As Morski writes on the 19th of January, 2019, solving island ferry connections in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, especially the fast-freight and ferry connections for Vela Luka in Korčula and Lastovo, was the subject of a meeting initiated by the parliamentary representative Branko Bačić with the heads of Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavić initially emphasised the problems of the lack of appropriate vessels, praised the upcoming investments in port infrastructure, and seized the opportunity to discuss the upcoming daily connection between Dubrovnik and the island of Lastovo.

''Dubrovnik-Neretva County has already prepared eight funding projects from EU funds, ie through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, and this is a great success. As far as boat connections are concerned, they're better than they were before, but there are still faults to be found. The priority is to connect Lastovo with the county centre of Dubrovnik. This is a project that should have been realised a long time ago, but it's positive that we're finally close to sorting it out,'' said the prefect, adding that everything should be done to make sure that children from Lastovo can keep going to high school in their county, more precisely on Korčula, and that the construction of pupil accommodation on Korčula is something that is indispensable. He stressed that a decision to co-finance the project should be made at the upcoming session of the Croatian Government in Dubrovnik.

Parliamentary Representative Branko Bačić said that he initiated this meeting in order to reach an agreement between Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, and Jadrolinija for the drafting of a better connection between the southern Dalmatian islands of Korčula and Lastovo, and to find a solution for the ferry service for the Split - Ubli line.

"We have to consider all the possibilities, and I still think the most realistic option is to purchase a ship of a higher capacity and a higher speed than the ships we've been using so far on that line, and to do that for as long as we don't manage to build a new ship,'' Bačić said.

The managing director of Jadrolinija announced that the company intends to purchase a second-hand ship, that there is a possibility that they still need to run some checks on, but that he wanted to hear from the representatives of the islands or the local self-government unit.

The Mayor and those from the administration, as well as participants of the meeting agreed that the purchase of a ship was the only realistic possibility at this time, as well as to take on the construction of a new ship for that line. They also demanded that the Jelena catamaran be permanently left to operate on the Split - Ubli line.

The director of the coastal maritime transport agency, Paula Vidović, stressed that maintaining the line for Lastovo at an annual level costs about 41 million kuna out of the total cost of maintaining all the lines, which amounts to about 320 million kuna.

Four major conclusions were agreed upon at the meeting:

1. It is necessary that Jadrolinija immediately looks to purchase a ship for the Split-Vela Luka-Lastovo line and continues to build a new ship for the same line.

2. There is full support for the construction of eight local and county-level ports in the area of ​​Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

3. It was established that the Jelena catamaran, which has all of the necessary maritime capabilities alone, is permanently kept on the Split-Vela Luka-Lastovo line.

4. It is also necessary to turn the Dubrovnik-Lastovo line, for which the Government has already given its consent, into an everyday route to ensure a better connection between Lastovo with the centre of the county, and so that secondary school students from Lastovo can continue to attend secondary school on the island of Korčula.

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Dubrovnik's Hotel Belvedere was once the symbol of luxury of the Pearl of the Adriatic, boasting incredible views over the sparkling Adriatic sea, the emerald island of Lokrum and the UNESCO protected Old City. Sadly, Dubrovnik's former top hotel, once one of the most luxurious on the Adriatic coast, fell victim to JNA shelling during the Homeland War, an attack from which it never recovered. 

Today, the Hotel Belvedere stands cold and dead on the very outskirts of the eastern part of the city, emerging from a rock formation facing out towards the open sea. Clinging to the rocks as a stark reminder of what occurred so recently, the hotel has become the home of a collection of stray and feral cats, a few birds, and the deafening sound of almost total silence. As the city around it continues to move forward, Belvedere is stuck in a time warp, offering a glimpse of the harsh reality of the war in Dubrovnik, while the rest of the city's scars are less visible.

Belvedere's time, however, is now finally up.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of January, 2019, Dubrovnik's city council will need to adopt some modified planning solutions on Wednesday during this year's first session, as has been planned for the upcoming construction of the new hotel "Belvedere" in the place of the present, abandoned one.

