One Istrian beach has slashed its prices considerably in the face of the economic crisis caused by the appearance of the new coronavirus.

The coronavirus pandemic has turned the world on its head and one of the most negatively affected sectors is the travel and tourism sector. As a result, many countries across Europe have implemented special measures in an attempt to curb the potentially devastating economic effects on that industry. The United Kingdom has launched the Eat Out to Help Out initiative which is valid throughout the month of August, in which the British Government pays a large percentage of your bill when you eat out in pubs and restautants that have signed up to the scheme, but what is going on here in Croatia?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 12th of August, 2020, in order to attract as many guests as possible during this difficult Croatian tourist season which has been plagued by... well, quite literally a plague, the management of the Duga Uvala hotel on the Istrian beach of the same name within the hotel complex has also been offering much more than competitive prices, local portal Glas Istre writes.

For example, a scoop of ice cream at this hotel catering facility costs only 5 kuna. A small beer can be bought for 6 kuna, and a large one costs a mere 10 kuna.

Various juices are sold for 5 kuna, and pancakes and healthy drinks cost 10 kuna. It is necessary to set aside a mere 20 kuna for a portion of sardines on this Istrian beach.

Just a few metres away, in a restaurant near the concessionaire of the beach, the prices are up to three times higher that what is being offered by this particular Istrian beach. In addition to cheap drinks, visitors, especially families with small children, are also attracted to Duga Vala by the entertainment offer for children, and the trampoline on the beach, set up, by the hotel, is free for everyone to use.

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August 12, 2020 - Istria has long been known as a top tourist destination. However, companies from the ICT sector operating through the ICT Istria Expert Group and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Pula decided to further brand the quality of life of their region to attract top professionals and companies.

HRTurizam writes that that is why a Branding Strategy has been developed that promotes Istria as an ideal place to live, work and study. The goal is to create a stimulating business environment in which the competencies of the sector will create significant benefits not only for ICT companies but also for the economy of the entire county.

"The strategy will enable us better visibility and recognizability of our activities aimed at local self-government units, the academic community and the general public, all to popularize ICT in Istria. This sector can be a generator of strategic economic growth in the region, but it needs the support of the local community, not in business because they are top experts in their field, but in removing bureaucratic obstacles and the order of society itself," Dean Verbanac, President of the IT Group of Istria, points out, adding that through the development of the strategy, they have established the key advantages that Istria can offer as an ICT destination, but also identified the problems.

"Specifically, our shortcoming is the lack of professional staff. Joint action is needed to influence the creation of staff that will remain there. And not only that - we want to bring young ICT professionals to Istria," says Verbanac.

The corona crisis has shown the strength of the ICT sector, and now is the right time for the region to impose itself as an attractive destination for digital nomads. This requires the help of the state, i.e., the regulation of such a form of work that will enable experts to work for any world company and enjoy all the benefits of living in the local area.

The fact that innovative ICT companies such as Infobip, Inter Soft Technologies, Infosit are already operating successfully in Istria, achieving global success and representing a great development perspective certainly helps to attract experts. They are focused on new technologies, and often their clients are the world's leading companies in their segments. Thus, good foundations are already there.

The branding strategy defines five values ​​of Istria - courage, excellence, local value, openness and ease of living. The problematic points are, in addition to the already mentioned lack of human resources, finding accommodation for professionals and bureaucracy.

Work is already being done on the visual identity of the ICT Istra Association, which will communicate the balance between business and private life, and on the other hand, show the diversity of advanced solutions that emerge in a. positive environment. This is precisely the comparative advantage that is important to emphasize nowadays in order to attract domestic and foreign IT talents.

A great new direction, added value and upgrade to tourism. Istria is an ideal destination for digital nomads.

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August 9, 2020 - Meet Marc Hough, a former international DJ who became a wine importer after visiting Dubrovnik and trying Croatia wine. In 2020, he returns for his 20th summer.

