As SibenikIN writes on the 16th of January, 2019, the much loved Seasplash Festival is set to move from Istria where it has been held so far, to a brand new location for 2019's festival. Seasplash Festival's seventeen-year long tradition will take to Martinska beach in Šibenik, as the festival's organisers have revealed.

''Situated directly across from the city of Šibenik, on the unique Srima peninsula and at the entrance to Šibenik's harbour, Martinska will open up a new chapter in the history of the festival with its appearance and location. From July the 18th to the 21st, 2019, relaxing in the sun and the sea with the best of domestic and international reggae, dub, drum and bass, jungle, ska and punk is waiting for you at Martinska!,'' Seasplash Festival's organisers state.

Lee "Scratch" Perry, Scientist and Mad Professor - the trinity of still active diva and reggae legends will perform together on the main stage of the 17th Seasplash Festival. Martinska, as the new venue for the festival, will host some of the world's top bass music for its premiere.

Lee "Scratch" Perry, a true Jamaican icon, a music producer and a revolutionary, has the rightful title of one of the most enduring and most original reggae producers and performers of all time. In 2003, Perry won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album, in 2004, Rolling Stone added Perry to the list of the greatest artists of all time, and this year, in the eightieth year of his life, he will perform for the first time at Seasplash Festival. Bob Marley, The Wailers, The Clash, Beastie Boys, Max Romeo, and Adrian Sherwood are just some of the famous names he collaborated with.

After last year's memorable performance, the ingenious dub producer Mad Professor returns to Seasplash Festival. Until the early 90s, Mad Professor and his Ariwa Studio achieved a legendary status with over one hundred albums, world-wide tours and many stars (Depeche Mode, Jamiroquai, Beastie Boys). In the new millennium, with more than 200 released albums, Ariwa created his own soundsystem, with which he travels around the world, to various clubs and festivals.

Earlybird festival tickets for Seasplash Festival are now sold out, and currently tickets are being sold at a price of 249 kuna for the Republic of Croatia and the countries of former Yugoslavia.

Follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

Sandi and Tedi Chiavalon have developed the most successful export brand of top-quality Istrian olive oils in the last 20 years. In an interview, they talk about the stages of their business development, the decisions that were the key to the success of the Chiavalon olive oil and the most significant export challenges, reports plavakamenica.hr on January 11, 2019.

Is Croatia seen internationally as an olive-growing country, like Spain or Greece?

The perception varies significantly depending on the market segment. Experts certainly perceive Istria as a serious olive-growing region. The results and achievements in the production of the last fifteen years mean that the Istrian olive-growing is nowadays spoken about with a great deal of respect. On the other hand, we still have to work hard on the popularisation of our extra-virgin olive oils among the wider public, the consumers themselves. Branding a region, a production area, is a long-term job that we must continuously be worked on at multiple levels. This, of course, involves a strategic approach with clearly set goals in the synergy between producers, regions and all ministries – Agriculture, Tourism, Economy, Finance and Foreign Affairs.

Which olive-producing country is the best in branding?

Spain is an excellent example. In addition to Italy and Greece, Spain is undoubtedly the most famous olive-growing country. This year, they launched a major promotion campaign for their olive oils called Olive Oil World Tour. The European Commission supports the campaign. This is the way we have to go if we want to put ourselves on the global map of top-quality olive oil producers that are relevant to consumers around the world.

Are Istrian oils becoming more recognisable as compared to olive oils from Tuscany, Provence or super-premium Spanish oils?

Absolutely, our potential is growing year after year. We are achieving better and better results, and it does not go unnoticed. But for a more serious step forward, and to position Croatia and Istria as a serious olive-growing region, producers need institutional assistance and cooperation. We need a joint master plan with clear goals and specific resources and deadlines. The government should understand that olive oil is one of few Croatian agricultural products that we can say are the best or among the best in the world, and as such is a tremendous economic potential that is currently left unused.

Which phases did Chiavalon pass, from the first steps in international markets to its present status?

There were a lot of stages – sometimes planned, sometimes accidental. If I had to describe them together, I would say that the key is uncompromising work on the quality in all business segments, which we have set as the goal from the very start, and the great passion and love of our entire family towards the work we do.

What was the most important thing for success at each stage?

The unregulated market in Croatia and the impossibility of collecting receivables were probably the main triggers for us to start thinking about exports almost immediately. Another significant moment for our business was the entry of Croatia into the European Union. This has opened an enormous market which functions without administrative barriers we used to encounter, and we have used this in the best possible way. Since entering the EU, our business has increased revenues almost five times.

