20 June, 2021 - Dubrovnik has its share of interesting accommodation. One digital nomad couple discovered a true gem in a restored historical house within the city walls.

May in Dubrovnik saw the first ever Digital Nomads in Residence program. It was designed by Saltwater Nomads in partnership with Total Croatia News, the City of Dubrovnik, and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and aimed to create a strategic direction for Dubrovnik to attract more digital nomads. 

One of the more pressing issues the participants of the program identified was the appropriate accommodation. Most apartments and houses for rent in Dubrovnik are furnished for shorter stays. So, proper kitchens with enough utensils or work areas are usually not a part of the design. Still, that doesn't mean there are no amazing options for a longer stay in the city. House Anica is one of them. Our nomad in residence Marlee and her husband Jeff stayed in the house during their Dubrovnik adventure. They fell in love with it and the city itself. Also, they've formed a special friendship with the owners.

Marlee said to us recently: “Staying at House Anica in the old city was exactly the experience Jeff and I were looking for as digital nomads in Dubrovnik. The history of the home added to the charm of an authentic old city living experience. We could not have asked for better landlords with Ivona and Hrvoje, such interesting people with such a connection to Dubrovnik. They made us feel so welcome and we feel like we have made lifelong friends.”

For more from Marlee on living as a digital nomad in Dubrovnik, check out her interview here.

House Anica

At the very top of Kuniceva Street in the Old Town district stands an unusual, over 300 years old house. Its facade features a stone carved will and testament dated back to 1728. The will mentions lady named Anica, who lived, loved and most probably grew old in that house. House Anica belongs to a local couple Ivona and Hrvoje. Ivona's family owns the house for over 70 years. Eventually, she decided to renovate it and share it with travellers coming to Dubrovnik. With plenty of fond childhood memories tied to it, Ivona insisted on preserving the soul of the house by keeping as many original elements that make it unique. Tradition and history of the house became as much a part of its charm as did all the modern amenities and superb interior design.

The house itself is a Dubrovnik-style townhouse. It is essentially a multi-storey apartment with two spacious bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, full kitchen and dining / living area. The top floor bedroom occupies a loft and features a small living area of its own. The design is spacious and airy with sleek modern amenities and expertly incorporated historical ornamental elements. A special selling point for the house is one of only few balconies in Dubrovnik's historical centre overlooking the iconic terracotta rooftops and the Adriatic Sea.

Needless to say, the location of the house is perfect for enjoying the best Dubrovnik has to offer. With all local attractions and traffic hubs within easy walking distance, you will always have options when staying in House Anica. Negotiating a few notorious Dubrovnik stairs to get to it will be well worth it.

The Owners

The owners are attentive and helpful. They take pride in the cleanliness and quality standards they adhere to from day one. Ivona and Hrvoje will personally meet and greet all of their guests and give them a quick rundown of the city's restaurants, points of interest and other valuable information. They are also available to them 24/7 in case of any emergencies or simply to organise airport transfers, day trips or similar.

For her digital nomad guests, Ivona has only words of praise: „We were lucky this year our house caught the eye of a digital nomad couple from USA that stayed in Dubrovnik for four weeks. House Anica proved to be an ideal spot for such a long stay. Aside from being well equipped and furnished, I've been told repeatedly, it is a true home away from home. Marlee and Jeff enjoyed the house every free moment they've had. I truly hope and am looking forward to seeing – who I consider to be our dear friends – again. We still keep in touch.“

With plenty of amenities and space, attentive owners, amazing location, as well as free WiFi throughout the house, House Anica is a perfect choice for those wanting to visit Dubrovnik for short or longer period of time. If you want to find out more or book your stay here, check out its Air BnB page.

For all you need to know about Dubrovnik, go to Total Croatia's Dubrovnik in a Page

For more information about digital nomads in Croatia, click here.

May 22, 2021 - As Dulist reports, the closing conference of 'The Dubrovnik digital nomad-in-residence' project was held this Saturday at Lazareti. At the closing ceremony, Dubrovnik mayor Mato Franković announced a Dubrovnik Digital Nomads coworking space.

