October 19, 2021 - The ancient way in which the inhabitants of the village of Punat used to take care of their olive trees, harvest the olives and process them to produce the famous Krk extra virgin oil is now available to everyone through a new Stari toš interpretation center.

HrTurizam.hr reports that, in the town of Punat, on the island of Krk, an interesting interpretation center Stari toš was opened as part of the Olive Week. The Interpretation Center is actually a concept of a permanent exhibition in a unique space that reveals heritage stories from the culture of growing and harvesting olives and the production of olive oil.

According to the Turističke Priče portal, in the dialect of the island of Krk, "toš" is actually the name for the millstone that was traditionally used for crushing olives and producing olive oil. For Puntare, olive oil has been a currency for centuries, and locals will often recount how owning olive oil was and is equal to owning gold.

Modern technology today has accelerated the process of oil production and today's multi-hour production in the old tosh has been modernized and accelerated. But old toševi today come to life through heritage stories and become and remain places of fun and merriment, song, rich social life, and numerous heritage stories.

The interior of the Stari toš interpretation center building, which dates back to the beginning of the 19th century and has not been used since the 1950s, has been arranged and presented. Funds for the renovation of the complex come from the European "Interreg" program, and this area is one of the best-preserved olive mills on the island of Krk and is truly a valuable example of folk economic architecture. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Ministry of Culture also protected this building as an individual intangible cultural heritage.

The Stari toš Olive Interpretation Center uses modern interpretation tools to retell the olive history in Punat after restoration and interpret olive growing in the best way, preserving the olive heritage for future generations.

The 25th edition of the event that celebrates green gold, the Olive Week, lasts until Sunday in Punat on Krk. With this event, the citizens of Punat proudly show their tradition of olive growing and gathering. Krk olive oil from these areas is one of the most famous extra virgin olive oils in Croatia.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 18, 2021 - Yesterday, in ​​the city of Krk, 1,014,259 overnight stays in commercial accommodation were achieved for this year's period (01.01 - 16.09.2021), which is as much as 83% of the record year 2019, and 54% more overnight stays compared to 2020 in the same period.

As reported by HrTurizam today, when it comes to commercial accommodation in the city of Krk, most overnight stays were realized in camps with 459,012 overnight stays,  61% more than in the same period last year, and this realization accounted for 84% of overnight stays compared to the same period in 2019, followed by 441,055 overnight stays in households. 38% more compared to the same period last year and 86% of overnight stays in 2019, and hotels with 94,121 overnight stays, which is even 138% more compared to the same period last year and 68% of overnight stays in 2019.

"In this year's extremely demanding working conditions, I congratulate all representatives of the tourism sector, tourism workers, on the enormous effort this season, responsible approach, and excellent results", said Ivana Kovačić, director of the Krk Tourist Board.

In the month of September 2021 (until 16 September), 124,970 overnight stays were realized in commercial accommodation, which is 12% more than in the same period in 2019, and 175% more than last year. All commercial accommodation facilities recorded better results in September than in September 2019.

In September, the highest number of overnight stays was realized in camps, 59,559, which is 169% more than in 2020 and 8% more than in 2019, followed by household facilities with 48,584 overnight stays, which is 149% more than in 2020 and 19 % more than in 2019, while 14,130 overnight stays were realized in hotels, which is 403% more than last year and 6% more compared to the same period in 2019.

Top markets (according to realized overnight stays) are Germany (+ 45% compared to 2020, 94% achieved in 2019), Slovenia (88% compared to 2020, 66% achieved in 2019), Austria (+ 140% compared to to 2020, 84% of 2019,), Croatia (95% of 2020, 95% of 2019), Hungary (+ 88% of 2020, 96% of 2019), Czech Republic (+30 % compared to 2020, + 20% compared to 2019), Italy (+ 50% compared to 2020, 35% achieved in 2019), Poland (+ 16% compared to 2020, + 9% in compared to 2019), the Netherlands (+ 227% compared to 2020, 67% of 2019) and Slovakia (+ 96% compared to 2020, 80% of 2019).

For more, check out our dedicated travel section.

August 28, 2021 - From August 27 until September 5, the city of Krk, on the island of Krk, will host the 15th edition of Fig Days.

