Saturday, 29 August 2020

The Guardian: Dubrovnik Rediscoverd By Locals

August 29, 2020 – Renowned British newspaper compares destinations across Europe and claims, though hit economically, Dubrovnik residents can finally enjoy summer again.

Popular British newspaper The Guardian have today published a feature comparing popular European tourist destinations in the year of Coronavirus. Comparing Magaluf, on the Spanish holiday island of Mallorca, Barcelona on the Spanish mainland and Dubrovnik in Croatia, they tell a story of once packed destinations whose streets this summer are comparatively barren.

The positive side of the story is that this breath of fresh air, though damaging economically, has allowed local residents to rediscover their cities.

“At the moment it’s wonderful,” Dubrovnik tour guide Vesna Celebic is reported to have told the Guardian journalist. “The old town is definitely the place that the locals reclaimed. Now you see a lot of kids riding bikes and playing soccer in some of the public squares, you hear the locals again. You hear the local language.”

However, Celebic's words are not wholly optimistic. In the article, she acknowledges that economic difficulties are looming.

“While I think this is a disaster and economically it’s scary, I think it’s also a moment to pause and reflect,” she said to the newspaper in conclusion. "Tourism should be a pleasure, not only for those coming in but also for those staying in and residing in [the city]."

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

Thursday, 27 August 2020

Another Coastal County Restricts Number of Attendees at Weddings, Funerals

ZAGREB, August 27, 2020 - The civil protection authority in Dubrovnik-Neretva County on Thursday recommended that the national authority adopts a measure restricting the number of attendees at weddings, funerals and commemorations to 50 people and that other celebrations be attended only by family members with up to 20 people.

In addition, performances, religious rites and so on need to be held according to all the epidemiological measures if they are held outdoors. If they are held indoors, face masks need to be used and a distance of at least two metres kept.

The owners of hospitality premises are responsible for organising the implementation of these measures and enhanced inspections need to be organised by local response teams.

These measures will apply as of Monday 31 August for a period of 14 days.

Similar measures were recommended on Wednesday in Split-Dalmatia County.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

Sunday, 9 August 2020

Croatia Wine: ”Every Visit Is A Voyage Of Discovery”

August 9, 2020 - Meet Marc Hough, a former international DJ who became a wine importer after visiting Dubrovnik and trying Croatia wine. In 2020, he returns for his 20th summer.

Situated in the north of England, about halfway up the island called Great Britain, the city of Manchester is famous for its football and music. Mancunians are proud of this. Two members of TCN are from the city, and when someone local asks “Odakle si?”, usually we say “Ja sam iz Manchestera” (I am from Manchester). We don't say "I'm from England" or "Great Britain". Everyone knows where Manchester is.

117386860_219905849351765_5154252143370316874_n.jpg
Marc Hough, a former international DJ. His passion for the Plavac he discovered in Dubrovnik turned him into a wine merchant.

20 years ago, Marc Hough was a high profile member of Manchester's famous music scene. He counts members of bands like The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays as close personal friends. As longstanding DJ to New Order (the band that was once Joy Division), he toured the world playing the music of Manchester to many. But, no more.

“I reached the age of 40 in 2010 and thought, what am I doing with my life?” Hough told TCN over the phone, as he was preparing for a trip Dubrovnik. “DJing and the music business is a young man's game.”

And so, inspired by an enthusiasm for Croatia wine, he turned his back on a high profile DJ career and became a wine bar owner and wine merchant.

117625972_3480652008634129_6128604864560568888_n.jpg
One of Marc's 'Cork Of The North' wine bars / stores near Manchester © Cork Of The North

“When I started, I was literally just selling wine out of the back of my car. I only had five customers and three of those were my dad, my brother and me!” remembers Marc, who has built his independent business considerably since then. He is now a wholesaler, recommending and selling wines to top bars and restaurants in the north of England. He has also opened two of his own wine bars 'Cork Of The North' (which are also wine shops), in Sale and Heaton Moor, near Manchester.

“Croatia plays such a big part in the story,” stresses Marc. “I've been visiting Dubrovnik for over 20 years. I had a friend from there who I met in Manchester. She came to live here for a while to escape the war. After it finished, she went home, invited me to Dubrovnik and I just fell in love with the place.”

“There was a wine bar in the Old Town called D'Vino, run by a half Croatian half Australian guy called Saša. After I saw what he was doing there with Croatia wine, I thought that's exactly the kind of place I'd like to have in Manchester.”

