April 26, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as new Croatia Airlines flights from Split and Dubrovnik were introduced, and many lines have been increased from May. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Croatia Airlines announced the planned flight schedule for May. In addition to 13 international routes from Zagreb Airport, the company will operate 5 international routes from Split and one route from Dubrovnik Airport.

13 lines from Zagreb Airport

In May, Croatia Airlines continues to operate regular international traffic to 13 European destinations. Daily flights to Amsterdam continue, as well as more daily flights to Frankfurt.

The company will continue to operate to the following destinations, with several operations planned from mid-May:

Munich - from 20 May twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays,

Vienna - from 17 May three times a week, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sundays,

Brussels - from 17 May three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays,

Dublin - from 27 May twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays,

Copenhagen - from 10 May four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

London - from 7 May twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays,

Paris - from 2 May three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays,

Rome - from 2 May four times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Sarajevo - from May 11 four times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Skopje - from 17 May three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays,

Zurich - daily from 17 May.

More international lines from Split Airport

In addition to the existing international routes to Rome, Frankfurt, and Munich, Croatia Airlines will resume operations on three more seasonal routes to the following destinations at the end of May:

Vienna - Saturday 22 May,

London - from 29 May, Saturday. From June, additional flights on Fridays and Mondays,

Zurich - from May 22, Saturday.

Croatia Airlines will operate on the existing three routes according to the following schedule:

Rome - from 2 May four times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays,

Frankfurt - three times a week, on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, daily from the end of May,

Munich - from 14 May four times a week, on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Dubrovnik - Frankfurt line reintroduced
In the second half of May, from Friday, 21 May, Croatia Airlines will again operate on a regular international route between Dubrovnik Airport and Frankfurt. By the end of May, two flights a week have been announced, on Fridays and Sundays. 

Croatia Airlines' flight schedule for May looks far better than in previous months. There will be an increase in the number of weekly frequencies on almost all routes, and the introduction of three more routes to Split Airport and regular flights on the line between Dublin and Zagreb should be especially emphasized.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

April 26, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Austrian Airlines flights to Split and Dubrovnik will finally operate after a series of delays! 

Croatian Aviation reports that Austrian Airlines will soon resume traffic on regular flights from Vienna to Dubrovnik Airport and Split Airport! Although the company has been planning regular routes to these two destinations since the beginning of April, this did not happen due to passenger restrictions, low bookings, and the epidemiological situation. At the end of March, the company resumed traffic on the line from Vienna to Zagreb and will now resume traffic to two destinations on the coast.

The Vienna-Split-Vienna route will operate from Friday, April 30, with three flights every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. E190 aircraft are planned on the route, but in case of higher demand, the company will increase its capacity by replacing the aircraft with a fleet from the A320 family. In the peak of the summer season, Austrian plans to operate daily between Vienna and Split.

Only a few days later, the Vienna-Dubrovnik-Vienna line will be in traffic again. Two flights a week have been announced; from May 2, every Friday and Sunday, and from May 12, there should be an increase in the number of weekly operations. Lufthansa and Iberia have already resumed traffic to Dubrovnik; as was announced earlier, Spanish Vueling will soon do the same. At the beginning of May, Polish LOT planes will land at Dubrovnik Airport again.

In addition to Zagreb, Dubrovnik, and Split, Austrian Airlines also operates to Zadar Airport. The flight from Vienna to Zadar is currently postponed to May 13, and two flights a week are available for booking from that date. Austrian plans to gradually increase the number of weekly flights between Vienna and Zadar, and A319 aircraft have been announced on the route.

At the beginning of May, Austrian will operate between Zagreb and Vienna four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

April 24, 2021 - Dubrovnik's 10 digital nomads are in residence. Meet them all in their one-minute application video. 

The eagles have landed. 

Organising an international competition to help Dubrovnik establish its digital nomad identity was always going to be a challenge in the current environment, but the initial challenges have been overcome. Last-minute accommodation changes, re-routed flights and a tightening of measures have certainly not helped, but the 10 winners of the Digital Nomads-in-Residence programme are now in residence in Dubrovnik, ready to start their innovative programme of collaboration with the city, tourist board, and local community to help improve Dubrovnik's strategy to meet the remote work opportunity. 