Fig Days is a renowned, traditional annual gastro event that this year lasts for ten days, instead of being just a weekend festival, like it was since 2007. It includes an exhibition in the open - of fresh and dried figs - but also a wide variety of products made of figs, like jams, cakes, dry figs, brandies, and liqueurs that will be on display. The festival encourages and motivates caterers, local farmers, producers, and vendors to include the fruit in their offer, promote it, and sell their indigenous product in the streets thus contributing to the gastronomic identity of Krk.

The program of the Fig Days includes a very popular, free of charge distribution of  100 fig seedlings, but also interesting lectures on the topic of figs by the foremost expert on figs, Željko Prgomet, doc.dr.sc., and Iva Prgomet, Ph.D., as well as a book promotion. There will also be workshops on making clay figs, felting figs from Krk sheep wool, and individual counseling on fig growing.

Fig, we all know (and some of us adore it), is a tear-shaped fruit with a green skin that may ripen toward purple or brown, with sweet soft reddish flesh containing numerous crunchy seeds. It is, we are also aware, both delicious and healthy, but you might want to know, and you will learn about it if you come to Krk, that it is native to the Ficus carica, small tree species in the mulberry family, and that it has been cultivated since ancient times. It is, of course, the most widespread, and highly valued fruit of the Mediterranean (and Asia), but is now widely grown throughout the world.

On the island of Krk, the figs have been grown for centuries, but have also been wrongfully neglected in recent times. Figs can be eaten fresh or dried or processed into jam, rolls, biscuits, and other types of desserts. Since the ripe fruit does not transport and keep well, most commercial production is in dried and processed forms. Raw figs contain roughly 80% water and 20% carbohydrates, with negligible protein, fat, and micronutrient content. They are a moderate source of dietary fiber. But what can an excellent chef make from, of, and with figs? Crazy and most delicious dishes, for sure!

To mark the 15th anniversary of the project, on Monday, August 30, a special gala dinner will be held in the Marina Blue restaurant of the Marina hotel in Krk. It will be a fine dining event, a real gourmet experience provided by a young but highly esteemed and Michelin star awarded chef Deni Srdoč, supported by Spart Jazz Duo. The fig themed dinner “Fig by Deni Srdoč” will give everybody a brand new perspective on figs, and, besides the dishes - it will serve fantastic wines from Kvarner: sparkling and still, all produced locally by the winemakers of the region who most recently united in Kvarner Wines Association.

The menu consists of the most delicious dishes – like beef tartar with hollandaise sauce, focaccia toast, chives emulsion, and pickled figs, accompanied by sparkling wine Plovanić. The first course will be followed by marinated hake, fennel salad, beetroot, orange and fig sauce, and spirulina mayonnaise accompanied by Žlahtina Sveta Lucija of the Estate Winery Katunar, recently awarded Bronze Decanter in London. Next, risotto with wild mushrooms and fig reduction will be on the menu, together with excellent rosé Trojišćina by Ivica Dobrinčić of Šipun winery. The main course will, of course, be a lamb dish – namely - confit lamb glazed with figs, potato espuma, sauteed vegetables, and lamb jus. Kuća vina Ivan Katunar winery produces the exquisite Sansigot wine from the eponymous wine variety originating from Susak island, and saved by the winemakers of Vrbnik, Kuća vina Ivan Katunar, specifically.

For the ones with a sweet tooth, chocolate terrine, vanilla cream, hazelnut crumble and figs flambé will make a beautiful end to this fig story, or rather – a fairytale, with Misno vino (Žlahitna variety) by Gospoja winery to wash it down. The most interesting for the tourists, however, is a special restaurant offer in the Krk city area for the whole time of the festival, all with the common theme: fig(s).

During “Fig Days” – 15 restaurants, bistros, wine, and food bars, and “konobas” in the area will be serving delicious dishes with figs. You might want to try steak in shrimps and fig sauce with a side dish of homemade pasta šurlice with shrimps and figs sauce…Or, fish fillet with apricots and dried figs in prosecco; pork loin in fig sauce; mouth-watering dried figs in mascarpone and cinnamon cream with pie crust, crepes, and crostatas with homemade fig jam…  Indeed, all things edible that you can imagine made out of figs or with them will be on offer for you to savour in Krk, so why don’t you come and have fun at the very end of summer, or just take it as a sort of a prelude to the upcoming autumn days?

