March the 30th, 2022 - In the gorgeous Istrian towns of Rabac and Labin, projects have been launched which are aimed not only at tourists, which is often the case in towns which rely heavily on visitors from abroad, but also at locals.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, at the assembly of the Tourist Board of the City of Labin, Labin Mayor Valter Glavicic announced some new investments and works that will follow in both Labin and Rabac, and in addition to tourism, they're also important for the local population, as reported by local portal Glas Istre/The Voice of Istria.

One of the major investments is the announced architectural study for the arrangement of the very centre of Rabac, more precisely for the Rabac waterfront. The first meetings are already getting underway, which is what has officially kickstarted the preparation of the study because public bodies have been invited to get better acquainted with the planned news, followed by hoteliers, private renters, local enterprise owners, as well as the companies and local residents of Rabac. The entire process is being led by architect Idis Turato.

The plan, as can be heart, is to make something everyone can be proud of from the waterfront in Rabac, and it is an area spanning approximately seven hectares. After all of the discussions and public participation, the study will define the micro locations within the project, which will require an architectural solution.

"I'd like to invite you to be active participants in something that will define the further development of Rabac as a destination for the next thirty years. Everything is related to the activities of not only hoteliers and those in the hospitality and catering sector, but also to all those who have something to do with tourism, all of the residents of Labin, and therefore I'm inviting you to get involved with as many suggestions as possible, because at the moment we have a "white paper". That's why it's up to all of us to do quality work together for the future of this region. This approach is different than the usual one, it isn't the classic bureaucratic one, there will be a lot of public participation through talks, which is extremely important considering what kind of project it is,'' said Glavicic.

He announced that the most favourable bidder for dealing with the very core of the old town had now been selected, with whom a contract on the main project would be signed.

"After the preliminary design and location permits, the company Fluming from Rijeka was selected and the main project is now underway to complete the reconstruction of the communal infrastructure, starting with all of the installations, ending with the ground floor and replacement of all stone surfaces. I believe that the project will be finished by the end of this year,'' said Glavicic

In about twenty days, work will begin on the second phase of the reconstruction of the road through Kapelica, which is being financed by the County Road Administration, with partial co-financing from the City of Labin, and it is an investment worth about 8 million kuna in total. The first phase was worth about 5.5 million kuna, and when the works of the second phase are completed, the road will be completely renovated with a sidewalk built all the way from the roundabout at the beginning of the settlement to Morcaki.

Works worth around 7.5 million kuna are also being completed in Vinez, most of which are being co-financed with money from EU funds, through which Vinez received sewerage, a new water supply network and a complete road from the school to Marciljani. The mayor of Labin also mentioned that investments have recently been made in the road and in the area of ​​Ripenda, and next year, the plan is to continue towards the settlement of Ripenda - Kosi.

An important topic is the Agglomeration project worth a massive 776 million kuna, which is probably the largest project in the history of Labin, for which the director of Vodovod Labin signed a contract with the Government of the Republic of Croatia during an Assembly, which co-financed it all with a grant worth more than 4 million kuna.

“The project of all projects is definitely the Agglomeration and we expect to get all of the necessary location permits this year. The requests have been submitted, and after that, I hope, by the spring of next year, the building permits will be issued, from the purifier on the site of the former TPP Vlaska, to the sewerage network. I believe that we'll be able to start some of the work next year. Many things are related to this project, as are the works on the roads because part of the sewerage system will be pulled along the routes of roads, for example in Gornji Rabac, so we'll renovate a part of the road as part of these works. These are just some of the investments and I believe that next year will definitely ho down in the history of our region in terms of the strength of the investments that are set to follow. Things are heading in the right direction, we're going to continue to build Labin together, and most importantly, develop the infrastructure in all parts of the city,'' concluded Mayor Glavicic.

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October 2, 2021 - Briton Stephen Williams, a member of the Bahrain Victorious team, won the CRO Race 5th stage (137.5-kilometers) from Rabac to Opatija and also took the lead in the overall standings.

Williams passed the finish line with a 10-second lead over 2nd-placed Norwegian Markus Hoelgaard (Uno-X) and 3rd-placed Dutchman Mick van Dijke (Jumbo-Visma), who led a group of 14 riders, reports HRT.