What would you say is the most critical element for the successful export of Croatian olive oils?

We cannot compete with large olive-growing regions in quantity and in the segment of low cost and medium-range olive oils, so we should not even try to compete there. That is why it is vital that we do not lose focus from producing premium olive oils because that is the only way to differentiate us and position us in the eyes of consumer and experts. Besides, the segment of environmentally-certified products is growing much faster than conventional production, and we certainly should encourage manufacturers to follow that route.

What are the most common mistakes we make in foreign markets?

The most significant limitation is probably the fact that we act independently as producers, without institutional support. Unlike in Italy, Spain or Greece, our producers are creating their own path and thus making a path for others from Croatia, but they are doing it with their resources and money. This is undoubtedly the most crucial obstacle to the faster and more efficient promotion of our oils on the global stage.

Your major export markets are the United States, Japan and Taiwan. Are you planning to expand to additional ones?

We are just finishing export documentation for Peru and Mexico. This will be our first step into the markets of South America. In the next period, we are intensely thinking about Russia and Switzerland, where we want to increase our presence.

Why aren’t there more producers ready to submit their oils to prestigious competitions?

Taking part in such events is very expensive, especially if you want to compete at the world's major shows. One of the ways in which the government and the ministries could assist in exporting and branding of our olive oils would be to co-finance the costs of sending samples to various events, as well as to co-finance the costs of attending special events. Other olive-growing regions have been doing this for years.

What is the goal of exporters like you, to place their oils in shops or to sell them to restaurants?

We want to reach the target audience, whether it is through direct sales, specialised stores or restaurants. Businesses which offer our olive oil must know everything about us, about our family, about our philosophy and our way of working. Our distributors must be our ambassadors, and that is why we carefully select them and improve our cooperation year after year.

How important are branding and design in your project? Have they influenced your reputation abroad?

Branding and design are essential in creating and promoting every product, including olive oil. We have worked very hard on this, and I would dare to say that we have given the branding and design the same attention as the production itself. Aside from the quality of our oils, we have received many awards for product design. We have won the prestigious Red Dot packaging award, and some of our labels are exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Essen and in Chicago. The well-conceived design definitely gives added value to the product and differentiates it in the market. We are also very interested in co-branding and co-operation efforts like the one we have with the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe (JRE) in Croatia and Austria.

Could you describe the process of designing a new label and introducing a new brand to the market?

The process is always the same. We start from the idea which we develop ourselves to the smallest details. Then we give this idea to designers who have to turn it into a finished product. The process is fascinating and complex, and we have learned a lot about the basics of industrial design, technology and the problems that we will face during this process. Each product is a new challenge, but we are helped by our partners, designers, printers, packaging makers, photographers and others who are involved in creating a new product. Without them, we would not be what we are today. These are all large and small companies from Croatia, which proves that we know and can realise everything we want to.

More news on the Croatian olive oils can be found in our Lifestyle section.

Translated from plavakamenica.hr.

Children are full of an enviable amount of energy, and in the popular Istrian city of Pula, an idea that is totally unique in Croatia has come to the minds of those wanting to harness the mild climate and create what is being described as an outdoor, forest kindergarten.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of December, 2018, grazed knees, muddy clothes, jumping around in ponds, climbing the trees, cold, rosy cheeks and smiling faces are everything that should be expected of a child, and Pula has come up with an innovative idea to harness childrens' curiosity for the outdoors, an idea entirely unique in Croatia.

As Glas Istre reports, the vision is that of a happy early childhood spent a unique ''forest kindergarten'' which is an idea that should come to life during springtime in Pula. The conceptual initiator of this unique idea is psychologist and certified nanny Francesca Miličević, who is herself a mother of a two-year-old child.

When asked how she came to the idea of ​​opening a kindergarten where most of the time children would stay outside, she said that she had observed how it's done in Scandinavian countries, and that she united various pedagogical systems, as well as permaculture, ecology, and of course, spirituality.

''The Kindergarten is being created in cooperation with the Heartface association and another specialist organisation, and the process of leasing a part of the forest at Veli vrh from Croatian Forests (Hrvatske Šume) is already underway,'' stated Milićević, explaining that this kindergarten will receive children from ages threee to six, and the idea is unique in Croatia as it will differ from the classic type of kindergarten in that the emphasis will be placed primarily on the children spending more time out in the open, enjoying nature, regardless of the weather conditions.

