June 12, 2020 - A look at Hvar Town on June 11, 2020. 

Tourism hasn't quite kicked off in Croatia in the post corona era, though things could very well change by June 15 when EU orders are expected to open. For now, Croatian towns are as picturesque as ever, as the footprints of tourists are stilled washed away from last year.

While it's odd to see some of the country's most famous destinations empty in the middle of June, it does have its perks - and apart from feeling like you have the town to yourself, you'll be hard-pressed to find the beaches and coastline cleaner than they are now. 

Today, we look at Hvar Town on Thursday morning, June. 11. A 9am stroll around the town that only has only five restaurants open at the moment, and one hotel, Riva, in operation. 

9am in Hvar Town usually looks a bit different in the middle of June, as cafe crowds fill the waterfront promenade and young tourists search for the greasiest hangover cure. 

More restaurants are expected to open within the next few days, and with the announcement of 70,000 nautical tourists by the Ministry of Tourism, we shouldn't anticipate such a quiet Hvar Town for too long. 

Live vicariously through these photos and enjoy it while it lasts. 

And if you're looking to park in Hvar Town? You might not see it this cheap again:

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.

June 10, 2020 - The Hvar Summer Festival has announced its return this summer, from June 21 to September 15.  A look at the program for the 59th edition. 

The summer events in Hvar Town have been held continuously since 1961 at the historic Franciscan Monastery, Hanibal Lucić Summer House, Veneranda Summer Stage, Fortica Fortress, St. Stephen's Cathedral, and St. Stephen's Square, and in Velo and Malo Grablje.

This event, organized by the City of Hvar, preserves the long tradition of the exceptional cultural offer, a specialty in the local music and art scene that is recognizable at the national and international level. The performances traditionally started after the Easter holidays and lasted until mid-October, making them the busiest festival on the Adriatic. They successfully provided quality music and experiences to the people of Hvar and their guests, and during almost six months, the festival brought together renowned Croatian and international performers to enhance the entire summer tourist offer of Hvar.

The Hvar Summer Festival showcases both renowned classical musicians and young professionals, from Croatia and abroad. However, it does not dismiss Croatia’s musical heritage, which can be seen in the performances of Dalmatian Klapa groups. 

This summer, the Hvar Summer Festival will open with a ceremony on June 21 at St. Stephen's Square, followed by the female group 'Bodulke' on June 24 at the Hanibal Lucic Summer Residence. 

In July, visitors can enjoy a piano and percussion performance with Matej Mestrovic and Borna Sercar, plays, and Zagreb soloists. In August, Radojka Sverko, Filip Mercep, and fisherman's talk - and in September, the Hvar Mixed Choir, folklore, and 'Fist Full of Land' at the Hvar Public Theatre. But this is just part of it. 

You can find the full program for June, July, August and September HERE. 

Tickets can be purchases at the box office at St. Stephen's Square from June 20 to September 15, from 10:00 to 13:00. 

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

June 10, 2020 - Looking for socially-distanced tourism this summer? Take the Road Less Travelled to the Top of Hvar Paradise Pop-Up Bar.

It is never a dull moment when you catch up with Ante Lacman, owner of Hvar's most innovative tour agency, Hvar Tours.  

Normally, we meet and chat about Hvar tourism of his other DMC which covers Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia, but a couple of weeks ago, the topic was a little different, and a little more pressing. 

My car died on the way out of Split towards the motorway. On a Sunday. The only person I knew who lived nearby and would possibly help was young Lacman. 

And so it proved. Within minutes, we had got to a garage, where his friend was the mechanic, and within 15 minutes of the phone call, he was taking a look at the problem. 

And while we waited for the prognosis, we talked about the season, and what there might possibly be for his agency. 

He was philosophical and positive, determined to enjoy the summer with his family if there were no guests. 

But the thing with Lacman is that there is always something new that he wants to explain, some new idea. 

Hvar Tours was the first agency to do proper wine tours on Hvar, and their range of options now is outstanding, from speedboat wine tours to a winery in a hidden cave to a private tasting with a certified Master of Wine. 