The journeys of some of the ten winners have been longer than others. You can meet them all in this collection of their one-minute application videos below. 

Kelsey Kay Love from Texas, flying in from Los Angeles.

Kelsey Kay Love, USA, is the brand manager for SelvaRey Rum, a luxury alcoholic beverage brand. She has worked as a freelance travel writer for a number of travel websites and tourism service providers in Maui and Australia. Kelsey is from Texas and currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Ron Tardiff from USA driving from Budapest.

Ron Tardiff, USA, is a scientist whose work is related to ecology and marine protection. He has studied marine sciences, maritime affairs, aquaculture and sustainable blue growth in seven institutions around the world. Ron conducted research, developed a strategy, managed projects and initiatives for 11 organizations with the aim of promoting a sustainable blue economy and maritime issues at the highest levels of government

Carolyn Zelikow from USA, on the ferry and bus from Stari Grad on Hvar.

Carolyn Zelikow, USA, currently works from Hvar for the American digital agency Storyware. Carolyn came to Croatia after graduating from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, and was a special deputy executive vice president for institutional advancement at the Aspen Institute.

Rob Schubert from the Netherlands, flying in from Estonia.

Rob Schubert, the Netherlands, is currently based in Estonia, where he runs his business as CEO and co-founder of an eHealth startup aimed at advancing in the diagnosis of autism. The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) awarded the business as the most efficient health startup in 2020.

Alyssa Isogawa from USA/Japan, flying in from Los Angeles.

Alyssa Isogawa, Japan / USA, is an entrepreneur who started a business for e-commerce Deep End a few years ago, which today she can run from anywhere in the world. She grew up swimming and playing water polo, which is why she especially loves Croatia.

Marlee McCormick from USA, flying in from Texas.

Marlee McCormick, USA, has been working in radio for 22 years and has hosted the KB & Marlee Morning Show on a Country music station in Fort Worth, Texas for the past three years. She has worked for award-winning news radio in Dallas.

Charlie Brown from the UK, on the bus from Zagreb.

Charlie Brown, UK, writes about wines, travel, food, entrepreneurship and finance for medium.com, UK wine magazines and other clients. In October 2020, she sold her wine shop outside of London, and after the sale she decided to live the life of a digital nomad.

Kaisu Koskela from Finland, flying in from Tenerife.

Kaisu Koskela, Finland, works as an independent scientist in academic research, including for the European Commission, and the topic of her doctoral dissertation is highly qualified people (skilled migrants) who change their place of residence. Kaisu has been working as a digital nomad in various countries for several years.

Albert Cañigueral from Spain, flying in from Barcelona.

Albert Canigueral, Spain, is a future of work expert and author. He is currently directing a documentary on the future of employment and the future of cities. One of the 12 chapters of his documentary will be dedicated to digital nomads. It also deals with the impact of high technology on society.

Zoltan Nagy from Hungary, driving from Tenerife via Budapest. 

Zoltan Nagy, Hungary, is in photo and video production with an emphasis on travel-related topics. He built his own brand called Zolixplorer. He runs a YouTube channel in Hungarian. He is an ambassador for Olympus and Manfrotto in Hungary and runs an online photography school

You can read more in the official press release from the city of Dubrovnik here. 

As an official project partner, TCN will be following the 10 nomads over the next 4 weeks and reporting on progress. 

You can learn more about the programme here. 

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

April 23, 2021 - Südwestrundfunk, or SWR, is one of Germany’s most-watched television public networks, and its crew is currently working on a Dubrovnik show.

The Dubrovnik Tourist Board reports that the camera crew of the German television SWR, which has about 14 million viewers and is part of the large ARD TV system, will be in Dubrovnik from April 20 to 24. During their four-day stay, a three-member team of national television is recording a Dubrovnik show on the topic of the future of tourism.

In an interview with SWR, the director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board Ana Hrnić spoke about various topics, from the situation before and during the pandemic, the cruising industry, tourism workers, guides, Respect the City projects, the Digital Nomads in Residence, Safe stay in Croatia, and the future the concept of tourism in Dubrovnik. Ana Hrnić pointed out that a difficult and challenging year is behind us, but despite that, now is the opportunity to turn in the direction of developing sustainable tourism.