The best-placed Croatian cyclist was Fran Miholjević (Cycling Team Friuli) in 20th place, 4:24 minutes behind the winner. Josip Rumac (ANS Androni Giocatolli Sidermec) took 28th place, 4:31 minutes behind.

The shortest stage of this year's CRO Race saw Austrian Hermann Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious) and the Spaniard Oier Lazkano (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) take the lead from the start. As a result, the two separated from the leading group and were the first to reach the mountain finish in Gračišće, and the Austrian won the maximum number of points.

This was followed by a passing goal in Pazin, where again Pernsteiner was first and Lazkano second. The two of them had a 1:45 minute advantage over Spaniard Xabier Azparren (Euskaltel Euskadi) at the time, while the peloton was 3:30 minutes behind.

One of the biggest favorites for the overall victory, Simon Yates (Team Bikeexchange), accompanied by his compatriot Stephen Williams, joined the action on the most challenging ascent of the entire race and was the first to reach the top of Učka. Yates and Williams were the first on the mountain goal in Kastav, and they picked up bonus seconds on the passing goal in Viškovo.

On the way from Viškovo to Rijeka, Yates and Williams were led by Austrian Riccardo Zoidl (Felbermayr Simplon Wels), and the trio managed to create a half-minute advantage over a group of about 15 cyclists.

In both Viškovo and Rijeka, Williams was the first at the passing goals ahead of Yates and Zoidl, and the trio used their indecision in the second group on the way from Rijeka to Opatija and increased their advantage to almost a minute.

A group of 15 managed to reduce the gap to 30 seconds at the entrance to Opatija. Since the fatigue of Yates and Zoidl was more visible in the last 10 kilometers, the difference soon dropped to 20 seconds, so in the final round, Williams decided to go for a stage victory with a solo run, in which he succeeded. Yates and Zoidl, on the other hand, were caught a kilometer before the finish.

In the final stage, Yates will still wear a green T-shirt for the best sprinter, Dutchman Olav Kooij (Jumbo-Visma) will keep the blue T-shirt, and his compatriot and teammate Van Dijke will wear a white T-shirt for the best young cyclist.

Ahead of the final 6th stage from Samobor to Zagreb on Sunday (157.5-kilometers), Williams has an 11-second lead over 2nd-placed Van Dijke and 12 seconds ahead of 3rd-placed Hoelgaard.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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March 29, 2021 - It'll be a busy week with Valamar hotels opening in Porec, Krk, Rabac, Rab, Makarska, and Dubrovnik before Easter!

Index.hr reports that just before Easter, the Valamar Riviera Hotel Group plans to open three hotels in Porec, two on Krk and one each in Rabac, Rab, Makarska, and Dubrovnik, and will also operate two camps, on Krk and Rab. For the spring holiday, Valamar expects domestic guests, just as they had during winter. 

Valamar Riviera is the largest hotel group in Croatia, which manages 36 hotels and 15 camps in Istria (Porec, Rabac), Krk, Rab, and Hvar, and in Makarska and Dubrovnik, most of which open in May. Valamar also manages a hotel in Obertauern, Austria.

"In our northern destinations in the upcoming tourist season, we expect the most guests from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Poland, and in the southern locations, guests from Great Britain, France, Germany, and Croatia. During this winter, there were mostly domestic guests in the open facilities of Valamar, and we expect them during the Easter holidays, mostly in the arrangement of weekend stays," said Valamar. 

Regarding tourist demand, they note that this year, similar to last year, higher demand is recorded by car destinations and camping resorts, with the expectation of intensified last-minute booking. Simultaneously, prices are said to be "dynamically determined through a 'revenue management' system according to Valamar's usual business practice."

"In all facilities and in 2021, the V Health & Safety program is applied following safety standards in Croatia and the recommendations of international health organizations, which in addition to high health, safety, and environmental standards, guarantees the improvement of cleaning protocols. Guests are provided with 24-hour support in case they need health care," said Valamar.

Valamar has also developed a package of measures through which it organizes all necessary health services for guests during their holidays, which includes the organization of antigen and PCR testing within the accommodation facility, as well as covering the costs of extended stay for people with COVID-19 and everyone included in their reservation.

Without giving exact figures, they point out that for this season, they are opening a "significant number of seasonal jobs," for which they offer a minimum net income of HRK 5,000 for the monthly fund of hours, accommodation, hot meals, and other benefits.