He told me about his new plans, which were extremely interesting for Season 2021, and then he remembered.

"Oh, we got the video done. Remember that private group on the top of Hvar with its own pop-up bar you wrote about last summer?

"Watch this. I think we will call it Taking the Road Less Travelled to the Top of Paradise."

If you can make it to Hvar this summer, I think it will be the season of a lifetime for chilling. 

Looking to learn more about Lacman's tours?

To learn more about Conde Nast's Number 1 islands in Europe for 2019, some digital tools for Hvar from our Virtual Croatia series. 

June 10, 2020 - Croatia's islands have some fantastic bargains right now, but few are taking advantage of them. One major factor are the ferry prices. 

The island of Hvar has never been more idyllic.

Or as affordable. 

I have not been to Hvar Town yet (but will be filming there tomorrow), but stories of cocktails at 25 kuna and just 37 registered guests are incredible. 

And apparently true. 

If you have never visited Hvar but always dreamed of doing so, you will have no more enjoyable or affordable opportunity than this summer. 

As I wrote back on March 25, 2020 in Hope v Reality: Will There Be a 2020 Tourist Season in Croatia?,

'Competition for tourists after coronavirus is going to be INSANE.'

Greece, Italy, Spain, Egypt, France, Turkey, Tunisia, Montenegro and many other countries have very large tourism industries, all of which are in a similar situation as Croatia. They will all be trying extra hard to grab whatever they can from the smaller pot of potential tourists. And one of the key weapons they will fight with is one where Croatian tourism is not particularly competitive. 

Price. 

So how are our tourism gurus dealing with the price war? From the official Ministry of Tourism website on May 28, 2020:

That's right. State-owned ferry company Jadrolinija decided to play its part in the fight for Croatia's breathing tourism by not raising prices this year. They did not reduce them either, just kept them the same. 

This was spun on the official ministry website as good news, somehow. 

So how does it look on the ground?

Those hotels which are open are almost empty right now, and there are some quite sensational offers. 8 days on the water in Jelsa, half-board at Hotel Fontana, just 1,680 kuna per adult (about 220 euro each), with one child free, the second child half price. Here is the link if you want to book. 

With such great deals, locals who have a little cash might be able to afford the sunshine island for the first time in years. It will be an incredible summer on Hvar, and I genuinely cannot remember it being so beautiful or tranquil - similar I expect to the first years after the Homeland War. 

Great to see the State ferry company recognising that and making it as easy as possible. That family of four could have the holiday of a lifetime on Hvar, bringing their bikes, for just 4,200 kuna for all four, half board, plus ferry crossings.

Ah yes, the ferry crossing from Split to Stari Grad. A return ticket to costs 2 x 460 kuna for your family car with bikes, 4 x 39 kuna for the adults return, and 4 x 19.50 for the kids. The total price comes to 1,152 kuna, more than 25% of the entire holiday cost. 

With disposable cash very limited for many families, that 25% could be better spent on a similar hotel deal on the mainland coast. The hotels there are also very empty, and there is plenty of space at the beach. 

And spare a thought for the tourism industry on the island of Lastovo. 

The fact that the Ministry of Tourism reports no increases in ferry prices as news worthy of publishing on its website tells its own story. 

Just an idea, but with Hvar and other islands this affordable, how about reducing the ferry prices 50%? You may find that twice as many people come, which would mean no lost revenue for the State company. And it might give some island businesses a chance to survive. 

Are you interested in working towards a better Croatia for your children? Meet CROMADS.

CROMADS: Why You Should Move to Croatia, With or Without Uhljebistan

If you would like to get involved in the CROMADS project, tell us a little about you and how you can help - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

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

ZAGREB, June 6, 2020 - The Town of Hvar on the southern Adriatic island of the same name has suspended the introduction of 5G technology until an independent and impartial study proves that such technology has no negative impact on humans and the environment, the Town Council decided unanimously earlier this week.

The decision will be submitted to the government and the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM), which is required to distribute it to all relevant stakeholders operating in the Town of Hvar, the local authorities said on 4 June.

