January 10th, 2022 - Almost twice as many passengers traveled through Rijeka Airport in 2021 than in the previous year, with the upward trend expected to continue due to new summer lines announced for 2022

Rijeka Airport recorded 56,388 passengers in 2021. It’s an increase of almost 29,000 passengers compared to the airport traffic in 2020, reports Croatian Aviation.

Unsurprisingly, the largest number of passengers was recorded in summer months. Rijeka Airport saw over 15,000 passengers in July 2021, around 20,000 passengers in August and some 13,000 in September.

In contrast, there was very little off-season air traffic on Krk island. At present, Rijeka Airport only has two flights on its winter schedule, those of a local carrier operating from Rijeka to Osijek and Rijeka-Split-Dubrovnik. 

On the upside, international airlines have lately been announcing plans to boost their existing summer lines from Rijeka and introduce new routes, so we can expect a further increase in traffic this year. It might be a while before the airport bounces back to its pre-pandemic levels; in 2019, over 200,000 passengers traveled through Rijeka Airport. 

Low-cost carrier Ryanair will operate from Rijeka to London, Brussels and Stockholm twice a week starting from March 27th, 2022.

German airlines Condor and Lufthansa have announced summer lines between Rijeka and Frankfurt, once and twice a week respectively. Lufthansa and Croatian Airlines will also operate from Rijeka to Munich.

In 2021, eight Croatian airports recorded a total of 4,771,520 passengers combined. It’s a significant increase compared to a little over 2 million passengers in 2020; in the record 2019, Croatian airports saw a total of 11,376,915 passengers.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

January 10th, 2022 - The City of Rijeka announced plans to open a high school for classical ballet, the first of its kind in Croatia. The City is also planning to introduce an elementary school programme in English in one of the schools in Rijeka

The City of Rijeka and Vežica Elementary School sent a letter of intent to the Ministry of Science and Education in which they expressed interest in establishing a new high school for dance in Rijeka.

Vežica Elementary School Principal Violeta Nikolić said there had been a need for a school of this kind for a long time now. Such an educational institution in Rijeka would be the first of its kind in Croatia, reports Novi list.

‘This year, the Elementary School for Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance [in Rijeka] marks its 15th anniversary. In those 15 years, around twenty of our pupils had to continue their education in Zagreb or abroad. Namely, students are leaving for Ljubljana, Milan and Budapest. There is interest in higher education, and if Rijeka had its own school, there would certainly be even more interest. The idea is to open a four-year vocational school after which our students could find employment right away. The school would have two departments, for contemporary dance and classical ballet. It would be the first such school in Croatia’, explained Nikolić.

The principal believes that the new school would certainly attract students, not only from Primorje-Gorski kotar county, but from other parts of Croatia as well. Asked about the personnel that would work in the future school, she said this definitely wouldn’t be an issue as they already have staff that are experts in the field of dance. ‘A high school would only be an extension of what we’ve already been doing for 15 years’, said Nikolić.

The City is on board with the plan, according to Rijeka Deputy Mayor Sandra Krpan, who said the City would find a location for the future school. It wouldn’t be implemented in Vežica Elementary School, but would be an autonomous institution located in the city centre.

‘We embraced the idea of establishing a dance school right away. We’re also planning an expansion of Elementary School Vežica to fit the needs of the Elementary School for Ballet’, said Krpan, adding that the funds for the school expansion have already been set aside in this year’s city budget.

That’s not the only new school the City of Rijeka has in the works, as there are plans to open a new elementary school that would offer a programme in English. Krpan explained that establishment of a new educational institution wouldn’t be necessary in this case, as the new programme would be implemented in one of the existing schools in Rijeka.

‘Rijeka is developing, international companies are increasingly present and we believe that there’s a need for an elementary school programme in the English language. We would introduce it from the first grade of elementary school. We believe that personnel won’t be a problem’, said Krpan, adding that they haven’t yet decided which school would offer the new programme and that it might be implemented in multiple schools.

January 8, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Lufthansa Rijeka-Frankfurt flights are boosted for the 2022 summer season. 

Star Alliance member and German airline Lufthansa will increase the number of weekly rotations between Frankfurt and Rijeka in the upcoming summer flight schedule, reports Croatian Aviation.

