There has been a lot of talk about the introduction of the 5G network in Croatia ever since the idea of the continental Croatian city of Osijek becoming the first Croatian 5G city first surfaced several months ago. Both negative and positive opinions on the first Croatian 5G city exist, and now the Croatian Government has confirmed that Osijek will indeed be the very first Croatian 5G city, and the entire city will be covered by 5G by the end of 2020.

As Marija Brnic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of January, 2020, in addition to Osijek, the continental Croatian cities of Karlovac and Bjelovar applied to become the first Croatian 5G city, as did the Northern Adriatic city of Rijeka, the European Capital of Culture for this year.

Osijek will be the first major Croatian city to build a 5G network within it by December the 31st this year, and then put it into full commercial operation. At today's session, the Croatian Government accepted the proposal, which has been led by a working group consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, HAKOM, and three well known network operators: HT, A1 and Tele2, since back in March last year.

"I believe that by doing this, we'll contribute to the development of the eastern part of Croatia," stated the Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic, adding that the introduction of 5G technology in the City of Osijek will open the door to the introduction of this brand new technology throughout the Republic of Croatia.

As previously mentioned, the cities of Karlovac, Bjelovar, and Rijeka also applied for the 5G network, and in addition to synergies with the Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem Project, Osijek was decided on because it will not be particularly technically demanding for the construction of such mobile communications networks. 

The first Croatian 5G city has a university and industry, and a continually developing ICT start-up community, on top of all of that, the surrounding area has a great potential for deploying 5G technology in the sectors of both agriculture and tourism.

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

December 16, 2019 - The 19th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 13 to 15, 2019. This was the final round of the winter season for all clubs apart from Dinamo and Rijeka, who will make up their 6th round game on December 18, 2019. As the table stands now, Dinamo sits in first, Hajduk in second, and Rijeka in third place. 

Gorica v. Inter Zapresic (1:1)

Gorica and Inter opened the 19th round on Friday, December 13, 2019, in Velika Gorica in front of 689 fans. Zwolinski scored for Gorica in the first minute of the game to make it 1:0. Muhammed saw his second yellow card just before the half, forcing Gorica to play with a man down for the entire second half. Tsonev equalized for Inter in the 69th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 29 points, while Inter is in 8th place with 13. 

Rijeka v. Varazdin (3:1)

Rijeka and Varazdin met at Rujevica stadium on Saturday, December 14, 2019, in front of 3,865 fans. 

Acosty opened the scoring spree for Rijeka with a goal in the 12th minute for 1:0 at the half. Colak increased Rijeka’s lead to 2:0 in the 47th minute. A penalty for Varazdin in the 83rd saw a 2:1 result, though Colak scored again for Rijeka in the 90th for a final score of 3:1. 

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 34 points, while Varazdin is in the last place with 12. 

Dinamo v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Dinamo and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, December 14, 2019, at Maksimir stadium in front of 1,935 fans. 

The first half went without goals, and Dinamo’s only goal of the game came when Olmo scored in the 67th minute.

Dinamo is currently in first place with 44 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 28. 

Osijek v. Slaven Belupo (3:2)

Osijek and Belupo met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, December 16, 2019, in front of 2,058 fans. 

Maric scored for Osijek in the first minute of the game for 1:0 at the half. Lulic equalized in the 51st minute for 1:1, though a Maric penalty and a goal by Kleinheisler increased Osijek’s lead to 3:1 by the 65th minute. Bozic scored for Belupo in the 72nd for the final score of 3:2. 

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 33 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 18. 

Hajduk v. Istra 1961 (2:1)

Hajduk and Istra closed out the 19th round at Poljud on Sunday, December 16, 2019, in front of 6,262 fans. 

Istra was the first to score with a goal by Fintic right before the whistle blew for the half for 0:1. However, two goals from Caktas in the 62nd and 69th minutes saw Hajduk celebrate 2:1 in the end. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 35 points, while Istra is in 9th with 12. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

December 14, 2019 - Another fantastic addition to the renaissance of Osijek's old town - a former military bakery with a modern twist and some very old graffiti. 

One of the many highlights in another exceptional year in this beautiful country was the opportunity to explore Slavonia and the east in greater detail. I still have more to write on my October visits to Ilok and Kopacki Rit, but one place that grows on me more and more with every visit is Osijek. I don't think anyone who visited Days of Croatian Tourism will forget the outstanding display put on by the organisers of the Osijek part of the itinerary. The old town really came to life, and I could see that many first-time visitors from Zagreb and the coast were visibly surprised at the beauty and show. It was a wonderful experience, and you can capture a glimpse of the action in the impressive official video below.

