More connections for both the Croatian and the Italian sides of the Adriatic sea as an Italian company plans to provide new, modern connections between Istria and the northern Italian city of Trieste.

As Morski writes on the 19th of June, 2019, the Italian company Liberty Lines has announced that this month it is set to connect the Italian city of Trieste with the west coast of Istria, as well as with Mali Lošinj, during the summer months.

The Italian media say that this news is to be welcomed with a great deal of excitement, given the fact that over the last few years, this Italian company, which is otherwise the largest in Europe in terms of its impressive hydrofoil fleet, has secured direct maritime connections with its most modern vessels, according to a report from the Istrian portal Istra terramagica.

This new service which will connect both sides of the Adriatic sea will be operational from June the 29th and will run on a daily basis, except on Tuesdays, with shares that include return trips on the same day. The destinations of Piran (Slovenia), Poreč (Croatia), Rovinj (Croatia), and Mali Lošinj (Croatia), will be connected to return trips from Trieste (Italy).

As published by the Italian portal Udinetoday.it, in order to reach the most sought-after tourist destinations on the Istrian coast of Croatia, as well as those in Slovenia, you can view the schedule available on the company's website or call the call centre on: 0039 0923 022022.

"We're very pleased to be able to continue our good relationship with Friuli Region and we're proud of the fact that our quality has been recognised. For many years, our company has been regarded as a leader in the sector of fast shipping, thanks to a series of state-of-the-art services that are essential for the development of tourism in areas of high demand,'' said Luca Morace, the managing director of Liberty Lines in conversation with Udinetoday.it, Istra terramagica writes.

Planning your journey across the Adriatic, or just need to get better acquainted with your ferry options? follow our dedicated travel page for much more.

Croatia, a country that heavily relies on tourism, can let out a sigh of relief. Although figures were not so encouraging until May, June has put Croatian tourism back on trend. Namely, the statistics that reveal the number of overnights and arrivals for foreign guests are good - and growing, reports Vijesti.hr on June 16, 2019. 

Specifically, Istria leads the pack, as it usually does every year. And so many travelers made their way to the sea by highways, traffic at the Lučko toll station has already seen a 4 percent increase compared to last year.

Holidays, summer heat, and humidity always seem to work in favor of Croatian tourism - and according to eVisitor data, this June is already stronger than last year.

Namely, there have been 1.3 million arrivals and 5.6 million overnights recorded, which is up 17 percent in arrivals and 11 percent in overnights compared to last year. 

All coastal counties have recorded growth, too. Istria leads the way with a 33 percent increase in arrivals and a 21 percent increase in overnights. Šibenik-Knin County leads Dalmatia with 16.7 percent more arrivals and 7 percent more overnight stays.

"It is common for Czechs to come to Croatia for the sea. It's close, the people are friendly and we enjoy it here,” said David from the Czech Republic.

But some have also noticed a rise in prices.

"Compared to Italy, the prices are the same. We expected them to be a little cheaper, but they are the same," said Rossana from Italy.

The price increase was also noted by Alen from Slovenia: 

"We noticed that the prices are higher each season. One example is that parking this year is twice as much as last year. That was the first thing we noticed today. We have only been here for two hours and we'll see what's going to be next."

Many tourists travel to Croatia by car, which could be seen by the line of traffic inching its way to the sea. Namely, the first hit tourist weekend saw 82,000 vehicles pass through the Lučko toll station on their way to the sea. 

The biggest traffic day was Friday, but on Sunday some 15,000 drivers set off to the Adriatic.

Thanks to these results, the forecast for this tourist season remains the same, and that is to surpass the year before one more.

Yo read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

June 16, 2019 - Pula in 4K is the latest release in a stunning set of videos from the team at Cities in 4k. A magical look at Istria's City of Tolerance. 

"Pula is a well known city of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula. It is also the largest city of Istria.Pula is a well-known city of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula. It is also the largest city of Istria.

"If you want to know more about this beautiful seafront city watch Pula in 4K. Pula offers a lot, like the protected harbor,beach-lined coast and multitude Roman buildings. The most popular Roman building is the Pula Arena, one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters.

"Enjoy Pula in 4K on the channel Cities in 4K and take a look at the Pula Arena, the Temple of Augustus,Arch of the Sergii, Aquarium Pula, Cathedral Pula, Venetian Fortress, Brijuni and much more. 

"Pula in 4K Filmed and Edited by Amir Kulaglic using:, GH5,, Sony a7r II and Sony a7r III for Timelapse, Hyperlapse, DJI Mavic Pro 2 for aerial."

To learn more about the wonderful city of Pula, here are 25 things to know from the popular TCN series about Croatia of the same name. 

Istria is set to open up new possibilities for employment with the construction and expansion of numerous companies operating within the Vinež industrial zone.