While Lufthansa has operated a regular flight between Munich and Rijeka for many years, in 2021, Lufthansa also introduced a regular line between Frankfurt and Rijeka, which was also in operation once a week, every Saturday. The company has announced operational changes to this line for the 2022 summer season.

Namely, instead of once per week, Lufthansa will operate twice a week between Frankfurt and Rijeka. The line should begin operations from Saturday, April 9, and the second weekly flight will be introduced from Wednesday, May 25. Flights on Wednesdays will take place in the evening, and on Saturdays in the morning. This will give passengers more flexibility when planning a trip to and from Kvarner, which was practically impossible with one flight a week.

A320 aircraft with a capacity of 168 seats have been announced on the route between Frankfurt and Rijeka for this summer.

Croatian Aviation adds that German Condor too will operate between Frankfurt and Rijeka in the upcoming summer season, once a week, also on Saturdays, between May 21 and September 24. Thus, Rijeka will be connected to this famous European hub by three weekly flights. 

As for Munich and Rijeka, Lufthansa should operate on this route once a week in the summer, and Croatia Airlines is expected to launch three weekly flights on this route. However, we must wait to see how airlines will react to the new tender for joint advertising announced by the Croatian National Tourist Board.

Rijeka Airport is continuously recording positive announcements from airlines for this year, and several strategic partners have yet to announce their increases towards Kvarner.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

January 6, 2022 - The announcement of Ryanair and RegioJet to Kvarner will strengthen connections in the region during the 2022 tourist season.

The pandemic has brought significant changes in the last two years in connecting Kvarner with its most important markets. Last year, after many years, the region was left without Ryanair. On the other hand, in the first pandemic year, a completely new line arrived - the RegioJet railway line from Prague, reports Novi List.

This line proved to be a complete success in the first year, and RegioJet introduced Split into its itinerary last year and changed the route, which included Budapest and Zagreb instead of Ljubljana.

From the end of May to the end of September, they transported a total of 90,000 passengers with an average occupancy rate of more than 90 percent, and compared to 2020; they had 50 percent more passengers.

As things stand, the region expects to strengthen the connection this year, including the return of air traffic.

Ryanair has already announced three routes to Rijeka Airport, and RegioJet, in addition to the current line from the Czech Republic, is also announcing a line from Poland.

Specifically, according to current announcements, Ryanair will fly from Krk to Brussels, London and Stockholm. This low-budget airline, which opened a new base in Zagreb last year, first announced the Brussels-Rijeka route at the end of last year.

There will be flights from Brussels Charleroi Airport from March 27, with the line running twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. The B737-800 aircraft with a capacity of 189 seats will service this route, offering more than 23,000 seats on this line. Recall, Rijeka Airport had a direct line with Brussels before the pandemic, only in the peak summer months.

At the end of last year, Ryanair also released tickets for the Rijeka-London route, as usual, for Stansted Airport. However, this line was also canceled after the pandemic, and the region did not directly connect with Great Britain.

On 62 return flights, Ryanair will offer more than 23,000 seats next summer between Rijeka and London. In addition, Rijeka will be connected to Stansted, an hour's bus ride from central London, starting March 27. Fights will run twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, throughout the summer flight schedule until the end of October.

From March 27 to October 27, the line to Stockholm is also announced twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Ryanair already flew from Rijeka to Stockholm, but to the secondary airport Skavsta, with this line being interrupted before the pandemic.

Ryanair will now fly to Stockholm's main airport, Arlanda, instead of Skavsta. For now, Condor flights to Düssledorf and Frankfurt, and a Lufthansa line to Frankfurt are also announced.

This year's novelty is that the Czech RegioJet will introduce a new railway line from Poland into its itinerary. Not all the details have been defined, but the recognizable yellow trains will likely run from Krakow.

Namely, RegioJet submitted a draft timetable to the competent Czech railway office, applied in the 2022 summer season. The train will run three times a week, Polish media write.

According to Nakolei.pl, the Railway Office has published a request from RegioJet regarding the launch of a passenger train on the route Kraków Główny - Rijeka / Split - Kraków Główny.

The carrier has expressed readiness to provide a new passenger transport service from June 15 this year to September 26, 2026, with the new service to be provided every year from June to September during the summer school holidays.