To briefly recall, the up and coming luxury new "Belvedere" hotel is owned by the wealthy Russian citizen Viktor Vekselberg, who instead of a huge hotel complex, decided to build a smaller facility, while making sure it is the most luxurious hotel in the whole of the Republic of Croatia, just as Dubrovnik deserves.

The new "Belvedere" should boast as many as 600 beds and 500 parking spaces, as well as a congress hall and concert hall. Everything Dubrovnik's brand new Belvedere will boast is enough for it to be classed as a 7-star complex, Slobodna Dalmacija writes.

If Dubrovnik's city council undertakes what is needed on Wednesday, we will see the brand new spatial documents for brand new "Belvedere", and next year will come all of the necessary permits, after which, the demolition of the existing hotel and the building of the new one in its place will begin.

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Excellent news at the very dawn of the brand new year for Donje Čelo on the island of Koločep (Kalamota) as a huge cash injection for port infrastructure is on its way. Getting enough cash for Croatian islands is something in the forefront of the minds of many, and this move will work to ensure higher quality for all.

Koločep is one of a group of islands close to the mainland known as the Elaphite (Elafiti) islands, made up of Koločep, Lopud and Šipan, which lie just north of the City of Dubrovnik. The islands attract many visitors on the numerous excursions which leave from the popular Pearl of the Adriatic on a daily basis during the warm summer months.

As Morski writes on the 11th of January, 2019, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure has decided on allowing the financing of a massive 24 million kuna's worth of renovation and reconstruction works for Donje Čelo's port on the southern Dalmatian island of Koločep, in a move conducted by the County Port Authority of Dubrovnik. 

This is otherwise one of the eight local and regional port projects that Dubrovnik-Neretva County is preparing for owing to very welcome funding from non-refundable European Union funds, meaning that while standards are still not matching those on the mainland cash for Croatian islands is no longer just a pipe dream.

More cash for Croatian islands will be channelled through further projects currently planned for the Perna port in Orebić, Polačište on the island of Korčula, Trpanj harbour in the Trpanj Municipality, Prigradica in the Blato Municipality, a ferry-passenger terminal in Vela Luka and Luka Ubli on the island of Lastovo. The total value of the aforementioned projects stands at about sixty million euros, as has been reported from Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

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We're sure that a disgruntled huff can be heard across various platforms when greeted with the unwelcome news that the Dubrovnik city walls' entrance fee has risen once again.

Dubrovnik is a bit of a paradoxical city. Known for being shamefully expensive yet also boasting some of the cheapest lesser known locations in all corners of the city, many tourists consider the sheer beauty and history that makes Dubrovnik what it is to be overshadowed by its often extortionate prices.

Having lived in Dubrovnik for several years before relocating to Zagreb, I can say with some confidence that this talk of everything being ultra-expensive isn't entirely true, and that Dubrovnik's story certainly isn't that black and white.

Regardless, seeing the price of enjoying a cold beer on Stradun is enough to make anyone jump to such rash conclusions about the famed Pearl of the Adriatic and its continuous descent into the almost Disneyland-like misery of its own wild success.

The Dubrovnik city walls, a truly magnificent medieval structure surrounding the heart of the UNESCO protected old city, are by no means left out of this age old conversation on pricing, having faced several price hikes over the past several years, it comes as no real surprise to learn that the City of Dubrovnik has raised the entrance fee yet again.

As Morski writes on the 6th of January, 2019, the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, in agreement with the City of Dubrovnik, have introduced a new price tag for the entrance to Dubrovnik's city walls. As of January this year, visitors will need to fork out 200 kuna per person for the visit, instead of the previous amount of 150 kuna, which was already met with complaints by many.