While walking around the old two, the Osijek maestros and top Croatian photographers, Mario Romulic and Drazen Stojcic, took me around their native town, pointing out things of interest, including a stunning new square at Tvrdja that had until recently been a muddy car park. But they made no mention of THIS - a superbly renovated former military bakery in the old town, exquisitely adapted for modern use, while preserving much of the character of the past, including the 200-year-old graffiti. 

Perhaps it is best explained by architect Bruno Rechner, the project architect, before enjoy the fruits of his work through the lens of Romulic and Stojcic. 

In the middle of Tvrdja in Osijek there's a special building, great cultural heritage. 200 years ago it was a military bakery. The preserved graffiti on the walls and great ovens are telling us the story. Today it is reconstructed to a multifunctional space. Every level has it's own functionality, but they all are very complementary.

Exterior is like it was before, we have only added new glass staircase.

On the ground level there's a lobby, cafe, restaurant, co-working space and meeting areas. On the first level there's a hostel with 15 rooms. On the second level there are offices and workshops. On the roof level there's a great conference hall.

Reconstruction cost: 40 million kuna, 80% EU funding

Old bakery...reconstruction designed by Rechner architects...

Learn more about the Slavonian capital in the Total Croatia Osijek in a Page guide.

For the latest news from Osijek, check out the dedicated TCN section.  

December 9, 2019 - The 18th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 6 to 8, 2019. A draw for Hajduk against Inter kept them in 2nd place, but pushed them to nine points behind Dinamo who sits in 1st. Rijeka is now just one point behind Hajduk in 3rd. 

Dinamo v. Varazdin (1:0)

Dinamo and Varazdin opened the 18th round on Friday, December 6, 2019, at Maksimir stadium in front of 1,471 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, Dinamo narrowly won with a goal by Gavranovic in the 77th minute for 1:0. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 41 points, while Varazdin is in 9th place with 12 points. 

Gorica v. Slaven Belupo (2:0)

Gorica and Belupo met in Velika Gorica on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

Belupo’s Goda saw a straight red card in the 9th minute, forcing the away side to play with a man down for nearly the entire game. Gorica found it easy to capitalize on their player advantage and scored both goals in the 18th and 34th minute thanks to Zwolinski and Lovric. 

A double yellow for Ndiaye in the 53rd minute equaled the playing field, though neither team was able to score in the second half. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 28 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 18.

Inter Zapresic v. Hajduk (1:1)

Inter and Hajduk met in Zagreb on Saturday, December 7, 2019, in front of 1,620 fans. 

An own goal by Hajduk’s Simic in the 26th minute put Inter in the lead for 1:0, though Eduok was able to equalize for Hajduk to make the game 1:1 at the half, which was also the final score of the game.

Inter is currently in the last place with 12 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 32. 

Osijek v. Lokomotiva (4:0)

Osijek and Lokomotiva met at City Garden Stadium on Sunday, December 8, 2019, in front of 1,533 spectators. 

While the first half went without goals, Osijek made up for their absence in the net in the second half, scoring all four goals then (Maric 55’, Pilj 78’, Kleinheisler 82’, Bockaj 92’). 

Lokomotiva’s Kastrati was also given his second yellow of the game in the 62nd minute 

Osijek is currently in 4th place with 30 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th with 28. 

Rijeka v. Istra 1961 (2:0)

Rijeka and Istra closed out the 18th round at Rujevica on December 8, 2019,in front of 4,675 spectators. 

An own goal by Galilea put Rijeka in the lead in the 15th minute, while Muric increased the lead for the home side with a goal in the 27th.

Rijeka is currently in 3rd place with 31 points, while Istra is in 8th with 12. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

December 2, 2019 - The 17th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 29 to December 1, 2019. This round featured the highly anticipated Adriatic Derby between Hajduk and Rijeka. 

Slaven Belupo v. Inter Zapresic (3:0)

Belupo and Inter opened the 17th round on Friday, November 29, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 783 spectators. 

Belupo scored their first goal in the 15th minute thanks to Nowak, and Krstanovic increased the lead to 2:0 in the 26th minute. Mikulic scored in the 66th for 3:0, which was the final score of the game.

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 18 points, while Inter is in the last place with 11. 

Lokomotiva v. Gorica (4:0) 

Lokomotiva and Gorica met in Zagreb on Friday, November 29, 2019, in front of 583 spectators. 

