May 22, 2021 - A Pula Arena Muay Thai spectacle will be held inside the famous Roman amphitheater today! 

Glas Istre reports that today, the Roman Amphitheater in Pula will become the center of spectacular fights in Thai boxing. In the main, evening program, renowned fighters from several countries will fight, while in the daytime, the younger age groups will fight in the Croatian Championship and measure their strength around noon.

In the evening, spectators will be able to attend the five most interesting finals of the Croatian Championship, both men's and women's in the category up to 65 kg. The final four tournament of fighters up to 73 kg, however, comes with even more incentive, as the winner will receive a trip to Thailand, where they will be able to train twice a day with local fighters, have a paid fight against one of them, and enjoy free food and accommodation.

Senad Ramakić, Denis Vojniković, and renowned Istrian fighter Teo Mikelić are part of the organizational team, and the president of the Croatian Thai Boxing Association, Mario Franić, also commented on today's fights.

"We also visited some of the clubs that operate in Istria County; we are very pleased with what we saw. All that is happening in Istria is a big step in the development of Thai boxing. And the Croatian championship in the Arena itself will be an unprecedented spectacle and an important criterion in choosing a national team to go to big competitions. Everyone has a chance, and only the best will be in the national team," said Franić.

Although the citizens of Pula are still used to watching him inside the ring, this time, Teo Mikelić found himself organizing the tournament. 

"Pula really deserves this, and we are proud. The organization was harder than we expected, yet the Arena is outdoors, and we’re still not sure if it’s going to rain. In addition, one fighter from Serbia was forced to cancel his performance today; he was not allowed to enter Croatia at the border and had to return. We had to find another fighter at noon, but luckily we managed to combine something. That fighter will have to correct his weight a bit, as he has a bit overweight but has enough time available.

Organizing really isn’t a joke; I think it’s a lot easier to fight than to organize a tournament! Still, I think everything will be fine if time is on our side. In case of rain, our alternative was the Home of Croatian Veterans, but we spoke to various meteorologists and, as things stand, it should not rain tomorrow after 10 am. The ring is folded and covered with a tarpaulin," Mikelić said and continued:

"The event was supposed to start at 10 am - we have about seventy registered fighters, which would mean that the first part would end after about six hours, so around 4 pm. A break of four hours is to follow, until 8 pm when the main program of the evening begins. This way, we will start with the first part somewhere between noon and 2 pm, and then without a break or with a short break, we will continue with the main part of the evening," Mikelić said yesterday at the House of Croatian Veterans, where the fighters officially weighed.

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May 18, 2021 - The Rovinj Sea Research Centre turns 130 in 2021. It is the place in Croatia for oceanographic research and all things science related to the preservation of the sea and maritime life.

Established back in 1891 as Berlin's Aquarium Zoological Station, the research Institute is known today as the Rovinj Sea Research Centre (CIM), and last week it celebrated 130 years of work. An affiliate of the Ruđer Bošković Science Institute (IRB), that institute recently reported that CIM currently has 54 employees working in four laboratories, and the centre is heavily involved in numerous impressive scientific projects.

''This includes five projects of the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ), worth 5,855 635 HRK, three projects financed within the INTERREG cross border programme (worth 1,326 000 euros), three projects with European structural and investment funds (7,189 531 HRK), and two projects financed within the EU programme for research and innovations, OBZOR 2020, valued at 179,360 euros,“ says the IRB official website.

The section of the IRB page dedicated to CIM adds that the centre offers a multidisciplinary take on the research of the sea, offering both basic and applicable oceanographic research. This includes six areas of interest: processes and dynamics in the food chain, examining the dynamics of water masses, ecology (species and the interrelations of species in both clean and in polluted waters), sea organism research (ecological, physiological, and genetic features of organisms, and a pollution effects study), the monitoring of pollution and sea quality, and finally, the monitoring of eutrophication (a process in which the environment becomes enriched with nutrients which can trigger the development of algae and cause an imbalance in the ecosystem).

Set in the beautiful town of Rovinj on the Istrian peninsula because of the clear waters of the Adriatic sea, CIM is on a mission to preserve marine life and its biodiversity.

