik at the ITB Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany.

On Wednesday, he met with the representatives of large cruise companies like Carnival, and one of the topics was the new tax that they are preparing for the Pearl of the Adriatic.

After dealing with the tight timetable of large cruise ships, the guests of which typically visit Croatia's tourist Mecca for just one day, this will be an extra move in Dubrovnik's efforts to break free of the damaging consequences of not only the major tourist crowds in Dubrovnik, but the environmental damage being caused by the massive vessels themselves, with the aim of increasing revenue for the strengthening of the city's infrastructure.

In line with that same goal, Dubrovnik has already been one of the few this year to use a legal option and increase the flat tax for property renters to 750 kuna per bed, and next year, this amount is planned to see yet another increase, to a maximum of 1500 kuna, from which the City of Dubrovnik will make 12.5 million kuna in revenue. Otherwise, Dubrovnik allocates twelve million kuna annually for road maintenance.

Discussions about the need to introduce a tax for cruise ship passengers has been going on for more than five years now, and now it will be possible to change the Law on Residence Tax which is in the second reading.

"All cities that receive cruise ships will now finally have the right to charge a one-day-resident sojourn tax, which we have been able to introduce at the City Association level, and we're pleased that the Ministry has incorporated it into the law. Companies have nothing against the taxing, they just asked us to give them enough time to prepare for it, as the tax will be charged to agents who will need to calculate it into the price of the whole arrangement,'' explained Frankovic.

The move will limit the number of cruise ships in Dubrovnik to two daily, so that no more than 5,000 visitors will arrive in the city in any one day. This is the result of intense negotiations between the City of Dubrovnik and the largest cruise companies in the CLIA association, which took place to attempt tp solve the problem of up to seven cruisers a day entering Dubrovnik, which would bring up to 10,000 passengers into the city per day.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated travel page. If it's just Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow.

Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 7th of March, 2019, well known Split entrepreneur Jozo Parčina, perhaps best known to the wider public as the owner of the beautiful Luxe Hotel in Split, could soon become the owner of the "Kaštela Riviera".

Not even three full years after the launching of bankruptcy proceedings over the defunct Kaštela company, they acquired the conditions for the sale of their property, which is largely under a mortgage, among which the most prized is the hotel "Palace".

The interest in buying was confirmed to Slobodna Dalmacija by Parčina himself, who in the meantime redeemed the receivables of the Austrian HETA agency, a successor to Hypo Bank.

''I have redeemed the HETA receivables because I want to buy a complex in Kaštela, invest 40 million euros in its renovation and upgrading, put the hotel in order and employ 150 people,'' said Parčina when discussing the plans, adding that it would be a four or five-star hotel, and would boast up to 350 rooms.

The renovation refers to the only remaining building, the old "Palace" building with 230 rooms, protected as a cultural monument, and another new building. Since the surface areas of the complex in Kaštel Stari, located on the shore, is about 38,000 square metres in size, a building larger than the existing one will be permitted.

''I'm already in the hotel business. With "Luxe", which has been in operation for ten years, another hotel in Split is being prepared, where works are going to be finished soon, so I'd like to expand this activity by buying a complex in Kaštela,'' added Parčina, who in the meantime has invested in some real estate which he now rents out.

In earlier years, Jozo Parčina was known to the general public as the owner of a company which dealt with various gambling machines located across Dalmatia and Istria, this business was eventually shut down by tax collectors and by the Croatian Government in 2016.

If he succeeds in purchasing the "Kaštela Riviera" property, Parčina estimated that from the moment of everything being ready for work, it would take up to three years for the investment to be realised. Assets will be sold in bankruptcy proceedings through the Financial Agency (FINA) so it's clear that the real estate will go to whoever is willing to pay the most.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated business page.

Lopud's stunning Lafodia Sea Resort wows once again, this time taking home a prestigious award. Little else could be expected of this truly beautiful hotel located on an idyllic southern Dalmatian island, just a short boat ride from the City of Dubrovnik.

Winning the prestigious Best Seaside Hotel for Meetings and Events, Lafodia Sea Resort, with more than 150 rooms, showcased its individuality and wow factor. This award means a lot to Lafodia, because the resort has been chosen among seven other hotels some with five stars and chosen by those from within the profession and by people who are the professional organisers of all kinds of event. This welcome recognition means that lafodia Sea Resort is not only recognised by highly appreciated on the market.

The SEEbtm Awards is an awards ceremony powered by SEEbtm magazine, to the best and most prominent hotels and venues in the meetings industry for the current year, based on the votes of the readers, event organisers, and the jury of SEEbtm magazine. The expert jury was made up of 27 representatives of some of the most prominent international companies and each one of them is in charge of the event's organisation.

These awards were established back in 2016 with the idea of rewarding and therefore stimulating positive changes in this very demanding industry and market. SEEbtm magazine specializes in business travel and the events industry in the Southeastern European region, and is supported by the leading regional portal Kongresniturizam.com, which has now been operating for more than twelve years.

Under the expert organisation of the portal Kongresniturizam and the specialised magazine SEEbtm, on November the 15th, 2018, in Belgrade, Serbia, the meetings industry of the region traditionally gathered for the seventh time at the SEEbtm Party, an event which has continued to profile itself as a strong networking platform of key stakeholders in the meetings industry, as well as those in the expert field of event management.

At the SEEbtm Awards gathering, prestigious recognition was given to some of the best hotels and venues in our region in seventeen categories, based on the votes of those who are buyers in the meetings industry, people from the meetings industry from within the region, the clients of the nominated candidates, and the SEEbtm magazine team itself.

What was especially important was the innovation in the voting of an expert jury, composed of the representatives of some of the most eminent companies and organisations which deal with the organisation of events across the region, and their members voted for the best, according to their experience and their valued opinion.