However, in the meantime, the HAKOM regulator has stated that it has not yet received the decision in writing and therefore it cannot comment on its contents of the decision.

Nevertheless, the regulator underscores that any restriction of the development of electronic communication infrastructure for public services is not in compliance with the regulations.

Based on this decision, the Town Council will set up a task force to look over the next six months into a possible causal link between all sources of radiation and cancer.

The decision was put on the Town Council agenda on the initiative of an informal group of citizens following the information that Hvar was included among 13 towns and one island for which HAKOM has issued temporary licenses to test the 5G network.

The decision made by the Town of Hvar took into account the results of a survey conducted by the World Health Organization, the fact that the environment minister for the Brussels-Capital region, Celine Fremault, blocked a 5G rollout in the region until it was shown how this technology affected human health and the environment, the European Parliament resolution on health concerns associated with electromagnetic fields, the Environmental Health Action Plan for Europe, and the Council of Europe resolution on the potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment. 

On the other hand, HAKOM warns that there are more and more "conspiracy theories" concerning this issue.

HAKOM recalls that it has requested opinions of researchers and experts from relevant institutions on the 5G technology's impact on the environment and the public health and in brief, the conclusions drawn from those opinions are that the impact of this state-of-the-art technology is similar as the impact of previous technologies.

As Morski writes on the 31st of May, 2020, according to the recommendations provided by the magazine intended for the world's business elite, Ceoworld, the five luxury destinations this year which are the most attractive for the holidays of the rich and famous are Los Cabos in Mexico, Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands, Aspen in Colorado, St. Moritz in Switzerland and Croatia's very own premier island of Hvar.

According to the New York portal for the business elite, Hvar is in exclusive company with the Mexican ''Aquarium of the World'', a private island rented by British billionaire Richard Branson and two exclusive winter resorts, which obviously remain attractive even outside of the ski season, according to a report from tportal.

In describing the island of Hvar, the portal which enjoys millions of views each and every month doesn't skip on the use of any superlatives.

There are ''natural fields'' (by which we can guess that the writer is referring to the parcelisation of the Stari Grad plain (Starogradsko polje) from back during Greek times, which is now under the protection of UNESCO), ''some of the best red wines in Europe'', medieval art, a surreal landscape, seafood specialties, in short - one of those special hiding places for the chosen ones.

In addition, there are some sensational photos of the beach provided, but not of any beaches on Hvar, instead the nearby island of Brac's famous Zlatni rat (Golden horn) beach is shown. We can only hope that Hvar's neighbours over on Brac won't be irritated.

Since the elite come to Croatia's premier island of Hvar isolated on their expensive yachts anyway, this summer, due to the need for extra caution in the coronavirus era, it could really be an interesting destination, but Ceoworld doesn't mention anything about the possible conditions and the protocol of arrival given the ongoing and unfolding coronavirus pandemic.

If you'd like to know more about the conditions for travelling to Croatia, make sure to stay up to date with our updates and our dedicated coronavirus section.

You can join our Total Croatia Travel Info group (you will need to download the Viber app) here for the latest updates and news.

May 21, 2020 - What is the situation with animal shelters in Croatia in the corona era, and who is looking after the animals? A new TCN series meets the volunteers behind the animal shelters and associations around Croatia. Today, TCN meets Eco Hvar on the island of Hvar. 

There are hundreds of incredible shelters and associations in Croatia working tirelessly, with little to no support, to ensure no animal is left behind. In a new TCN series, we meet the people behind the animals. 

Today, TCN meets Eco Hvar on the island of Hvar. 

First, tell us a bit about the history of your shelter/association.

It all started in September 2004 with Babe, the dog who should have been a rose. My Croatian isn't that good, despite my being a member of Dalmatia's oldest surviving noble family. But it wasn't due to linguistic failings that I set out to buy a rose and came back with a black labrador called Babe. The scorn that was heaped on me for my poor grasp of the language after this incident was unjust. No, I wasn't looking for a dog-rose. And rescuing Babe wasn't all my fault either. 

