September 22, 2022 - If there were one event to visit in Dalmatia to understand its soul and experience everything it offers, we would choose Days in the Bay. Occurring every two years in Stari Grad on Hvar, this unique festival celebrates the sea and sailors, their boats, and all the tradition tied to life on the waves of turquoise. The celebrations include regattas, contests and competitions, concerts and games, traditional wear, food, and music. The weekend of Days in the Bay truly is full of life in every sense of the expression.

Organised by the Association for the Promotion of Croatian Maritime Heritage "Cronaves" from Split, the City of Stari Grad and the Tourist Board of Stari Grad, from September 22 to 25, 2022, the 4^th International Festival of Boats, Sea and Sailors, Days in the Bay will be held. The official press release was signed by Plamenko Bavčević, president of Cronaves and Antonio Škarpa, mayor of Stari Grad on the island Hvar, as reported by Slobodna Dalmacija.

Around 60 boats from Croatia are expected at the festival, organised by associations for the preservation of Croatian maritime heritage. Traditional boats will arrive from Rovinj, Pula, Mošćenička Draga, Opatija, Selce, Malinska, Krk, Mali Lošinj, Pašman, Drvenik, Prvić Šepurina, Betina, Murter, Jezera, Korčula, Vela Luka, Lovran, Opuzen, Komiža, Split, Vrboska and of the city of Hvar.

The Republic of Sloveniaespeciallyartner country and especially honoured guest of this year's Days in the Bay. Organised by the nautical journal and the E Morje portal, the Republic of Slovenia will be represented by the crews of five traditional ships with the support of the "Sergej Maser" Maritime Museum, the Faculty of Maritime Affairs and Transport, the Society of Old Boat Lovers from Piran, the Society of Old Boats from Izola and the Tourist Boards of Izola and Portorož.

Along with the daily promotional sailings of all participants, as announced by the organisers, there will also be a rowing regatta of the Komiža gundulas. At the same time, the youngest citizens of Stari Grad will try their hand at rowing.

One of the festival's attractions at sea will be the traditional rowing in which the female crew of the Neretva ship and the Slovenian cannon "Folega" will participate, equally alongside the male crew of the Croatian Navy boat.

In addition to a specially designed sailing program of a show and competition character, various exhibitions and lectures on the theme of Croatian maritime tradition will be held during this international festival, while cultural and entertainment programs strictly appropriate for this type of event will be held on the legendary Tvrdalj square.

The festival program will also hold a place for the delegations of Stari Grad's friend cities of Samobor and Rugvica. They will present their region's customs, local products and gastronomic delicacies to the festival visitors.

The festival program at sea ends on Saturday, September 24, 2022, with a big night parade, "Dance of Sails and Lights", with light effects and music, and on land with a concert by the ABBA real tribute band.

"We are pleased that Days in the Bay have been recognised not only by Stari Grad but also by the Split-Dalmatia County, the Croatian Tourist Association and the relevant ministries of the Republic of Croatia. We also highly appreciate the exceptional contribution and response to participation in the festival by all associations and shipowners from Istria to the south of Croatia because only together can we create a cultural event that will be recognised beyond Croatian borders," said Plamenko Bavčević, president of the Cronaves Association.

For the detailed program and to find accommodation on Hvar during the festival days, visit the Stari Grad Tourist Board's official website.

All photos courtesy of Dani u vali Facebook page.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.

September 12, 2022 - Last weekend, the most significant event dedicated to the promotion of forestry and the forestry profession, but also small entrepreneurship, crafts, and OPGs, as well as numerous associations, was held in Našice - the 22^nd Days of Slavonian Forests festival.

As Glas Slavonije writes, Našice celebrated the riches of the forest in full splendor with numerous festival events that were excellently prepared and organised this year by the City of Našice, the Našice Branch of Forest Administration, the Našice Branch of Matica Hrvatska and the Tourist Board of the City of Našice.

The most interesting and dynamic was on Saturday, when after the ceremonial opening in the park, a forest workers' competition, a shepherd's cooking competition, a crafts fair, and a fair of products and services of rural Slavonia were held.