As part of the conference, the results of four creative workshops were presented, in which, in addition to digital nomads, representatives of the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, as well as citizens, also participated. The goal of these workshops was to make joint recommendations for creating a better environment for digital nomads who will be staying in Dubrovnik. 

photo credit: Dulist

"We are pleased to conclude the first major conference of digital nomads in Dubrovnik. Digital nomads stayed in the City for a full 30 days and saw it in a different way, not only as a tourist city, but also as a city that has neighbourhoods pleasant to live in, like Mokošica, Lapad, Gruž, and Gornje Selo. They discovered a different Dubrovnik as well as our way of life. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve, to have digital nomads with this experience send a clear message to their colleagues across the world to come to Dubrovnik and stay here for a few months as a place to develop their creative ideas and contribute their practical experiences and knowledge to the Dubrovnik economy. We cannot expect our tourism of the future to rely solely on digital nomads, but I believe they will occupy one significant segment of it. At the same time, we expect some new ideas, products, and reflections of our city," said Mayor Mato Franković on this occasion, announcing that Dubrovnik will soon get a digital nomad coworking space. 

photo credit: Dulist

"We must not stop here, this is just the beginning. The future brings us coworking spaces of digital nomads, a place where all those who come to Dubrovnik will find all the information they need, a workplace where they can share ideas with all other digital nomads. They are not engaged in just one job, but in different professions and jobs. They love to travel, their work allows them to realize their ideas elsewhere. These are people who are very well paid for the jobs they do, and their company allows them to travel the world because of their creativity. That is the future we will go for. The coworking spac is the next thing we will realize," said Franković keeping the location of the space a secret for now.

                                                                                                                                                                           photo credit: Dulist

Franković emphasized that a digital nomads week, with which he would connect, was being prepared in Zagreb, but also that the goal was to connect all cities in Croatia through the project of digital nomads. (Read more about Zagreb Digital Nomad Week).

"Digital nomads are moving around and if the whole of Croatia is ready for the project of digital nomads, then the wealth of Dubrovnik in that project will be greater. If we are all open and friendly towards them, only the sky is our limit," concluded Franković.

 photo credit: Dulist

The director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, Ana Hrnić, emphasized that at the very end of the project she would have concrete data on how many posts digital nomads had from Dubrovnik and what results the project obtained.

"Nomads gave their suggestions about the little things that we could improve as a destination for them. For the time being, our accommodation has been intended for shorter stays. All they have listed are things that can be easily improved. They had, for example, suggestions like providing kettles, additional hangers, and similar minor details. It doesn’t require a big investment, and it makes a big difference. We should start on a coworking space where they will all meet as soon as possible. For digital nomads, when they come on their own, it is very important for them to have a space where they will meet others, work, and exchange experiences. They showed that the involvement of the local community in every part of this project was important. We are happy that the general impression is good, everyone is happy and satisfied," said Hrnić.

photo credit: Dulist

She added that this conference was a good foundation for the further strategy of digital nomads that would be developed in Dubrovnik in the future. The concrete effects of the stay of digital nomads will be reflected in their social media posts, which will ultimately be summarized and multiplied in the following period. When asked about the financing of the stay of digital nomads and this conference, director Hrnić answered that the Tourist Board financed the fees of the companies Saltwater Nomads and Total Croatia News, in the amount of 200 thousand kuna.

Tanja Polegubić from the Saltwater Nomads company presented the results of four creative workshops, in which, in addition to digital nomads, the citizens of Dubrovnik also participated.

"The aim of the workshops was to make joint recommendations for creating a better environment for digital nomads who will stay in Dubrovnik," said Polegubić.

The owner of the Total Croatia News portal, Paul Bradbury, stated that the project is a great opportunity for changes in tourism, based on the new slogan "Croatia - your safe, authentic, lifestyle destination".