It happened like this: my distant relative Igor Skelin runs Jelsa's garden centre, a place where one could buy plants, including roses, but not dogs. Babe belonged to Branko, one of Igor’s staff, and was generally to be found in the hot-house sitting quietly under the table or wandering around, causing no trouble to anyone. She was a beautiful, nicely mannered and contented dog, as labradors tend to be.

On this particular Saturday morning she was sitting under the table looking unusually morose. No sign of Branko, so I asked after him. Igor told me that he was very ill in hospital, and had asked Igor to find Babe a good home or have her put down. Babe had been in the care of one of Branko’s relatives, but had run off and gone missing for several days. Today she had reappeared at the garden centre, totally unexpectedly.

The news was a shock. I digested it for a few moments. I had a sense of some inescapable destiny. I looked at my brother, another Branko. He looked at me. Dog-lovers both, the pulling on heart-strings was almost audible. We had a short silent consultation, and he willed me forward. Easy enough for him, he would be leaving shortly for the UK, leaving me holding the Babe. “Well,” I said slowly, “If you really can’t find her a home, let me know, perhaps I…” Igor was on the case like a shot. Announcing that there was no chance of anyone else taking her on, he opened the car door and Babe hopped inside.

Roses were forgotten and we headed off home. I was musing, rather late in the day, on whether Babe would fit in. I had brought with me two dogs from the UK when I had relocated to Dalmatia earlier in 2004. They were both females, and used to having their territory to themselves. How would they take to the new arrival? Would they fight? And what’s more, one was called Beba, there could be a confusion of identities. The chain of command would be difficult to maintain. Oh dear. My low spirits sank another notch when Bella and Beba greeted our arrival with resounding hostile barking.

To my surprise, all went well. The barking subsided when the two realized Babe was coming in. Babe entered, there were introductions all round, tails wagged, and she settled in without a hitch. Perhaps Bella and Beba recognized a kindred spirit, as their mother Connie was a labrador, albeit golden rather than black. Babe lived on happily for several years in Pitve, and eventually died naturally and peacefully in her sleep. Happily her former owner Branko recovered from his illness and returned to the island, although he was unable to take Babe back.

So began the influx of canine intruders into our peaceful home in Pitve. And, yes, my Croatian has improved in the interim. No, I have not set out to buy a rose since. But every year there are homeless or unwanted dogs wandering around the island, and I have taken in as many of them as I could manage at any given time. Sadly, I have been forced to leave even more to their fate.

There are just too many unwanted dogs being born on the island, or in some cases being brought here. There is no organization on the island responsible for caring for these poor animals. It seems this is a problem throughout Dalmatia. The obvious thing to do was to establish a framework in order to carry out projects which would address the problems. This is how ECO HVAR for Animals, now a registered charity, was born.

How many animals do you currently house? What is the largest number of animals you’ve taken in?

I am currently looking after 20 dogs, 13 of them puppies, due to the COVID-19 blockage of our usual channels for passing them to the shelter. In my village, we (3-4 of us) also feed stray cats.

How do you get animals you've taken in to their new owners? Do you connect animals with owners only in Croatia or abroad, too?

Occasionally, we find new owners for dogs and cats on the island, but mostly we coopoerate with the Bestie Animal Shelter in Kaštel Sućurac on the mainland. Often the dogs are taken abroad, and in all cases we follow their progress as far as we can. The Bestie animal shelter is exemplary: full care and kindness; a volunteer programme; educational visits for children; socialization for the rescue dogs; walks and summertime swimming sessions. You can see a little of their work on their fb page. 

**TCN also has an interview with Zvonimir, the owner of Bestie, coming up!

Stari Grad Cat & Kitten Fund on Facebook -  Last year Jelsa Council agreed to do the same.

How much does sterilisation usually cost? Do vets offer discounts for street cats or special circumstances? 

The local vet does give a discount for this: the local Councils have an annual contract with the vet, covering sterilizations for a certain number of cats at set fees. (Costs c. 250 - 400 kn, varies according to male/female, pregnant or not). In cases of hardship, they may also offer a discount for street cats which are brought in by recommendation from Eco Hvar.

