December 20, 2020 – The 13 winners of the incredibly popular World Meteorological Organization annual competition have just been announced, and two fine pieces of Croatia weather photography are among them. These spectacular images of Croatia weather photography show all 9 Croatian photographs which reached the final in 2020 and all 10 Croatian finalists who similarly stunned the global audience in 2019

Croatia weather photography: the two newly announced winners from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Sandro Puncet Photo taken: Losinj island

Photographer: Zrinka Balabanic Photo taken: Pag island

Thanks to its popularity as a tourist destination, lots of people are now used to seeing beautiful photos of Croatia. Although, the images they usually see are of idyllic beaches, cloudless skies, stunning nature and turquoise blue seas. But, as anyone who knows the country will tell you - and as these photos show - Croatia isn't always like that.

Croatia weather photography: the two newly announced runners-up from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Šime Barešić Photo taken: Drage, Pakostane

Photographer: Mislav Bilic Photo taken: Lapad Peninsula, Dubrovnik

Out of season, Croatia can experience vastly different weather conditions to those advertised in travel brochures and blogs. And, whenever there's a spectacular weather occurrence, usually there's a photographer out there, braving the elements, trying to capture it.

Over recent years, some of the best Croatia weather photography has featured in the annual competition organised by the World Meteorological Organization. 2020 has been no different.

The other five Croatian finalists from the 2020 competition
Photographer: Šime Barešić Photo taken: Drage, Pakostane

Photographer: Sandro Puncet Photo taken: Losinj island

Photographer: Zoran Stanko Photo taken: Geisler Alm, Dolomites, Italy

Photographer: Maja Kraljik Photo taken: Umag, Istria

Photographer: Igor Popovic Photo taken: Rijeka

The winners of this year's competition have just been announced and the two fantastic examples of Croatia weather photography within the top 13 will take their place in the 2021 World Meteorological Organization calendar.

The 10 Croatian finalists from the 2019 competition
Photographer: Danica Sičič Photo taken: Srobreč, Dalmatia

Photographer: Romeo Ibrišević Photo taken: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Photographer: Božan Štambuk Photo taken: Bundek park, Zagreb

Photographer: Miroslava Novak Photo taken: Pribislavec, Međimurje

As well as the two winners, two further examples of Croatia weather photography came in the runner-up category, of which there were 12 in total.

Photographer: Francesca Delbianco Photo taken: Zagreb

Photographer: Ivica Brlić Photo taken: Sava river, Davor, near Slavonski Brod

Photographer: Nataša Šafar Photo taken: Rečica, near Karlovac

Photographer: Romeo Ibrišević Photo taken: Plitvice Lakes National Park

Over 1000 photographs from all over the world were entered in the 2020 competition. The submissions were narrowed down to a final selection of 70 contenders. As TCN reported back at the start of October, no less than 9 examples of Croatia weather photography made it into the final 70, taken by 7 Croatian photographers.

Photographer: Danijel Palčić Photo taken: Pag island

Photographer: Aleksandar Gospic Photo taken: Ražanac

Croatia regularly punches well above its weight in the annual competition, as we can see from these 10 examples of incredible Croatia weather photography that were among the finalists in 2019.

All images courtesy World Meteorological Organisation

September 30, 2020 - For the fourth year in a row, the Sonus Festival has proved that it is a favorite festival among the audience at the recent awards ceremony of the domestic and regional electronic music industry held in Zagreb.

HRTurizam reports that the Sonus Festival won the Ambassador Award for the best open-air festival in 2019, in competition against the most famous festivals Dimensions, Outlook, Sea Star, and Modem.

The Sonus Festival on the island of Pag is visited every year by guests from more than 65 countries, and due to the global coronavirus epidemic and the recommendations of experts, the organizers decided not to hold the festival this year.

"Although Sonus has received international awards, the Ambassador Award means a lot to us because every year it is chosen by our most loyal local and regional fans. I would like to thank them for supporting us by choosing us for the fourth year in a row. In these difficult times for the music industry, this kind of recognition gives us an incentive to work even harder and strive to make our next festival even better. We hope that the health situation will improve and that we will soon be able to organize some of our events and host some of the world's music DJ stars in Croatia," said the founder of the Sonus Festival, Dalibor Oliver Zjacic.