"The project is great and could stop now, but there is already great momentum and discussions on the next steps. It is very encouraging to see the CEO of Raiffeisen Bank, as well as senior representation from Hrvatski Telekom, KPMG, and the Zagreb Tourist Board here today," Bradbury said. "The future of work will look very different, and Croatia - and especially Dubrovnik - can repivot its tourism based on its three jewels of safety, authentic experiences and lifestyles. People want these things, and with the freedom of workplace, Croatia has a lot to offer. And one of the findings of this month was the Beyond the Walls concept, which we will be exploring more on TCN shortly. Rather than Dubrovnik being limited in its offer by the content of the old city, these nomads found more than enough content for a one-month 'workation'."

The president of the Digital Nomad Association of Croatia, Jan de Jong, stated that the project is developing very quickly and successfully.

"We need to build content and community, where I recognize the role of the association, which must unite and serve digital nomads. We also need to send a message of inspiration to young people who may want to leave Croatia and somehow reverse the 'brain drain' with the arrival of digital nomads," he said.

photo credit: Dulist

Dutchman Rob Schubert is one of the digital nomads who has been in Dubrovnik for the past month and is delighted with the experience he has gained. His ‘start-up’ is normally located in Estonia, but it offers him various opportunities to work as a digital nomad.

"This project was so inspiring, we broadened our horizons. At this conference, I strengthened my thinking about digital nomads. I am glad that Dubrovnik has positioned itself as a new ‘hotspot’ for digital nomads. I will recommend to my friends and colleagues to come here. The city is beautiful, I have gotten to know it and I am so sad that I have to leave tomorrow," said Schubert.

photo credit: Dulist

Let us remind you that in a joint project of the City of Dubrovnik and the Tourist Board of the City of Dubrovnik, in cooperation with Total Croatia News and Saltwater Nomads, Dubrovnik hosted ten digital nomads from different parts of the world for a month.

photo credit: Dulist

For more information about digital nomads in Croatia, visit the TC Digital Nomads in Croatia in a Page, or follow the latest in the dedicated TCN section. 

May 12, 2021 - Dubrovnik's Development Agency held a presentation today as a part of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program. Digital nomads in Dubrovnik enjoyed an informative presentation and an interesting look into the work of this important local organisation.

Dubrovnik's Development Agency (DURA) presented its work today as a part of the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence (DNiR) program. Lazareti complex, right next to the digital nomads' co-working space, was a perfect setting for the presentation.

DURA is well known in Dubrovnik. It is a local non-profit organisation helping the development of Dubrovnik's business sector. Helping startups, small and medium-sized companies is the most popular of the many activities done by the agency. Aside from regular business workshops, DURA started the first „business incubator“ in this part of the country. Through this program, new companies in Dubrovnik get a chance to rent offices in the heart of the city for a fraction of the market price.

Local Companies Presented

With digital nomads in the auditorium, DURA representatives talked about the agency's programs and the Smart City concept. A big part of the presentation was the introduction of two businesses using DURA services. The first one was Event Lab. This local PR and event company owned by two sisters made some of its first business steps with the help of DURA. Today, they are very much established in their field, even expanding into fields of wine marketing and promotion. Answering questions from the audience the owners of EventLab, Andela and Ksenija Matic spoke about the work they do. They also talked about the challenges they are facing running a company in a sector badly affected by the global COVID19 pandemic.

The final chapter of this interesting presentation was another business introduction. This one very new, but with a bright future ahead. Mirna Saric owns a nutritional consulting business called Nutrigurman. She started it recently with help from DURA and the agency's programs. This young and talented nutrition expert and chef went through a long but exciting process of education and training. Today she is a rising star in her field and will undoubtedly become another positive story to come out of DURA.

Questions posed by digital nomads during the presentation were especially interesting. In the end, they commented how they rarely get a chance to learn about what is happening behind the scenes of the city's business sector. The presentation was an interesting learning experience and all who attended now have a slightly better understanding of Dubrovnik's small business scene.

Learn more about the Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program.

Saltwater Nomads' Tanja Polegubic on Dubrovnik Digital Nomad-in-Residence Programme

Dubrovnik Mayor Mato Frankovic on Digital Nomads, US Flights, 2021 Season

For the latest digital nomad news from Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section.