October 12, 2019 - The latest Winnetou film will begin filming at Paklenica National Park in Starigrad in early September 2020. Directed by Mike Dietrich with Ivica Zdravkovic in the starting role, Winnetou films have been the most-watched in Germany for years - and they've no doubt done their part in promoting Croatia. 

Novi List writes that in about a year, Paklenica National Park will once again transform into a film set and play the central location of the popular Native American chief Winnetou.

The next Winnetou film should begin shooting in September next year. Director Mike Dietrich arrived in Croatia this week and is staying at the Vicko hotel, the long-time Croatian base for all activities related to Winnetou, which for many years has been known as one of the most successful films in Germany.

Dietrich arrived in the company of the main actor Ivica Zdravkovic and was welcomed by the Vicko owner Zoran Katic, the director of the Starigrad Tourist Board Marjana Marasovic, the owner of the Rajna tourist agency Marin Marasovic and the director of Paklenica National Park Natalija Andacic.

The tourism leaders of the old town welcomed their guests from Germany, aware of the immense promotional value of  Winnetou - a wildly famous and fictional Native American hero in the German novels written by Karl May.

The popularity of Winnetou in Germany is evidenced by the fact that there are theme parks in the country, like Pullman City, in the heart of Bavaria.

“Pullman City is a real cowboy city with all the elements. So far, more than one million euros have been invested in it, and our plan is to continue expanding, enriching our program, extending our show, which will last an hour and a half next year, and will be announced, among other things, by a promotional video which we will record here,” Zdravkovic said in Starigrad, who is originally from Prokuplje.

The group toured some of the locations of the future film set, which attracted the attention primarily of German tourists who found themselves at the entrance of the Paklenica National Park at the right time. 

What makes this area so unique for Winnetou films? 

“It is a combination of your incredible nature, the harmony of the blue sky and the white rocks that do not need film filters. And when we add to that the base - the romantic, inspirational lyrics of author Karl May, it's clear why our chief is so popular,” Dietrich summarized.

“The first film was shot in Paklenica in 1962, but after that film, seven other films were made in Croatia, out of a total of 11 films made so far,” emphasized Katic.

Winnetou has attracted several tourists to Starigrad, a Winnetou convention was held, and anyone interested can find marked movie locations in the area. A Winnetou study tour has even been offered.

“Winnetou is a powerful promotional tool that we are very aware of here,” Marasovic emphasized.

Katic agreed, who joined the project with colleagues from the Association of Small and Family Hotels, who also recognized their interest in the story of the Apache tribe.

According to him, the Winnetou project has a lot of tourism potential because there is no German who has not heard of the character.

“I am happy to have the opportunity to be Winnetou, that I am here in Starigrad, in the national park where the scenes are filmed, where I first saw the sea, and that I am part of a project that means a lot to me. My heart is full,” Zdravkovic concluded.

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

April 20, 2019 - Putting Croatian adventure tourism on the map, with the biggest welcome in the world. Day 27 of this incredible 2011 adrenaline trip covering 2,500 km along the Croatian coast. 

The World's Biggest Welcome, an ambitious adventure tourism project in 2011 in Croatia enters Day 27 of this 2019 appreciation of one of the finest tourism promotion projects ever in Croatia.  

The plan? To showcase the diversity and fabulous offer of adventure tourism in Croatia by following a GPS route the length of the Croatian coast in the shape of the word 'Welcome' - thereby creating the biggest welcome in the world from a hospitable tourism country. 

Day 27 continued in NP Paklenica for day two of big wall speed climbing. 

No significant movements were made on this day as Lacko and his team continued enjoying the Big Wall Speed Climbing competition in the Velika Paklenica canyon. They are currently forming the ‘C’ in ‘Welcome’ on their journey. 

According to NP Paklenica, the “Big Wall Speed Climbing” competition has been going on in the canyon of Velika Paklenica since 2000. There are only a few rules to join the competition, like being over 18 years old and having teams that consist of two male, female, or mixed members. 

This year, the upcoming 20th International Climbers' Meeting and the “Big Wall Speed Climbing” competition will take place from April 26 to 28, 2019.  

Here's a look at the competition back in 2011. 

Day 27 continued with the men's part of the competition. 

Corko the beast. 

Winners Mako Marasovic and Emil Mucko climbed the BWSC route grade 6c+, 160 meters in length for 23 minutes and 36 seconds.