Hoping to improve the global health situation and bring the epidemic under control, preparations will soon begin for the 8th edition of the festival scheduled for August 15 to 20, 2021.

Over the past few years, the Sonus Festival has hosted the world's biggest names, such as Carl Cox, Solomon, Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Adam Beyer, Loco Dice, Chris Liebing, Pan-Pot, Amelie Lens, Charlotte De Witte, The Martinez Brothers, Tale Of Us, Joseph Capriati, Jamie Jones, Sam Paganini, Seth Troxler, Marco Carole, Maceo Plexa, Apolloniae, Len Faki, Matadora, Enzo Siraguse, tINI, Monica Kruse and many others.

The Sonus team also organizes the Zagreb International Festival #WELOVESOUND, which has also been postponed to June 12, 2021.

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August 16, 2020 - Italian TV reports shocking disregard for social distancing as young Italians go wild on Pag

Italian TV have aired shocking footage showing their young countrymen on holiday. The report, aired on the TG1 segment of Rai Uno TV shows hundreds of island holidaymakers packed into nightclubs as young Italians go wild on Pag. They display a wanton disregard for any social distancing.

One young Italian lady is interviewed and claims there is no more Coronavirus. Another, a male, says he'll get tested upon returning home, although he's not worried because he is young. Perhaps his elderly relatives should be more worried?

Young italians go wild on Pag

After a slow start to the season, scenes from the report appear to show the famous nightlife of Pag now in full swing. With so many holidaymakers from Italy currently enjoying the island, its clubs and the alcohol they serve, it appears it would be a struggle for the venues themselves to enforce social distancing regulations. But, the holidaymakers do not appear keen to take on the responsibility for themselves.

While it makes a change for judgemental TV reports from the Croatian holiday season for once not to feature British youths, this is hardly a matter for amusement; Italy was one of the first European countries hit hard by COVID-19. It took a sustained and painful effort to bring the number of infections down. Italians at home must be watching such scenes with horror. They are terrified of the virus re-emerging at the uncontrollable level seen earlier this year. Already 30 young people who had been on holiday in Croatia this year returned home with Coronavirus infections.

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July 18, 2020 - The tourist boards on the island of Pag continue to work together on joint projects during this year's tourist season. This time, they have launched Pag Outdoor Summer Weekend, or active weeks that will be held with licensed and experienced trainers in various forms of active tourism.

HRTurizam writes that since COVID-19 closed festivals on the famous island, so the usual summer party destination had to be quickly and deftly reoriented into a sports-recreational or active holiday destination.

Kristina Alaburic from the Kissa Association and Berislav Sokac from Run Croatia devised the concept of active weekends on the island of Pag, which include six sports (running, cycling, Nordic walking, SUP, kayaking, mountaineering).

Training is adapted to age groups with carefully selected concepts that will be offered by coaches and are adapted to current conditions concerning the current situation. All participants pay the registration fee in order to have complete control and security at the training and the registration of members.

Five years ago, people in Croatia laughed at Sokac when he suggested that a running race be held on Zrce, and today, the island of Pag is the first island in Croatia to have sports activities throughout the summer.

”In one day, only one sport can be held in one place on the island. In this way, active tourists are encouraged to explore the island, and they are encouraged to take a dynamic vacation. This means that on Sundays, Mandre has a run, you can kayak in Pag, SUP in Metajna…. Run Croatia has provided a registration platform where tourists can register for training for 70 kn. For that money, they get refreshments after training in local gastronomic centers, such as Boškinac or Na Tale. In this way, the gastronomic exploration of the island with local quality refreshments is encouraged. We also keep records of who trained where, so that we can react in time in the event of COVID," said Berislav Sokac from Run Croatia. By the way, the Run Croatia platform is one of, if not the best, racing platforms in the world. And it is Croatian.

Thus, on weekends during July and August, a handful of sporting events will be organized throughout the island, such as cycling, Nordic walking, trail, sea kayaking, SUP (windsurfing), windsurfing, running, walking, and quad riding.

Namely, last month, an Agreement on the project association of local tourist boards on the island of Pag was signed. It can be said that this is a historical moment in which all the island's tourist boards have signed such a multi-year joint project for the first time, which is important for tourism and quality offer of the entire island of Pag.