Credits: Dubrovnik Tourist Board

Accompanied by a German-language guide, Gabriela Lučić, a German TV crew in Dubrovnik filmed conversations with several Dubrovnik residents about how the pandemic had changed the world and had an impact on their lives and work: from guides, restaurant owners, craftsmen, farmers, and private renters.

The German market is one of the most important emitting markets in Dubrovnik. In previous years, German tourists were in third place on the top list of the most numerous guests in Dubrovnik. In 2019, 111,446 German tourists stayed in Dubrovnik, with 294,661 overnight stays.

If you want to know more about the things to do and see in the ''Pearl of the Adriatic'' in 2021, visit Total Croatia's Dubrovnik in a page HERE.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

April 23, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Vueling flights to Split and Dubrovnik will operate from Barcelona next month.

Croatian Aviation reports that the well-known Spanish low-cost airline Vueling will reconnect Croatia with the capital of Catalonia - Barcelona, from the beginning of next month.

Vueling has confirmed the reintroduction of regular international routes from Barcelona to two Croatian airports - Dubrovnik and Split.

In the first days of May, this airline will resume regular flights to Dubrovnik Airport and Split Airport from its main base - Barcelona.

The Barcelona - Dubrovnik - Barcelona line will be in operation from May 2, once a week, every Sunday. As early as May 13, the company will add a second weekly flight on Thursdays. The company plans to significantly increase the traffic on this line at the beginning of June and operate 5 times a week between Dubrovnik and Barcelona. Vueling is the only company operating on this line and has no direct competition.

The second Vueling line to Dubrovnik, the one from Rome, has been postponed until June 1. 

In addition to the line to Barcelona, Dubrovnik is currently the only Croatian airport connected by a regular line with Madrid. Namely, the Spanish Iberia resumed traffic on this route in the first days of the summer flight schedule, with one flight per week. From May 2, Iberia will operate twice a week between Madrid and Dubrovnik on Fridays and Sundays.

Vueling will also return to Split in May. The Barcelona - Split - Barcelona line has been announced from May 1, once a week throughout the following month, every Saturday. Five weekly flights are planned for June, but the company will likely reduce the number of operations following the demand.

Vueling also runs to Split and Rome. This line is also currently postponed to early June.

In addition to Split and Dubrovnik, Vueling normally operates to Zagreb and Zadar, but these lines have not been announced for May. More specifically, the line from Rome to Zadar has been announced for July, while the line between Barcelona and Zagreb is currently planned for June 19. Given that there is a high probability that Croatia Airlines will not operate between Zagreb and Barcelona this summer season, Vueling will be the only airline to offer direct flights between the two cities. In the last crisis year, Vueling operated on this route, but reduced and significantly shorter than under normal circumstances.

The Spanish low-cost airline will operate 13 return flights to Croatia in May and offer just over 4,600 seats between Barcelona, Split, and Dubrovnik.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

April 22, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as British Airways flights to Dubrovnik resume mid-May, frequencies to Split have been increased, and the return to Zagreb Airport is further delayed. 

Croatian Aviation reports that British national airline British Airways has made changes to its summer flight schedule. It has further delayed its return to Zagreb but has increased the planned number of operations to Split Airport.

British Airways has not operated to Zagreb Airport since January this year. The company suspended all flights on this route after the UK strain of the virus appeared and a ban on commercial flights from this country was briefly introduced. After that, traffic to Zagreb was not renewed. Although companies are gradually returning to Zagreb Airport (Lufthansa, LOT, Austrian, etc.), British Airways has not yet done so, and it is obvious that it will not soon. Namely, the company canceled all flights until June 21 and currently plans to operate between Zagreb and London again from that date.

Currently, 11 flights per week are available for booking from the end of June, with a daily departure from Zagreb after 1 pm. A second daily flight will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in the evening.

Given that British plans to return to Zagreb at the end of June, the realization of flights should not be in question, but the number of weekly flights certainly is. There is no doubt that the company will cancel certain flights and fly significantly fewer times a week compared to what is available today for booking on the airline’s website.

The first flight between London and Split has been announced for the end of May (May 28), and in the second half of June, there will be a significant increase in weekly frequencies (up to 5 flights per week). Additionally, from the same date, the company will operate on London City - Split line!

This carrier offers as many as 11 flights a week to Split, 8 weekly flights from Heathrow Airport, and an additional 3 flights a week from London City from the end of June.