The new decision has also abolished discounts for groups. The Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquities, in addition to the Dubrovnik city walls, manages several other historical sites across the wider Dubrovnik-Neretva County, and each location managed by the society, growth in visits has been recorded. Otherwise, about 1.3 million visitors visited the Dubrovnik city walls in 2018, according to a report from RTL.

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An unusual visitor in the waters of Croatia's southernmost city of Dubrovnik as a large Canadian warship arrives to ring in the New Year. 

As Morski writes on the 30th of December, 2018, the Canadian frigate, named HMCS Ville de Québec, has arrived in Croatia's popular destination of the Pearl of the Adriatic. On this occasion, Captain Scott Robinson and his associates were received by Dubrovnik-Neretva County's prefect (HDZ), Nikola Dobroslavić, and Dubrovnik's mayor (HDZ), Mato Franković.

The captain of the Canadian vessel, Scott Robinson, stated that the ship intends to remain in Dubrovnik until January the 2nd, 2019, and that this New Year will be celebrated on the land with the rest of us, considering that he and his crew awaited Christmas at sea.

The Canadian captain also mentioned that he is sailing mostly along the eastern Mediterranean and that they have otherwise passed through Egypt, Syria, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Spain and Portugal so far, but admits that the dramatic and rugged Croatian coast is the most impressive waters the ship and its crew have entered yet.

The Canadian vessel is able to dock and ''reside'' in the Republic of Croatia, more specifically the City of Dubrovnik, owing to the bilateral military cooperation between the Croatian Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy. The ship's delegation was also accompanied by a Croatian officer for the international military cooperation of the Croatian Navy, Davor Gardun.

Otherwise, HMCS Ville de Québec is a Halifax class frigate and has been serving the both the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian forces since back in 1993. 

Make sure to stay up to date with our dedicated news and lifestyle pages for everything you need to know about what's going on up and down the country, from news reports to in depth articles on business, cultural events, politics, the diaspora and much more. 

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In line with its reputation for being expensive in all manners, flat tax is set to rise in Dubrovnik next year, much to the dismay of the city's very many private renters.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 27th of December, 2018, although private renters have already argued that the new law on income tax will significantly increase their burdens, based on the decisions taken by local authorities, it seems that only a few will actually decide to go for more drastic measures in the next year, while a good deal of 2019's taxes will remain at this year's level.

According to the results of Poslovni Dnevnik's mini poll, it would appear that only Dubrovnik will see the flat tax rate increase significantly, with projections suggesting that the optimal amount will be 750 kuna for renters in ''tourist class A'' areas, which along with Dubrovnik includes Orašac, the nearby islands of Lopud and Koločep (Kalamota), as well as Šipanska Luka.

In addition, increases in the aforementione tax are expected in Bol on the island of Brač, but at this moment in time the amount isn't known. Most of the local self-government units that Poslovni Dnevnik contacted stated that they still have to create a draft proposal for a decision on the flat tax amount.

All of them are waiting for a new order to come into force, which defines the method of the determining and the calculating of flat tax. After that, the decision-making procedure on the amount of flat tax will be launched, which takes us into 2019, and could be possible by the end of January next year.

As stipulated by the law, from the present maximum amount of 300 kuna, the flat tax amount can't be less than 150 kuna, or more than 1500 kuna per bed or accommodation unit in a camp or Robinson accommodation.

A decision should still needs to be made by by Rovinj, Zadar, Split, and Pag. At the meeting of the leaders of the local self-government units of the Opatija Riviera (Opatija, Lovran, Matulji and Mošćenička Draga), a single amount of flat tax per bed or accommodation unit was agreed in mid December, and the highest amount of flat tax was 345 kuna, corresponding to the flat tax amount of sojourn fees for 2019.

The highest amount of flat tax will of course be reported by those areas in Croatia which are classified as class A tourist destinations, they state from Opatija, which will also formalise its decision after the adoption of the order.

The Mayor of the City of Poreč will send a proposal to the City Council that the flat tax for rent per bed or accommodation unit in a camp remains the same as it is to date, ie 300 kuna per bed, and 350 kuna per accommodation unit in a camp.