The event was opened by the envoy of the Croatian Prime Minister and State Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy, Dragan Jelić, emphasising the importance of forests and forestry. #What should be emphasised is that forests are a huge natural resource. In our country, forests and forest land occupy 47 percent of the national land area, of which 78 percent is owned by the state, and 22 percent is owned by private forest owners. In addition to 8,000 people who work directly in Croatian forests, another 25,000 of them work in the wood industry", State Secretary Jelić pointed out.

The director of the Forestry Sector of Croatian Forests, Krešimir Žagar, also attended the event, pointing out that the backbone of the festival is the foresters' competition, which is extremely interesting for visitors, and that this year the best forest workers from six Slavonian forest administrations would compete and demonstrate their skills.

Dubravka Petric / Pixsell

Deputy Prefect Josip Miletić also spoke, who said that the Days of Slavonian Forests are the pride of the City of Našice and Slavonia.

"The festival has become a valuable event for the gathering of our citizens. It is not only important for the town of Našice, but for the whole of Slavonia" said Miletić, deputy prefect of Osijek-Baranja.

The mayor of Našice, Krešimir Kašuba, extended a warm welcome. "Našice is celebrating 793 years of its existence with a series of events, and the Days of Slavonian Forests festival is the central event. This event is extremely important for our city because it has an economic and promotional feature. The event promotes the heritage of our region, forestry, but it also has a cultural, sports, entertainment, and gastronomic character", said mayor Kašuba.

After the official opening, there was a competition of professional woodcutters from six Slavonian forest administrations - Nova Gradiška, Požega, Vinkovci, Osijek, Slatina, and Našice. Foresters competed in handling a chainsaw (turning the guide bar), felling a tree with a chainsaw, and felling a tree with an axe, while cutting with a two-handed saw was organised for the citizens. In the discipline of turning the guide bar, the fastest was Ante Zadro (UŠ Vinkovci), the second Mihael Dobenko (UŠ Nova Gradiška), and the third Đuro Korman (UŠ Požega). When it comes to felling a tree with a balloon saw, the best was Božidar Stipčević (UŠ Osijek), followed by Ivica Kovčević (UŠ Nova Gradiška), and third place went to Šime Beštek (UŠ Slatina). Marija Cingel (Orahovica Forestry) was the most successful in felling a tree, Miran Kiseljak (Donji Miholjac Forestry) won second place, and Josip Mihaljević (Đurđenovac Forestry) took third place.

Recognitions and awards were presented by the director of the Forestry Sector of Croatian Forests, Krešimir Žagar, the head of the Našice Forest Management Vlado Keglević, and the mayor Krešimir Žagar. As Vlado Keglević, head of UŠ Našice, said at the end, this is a joint festival of foresters and citizens who are an inseparable symbiosis of tradition, and that is priceless.

The director of the Našice Tourist Board, Ines Resler, also expressed her satisfaction with the attendance of the event, who said that at the festival, one could see a colorful range of products, along with essential socializing and fellowship.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

September 11, 2022 - Although the east of Croatia lives and breathes hedonism all year round, there is a moment every year when it shines really, really brightly. For the fourth year in a row, during the two-day festival of hedonism, the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board will offer to the world the best of Slavonia and Baranja in one place. On September 30 and October 1, HeadOnEast is taking place in Osijek!

As proclaimed by the County Tourist Board, Hedonism is in the east!

The three-day entertainment event, aptly named "HeadOnEast" or simply - Hedonist, invites all pleasure-seekers to head east. You will enjoy, as befits true hedonists, the best that Slavonija and Baranja have to offer.

Dubravka Petric / Pixsell

During those days, the old Fortress in Osijek amazes with numerous themed passages and streets, unique content and imaginative activities, along with the smells of the region's best gastronomic delicacies. All this rests on the presentation of the rich offer of Slavonia and Baranja - from well-known events to a diverse cultural offer. Discover how to live hedonism to the fullest and be inspired by the flavours, colours and beauty of this region.

Davor Javorovic / Pixsell

All clear! Hedonists, there is no surrender - except surrender to pleasure.

This year, it carries the "royal" title because the main program will take place in the parks of King Petar Krešimir IV and King Tomislav. In addition to the art of light, the mandatory parts of this year's HeadOnEast traditionally include other types of art, wine, beer and all kinds of gastronomic delicacies. An excellent music line-up will be in charge of spicing it all up. This year's list of hedonists includes Fluentes, Gelato Sisters, Z++, Massimo, Daleka Obala.