The London Heathrow - Dubrovnik Airport - London Heathrow line should start operating first, in mid-May. From May 17, three flights are available a week, on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays, and a month later (from mid-June), British plans to operate on this line as many as 10 times a week. Traditionally, Dubrovnik is the most popular destination for British tourists in Croatia, and after the outbreak of the pandemic, all operations to Dubrovnik were transferred from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow.

Pula Airport should also have two flights a week. The London - Pula Airport - London line will be in traffic from June 22, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Due to the global pandemic, British Airways renewed this line only in August last year and suspended it already in September, so Heathrow and Pula will be connected for a longer period this year. 

In total, British Airways will offer as many as 34 flights a week between London and Croatian airports in the peak of the summer season this year.

If we consider that other airlines (WizzAir, Ryanair, EasyJet, Croatia Airlines, Jet2.com, TUI,…) will operate between Croatian and London airports, the number of available seats on the market will certainly be more than enough. The demand of British tourists for Croatia will again be crucial for airlines' survival between these destinations.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

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

ZAGREB, 19 April, 2021 - A demonstration exercise was held at the Dubrovnik General Hospital helipad on the occasion of the beginning of the year-round helicopter emergency medical service in the southernmost Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

"Without this service, it would be impossible for a patient to reach a medical institution in Dubrovnik or Split within 60 minutes, where they can be given adequate medical help to save their life. The service will operate throughout the year. Residents of our county will now have the same conditions as other Croatian and EU citizens," said county head Nikola Dobroslavić.

He noted that under a long-term government programme, the service should be based in Opuzen, however, technical conditions for it had still not been created.

"A helidrome and accompanying facilities need to be built. For the time being, the service will be based at Dubrovnik Airport," he said.

The head of the Croatian Institute for Emergency Medicine, Maja Grba-Bujević, said that over the past five years it had become evident that the helicopter emergency medical service needs to operate throughout the year and not just during the summer tourist season.

She said that with helicopter emergency medical service bases on the island of Krk, at Divulje near Split, and at Dubrovnik, the entire country was now covered with that service.

By the end of the year, 24 doctors and 28 nurses will be involved in the helicopter emergency medical service project and they will work in weekly shifts, she said.

The project in Dubrovnik-Neretva County is financed by the ministries of the interior and health and the county authorities.

For more news from Croatia, follow our dedicated page.

April 19, 2021 - Three-course meals for 80 kuna and cocktails at 35 kuna, served with impeccable service... in Dubrovnik?!? Meet Akademis "Academia". 

I had one of the most unusual - and certainly one of the most pleasant - hotel stays of all my time in Croatia down in Dubrovnik last week. When I say hotel, I am not sure if that is the right word, for it was located on a student campus, but with very high-quality service. It was spotlessly clean and - at 300 kuna for my ensuite room - very reasonably priced. 

But that was before I saw the menu. A three-course (and very delicious) meal for just 80 kuna, with cocktails an unbelievable  35 kuna.  Were we really in Dubrovnik, known to be the most expensive city in Croatia?

The place had only recently opened and, as I couldn't find much information about Akademis  "Academia" online, I decided to share my find on Facebook. 

I was shocked at the response. Locals claiming it was only for students, not for guests. That it was only cheap as all the food was subsidised.

Over the three days I was there, I fell in love with the place (maybe too many of those 35-kuna cocktails...) and the very attentive staff. And the more I spoke to the staff and the more I read the comments online, the more I realised there was a disconnect between the perception of local people and the reality of Akademis "Academia." I thought it was fabulous, as well as being outstanding value, including free parking. Which is a tough thing to find in Dubrovnik. 

Given the gap in perception and reality, I thought it would be an interesting interview. And so I emailed my questions, which were answered as follows by director Marko Potrebica: 

I don't think I have ever come across such a fantastic project as Akademis that is so misunderstood by the local population. Can you firstly introduce the project?

First of all, thank you for praising our project. The vast majority of our fellow citizens also support the project, but it's also true that in these times of crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, some of our fellow citizens who are engaged in tourism have had certain objections to our business story. I'm convinced that this dissatisfaction stems from insufficient information, so, as such, thank you for the opportunity to share our vision. Akademis "Academia" is the first academy in the Republic of Croatia, and it's located within the Student Dormitory Complex in Dubrovnik. Akademis is a catering facility that works throughout the year and offers accommodation, food and beverage services with the aim of the professional training of our students and those studying tourism and hospitality.