Already passionate about wine thanks to his grandad, that first trip to Dubrovnik made Marc curious to return. On his next visit to Croatia, he travelled further than just the Pearl of the Adriatic and went to the source of some Croatia wine itself.

1440px-Panorama_Mali_Ston04243.jpg
Part of the Pelješac peninsula, which features heavily in Marc's 20-year affair with Croatia wine © Anto

“I came back on a sailing holiday with Bernard Sumner (guitarist of Joy Divison and singer of New Order),” Marc recalls. “He loves sailing and he has his own boat. We went all round Pelješac, Korčula, Brač. I fell in love with Dingač. Since then, I've travelled all of Dalmatia and through Istria learning about the wines. I've been to Bosnia to try their varieties like Vranac. But, for me, the most recent, amazing discovery has been Slavonia. They make some incredible white wines there; Graševina, Cabernet Franc, Traminac.”

1920px-New_Order,_Chile_2019_(39751785423).jpg
New Order, the band that was once Joy Division. Marc Hough toured the world as their DJ © RL GNZLZ

“For me, it's always half holiday, half work,” Marc tells us, as he packs for his 20th annual trip to Dubrovnik, which begins on Sunday 11 August. “Amazing views, amazing people, amazing food and amazing wine. But, the wine always inspires thoughts of work. I can't help myself. I love visiting the vineyards, meeting the winemakers. It's not the same as when you do it in other countries. In Croatia, you'll often be invited into the kitchen or onto the terrace of the winemaker's home. You'll leave with arms full of different bottles - some gifted - and you can even be sold fine wine unceremoniously in a plastic bottle. I love that informal, homemade feel of the experience. It's charming and honest. When I go on buying trips in France, Spain and Italy, it's rarely like that.”

Dubrovnik's tourist season has this year stalled in response to COVID-19. Its visitors' reliance on charter air and cruise ships has proved inflexible. Yet, a little further up the coast, in Makarska and Omiš, the city centres are now full of families who drive to these places every year. Dubrovnik's offer is more once-in-a-lifetime, less loyalty. Unless, of course, it's the wines and not the walls that call you to Dubrovnik.

“It's inevitable that I'll find something new that I want to bring back with me,” Marc says of his impending trip. “Every visit is a voyage of discovery. This time, although I'll again be based around Dubrovnik, I'm determined to go to Slavonia to look at some Graševina and Cabernet Franc, which thrives in the terroir there.”

117334019_1581881358640259_7852019391357017174_n.jpg
Marc Hough with just one of his famous friends from the Manchester music scene. Bez, of the band Happy Mondays, is now a customer at Cork Of The North © Cork Of The North

“I wanted to start importing Croatia wines years ago but, for someone at my level, it was so difficult before Croatia became a full member of the EU. Tariffs were payable on the borders and if you wanted to move wines from south Dalmatia - Dubrovnik and the islands - you'd have to go through the border with Bosnia. I lost several whole shipments to the Bosnian police, who said my paperwork was incorrect (it wasn't). It's much better these days. But, there's still very little Croatian wine in the UK, even though the interest in Croatia wine is massive. There's a big demand from people who are really passionate about wine, but also people who come back from holiday, have enjoyed Croatian wine, go searching for it, and just can't find it.”

Cork Of The North varies its selection of fine wines throughout the year. At the moment, Marc stocks Kozlović Teran and Kozlović Malvasia from Istria and Septem Pontes Plavac Mali from Pelješac.

“For an independent like me, I buy an export pallet for each wine I want to bring back. That's 600 bottles of each wine.,” he says, “and as my own personal passion right now is for Graševina, I expect at least one of those to be filled with Slavonian wine on this trip.”

117434835_1210616649297557_7234038764604123432_n.jpg
Marc Hough on one of his Croatia wine buying excursions

Tuesday, 28 July 2020

VIDEO: Learn The History Of Quarantine From The City That Invented It – Dubrovnik

July 28, 2020 - The Pearl of the Adriatic is back open for business. Dubrovnik Tourist Board reflect on the recent quarantine by looking into a fascinating world first from the walled city.

Dubrovnik – the Peal of the Adriatic – is back open for business. Its charming alleyways and historic architecture are once again experiencing the footfall of visitors from all over the world. Sun shines down on the beach bars and marina, reflected in every direction by the gentle waves of its turquoise seas. And there's never been a better time to visit.