And that the synergy is not only on paper, but the proof is in Pag Outdoor Summer Weekend!

The island's tourist boards are satisfied with joint projects, especially this year, when almost all events have been canceled, but opportunities have been opened for an ideal active vacation for which the island of Pag has phenomenal prerequisites.

Pag Outdoor Summer Weekend is a logical continuation of cooperation of all communities of the islands and arrives at the right time, when safety and the natural environment are first on the list of priorities of today's guests, says Marina Rizner, director of the Tourist Board of Novalja.

"Five years ago, we started the Life on Mars, Pag Island Trail, in the meantime developed kilometers of new trails along the island, educated guides, organized a series of races, gained long-term sports partners such as Run Croatia, Kissa, Trekking League, extended the pre and post season and jointly involved other tourist stakeholders of the destination. It is time to discover all the faces and backs of the lunar island of Pag this summer and choose an active stay in nature," said Rizner.

Sara Cemeljic, director of TZO Kolan, has the same opinion, emphasizing that this is the beginning of recognizing the island of Pag as a sports island.

"Given that the island of Pag is known for its numerous gastronomic events, this is a unique project that reveals all the diversity of the island, with an emphasis on sports activities. We believe that this is the beginning of recognizing the island of Pag as a sports island, where every guest eager for recreation can find something, either sport on land or in the sea, and introducing guests to many undiscovered beauties," said Cemeljic.

"The island of Pag has a specific shape with many bays, fields, karst, freshwater lakes, ancient olive groves. Povljana is surrounded by rocky karst, along a fertile field, near the lake and separated from the main island road and has ideal areas for sports activities such as Nordic walking, running, cycling, and due to the western winds it is extremely suitable for surfing, sailing,"  said Neven Ticic, director of the Tourist Board of Povljana and concluded:

"That is the reason why we got involved in the project, hoping that as soon as possible, the sports component will gain importance on our beautiful and contrasting island."

Irena Trcol, director of TZM Stara Novalja, pointed out that Pag Outdoor Summer Weekend project was created for their island, which is so different, and yet unique that they can offer every guest a rich selection of outdoor activities. From the program itself, you can see how many organized activities are offered with licensed guides so that everyone will choose something for themselves for an unforgettable vacation on the island.

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July 13, 2020 - Marc Rowlands interviews Boris Šuljić, owner of Boškinac on Pag, a Michelin-starred restaurant, to try and discover the secret to success in the challenging summer of 2020

Among the neverending doom and gloom of this year, a ray of sunshine through the clouds. At Boškinac on Pag, the restaurant, hotel and winery, business is booming. With better numbers than at this point in 2019, is it possible the luxury sector is suffering less this season from COVID-19? And what is the secret to Boškinac's success so far in 2020?

“I am very satisfied with this year's business,” Boškinac owner Boris Šuljić told TCN with a smile and a carefree tone to his voice. “It's definitely busier than last year. Some days are better than others but, generally, more people are coming.”

An island within an island. Pag's Boškinac is located within a lush green and neighbourless section of the island's interior © Boškinac

In a year where, depending on who you believe and how you extrapolate the info, tourism in Croatia is down by at least 50%, people sit comfortably isolated on Boškinac's large terrace. There, they take in the view of the olive trees and Boškinac's vineyards, with not a neighbour in sight. With special measures in place, seats in their Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant are similarly full. But just where are these guests coming from?

“Most of them this year have been from Croatia and Slovenia,” says Šuljić, not unsurprised. “I'd say the next largest group is foreign nationals, ex-pats, who now live in Croatia. But, also we've had quite a few from Germany, Austria, and Belgium. It's not so difficult for us to get busy. We are a relatively small hotel - 11 rooms, 55 seats in the fine dining restaurant, and 40 seats in our more informal tavern.”

Boris Šuljić welcoming guests to Boškinac with a glass of their own-made wine in summer 2019 © Fabio Šimićev

Šuljić estimates that in total around 60% of 2020's guests have come from Croatia, 40% from other countries, a distinct change in the usual demographic they receive. Awarded a Michelin star in February of 2020, the hotel and restaurant have earned a reputation internationally for high-quality food, wines, service, and an experience much more unhurried and relaxing than that found in many places on the popular island. So, has he dropped his prices to encourage this year's draw?

