December 30, 2020 – For the part of the population who have lost a place to sleep, Istria sent a convoy of caravans to Petrinja and other earthquake-ravaged surrounding places.

After the Istrian firefighters went to help the injured in Petrinja and its surroundings yesterday, today Istrians showed a big heart again. Namely, in front of the Žatika hall in Poreč, a convoy of caravans headed towards the earthquake-affected areas.

As Jutarnji.hr reports, the caravan owners from Istria sent 16 of them, equipped, to Petrinja and Glina on Wednesday, so that part of the Petrinja and Glina residents could have a place to sleep.

A convoy of caravans headed from Istria to Petrinja / Photo: the City of Poreč - Parenzo

This humanitarian action was initiated by Denis Bernobić from Poreč, the owner of a local towing service, together with the owner of a small family camp Polidor near Funtana, Adrian Ukušić. According to both of them, whom Jutarnji found in a convoy near Rijeka while transporting the first contingent of houses, this is just the beginning.

"Private owners of caravans responded to the action, and among them are even some Germans who have their caravan in the Bijela Uvala camp near Poreč. They called me and said they were giving their caravan away with all the papers. People immediately started appearing like crazy from all over Istria, so this is only the first contingent," says Bernobić, who set off for Petrinja and Glina on Wednesday together with colleagues with eight trucks, seven jeeps, and two vans.

They are driving caravans directly to people who were left without roofs and slept outside last night, and they have everything – toilets, beds, and heating.

The caravans are equipped with food and drinks / Photo: the City of Poreč - Parenzo

"The caravans are also full of drinks and food. There are even wood and wood stoves inside. The van is full of bedding. Everyone helped us to equip them, and the Red Cross from Poreč and Rovinj were especially active, and I thank them for that," says Bernobić, whose phone keeps ringing.

"They keep calling me across all platforms because people want to give away their caravans. So we will drive towards Petrinja and Glina in the coming days as well. We expect to take about 40 caravans to the affected areas in the next few days. Colleagues from Koper and Slovenia who have a towing service also call me to help us take the campers, "points out Bernobić, who took similar action with Ukušić when Gunja was flooded.

The owner of Polidor was also with him in convoy, and he gave two of his camps. Mayor of Poreč Loris Peršurić also supported Bernobić.

"These are all donations from citizens from all over Poreč and beyond. Poreč Red Cross, local committees, and numerous associations and initiatives still collect all kinds of help. This is an unprecedented tragedy. The minimum we can do is help people whose homes have been destroyed, who are terrified, and whose horrors, unfortunately, are not over yet," Mayor Peršurić told Hina.

 Follow our live updates on the situation in Croatia's earthquake-hit areas here; find out how you can donate here.

December 22, 2020 – Unlike previous years, this year, the Istriana Award was not given to the most successful individuals in the fields of culture, music, health, science and education, economy and sports. Still, it was given to everyone who has been on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus in recent months.

As Istrian County reports, for the 13th time in a row, the Istriana Awards were held in the congress hall of the Park Hotel Histria in Pula, which due to the situation caused by the coronavirus, took place in a completely different way than before.

This year, the Istriana statuette, the work of the Pula academic sculptor Eros Čakić, went to the Department of Infectious Diseases and all health professionals of the Pula General Hospital.

Also, the award was given to the Istrian: Institute of Public Health, the Red Cross, the Institute of Emergency Medicine, the Civil Protection Service, the Istrian Health Centers, the Fire Brigade, the Police Administration, the County Mountain Rescue Service, and the hotel and tourism company Arena Hospitality Group which, immediately after the crisis arose, undertook a series of activities to help the local community cope with the new circumstances.

The winner of the special Istriana Award for great engagement, effort, and commitment is the Chief of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Istrian County Dino Kozlevac.

"These are the people who work long and hard shifts, 24 hours a day, because of the coronavirus. They are simply a pillar of the health care system. They are the heroes of the situation that befell us. This is our small contribution to express our gratitude to them, and to learn from their example what courage, optimism, and mutual support are," said the initiator of this project, Hina journalist Daniel Sponza, who thanked the Istrian County, but also all Istrian towns that, as every year, supported this project.

Addressing this year's laureates, the acting Istrian prefect Fabrizio Radin emphasized that the 13th Istrian was specific and that it was a matter of awarding prizes by category, as in previous years, it would be given up.