CIM truly has a rich tradition, having conducted international systematic research and monitoring of the marine ecosystem of the Northern Adriatic for over 30 years. ''This approach became a model for the regional organisation of the European systematic monitoring of the coastal sea,'' says IRB.

IRB adds that in this long tradition, the Croatian science programme of monitoring the Northern Adriatic played a huge role. Having begun fifty years ago, it developed into the Jadran Project, making Croatia one of the first countries in all of Europe to have developed a systematic approach to the monitoring of the sea.

''Additional confirmation of the tradition and scientific quality of CIM can also be seen in the recent joining of CIM to JERICO – the Joint European Research Infrastructure network for Coastal Observatory, making CIM a partner of some of the most famous European Institutes“, concluded the IRB's explanation.

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May 17, 2021 - Sanja Vrančić, one of the most respected mandolinists in this part of Europe, stripped naked, metaphorically and literally, for her new music video.

Mandolinist Sanja Vrančić recorded the instrumental arrangement of Chris Isaac's Wicked Game. The video brings a strong contrast between the vulnerable intimacy of the musician and the cruel nature of the Istrian Cape Kamenjak. 

Press Release | Sanja Lydia Kulušić

"I fell in love with this song because it sings about passion, it is full of hidden eroticism. Chris Isaac, the author, wrote about a woman he obsessively loved at one stage of his life. I did it to convey your emotion. They intertwined in some inexplicable way," Sanja Vrančić added: “The song is about desire, about the power of passion that overwhelms a person and deprives him of the power of rational thinking. Passion as natural opium is inexhaustible to me as a source of inspiration."

She also revealed how she started creating an independent song with this song album but presented it to the public only for the third time in a row. She recorded the previous video in Kornati National Park and the newest in the area of ​​protected Kamenjak.

"Both locations impressed me as wilderness of untouched beauty, untamed and defiant character. I also recognize some of these traits in myself. Wind and sun power which dispersed the gray clouds, blended perfectly with the rush of the SUV by the ways of the cruel Kamenjak", said the instrumentalist who is also called "The Mandolin Woman".

Since she was creating the script for the video herself, she felt the need to give contrast shots of a crude nature. So she stripped naked showing her tender and vulnerable side, just the one who suffers in situations like the one sung with the song Wicked Games. At the same time, she admitted that she found herself in what Isaac calls a perverted game.

Press Release | Sanja Lydia Kulušić

"There is no stronger force than magnetic attraction. She, as much as she is comfortable, is often also synonymous with pain. It happens when passion connects two wrong people," commented Sanja Vrančić and revealed that she does not know how to give advice on how to control feelings with reason because and she allows herself to be guided by emotions.

She worked on the song and the accompanying video with the team that she created the whole album. The music video was filmed on the Istrian cape Kamenjak.

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ZAGREB, 16 May, 2021 - The 26th "Sa(n)jam knjige u Istri" book fair will take place in Pula, Istria County on 4-13 June under the slogan "Where are we?", organisers announced earlier this week.

This year's edition will overflow with poetry and music, organisers said, thanks to 15 poets led by Petar Gudelj who will appear before the public accompanied by musicians led by jazz trumpeter Branko Sterpin.

The fair will feature the traditional "Breakfast with the author" programme and a new one, called "The new faces of Pula".

Participating in the fair for the first time are writers Svetislav Basara, Želimir Periš, Ivana Bodrožić, Magdalena Blažević, Tanja Stupar-Trifunović, Ena Katarina Haller and Ivica Đikić.

Another novelty will see Zagreb Croatian National Theatre actors reciting the verses of contemporary Croatian women poets.

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May 7, 2021 - TCN's regular retrospect of Highlights of the week, through the selection of TCN's reporter Ivor Kruljac. 

President Milanović loved by locals in Plaški. Firefighters quickly reacted to the fire in Zagreb recycle yard. Pula celebrated its liberation while Šibenik received new doses of coronavirus vaccines. Dinamo and Hajduk end their match in a tie. Overall another interesting week in Croatia, and here are more details on all highlights.