When it comes to finding work or starting a business in Croatia, you're likely to be met with little but negative and somewhat depressing headlines. Reading about the state of the economy is enough to send anyone into a spiral of depression, but if you scrape below the surface a little, you'll see that not everything is quite so bleak in reality.

As Glas Istre/Branko Biocic writes on the 4th of June, 2019, other companies also operating within the Vinež industrial zone in Istria also have plans for the expansion of their respective plants, and the MCZ factory is working on its third line for pellet boiler production, the Bibetech plant is currently planning to build a new three-thousand-square-metre hall, and an additional building of another service-grade hall.

While plans are being ''cooked'', the construction of another hall in Istria's Vinež industrial zone has actually begun. This is part of the project of the company Danieli Systec, which started work on the construction of a new production hall covering a significant three thousand square metres. Works should be completed by the end of this year, and everything will be fitted with electrical cabinets.

This is one of the investments that further raises the level which has already been marked as one of the top three in the Republic of Croatia.

In addition to this particular investment, the aforementioned company is also looking forward to the arrival of an extremely interesting company, Novation TEch. This company hails from the Italian town of Montebelluna, which manufactures parts of carbon fibers, and boasts factories in Italy and neighbouring Hungary.

The plan of this renowned company that manufactures carbon fiber parts for well-known world brands such as Formula1, as well as numerous automotive giants such as BMW and McLaren Mercedes and parts of aerospace industry, is to begin construction early in autumn and in March of next year, it aims to start working on production.

In its plant, Novation Tech plans to employ as many as ninety workers in the next two years, of which thirty will gain employment at the very beginning of the factory's functioning, giving those looking for work in Istria a reason to brush up their CV's.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business page for much more.

The Balbi Arch, an old symbol of former Venetian rule over Rovinj is given new life following over a year's worth of intense expert works on its cleaning.

As Glas Istre/Nina Orlovic Radic writes on the 1st of June, 2019, works which lasted thirteen months were carried out by experts from the Croatian Restoration Institute, and the cost of the works, amounting to 300,000 kuna, was co-financed by the Croatian Ministry of Culture.

After the restoration of Rovinj's famous stone Balbi Arch (Balbijev luk), one of the most recognisable symbols of Rovinj, which initially began last April was finally completed, the scaffolding and the plastic cloaks hiding the most frequwntly used entrance to Rovnj's historic core were removed. Yesterday, the Balbi Arch shone in a brand new light.

The seventh-century Balbi Arch had to be renovated and cleaned from exposure to various types of pollution and elements. Among other things, the weeds and other plants that had grown on the back of the arch were also properly removed. Since the Balbi Arch is a monument of culture, the necessary works were entrusted to the experts from the Croatian Restoration Institute.

Apart from being one of Rovinj's unmissable (and indeed hardly avoidable) top tourist spots, the Balbi Arch is one of the seven former city gates of medieval Rovinj, of which there are still three standing today and which remain in use.

Sitting a top of the Balbi Arch is a lion with wings on its back, a symbol of the Venetian Republic, depicted holding an open book in its paw, which means that Rovinj once accepted the rule of the Venetians without conflict or war, on the inside of the arch is the architecture style typical of the Venetian Republic, while the exterior is in Turkish style. 

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

You know that we’re creeping up to the start of summer when Break Time makes their mark. And on Saturday, June 1, the highly anticipated reopening of Croatia’s favorite nautical jewelry shop will officially mark the summer season in Rovinj.

After a long winter slumber, Break Time’s Rovinj shop is back and better than ever - and after a little rest and relaxation, they are more than ready to tackle another busy season with their faithful customers. From Saturday, June 1, Break Time is back in business with working hours from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm. 

But in proper Break Time fashion, you know that’s not the only big news they have in store (literally). 

Namely, in addition to Break Time’s fab selection of their best-selling nautical bracelets from the current collections (including the stainless steel anchors, boat and shackles), shoppers at the Rovinj location will be able to browse and buy a varied selection of their initial (2015/2016) collection of alloy anchor bracelets! Hello, Break Time’s first outlet shop! 

Furthermore, you know Break Time couldn’t announce the start to the summer without a touch of something new. After introducing the all black Split by Break Time anchor bracelet in large (4cm) and medium (3cm) sizes, fans can now rock the mini (2cm) version, too! 

They’ve even added a vibrant collection of new paracord colors as part of their Split collection, because who doesn’t love a pop of color? You can find Break Time's new arrivals here. 

With so many exciting new things brewing at Break Time, shoppers in Rovinj are truly offered the best bracelets Croatia can offer. 