Students in the City of Dubrovnik have been facing the same problem for years - a lack of accommodation. So, they'd mostly be housed in expensive private apartments. At the time of the massive development of tourism in Dubrovnik, it was common for private accommodation owners to cancel their contracts with students before the end of the academic year, as early as May the 1st and not offer them any form of other accommodation before the end of October. The number of incoming students in Dubrovnik has been declining from year to year because of these reasons. The second problem lay with student meals because due to the low price of the student menu (23.10 kuna with VAT) private restaurants didn't see business interest in offering student meals.

The student dormitory in Dubrovnik was built with the aim of providing quality and affordable student accommodation (850 kuna per month with all utilities included) and meals at a mere 7 kuna, with a state subsidy costing 23.10 kuna with VAT for a complete menu of soups, main dishes, side dishes and desserts.

Our primary goal is to accommodate all students in the City of Dubrovnik who are looking for accommodation. The moment we accommodate all the students who have requested accommodation, the dormitory can start doing commercial work - with free capacities. This is where the story of Akademis and the development and strengthening of the branch of scientific and educational tourism begins with the positioning of Dubrovnik on the international map of cities for the organisation of scientific and educational conferences. In Dubrovnik, the IUC successfully deals with this business only with a much smaller accommodation capacity. Through joint efforts, we believe that Akademis will bring new value to the project of Dubrovnik as an international university centre.

"Academia" offers a top service with the goal of professional training. Although our target group is primarily the academic community, Akademis will also host commercial guests who express interest in coming to our facility. We believe that the provision of commercial services is a realistic example on which students can best learn the business of reception, sales, cuisine, restaurants and the like. The service offered corresponds to the categorisation of 3-star hotels and our leading staff consists mainly of professionals who have gained experience in Dubrovnik's 5-star hotels. I'm convinced that our students can learn a lot from them. Akademis "Academia" offers double rooms, each of which has a private bathroom, a congress hall, restaurant and catering services, a garage, a gym, a self-service restaurant and smaller reading rooms and classrooms. It's actually a perfect combination of academic and educational development in synergy with the hospitality industry.

How was it financed, and who is running it?

It's run by Student Centre Dubrovnik, which is an institution owned by the University of Dubrovnik and operates with the aim of taking care of the student standard (employment, accommodation, food and other activities). The project itself, worth around 220 million kuna in total, was co-financed by the European Union from the EU Structural and Investment Fund in the amount of 150,900 million kuna and the Ministry of Science and Education with 15 million kuna, Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the City of Dubrovnik with 30 million kuna, as well as the University of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Student Centre itself with 20 million kuna.

There are lots of rumors that the prices are so good because everything is subsidised, and the Dubrovnik taxpayer is paying for this. What's the actual story?

These are false rumors going around from those who, according to the old Croatian custom, criticise things and have no idea what they're actually talking about. I'm glad that there are criticisms because they're proof of our quality and confirmation of the vision we had when launching this project. When designing the project, our role models were Western European universities, but also other Croatian universities where commercial business is common.

The Student Centre Dubrovnik doesn't have a single kuna of direct subsidy for its business.

The state set non-economic meal prices and suggested non-economic accommodation prices. When the income we generate in doing business with students is added up, a serious financial hole in business arises. As our primary goal is to take care of the students, we compensate for the lack of financial resources from student services (employment commission) and commercial work that's allowed on the basis of the project co-financing agreement by the EU.

The entire business is financed by the Student Centre itself - without subsidies from the City of Dubrovnik or from the state. In short, the City of Dubrovnik has nothing to do with the Student Centre, nor does it manage or subsidise any of our work. So, the story of how Akademis is unfair to competition because “it doesn’t pay taxes, the state pays for their losses” is simply not true.

Akademis operates commercially in accordance with all of the laws of the Republic of Croatia (it's subject to VAT for commercial operations, etc.) - just like any company and/or entrepreneur in Croatia. In addition, Student Centre Dubrovnik pays its employees exclusively from its own income, as it does with all other costs.

The Student Service offers subsidised meals to students. What's the situation in Akademis?