Situated in the north of England, about halfway up the island called Great Britain, the city of Manchester is famous for its football and music. Mancunians are proud of this. Two members of TCN are from the city, and when someone local asks “Odakle si?”, usually we say “Ja sam iz Manchestera” (I am from Manchester). We don't say "I'm from England" or "Great Britain". Everyone knows where Manchester is.


Marc Hough, a former international DJ. His passion for the Plavac he discovered in Dubrovnik turned him into a wine merchant.

20 years ago, Marc Hough was a high profile member of Manchester's famous music scene. He counts members of bands like The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays as close personal friends. As longstanding DJ to New Order (the band that was once Joy Division), he toured the world playing the music of Manchester to many. But, no more.

“I reached the age of 40 in 2010 and thought, what am I doing with my life?” Hough told TCN over the phone, as he was preparing for a trip Dubrovnik. “DJing and the music business is a young man's game.”

And so, inspired by an enthusiasm for Croatia wine, he turned his back on a high profile DJ career and became a wine bar owner and wine merchant.


One of Marc's 'Cork Of The North' wine bars / stores near Manchester © Cork Of The North

“When I started, I was literally just selling wine out of the back of my car. I only had five customers and three of those were my dad, my brother and me!” remembers Marc, who has built his independent business considerably since then. He is now a wholesaler, recommending and selling wines to top bars and restaurants in the north of England. He has also opened two of his own wine bars 'Cork Of The North' (which are also wine shops), in Sale and Heaton Moor, near Manchester.

“Croatia plays such a big part in the story,” stresses Marc. “I've been visiting Dubrovnik for over 20 years. I had a friend from there who I met in Manchester. She came to live here for a while to escape the war. After it finished, she went home, invited me to Dubrovnik and I just fell in love with the place.”

“There was a wine bar in the Old Town called D'Vino, run by a half Croatian half Australian guy called Saša. After I saw what he was doing there with Croatia wine, I thought that's exactly the kind of place I'd like to have in Manchester.”

Already passionate about wine thanks to his grandad, that first trip to Dubrovnik made Marc curious to return. On his next visit to Croatia, he travelled further than just the Pearl of the Adriatic and went to the source of some Croatia wine itself.


Part of the Pelješac peninsula, which features heavily in Marc's 20-year affair with Croatia wine © Anto

“I came back on a sailing holiday with Bernard Sumner (guitarist of Joy Divison and singer of New Order),” Marc recalls. “He loves sailing and he has his own boat. We went all round Pelješac, Korčula, Brač. I fell in love with Dingač. Since then, I've travelled all of Dalmatia and through Istria learning about the wines. I've been to Bosnia to try their varieties like Vranac. But, for me, the most recent, amazing discovery has been Slavonia. They make some incredible white wines there; Graševina, Cabernet Franc, Traminac.”


New Order, the band that was once Joy Division. Marc Hough toured the world as their DJ © RL GNZLZ

“For me, it's always half holiday, half work,” Marc tells us, as he packs for his 20th annual trip to Dubrovnik, which begins on Sunday 11 August. “Amazing views, amazing people, amazing food and amazing wine. But, the wine always inspires thoughts of work. I can't help myself. I love visiting the vineyards, meeting the winemakers. It's not the same as when you do it in other countries. In Croatia, you'll often be invited into the kitchen or onto the terrace of the winemaker's home. You'll leave with arms full of different bottles - some gifted - and you can even be sold fine wine unceremoniously in a plastic bottle. I love that informal, homemade feel of the experience. It's charming and honest. When I go on buying trips in France, Spain and Italy, it's rarely like that.”

Dubrovnik's tourist season has this year stalled in response to COVID-19. Its visitors' reliance on charter air and cruise ships has proved inflexible. Yet, a little further up the coast, in Makarska and Omiš, the city centres are now full of families who drive to these places every year. Dubrovnik's offer is more once-in-a-lifetime, less loyalty. Unless, of course, it's the wines and not the walls that call you to Dubrovnik.