If you’re visiting Istria this summer, be sure to add Break Time to your Rovinj itinerary. You can find Break Time at Via Arsenale 10 (on the corner with Zdenac 12) - and if those Rovinj alleyways are a bit too much, give Break Time Rovinj a call at +385-75-22-145, and they will guide you to nautical jewelry heaven. 

Not in Rovinj and still want a piece of Break Time? Lucky for you, these nautical bracelets can be found in four other locations, including Zagreb, Split (Zadarska 1 and Trogirska 8 ) and Dubrovnik. 

Break Time jewelry boasts over 300 models and color combinations, and they even offer custom engraving. Best yet, if you choose to engrave a marine animal (dolphin, sea turtle, shark, devil ray or whale) on your Break Time bracelet, the engraving price will be donated to the Blue World Institute, as part of Break Time's #SaveMarineLife campaign!

Break Time’s varied collections, from big anchor bracelets to rope necklaces and key rings, fit the mold of every human - regardless of gender, fashion sense (or lack of one), and status. And if you can’t make it into one of Break Time’s Croatian locations, don’t fret - their online shop is just one click away.

Break Time is a Croatian brand established in 2015 by Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu, two Romanian entrepreneurs that have chosen the sunny coastal city of Split as their home. Inspired by the Adriatic Sea, all the Break Time jewelry pieces are handmade by Leonard, and the use of high-quality materials, attention to detail and constant development of new collections are the ingredients that have made the brand so successful in less than four years.

To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

To read more about Split, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

ZAGREB, May 30, 2019 - Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) leader Boris Miletić said in Pula on Thursday that the result of the May 26 election for the European Parliament had shown once again that Istria was open, tolerant and progressive, that radicalism did not enjoy support in Istria and that Istrians looked to the right only when crossing the street.

Addressing a news conference, Miletić thanked all citizens who went to the polls on Sunday, notably those who supported the Amsterdam Coalition and the IDS, as well as all partners.

He stressed that the Amsterdam Coalition slate had won close to 42% of the vote in Istria.

The IDS won five times more votes in Istria than Živi Zid and seven times more votes than the HDZ, while the lead candidate on Amsterdam Coalition slate, Valter Flego, won 19,038 preferential votes, 16 times more than the Social Democrat candidate from Istria, said Miletić.

"The right has grown stronger in Croatia and a new player with extremely radical views has joined the circle of populist politicians. But that is not so in Istria, we have shown that Istria is a world unto itself and different from the rest of Croatia... that it thinks in an open, tolerant and progressive way... thanks to our citizens we have shown that radicalism does not enjoy support in Istria and that Istrians look to the right only when crossing the street," Miletić said, adding that this was the first time the IDS had decided to run in elections at the national level and without a big partner, winning, as a coalition leader, one seat in the European Parliament.

The newly elected member of the European Parliament from the Amsterdam Coalition, Valter Flego, who returned on Wednesday from his first official visit to Brussels since he was elected a member of the European Parliament, said that the first item on his agenda as a MEP would be reaching an agreement on priorities in the EU in the next five years and deciding on partners for negotiations, stressing that extremists, radicals and populists were ruled out.

"In the next five years, ALDE will have 108 members, the highest number ever. We have grown considerably and we are the third force in the European Parliament, with excellent growth trends, unlike the first two groups, the European People's Party and the Socialists, which have lost a large number of deputies compared to the last term," Flego said, adding that his priorities and areas of interest would be regional development, environmental protection, agriculture, industry, research and innovation, and transport and tourism.

More news about elections can be found in the Politics section.

The tourist season is just around the corner, and with the employment paradox of there being too many jobs but not enough workers, yet there being too many works and not enough jobs continuing in Croatia, some traditional seasonal employers are staying one step ahead when it comes to their level of care for their seasonal staff, at least in Novigrad.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of May, 2019, the Aminess tourist company has started building a hotel solely for its employees in Novigrad, Istria. The new hotel for the company's staff, along with all of the necessary prerequisites for participating on the commercial market, will be ready for the 2020 summer season.

The location of the new employee hotel in Novigrad extends up to 2,500 square metres is just ten minutes from the farthest Aminess tourist facility, the closest location at which said staff are likely to be working during the tourist season.

They will have a reception desk, a common kitchen with a dining area, a parking area and a closed bicycle storage room. The new Novigrad hotel's rooms will mostly be double with private bathrooms and with French balconies or terraces, modern furnishings and TV, as well as a heating and cooling system. In addition to the hotel's free Wi-Fi access, employees will also be able to enjoy a shared lounge area, and specially equipped rooms for the washing, drying and ironing of clothes.

"Happy and satisfied employees are key to the company's success. Therefore, with the benefits we offer, we have decided to build a hotel for our employees in order to make them feel comfortable. This will enable all employees coming from other regions to have even better quality accommodation with numerous benefits on offer to them,'' stated Sanja Žužić, Aminess' Human Resource Manager.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated lifestyle and business pages for much more.