This shows that the Czechs are counting on this line in the long run and that they see potential in the Polish market, which this year was extremely important for Croatia and is one of the four strongest markets for Croatia. Namely, Poles achieved an 8% better turnover in Croatia in 2021 than the record 2019.

Therefore, it is clear that RegioJet is counting very seriously on this large Central European market and the desire of Poles to spend their holidays and holidays on the Adriatic.

Preliminary agreements say that RegioJet plans three lines a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from the Rijeka / Split station and three lines a week on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from the Krakow Główny station.

However, in case of high demand for tickets, the carrier leaves open the option of trains running daily during the summer, as is the case with the line from Prague, which runs daily through July and August.

According to Polish media, the train will be available in Poland only in international traffic, so the new RegioJet service will not be available for domestic transport.

Although the RegioJet timetable is still under development, it is estimated that the new railway line would depart from Krakow in the afternoon and pass Katowice, Tychy, Rybnik, Wodzisław Slaski, Ostaw, Hranica na Morawie, Przerów, Otrokowice, Brzecław, Vienna, Wiener Neustadt, Graz, Zagreb and Ogulin.

As with the line from Prague, the train would be divided into two, and one part of the wagon would go on to Rijeka and part to Split. The train will consist of 7 to 15 carriages.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

January 5th, 2022 - On this day in 1896, the discovery of X-rays first made the news. The groundbreaking invention soon had its Croatian debut, and once you start looking into the story, it quickly becomes apparent what a lively place Rijeka was at the time. Join us as we go down a historical rabbit hole, featuring a naval academy, a few visionaries - and Captain von Trapp

On January 5th, 1896 a groundbreaking scientific discovery was presented to the public. The Austrian newspaper Wiener Presse first reported that Wilhelm Röntgen discovered a new type of radiation - X rays.

While the German scientist himself named the radiation ‘X’, to this day it’s referred to as Röntgen rays in many European languages, including Croatian (getting an X-ray translates to taking a Röntgen).

A lesser known fact is that X-rays made their Croatian debut shortly after the first international reports of Röntgen’s discovery.

In the late 19th century, the Royal Naval Academy in Fiume (Rijeka) used to be one of the leading educational and scientific institutions in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Its prestigious reputation attracted a lot of talent from all over the empire, including an Austrian physicist named Peter Salcher.

Peter Salcher (1890)

Salcher joined the academy as a physics and mechanics professor, and soon became head of the meteorological station. He was a Renaissance man of sorts, a curious mind interested in science at large, as well as scientific photography and photojournalism.

It’s no wonder that the news of Röntgen’s discovery piqued his interest. On February 21st 1896, Salcher held a public lecture in Rijeka at which he demonstrated the usage of X-rays. Naturally, the local high society was eager to attend the thrilling presentation, among them baroness Josephina Mollinary-Vranyczany.

The baroness bravely volunteered as a test subject for the curious invention, and so Salcher took an X-ray of her hands before the excited audience, the first X-ray image created in Croatia. This one:

X-ray image of baroness Josephina Mollinary-Vranyczany's hands (1896)

Shortly thereafter, the city hospital in Rijeka adopted the invention and began using an X-ray device.

This is not the only thing Salcher’s remembered for, as he was the man behind another groundbreaking scientific experiment that took place in Rijeka. A decade before X-rays were invented, Salcher made history by recording the flight of a bullet shot from a firearm using a special high-speed photography technique.

He devised the experiment after he’d been approached by Ernst Mach, a physicist who was having trouble proving his shockwave theory in practice. Salcher got to work with the help of his associate Sándor Riegler, resulting in 80 shots of supersonic flying bullets. It was the first such achievement in history, and the images can be seen at the permanent exhibit at the Rijeka City Museum.

An image of a flying bullet taken by Peter Salcher (1886)

At this point, we very well might be playing six degrees of separation. Many prominent figures were part of the scientific community in Rijeka back in the day, including a particular student of professor Salcher who would later gain international fame.

It was Georg von Trapp - yes, that von Trapp, the head of the family whose story inspired The Sound of Music. A member of a noble family of Austrian origin, Georg Ludwig von Trapp was born in Zadar and entered the Naval Academy in Rijeka at the age of fourteen, which led to an illustrious military career as a naval officer.