The City of Šibenik has stated that the flat tax rate will not alter. Similarly, the flat tax rate has no intention of being raised in the Primošten municipality either. Responses from Zagreb, Novalja, Crikvenica, Hvar, and Mali Lošinj are still awaited.

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Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

Pavle Strugar, the war criminal who shelled Dubrovnik, causing not only wanton destruction and horrific damage to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also a terrible loss of life, has passed away in Serbia.

Strugar was born on the 13th of July, 1933 in Peć, in the then Kingdom of Yugoslavia, now Kosovo. The Montenegrin general served in the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), undertaking various different roles, and eventually becoming the commander of the Second Operational Group of the JNA, which operated in southern Croatia, in 1991.

Under his command, the JNA monstrously attacked Dubrovnik in 1991, in a siege which caused tremendous damage to the city, and took the lives of both veterans and civilians. The terrible siege of Dubrovnik lasted until 1992, with Strugar retiring one year later, in 1993.

As Jutarnji reports on the 13th of December, 2018, the retired General Pavle Strugar has died in Belgrade following a short but serious illness.

Strugar was tried and sentenced for his actions, as well as for the deaths of civilians at the Hague tribunal, this was coupled with the fact that in 1991, he did nothing to prevent the horrendous war crime of the shelling of Dubrovnik. The Montenegrin initially attempted an appeal to his sentence, but that was later withdrawn.

Strugar voluntarily handed himself over to the Hague Tribunal in 2001, making a name for himself as the first Serb or Montenegrin to make such a move. Because of his part in the criminal shelling of Dubrovnik, a beloved UNESCO World Heritage Site, he was sentenced to a pitiful 7.5 years in prison, and of course, he didn't even serve that, after serving a mere two-thirds of his sentence, he was released back in 2009. 

Strugar will be buried this Saturday at the Bežanijska cemetery in the Serbian capital, according to a report from Mondo.rs.

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Greek investor Petros Stathis has been visiting numerous institutions in order to complete the most luxurious tourist project in the Republic of Croatia, Amanresorts Cavtat, in Croatia's southernmost county of Konavle which borders Montenegro.

As Marija Crnjak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 13th of December, 2018, Greek investor Petros Stathis has re-activated matters over more recent days in regard to the eventual realisation of the Amanresorts project in Cavtat, otherwise being hailed as the most luxurious tourist project in the whole of Croatia, which could even end up making the list of strategic projects in the Republic of Croatia, which would be a useful move in terms of resolving the outstanding issues of spatial planning, among others, as soon as possible.

As a result of the large amount of paperwork involved in the process, the aforementioned investor has been heavily engaged in all of the required fields, from the state administration to the local administration, as Poslovni Dnevnik has unofficially published. The reactivation of the Amanresorts Cavtat project comes after more than three years after Amanresorts Cavtat was supposed to open its doors, but unfortunately encountered several stumbling blocks, mainly typically administrative ones, although Stathis never once gave up on it.

"I'm convinced that the Amanresorts Cavtat project will be successfully completed, and together with other Aman projects in the vicinity, Amanresorts Venice and Sveti Stefan (Montenegro), will become the star of the tourist sector of South East Europe," said Petros Stathis in the spring of 2015, when he explained why he was suddenly closing the Cavtat construction site.

He then stated that there were problems with the Bonvena Hotels company which was due to take care of the Cavtat project, which Stathis took over in the meantime, and that the entire chain of Amanresorts luxury resorts had gone through the process of ownership change.

For the realisation of the project, the investor is supposed to adapt the spatial planning documentation, and it's necessary to reach an agreement on various other factors, considering that the investor is seeking the closure of the beach below the area with his 30 million euro project.

The Municipality of Konavle didn't respond to Poslovni Dnevnik's question of what exactly they are willing, or unwilling, to offer to the investor in order to realise the Amanresorts Cavtat project. In addition, not even the investor himself, who has been investing in Montenegro in the meantime, has spoken publicly on the subject.