"When I learned that this year Istriana would be awarded to all those who are on the front lines of the fight against coronavirus, we did not want to give up because it is a big thank you for their risky role, which has no price. Thank you for your humanity and dedication," said Radin.

The Mayor of Pula, Boris Miletić, expressed his satisfaction that he was attending the Istriana Awards for the thirteenth time and congratulated all the laureates.

"When I was a child, I didn't understand the saying that a healthy person has a thousand wishes, and when an illness occurs, only one. Let's stay healthy and be responsible. Congratulations to the Istriana winners," said Mayor Miletić.

On behalf of the Commission for the Istriana Awards, the director of the Pula General Hospital, Dr. Irena Hrstić, addressed the Hippocratic Oath, whose fourth postulate obliges health professionals to dedicate their lives to patients. This year, for ten months, 24 hours a day, they do so.

On the eve of the award ceremony, a six-minute video was shown, which included the activities of all awarded institutions in the fight against COVID -19, while the young Istrian musician Tedi Grubica performed at the award ceremony. The host of the program was Kristijan Nemet. The event was held under the sponsorship of the Istrian County, all cities, and the Istrian Credit Bank Umag.

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

December 20, 2020 – The 13 winners of the incredibly popular World Meteorological Organization annual competition have just been announced, and two fine pieces of Croatia weather photography are among them. These spectacular images of Croatia weather photography show all 9 Croatian photographs which reached the final in 2020 and all 10 Croatian finalists who similarly stunned the global audience in 2019

Croatia weather photography: the two newly announced winners from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Sandro Puncet Photo taken: Losinj island

Photographer: Zrinka Balabanic Photo taken: Pag island

Thanks to its popularity as a tourist destination, lots of people are now used to seeing beautiful photos of Croatia. Although, the images they usually see are of idyllic beaches, cloudless skies, stunning nature and turquoise blue seas. But, as anyone who knows the country will tell you - and as these photos show - Croatia isn't always like that.

Croatia weather photography: the two newly announced runners-up from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Šime Barešić Photo taken: Drage, Pakostane

Photographer: Mislav Bilic Photo taken: Lapad Peninsula, Dubrovnik

Out of season, Croatia can experience vastly different weather conditions to those advertised in travel brochures and blogs. And, whenever there's a spectacular weather occurrence, usually there's a photographer out there, braving the elements, trying to capture it.

Over recent years, some of the best Croatia weather photography has featured in the annual competition organised by the World Meteorological Organization. 2020 has been no different.

The other five Croatian finalists from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Šime Barešić Photo taken: Drage, Pakostane

Photographer: Sandro Puncet Photo taken: Losinj island

Photographer: Zoran Stanko Photo taken: Geisler Alm, Dolomites, Italy

Photographer: Maja Kraljik Photo taken: Umag, Istria

Photographer: Igor Popovic Photo taken: Rijeka

The winners of this year's competition have just been announced and the two fantastic examples of Croatia weather photography within the top 13 will take their place in the 2021 World Meteorological Organization calendar.

The 10 Croatian finalists from the 2019 competition
Photographer: Danica Sičič Photo taken: Srobreč, Dalmatia

Photographer: Romeo Ibrišević Photo taken: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Photographer: Božan Štambuk Photo taken: Bundek park, Zagreb

Photographer: Miroslava Novak Photo taken: Pribislavec, Međimurje

As well as the two winners, two further examples of Croatia weather photography came in the runner-up category, of which there were 12 in total.

Photographer: Francesca Delbianco Photo taken: Zagreb

Photographer: Ivica Brlić Photo taken: Sava river, Davor, near Slavonski Brod

Photographer: Nataša Šafar Photo taken: Rečica, near Karlovac

Photographer: Romeo Ibrišević Photo taken: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Over 1000 photographs from all over the world were entered in the 2020 competition. The submissions were narrowed down to a final selection of 70 contenders. As TCN reported back at the start of October, no less than 9 examples of Croatia weather photography made it into the final 70, taken by 7 Croatian photographers.

Photographer: Danijel Palčić Photo taken: Pag island

Photographer: Aleksandar Gospic Photo taken: Ražanac

Croatia regularly punches well above its weight in the annual competition, as we can see from these 10 examples of incredible Croatia weather photography that were among the finalists in 2019.