 Highlights of the week: President Milanović loved in Plaški county

© Kristina Stedul Fabac/ PIXSELL

Croatian president Zoran Milanović visited Plaški county near Ogulin on Tuesday to visit the newly-build Firefighter's home and Plaški Culture Home. The locals welcomed president Milanović with ovations, and many use the opportunity to handshake and take a photo with the president. As Večernji List reports, Milanović took the visit as an opportunity to comment on the hate speech incident at Borovo Selo. He stated that the President of Serbian National Council Milorad Pupovac and Croatian Prime Minister „should use the police, but they don't, they are causing incidents.

Highlights of the Week: Pula celebrating its liberation in WW2

© Srecko Niketic/ PIXSELL

Pula celebrated its annual liberation day and the Pula City Day, marked on May 5. In Tito's park, the traditional commemoration to the fallen WW2 soldiers of Tito's partisan army saw Tiziano Sošić (president of Pula City Council), Elena Puh Belci (vice mayor of Pula), Aleksandar Matić (chief of the City of Pula Office) and Fabrizio Radin (vice-county ruler of Istria county) paid their respects. Representatives of associations of anti-fascist fighters and anti-fascist of the city of Pula were present too. 

 Highlights of the Week: Dinamo and Hajduk end with an even score 1:1

© Milan Sabic/ PIXSELL

Hajduk and Dinamo's eternal opponents played another game at Hajduk's home of Poljud Stadium in Split on Wednesday. The match was the 22nd round in Croatian First League, and fans couldn't wait for it as the game was postponed.

Hajduk opened the match well and had a chance to take the lead in the first 20 seconds. Kačaniklić received an excellent long ball and ran on the right side. He rushed into the penalty area and shot diagonally, but Livaković came out and closed his corner. Dinamo improved and took the lead in the 16th minute with a goal by Majer, and Livaja returned the favor in the 44th minute. Diamantakos hit the crossbar in the final minutes of the match but without success.

After three victories in the previous three clashes with Hajduk this season, Dinamo failed to achieve maximum performance and almost mathematically secured the title but entered the last four rounds with a seven-point advantage over Osijek. The fail happened despite Dinamo facing Hajduk with the strongest possible lineup.  

Highlights of the Week: Vaccination in Šibenik continues successfully

© Hrvoje Jelavic/ PIXSELL

Larger quantities of vaccines came to Šibenik on Friday, allowing vaccination in Baldeki Sports Hall to go without problems for the second day in the row. The vaccination attracts a number of citizens, so the area got quite crowded.

Highlights of the Week: Recycling yard in Zagreb on fire, reasons unclear

© Matija Habljak/ PIXSELL

Zagreb's recycling yard, located on Sarajevska Cesta in Novi Zagreb, was victimized by fire but quickly localized and put under control on Tuesday. The fire caught four containers, and 21 firefighters with six fire trucks rushed to the field. Police investigated the cause of the fire, but the reason is, for the moment, unknown. Firefighters managed to operate despite the lack of hydrants, and the thick white smoke was noticed by citizens who live in the buildings close to the yard, reported Večernji List. 

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May 4, 2021 - The first weekend of May saw 11,100 tourists arrive on the Croatian peninsula and 47,000 overnight stays, giving hope to Istrian tourism ahead of the season.

Despite the fact that this year continues to drag the same obstacles as the previous one in terms of the pandemic and its negative effect on the tourism sector, the ongoing vaccination and the recent decrease in infections seem to show that positive changes are about to appear soon not only for Istrian tourism.

The numbers of tourists who visited Istria to spend the first days of May, among which are Slovenian and German citizens, seem to be satisfactory for the tourism board and Istrian tourism.

According to tportal.hr, Slovenian and Croatian citizens are in the lead among the visitors, followed by citizens of Serbia and Germany, the director of the Istrian County Tourist Board Denis Ivošević told Glas Istre, commenting on the tourist results achieved in Istria over the past weekend, which saved May Day tourist figures.

Namely, as far as the structure of guests is concerned, out of a total of 47,500, Slovenians are expected to lead, with 12,600 arriving in Istria. They are followed by domestic guests, 10,000 of them, while there were almost equally 6,500 Serbs and Germans.