“No, not at all” Šuljić tells us, “our prices remained normal. We are not so expensive like some other 4 or 5-star hotels in Dubrovnik, Rovinj, or Split. The average room price is around €200. Until 15 July, we arranged some special packages with the room and fine dining. We kept the food at the same price but offered the rooms a little cheaper in combination. It was successful. It seemed to attract people who'd heard of the hotel and restaurant, who maybe decided that right now was the best time to come and look. It's not so far to come here to check us out when you only have to travel from Split or Istria, even Zagreb, which is where many of these guests have been coming from. They stayed for one or two nights and enjoyed our Michelin-starred restaurant.”

The flair with which Boškinac on Pag use their fresh, locally-sourced and premium ingredients earned them a Michelin star earlier in 2020 © Boškinac

Always keeping on top of developments in Croatia's gastro scene (you can stay updated on our Gourmet pages), one of TCN's most recent reports from Boškinac noted the venue's fluctuating success of the 2019 season. The summer's unusually variable weather was considered as perhaps one factor in the lack of footfall. With the sun shining reliably on Pag this summer, could it be that visitors care more about the weather than they do about Coronavirus? Is sun-seeking really a greater deciding factor for those looking at Croatia holidays than the ever-updating COVID-19 situation? Šuljić thinks not.

“I definitely think we're busier this year because of the Michelin star,” he says. “People seem to really recognise this international sign of quality. We got a lot of attention because of this. I think it is also because of our communication. We capitalised on the attention and we have been sending out very positive messages. We have every reason to be optimistic and it is this optimistic message we have been sending out; we are here, we are a small place, isolated, we have no neighbours, with allocations for relatively few people, but with lots of room and air and enough terrace for everyone. This is not the usual kind of busy hotel that's packed with people. We are very passionate about our food and our hotel experience. Ours is a business that concentrates on quality, not quantity.”

A platter of distinctly Dalmatian delights, an example of the food on offer at Boškinac on Pag's less-formal tavern restaurant © Boškinac on Pag

Though Šuljić's international recognition, unique premises and isolated location undoubtedly offer an advantage in attracting high-end clientele, could other Croatian businesses learn something from the clear and optimistic communication Boškinac has been sending out since the season's start? Well, it's an option to all but, since opening in 200, Boškinac's message and communications have been of premium importance to the business.

“We were very ambitious as soon as we opened, especially with our food,” remembers Šuljić. “But, at that time, this kind of fine dining experience was not so much recognised in Croatia. It was a very high cuisine for the time. People didn't understand what we were trying to do. Slowly we grew with our guests. It was a journey we made together. It was a gradual process. On our part, a mixture of good social media communication, some PR and word-of-mouth recommendations from previous guests was what worked best.”

Spectacular presentation, one of the many wow factors attracting curious visitors to Boškinac on Pag © Boškinac on Pag

Of course, it's too early to tell if Boškinac will maintain its story of success through summer 2020. Šuljić is aware of this. And, even though it is even more difficult to predict the rest of the season than in any other year, he remains decidedly unworried because of their experiences so far.

“It is really interesting,” he says, when asked about future bookings for this summer, “I've never known anything like it. We have so far not had any bookings further than three or four weeks in advance. It's much more week to week. For instance, right now we have zero bookings for August. Usually, I would be concerned. But, it was the same one month ago and now we are almost full. All of the bookings are last minute. People are making their decisions based on the status and the quality of the information available. They check the news and the websites for advice, make a decision and then off they go.”

© Boškinac on Pag

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Total Croatia News is the best-read English language news site covering Croatia for people across south-east Europe. If you want to get your message across to those booking last-minute visits to the Croatia in summer 2020, contact us at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to see what we can do for you.

July 13, 2020 - In their first venture to the Croatian coast, Rešetka's summer menu brings fine-dining quality to seaside streets in 2020

Sometimes you just want a burger, a sandwich, or something you can just eat from your hands. But, just because you haven't got the time or can't be bothered with the faff of fine dining, that doesn't mean you're volunteering for a drastic drop in quality.

That's where Rešetka comes in. Street food providers renowned for sourcing and selling only quality meats, the grill specialists have been a highlight of Zagreb Burger Fest and several pop-ups in recent times. This summer, the experience that has won over the Croatian capital's burger connoisseurs can be found instead along the coast.