By the way, Valamar reached 7,000 employees in the record 2019 in the peak summer season, while according to the data from the business report for 2020, there were about 4,000 in the summer of 2020.

At the beginning of April 2020, Valamar launched the "Pause, Restart" program to preserve all jobs, which was extended until 31 March 2022 with the support of social partners. Under this program, all Valamar employees sent on standby without the obligation to work were provided with a salary compensation in the amount of 60 percent, but not less than 4,250 net kuna, with the support of the government's to preserve jobs in the affected industries.

Among the news for this tourist season is the launch of the lifestyle brand [Places] following the trend in the international hotel industry for lifestyle hotels that are aimed at creating a unique experience with authentic service, which emphasizes the most valuable in the destination and contributes to nature conservation and environmental sustainability.

Such hotels attract modern travelers, primarily "millennials" and young professionals. The first hotel under this brand is Hvar PlacesHotel in Stari Grad on the island (former hotel Lavanda from Helios Faros, which is in partnership with a pension fund PBZ Croatia osiguranje taken over in 2019).

They are investing around 53 million kuna in the hotel's renovation, and according to current plans, it will open in mid-May.

This is where guests from the markets of Great Britain, the USA, Germany, and Austria, but also Croatia, are most expected.

Hvar as a destination is "positioned in the market segments of younger, relaxed, and at the same time, experientially and environmentally aware people," said Valamar Riviera Vice President for Sales and Marketing Davor Brenko.

"We have high expectations from the new brand in the future, and in the next period, we plan to open several more such hotels," Brenko announced.

For the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia, CLICK HERE.

Mach 13, 2020 - Valamar, the largest hotel company in Croatia, has decided to temporarily close its hotels in Porec, Rabac, and Dubrovnik due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Valamar decided to close its hotels in Porec, Rabac, and Dubrovnik temporarily, following the recommendation of the competent authorities and the decision of the County of Istria, which restricted public gatherings, closed schools and kindergartens and restricted use of public spaces, reports Index.hr and T.portal.

The Valamar Riveria Administration's statement is transmitted below in its entirety:

"Following the recommendations of the competent authorities and the decision of the County of Istria, which restricted public gatherings, closed schools and kindergartens and restricted the use of public spaces, Valamar decided to temporarily close the Diamond Hotel in Porec and Sanfior in Rabac. After the crisis headquarters stepped up border controls yesterday for nationals of Germany, Austria and other countries, we also decided to close the Lacroma and Argosy hotels in Dubrovnik.

There is no suspicion or occurrence of COVID-19 in Valamar hotels, but we are not able to provide the guests with the desired level of security, quality of service and experience of the destination in this situation. Given the closure of the schools and kindergartens, we have decided to stand behind our parents first and foremost, so Valamar employees will be on a collective vacation until the end of March. We believe that the National Headquarters is managing this unusual situation very well and it is only responsible to follow their recommendations and decisions with the common goal of preventing this as much as possible.

Tourism is a very important industry, so Valamar will continue to work closely with the competent authorities so that we can continue with preparations for the tourist season as soon as possible.”

The number of cases of coronavirus in Croatia rose from 27 to 31 overnight, Health Minister Vili Beros announced at a 9 am press conference in Zagreb.

There were two new cases in Istria, bringing the total there to 6, and two more in Zagreb, bringing the total to 12. the two Zagreb patients were from the close circle of existing patients, while one of the Istrian cases had returned from Italy, and the other had been in contact with someone from Zagreb who had returned to Switzerland. 

In addition to the daily TCN briefing, you can follow all aspects of TCN's coronavirus coverage in the dedicated COVID-19 section by clicking here. 

October 6, 2019 - British cyclist Adam Yates, a member of the Australian Mitchelton-Scott team, won the fifth stage of the CRO Race from Rabac to the 136-kilometer ascent to the top of Platak, and has also taken the overall lead.

HRT reports that Yates hit the finish line at 3:40:01, which was 10 seconds ahead of his closest companions, second-placed Italian David Villella (Astana) and third-placed Spaniard Victor De la Parte (CCC).

Before the final, sixth stage, which will run from Sveta Nedelja to St. Mark's Square in Zagreb (155km), Yates is 15 seconds faster than Villella in second, and 17 seconds ahead of De la Parte in third. 

“This was a stage that suited me; the team drove it well and prepared the ground for me to win. This is my first time performing in Croatia, and I am very pleased, the roads are excellent, the organization is top-notch and I hope to celebrate the overall victory tomorrow,” said Yates.