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Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

Back in the 90s, Dubrovnik, best known today for being the Pearl of the Adriatic, was an entirely different place. Ravaged by war and under attack from the JNA (Yugoslav People's Army) and their Serbian and Montenegrin helpers, who made sure to not only burn houses, but to steal from them too, Croatia's southernmost city suffered one of its most devastating attacks on this very day, back on the 6th of December, 1991.

As Morski writes on the 6th of December, 2018, today will remain scarred into history's bloody memory as the day when the City of Dubrovnik was defended. The attack, which began on Friday, December the 6th, 1991, at 5:50 am, saw the JNA put its weight behind its senseless and barbaric attack on the Croatian city of the arts. The aggressors launched a horrendous assault on the beloved UNESCO World Heritage site, showering the city with blows from the sea and the land, assisted by heavy weaponry including cannons, mortars, and tanks.

The JNA's end goal was to weaken and break Dubrovnik's last line of defense from the former Hotel Belvedere, which now lies in ruin as a star reminder of this shameful assault, to Sustjepan, located along Rijeka Dubrovačka. On just that day, more than 600 Yugoslav Army grenades rained down on the city's historic core, killing and injuring along their way. The JNA, Serbia and Montenegro were quickly met with international condemnation following this act of terrorism, with Serbia and Montenegro ostracised by the European Community, and by the world.

As the fires caused by the attack didn't take long spread across the city, a group of veterans located at Srđ's Fort Imperijal, a Napoleonic building at the very top of the mountain, managed to fend off the brutal and relentless Yugoslav attacks and prevent the defeat of Dubrovnik's last defense, today marks the solemn anniversary, and we honour and celebrate Dubrovnik's War Veterans Day, as Dubrovniknet reports.

During this primitive and unjustifiable attack, nineteen people lost their lives, and sixty were injured, some very seriously. Nine of Dubrovnik's buildings burned, and the damage to the UNESCO World Heritage site's historic core was vast, as it was throughout the rest of the city. At 16:00, the relentless attack ended, with the JNA accepting defeat and finally withdrawing. The courage and the enormous sacrifice of Dubrovnik's war veterans is the reason the city is as it is today.

Pavle Strugar, a former JNA General, was sentenced and rightly put behind bars at the Hague International Tribunal for failing to take command of responsibility during the horrific JNA attack on Dubrovnik on this day back in 1991. Miodrag Jokić also pleaded guilty to six counts of the charges against the JNA for the attack on Dubrovnik, he was also sentenced and jailed.

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With plastic pollution continuing to be an ever growing threat to the world's seas and oceans, the EU has ramped up its overall efforts to make sure member states do their jobs. Croatia has been carrying out numerous beach and sea bed cleanups up and down the coast, mainly in the pre and post season but also in the summer. The latest praiseworthy Dubrovnik eco action has seen some ever concerning items dragged from the sea.

As Morski writes on the 2nd of December, 2018, under the organisation of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the Dubrovnik Diving Club, yet another Dubrovnik eco action was held, this time at the location of the old town port, where the seabed was cleared of its various types of rubbish. The waste extracted from the sea bed was made up of a variety of plastic and glass bottles, all the way to much larger, bulkier items such as rubber tires and sponges, according to a report from the local portal Dubrovniknet.

One very concerning fact about this particular Dubrovnik eco action is that one of the most commonly found items were rubber tyres from various types of vehicles, this should no longer be the case since there is a recycling company in Croatia which deals specifically with old and unwanted tyres.

Old tyres such as those found during the latest Dubrovnik eco action in the medieval city's famous old port can be left for authorised regional collectors to come and get them, who then send such types of waste to have the rubber content recycled for many other items, as the further application of such material is largely beneficial in many different economic activities and sectors, including construction, infrastructure, playgrounds, and much more.

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Click here for the original article by Dubrovniknet.hr