More about the project at https://www.tz-krk.hr/en/15th-fig-days-city-of-krk

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

July 27, 2021 - Zero waste Krk is a project that will see the island become the first zero-waste island in Europe. 

Seven local self-government units (LGUs) on Krk have acquired the status of a candidate for a “zero waste city/municipality,” which is the first step towards full certification of best practices in the EU, reports HRTurizam.

Association Zelena akcija and utility company Ponikve eko otok Krk held a press conference in the city of Krk where seven local self-government units from the island of Krk (City of Krk and municipalities Omišalj, Vrbnik, Baška, Dobrinj, Punat, Malinska - Dubašnica) adopted the Decision on implementing “Zero waste” strategies for maximum waste reduction and increased reuse, recycling, and composting.

For years, the island of Krk has been at the very top of separate waste collection and sustainable disposal in Croatia, despite the great challenges due to the very pronounced tourist seasonality. The logical next step is to join the international zero waste strategy, which promotes the achievement of high goals by implementing several effective measures following the public interest, environmental protection, and priorities in the waste management hierarchy.

According to the Green Action Association, the decision defines ambitious five-year targets of 70 percent of separately collected waste and a reduction in the amount of residual waste from 235 kg to 150 kg per capita (including tourists).

In addition, the utility company Ponikve will ensure the conditions for implementing various models of reducing the amount of waste generated on Krk. Green Action prepared an analysis for local self-government units on Krk with recommendations for further development of a sustainable waste management system. By implementing these recommendations and meeting the defined goals, LGUs on Krk will become even more recognizable in the society of European best practices in waste management and gain the conditions for full certification, awarded by the Zero Waste Europe network.

The plan is to prepare a study of the impact of tourism on the waste management system and to implement activities to promote home composting, distribution of composters, and quality education of citizens.

The island of Krk has long been a leader in the green economy. Therefore, it is not just about the above-mentioned project but about the strategic decision of the island to be as energy-independent as possible.

Thus, through the IKRE project - Krk Island Renewable Energy supports the island of Krk on its way to becoming CO2 neutral and energy independent. The partners are the City of Krk and EARA - European Asbestos Risk Association, and the project manager is Eko Kvarner.

The project financed from the EUKI fund is being implemented from 2018 to 2021. It is part of a broader sustainability strategy for the island of Krk, whose common goal of achieving zero CO2 emissions by 2030 is supported by all island units of local self-government.

The project goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing dependence on energy derived from fossil fuels contributes to this goal, specifically by installing (at least) 250 small solar power plants on the roofs of private houses. An information office was established through the project to advise citizens on solar power plants and energy efficiency. As a partner, EARA has the role of education and expert advice on coordinated actions to remove asbestos boards and install solar panels. Within the project, training for installers of photovoltaic systems is also planned.

Krk thus becomes a model of sustainability and successful energy transition to other islands and an example that carbon neutrality and tourism should not be mutually exclusive.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

June 4, 2021 - After an arduous competition between a record number of 39 proposals and 21 producers from all over Croatia, 16 were chosen by a Krk tourist board committee as part of the Krk souvenirs project, ''Gift from Krk''.

As reported by turistickeprice.hr, the jubilee tenth competition application for the Krk souvenirs "Gift from Krk", announced by the Tourist Board of the City of Krk, has ended. The focus of the competition was on the cultural and tourist values ​​of the town and the island of Krk, with an emphasis on accepting creative challenges inspired by the island's natural heritage. A record of 39 proposals was received, 21 producers and authors from all over Croatia, of which 16 were selected, which met the tender criteria.

''Gift from Krk'' Official Banner - Krk Tourist Board

Namely, the souvenir, as a kind of present of the town and the island of Krk, is a reflection of the continuity of its artistic, cultural, cultural-historical, or cultural heritage, i.e., it presents its tangible, intangible, or natural heritage in various ways.