Georg Ludwig Ritter von Trapp

Von Trapp married Agathe Whitehead, granddaughter of Robert Whitehead, the inventor of the modern torpedo and founder of the world’s first torpedo factory. The couple met at the launch of a newly built U-boat in Rijeka where Agathe had the honour of christening the vessel; Georg reportedly fell head over heels for her at the celebratory ball on the same evening. They were married after a two-year courtship - learn more about their love story on the pages of the Georg & Agathe Foundation.

Georg von Trapp and Agathe Whitehead (circa 1909)

Agathe died of scarlet fever in 1922, and Georg moved into a villa near Salzburg with their seven children. You surely know how the rest of this story goes - he hired Maria Augusta Kutschera as the kids’ tutor, they got married a year later and had three more children together. Since everyone in the family was musically gifted, they soon started performing as a vocal ensemble around the world, eventually moving to the United States.

The Trapp Family ensemble at a 1941 performance

Maria Augusta wrote a memoir about the musical journey of the von Trapp family. It served as inspiration for several German films, the 1959 Broadway musical, and the 1965 film The Sound of Music.

So many good stories, all connected to each other - it seems Rijeka really was the place to be at the turn of the century, wasn't it? 

Early in his career, Gustav Klimt was commissioned to create three ceiling paintings for the new theatre building in Rijeka. It took 136 years for the public to finally get to see them up close. The exhibition Unknown Klimt: Love, death, ecstasy at the Rijeka City Museum provides a rare chance to discover the early works of the legendary artist 

Gustav Klimt is undoubtedly one of the most famous artists of all time. Did you know that three of his works have been created specifically to be displayed in Rijeka, Croatia? Not in a museum (not until recently, at least), but mounted on the ceiling of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc, along with six other works painted by Klimt’s brother Ernst and another Viennese artist, Franz Matsch. 

The theatre building in Rijeka was designed by the renowned Viennese architectural studio Helmer and Fellner, specialised for theatres and concert halls. Dozens of cultural landmarks were built after their plans across central Europe in the second half of the 19th century, including the Croatian National Theatre buildings in Zagreb and Varaždin. Out of their three theatre projects in Croatia, the one in Rijeka has the best preserved original form; it was also the first building in Rijeka to get electrical lighting and was equipped with the first telephone in town. 

The Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka / Image by Antonio199Cro, Wiki Commons

In 1885, the architects commissioned artworks for the interior from three young Viennese artists who worked together under the name of Art Society (Die Künstler-Compagnie): brothers Gustav and Ernst Klimt, and Franz Matsch. They were all just getting their careers off the ground; Gustav, who would later become the biggest name of the three, was only 23 years old at the time. 

The artists were to produce nine large format paintings depicting mythical and historical scenes, widely popular at the time and also thematically suitable for theatre decor. The completed commissioned works were shipped to Rijeka and installed on the ceiling of the auditorium in the new theatre.

All three artists went their separate ways in years following the Rijeka commission. Ernst Klimt died young, in 1892, and was thus deprived of the chance to achieve notable artistic renown. His death also marked the end of the Art Society, as the other two artists decided to part ways and explore different artistic avenues. 

Gustav Klimt embraced the groundbreaking Art Nouveau style and eventually became the icon of the revolutionary movement, while Matsch chose the familiarity of the traditional academic milieu, going on to work as a portraitist in the aristocratic circles. 

The nine large canvases painted for the theatre in Rijeka provide valuable insight into the early stages of the artists’ careers, especially Gustav Klimt who would in time develop a particularly distinctive style not at all reminiscent of the classical theatrical decor. 

A once in a lifetime opportunity

In March and April 1885, right after the three artists completed the commission, the paintings were displayed in the Museum of Art and Industry in Vienna before they were shipped to Rijeka.

In 136 years since the works were painted, this was the single time they were displayed at ground level, in a museum environment where they could be admired by the public.

As soon as they arrived in Rijeka, they were mounted on the ceiling of the auditorium in the new theatre and remained at a height of some 20 metres above ground for over a century. While technically visible from the auditorium, one would have to strain their neck significantly trying to make out the main motifs of the paintings; they fit superbly into the grandeur of the ornate  theatrical decor, but it’s not the optimal way to appreciate the likes of Klimt. 

The paintings were restored once before as part of a larger scale renovation of the theatre building in 1978, but were not displayed publicly at the time. 