“It's inevitable that I'll find something new that I want to bring back with me,” Marc says of his impending trip. “Every visit is a voyage of discovery. This time, although I'll again be based around Dubrovnik, I'm determined to go to Slavonia to look at some Graševina and Cabernet Franc, which thrives in the terroir there.”


Marc Hough with just one of his famous friends from the Manchester music scene. Bez, of the band Happy Mondays, is now a customer at Cork Of The North © Cork Of The North

“I wanted to start importing Croatia wines years ago but, for someone at my level, it was so difficult before Croatia became a full member of the EU. Tariffs were payable on the borders and if you wanted to move wines from south Dalmatia - Dubrovnik and the islands - you'd have to go through the border with Bosnia. I lost several whole shipments to the Bosnian police, who said my paperwork was incorrect (it wasn't). It's much better these days. But, there's still very little Croatian wine in the UK, even though the interest in Croatia wine is massive. There's a big demand from people who are really passionate about wine, but also people who come back from holiday, have enjoyed Croatian wine, go searching for it, and just can't find it.”

Cork Of The North varies its selection of fine wines throughout the year. At the moment, Marc stocks Kozlović Teran and Kozlović Malvasia from Istria and Septem Pontes Plavac Mali from Pelješac.

“For an independent like me, I buy an export pallet for each wine I want to bring back. That's 600 bottles of each wine.,” he says, “and as my own personal passion right now is for Graševina, I expect at least one of those to be filled with Slavonian wine on this trip.”


Marc Hough on one of his Croatia wine buying excursions

August 6, 2020 - The Istria County Tourist Board brought in several foreign journalists, influencers and bloggers to help promote the region during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Glas Istre writes that the tourism sector has found itself in big trouble and a rather tricky situation given the extraordinary circumstances due to COVID-19. Nevertheless, in the first half of 2020, the Istria County Tourist Board managed to animate several prominent foreign journalists, influencers and bloggers who visited Istria as part of individual and group trips and agent trips from various countries in cooperation with the Croatian Tourist Board and various partners, points out Denis Ivosevic, director of the Istria County Tourist Board.

"From the very beginning, the situation was very uncertain, and now, as the circumstances improve over time, the PR activities of the Istria County Tourist Board are intensifying. In cooperation with the PR partner for the German and Austrian market ART RedaktionsTeam, we organized the reception of journalist teams from several important German and Austrian media, including Fallstaff, "a la carte", Kronen Zeitung, Freizeit & Kulinarik and many others. Through the Croatian National Tourist Board Representation in the United States, Istria was visited at the end of July by American agents, owners of boutique agencies specializing in luxury eno-gastronomic experiences," says Ivosevic.

The Istria County Tourist Board, together with the tourist boards of Rovinj and Pula and the CNTB Representation in Paris, is preparing a large project for promotion on the French market in the coming period.

Namely, the region will be featured on the leading travel show in France "Echappées Belles" which provides excellent visibility. There are plans to record a new show about Croatia from August 10 to 23. The ninety-minute show will be aired in May 2021 on the national TV channel France 5 in a prime time slot. The show is watched by an average of more than a million viewers on French national television.

"In cooperation with the PR partner for the German and Austrian markets, a group of 12 very important Austrian and German journalists will come to Istria in September and the first half of October, accompanied by the owner of the ART RedaktionsTeam agency. We hope that the situation will continue to improve everywhere in the world and that the coming period will bring us at least a little relief and some new optimism. The investments we are investing in this year, which are investments in PR agencies, promotional campaigns, and in air transport, will have a direct effect on the next tourist year. This will be most visible in the partnership projects and the increase of airlines to Pula," Ivosevic concluded.

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ZAGREB, Aug 4, 2020 - A thunderstorm hit parts of Croatia on Monday evening, with the area of Karlovac, south of Zagreb, and the northern Adriatic region of Istria being the most affected.