The student meals are co-financed in such a way that students pay 7 kuna per menu (which includes a main course, soup, salad and cake), and the Ministry of Science pays the rest of the price, ie 16.10 kuna. In short, the student is the holder of the subsidy, if they don't consume the meal then we have no subsidy. At this price, it's clear that in this business segment, we're realising a loss in business. Akademis doesn't receive grants from the state or the city. If you look at the history of all restaurants that, in addition to commercial business, were also engaged in feeding students in Dubrovnik, you can find information that all these restaurants very quickly gave up providing student services. The reason? - it's crystal clear; it just didn’t pay off for them.

For this very reason, Akademis can write a commercial story - we aren't at the expense of the state and we don't want to be in a situation in which that's the case. We simply want to be self-sustaining and offer a top-quality service. An example of this are our head chefs who have worked for many years in the best 5-star hotels in Dubrovnik. We can offer superior services - and most importantly - train new generations to be independent and able to provide superior services too.

Okay, let's talk food prices. I had two outstanding three-course dinners for 80 kuna. When I posted photos and details on Facebook, people were very skeptical. Is the price really not subsidised, and if not, how do you manage to do it all so cheaply?

Because the quality was outstanding. We're really glad that you were satisfied with the food and service. The food is really not co-financed. As mentioned above, all commercial work done by Akademis operates under the same conditions as all employers in Croatia. What you ate was a daily offer for our guests who use the accommodation services here. In addition, we offer delivery with the offered dishes of the day (at a cost of 35-50 kuna for the main course), but we also have a menu for our a-la carte restaurant (40-92 kuna per meal).

We're aware that we aren't located within the city walls, so we formed our prices according to that, but also according to the offer of competitive restaurants in the city. I’m glad you chose us, but you could eat at other places at similar prices here as well. We want to maintain a high standard of service at affordable prices to become a desirable destination for both local and foreign visitors.

Cocktails in Dubrovnik for 35 kuna?!? Seriously?

Seriously! As an institution, we procure the highest quality ingredients at reasonable prices through public procurement. On one hand, as said above, we're aware that we aren't located within the city walls, where the location raises the price. On the other hand, want to be available to the citizens of Dubrovnik and of Croatia. This doesn't mean that you'll come to Restaurant & Catering Academia and be able to consume everything at very low prices. If you look at our drink menu, you won’t notice any big differences when compared to other cafes in the area. Our original cocktail, Academia, is our marketing story that serves to attract people to us.

Tell us about your plans and pricing for the summer...

Our first target groups are members of the academic community and the students themselves. We monitor the state of prices on the market and we'll certainly not get into "price dumping" in our business segment - both in terms of accommodation and food. We always try to offer value for money. Our goal is to promote the City of Dubrovnik, which in addition to natural and cultural beauty, can also be very proud of its hospitality and its long traditions.

You can learn more about Akademis "Academia" on the official Facebook page.

To learn more about the city, visit the TC Dubrovnik in a Page.

April 18, 2021 - The 10 winners of the innovative Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence (DNiR) competition have been announced. Meet them one by one. Next up, Charlie Brown from the UK in Zagreb.

The DNiR programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic. 

My name is Charlie, I'm a freelance wine, travel, food, entrepreneurship and finance writer, after selling my British-based wine store and bar last year, as well as my house and pretty much everything I own for a permanent life on the road.

1. You are a DN-i-R winner. Congratulations! How do you feel?

Surprised, shocked and excited! It's one of those things; If you told me a year ago, I'd be winning a competition to live in Dubrovnik for a month, working on all things around digital nomadism, I'd have told you that you'd imbibed too much of my product and you needed to go home. 

2. How did you hear about the competition, and why did you decide to apply?

I saw it on a Facebook group. Since leaving the security of my old life, one of my aims was to say yes to as much as possible; I saw the competition and thought, that's the kind of thing I could say yes to! Croatia is such a great country, after all. And as a Brit, since Brexit, I've been forced to think differently about how I travel. To me, digital nomad visas are an incredible idea, that will help to open up the world as we slowly emerge from the pandemic. I love how forward thinking they are, and I want to be a part of it.

3. Which particular skills and ideas will you be bringing to the party?

Anything wine-related, of course. For nearly 10 years I've hardly thought about anything else, so if you want a wine tasting (or indeed, wine drinking) session, I'm your woman. And entrepreneurship advice, particularly around setting up small, ethical, sustainable businesses. Then there's writing, particularly in the travel, food and wine sphere.