Like the rest of Croatia, the city was on lockdown for several months in response to COVID-19. Now, Dubrovnik has woken from its sleep. But, visitor numbers are smaller than ever. It's doubtful you'll ever get such a unique opportunity to calmly take in the air from the city walls or soak up the relaxed atmosphere on the limestone walkway of Stradun than in summer 2020.

Dubrovnik's reawakening has provided Dubrovnik Tourist Board the perfect opportunity to reflect on the recent lockdown and shed light on a small segment of the walled city's fascinating history. For this was not the first time Dubrovnik has closed its gates to visitors. This is the city where quarantine was invented.

This new video, filmed in the heart of the former independent city-state, offers an insight into the history of quarantine from the place that invented it. Quarantine was first implemented in 1377 as a drastic response to recurring rounds of the Black Death which devastated Dubrovnik's population numbers over the preceding three decades. As a major port of the Mediterranean, the city struggled more than most to keep the disease away. But, the radical plan worked and became the template for every subsequent action of quarantine.

Learn more by checking out the video, or better still, get yourself down to Dubrovnik this summer and find out all about the city for yourself.

Sunday, 31 May 2020

Dubrovnik-Neretva: Water Utility Infrastructure Project Contracts Signed

As Morski writes on the 30th of May, 2020, in Opuzen, contracts were signed for the development of water utility infrastructure in Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The contracts refer to projects in areas in the Neretva area, including Kula Norinska, Opuzen and Slivno, as well as Ston, the islands of Lopud and Mljet, and Gruda and Orebic, and the total value stands at a massive 158 million kuna without VAT.

The contracts were signed by the General Manager of Hrvatske vode (Croatian waters) Zoran Djurokovic with the directors of the utility companies of Dubrovnik and Opuzen and the municipalities of Kula Norinska, Ston, Slivno, Mljet, Konavle and Orebic.

Minister of Environmental Protection and Energy Tomislav Coric expressed his satisfaction with the fact that local self-government units from Dubrovnik-Neretva County were agile enough to prepare everything and thus enable the continuation of these important projects which will cover the Neretva area and beyond, extending even to the aforementioned southern Dalmatian islands.

Now, at a time when Croatia is far from in an enviable economic position as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and when the continuation of many previously planned investments has been called into question, these projects and those similar to them are very important, both due to the fact that in this way, construction operations will be launched, and also due to the fact that they're going in the direction of improving the living standards of our citizens. This is a difficult job and a job that takes time and will not end until all of our fellow citizens have a connection to the public supply system and the public drainage system, and I'm sure that we'll complete it successfully,'' said Coric.

Branko Bacic MP agreed with the fact that this is a long and extensive process, recalling the fact that fourteen years ago, Opuzen Mayor Ivo Mihaljevic spoke about the need to complete the wastewater treatment system. He thanked Minister Coric and the General Manager of Hrvatske vode, Zoran Djurokovic for the fact that these projects rely on the national component, ie the funds from Hrvatske vode, which should be especially valued in a situation where the Croatian economy is suffering the consequences caused by the coronavirus crisis.

''These projects are important for our municipalities and cities, they're important for water protection, for serious agriculture and for environmental protection, and that's why I'd like thank the Minister once again,'' said Bacic.

Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavic stated that this was another step forward in solving the problems in the Neretva and wider southern Dalmatian area and added that a lot was being done, pointing out as an example the important Donja Neretva project.

''The County, Hrvatske vode and the competent ministry have started the SU project of the irrigation of the lower Neretva; now we're going forward with the first phase and I'm convinced that this project, the total value of which is about 500 million kuna, will be realised in full and thus solve the problem of salinisation, and also conduct irrigation of the entire area. The projects for which contracts are being signed are extremely important for the entire county.

Zoran Djurokovic confirmed that extremely important and valuable projects are being implemented in Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the Neretva area, saying, among other things, that in the Neretva Valley, projects are currently being implemented in Opuzen, the mouth of the Neretva river, Komin… around 120 million kuna is being invested, and if we take into account the Metkovic and Ploce agglomeration and other projects within the county, we're talking about almost a billion kuna.

For more, follow our business page.

Thursday, 4 July 2019

6 Beaches in Dubrovnik-Neretva County Perform Poorly in Quality Test

As Morski writes on the 3rd of July, 2019, according to the Program for the determination of sea quality at the seaside beaches of Dubrovnik-Neretva County for 2019, the Public Health Institute of Dubrovnik-Neretva County performed its third regular sea survey on 118 beaches during the period from the 17th to the 26th of June, 2019.