The storm, which was accompanied by hail, with hailstones the size of an egg, caused damage to roof tiles and cars and knocked down trees, prompting calls to local firefighters to help remove the damage and protect property.

August 14, 2020 - A wonderful outpost of Croatian gourmet tourism in the heart of Brussels. Meet Maison d'Istrie for your finest Istrian specialities in the heart of Europe.  

One of the more unusual things about the excellent food in Croatia is that there is not really a national cuisine. Croatia is exceptionally strong in its regional cuisine, with local specialities across the country very different from elsewhere. The truffles, pastas and Boskarin beef washed down with Mavazija and Teran in Istria contract with the excellent seafood, pasticada, Plavac Mali and Posip of Dalmatia, which is different again from the hearty meats, fis paprika and Grasevina of Slavonia. It is a wonderful combination, and the late, great Anthony Bourdain rightly commented that Croatia had 'world-class wine, world-class food, and world-class cheese.'

But while Dalmatians will look forward to a gift of kulen from Slavonia or truffles from Istria, the region's restaurants rarely travel. It is quite rare to find an Istrian restaurant in Dalmatia, for example, or a Dalmatian restaurant in Slavonia. 

Which is why it was quite a surprise on a recent visit to Belgium to discover a restaurant very far from home - Maison d'Istrie.  

Located on Avenue Louise, the restaurant introduces itself on its social media as follows:

"Maison d’Istrie is much more than just a B&B, restaurant and wine bar. Our wish is to transfer love for Istrian Mediterranean gastronomy to Belgians and beyond. It’s a concept which offers a truly unique experience of a new taste in town."

Owner Bojan Radetic sat down with me over a glass of San Servolo to explain more about the origins of Maison d'Istrie and what they were trying to achieve. You can see the interview with the man from Pula above, as well as the incredible collection of Istrian wines, which would be the envy of many restaurants back home in Istria. 

Maison d'Istrie opened two years ago and is the only Croatian restaurant in the Belgian capital. As such, it is an excellent promotional tool for Croatia and is popular with locals, Croatian expats and the many Belgian visitors to Croatia, who long for a reminder of summer on the Adriatic. During the recent Croatian Presidency of the EU, it was also a popular diplomatic meeting point, and continues to be so.  

And the emphasis is very much on freshness and authentic products. More than 80% of the food is prepared on site, including Istria's famed pasta and gnocchi, while suppliers such of Karlic for Istrian truffles, show that no expense has been spared in the search for quality.  

I only discovered the restaurant due to a road trip back in June with the indefatigable Nikola Bozic, owner of leading meat restaurant Djurina Hiza in Varazdinske Toplice. Having already set up a corona lockdown steak delivery service all over Croatia back in April, Bozic expanded his  operations to connect with the Croatian diaspora in parts of Europe, as well as Croatian gourmet businesses. 

Bozic arrived with some gifts, which were very appreciated by the Maison d'Istrie chef - it is not every day that you find your chef singing with a quality dry-aged steak from Croatia. One early result of this first meeting is that both will be participating in the European Week of Regions and Cities initiative in October, one more chance to promote the excellence of Croatian regional cuisine. 

A super friendly and welcoming place, with a really quite outstanding selection of authentic Istria, in the company of passionate Istrians more than happy to talk about their beloved region and gourmet highlights. 

August 3, 2020 - In July, Istria achieved 60 percent of last year's tourist traffic. According to eVisitor, 630,000 arrivals were recorded on the Peninsula last month, and in 2020 so far, the number of visitors exceeded one million.

Glas Istre reports that on average, guests spent more than seven days on holiday, and in July, there were 4.77 million tourist overnights. The number of overnights spent since the beginning of this year in Istria increased to 6.7 million.