I also have an encyclopedic knowledge about Eurovision of all things, and the competition is held during the month we're in Dubrovnik, so if you want to know how many times Croatia has entered in the last 10 years or some other random fact, hit me up!

4. What are you most looking forward to about DNIR?

Meeting new people and learning from them is surely number one. I love learning about how other people live, what they do, gaining new perspectives on life. I also think Dubrovnik's new focus toward sustainable tourism is very interesting and will open the city up to a whole new way of welcoming visitors, and I'm looking forward to being a small part of that. Finally, on a personal note, I'm super excited to learn about Dubrovnik and the surrounding areas. I've not visited in 13 years so it's not a part of Croatia I know very well and I'm excited to change that. 

5. Let's get you involved in the Dubrovnik community. Who or what would you like to connect with?

I believe that the best way to get to know a community is through its food and its alcohol. So wineries would be number one, local craft breweries number two but also any restaurants and bars that have a focus on wine and regional cooking. 

Here is Charlie's application video:

You can learn more about the programme here. 

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

The winner announcement video:

Other winners featured so far:

Albert Cañigueral in Barcelona

Marlee McCormick in Texas

Carolyn Zenilow from USA in Stari Grad, Hvar

Kelsey Kay Love from Texas in LA

Rob Schubert from the Netherlands in Estonia

Ron Tardiff from USA in Budapest

Zoltan Nagy from Hungary in Tenerife

Kaisu Koskela from Finland in Las Palmas

Alyssa Isogawa from USA/Japan in California

April 17, 2021 - The 10 winners of the innovative Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence (DNiR) competition have been announced. Meet them one by one. Next up, Zoltan Nagy, from Hungary and currently in Tenerife.

The DNiR programme, which has been designed by Saltwater Nomads, in partnership with Total Croatia News, the CIty of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board (and financed by the latter two), is an innovative direction for the Pearl of the Adriatic, as it looks to diversify its tourism strategy away from overtourism and in the wake of the pandemic. 

1. You are a DN-i-R winner. Congratulations! How do you feel?

I feel pretty lucky. Not only am I going to visit one of my favorite foreign countries, and go somewhere I haven't been to before, but in the meantime, I'm going to get to know some people with the same free-spirited mindset like myself. I'm looking forward to spending time together and I'm excited about the change/development this program will bring to my life.

2. How did you hear about the competition, and why did you decide to apply?

A friend asked me if I'd heard about this possibility. I've been planning two things for years. 1. Explore the southern part of Croatia. 2. Try co-living. I've been to co-working offices in a few places, but Co-Living is going to be a whole new experience.

I love Croatia very much! Crystal clear sea water, lovely local people, phenomenally good food and breathtaking historic towns always lure you back. I've been there many times, but I've never gotten this far south. My longest stay was in 2018, when I lived and worked online for 3 months in a small village called Karin near Zadar.

3. Which particular skills and ideas will you be bringing to the party?

First of all, I consider myself a photographer and a videographer. These are the topics I have the most to offer, I think. But I'm also good at online marketing, and I make websites for companies on a daily basis.

4. What are you must looking forward to about DNIR?

As I mentioned already, I'm looking forward to meeting like minded people. I really hope that we will learn many new and useful things from each other in the month we will spend together. I really like being in the company of people with similar thinking. During my travels, I met many inspiring people. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am right now.
I also hope to be able to take really good photos and videos of the area. I want to show as many Hungarians as possible that you don't have to travel to the other side of the world breathtaking sights of all these beautiful places. All you have to do is drive to the neighbouring country :)

5. Let's get you involved in the Dubrovnik community. Who or what would you like to connect with?

As my passion is photography, I would like to connect with local photographers, content creators.

Here is Zoltan's application video:

You can learn more about the programme here. 

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.

The winner announcement video:

Other winners featured so far:

Albert Cañigueral in Barcelona

Marlee McCormick in Texas

Carolyn Zenilow from USA in Stari Grad, Hvar

Kelsey Kay Love from Texas in LA

Rob Schubert from the Netherlands in Estonia

Ron Tardiff from USA in Budapest

Kaisu Koskela from Finland in Las Palmas

Alyssa Isogawa from USA/Japan in California