All images courtesy World Meteorological Organisation

December 19, 2020 – The Tourist Boards of Vodnjan, Medulin, Fažana, Ližnjan, Marčana, and Pula are joining a new association called South Istria to develop tourism in Southern Istria.

As HRturizam reports, the tourist boards mentioned above signed the agreement, and Pula Tourist Board will be the main coordinator. The newly-formed association's goal is the joint implementation of activities aimed at developing a tourist product and promoting the destination through the cluster program of Southern Istria.

Namely, the new Law on Tourist Boards and the Promotion of Croatian Tourism encourages their association and the establishment for the area of several units of local or regional self-government. In addition to the allocation of financial resources from the Fund for Associated Tourist Boards established for this purpose, into which funds from paid tourist taxes and membership fees are issued, tourist boards have at their disposal a project (agreement) or formal association.

By the end of the year, all proposed and validated programs for the association of tourist boards must be signed in the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. According to unofficial estimates, there will be about twenty of them.

South Istria - Five Friendly destinations among the first joint projects

Among the first joint projects, the South Istria tourist boards prepare a project called South Istria – Pet Friendly.

"Given the trends and high demand for pet-friendly accommodation, we want to cover this service on a wider scale. We will highlight and promote information about places where pets are welcome, and thus make it easier for both guests and hosts," points out South Istria – Pet Friendly.

One of the conditions for inclusion in the Pet-Friendly project is that a pet's accommodation must be allowed in the accommodation unit with the owner. Also, the unit must not contain objects and substances harmful to pets (various poisons for disinfection, disinsection, poisonous plants, unprotected electrical installation, unprotected garden with free access to the road, etc.).

Besides, the accommodation owner must prominently display house rules for pet owners and, at the request of the guest, it is necessary to provide a container for food, water, a mat, and a towel for the pet. For facilities that meet the required criteria, the landlord will sign a contract with the local tourist board and be specially promoted.

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.

December 13, 2020 – An incredible reimagining of the mines that run deep below the centre of Labin Istria – the two-kilometre long complex will be accessed spectacularly via a see-through elevator

French writer Jules Verne liked to venture deep. The second most-translated author ever to have lived (between number one, Agatha Christie and number three, William Shakespeare – both British), his stories were quite often regarded as fantasy tales for children, owing to the poor, early transference of his French text into English. When read in his native tongue, he fantastical imagination, perhaps the roots of all science fiction, are better expressed. This is plainly evidenced in two of his most famous books, 20, 000 Leagues Under The Sea and Journey To The Centre Of The Earth.

Jules Verne's inspiration can be found in physical form on the streets of Zagreb, where the 20, 000 Milja bar entertains with its submarine-themed décor. Though without any formal attribution, the project about to be undertaken by the town of Labin Istria could just as well be inspired by his other bestseller. Because, just as Jules Verne's journey to the centre of the earth was like no fantasy previously expressed, a limitless imagination seems to have gone into how the mines below Labin Istria will look once converted.

Newly revealed images display a visitor's space like nowhere else in Croatia. Though not quite at the centre of the earth, the new attraction lies some 166 metres below ground. The thrilling experience of a visit is set to begin before you even reach its entrance – access will be gained by a see-through elevator (lift).

The attraction is set to be divided into five modules – entrance and information area, an art gallery for exhibitions and multimedia installations, an escape room entertainment area, an education zone with 360° projections, a gastro module, centring a wine cellar ( featuring local wines from Istria, which are among the most-prized of those produced in Europe – the mine conditions being perfect for their storage) and a gift shop where souvenirs from local producers, arts & craftsmen will be available.

The sprawling complex is set to extend some two kilometres into the former mines of Labin Istria. That's no short walk! But, part of the route is being designed as a train ride, although the last section must be done on foot, due to the specific conditions of the tunnel.

The town of Labin Istria was once the centre of mining endeavours in Croatia. At the height of its operations, some four mines operated in Labin Istria. In early 1921, the town was the scene of a miners' strike which quickly grew into an anti-fascist rebellion, a movement essential to securing Croatia's future independent state. It was the first of its kind and resulted in the declaration of the short-lived Labin Republic (also known as the Albona Republic). This particular mine, located in downtown Labin, was the last to close and did so in 1989. 2021 is the 100th anniversary of the Labin Republic, an anti-fascist struggle for which the town is extremely proud. It is hoped that works on the mine conversion will begin then.