You can find our recommendations on how to help cats on the island HERE

Poisoning street cats is another issue in the area. Is this considered a crime in Croatia? Where should someone report this should they witness it? Are there fines/punishments in place?

Animal poisonings are a problem. In principle, it is a punishable offence under the Law for the Protection of Animals. In practice, it is down to individuals to make a complaint to the police and local komunalni redar / town warden, name possible suspects, and provide proof, which obviously involves financing an autopsy on the dead animals. This last is an expensive process, especially from the island. In a small place, the poisoners are usually easily identifiable, but few people want to come into conflict with their neighbours by raising a case against them which will take years to resolve through the courts.

You can read more about this issue HERE

What about the treatment of dogs?

One special problem is the treatment of hunting dogs, who are ill-treated, starved or and/or abandoned without mercy by many owners. We do our best to save the ones we can via the inspectors, but it is extremely difficult. They need special rescue facilities, which I would dearly love to establish.

You can find our recommendations on how to help dogs on the island HERE

Can you explain the process of fostering animals with your shelter/association?

Fostering is well organized in Zagreb, but not formally here. Both fostering & homing stray or unwanted animals are difficult on an island with a limited population, and even more limited number of animal lovers.

Do you receive any support from the city, county, or state? If so, how much/in what way?

Our charity does not receive support from any public body, but relies solely on donations, so far. Our money is mainly spent on placing dogs in the animal shelter, and financing medical costs and sometimes sterilizations for low-income owners/carers.

What are the best ways the local community and people from abroad can get involved?

Eco Hvar welcomes everyone who wishes to support our work in any way. There are no membership fees. If you wish to become involved, or simply to demonstrate support of our aims, please print out and fill in the application form and post it back to our address: Pitve 93, 21465 Jelsa, Croatia / Hrvatska. For speed, you can email us your details, or scan the signed form back to us on our email contact address, although the original is appreciated!

You can learn more about Eco Hvar on their website.

Do you have an animal shelter or association in Croatia and want to share your story? Get in touch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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

May 20, 2020 - Tourism is on hold, but most of us have plenty of time. So let's look at the virtual resources available to explore Croatia virtually. We continue our new Virtual Croatia series with the tools to discover Stari Grad on Hvar.

A few weeks ago I wrote that being a tourism blogger in the corona era was about as useful as being a cocktail barman in Saudi Arabia. I feel less useless now, a few weeks later, and I am encouraged by the number of Croatian tourism businesses who are contacting us wanting to start thinking of promoting post-corona tourism. 

One of the challenges of writing about tourism at the moment is that there is nothing positive to write about. With people confined to their homes and tourism in Croatia currently not possible, many have decided to go into hibernation until it is all over. 

I think that this is a mistake, and I have greatly enjoyed the TCN series by Zoran Pejovic of Paradox Hospitality on thinking ahead to tourism in a post-corona world.  You can find Zoran's articles here.

Way back on March 14 - several lifetimes ago - I published an article called Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Ways to Discover Zagreb. The way I saw things, now was an OUTSTANDING opportunity for tourism promotion. People have time, they yearn for their freedom and former lives, so give them the tools to thoroughly research and enjoy your destinations, and you will have then longing to be there. And when they do come, they will have a deeper understanding of the destination due to their research. 

South Africa and Portugal were the first to do their post-corona tourism promotion videos several weeks ago (Post-Corona Tourism Planning: Lessons from South Africa and Portugal), a trick which has been followed by other tourism countries, the latest being Croatia with the national tourist board campaign, #CroatiaLongDistanceLove, going live yesterday.

But while these campaigns create longing and market presence, they don't really educate. People now have time to really get into destinations. And dreams of escape to somewhere more exotic are high on the list of priorities of many. 

So TCN has decided to help with that education with a new series called Virtual Croatia, where we will be helping you discover many of Croatia's destinations with all the best virtual tools available on your self-isolating sofa at home. 