On 117 of Dubrovnik-Neretva County's beaches, the sea water corresponded to the requirements of the bathing water quality regulation (OG 73/08). However, during the third test, taken on June the 26th, 2019, pollution in the sea at Srebreno beach in Župa dubrovačka (Parish of Dubrovnik) was unfortunately found.

At Srebreno beach, located in Župa dubrovačka, additional samples of the sea water were taken on the 27th and the 28th of June, 2019. The test results have indicated the presence of short-term pollution. Similar sampling shall be repeated within seven days of contamination to check to see if the aforementioned short term pollution on that beach has halted.

Of the other 117 beaches in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the sea at as many as 111 beaches has been rated as sea water of ​​outstanding quality. The sea water on the beaches of the Libertas Rixos Hotel in Dubrovnik, VK Cavtat in Konavle, Mlini in Župa dubrovačka and Uvala Luka in Trpanj was of good quality, while the sea water at the beaches of Šulić and Danče in the City of Dubrovnik was rated with a mere satisfactory rating.

Additional sea water sampling was carried out on the beaches of the island of Lokrum, White Rocks (Bijele Stijene), Danče, Lozica and at the beach belonging to Hotel Rixos Libertas in Dubrovnik. This process was carried out during the period from the 17th to the 22nd of June, 2019. All of the above mentioned beaches were of excellent quality.

For those who can read Croatian, more detailed information is available to the public on the website of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy, and the Public Health Institute of Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If it's just Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow, or check out Dubrovnik in a Page.

Friday, 7 June 2019

Dubrovnik-Neretva County to Get Emergency Helicopter Service Again

As Morski writes on the 6th of June, 2019, Dubrovnik-Neretva County prefect Nikola Dobroslavić has signed an agreement on the use of an emergency helicopter medical service in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, one of Croatia's most popular tourist regions, with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Health.

The helicopter will be in operation in Croatia's southernmost county from the period of June the 15th to September the 17th, 2019.

The presence of an emergency helicopter medical service down in Dubrovnik-Neretva County was initially established via an agreement between the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Health and Dubrovnik-Neretva County back in May 2017 after a successful pilot project was undertaken during the summer season of 2016.

The cooperation agreement covers the transport of life-threatening, injured or very sick people in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County area to hospital, enabling the swift and proper delivery of emergency helicopter medical care to all urgent patients on remote islands and areas of this southern Dalmatian county which are inaccessible by road during the summer tourist season.

The establishment of an emergency helicopter medical service in Dubrovnik-Neretva County marks a major step forward for the safety and preservation of the health of all residents and visitors to the county.

The program is thus implemented for the fourth consecutive year, and the justification of the service's presence in the area lies in the fact that last year alone, the helicopter took part in as many as 150 emergency interventions.

Prefect Nikola Dobroslavić thanked the Government of the Republic of Croatia for understanding the mildly awkward geographic position of Croatia's southernmost county, which is extremely popular among tourists from all over the world, but stressed the fact that his overall goal in regard to the emergency helicopter remains to be that it stays in operation in the county throughout the year, and not only during the summer season.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more. If it's just Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow or check out Dubrovnik in a Page.

Wednesday, 29 May 2019

New Dubrovnik Area Project to Connect Lokrum and Trsteno Arboretum

The City of Dubrovnik, the wider area of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and southern Dalmatia as a whole has a lot to offer when it comes not only UNESCO heritage, culture and history, but in terms of nature, too. From the beautiful island of Lokrum to Trsteno Arboretum, there's a lot to see and much better connections to be had.

As Morski writes on the 29th of May, 2019, the "Historical Gardens of the Dubrovnik Region" project was presented at Dubrovnik's City Hall during a press conference. The aim is to contribute to socio-economic development and raise awareness of the importance of protecting the natural heritage and the environment of this southern Dalmatian county.

The three-year project, worth 15.5 million kuna, initially began on the 1st of December 2018 and was co-financed with funds from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of seventy percent, as was emphasised by Ivica Grilec of the Lokrum Reserve. He also announced a series of project activities.

The aim is to create a new tourist product based on two scenic natural heritage sites - The Trsteno Arboretum (Trsteno) and the much loved Botanical Garden located on the island of Lokrum, which lies just off the coast of the City of Dubrovnik.