''We're blessed with the climate, it's the end of December, and outside there is beautiful sunshine. These kind of kindergartens are common in countries where the winter is extremely cold, so getting too cold isn't something that really needs to be feared. Indeed, scientific research proves that children who spend more time outdoors, in the fresh air, are healthier than those who spend more time in confined spaces,'' says the kickstarter of this kindergarten which will be one of a kind, and unique in Croatia.

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

Questions about property in Croatia are common, and while the prices vary dramatically in various regions of the country, with places like Split and Dubrovnik typically dominating, there have been some significant fluctuations.

As Novac.hr/Jutarnji/Iva Novak writes on the 15th of December, 2018, Crozilla.com's data on property in Croatia showed that average prices of advertised houses rose by 0.8 percent in November. When comparing them to apartments, which are still more expensive than houses, the difference was almost 21 percent.

Dubrovnik, with a difference of 10 percent, and Poreč with 2.5 percent, remained, as they did in previous months, rare cities in which houses were more expensive than apartments. The biggest monthly increase was recorded in Dubrovnik, where prices rose 5.8 percent, so the value per square metre in a house, with the price of a garden included, rose to 4,145 euros.

For a square metre of a house in Poreč, an average of 1,911 euros was requested, which is 0.4 percent more than it was during the previous month. The biggest difference in prices during November posted on Crozilla.com in Bjelovar, where houses were more than 44 percent cheaper than apartments, and then in Osijek where the difference was 39 percent, followed by Varaždin, at 36.3 percent.

The average advertised price of houses in Bjelovar was only 434 euros per square metre, which is 0.9 percent less than the month before. In Osijek, their value rose by 1.2 percent, while the price per square metre was only 587 euros. The data also showed that houses in Varaždin increased by 0.6 percent on average, and 713 euros was being asked per square metre.

In Zagreb, house prices were almost 34 percent lower than apartment prices, and the price per square metre advertised was 1,261 euros on average, representing a monthly increase of 0.7 percent. In Slavonski Brod, a 634 euros per square metre of a house was demanded, which is almost 21 percent less than the price of the apartment there.

The value of houses fell by 0.3 percent on the monthly level, as well as in Senj, where they were 25 percent cheaper than apartments, and their average cost was 1,195 euros per square metre. Lower monthly value in the amount of 0.9 percent was recorded in Umag, where 1,877 euros was being requested per square metre for a house, which is 7.8 percent less than the average price of apartments there.

In Opatija, house prices fell by 1.1 percent, and the value of their ''square metres'' dropped to 2,216 euros, which is almost 25 percent less than the advertised apartment price. There was a similar difference in the prices of houses and flats in Šibenik, where the average square metre price in a house averaged 1,529 euros, which is 0.1 percent less than it was during the previous month.

In Zadar, however, houses were about 23 percent cheaper than apartments.

Their monthly values ​​increased by 0.5 percent in November, and the price per square metre, with a garden included, stood at 1,698 euros. The prices of houses in Split rose by 3.8 percent on a monthly basis and reached 2,417 euros per square metre. Housing there during November was about 15 percent cheaper than apartments there were, and such a difference in prices was also recorded in Rijeka, where 1,229 euros per square metre were being demanded, 0.8 percent more than the previous month.

In Pula, according to Crozilla.com, prices on a monthly basis increased by 0.3 percent, so the price per square metre of a house demanded 1,459 euros on average, which is 13.1 percent less than the price of the apartment.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more information on property in Croatia and much more.

Click here for the original article by Iva Novak for Novac.hr/Jutarnji

After Istria was represented by 75 olive oils in 2018, this year, the region became the best for olive oil once again. 

December 9, 2018 — In the first article of the Best of Istria series find out about the famous Istrian winemaker Giorgio Clai, his philosophy and why his wines are some of the best you'll find in Croatia.

Up until ten or so years ago, the entire Istrian premium wines production scene could've been narrowed down to several names. Today, there are more than twenty regional winemakers comprising the Istrian winemaking elite, with Giorgio Clai of Clai Winery being one of them.

With more than 20 years in the restaurant business under his belt — all the while "making wine as a hobby" — in 2002 Giorgio decided to move back from Trieste, Italy to his native Istria with the idea of reinvigorating the Clai family estate which consequently pushed his beloved hobby into a vocation.


Photo: Dimitri Brečević & Giorgio Clai

And even though he was successful running the business on his own, several years ago, Clai joined forces with Dimitri Brečević of Piquentum Winery, a French-born winemaker who studied enology in Bordeaux, and upon graduation, also decided to move to his paternal homeland. Together, they are continuing to make top quality natural wines.