Rešetka owner Nikola Božić has embarked on the summer venture with chef Katarina Vrenc. You'll be able to find their new concept 'Fine Street Food by Reshetka & Katarina Vrenc' at several pop-up locations along the Adriatic this summer. They'll be visiting Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia, including the islands of Cres and Pag.


Rešetka and Đurina Hiža are renowned for using only high quality, locally sourced produce within their dishes including, this year, beef from a hybrid of Japan's famed wagyu and Holstein, sourced from the first range herd of its kind in Croatia © Rešetka

With a commitment to cooking only with high quality, locally sourced produce and ingredients, the team is known to use premium meats and seafood for their dishes. This year they will offer beef from a hybrid of Japan's famed wagyu and Holstein, sourced from the first range herd of its kind in Croatia. Within a summer menu that combines the best of continental and coastal Croatian ingredients, you'll also find superior snacks such as rich pork belly paired with octopus.

Nikola Božić is also the proprietor of Đurina Hiža near Varaždinske Toplice. As recently covered in TCN, thanks to some quick and positive thinking, though the restaurant closed for a while in the Coronavirus lockdown, Nikola was able to adapt his business in order to remain successful during the period; relying on high quality, locally sourced ingredients, he became a bridge between the small producers he'd spent time finding, and those shopping online from their homes. Their 'Deda Goes Around the World' service delivered meats and other produce throughout Croatia during the restaurant's temporary closure.

If you're planning to visit Dubrovnik, Biograd, Pula, Premantura or Split this summer and can't face another pizza slice, kebab or burger of questionable origin, be sure to look out for the Rešetka logo. Fine Street Food by Reshetka & Katarina Vrenc will visit Plavica Bar on island Cres on 7 & 8 August and the Michelin-starred Boškinac on Pag in the middle of September. Further inland, they'll also be available at the High Grounds Festival in Varaždinske Toplice on 31 July, 1 & 2 August. Grab yourself a handful of delicious food and pick a spot to watch the stunning Croatian sunset, the Adriatic coast and its breathtaking backdrop has long been lacking exactly this standard of street food to accompany.


© Rešetka

June 29, 2020 - The preconditions for opening the clubs on Zrce beach have been closely monitored in communication with competent epidemiologists and authorities since the beginning of the COVID-19 virus. Only now, when the prescribed decisions, measures and recommendations allow it, will the summer club season open.

Namely, HRTurizam reports that the clubs Kalypso, Papaya and Nomad will open their doors in the first week of July, while the club Noa has been operating for the last ten days.

One of the most recognizable club destinations in the world for the last 20 years has actively developed various tourist offers, music festivals, recreational facilities and other events and attracts foreign investors, raises quality and helps develop the entire destination of Novalja and Pag.

Club tourism on Zrce, in the usual circumstances, is characterized by high attendance, which in some periods of the season recorded over 13 thousand guests, so COVID-19 inevitably hit hard. This is supported by the fact that the beach season usually begins in mid-May.

"We believe that the opening of this summer season is one of the key segments of maintaining the continuity of tourist arrivals and visits, and thus a successful next season. The destination is kept current, and the arrival of interested guests who have been visiting Croatia and Zrce beach for many years can remain uninterrupted," said Tea Cafuta, a representative of the clubs on Zrce beach.

Recall, in Croatia, indoor events are allowed under strictly prescribed and certain conditions, but the clubs on Zrce beach see the advantage in the fact that all their events and club programs are held exclusively outdoors and are very large, allowing prescribed physical distances.

In parallel, in Switzerland, for example, up to a thousand people are allowed indoors, while in Italy, outdoor events are also allowed with respect to physical distance, even though it was one of the most affected countries, Cafuta points out and emphasizes:

"Tourists, but also domestic guests, who will visit the Croatian coast this summer, can be just as safe in clubs on Zrce as when going to the store, using public transport, staying and spending the night in a hotel and apartment or going to the beach."

For the safe and epidemiologically controlled work of outdoor clubs, Zrce beach facilities will adhere to all prescribed measures and recommendations and carefully monitor the further development of the situation in order to keep all segments of functioning and operation under full control.