We started last week with Tourism in the Corona Age: 10 Virtual Tools to Discover Hvar.

After this, we put our a press release (which you can read here in English and Croatian) offering a free article to any local tourist board in Croatia who would like the free promotion in our Virtual Croatia series. 

The Sinj Tourist Board was the first to respond, and now you can see just how rich the tourism offer is in this proud Alka town - your virtual tools to Discover Sinj. This was followed by DIscover Opatija, Discover Brela, Discover Rogoznica, Discover Klis, Discover Trogir and Discover Omis.

Next up, Jaksa Damjanic from the Stari Grad Tourist Board, who sent me some virtual tools to help us discover Stari Grad. 

Let's begin! 

Welcome to Stari Grad, Home to 2,400 Years of Tradition of Creating New Experiences

Released just a few days ago, 

Remember Pharrell Williams? Be Happy, Stari Grad style.

Discover the old town and the secrets of 2,400 years. 

Stari Grad from the air.

A spectacular birds eye view. 

The relaxed evening atmosphere. 

A one-hour national television discovery of Stari Grad and some of its most lovable characters. 

A Small Place with a Famous Heritage

Stari Grad is perhaps best known in the minds of a sizable chunk of the population of former Yugoslavia as the location for the VERY popular show Malo Misto (Little Place), which characterised and satirised life in a small town in Dalmatia. Even with my limited ability to pick up the words of the actors, I find it wonderfully funny, and Stari Grad looks glorious. A sample episode is above.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a Sail Back to Ancient Greek Roots

Every travelled 5,000 years of UNESCO heritage in just 90 seconds? Fasten your seatbelts. 

Learn more about the Stari Grad Plain with this reconstruction of how life was in the time of the Ancient Greeks. 

From Faros to Paros. And in 2003, a rather unusual expedition was organised to retrace the steps of the Ancient Greeks all those years ago - a voyage in a traditional sailboat, from 'Faros to Paros', Faros being the name the Greeks gave to what is today Stari Grad, close as it sounded to their native island of Paros. The voyage included taking gifts including vines and olive trees which had brought som much prosperity and goodness to the residents of Hvar, and which had originally come from Paros in 384 BC. There is a documentary on the journey (in Croatian) which you can watch here. 

It may not evoke comparisons with London Heathrow, but Stari Grad even has its own airport, located in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to cultural considerations, the airport cannot be upgraded or expanded, but it does serve as a useful and convenient point for small aircraft and helicopters (the airstrip can accommodate planes of maximum six passengers), as well as providing a summer base for Hvar's popular sky-diving offer. 

5 UNESCO Heritages in 1 Town, More than Any Island in the World

No other island in the world has 4 UNESCO heritages. The town of Stari Grad has 5. The official video of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Stari Grad Plain. 

The Mediterranean Diet was inscribed at intangible UNESCO heritage in 2013. 

The 500-year-old Za Krizen procession (Behind the Cross) includes the village of Vrbanj, which is in the Stari Grad administrative district. 

And one cannot leave Dalmatia without some unforgettable Dalmatian klapa. 

The art of dry-stone walling is a rare skill, and one which has also achieved UNESCO status.

Discover Stari Grad, Where Wine and Song Meet

Stari Grad is fabulous, with something for everyone. A place where music and wine collide in different forms.  The Jazz and  Wine festival. 

 Dani u vali - Days in the Bay. 

 The Hvar Wine Association hosts wonderful evenings of wine tasting and song in the picturesque squares in the old town. 

And a little wine always brings a little impromptu song. 

For such a small town (the permanent population was less than 1800 at the last census), Stari Grad has an incredibly vibrant cultural scene. In addition to several excellent museums, two theatres (and two fabulous amateur theatre groups) and a host of other cultural activities, the male voices of Stari Grad are known throughout the land, and if you ever get the chance to hear the Faros Kantaduri, don't miss them. For a taster, check them out in the video above. 