''We'll establish a new line between these two locations with a new ship with a capacity of fifty passengers at a value of 2.2 million kuna to increase the number of visitors to the Arboretum,'' added Grilec.

Zrinka Raguž of the UO for European Funds and International Cooperation emphasised the value of the announced activities in the context of Dubrovnik's city project "Respect the City".

''This city administration has proven its orientation towards the use of European funds, which has spread to our institutions. I'm delighted with the fact that the Lokrum Reserve is involved in this and that this project will lean on the city project Respect the City, because it will enable us to disperse our tourist offer. I believe that the realisation [of this project] will be successful for the benefit of the local population, as well as the numerous guests who visit our city,'' stressed Raguž.

Trsteno Arboretum's director Ivan Šimić, emphasised the fact that linking these two historical areas of the wider Dubrovnik area is extremely important for increasing the number of visitors to the arboretum. The project's activities set out the establishment of a thematic and educational trail through the historic arboretum's olive grove among other things.

Romana Vlašić of Dubrovnik's tourist board explained the role of the tourst board in the project through the design of three tourist packages to be offered to travel agencies, which will include all of the project activities.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for much more. If it's just Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow or check out Dubrovnik in a Page.

Thursday, 16 May 2019

Construction of Luxury Aman Resort in Cavtat Beginning This Year

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 15th of May, 2019, the saga with the former Cavtat ''Macedonia'' hotel could well have a happy end, Večernji list reports.

The story dates back to the year 2013 when a group of investors announced that the currently abandoned and devastated site will the luxury Aman resort built there. Things were of course rather complicated, which isn't remotely unusual, and in the meantime the ownership structure of the investor's company has changed, but the key player, Greek entrepreneur Petros Stathis, didn't think for even one moment to walk away from the planned and desired Cavtat investment.

Passionate about business and temperamental like any real Greek, he is the owner of several Aman hotels and resorts groups, including Aman Sveti Stefan in neighbouring Montenegro and over in Venice. Business wise, he's mostly focused on the Balkan region. He is active in both banking and real estate world and was even the director of the famous Athenian Football Club AEK.

Unlike many before him, the industrious Petros Stathis refused to give up on Croatia, and at the end of last year, in Croatia's southernmost town in the extreme south of Dalmatia, he intensified his efforts to finally get the project of Cavtat's Aman resort off the ground. Otherwise, Aman is a chain of luxury hotels in 34 locations in as many as 21 countries, and the first resort under that name was opened back in 1988 in Phuket.

Such resorts usually have only fifty rooms, and each guest is matched by four employees on average. In an interview with Vecernji list, Petros Stathis revealed that things really are finally getting going, being ''raised from the dead'' as it were, and that such a resort in Croatia, more precisely in Cavtat, is no longer just fiction.

Soon, you're coming to Croatia, does this mean that the Aman project in Cavtat is definitely going ahead?

I can say with pleasure, that the short answer to your question is yes!

I'm thrilled to be able to say that we've made progress and we expect the machines to return to their location at the end of this year. Otherwise, it was never the case whether or not the Aman Cavtat project would be realised or not, but as I mentioned before, we had a complicated beginning and we had to overcome many obstacles.

It's great, of course, to return to Croatia, but this project, believe me, is more than me. This is also about Croatia and our partners and people from this community. Our focus has always been on the future and the realisation of the resort in Cavtat so that the country could further profit through the Aman project, just how other countries have benefited from it. Whenever we start these types of projects, we want to complete it according to the plan, but it's rare that all factors are in our full control.

A project of such magnitude requires coordination and cooperation. We made a huge effort and we were lucky that we had positive support from many sides. Soon it will be six years ago since the construction of the luxury Aman resort at the location of the former Macedonia hotel in Cavtat was first announced, the first machines even arrived at the construction site, but soon after that it all stopped.

What made everything slow down over the last few years?

It's no secret that this project has a complex history. Since taking ownership of the site, we have been working hard and working with all involved parties to resume construction.

Why is Croatia interesting for you to invest in and is it easier to invest in Montenegro, for example?

As an international company, we always look globally.

Each country has a different approach to investment and development. I personally love your beautiful country and its people. I have strong family ties in Croatia and I've spent many happy moments here. Croatia is a wonderful country, rich in history, with beautiful nature and positive people with a positive business attitude that reaches international business boundaries. But the potential offered by Cavtat is the most attractive part of this story.