All images © Level 52 / 3DX Studio / City of Labin

December 13, 2020 - The PlayStation 5 release in Croatia has been marked by the traditional music of Croatian regions. 

The PlayStation 5 is one of the most anticipated releases in the gaming world, so much so that it achieved the highest launch month sales for a video game console in United States History since its debut there on November 12. 

Thus, to mark the release of the PlayStation 5 console, PlayStation Croatia, in partnership with musicians from several Croatian regions, recorded the opening sound of the new console authentically, and characteristic for each Croatian region using traditional instruments and song, reports HRTurizam.

It has been 25 years since the arrival of the first PlayStation console on the European market and during those years the sound reproduced when launching the PlayStation console is one of the features by which every PlayStation generation is remembered and recognized.

Thus, a music tour of Croatia was recorded, from Slavonia, Istria, Dalmatia, and Zagorje to Petrinja, in which the opening sound of the PlayStation 5 console was recorded on the Slavonian tamburitza, Istrian sopila, Zagorje bass, brass instruments, and Dalmatian klapa.

“With the opening sound of the PlayStation 5 console, we made a music tour all over Croatia! With the Slavonian sound of the tamburitza, the Dalmatian performance of the klapa, the Zagorje version on the bass, the sounds of Istria on the flutes, and a touch of Petrinja with brass instruments, the sounds of the PlayStation 5 console received new life with traditional Croatian instruments. The tamburitza ensemble Rubato, KUD Zlatela Kršan, Marko Horvat, Klapa Sebenico and Gradska limena glazba Petrinja took part in the recording," said PlayStation Croatia.

Videos were released with recognizable locations around Croatia, like Rovinj and Petrinja, an authentic Slavonian village near Slavonski Brod, the fortress of St. Mihovil in Šibenik and the Veliki Tabor castle, which you can find below. 

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

December 11, 2020 – A crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising 635,000 kuna was launched to expand the existing and build the new educational capacities of the Visnjan Observatory, the third-best in the world in the number of detected asteroids that are a potential threat to life on Earth.

Located on the edge of the western Istrian plateau, Visnjan Observatory is probably the most prominent Croatian organization that has educated future Croatian scientists for several decades.

At the beginning of December, a group of volunteers launched a large crowdfunding campaign in its favor and in favor of the Astronomical Society of Visnjan, the association that manages the Observatory. The goal is to raise 635,000 kuna by the end of December, and the Astronomical Society Visnjan will invest the donated funds in the construction of new education facilities.

The worth of investing in children

If the campaign raises 300,000 kuna, a new geodetic dome will be built, which will enable the maintenance of larger educational and practical programs. If the campaign reaches the target of 635,000 kuna, additional bungalows will be built where the Visnjan Observatory will accommodate a larger number of children, their professors, and mentors.

Visnjan Observatory / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

In case the collected amounts exceed the target amount of 635,000 kuna, the head of the Visnjan Observatory, prominent Croatian astronomer Korado Korlević plans to establish a location for testing robotic telescopes and additional capacity to accommodate students. This award-winning communicator and selfless knowledge-giver, at the same time, one of the most successful asteroid hunters in the world, believes that investing in children is the most significant and only investment worth working for.

Educating future NASA scientists

The Visnjan Observatory is Croatian pride at the global level, both scientifically and educationally. For forty years, it has been at the very top of the world in tracking and detecting asteroids, which are potentially very dangerous for life on planet Earth. That is why this small Observatory in the heart of Istria is even ahead of the American NASA.

During 2018 and 2019, the Observatory discovered and documented over 1,400 asteroids. However, although the monitoring and detection of asteroids is a significant scientific activity of the Visnjan Observatory, for Croatia, it is even more important for educating children and youth about science, technology, and the entire STEM field.

So far, thousands of primary and secondary school students have attended educational programs here. Some of these children are now adults working as scientists in prominent Croatian and world scientific institutions, such as NASA and JPL.

Visnjan Observatory / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

Some of today's scientists who discovered the first mysteries of the cosmos as kids attending the educational programs of the Visnjan Observatory are Mario Jurić and Vernesa Smolčić. Today, Mario Jurić is s professor and director of the DiRac Institute at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA.

"Schools and work in Visnjan have shown me that there are no limits to possibilities. They have shown me that with a lot of work, creativity, self-belief, and great mentors, a group of kids from Croatia can build something competitive with the strongest observatories in the world. Let us never ask ourselves can we do something, but rather how we could do it," says Jurić.