One of the world's most challenging swims, and other activities

Stari Grad is home to one of the most challenging international swimming races in the world, an annual event in August which attracts some of the globe's finest swimmers, including Olympic gold medal winners. Started in 1974, the Faros Marathon is a 16km race in the open sea, starting and finishing in the town's harbour, from where competitors race to the tip of the Kabal Peninsula at the top of the Stari Grad Bay - some 8km away - and back. A phenomenal physical effort for the increasingly international field, where the winner has yet to break three hours. Check out the race in the video above. 

Also home to the start of the slightly less challenging Hvar Half Marathon, which takes place in August every year to Hvar Town along the old road. Surely one of the most beautiful races in Europe. 

Biking heaven. 

MTB heaven too. 

Sail Croatia loves Stari Grad.

And if you are sailing into Stari Grad, with its new marina, here is some useful advice. 

Of sunsets and plima 

Some of the most beautiful sunsets in Dalmatia. But beware... 

Ah, the deep Stari Grad Bay. It caused considerable distress to a poor dolphin, who inadvertantly swam into the harbour in 2005, and could not figure a way out for three days until expert help pointed the poor creature in the right drection. A scarier prospect for local residents is the 'plima', a raising of the water level cauased by particular climatic conditions and such a deep bay, which results in rapid rising of the water level. It is quite a spectacle to watch, as long as you are not a waterfront home owner. Check out the video above. 

Local traditions, art and food

Starogrojski paprenjok is an original souvenir made as a homage to a traditional biscuit which the women and girls of Stari Grad on the Island of Hvar have lovingly prepared since 1167 for their sons and husbands, packing them in sailor's chests before their loved ones' departure on long and faraway journeys.

These cakes are prepared according to a carefully preserved recipe of the old island women and have retained the traditional shapes of amphora, fish, heart, clover and other imaginative forms lined with sweet stripes and playful dots.

The earliest mention of the famous cake from Stari Grad, Starogrojski paprenjok, was left by Petar Hektorović, in his famous poem, 'Ribanje i ribarsko prigovaranje', from 1556. The work is a description of a three-day fishing trip from Stari Grad to the island of Šolta and back. In it, the poet Petar Hektorović sailed in the company of two fishermen, Paskoje and Nikola. They took with them: good wine muškatil, sweet wine (prošek), turta (cake), honeycomb, kaškaval cheese, fruit and paprenakov.

The main ingredient for paprenjok is honey. In the castle, that is, in the flaunting park, the Hektorović family cultivated poultry, silkworms and bees.

Hektorović’s farmers cultivated wheat in the fertile Stari Grad fields; they milled it in the mill located in Tvrdalj. Another important ingredient was also olive oil. The Hektorović family's olive groves were located in the southern part of the town.

To prepare a paprenjok they also needed prošek. Prošek was made from good quality grapes in the tavern in Tvrdalj.
The only thing which could not be cultivated in Tvrdalj were the aromatic herbs – cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs.

But in that period they were easily obtained, as the port of Stari Grad was located on the route between Venice, Dubrovnik and the numerous Mediterranean ports with which trade took place.

Stari Grad even had its own honey festival at one point, and I understand that there are plans to resurrect its honey heritage this year.  

 Never eaten a dormouse? Don't miss the Puhijada edible dormouse festival in Dol. 

One of the great attractions of Stari Grad are its quaint streets, which are lined with art galleries and boutique shops, selling authentic local products. Some of the artists are quite unique. Meet Fantazam. 

Home to no less than two amateur theatre groups. 

Mali Grad Faros - a wonderful initiative for the little ones.

And the magical night of Sv. Nikola in December is accompanied with the traditional burning of a boat.

And where else to go for the biggest live snake exhibition in Europe? 

Stari Grad, the secret of a happy and healthy life - 104 years and still mending fishing nets.

Stari Grad has its own celebrities, including this man, who has seen them come and seen them go. Andrija Petric Muse is one of the icons of Hvar, a quiet unassuming man who can be seen most days oppostite Pizzeria Marko mending nets, as he has done for generations. An avid smoker for more than 80 years, he celebrated his 104th birthday this year. A survivor of the Spanish Flu AND corona, life of Croatia's premier island with its healthy climate and UNESCO Mediterranean Diet must have played a small part. 