The Slovenian team Matjaz and Nejc.

Kreso Moric and Luka Kivela.

And finally, the awards ceremony. 

A key part of the project was promoting tourism, and the official website has details of the key places visited during the day. 

NP Paklenica.

You can see the entire project on the Welcome website, as well as much more of Luka Tambaca's stunning photography on the Welcome Facebook page. 

Tune in tomorrow for Day 28 as Lacko moves from Starigrad Paklenica to Zadar by kayak and bike.

To follow the whole project from the start, follow the dedicated TCN page. 

April 19, 2019 - Putting Croatian adventure tourism on the map, with the biggest welcome in the world. Day 26 of this incredible 2011 adrenaline trip covering 2,500 km along the Croatian coast. 

The World's Biggest Welcome, an ambitious adventure tourism project in 2011 in Croatia enters Day 26 of this 2019 appreciation of one of the finest tourism promotion projects ever in Croatia.  

The plan? To showcase the diversity and fabulous offer of adventure tourism in Croatia by following a GPS route the length of the Croatian coast in the shape of the word 'Welcome' - thereby creating the biggest welcome in the world from a hospitable tourism country. 

Day 26 stayed in NP Paklenica for a day of big wall speed climbing. 

No significant movements were made on this day as Lacko and his team stayed put in Paklenica for the "Big Wall Speed Climbing" competition. They are currently forming the ‘C’ in ‘Welcome’ on their journey. 

According to NP Paklenica, the “Big Wall Speed Climbing” competition has been going on in the canyon of Velika Paklenica since 2000. There are only a few rules to join the competition, like being over 18 years old and having teams that consist of two male, female, or mixed members. 

This year, the upcoming 20th International Climbers' Meeting and the “Big Wall Speed Climbing” competition will take place from April 26 to 28, 2019.  

Here's a look at Lacko's competition back in 2011. 

Inga Patarčić and Sunčica Hrašćanec.

An American. 

"American formation". 

Sunčica Hrašćanec won at every BWSC competition in Paklenica. Inga Patarčić set a new record.

Back to the American team. 

And the Spanish team of Daila Ojeda and Andrea Cartas.

Lacko and the team from the PKU Association. 

A look at just how big the rock is. 

The rain stopped part of the men's competition.

But it went on.  

A key part of the project was promoting tourism, and the official website has details of the key places visited during the day. 

National Park Paklenica. 

You can see the entire project on the Welcome website, as well as much more of Luka Tambaca's stunning photography on the Welcome Facebook page. 

Tune in tomorrow for Day 27, as Lacko spends another day in Paklenica for the big wall speed climbing competition.

To follow the whole project from the start, follow the dedicated TCN page. 

April 18, 2019 - Putting Croatian adventure tourism on the map, with the biggest welcome in the world. Day 25 of this incredible 2011 adrenaline trip covering 2,500 km along the Croatian coast. 

The World's Biggest Welcome, an ambitious adventure tourism project in 2011 in Croatia enters Day 25 of this 2019 appreciation of one of the finest tourism promotion projects ever in Croatia.  

The plan? To showcase the diversity and fabulous offer of adventure tourism in Croatia by following a GPS route the length of the Croatian coast in the shape of the word 'Welcome' - thereby creating the biggest welcome in the world from a hospitable tourism country. 

Day 25 continued from Vaganski vrh to NP Paklenica on foot.

13 kilometres for the day: And just 13 km on foot from Vaganski vrh to NP Paklenica to continue forming the ‘C’ in ‘Welcome’.

Day 24 rolled into Day 25 at Struge, where the team slept over near Vaganski vrh.

And it looked like they were on the set of a horror movie. 

In the morning they set off to Buljmi.

And continued through the Velika Paklenica canyon. 

It looked like paradise. 

They continued with rock climbing on Debeli kuk. 

And finally ended in Starigrad. With beers. 

A key part of the project was promoting tourism, and the official website has details of the key places visited during the day. 

National Park Paklenica.

You can see the entire project on the Welcome website, as well as much more of Luka Tambaca's stunning photography on the Welcome Facebook page. 

Tune in tomorrow for Day 26, as Lacko stays in Paklenica for a day of big wall speed climbing! 

To follow the whole project from the start, follow the dedicated TCN page.