Goals by Kastrati and Uzuni in the 40th and 41st minutes had Lokomotiva up 2:0 at the half. An own goal by Marina increased Lokomotiva’s lead to 3:0 in the 63rd minute, and Tolic ended the scoring spree in the 79th minute for 4:0. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 4th place with 28 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 25. 

Varazdin v.Osijek (1:1)

Varazdin and Osijek met on Saturday, November 30, 2019, at NK Varteks Stadium in front of 1,270 fans. 

Maric scored just before halftime to put Osijek in the lead, though Varazdin found a way to equalize thanks to a Glavica goal in the 77th minute for 1:1. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 12 points, while Osijek is in 5th with 27.

Istra 1961 v. Dinamo (1:2)

Istra and Dinamo met on Saturday,  November 30, 2019, in Pula in front of 2,462 fans. 

Kadzior scored the first goal of the game for the 0:1 Dinamo lead in the 22nd minute, which was the score at the half. Orsic scored in the 49th for 0:2, though Istra’s Cuze gave the home team a goal in the 90th minute for a final score of 1:2. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 12 points, while Dinamo is in 1st with 38. 

Hajduk v. Rijeka (0:4)

Hajduk and Rijeka closed out the 17th round on Sunday, December 1, 2019, at Poljud for the Adriatic Derby. 

The first goal of the game didn’t come until the 43rd minute when Acosty scored for the Rijeka lead. However, in the final minutes of the second half, Rijeka managed to increase their lead by three goals - Raspopovic in the 83rd, Gorgon in the 87th, and Halilovic in the third minute of added time. The game ended at 0:4 for Rijeka. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 28. 

You can see the full HNL table here.

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

ZAGREB, November 28, 2019 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban formally opened the newly-built student dormitory of the Hungarian Educational and Cultural Centre in the eastern Croatian city of Osijek on Thursday.

The dormitory will house 52 students. Its construction was financed by the Croatian Ministry of Science and Education with about 10 million kuna (1.35 million euro) and the cornerstone was laid in October 2018 by the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, Gordan Jandroković, and his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Kover.

Plenković said that Croatia and Hungary were friends and neighbours and that the Hungarians living in Croatia and Croats living in Hungary were the biggest link in relations between the two countries. He said that the two governments were committed to fostering the identity, culture, education and tradition of the two communities.

Plenković said that the Hungarian Educational and Cultural Centre and the student dormitory would help promote the education and preserve the identity of the Hungarian community.

"These are the standards that Croatia provides to the minorities in Croatia and expects such protection of minority rights for the Croats living in the neighbouring countries. It is most important to us that these two communities feel good, both in Croatia and in Hungary, as confirmed by their status and cooperation. Communication through the minorities improves overall relations between the two countries," the Croatian PM said.

Orban thanked the Croatian government for financing the construction of the student dormitory. He thanked the Croats in Hungary for maintaining their Croatian identity and thus contributing to the wealth and diversity of Hungary and the Hungarians in Croatia for maintaining their Hungarian identity and helping the Hungarian people to be even bigger.

Orban recalled that "80, 90 or 100 years ago Slavonia and the Hungarian county of Baranya were the richest parts of our state" and were envied by others because of their high living standards.

"I simply don't believe that if we already managed to accomplish something in the course of history we wouldn't be able to repeat again. I believe that it will happen once again that people will be envious of the Hungarian county of Baranya and Slavonia in Croatia," Orban said.

"Only a person who thinks that the place where they live is the centre of the world can be successful," he added.

"We must connect our countries, because if we stay on the periphery and isolated, we are destined to fail. If Croatia finally enters the Schengen area, which we fully support, the last obstacle will be cleared and the path will be opened to a free flow of business, culture and sports, and we will be in an enviable position again," the Hungarian PM said.

"Trust me, what I'm talking about is possible. If over the next ten years Croatia has as committed a government as this and if Hungary keeps a nationally-minded government for another ten years, we will come back here with Andrej to check whether what have stated is true," Orban said.

Orban said that emigration was fashionable today and that this problem was faced not just by Croatia, but by Hungary as well. He said that it was important for young people leaving their country to realise that they have a country where they are not foreigners and where they can return.

"Both governments are working to make this a place worth returning to. This process has already begun in Hungary, and what has begun in Hungary will also happen in Croatia," Orban concluded.

More news about relations between Croatia and Hungary can be found in the Politics section.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 26th of November, 2019, a few years ago, former Osijek student Srđan Kovačević returned to his hometown of Osijek in Eastern Croatia, which initially left to go and study mechanical engineering in Zagreb.