The very thematic dimension of this year's competition is motivated primarily by one of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, which is reflected in the return to nature and which, among many other benefits, has the potential to stimulate creativity and encourage the creation, as evidenced by several newly selected souvenirs.

Tenth Gift from Krk - selected souvenirs

• Alen Mrakovčić: Golden drops of the island - 100 ml, extra virgin olive oil with the addition of edible golden leaves
• Andrea Marhofer: Hand-painted wooden magnets
• Blanka Petric (Craft for making unique ceramics Atelijer Cambun): Thunderbolt flowers, ceramic bracelet with margarine motif
• Blanka Petric (Craft for making unique ceramics Atelijer Cambun): Thunderbolt flowers, ceramic necklace with margarine motif
• Blanka Petric (Craft for making unique ceramics Atelijer Cambun): Thunderbolt flowers, ceramic brooch with margarine motif
• Jasminka Gršković (OPG Gršković Jasminka): Handmade balls made of Krk sheep wool for dryer and washing machine
• Katica Orlovčić: Kamižot, a decorative ceramic vessel inspired by Krk folk costumes
• Ivica Lukarić (Craft for making advertisements and engraving Konto): Six-sided well from Vela place, decorative jewelry box made of laser-engraved plywood
• Ljubica Marević: Cotton men's short-sleeved T-shirt with an applied portrait of Antonio Udine Burbur - the last speaker of the February language
• Ljubica Marević: Cotton women's T-shirt with appliqué text Antonio Udina Burbur - name and surname of the last speaker of the February language
• Mirela Rušin Kokotović and Andrijana Fiorentin Rušin (Craft for Lavandin Services): Big soapy greeting from Krk, gift package with natural soaps
• Monika Kovač (Anagraf d.o.o. - KuSshh Plantation): KuSshh, a line of natural cosmetics for facial care
• Smiljka Franjić and Kristina Ladika: Immortelle - immortelle, set of brass jewelry (earrings, bracelet, and necklace) inspired by immortelle flower
• Zvjezdana Depikolzvane (Craft for production and trade Piccola Stella): Krk hammer, decorative ceramic vessel
• Zvjezdana Depikolzvane (Craft for production and trade Piccola Stella): Noble periscope (Pinna nobilis), decorative ceramic tray
• Zvjezdana Depikolzvane (Craft for production and trade Piccola Stella): Empty (ram), decorative ceramic vessel

Alen Mrakovčić: The Golden Drops of the Island (Krk Tourist Board)

Andrea Marhofer, Hand-painted wooden magnets (Krk Tourist Board)

Blanka Petric, Gromača roses - ceramic bracelet with margarine motif (Krk Tourist Board)

Ljubica Marević, Cotton men's T-shirt - Burbur (Krk Tourist Board)

Monika Kovač (Anagraf d.o.o.), KuSshh - a line of natural cosmetics (Krk Tourist Board)

In the selection of souvenir proposals received during February and March, along with the director of the Krk Tourist Board Ivana Kovačić, the Commission, consisting of Dino Jakovljević, as president, and members Lucija Morić and Igor Gržetić, invested their efforts and expertise.

Considering all the Krk souvenirs selected so far, which are distinguished from the rest of the offer by originality, authenticity, thoughtful concept, and perhaps most of all the quality of workmanship, the people of Krk and their guests have at their disposal a whole range of works of art, various decorative and/or useful objects. and interesting publications, which are also presented through the digital catalog available from the following link.

The new Krk souvenirs will be awarded a recognizable stamp with a prominent bilingual motto Dar from Krk and will be included in a digital bilingual catalog that combines the entire certified souvenir offer in one place, with a photo and contact information of the manufacturer/author.

For more, follow Made in Croatia.

May 20, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as only 11 international routes to Rijeka Airport will operate this summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Rijeka Airport has announced a preliminary flight schedule with only 11 international routes to 10 destinations in Europe this summer season from the island of Krk. The first regular international flight this year on Krk is expected on May 29.

German Eurowings will have the largest number of lines to Rijeka this summer (just like previous seasons) and is planning 5 lines: from Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, and Stuttgart.