Caution and the higher possibility of respecting social isolation measures have taken their toll, so when it comes to Istria County, so this July, the most in-demand accommodation was camps and holiday homes. These two segments of the tourist offer, when absolute numbers are in question, achieved the best results. The category listed in eVisitor as household facilities recorded more than 200,000 tourists in July, and 1.5 million tourist overnight stays. These results are thirty percent worse than those achieved last July, but given that holiday homes and villas with swimming pools, which are extremely popular this summer, are in the same category as apartments, for which the demand is still somewhat lower, it can be assumed that a large number of buildings from this first group passed this July without the slightest gaps.

Istrian hotels also had slightly better occupancy than in June, but given the specific situation with the organization of business and compliance with all prescribed epidemiological measures, most of them opened their doors only last month. Hotel accommodation in Istria recorded 114 thousand tourist arrivals in July, and almost 640 thousand overnight stays, which is about 40 percent of the result achieved last year. When it comes to far smaller numbers, there are also segments of the tourist offer on the Peninsula, which, even in these times burdened by the constant threat of COVID, managed to achieve results that surpassed those of last year. In that sense, the absolute champion of July 2020 in Istria is nautical tourism, which with 4,207 arrivals and 33,329 overnight stays in both comparative indices, exceeds last year's results by about 2 percent.

In terms of the number of guests, the first are the Germans, who in July were only about 10 percent less than last year. The Slovenes overtook the Austrians in second place, who traveled far less abroad this summer due to a solid campaign by the Austrian government and the local media. While arrivals from Germany to Istria reach 87 percent, and from Slovenia, 95 percent of last year, those from Austria were halved. Thus, in July, the number of Austrians on the Istrian coast was as much as 53 percent lower than in the comparable period last year.

When looking at individual Istrian destinations, compared to July last year, Medulin is at as much as 95 percent, and Porec and Rovinj at about 90 percent. Interestingly, near Istria, there is one town that was 2-3 percent better than July last year - Crikvenica.

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July 29, 2020 – If you ever find yourself thinking how you've already seen all of Croatian's beautiful nature, you're probably wrong. One of the unexplored beauties of Istria is Zarečki krov, a cave reminiscent of a roof, which is why it got a name “krov”, meaning roof in Croatian.

It is located near Pazin in Istria, where the river Pazinčica, in its flow, creates a ten-meter high waterfall above the cave. The waterfall falls into a ten-meter deep lake, which is the main attraction for swimmers. Even the heartland of Istria also has a place to freshen up.

Even if you're not willing to swim in a lake or jump from “the roof”, you can enjoy breathtaking views, clean, emerald water and the reflection of the blue sky in it.

Beautiful in every season

Depending on the seasons and the amount of water in the river, the waterfall changes its size, so you can either see a nice, small waterfall, or a big gorgeous one.

Local people know the beauty of Zarečki krov very well, so they also visit it during the winter when the water is frozen and when it creates beautiful ice flowstones.

During the summer, tourists come to Zarečki krov to find refreshments, have a picnic, and enjoy beautiful central Istrian nature. Swimming and jumping from the “roof” of the cave in a lake are the main activities, as well as walking around and even hiking.

Even competitions in jumping and amateur water polo are also held here!

How to get there

This lovely attraction sits along with the flow of the river Pazinčica near the city of Pazin in Istria. It’s less than three kilometers away from Pazin towards a smaller town called Cerovlje.

If you're driving through the Istrian Y from the coast, you can either exit in Pazin or Cerovlje, although the closest exit to Zarečki krov is Ivoli, though it is currently closed.

If you’re driving from the direction of the Učka tunnel, you must exit the Y at Cerovlje and drive three more kilometers towards the village of Zarečje.

Google Maps will lead you to Zarečki krov through the village of Zarečje, but you can also get there from the other side of the river through the macadam road.

It takes only an hour car ride from Rijeka, Pula, or Umag to Zarečki krov, and even less than an hour from the Istrian cities of Poreč and Rovinj. 

A place of Tranquility

Istria is full of hidden gems like Zarečki krov that are still waiting to be discovered, but sometimes, the fact that they're not well-known is what makes them even more special. Therefore, whoever wants to stop and relax for a bit, Zarečki krov is the right place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the cities.

