July the 14th, 2022 - The strange, moonlike island of Pag is famous for its salt production, not to mention its cheese, and after the island's salt museum opened its doors to visitors from at home and abroad, the Pag salt flats themselves are set to be made open to the public who are curious to see part of the production process.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a morning spent on the Pag salt flats as part of the famous Pag Saltworks is a totally new and authentic experience for visitors to this rather bizarre looking island, reports HRT.

"We've finally seen the day we have been waiting for for decades now. Thirteen years ago, we opened the Salt Museum, and the Pag salt flats have always been closed off to the public," said Mate Donadic, a tour guide who is in charge of professional guidance and the story of the so-called ''white gold'' produced on the island.

"Pag's salt is collected the old-fashioned way. We have a small grate and with that the flower of the salt is collected. It must be calm weather in order to do this properly, there must not be a storm going on, there must not be rain, there must be absolutely ideal conditions,'' said Antonijo Bakac, an employee of Solana Pag (Pag Saltworks).

However, it is easier for tourists to take the salt from the carriage like this - they can take much as they want, and they can also see part of the production. The Pag salt flats were also visited by entrepreneurs and companies from the island of Pag who cultivate autochthonous wine varieties across the road from the saltworks.

"Pag Saltworks has been measuring the meteorological conditions for a hundred years now. This year, there was de facto no rain since March, meaning there was no significant amount of rain. Last year we produced 18,300 tonnes of fine salt, so this year we will hopefully have some opportunities for record production,'' said Josip Cepin, another employee of the Pag Saltworks.

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July 29, 2021 -  For a very long time, the island of Pag's chief tourist attraction has been loud, late-night parties at Zrće beach. Now, as the events of the past year and a half forced the tourist sector to give up their rinse-and-repeat method of operating, Pag has finally seized upon the many opportunities of its unique landscape. Enter Pag Outdoor Summer, aimed at transforming Pag into a destination ideal for an adventurous vacation. A look at the Pag Island transformation. 

Pag is slowly but surely reinventing itself as a multifaceted destination. In the past few years, Moon Island, as it's been nicknamed due to its vast barren landscape, has been going through a touristic renaissance.

Perhaps taking note of the example set by the island of Hvar, Pag is taking its place in the world as a luxury tourism destination with its UNESCO-protected intangible heritage (Pag lace), award-winning Camping Village Šimuni,  champion cheeses, and the star-studded cast of regular visitors, such as Zlatko Dalić, Luka Modrić, and Dejan Lovren, who owns a four-star hotel in the town of Novalja.

Or maybe the tourist directors have simply learnt the importance of clear and optimistic communication from Boškinac, Croatia's latestMichelin star restaurant and boutique hotel, which has been fully booked all throughout the season of 2020 when even the most popular destinations suffered losses.

When I was a child, all of Pag's riches - the cheese, the lace, the salt - even the 1600 years old olive gardens of Lun were poorly advertized to potential markets. Just like a treasure, they have been kept from the world, but not because they were considered too precious to share. It was because there was no one with the skills and knowledge of how to utilize them. Thus, the island was left to the winds of chance (and since Pag gets the front row seat when it comes to the effects of the Bura wind, this was an intended pun).

Though it left a large portion of the island bare of much vegetation, the Bura wind provided unique conditions for a number of activities: from the production of the famous Pag cheese to posing as a set for film crews in search of unusual locations - the opportunities which were luckily recognized and seized.

Last year, when maintaining good health became more important than ever, the people in charge finally came up with a plan for turning Pag's understated natural beauties into a tourist product.

Finally, the times were changing. Pag Outdoor Weekend was born.

What is particularly encouraging about this project, as I have found out through my research, is the fact that the plan of making Pag  an active tourism destination actually started years ago with the collaboration of Pag's six tourist boards. Thus, five years ago, the predecessor of Pag Outdoor - Pag Island Trail & Trekk race - colloquially known as Life on Mars, as a tribute to Pag's distinctive terrain - was presented to the world. 

In 2021, the tourist boards decided to take a step further with the creation of Pag Outdoor Summer, a project which will try to extend the season and diversify the tourist offer. 

The project is based on four main activities: biking, hiking, cycling, and kayaking. Nothing was left to chance. Long before the first tourists arrived, the first phase of building, marking, and tidying a comprehensive infrastructure of trails infrastructure had been finished, ably supported by a financial injection by the Ministry of Tourism.

Accompanied by professional guides and mountaineers, tourists are invited to take part in free hiking, cycling, and walking tours all across the island. The routes carry attractive names sure to pique your interest: The Embrace of Stone and Wind (a cycling tour to Pag's windmills), The Sunny Hour Tour above the Vlašići settlement, known for its sand beaches and for the dreamers who fancy walking under the starry skies - The Night of the Full Moon tour, which ends on a beach overlooking the town of Pag just in time to catch the first glimmering rays of the Sun at dawn. (Be sure to check the photo gallery below.)

So far, the public reaction has been more than positive. Although Pag has long been known as a great hiking destination among nature lovers, never before has there been an organized attempt to market it to the wider public. Though only the area around Novalja can boast green Mediterranean forests, all across the island, Pag's mountain trails are bathed in the scent of lavender, sage, and precious immortelle - and if you start your trek in Pag, you'll be greeted by a nature reserve Dubrava -Hanzine, which translated to English means 'a forest of oaks'. Yes, on an island where few evergreens survive, there are endemic species of deciduous trees!