This year's first international scheduled flight to Rijeka has been announced for Saturday, May 29, from Dusseldorf, on an A319 aircraft.

Eurowings is planning a significantly smaller number of weekly flights to Rijeka compared to the 2019 season, which is logical given the global pandemic:

The Berlin - Rijeka - Berlin line has been announced from the end of June to the end of October, twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Düsseldorf - Rijeka - Düsseldorf line will operate from May 29, once a week, on Saturdays, and from the beginning of July, the second weekly flight will be introduced on Wednesdays.

The Hamburg - Rijeka - Hamburg line is planned from the end of June, three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, while the line from Cologne has been announced twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The Stuttgart - Rijeka - Stuttgart line will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, from the beginning of July to the middle of October.

In 2018, the Dutch Transavia started traffic to Rijeka on the line from Eindhoven, and the same was in traffic last summer. The start of traffic is expected only in July, and from then, the company plans to travel to Rijeka as many as four times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The long-term partner of Rijeka Airport, Air Baltic, plans to introduce its seasonal line from Riga only in July. Two flights a week are announced on Mondays and Thursdays. The company announced a line between Rijeka and Vilnius in February last year, but it was not realized for obvious reasons - the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new Lufthansa line from Frankfurt was supposed to start operating in May but was postponed to early July. Lufthansa will operate to Rijeka once a week, on Saturdays.

The Munich-Rijeka-Munich route, operated by two airlines, Lufthansa and Croatia Airlines, has been announced from the end of June. Croatia will operate on it three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, and Lufthansa on Saturdays.

LOT introduced a line between Rijeka and Warsaw last summer, and flights have been announced since June 19, also once a week, on Saturdays.

Judging by the current schedule, Rijeka will have the busiest traffic on Saturdays, when as many as 9 aircraft operations are expected on international routes. Still, the other days of the week are extremely weak: only two international flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, three on Tuesdays, five on Thursdays, and no flights announced on Fridays!

Compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic, Rijeka was left without several lines. This year, it will not be possible to travel directly to London (in 2019, two lines, to Stansted and Gatwick), Marseille (Volotea), Belgrade (Air Serbia), Stockholm, and Brussels (Ryanair), Tel Aviv (Arkia), and Hanover Eurowings). In the published schedule, there are no regular charter lines from Paris and Košice that operated in the summer of 2019.

In 2019, Rijeka managed to reach 200 thousand passengers in one year for the first time, but already in 2020, there was a sharp decline due to the impact of the pandemic - only 27,680 passengers passed through this airport last year. Given the preliminary schedule and the modest announcements of the airlines, it is obvious that the number of passengers at Rijeka Airport will not be large this year either.

In addition to the mentioned international destinations, Rijeka Airport also has direct routes to Osijek, Split, and Dubrovnik as part of the PSO program. These lines operate twice a week throughout the year.

Given the announced traffic in neighboring airports (Zagreb, Zadar, and Pula), the number of international routes to Rijeka, according to the schedule HERE, will be relatively small, so most passengers who gravitate to this airport will start or end their travels to the three airports mentioned above.

This will be the case until one airline decides to connect Rijeka Airport with a major European hub, such as London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or Paris, at least three times a week throughout the year.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE. For everything, you need to know about Rijeka Airport, follow our Total Croatia page.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 22, 2021 - Fathers and children from all over the world are sharing a special time this week, doing physical activities and challenges as part of Daddyhood Dadathlon.

As it was announced by Total Croatia News, Daddyhood Europe launched officially its Dadathlon event on Saturday, its biggest project this year. Fathers from several countries around the world are now participating in prizes but also, and most importantly, to spend time with their children and encourage all families to join the initiative.

Marino Manzoni, the Croatian co-founder of Daddyhood Europe, says that ‘‘Daddyhood Dadathlon is a sports event created to inspire dads and kids of all ages to do physical activities together, inspire kids to a healthy lifestyle, but most of all to create bonds and memories for life’’.

Fathers and their children will have to complete a set of challenges based on physical activities such as running, cycling, and hiking. Those parents interested in participating can join the competition virtually throughout the week. For all Croatian parents, you can also register with the team name Run Croatia, as part of a collaboration with Daddyhood Europe.