"After graduating from university, I completed my master's degree in financial mathematics at the University of Oxford, then I worked for ten years in Zagreb in the financial sector,'' says Kovačević, and as was reported by SiB RTL. The ex Osijek student passes over his career quickly, preferring instead to discuss the time when he, along with his partners, Vlatko Matijević and Ivan Jelušić, founded Orqu, a successful Slavonian startup that designed and produced user-friendly glasses for the world to be able to look through the perspective of the drone it controls.

However, back in 2016, when this former Osijek student initially returned back home to his Eastern Croatian city, he wasn't really thinking all that much about drones.

"I returned to Osijek during a transition period between youth and adulthood. My wife was pregnant and we're both from Osijek. This city has many benefits for the life of a young family. Besides, I didn't have a job at that moment, and my financial situation was such that I could afford one year of sort of playing around, a year in which I could about think what I wanted to do,'' he says.

They started out in a small office with just three Ikea desks in it. Very quickly, there were more than twenty of them.

''We doubled our revenue every year. This may not be too much of a problem when you're so small, but it was clear that the model we chose was the right one. For a couple of years, everyone in the former Yugoslavia doing hardware work was either our client, or we were in some way cooperating with them, or at least at some point in contact,'' this innovative former Osijek student told SiB RTL.

"We were hobbyists when it came to drones, and so, through that hobby and as a kind of pet project of ours, we started developing first person view glasses. These are basically VR glasses that allow the person operating the drone to view the world from the drone's perspective, to see what the drone sees,'' he recounts.

Not long after, this project proved to be quite profitable.

"FPV glasses exist, we didn't invent them. However, we've found a way to make such glasses the best in the world, to make our product competitive on the global market. It's a small niche in the industry, there are maybe 100,000 people in the world who are our potential customers, but for a small Osijek company, we can make a good living from it. As the glasses business grew, so did our focus on it. A year ago, we made our first investment and now eyewear development is our primary business,'' concluded Kovačević.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle, business and Made in Croatia pages for much more.

November 25, 2019 - The 16th round of the Croatian First League was held from Friday, November 22 to Sunday, November 24. This round featured the never disappointing ‘Eternal Derby’ between Dinamo and Hajduk. 

Dinamo v. Hajduk (1:1)

Dinamo and Hajduk opened the 16th round at Maksimir stadium on Friday, November 22, 2019, in front of 15,757 fans. 

Dinamo was quick to score thanks to an own goal by Hajduk defender Ismajli in the 12th minute for 1:0. However, a penalty awarded to Hajduk just before the half saw Mijo Caktas score for 1:1. 

Neither team was able to score in the second half, and Hajduk resisted Dinamo’s intense pressure throughout the game, even though they were without several of their key players on Friday. 

Dinamo is currently in first place with 35 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 31. 

Gorica v. Varazdin (1:0)

Gorica and Varazdin met in Velika Gorica on Saturday, November 23, 2019, in front of 1,272 fans. 

The first half went without goals, and Gorica’s Ndiaye scored only in the 57th minute for 1:0, which was the final score of the game. 

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 25 points, while Varazdin is in 10th place with 11. 

Slaven Belupo v. Lokomotiva (1:0)

Belupo and Lokomotiv met on Saturday, November 23, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 754 fans. 

It was another low scoring game of the 16th round, which saw Belupo’s Krstanovic score in the 17th minute for 1:0, which was the final score of the game.

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 15 points, while Lokomotiva is in 5th place with 25. 

Osijek v. Istra 1961 (1:0)

Osijek and Istra met on Sunday, November 24, 2019, at City Garden Stadium in front of 2,455 fans. 

While the game saw Istra’s Pavic receive a double yellow in the 52nd minute, forcing Istra to play with a man down from the 52nd minute, the first and only goal of the game came in the 5th minute of added time (95') thanks to Osijek’s Maric for 1:0. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 26 points, while Istra is in 8th with 12. 

Inter Zapresic v. Rijeka (1:4)

Inter and Rijeka met in Zagreb to close out the 16th round on Sunday, November 25, 2019, in front of 820 fans. 

Rijeka scored all four goals in the first half, thanks to Andrijasevic (6’), Colak (23’, 28’), and Gorgon (32’). Inter’s Soldo was able to get one for the home team in the first minute of added time for 1:4. 

Inter is currently in 9th place with 11 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 25. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

Gas Station Locator: A student from Osijek just launched an app which shows where to find the cheapest nearby fuel in Croatia! The application, which is available in English, German and Croatian, currently tracks prices at gas stations from the five major oil companies in Croatia. There are also plans to expand the service to the rest of Southeast Europe.