A wonderful town.

Official Stari Grad Tourist Board Website & 25 Things to Know about Stari Grad

Discover Stari Grad via the official tourist board website.

Learn more about Stari Grad with the TCN feature article, Stari Grad: 25 Things to Know about Croatia's 2017 European Best Destinations Nominee.

THIS. IS. STARI GRAD. When can we expect your visit? 

To discover more of virtual Croatia, you can follow this series in our dedicated section, Virtual Croatia. 

If you are a local tourist board in Croatia and would like your destination featured in this series for free, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Virtual Croatia (and destination name)

May 15, 2020 - Welcome to the Island of Sun, and a happy 152nd birthday to organised tourism in Europe from Hvar Island.

On this day back in 1868, a new industry started in Europe on a beautiful island on the Adriatic. 

For on that day, May 15, 1868, the Hvar Health Society opened its doors to offer recuperative services to Austro-Hungarian aristocrats in need of recuperation on a sunshine island with a temperate climate. It is credited as the birth of organised tourism in Europe. 

The local of the initial premises reopened last year with the first 5-star hotel on Hvar, Palace Elisabeth, hvar heritage hotel, which is located directly opposite the oldest public theatre in Europe, which opened in 1612. 

Yes, you have come to a very special place - Hvar island. 

To celebrate the 152-year anniversary, the Hvar Tourist Board has just released a new promotional video - Welcome to the Island of Sun - Hvar Island. 

"You might not be able to travel... but your mind can. 

Dive into the new video created by the Hvar Tourist Board team and enjoy fully."

And I can personally guarantee that Hvar island is really this gorgeous. Not only did I live there for 13 years, but I have been in lockdown here since the middle of March. And I can honestly say that I can't remember a time when I have been in a place which is so magical and beautiful. 

The Hvar Tourist Board was one of the early partners in the TCN project, Virtual Croatia, where we are trying to bring all the best virtual tools of Croatia's destinations into one place, so that tourists of the future who have time and desire now can explore their future holiday with the best tools available. 

You can learn more about Hvar Island in our Discover Virtual Hvar resource.  

May 12, 2020 - As CEO Michael O'Leary announces the resumption of 40% of its schedule from July 1, what does that mean for flights with Ryanair to Croatia?

It has been quite a day for flight news for Croatia so far, and it is not yet midday. 

Firstly BA is now selling flights to both Split and Zagreb from June 15, as reported earlier. And then THIS.

Ryanair plans to restart 40% of its flights from July 1. You can read all the detail in the link to The Guardian above, as I have no value to add to that announcement. 

But what specifically does this mean for Ryanair to Croatia? With so many people using Ryanair to Croatia, we have had more emails about this than anything else in recent weeks. Especially regarding flights to the main Ryanair destination on Croatia's Adriatic coast - Zadar. 

As I don't have any inside information about Ryanair, we have to look at the online tools available, most notably the Ryanair booking engine. 

Which shows us some VERY interesting things, and not such good news for the thousands of Brits and Irish tourists planning to fly Ryanair to Zadar. 

The plan, it seems, is for Dublin and Split to be connected once more, with the first flight on July 2. 

Same story with Dubrovnik and Dublin, starting on July 1. 

But Zadar? Not a single flight to Zadar from the UK or Ireland to Zadar with Ryanair is showing. 

But Ryanair has not abandoned Zadar completely, far from it. Flights from Milan are due to recommence twice a week on July 3. 

Three times a week from Vienna from July 1. And the same story from various other European cities. But not from the UK and Ireland. 

And the UK love with Ryanair to Croatia continues from London Stansted to Pula from July 2. 

And to Rijeka from July 3. 

But to Zadar, seemingly at least, nothing at all. I will see what I can find out. If anyone has any info, please contact me on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Ryanair. 

You can of course search for your own flight info on the official Ryanair website.

You can keep up to date with the latest flight news in the dedicated TCN flights to Croatia section.