If you find yourself driving towards the Istrian coast, or if you're in a rush to come back home to central Croatia, make sure to stop for an hour or two and inhale a freshness of the untouched nature.

July 29,  2020 - The Travelers Choice list dedicated to theme parks and water parks was published on Wednesday... and Istralandia is once again the best water park in Croatia and the only Croatian park represented in Europe's top 10!

HRTurizam reports that the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2020 ranking dedicated to the category of water parks, published today by the most important internet portal for quality excellence ratings in the world, confirmed that Istralandia is the 3rd best European water park in the competition of more than 300 European water parks. Istralandia is classified as the 5th best water park in the world.

The ratings are processed based on the TripAdvisor algorithm that compares different parameters, including the ranking, quantity and quality of reviews published by the international user community.

The European bronze medal emphasizes the values ​​of quality and is another in a series of confirmations of excellent international positioning, which again sees Istrialandia in the European Top 10, and the only Croatian park to compete amongst the best in Europe. 

"Third place for Istria is a sign of growing public respect and comes at the center of a particularly complex season for this sector, fitting in with the task of harmonizing entertainment and respecting new safety protocols and epidemiological measures," said Silvio Kraljevic, head of Istralandia Aquapark.

Kraljevic says that Istralandia bases its attractions and services on several, clear and simple "rules of the game", preserving the original formula of the park, like a perfectly successful combination of fun and entertainment for all lovers of water attractions, taking care of the cleanliness in accordance with the highest hygienic standards and, of course, impeccable safety for all visitors and lovers of water elements.

“The award restores employees' hope that quality always wins because it recognizes the effort and constant investment in staff training, kindness and professionalism, care for greenery, entertainment and variety of animation programs, order, cleanliness and quality of pool water, rich and varied gastronomic offer, new adrenaline attractions of the latest generation, always high standardized levels of services, a rich sports offer and, at the same time, great readiness to accept innovative entertainment programs," says Kraljevic and emphasizes that he thanks all the employees of Aquapark Istralandia for this important new achievement and great international success, which is also a great tourist success for the destination of Istria and Croatia in general.

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July 28, 2020 - The head of the Istria County Civil Protection Headquarters, Dino Kozlevac, said on Monday in Pazin that there are almost 200,000 tourists in Istria, a total of almost 400,000 people, so there is a high probability of a stronger spread of the coronavirus, but that the system works flawlessly.

"There are almost 400,000 people in Istria currently. There is a high probability that the virus may spread even more strongly, but for now, the system is functioning flawlessly," Kozlevac said at a session of the Istrian County Assembly, as reported by Glas Istre.

He added that the situation is changing from day to day, which is why certain decisions were made on easing measures for the economy and tourism to the satisfaction of citizens, and that, given the new dynamics of the pandemic, preparations for autumn and winter have begun.

"All decisions of the County Civil Protection Headquarters are evaluated and made in agreement and cooperation with the prefect, mayors and chiefs. Although such information was leaked to the public, there were no breakthroughs in the health system. We are ready for worse situations because our system is complex," said Kozlevac.

The director of the Institute of Public Health of Istria County, Aleksandar Stojanovic, informed the county councilors that there are currently 110 people positive for the coronavirus in Istria and that 316 people are under self-isolation measures.

"Due to the milder clinical picture of patients, not all COVID-positive people are currently hospitalized. Asymptomatic people are treated at home, i.e., at-home treatment," said Stojanovic, adding that the system has recently been opened and that, accordingly, a large number of people, local and foreign, are moving through Istria County, which increases the risk of spreading the infection.

"Currently, the largest number of newly infected people come from the area of Umag, Buzet and Labin, and large gatherings are still our biggest problem. Based on daily reports, it can be seen that Istria County conducts a wide number of tests, i.e., that every fifth person tested in Croatia is from Istria. The tourism sector has calmed because, as far as new patients are concerned, a small number of infected tourists have been identified," Stojanovic concluded.

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