As reported by Mladen Smrekar/tportal on November 20, 2019; the new application was created by Matej Arlović, a 23-year-old student of Software Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Information Technology in Osijek.

Gas Station Locator

"After almost four months of development and administrative tasks, I’ve reached the moment where the Gas Station Locator application is ready for public release," said Matej Arlović, a 23-year-old student of Software Engineering at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer and Information Technology in Osijek, on Facebook. “A big thank you to everyone who helped me with this project: from developing and testing concepts, to writing articles and translations. This is my first experience with Android apps, so if you find any bugs let me know and I will fix them.”

The application monitors the prices at gas stations from five major oil companies in Croatia: INA, Petrol, Tifon, AdriaOil and APIOS. Information on the companies, gas stations and the prices of petroleum products are checked and updated regularly.

Cheapest Fuel in Croatia

"The goal is for the user to come up with the cheapest nearby fuel options, which result in significant savings," Arlović says. “Our algorithm does not predict fuel prices but uses current prices at gas stations. Fuel prices are updated on a weekly basis.”

The Gas Station Locator uses the user’s location to find the nearest gas station with cheapest fuel. Your location is detected when you enter the application, and if you are on the move you can refresh your location by clicking the button. Refreshing the location also moves the marker showing the user’s location, and the algorithm automatically searches for gas stations in the new location. If the new location is more than 100 kilometers away, the data will reload.

The user’s location is not saved, however, and the application will delete it after shutdown. As the team at Gas Station Locator points out: their goal is to preserve users' privacy.

Additional Services

In addition to fuel prices, the app shows additional services offered by gas stations: from restaurants and cafés to car washes. You can also find the gas station’s business hours and opening/closing times. Holidays and seasonal hours are also calculated within the algorithm.

You can download the app from the Google Play Store here and on the Gas Station Locator website, where you can find additional information about the service.

Follow our Made in Croatia page to keep up with new apps and products from Croatia. 

The 15th round of the Croatian First League was held from November 8 to 10, 2019. This round featured a crucial win for Hajduk and coach Damir Buric and a shocking blowout between Rijeka and Dinamo. 

Istra 1961  v. Gorica (2:2)

Istra and Gorica opened the 15th round in Pula on Friday, November 8, 2019, in front of 699 fans. 

Istra’s Laukzemis scored a quick goal in the 3rd minute for the lead, though Jovicic equalized before the half for 1:1. 

Mocinic put Istra back in the lad for 2:1 in the 62nd minute, and a late equalizer by Ndiaye in the fourth minute of injury time made it 2:2. 

Istra is currently in 7th place with 12 points, while Gorica is in 6th with 22. 

Lokomotiva v. Inter Zapresic (3:1)

Lokomotiva and Inter met in Zagreb on Saturday, November 9, 2019, in front of 440 fans. 

Tolic’s goal for Lokomotiva made it 1:0 at the half, and his second in the 72nd minute made it 2:0. Tsonev managed to get one in for Inter in the 83rd minute, while a Tolic hat trick in the 11th minute of injury time gave Lokomotiva the 3:1 win. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 3rd place with 25 points, while Inter is in 9th with 11. 

Varazdin v. Slaven Belupo (0:0)

Varazdin and Belupo met at NK Varteks Stadium on Saturday, November 9, 2019, in front of 1,112 spectators. 

Neither team was able to score, and the match ended 0:0. 

Varazdin is currently in the last place with 11 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 12. 

Hajduk v. Osijek (3:2) 

Hajduk and Osijek met at Poljud on Sunday, November 10, 2019, in front of 7,805 fans. 

Hajduk’s Caktas scored first with a goal in the 22nd, while Eduok increased Hajduk’s lead to 2:0 in the 41st. 

Zaper came back with a goal for Osijek to make it 2:1 at the half. A quick goal by Maric into the second half made the game equal in the 52nd minute for 2:2. 

Jairo put Hajduk pack in the lead in the 72nd minute for 3:2, though his second yellow in the 73rd mad saw Hajduk play with a man down for the remainder of the game. Osijek was unable to capitalize with an extra man,  and the game ended at 3:2. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 30 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 23. 

Rijeka v. Dinamo (0:5)

Rijeka and Dinamo closed out the 15th round at Rujevica Stadium on Sunday, November 10, 2019, in front of 5,517 spectators. 

Ivanusec (’14), Orsic (’18, ’26), and Stojanovic (’20) made the game 0:4 for Dinamo at the half. An Orsic hattrick in the 70th made it 0:5, which was the final score of the game. 

Rijeka is currently in 5th place with 22 points, while Dinamo is in 1st with 34. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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