Taking into account the current epidemiological situation around the world, Daddyhood Dadathlon has been launched in a virtual format, where participants can share their times and results and these will be ranked on a leaderboard.

‘‘By signing up, dads are also becoming part of a community of dads who share similar values and inspire other dads to be present and active fathers’’, added Marino.

Daddyhood Europe is a nonprofit organization founded by Marino Manzoni from Croatia, and Thomas Pickelner from Sweden. Their goal is to raise awareness about the importance of active fatherhood and its role in the development of their children.

Daddyhood Dadathlon gathered in Punat a small number of fathers and their kids to promote the event.

Last Sunday, as part of the promotion of Daddyhood Dadathlon, Marino’s hometown of Punat on the island of Krk gathered a small number of parents and their children sharing a special time by adding their first distances and times as part of the competition. Kids of different ages achieved the 3k goal with their parents, even under cloudy and cold conditions.

Considering the epidemiological measures that are being carried out in different parts of the world and given the great reception from fathers outside of Europe, Daddyhood Europe has announced that it will extend the first stage of the Daddyhood Dadathlon for one more week, until May 2nd.

‘‘We decided to keep registration open until the very end of Dadathlon to all races, but only the ones who do each race in the set time frame are eligible to get the prize for each race’’, emphasized Marino.

If you want to register and find more information about this year's races, you might do so on the Daddyhood Dadathlon site. You can also sign up and find more about the prizes on RaceID.

For more Daddyhood Europe news and content, follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@daddyhoodeurope).

For more about lifestyle in Croatia, visit our dedicated TCN page.

March 21, 2021 - 80 electric bikes on Krk Island can be enjoyed by locals and tourists from April 1, 2021! 

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) estimates that there are currently more than 60 million active cyclists in Europe, and cycling tourism is one of the most promising backbones of active tourism. On the island of Krk, cycling tourism was completed through the KrkBike project, which is extremely important for raising the quality of life on the island, both for foreign tourists and locals, developing the tourist economy, and branding the island of Krk as an eco-destination. On the island of Krk, there are over 300 kilometers of manicured bike trails, reports HRTurizam.

Two years ago, the Krk Tourist Board, in cooperation with all tourist boards on the island, developed mobile applications KRKhike and KRKbike, which allows you to search for hiking and mountaineering trails as well as GPS navigation routes. A training program for bicycle guides was also recently held on the island of Krk.

But cycling is much more than bike paths, and in the past 5 and more years, there is a strong demand for electric bicycles, public bicycle systems, and scooters, as well as stations for charging electric cars through sustainable tourism.

Thus, in Krk town and all Krk municipalities, bicycle rental stations have been built, consisting of a control cabinet, 10 stands with electric bicycles and a bench for charging laptops and mobile phones, and repairing bicycles.

The e-bike rental systems of all local government units are networked so that the e-bike can be rented at one location and returned to another location. The advantage of such a concept is the connection of the entire area of ​​the island and the networking of municipalities and Krk into one whole, just as it was done with the project of electromobility through electric cars.

Currently, about 80 electric bicycles are available on the island of Krk. The public rental system of electric bicycles on Krk Island will be active from April 1, 2021, if epidemiological conditions allow it.

“Cycling tourism on the island of Krk, along with summer vacation tourism, is becoming our main tourist product. Destinations that offer opportunities for active holidays attract guests throughout the year, and guests get to know both natural and cultural sights in the destinations, which promotes sustainability," said Ivana Kovačić, director of the Krk Tourist Board.

The KRK BIKE system has been established at nine locations-stations on the island of Krk: Baška, Dobrinj (Klimno), Krk, Malinska-Dubašnica, Omišalj (center), Omišalj (Njivice), Punat, Punat (Stara Baška), and Vrbnik, covering most of the island.

"In the town of Krk, we have one station consisting of 10 electric bicycles, benches with sockets for charging mobile phones, laptops, and electric bicycles that are out of the system, i.e., electric bicycles for casual passers-by. There is also a stand with a bike repair tool and an electric compressor to inflate the tires. A 17-screen control panel where advertisements and announcements of tourist events can be displayed," Kovačić points out, adding that currently, all tourist boards are involved in the stronger promotion of these contents, as well as informing all stakeholders about the possibilities of use.