Today, Vernesa Smolčić is an astrophysicist and a professor at the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb.

"Visnjan was my turning point in terms of breaking down mental limitations. With Korado, everything just clicked in me," says Smolčić.

Visnjan Observatory / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

Gala dinner awaits big donors

Visnjan Observatory has managed to do all this with very modest capacities, based on volunteer work and donations. That is why this crowdfunding campaign is one of the larger actions taken to make the Visnjan Observatory accept, accommodate, and educate a significantly larger number of children and youth in its educational camps as early as 2021.

"I invite science lovers and people in Croatia and abroad who care about the education of our children about science and technology to support the campaign with donations, as much as anyone can. You can donate any amount, say 25 kunas or more. If you can't donate now or later, it also helps to share a link to an ongoing campaign. We hope that large donors will join too because an exclusive gala dinner with Korado Korlević has been prepared for them," said Aco Momčilović, head of the crowdfunding campaign.

Donations can be given on the Croatian platform croinvest.eu, and the contribution can be paid via a simple payment slip, via internet banking, credit cards, and even via cryptocurrencies. By writing this article, 50 percent of the targeted funds, or 306,000 kunas, had been raised.

Source: croinvest.eu, astro.hr.

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

November 30, 2020 - On a small hill with a beautiful view of Marina Veruda, a super luxury villa in Pula is emerging, which the owners Paola Crevatini Rebsamen and her husband Armand Rebsamen called Seven Hills. The name is clear when it is known that Pula was built on seven hills, and this is exactly how this enterprising Croatian-Swiss duo, currently with a permanent address in Switzerland, wanted to pay tribute to the hometown of Paola, which has returned to its roots.

"Speaking of history, even the name of the Seven Hills villa takes into account the position of Pula on seven hills, which was also the inspiration for the project. It is a private design villa with seven rooms for individual rent in the season with breakfast for guests and an indispensable view of the marina. The main idea of ​​the project was the connection between nature and architecture. The organic form enlivens the villa and gives privacy to all guests. The orientation is towards the marina in order to make the most of the position. An important element in the whole project is the surrounding nature in the domain of design and form of the project, and the construction will use local, natural materials such as Istrian stone, olive, and wood, combining modern design with historical elements", explains Paola. 

Her husband, an award-winning architect, designed this unusual villa, which should be finished in the autumn of next year. The main project is signed by Studio Basic from Pula.

"The heart of the villa will be the central room where, in addition to breakfast, guests will be able to socialize or relax. So, guests will have breakfast service and service in general. Her main asset is the rooftop bar overlooking the marina. We designed the interior design ourselves, and we have gathered inspiration over the years on our many travels. Namely, my husband and I have visited more than 40 countries together", says Paola, who explains that the villa will be dominated by boho-chick, but luxurious.

A good part of the furniture will be made to measure, like a huge olive table. Paola points out that she will complement everything with interesting design details. However, it is important that this architecture raises the offer of Pula to a higher level because there is nothing similar in the largest Istrian city at the moment. The fact is that the villa will be intended for guests who want to feel like they have come home, lovers of architecture and design, gourmets, and lovers of life in general.

As reported by Jutarnji list, the luxury villa in Pula is ideal for a vacation in a quiet oasis, and yet in the center. But other than them, Paola will host women traveling the world with her here. Namely, Paola is a reputable marketing expert who has worked for global companies such as Unilever, Microsoft, and eBay, and is also involved in travel blogging and has her platform on Instagram called Femmetravel. She has also organized specialized holistic trips for women through her Miss Adventure platform for years. These are trips for smaller groups of women that Paola encourages to start their own companies, projects, create content, and entrepreneurship. She also organizes the Miss Adventure Festival, where she gathers interesting speakers whose goal is to connect women and empower them at all levels.

"My goal is for women to be satisfied with these trips mentally, emotionally, privately, and professionally. I inspire women to follow their dreams and live without fear and not regret anything they have done in life. Every trip I have organized so far has been different and each destination offers something special. We were in India, Morocco, Tanzania, Egypt, Jordan, and of course, we toured our country", Paola says.