Davor Javorovic / Pixsell

Up to date information about the event and the program can be followed in detail at visitslavoniabaranja.com, Facebook page Visit Slavonija Baranja and Instagram profile visit.slavonija.baranja.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.

August 24, 2022 - The Biggest Croatian Fish Stew Day, Fishing Days, Wine Marathon, and World Fishing Championship. September in Baranja looks eventful. Over 15,000 visitors are expected.

As Glas Slavonije writes, since the beginning of the year, more than 13,000 tourists visited Baranja, accounting for approximately 23,000 overnight stays.

The results are significantly better than last year, reaching the level of the record 2019. A real tidal wave of arrivals and overnight stays is expected during September when several events will be held in Baranja that have recently become famous outside of the county borders.

“Judging by the announcements, we expect about 15,000 visitors at the September events alone, mostly domestic, but with a respectable number of foreign visitors as well”, said Matej Perkušić, director of the Baranja Tourist Board, stressing that this should be felt in the occupancy of accommodation capacities throughout Baranja, but also in Osijek and its surroundings. It all starts with the Biggest Croatian Fish Stew Festival, which will take place in Beli Manastir on September 3. It is a "two in one" competition - the Croatian Championship, for the winners of the Slavonia-Baranja competition, and the amateur championship, for everyone else. In total, more than 200 chefs are expected.

“About 70 amateur chefs have applied so far, and we expect the majority of applications a day or two before the deadline, which is in less than a week”, said Perkušić. Along with several interesting games, the bands TS Žeteoci and Magazin will be in charge of entertainment.

The middle of September is reserved for another established Baranja event, Fishing Days in Kopačevo. Ten thousand visitors were there last year, and as many are expected this year as well.

“Last year, because of the pandemic, we decided that Fishing Days would be a three-day event, and it turned out to be a complete success. Therefore, this year they will be held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (September 16 - 18)”, said Željko Cickaj, mayor of Bilje Municipality, pointing out that visitors can expect between four and five tons of fish, to which the "gastro programs" must be added, organised alongside with the central part. In addition to local delicacies, guests will also be able to enjoy a cultural and entertainment program. On Friday, after the official opening, the band Gazde will play, followed by TS Kvinta in the tent. Saturday is reserved for The Garden, klapa Rišpet, and TS Nesanica (in the tent), and on Sunday there will be a traditional fish stew cook-off, several traditional music, and dance ensembles, and TS Sitan Vez will perform.

“Although this year there is a problem with acquiring the needed quantities, the members of the hunting club from Kopačevo started their preparations on time, so there will be enough fish” Cickaj pointed out.

And on the last weekend of September (Friday and Saturday), all roads will lead to Zmajevac, to its mountain paths and wine cellars.

“We expect that approximately 2,500 marathoners will “run” the marathon this year, possibly more. Applications started back in February. For example, the team from Hungary that participated in the marathon last year had six members. This year, they expanded the team to 73 members, for both days” on behalf of the organizer, the Surduk Association, said Kristijan Horvat. This year, the partner countries will be Hungary and North Macedonia. An interesting entertainment program awaits visitors. Although the dice are still “coming together”, Frajle, Hungarian violinist Nyari Bernardett, and Macedonian artist Tijana Dabčević will perform together on Friday. The arrival of Tamara Tadevska, who defended the Macedonian colours at the Eurovision Song Contest, is also planned. Concerts on two stages are planned for Saturday.

How good is your knowledge of eastern Croatia? Take the CROMADS test above - how many places do you recognise?

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Travel section.

May 6, 2022 - This week, for the first time, an event aimed at bringing science closer to the public, the Science Festival is being held in Vukovar.

The Science Festival is an event that has been held in Croatia since 2003 with the aim of bringing science closer to the public by informing about activities and results in the field of science, improving public perception of scientists, and motivating young people to research and acquire new knowledge, reported Sudarić, dean of the Vukovar College of Applied Sciences.

"We brought this event to Vukovar precisely to encourage our young people, especially children attending kindergarten and primary school to do science and introduce them to the idea that science is very important. We are witnesses that during the pandemic, scientists were key, they were the ones who had to find a solution to end it", said Sudarić.