‘‘Approximately one-third of all May Day tourists stayed in hotels this weekend, another third of guests opted for camping, while the remaining third stayed in private accommodation, including non-commercial (homeowners or holiday homeowners)’’, continues Ivošević and adds that the most visited Istrian destinations were, as expected, Rovinj and Poreč.

‘‘These figures were expected, we knew that we would not be able to achieve greater tourist arrivals since at this time we cannot count on our most important markets, namely Germany, Austria, and Italy. In any case, taking into account that Slovenes have finally started coming to us and that Serbs have coincided with Easter with the May Day holiday, we can be satisfied’’, Ivošević claims, noting that we still cannot use the potential of a favorable epidemiological situation in Istria.

The Croatian National Tourist Board reports that, according to the eVisitor system, which shows tourist traffic realized in commercial and non-commercial facilities and nautical charter (eCrew system), in Croatia during the first weekend in May, ie from Friday, April 30 to Monday, May 3; there were 41,400 arrivals and more than 157,000 overnight stays. Out of that, foreign tourists made almost 23,000 arrivals and 112,000 overnight stays.

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

For more information and travel tips on the Istrian region, be sure to visit our newly launched Total Croatia portal.

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April 24, 2021 - Reuters reporters visited Plava Laguna Parentium Hotel in Poreč and seemed happy with preparations for the upcoming tourist season. 

International media praise Croatia as a lovely holiday spot, and many foreign reporters visited Croatia to check the field with their own eyes. And 2021 is no different.

As Istria Terra Magica reports, journalists from Reuters visited Parentium Hotel, a member of Plava Laguna Hotel Group.

„Reuters reports that Poreč streets are empty for now, but thanks to measures to keep tourists and tourist workers COVID-free, a good tourist season is in preparation“, says Istria Terra Magica.

The site adds that in the following weeks 80,000 tourist workers are planning to be vaccinated, and Covid-19 tests will be offered to the guests as well.

The full article about visiting Croatia is available on the Reuters website.

Dnevno.hr covered the story too and added that „Reuters is a news agency spawned across 200 locations worldwide, and a synonym for independence and integrity“. 

Plava Laguna hotel group is one of the most influential accommodation companies in Istria, with four resorts, 25 hotels, and 13 apartments across Umag, Poreč, and Rijeka.

„At Plava Laguna, everyone is welcome. From the moment they arrive to the moment they leave, we want our guests to feel the warmth of our hospitality. So we introduce them to our beautiful Istrian countryside and the wonderful Adriatic sea. We share the delights of our national cuisine and fantastic wines. We show our guests the best of Croatia“, says their official website, available in Croatian, English, German, Slovenian, and Italian language.

The website also concludes that regardless of staying in a two-star or a five-star hotel, every visitor is considered a VIP guest.

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April 23, 2021 – By implementing the EU project Living Streets, Porec parklets will soon be placed on Zagrebačka Street and provide its citizens with small green oases.

A little more than half a year ago, we reported that the City of Poreč is preparing an exciting project named Living streets, revitalizing the streets of European cities, namely turning them into "living rooms," or green oases for relaxation. With the approved funds from the European Union, this project is finally starting to be realized in this Istrian town.

With the successful application of another "green" city project within the EU project EUKI (European Climate Initiative), the City of Poreč-Parenzo got a little more than 150,000.00 kunas in grants for the implementation of the Living streets project.

As part of the project, and to increase green areas, the streets of Poreč will get a new look – the so-called parklets. Parklet means an improvised green area that extends from the sidewalk to the pavement and thus occupies several parking spaces and creates more space for people, inviting them to socialize or representing a public space accessible to all. In this way, urban areas are ennobled and given back their original purpose – to serve the citizens.

In cooperation with citizens, the project aims to point out the importance of public space in urban areas. Thus, Poreč will be revitalized by systematic and long-term micro-transformations of city streets and spaces often congested with traffic and cars, especially during the summer months.

This project also seeks to reduce the use of personal vehicles, which would directly impact reducing the negative effects on human health. Also, emissions of both greenhouse and other gases would be reduced, which will significantly impact the quality of life in Poreč.

The project team has chosen Zagrebačka Street as the location of the future parklet. Besides the City, the project partners are the city company Parentium and the association Zona for improving the quality of life.