With this triumph, Yates took the overall lead and the green t-shirt for the best climber, while the blue t-shirt for the best sprinter was kept by teammate Australian Alexander Edmondson (Mitchelton-Scott). The best young cyclist and the white shirt was awarded to Kazakhstani cyclist Vadim Pronski (Astana).

Croatian veteran, 40-year-old Radoslav Rogina (Adria Mobil), in the day before the final stage, finished 10th overall, 1:50 minutes behind Yates.

The fifth leg of the CRO Race began in Rabac, close to the Valamar Hotel Complex, and started when riders arrived at the foot of the old town of Labin, where the first target was located. Slovenian champion Domen Novak (Bahrain-Merida) came first, ahead of Australian Benjamin Hill (Ljubljana Gusto Santic) and Dutchman Lars van den Berg (Metec-TKH).

After about 20 kilometers, a group of 11 drivers stood out from the peloton, none of whom were dangerous in the overall order. However, at no point did the 11-man lead manage to gain an advantage of more than three minutes, and their escape was already completed at the beginning of the climb to Ucka, 70 kilometers before the finish.

The flight for the overall victory had already started in Ucka, and in the second half of the 10km climb were favorites Briton Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), Italian David Villella (Astana), Spaniard Victor De la Parte ( CCC), Frenchman Alexis Guerin (Delco Marseille), Australian Nathan Earle (Israel Cycling Academy) and Slovene Domen Novak (Bahrain-Merida). Still, De la Parte's teammate Riccardo Zoidl (CCC) moved to the front at Ucka Nature Park, ahead of Slovene Domen Novak (Bahrain-Merida) and Australian Callum Scott (Mitchelton-Scott).

However, during the descent from Ucka and on the way to Opatija, the favorites slowed their pace and allowed several riders to return to the leading group. A small lull in the fight for the overall win was used by Spanish veteran Ruben Plaza (Israel Cycling Academy), who pushed to first in Opatija ahead of Kazakhstani Vadim Pronsky (Astana) and Frenchman Alexis Guerin (Delco Marseille). By the next target in Rijeka, a group of three cyclists was formed, and the first to hit Korzo was Slovenian Grega Bole (Bahrain-Merida).

The sprinter Bole soon led the group, and Pacher and Plaza managed to take the road toward Platak with about half a minute ahead of the peloton. Neither of them remained in the lead for long, and immediately after Plaza was swarmed by the main group, his Swiss teammate Matteo Badilatti attacked.

Badilatti's adventure lasted only until five kilometers before the finish line when the favorite for the overall victory, Adam Yates, decided to justify his status as the lead. Yates attacked forcefully and in just 200 meters, produced a 20-second advantage over his closest competitors. The hunt for Yates started by Novak, but in the last kilometer, he relented, and Villella, De la Parte and Rolland caught up. 

The sixth, final stage (154 km) ends on Sunday in Zagreb. This year, Sveta Nedelja was chosen as the start, after which cyclists will head to Zagreb, Velika Gorica, Dugo Selo, Vrbovec and Sveti Ivan Zelina, and return to Zagreb through the eastern part of Zagreb County to finish at St. Mark's Square. 

RESULTS

1.  Adam Yates  (VB/MTS)        3:40:01       

2.   Davide Villella (ITA/AST)         +10 sec          

3.   Victor de la Parte Gonzalez (ŠPA/CCC)                    

4.   Pierre Rolland (VCB/FRA)                    

5.   Domen  Novak (SLO/TBM)         +11          

6.    Nathan  Earle (AUS/ICA)         +17

OVERALL

1.  Adam Yates  (VB/MTS)                 

2.   Davide Villella (ITA/AST)        +15 sec          

3.   Victor de la Parte Gonzalez (ŠPA/CCC) +17

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

Outside of the spectacle in Zagreb, many Croatian towns held welcoming parties for national team footballers yesterday. 

The hotel in Rabac is adapted to families with children.

Having taken away multiple awards at the recent Days of Croatian Tourism in Mali Lošinj, Valamar Riviera carries on with their winning streak.

Valamar Riviera announced the opening of two new luxury resorts in Rabac in time for the summer season

A new promotional video for Labin has been released. We’re pretty sure you’ll be taking a trip to the town after watching this one...