The Clai estate is located in Krasica, a small village just outside the medieval Grožnjan, with its vineyards and olive groves nestled among the lush rolling hills that stretch along the Mirna river valley. Though Clai's grape varieties are primarily ones indigenous to Istria — Malvazija, Refošk, and some Teran — he also cultivates Bordeaux giants like Merlot, Pinot, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon.

Praised as Istria's winemaking maverick, il grande Clai, as his friends and admirers call him, is known for producing some daringly individual wines though with an amazing level of balance and finesse, whereas Clai himself says that he'd rather have people dislike his wines than not recognize them.


Photo: Giorgio Clai in his vineyard

What's it all about 

Giorgio Clai's philosophy is quite simple: he believes that every wine must fully express the grape variety and terroir and, if you work with respect for nature, no year is "good" or "bad" — the vintages are just different, depending on seasonal climate which determines wine's quality.

Adopting an approach to winemaking that first and foremost respects the environment, Clai has entirely eliminated the use of chemicals and pesticides, following the principles of ecological, biological and biodynamic agriculture. In fact, Giorgio likes to compare vines with humans: just as the use of antibiotics and synthetic vitamins weakens our immunity, so does the chemical treatment of vineyards weaken the vines.

As for the wine production itself, Clai relies on spontaneous fermentation and doesn't use any additional enzymes or selected yeasts; he uses wooden barrels for mellowing the wine and bottles it without sterile filtration or micro-filtering.


A load of bull... pardon, cow dung?

Not at all, it seems. One of the principles of biodynamics that Giorgio applies is the use of the so-called horn manure: cow horns are filled with fresh dung and buried in the vineyard for six months until the manure ferments, after which this rich compost is mixed with water and used for spraying the soil. This is said to enhance plant growth and improve the quality of the crops, whereas the spiritual theory behind it is that planting death and decay into the soil actually ushers vitality and breathes new life into the earth.

Apart from that, biodynamic viticulture relies on moon phases for planting, cultivation, and harvesting. Interestingly, up until recently, such rather unconventional methods have been considered pure madness among winemakers, but blind wine tastings are proving otherwise. With preconceived notions set aside, most wine experts are now recognizing that biodynamic wines are truly some of the best in the world, and Giorgio Clai's are no exception.

For more articles like this, make sure you follow TCN's dedicated page.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 4th of December, 2018, every year, this Pula company produces almost 4,000 tons of varying baked products, and it's mostly bread and other rolls whose sales are continuing to grow.

Brionka, a Pula company, is the leading Istrian bakery and confectionery producer operating within the wider Rijeka area, and in early December is marketed popular and traditional dry Christmas cakes to mark the beginning of the festive season, as well as sweet bread with raisins. Over the past month, they have placed a new dessert on the market, namely a marble cake, and they are currently preparing for the upcoming placement of three more new desserts, cheesecake and cakes with a cookie which will be available at the end of this year or at the latest, early next year, according to Ivan Smetko, the production manager of the aforementioned Pula company.

As Glas Istre writes, in spite of numerous past doubts and the unenviable debts of Brionka's former management body, this Pula company is now operating positively, the salaries of its 250 employees increased by 20 percent, and the plans are to move to a new location in Pula or even in nearby Vodnjan where they could work from one place and thus further reduce the company's overall expenses, says Brionka's managing director, Mladen Anić.

As stated, this Pula company produces an enormous amount of food, with their production of almost 4,000 tons of bakery products, the most being bread rolls which have seen company sales grow by three to five percent. The biggest increase of 20 to 30 percent per year, however, is owing to the company's more salty range, including the beloved burek, which is commonly picked up on the go owing to the fast pace of life and the need for fast food.

Make sure to follow our dedicated business and Made in Croatia pages for more information on Croatian companies, products and services, what's going on in the business world in Croatia, and doing business here.

November 29, 2018 - The third and last in a series of articles unveiling the most important Istrian wines.

Choosing the third most iconic Istrian wine was a bit tricky. There is the famous Muškat which can be found in several different styles, though in Istria it is traditionally produced as a dessert wine, and comes as a close second right after Malvazija. When it comes to red wines, the Bordeaux varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot show remarkable results in Istrian terroir and so their production is on the rise. In fact, Merlot is today probably more prevalent than Teran.