"Clubs have a detailed plan of compliance with measures that include primarily strict control of the entrance of people, monitoring guests at all points within the facility, and the number of people by zones. Hygienic measures will also be observed, which include the installation of disinfectants at the entrances to facilities, toilets, and next to/at each bar inside the premises, disinfection of work surfaces, and the entire space as well as temperature measurement of employees and guests at the entrance. Then there are measures to regulate physical distance when guests enter the facility, the distance of tables inside the facility, reducing the number of chairs, the possibility of keeping guests in certain places, and all other measures that can create conditions for safe work and unburdened entertainment of their guests," Cafuta added.

Communication between club management in close cooperation with epidemiologists and the competent institution takes place regularly, which implies monitoring the changes and decisions of the Civil Protection Headquarters, instructions and recommendations of the CNIPH and following the situation, adapting and changing the way of work when needed. They concluded that this is ultimately the only way to ensure responsible and relaxed club fun this summer within epidemiological frameworks.

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June 13, 2020 — Pag’s tourism apparatus is trying to end its party and go for a hike instead.

The (in)famous island near Zadar is using the coronavirus slowdown and a government push for collaboration among tourist boards to rebrand itself from party central to an active outdoor tourism hub.

All the figureheads in the islands apparatus signed an agreement to switch the island to an outdoor tourism destination, hoping to bring more peaceful, considerate crowds to a place that has become known for clubbing and drunken debauchery.

The President of the Tourist Board of the City of Novalja Ante Dabo, the City of Pag’s Ante Fabijanić, the Municipality of Povljana Ivica Pogorilić and Kolana Marin Pernjak and the town of Stara Novalja’s Ante Peranić signed an Agreement on Association of Local Tourist Boards from the Island of Pag to develop and shape the island into a unique and harmonized destination for outdoor tourism. 

This is a kind of historical moment in which all the island's tourist boards have signed such a multi-year joint project for the first time. The signing of the agreement was approved by Croatia’s Tourism Ministry. The government provided the impetus for this year’s Fund for United Tourist Boards to push for more teamwork across tourism boards. 

The agreement presents in detail the activities that should, with the financial support of the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Croatia, be implemented by the end of 2023.

“What is important to emphasize are these activities, which are the improvement of existing and development of new trails, organization and establishment of bike-sharing systems, service stations, rest areas, raising the level of accessibility of tourist attractions located next to and near bike trails, development of thematic and educational trails, design of unified bicycle and trail signalization and marking of trails with the same visual standard,” Pag’s Tourist Board director Vesna Karavanić told Zadarski List. “Then, there is the installation of information boards, making quality maps with trails and making a brochure of the outdoor offer of the island of Pag, promotional videos and photo galleries, raising the quality of accommodation and catering facilities for cyclists, joint promotional activities, and events.”

She added that the signing of this agreement is a logical continuation of previous cooperation across the island, since Pag’s tourist boards Pag set out on a joint path of cooperation under the motto “Pag Moon Island - A Common Vision.”

“After a joint appearance at several foreign fairs, we launched joint events such as rowing regatta ‘Osmerci on Pag’ and ‘Pag on the menu’ and started signing a joint agreement of all tourist boards of the island of Pag and branding the destination through outdoor tourism - trails, kayaking, cycling and climbing for a period of three years,” she said.

The Tourism Ministry’s for more coordination allows pushes like Pag’s to overcome administrative barriers and ignores the balkanized map of Croatia’s tourist apparatus. The ministry is co-financing Pag’s initiative.

“We have a long way to go, but we have no doubt that it is the only sustainable option,” said the director of the Tourist Board of the City of Novalja, Marina Šćiran Rizner.

This joint project is intended for the domestic and foreign markets. It aims to show the most attractive and most beautiful that the island of Pag, which is also called the island of the Moon, offers.

“t offers beautiful beaches, fantastic, untouched nature ideal for cycling, running, trail, Nordic walking, walking, rowing, surfing,” Karavanić said. “There is also the award-winning Adriatic camp Šimuni, an extraordinary world-famous gastronomic offer - Pag cheese, lamb, cottage cheese, honey, baškotini, wines, aromatic herbs…. There are also our cultural heritage, ornithological reserves, underwater amphora site near Šimun, the protected area of ​​the Hanzina forest, Lunjski maslinici…”

The list goes on… well past clubs in Novalja.