"We visited Istria and here our trip focused on gastronomy, Paola tells us. Therefore, during such trips, the villa will serve as a second home for travelers who will experience the best in Pula and Istria with their hostess. Her festival will also be held here, where Paola will bring powerful women from all over the world. Such trips will be organized in the pre-season and post-season, and there will always be something special from Istria on the schedule", Paola adds.

This enterprising couple decided to invest in Pula primarily because it is Paola's hometown, they met here and bought land on the 10th anniversary of the relationship, and a luxury villa is being built near her family home. But, as she tells us, her husband also fell in love with Pula very quickly and very easily.

"In this way, we decided to promote Pula together, which is not such a well-known and popular destination in our country. And who knows, maybe one day we will move and come to live in Istria. That possibility is not ruled out", Paola concluded.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Villa Seven Hills Pula (@sevenhills_pula)

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.

November 29, 2020 - The one man and dog team from Outdoors Croatia are out and about again exploring Croatia - this time Seagull's Rocks and the Pula Arena.

What is th best way to explore The Great Croatian Outdoors to find out what this wonderful country has to offer?

There are lots of websites out there and Google is your friend, but there can be few better places to start than the team from Oudoors Croatia, which started out as one man and his dog, but has recently branched out into a family journey of exploration. 

As regular readers of TCN may recall, we have been featuring the excellent videos from the Outdoors Croatia team, as they seemingly cover every inch of this beautiful land, showcasing its natural beauty and adventure tourism potential. And, in these socially distanced times, perhaps there is no better time to escape the crowds and see what Croatia off the beaten path has to offer. 

In the latest installment, we head to Istria, and a kayaking experience in a place I have never heard of  - Seagull's Rocks - before heading to somewhere much more familiar, Pula Arena, the sixth largest Roman amphitheatre in the world.  Pula Arena is, of course, one of Croatia's most unusual event locations, hosting a range of activities from rock concerts to exhibition football matches and even an ice hockey game a few years ago. 

We visited The Seagull's Rocks in Pula, a very interesting area, there are beautiful beaches, small caves, it's really great. The only thing is that there were a few waves so it pushed them into the caves, it was not exactly a day to explore.

You can follow the latest from Outdoor Croatia on their YouTube channel.

For more from the TCN One Man and His Dog series, click here. 

November 16, 2020 – Sheltering a public square in the pretty Istrian village where she resides, The Oldest Lady in Medulin is Croatia Tree of the Year 2020 and will represent the country in the European Tree of the Year competition 2021

Najstarija Medulinka (the oldest lady in Medulin) is the winner of the Croatia Tree of the Year competition. She beat seven other contenders in a public vote set up by the competition's organisers, the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas of Nature of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The Oldest Lady in Medulin will now represent Croatia in the European Tree of the Year competition 2021.

The Oldest Lady in Medulin © Sonja Barbara Bader

The Oldest Lady in Medulin can be found in centrally in her village, which lies at the south of the Istrian peninsula. She shelters a public square in the village of Medulin and much merriment has previously taken place at gatherings beneath her branches. In English, this type of tree is sometimes called European nettle tree, Mediterranean hackberry, lote tree, or honeyberry.

The Oldest Lady in Medulin won Croatian Tree of the Year 2020 with 9373 votes. The tree is 115 years old. This species, Celtis australis, is widespread in Mediterranean countries and can grow up to 25 metres in height. It has been said these trees can live up to 400 years. Their branches are pliable when young and so, in the past, the tree has been used to make walking sticks and the handles of some tools. It's small fruits and its leaves are sometimes still used in folk medicine.

As many as 23,238 people this year voted in the Croatia Tree of the Year competition. The tree which came in second place was the London Planetree of Mursko Središće, Međimurje County with 5874 votes, and in third place was Baka Maslina (Grandmother's olive tree) from Kaštel Štafilić in Split-Dalmatia County with 5068 votes.

Voting for European Tree of the Year will open on 1st February 2021 and people will be able to choose a favourite until 28 February 2021, when voting closes. The winner will be announced in Brussels on 21 March 2021 on World Forest Day. Croatia first participated in the European Tree of the Year competition in 2018 and last year narrowly missed winning the competition. The country took second place for its 2020 entry, the 242-year-old Ginkgo biloba tree which stands in front of Castle Janković in Daruvar.

The 242-year-old Ginkgo biloba tree which stands in front of Castle Janković in Daruvar, Croatia Tree of the Year 2019 © JU-Priroda-BBŽ