The longing for expansion of knowledge and encouraging innate curiosity in all ages are valuable goals of the Science Festival, which will take place in Vukovar on 6 and 7 May. As part of this event, more than 40 activities will be carried out at four different locations, some of which are open to the general public.

"The festival will be held at four locations - the Vukovar Gymnasium, the Vučedol Culture Museum, the Vukovar City Museum, and the "Lavoslav Ružička" College in Vukovar, where all fans of science and those involved in it, depending on age, will be able to expand their knowledge of life because it is the central theme of this year’s Science Festival. We have a lot of activities this year, the first year of the festival in Vukovar. I must admit that when we started the event, we thought that there would only be three or four registered activities", said Dean Sudarić.

The Vukovar Festival is the result of cooperation between the Vukovar Gymnasium, the Vučedol Culture Museum, the City Museum in Vukovar, and the Lavoslav Ružička College in hopes that Vukovar will receive its place on the map of the Festival and become part of this scientific event, says Sudarić.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 24 Sept 2021 - The ninth Kvarner Fiumare festival of the sea and maritime heritage and the Rijeka Boat Show, featuring nautical and boat equipment, opened in Rijeka on Friday.

The Fiumare festival, taking place at several venues in downtown Rijeka, will be open until 29 September while the Rijeka Boat Show will run until 26 September at the Caroline of Rijeka pier.

The Rijeka Boat Show's theme is "The City is the port, the port is the city", and visitors can see new small vessels made in Croatia as well as world brands and nautical and fishing equipment.

"Rijeka's potential has been recognised by the world's largest groups - the attractiveness of the marina in Porto Baroš has been recognised by the Lürssen Group, the world's biggest producer megayachts. The Zagreb Pier future container terminal has been recognised by Maersk, the largest shipping company in the world. That means that in the next three to four years, Rijeka will definitely change its face as seen from the sea," Mayor Marko Filipović said.

The Fiumare festival will feature lectures, exhibitions, interactive workshops, rowing demonstrations, presentations of historical events and a fair of autochthonous products from the Kvarner region.

For more on travel, CLICK HERE.

ZAGREB, 16 May, 2021 - The 20th European Short Story Festival will be held on June 6-11, and the event will be held both online and live in Zagreb and on the islands of Hvar and Vis.

US authors Paul Auster, Siri Hustvedt, Lydia Davis and Lorrie Moore will discuss this year's festival topic, "Islands", with Croatian authors.

The festival has so far taken place in Osijek, Beli Manastir, Hvar, Zadar, Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, Pazin, Varaždin, Šibenik and other cities.

"We are exploring topics that are more relevant than ever - what kinds of isolation are we faced with and how do we overcome separation in a post-pandemic world? Is travel really necessary? Is technology a cure for loneliness or does it contribute to it? Is each one of us an island and what are the new languages the human need for closeness is beginning to express itself in?" reads an announcement of the festival.

In addition to online sessions with the four US authors, the festival will also feature live meetings with a number of regional and domestic authors.

The festival is organised by the Croatian Writers Society, with the help of the Culture and Media Ministry, the Zagreb City Office for Culture and partner cities, as well as a number of cultural institutions and foreign embassies in Croatia.

For more news about events in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

For more news about Croatia, CLICK HERE.

April 20, 2021 - With a five-year tradition already in place, VukovART 2021 promises a month of fun and exciting activities for Vukovar with visual eye candy as souvenirs to last.

A unique concept in the culture and art of Vukovar, the VukovART festival will be held from May 15 all the way to June 15, writes HRTurizam.  

With a five-year tradition, the streets and squares of Vukovar will once again host numerous exhibitions and workshops, debates, children's programs, film, and literary programs, panel discussions, colorful lectures, and concerts. This event, organized by the City of Vukovar and Val Kulture association, co-financed by the European Social fund, promotes Vukovar as a Port of Art, changing the visual identity of the city making it a beautiful place to live. In addition to the local community, tourists also enjoy the eye candy of the city's open-air gallery. Artists Boa Mistura (Spain), BustArt (Switzerland), Jana Brike (Latvia), Mr Woodland (Germany), Victor Splash (Russia), Artez (Serbia), Juandres Vera (Mexico), Kerim Musanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Marion Ruthardt from (Germany), and Croatia's own Forest are ten artists who will come this year to give their contribution to the growing visual content of the city.