However, since we're talking about the Istrian "holy trinity," choosing any other variety than Refošk would be a sacrilege. This rich red enjoys the reputation of being the enfant terrible of Istrian wines, and because of its strong, tannic flavor, you either love it or hate it.

Although it was long mistakenly considered that Refošk is merely another name for Teran, and even that they are "first cousins," an extensive DNA analysis and comparison of these two varieties determined that they are actually two separate cultivars, despite their numerous genetical similarities.

According to a renowned Italian professor Antonio Calò and several other wine experts, Refošk is indigenous to northern parts of Italy, namely the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, and in particular the Karst plateau which stretches across the Italian border to both southwestern Slovenia and northwestern Istria.

Refošk is dark ruby to violet in color; it has a pronounced fruity flavor with a slightly bitter aftertaste and exudes a rich aroma reminiscent of cherries and black currants with a touch of black pepper and vanilla from the wooden barrels. It is best paired with cured meats, especially Istrian game sausages, but also grilled red meat, and traditional dishes like boškarin žgvacet with gnocchi.

In Istria, this powerful, full-bodied red is most often used in various blends while Refošk varietal is a rare gem made only with superb vintages, and very few winemakers have managed to tame its wild nature.

For more related content, make sure you follow Total Croatia Wine.

November 28, 2108 - The second in a series of three articles unveiling the most important Istrian wines.

Regarded as the absolute queen of Istrian vineyards, Malvazija is the most widespread white grape variety in Istria, and the second most widespread in Croatia. The name “Malvazija” is present in various forms (Italian: Malvasia; French: Malvoisie; English: Malvesie, or Malmsey), and is of Greek origin, derived from Monemvasía, a small town in the Peloponnese historically known for extensive export of the Malvasia grape family throughout the Mediterranean. However, Istarska Malvazija is today considered to be an authentic Istrian variety, as DNA analysis had confirmed that it is different from all the other Malvasia varieties.

These grapes are capable of producing wines in versatile styles, including dry, sparkling and sweet, while their color ranges from light yellowish to amber. Istrian Malvazija is typically described as a well-rounded, harmonious wine with a notable fruity and floral character. Malvazija's distinct aroma is reminiscent of acacia flowers, and the dominant fruit flavors are usually those of apple and apricot, whereas more ripe Malvazija wines also have a hint of bitter almond.

Though it was long believed that Malvazija is best enjoyed as young as possible, nowadays aged Malvazija wines are conquering the market as well. Ideally, this elegant Istrian white is aged in barrels made of acacia wood, as this perfectly complements its natural aroma, and in addition, some winemakers have recently started aging it in Georgian qvevri and amphorae, as well.

In Istria, you will easily find top quality Malvazija wine all across the peninsula, but the no.1 destination for its biggest fans is Brtonigla, a small town in the Istrian northwest which hosts the annual Festival of Istrian Malvasia.

On top of being a true Istrian favorite, Istrian Malvazija received world-class recognition as the first Croatian wine for which a special glass was designed by Georg Riedel of Riedel The Wine Glass Company himself. The Malvasia Istriana glass was chosen by 50 Croatian wine experts and was presented at the 2013 Vinistra wine fair in Poreč.

Depending on the style, the versatile Malvazija wines are very food friendly: they are typically enjoyed with a number of light pasta dishes, seafood, and white fish, but they also pair well with various desserts.

For more related articles, make sure you follow our designated gourmet page.

As Glas Istre writes on the 26th of November, 2018, calculations show that almost a million people per year can be found on Pula's riva (waterfront), with the highest concentration naturally being in the tourist season, during the warmer summer months. Could the introduction of a Pula riva tram be the answer to a silent yet pressing question for the city?

These high concentrations of people are all potential users of the historic Istrian city's future tram. Rather than driving cars into the city and its roads, a tram could be a much better option. Ultimately, the benefits of such a move would be multifaceted. Pula would have the opportunity to put its abandoned resources back into proper use, namely the railway line, and solve a good part of its traffic problems in an environmentally friendly manner.

Can the introduction of an electric tram along the Pula riva significantly reduce the traffic and crowding during the summer, and eliminate the proverbial tourist suffocation on the streets of Pula? Yes, it can - claim Livio Nefat and Ivan Skol, who are completing their project on the introduction of an electric tram in Pula, by reactivating the neglected railroad tracks which already exist in the popular Istrian city.