At this year's World Cheese Awards competition, Sirana Gligora (Gligora Cheese Factory), from Pag island was given a total of 8 medals!

The competition was held in Bergamo in Italy, and a record-setting 3,804 competed for the awards. In such a respectable competition, the Croatian cheesemaker was able to get 4 gold medals, 2 silvers and 2 bronze medals. Gold medals were awarded to Pag Cheese, Likotin affinated in maraska cherries, Kolan affinated in olives and Cow ashes cheese. The silvers and bronzes went to the mustard cheese, Žigljen and Liburjan cheeses.

This is the most medals won by a Croatian cheese factory at this year's WCA.

Šime Gligora, the owner of the factory, said that this serves as a confirmation of the continuing excellence of the protected cheese from Pag. Last year, at the same competition, they received a Supergold award, and this year at the Great Taste Awards in London they received the highest possible three stars.

He added that they are very happy that their affinated cheeses, such as sheep's Likotin affinated in maraska cherry keep getting the highest awards. That is also an additional incentive to continue making and improving them.

Two months ago, they affinated the cheese in maraska cherry, and currently, the process is being performed with the wine and olives. Such methods and techniques in cheese-making are quite unknown in Croatia, so awards like these help make those unique and innovative products more recognisable to the Croatian consumers. He highlighted their completely new product, cheese with mustard, which hasn't even hit the shelves in Croatian stores, which was also given a silver medal at this event.

The Gligora cheese factory wants its customers to know that they will continue making the highest-quality cheeses and that they're hoping to keep winning awards at upcoming cheese and food competitions. They've recently opened their delis in Zagreb, more specifically in the Arena and Cvjetni shopping malls, and they're currently finalising the preparations for the opening of their new "Cheese & Deli" store in the centre of Split.

August 28, 2019 - In cooperation with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the Pag Tourist Board, and as part of the Island Development Program in 2019, the City of Pag will set out to arrange a pedestrian-cycling path "Embrace the Stone and the Wind” next month, reports HRTurizam.

The main objective of the project will be to invest in public tourism infrastructure and to enrich the tourist offer of sports and recreation, directly through the arrangement and rehabilitation of the hiking-cycling path, and indirectly by investing in the tourist offer of the city of Pag and promoting it as a cycling tourist destination.

Along the pedestrian-bicycle path, three locations will be arranged as resting places that are selected according to the criterion of dividing the trail into sections, i.e., according to the height of a particular section of the trail and the available views. Each rest area will be arranged in such a way that it will be equipped with urban equipment (benches, waste bins, bicycle stands and info panels with information about the town of Pag, sites seen from the trail, etc.).

Grad Pag

The highest point of the trail will be where the Adriatic winds - bura, jugo, tramontana, maestral, burin, levant - trigger wind turbine blades that will be encountered further along the course.

“The implementation of the project directly influences the increase of the tourist value of the City of Pag as a cultural, active, and environmentally conscious tourist city. Cycling in Pag has enormous potential given the unusual, untouched scenery full of contrasts, as it is well known that the main motive for guests visiting is the attractiveness of the landscape. The development of cycling tourism on the island is an excellent tool for the extension of the pre and post-season, and it is in accordance with the Strategy for the Development of Croatian Tourism, in which the main goal is to position Croatia as one of the leading Mediterranean cycling tourism destinations,” the city of Pag points out.

About 200 meters from the historic center of Pag, near the town cemetery, begin the ascent to the top of Kiršin (263 m.n.v.) which houses the HRT transmitter and then continues through the Ravna wind farm field. Due to the weather (rain, storm, salt), karst landscape and poor maintenance, it is in bad condition. The total length of the trail is 7.5 km. The path will be tidied up and marked, and one part repaired and filled in that is 2.5 km long.

Also, three rest areas with urban equipment and tables will be arranged, with benches, waste bins, and bicycle racks. Panel info and trail information boards will be installed, with indigenous plant labels, prehistoric hillforts, and other interesting and instructional information along the trail, as well as bike route signage.

The total value of the project is HRK 444,444.44, of which HRK 200,000.00 was provided by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds and the rest (HRK 244,444.44) by the City of Pag. The works should be completed by the end of 2019.

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