The festival will be opened by a beloved Croatian band Vatra (Fire), with performances of Mia Dimšić, musical composition CLUE, and vocal composition Watercolor in the following days too. During every larger event of the festival, „a superb craft scene and street food“ offers will be offered to visitors too. 

© VukovArt - Art Harbour

Famous Croatian singer from Psihomodo Pop with a neck in painting as well, Davor Gobac will exhibit his paintings and also host Motivational and Art Workshop for children.

„There will also be an active weekend led by the Vukovar Half Marathon, and for a slightly more relaxing activity, a bicycle race will be organized to tour previous works of art“, says HRTurizam article.

Domagoj Jakopović Ribafish, Dusan Bučan, and Robert Knjaz will host travel lectures and the full program and more details can be found on VukovART official website and on social networks.  

Learn more about Croatia's festivals on our TC page.  

For more about Made in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

August. 28, 2020 - On Thursday, August 27, 2020, with the opening of the exhibition "Jazz Greats in the Ethnographic Museum", the Split Open Jazz Fair 2020 began. It is a photographic exhibition of portraits of jazz musicians by Davor Hrvoj from Zagreb, the doyen of Croatian jazz journalism ("It's time for jazz").

Hrvoj started working in journalism in the 1980s and published his works in numerous Croatian newspapers, such as Jutarnji list, Vijenac, and Gloria. He was a member of the international jury for the  European Jazz Prize and is currently a member of several cultural councils and a leader of jazz events in Croatia. Besides, he is a permanent member of the Croatian Journalists' Association as a freelance journalist and the Croatian Music Union, the Croatian Society of Composers, and the Croatian Association of Independent Artists.

"Why portraits? Because in this way, with the help of a telephoto lens, it's possible to get closer to the gestures of artists and the spirit of jazz music and what musicians feel and the way they think. Unlike most other photographers, I like to wait for the end of a concert, when artists are already losing control of their behavior and their gestures. Then I catch them in those moments when they are truly natural when they are truly what they are", the author explains.

After the opening, there will be two concert evenings at Đardin as part of the Urban Culture Review - EVO RUKE 7 with, as always, free admission. The exhibition is open to visitors until 18.09.

"Since jazz is my life, as is theirs, this is how I try to capture the essence of jazz", Hrvoj concludes.

The program for two evenings of the concert program can be found below.

On Friday, 28.08.2020. perform:

21:00 - Peter Smith & The Hosters, Split,
22:00 - Elena Stella & A.J.Jazz Trio, Zadar/Biograd

On Saturday, 29.08.2020. perform:

21:00 - Doringo, Zagreb,
22:00 - Just Jazzy, Split

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. 

As reported by zagrebinfo, tickets for films from the main competition program of this year's Zagreb Film Festival sold out during the first three days of the festival, and the audience is requesting 'additional tickets' for both morning and afternoon screenings.

The festival’s organizers also reported that they have sold ten percent more pre-sale tickets at the beginning of the festival. In addition to requests for additional tickets, they are continually getting inquiries as to whether the films will receive cinema distribution.

They note that the considerable interest once again shows that the Zagreb audience is very eager for new quality titles and is not ready to abandon the tradition of watching movies together.

The first sold-out season of tickets was opened by Taika Waititi's film “Jojo Rabbit” from the “Together Again” program, and all five screenings of the films from the main feature film competition at Tuškanac Cinema were sold out within the first three days.

"We are extremely pleased that our audience welcomed directors Ena Sendijarević and Ivana Mladenović on Friday and Saturday with such large numbers and interest at the screenings of their debut works 'Take Me Somewhere Nice' and 'Ivana the Terrible'." The organizers also noted that the films “Monos”, “Beanpole” and “Patrick” received an enthusiastic response and they expressed their gratitude to the audience.

The seventeenth edition of the Zagreb Film Festival offers more than a hundred films across 12 programs and runs through November 17th. There are 11 feature films, 10 international films and 10 Croatian short films from the “Checkers” program, which are in the race for the festival awards. The festival takes place in as many as eight Zagreb venues, and is being hosted in some twenty cities across Croatia.

A complete festival program and schedule can be found on the 2019 Zagreb Film Festival website.

Follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more information on events in Croatia.