Photo: the City of Poreč-Parenzo

Source: the City of Poreč-Parenzo

To read more about this Istrian town, check our Total Croatia guide for Poreč.

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

April 20, 2021 – Another recognition of Croatia's beauty and tourist offer as the American magazine Forbes included Istria among 50 spectacular destinations for post-pandemic travels.

As reported by Ina Rodin, the Croatian National Tourist Board director in the USA, the prestigious American media have been writing about the current conditions for entering Croatia in recent days.

The Forbes article states that Istria is an ideal destination for all gastronomy lovers who can taste quality olive oil, truffles, prosciutto, wine, and seafood in Istria. The article also emphasizes the beauty of Istrian towns and its excellent geographical position.

"Foodies should consider Croatia's Istrian Peninsula for their next taste-testing vacation. As the crow flies, you're practically in Italy; in fact, there's a ferry that runs between Venice and Pula, Croatia. You'll find truffles, olive oil, prosciutto, wine, and all types of seafood, plus delicacies that are 100% Croatian.

This region is popular with European travelers, but Americans are only just beginning to visit. If you go, be sure to split your time between a coastal city (such as Rovinj or Pula) and inland villages (hill-top Motovun is a favorite)," writes Forbes.

The story of the American television network CNBC also revealed all the charms of Istria. It provided an overview of the digital nomads' costs of living in four global destinations, namely Bali, Jamaica, Barbados, and Croatia. The story of life in Croatia is told through the example of Melissa Paul, a digital nomad who found her place under the sun in Istria.

The American edition of the travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler also writes about Croatia, which brings a list of countries that are open to vaccinated visitors and states the current conditions for entering those countries.

Lonely Planet, the world's leading brand of tourist guides, also writes about the current conditions of entry into Croatia. In an additional article about our country, they list the 17 best must-visit locations in Croatia. The list includes Dubrovnik, Plitvice Lakes, Hvar, Mljet, Zagreb, Istria, Vis, Bol, Korcula, Krka National Park, Split, Zagorje, Zadar, Cres, Cape Kamenjak, Kopački Rit Nature Park, and Motovun.

Besides, the Travel Pulse portal and the renowned American travel magazine Travel+Leisure write about the conditions for entering Croatia. Travel+Leisure includes one Croatian destination, namely the city of Split, in the nine best European destinations for retirees.

For all you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including border, travel and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of testing centres across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated section.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow our dedicated section.

April 18, 2021 - Four surviving noble pen shells in Pula and Medulin have been caged for protection.

Morski.hr reports that four noble pen shells (Pinna Nobilis), named Tara and Sara in Pula, and Mara and Pina in Medulin, have survived in the wild despite the plague that has gripped the entire Mediterranean in recent years.

Metal cages were set up to protect the surviving specimens from potential predators, which are also, unfortunately, humans. The openings on them are small enough to stop gilthead seabream, octopus, and bumpy starfish and large enough to allow seawater flow with phytoplankton and zooplankton that Pinna Nobilis feed on by filtering water.

Marinko Babic

To avoid placing concrete blocks, they used a more environmentally friendly technique to drill the base with an underwater electric drill and install screws to secure the cages.

Like the previous activities of the Eko More Association, the installation of protective cages was carried out in coordination and by order of the competent institutions (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development - Institute for Environmental Protection, Brijuni National Park, JU Natura Histrica).

Marinko Babic

Summer is ahead of us and a critical period for Tara, Sara, Mara, and Pina, as the endoparasite Haplosporidium pinnae become active at sea temperatures above 13.5 ° C. The noble pen shells recovered nicely during the winter and grew 10-15 mm, which gives a glimmer of hope that they will successfully survive this summer as well.

Anyone who has useful information or observations can help in the search for other surviving Pinna Nobilis, which they can report to their Facebook page "Eco Sea Medulin."

In September 2020, Croatian scientists gathered at a conference aimed at expanding the Natura 2000 network. They sent out a stern warning regarding the future of the noble pen shell in the Mediterranean. The noble pen shell population has been in steep decline, and the scientists warn that, unless measures are initiated, we could lose the species forever. 

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