If you continue hiking further up, the stony greys of the mountains will contrast with the deep blues of the sea surrounding Pag Bay, and the relief carvings the persistent Bura wind has created in the rocks are sure to awaken your imagination.

Pag is the northern Adriatic's best-kept secret - don't miss a chance to discover it.

An overview of trails covered by Pag Outdoor:

 camera: Elvis Šmit

video editing: Alan Crljenko

 And this is how it looks in practice:

credit: Fran Bukša

credit: Alan Crljenkio

credit: Elvis Šmit

credit: Alan Crljenko

credit: Fran Bukša

credit: Alan Crljenko

credit: Alan Crljenko

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March 25, 2021 - A new excellent project with all tourist boards on the island of Pag is here. Pag on the menu, the new remarkable tourist story of Pag with a certain standard.

"Pag on the menu" aims to brand the local and regional, and gastronomic offer of the island of Pag. This Friday, the first labels of the exceptional standard of Pag island's traditional cuisine will be awarded, which will guarantee tourists and guests the originality and quality of the gastronomic offer.

Bartul Kašić High School Pag, in cooperation with the Tourist Boards of Pag, Novalja, Kolan, Povljana, Association of Craftsmen Pag, and Association of Craftsmen Novalja, on Friday, March 26, 2021, at 11 am, in the Rector's Palace in Pag will ceremoniously award certificates of an exceptional standard "Pag on the menu" (traditional cuisine of the island of Pag). The first certificates will be awarded to seven caterers from the island of Pag who have met the public invitation requirements.

Such projects raise awareness of the importance of indigenous cuisine and help us remember our traditional recipes that need to be passed on to new generations. Local food, local recipes, tradition, and heritage, are the basis for the development of tourism, and the gastronomic offer based on original recipes is an absolute hit in every way. 

It is excellent when schools enter into such projects, which indirectly changes the local population's consciousness and promotes the importance of traditional cuisine in gastronomic tourism development. Through projects like this and similar, the local people, including young people, will gain more interest. Students learn about tradition and culture and ways to incorporate it into a new time and valorize it. The importance of such projects has been recognized by the Tourist Boards of the island of Pag. 

Bringing back the somewhat neglected old island dishes from ancient times, made by its people's skilled hands, Bartul Kašić High School students from Pag diligently collected recipes and advice from heritage keepers family members, and acquaintances. Afterward, the dishes were prepared in the school catering practicum and presented to the public once a year at a tasting event. Since 2014, most of the collected dishes can be found in the recipe book "Ca, ča, što se nekad kuhalo na mom otoku."

The application for the Program "Occupation Promotion - Promotion and Strengthening of Competence of Vocational Occupations for Tourism" soon followed. Bartul Kašić High School in Pag receives HRK 48,746.25 in support from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

"The project aims to establish a unique standard for restaurants, family farms, small hotels, rooms, and similar facilities on the island of Pag, which offer local food and beverages. By creating and implementing an exceptional standard of autochthonous island gastronomy, we would improve and better position the tourist offer of the island of Pag through the expansion of the gastronomic offer and preserve it from oblivion. Spreading knowledge about local cuisine encourages its use in local restaurants and tourists. The authenticity of the destination experience and the recipe book serve as a reminder of the smells and tastes of the island of Pag," emphasizes the director of Bartula Kašić High School Pag Marija Pećirko.

As HRTurizam has learned from the director of the Novalja Tourist Board, Marina Šćiran Rizner, the wish is to continue a step further in this direction and, in addition to certification, through such projects to develop the island brand, and funds will be found in the new European budget.

"Tourist communities with partners in this project and with their knowledge and support tend to brand the local and regional gastronomic scene. After the first phase of awarding certificates, they are preparing to expand the project to weekend programs and special events. It is also important to set the concept for long-term sustainability and apply for the upcoming operational programs for EU funds," stressed Šćiran Rizner.

A great example of educational institutions' synergy, professions, and tourism is a win-win situation for all. Well done to Pag!

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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 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

It's difficult to claim one Croatian island to be more interesting than another, and it's even more difficult to make such claims about a country with more than 1,000 islands to its name. However, Pag is certainly an extremely unusual island.

If you've ever spent any time there, when compared to other Croatian islands which are typically thick with green Mediterranean vegetation and rich with life, you'll know that this almost entirely naked, Mars like structure in the Adriatic sea is in a league of its own. A paradise for photographers as well as tourists, Pag has a long and rich history as well as an incredibly bizarre landscape.

Organised by the Tourist Board of Pag and the Society of Pag lace makers "Frane Budak", from the 20th to the 23rd of June 2019, the tenth International Lace Festival will take place in the town of Pag. This is a manifestation which showcases part of this interesting Croatian island's rich history.

As Morski writes on the 17th of June, 2019, this year, the lace festival will be held under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, sponsored by the Croatian Ministry of Culture, Zadar County, and with the welcome additional sponsorship of Erste Bank. The festival's organisers have prepared a rich, interesting and educational program for all visitors.

During the three days of the festival, there will be exhibitions of Pag lace, lace workshops, a fashioh snow, performances, and an interesting historical exhibition on how people once lived on Pag, among other things. Klapa Ragusa and Klapa Kampanel will also perform their traditional music for all visitors.

At the Pag festival, more specifically the ground floor of the Rector's Palace at Petar Krešimir Square, you can see the exhibitions of the participating countries of the festival and numerous works from Germany, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Hungary, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Slovenia, and of course Croatia.

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