Sea Star Festival in Stella Maris lagoon in Umag seems like a perfect invitation to kick start summer on a stunning location, with world-renowned artists and outstanding production. This is not the first time the festival will be held, and the first two editions have managed to charm the numerous audience, as well as the international and regional performers. Both the performers and the audience reported being impressed by the vibe at the festival, stunning Croatian coast, as well as the hospitality. The 2018 edition brought many improvements among which the new looks of Addiko Tesla Stage was certainly the most spectacular.

The Stella Maris lagoon complex in 2018 saw more than 80,000 visitors who witnessed numerous improvements to the festival, including the new look of the Addiko Tesla Stage - which has been described as spectacular (and will be returning again this year).  It was the largest concert stage ever set in this part of Croatia, and it dominated the beautiful lagoon where the festival is taking place - on six stages total. Stella Maris lagoon is best known as a location where the Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament has been organized since 1990. The success of the 2018 edition resulted in the nomination for the Best Medium-Sized Festival (the best festival with up to 40,000 visitors) at the European Festival Awards! 

In 2019, the Sea Star Festival will take place on May 24th and 25th, with a welcome party on the 23rd, and a closing party on the 26th. Those 4 days will be filled with an impressive performer lineup: the hip-hop phenomenon Wu-Tang Clan, one of techno’s “founding fathers”, Sven Väth, the absolute powerhouse of the electronic music scene of today Nina Kraviz! In addition to those superstars, the festival welcomes Ilario Alicante, Enrico Sangiuliano, talented local support such as Croatia’s techno mainstay Petar Dundov, and rising stars DJ Jock, Lawrence Klein and Unique. The festival also presents the second wave of stars – the rapidly rising star IAMDDB, Vojko V – the most sought-after hip-hop performer in the region, Krankšvester and a guest from Novi Sad - Fox.

Sea Star festival is part of unique EXIT festival family, comprised of the award-winning EXIT festival in Novi Sad, Serbia (one of the biggest festivals in Europe), as well three other festivals: Sea Dance in Buljarica, Montenegro, Revolution in Timisoara, Romania and Festival 84 at Olympic mountain Jahorina in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

Aminess Hotels & Camps has launched a project titled "Taste of Croatia", aiming to offer guests a unique gastronomic experience with exclusively domestic products from selected regional producers and family farms, which can be enjoyed at their hotels and camps, reports HRTurizam on May 11, 2019. 

The idea came from the Aminess Gourmet Lab project, led by chef David Scott, whose aim is to educate young chefs, waiters, bartenders and other members of the Aminess Gourmet team. With this concept of promoting Croatia's original products, Aminess offers its guests the best Croatian gastronomic experience possible. 

It is essentially the essence of tourism, as guests want to try something new and different; they want to taste something authentic. Croatia, with its incredible diversity and authenticity, can and must position itself in that segment. This offer also creates a healthy and sustainable system, stimulates the local economy, and is based on quality through fresh, homemade foods.

Aminess has imagined the new project so that the domestic products of OPGs will be included on the menus, and members of the Aminess gourmet team will also present the food and beverage offer to guests.

Thus, guests of Aminess hotels and camps will have the opportunity to get acquainted with Croatian gastronomy through three segments of the offer - Croatia in a bottle, Croatia on a plate and Croatia on a shelf.

'Croatia in the bottle' represents the drink offering, from indigenous wine varieties, rakija and spirits to wild and cultivated ingredients from intact nature. Next is 'Croatia on a plate', offering a taste of the regions in which the Mediterranean intertwines with the continent. Olive oil, delicious fish and shellfish, prosciutto and cheese, truffles and national specialties made from local ingredients are just some of the gastronomic delicacies on the menu. The Aminess Maravea Camping Resort also has a bakery that combines the segment of 'Croatia on a shelf'. Products such as golden grains, floral honey, marmalades of locally sourced fruit and dairy products from cows and sheep fed on nearby farms are all well rounded off with food items from local OPGs.

Currently, through the morning and evening meals at the buffet tables of the Aminess Maestral hotel, the Taste of Croatia offer includes the producers of Agro Klaster with products from Vukovar-Srijem County, Histris with homemade Istrian meat dishes without gluten, soy and lactose, fishing cooperative Istra with specialties made from freshly caught fish from the Adriatic Sea, and OPG Orbanić with a family tradition of preparing cheeses and milk delicacies made with milk from Istrian pastures.

Soon this offer will be introduced in other Aminess hotels, and in the summer months, the offer will be extended to fresh fruits and vegetables. 

A wonderful way to connect the ‘Blue and Green’ Croatia, bravo to Aminess for making the first concrete step in supporting Croatia’s local industry. 

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