"Due to the uncertain start of the tourist season, conditioned by the coronavirus pandemic and the further sequence of events, this year we are working more intensively to make the system even better," says Kovačić.

The system was installed in 2020 under the jurisdiction of the company Ponikve eko otok Krk d.o.o. and is easy to use. It only takes three steps to activate the service (registration, payment, and QR code scanning). It is important to point out that there is support for the system through the dispatch center, provided 24/7. A person on duty to help on the road, daily inspection and tour of all stations, returning bicycles to the stands, and possible repairs.

Despite last year's worse tourist season, there were about 3,000 rentals on the island of Krk from May to October. The rental price is 20 kn / hour, and the electric bike can be rented from 0 to 24 hours.

Find out more information about electric bicycles on Krk island HERE.

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.

ZAGREB, 11 March, 2021 - Several contracts, worth 17.5 million kuna, for reconstruction of seaports and waterfronts in the broader Rijeka area were signed on Thursday by Sea and Transport Minister Oleg Butković and local authorities.

The contracts envisaging the upgrade of ports on the islands of Krk, Rab and Lošinj as well as the coastal cities of Bakar, Mošćenička Draga, Novi Vinodolski, Crikvenica and Kraljevica are part of the Croatian Coast Renaissance project in which two billion kuna has been invested to date, and the lion's share of this amount has been ensured from EU funds.

Minister Butković said today that investments in seaport infrastructure would continue.

(€1 = HRK 7.582776)

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

December 2, 2020 – Streets have been noticeably quieter over recent days, although not by one building in Rijeka and a roadside in Dobrinj, Krk island, where renowned street artist, Zagreb's Lunar, has left two huge new murals

The cafes are closed but, what's more, there's a chill in the air. It's not only the lockdown that has made the streets of Croatia more quiet than usual at this time of year. Over recent days, temperatures have dropped to around zero when the sun falls. And it falls early. The light can be gone by 5pm.

Rijeka

Exercise or a simple pleasant stroll around the Christmas lights have been all that's been drawing folks out onto the streets after dark, save for the food delivery guys whose bikes whizz past you faster than ever in the chill. Even during the day, the streets of Croatia are quieter than normal because of the lockdown.


Dobrinj

But, these days haven't been anything other than normal for acclaimed artist Slaven Kosanovic aka Zagreb's Lunar. The cooler temperatures have only meant wearing more clothes and the quieter streets have not made his careful craftsmanship any quicker. His sometimes vast murals often require him to be above pedestrians passing below, up a ladder or even on a crane.

Dobrinj

The two new paintings of Zagreb's Lunar definitely fall at the larger end of the works he has produced over the last 25+ years. One towers above street level on an entire building facade in Rijeka. So tall is the painting that trying to take it all in could strain your neck in the wrong wind. The other piece, in Dobrinj, Krk island, is just as epic, although this vast canvas lies horizontal, by the roadside.

The Rijeka mural is dedicated to the city's music scene - you can spot some of the names of famous Rijeka bands in the painting

The Rijeka mural of Zagreb's Lunar, which he painted alongside his brother, with whom he often collaborates, is a four-story wall of cats dedicated to Rijeka's famous music scene. The mural took two days to complete. In the mural, you can spot the names of many Rijeka music groups like The Siids. Let 3, Denis & Denis and Jonathan. The mural is another part of the manifestations organised in celebration of Rijeka 2020 Capital of Culture.

Dobrinj

Krk island is a well-known tourist destination, but the pretty inland village of Dobrinj is far from the regular path of visitors. Anyone travelling past the enormous mural Zagreb's Lunar and his brother have left here will surely remember the name of Dobrinj. It may well entice some to come looking for it – it is by far the largest piece of public art on the island. It was facilitated by the community organisation Kulturni Dobrinj.

Dobrinj

All photos © Antonija Diklic (Rijeka) Damir Jevtic (Dobrinj)

Dobrinj, with the artist, Slaven Kosanovic aka Zagreb's Lunar, on the right