Instead of going back into the past, the Pula riva tram project introduces us to the future, just like in the film. We imagine that it would be able to travel along the entire Pula Bay, where there is already a line from older times. To be able to take a tram to go swimming at Punta Krišto, Štinjan and Hidro on one side, or go shopping in Max City on the other. And how would it be, during the summer, to be able to sit on a tram that would take you under the tunnels below the Montezaro park all the way to the exit not far from Elektroistra? It sounds unreal, but it isn't an impossible task.

The above is the vision of the Pula locals, who have been steadily and enthusiastically engaged in the Pula riva tram idea for the last four years.

''Thousands of tourists a day, from the nearby tourist zones, from settlements, camp sites, and hotels from various places across Istria, come to the centre of Pula during the summer in their cars and on buses to see its sights, to embark on a boat tour or to go to one of the evening performances at Pula Arena. They go and park wherever they arrive in the city centre, and more and more are parking at large car parks at the entrance to the city - at Mandrač, on the outskirts of the riva in the north, on Marsovo polje, and at the former Industrokema in the southern part of the city. There are no adequate, targeted means of transport now. Walking in the summer at 35 degrees is a problem for everyone. After all, they want to be comfortable, most aren't bothered about walking, but they'd be happy to drive,'' Livio Nepat states.

According to his idea, the Pula riva tram would initially run from the car park at Mandrač, near the railway station, and then along the waterfront all the way to the Forum. If the line ended up being extended as planned, and then realised, the southern part of that same symmetrical line would see a tram take tourists and other travellers from the Forum to the future garage located at Marsovo polje, where there are other larger car parks. Therefore, the tourists would leave their vehicles in the aforementioned parking areas, at Mandrač and Marsovo polje, in order to get into the city by public transport, more specifically by electric tram. This smart solution would significantly relieve Pula's burdened roads of the overwhelming crowds during the summer, according to the authors of the planned project.

According to the business plan they have developed, the first phase of the investment is worth about five million kuna, and that could be paid off within a three year period. These calculations show that almost a million people can be found on the waterfront per year, where they then embark on ships, excursion boats, buses on the waterfront, or go to concerts and other various events held at Pula Arena. These are, as stated, all potential users of Pula's future tram.

Ultimately, the benefit of the introduction of such a tram service in Pula would be a multifaceted one. The city would put its unused and abandoned resources back into proper use, such as the railway line, and thus solve at least a good part of the traffic jams in an environmentally acceptable way, explained Ivan Skol.

As far as the second phase of the project is concerned, the proposal is to use a railroad that runs along Pula Bay as a whole. The track already exists on one side all the way to the cement factory (alternatively, the old route from back in 1904 could be restored) not so far from Muzil, Max City, the Naval cemetery and the church, and on the other side, to Punta Guc at Valellunga, where a cruise terminal is planned. So, an even greater influx of tourists who need transportation to Pula Arena, the Forum, the market etc is expected. By extending the line from the cement factory to Muzil, it could also even reach an important future tourist area, as well as a new shopping centre.

On the other hand, the railway line towards the north, from the railway station to the military airport, already exists. With the addition of the section to the civilian airport, the Pula riva tram would be able to offer an elegant transfer service for thousands of passengers from the airport to the city, as well as to the future cruise terminal.

''I've been working on this tram north-south simulator for four years now. So far, a lot has been agreed. After lengthy negotiations, (with particular emphasis and thanks to the professional staff of the traffic section of Pula and Istria) HŽ confirmed to us that it's technically possible to use two tracks that are not being used at Pula railway station. The licensed company from Zagreb, authorised to design the railway infrastructure, has been working on completing the entire design process over recent days. We got a CD from the City of Pula with all the necessary geodetic substrates of the Mandrač - Forum route for the project, for which we're especially grateful to the Administrative Department for Spatial Planning of the City of Pula,'' noted Livio Nefat.

The author's desire is to present the "Tw" Pula riva tram project to the City of Pula when all of its loose ends are tied up. It is the City itself which will decide whether or not the project will come to life. Without the green light from them, it is impossible to realise, among other important things, the availability of a funding channel through European Union money. With EU cash behind it, the whole project would be easier to kickstart and then later continue to elaborate.

The two Pula locals have said that their desire to bring this project to fruition comes from their wish to make a contribution to the community as citizens of Pula, for the citizens of Pula, and in cooperation with the City of Pula, with the help of EU funds, ITU mechanisms and other forms of financing to realise a self-sustaining entrepreneurial venture, from which everyone would benefit.

Want to find out more? Make sure to keep up to date with our lifestyle page.

Click here for the original article by Jasna Orlic for Glas Istre