This is a great opportunity for us and will have a major role in current investments in Croatia. Our goal for Croatia is the same as for any other country in which we've built and invested, which is to create the best we can and leave a lasting, positive legacy of which the country can be proud. The goal of this project is to build the most beautiful resort in Croatia, in keeping with the environment and local infrastructure.

This opportunity is huge and we hope to act as a catalyst for further internal development in Croatia, now and also in the future. It's incredible when you think that more foreign tourists visit Croatia than, for example, Australia. And this is almost double the annual level. Tourism makes up more than 12 percent of Croatian GDP, and this money goes to local wages, through the construction of hotels and other related projects.

This country has a talented, entrepreneurial workforce. Half of the population speak English, but Italian and German are also spoken. And just look at the innovations you're responsible for! Everything, from chemical pencils to parachutes, bulbs, MP3 code, all created by Croats. It's time for Croatia to become more significant on the world stage, and we want to play a key role in that story.

What is the value of the investment in Cavtat and when will the new hotel be completed?

This is a huge 50 million euro project that will build the best of the best in Cavtat. This is our approach to building every resort. To provide the best. We wouldn't even launch the project if we couldn't achieve the best possible. This isn't just a hotel. This is an investment in the development and the future of Cavtat, through which we'll support local development, jobs and employment. We'll start with the works at the end of this year, and later on we'll inform you about our opening plan.

How will the Aman resort in Cavtat look and what will it offer to its guests?

Personally, I can hardly wait to see how it will look once when it's done. This is a new level of design and unification with the landscape, and local, natural materials will be used. If you look at any other Aman resort we've built, including the ones in Montenegro in Sveti Stefan, you'll get a very good idea of ​​what Aman Cavtat will be like.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more on investment and doing business in Croatia.

Thursday, 2 May 2019

Balkan Pond Turtle Discovered Along Dubrovnik's River Ombla

As Morski writes on the 2nd of May, 2019, after a Balkan pond turtle (Mauremys rivulata) was found along Dubrovnik's Ombla river last year, the news was picked up by the expert public.

Zvonimir Pandža from Rijeka Dubrovačka (Dubrovnik River) found the turtle, and owing to his discovery, he confirmed concretely that the species is in actual fact not extinct in the Ombla river, which was the overall consensus until now. According to locals who live along the Ombla, Balkan pond turtles were a relatively common sight up until the Homeland War broke out. After the war ended, different interventions had been taking place in its natural habitat, which is why the turtles had unfortunately been brought to the brink of extinction over just a few years.

The next important step was to conduct a survey to determine whether or not there were still any individual Balkan pond turtles living in and along Dubrovnik's Ombla river. This research and evaluation was financed by Dubrovnik-Neretva County and was carried out by the Hyla Association in coordination with the Public Institution for Management of Protected Areas of Nature of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The first survey results, carried out in April 2019, are above all expectations, as they proved that two more river turtle species have been found living along Dubrovnik's Ombla river. There is now a realistic possibility that there is still a small population of Balkan pond turtles living permanently at that location.

The study also includes other animal groups that inhabit this more quiet and rural area of Dubrovnik, with the aim of collecting data on the remaining natural values ​​of this protected area. We are witnessing the increasing urbanisation of the surrounding area of ​​Dubrovnik, and with the proper care and adequate spacial planning, there is still a good possibility of preserving its natural world and its native species, including the river and pond turtles.

The deaths of established populations of creatures such as Balkan pond turtle along the Ombla river is a perfect example of how nature and its species can disappear almost entirely in just a few years if proper spacial planning is not taken into account. The decision now lies solely with us - Do we want to preserve the natural world and its animals of the areas in which we live?

Dubrovnik-Neretva County is the only area in the whole of the Republic of Croatia where both types of freshwater turtles (Balkan pond turtles and European river turtles) can be found. Both species are strictly protected, and the river turtle holds the unfortunate status of an endangered species.

The largest population of such river turtles lives in Konavle, the southernmost municipality of Croatia which borders Montenegro, and a population of them appears stable in the village of Majkovi. In Stonsko Polje, Dubrovnik's Ombla River and the delta of the Neretva River, such turtles unfortunately find themselves on the verge of extinction, and it is still not clear whether or not there is a population near Lumbarda at all.

The main threats to the survival of river and pond turtles are the expansion of construction zones into their habitat and the deliberate release of foreign, invasive types of turtles that are frequently kept as pets.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If it's just Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow or check out Dubrovnik in a Page.

Page 2 of 28

Search