And then came 2020 and a grand exhibition at the Sugar Palace of the Rijeka City Museum. Unknown Klimt: Love, death, ecstasy literally provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the precious works up close and admire the intricate details. 

Ernst Klimt, Genius With a Trumpet

In the preparatory stages of the exhibition planning, the nine paintings were dismantled from the theatre ceiling in 2018 and have undergone a thorough restoration. Works by Gustav Klimt and Matsch were restored by Ana Rušin Bulić and Goran Bulić at the Rijeka department of the Croatian Restoration Institute, while those created by Ernst Klimt were shipped to the Easel Painting Department of the Croatian Restoration Institute in Zagreb where Slobodan Radić performed restorative works. 

Once the exhibition closes and the canvases are installed back on the theatre ceiling where they belong, we’re unlikely to get another chance to admire them up close in our lifetime. Unknown Klimt was originally supposed to close in late 2021, but due to popular demand the exhibition was extended and will remain open until March 31st, 2022. 

If the road takes you to Rijeka - the upcoming carnival in February could be a nice motivator to visit - we urge you to stop by the Sugar Refinery Palace and avail of this rare opportunity to see the early works of the world famous master and his fellow artists.

Make sure to also check out the superb permanent exhibit at the Rijeka City Museum at the same location; it’s a must-see spot in Rijeka and is included in the ticket for the Klimt exhibition. 

The following nine works made for the Rijeka theatre are displayed at the exhibition Unknown Klimt: 

Gustav Klimt:

St. Cecilia

Anthony and Cleopatra

Orpheus and Eurydice

Ernst Klimt: 

Allegory of Theatrical Art

Genius with a trumpet

Genius with a basket of flowers

Franz Matsch: 

Allegory of Love Poetry

Allegory of Dance

Allegory of Comic Opera

Learn more about the exhibition at the Rijeka City Museum website. 

Railway connectivity between the capital and the biggest Croatian port has been more than inadequate lately, with no express lines available and a single direct line in operation

Rijeka city councillors Ivana Prica and Kristian Čarapić of SDP criticised the poor railway connectivity between Rijeka and Zagreb at a recent press conference, reported Novi list (Marinko Glavan). The councillors demanded that the Croatian Railways (HŽ) reinstate the high-speed train line between Rijeka and Zagreb that was scrapped last year.

‘The last remaining express service operating on the route Rijeka-Zagreb-Osijek was cancelled on December 24th of last year, while the express line Zagreb-Rijeka-Zagreb has been scrapped even earlier. It thus became impossible to travel by rail from Rijeka to Zagreb and back on the same day. It’s shameful that the capital city and the biggest port in Croatia aren't better connected in terms of railway passenger transport’, they said.

A quick search of the HŽ booking page reflects the painful reality of travelling by rail in Croatia. Not only is there no express service between Rijeka and Zagreb, but there’s only one direct line connecting the two cities at present. That particular trip takes 4.5 hours, a tedious ride compared to 2 - 2.5 hours it takes to get to the capital by bus or little over 1.5 hours if you’re travelling by car.

Other four available services involve a change of train halfway through and take anywhere from 5.5 hours for an early morning service to almost 11 hours in case of a night line:

Trip duration listed on the timetable is the best case scenario. The site warns that ‘due to work on certain sections of the railway, deviations from the published timetable are possible’. This is a frequent occurrence that’s more than likely to extend the duration of your trip by an hour or two and involves a transfer from a train to a bus.

The timetable could use some work as well. The only direct line departs from Rijeka at 1:58 PM and arrives in Zagreb at 6:29 PM. It’s unclear who would find this convenient, as you’d technically waste half a day before departure and would effectively be forced to stay in Zagreb overnight in case you need to get anything done.

There are two morning lines, departing at 5:30 and 7:35 AM, but they only arrive in the capital at 11 AM and 12:42 PM respectively. If you opted for one of these, you’d have no way of getting back to Rijeka on the same day, unless you were willing to either hop on a return train an hour after your arrival, or endure a 13-hour overnight train ride. Here’s the schedule:

The only direct line from Zagreb to Rijeka departs at 8 in the morning and also has a 4.5 hour trip duration. The timetable doesn’t match a normal workday schedule, and frequent travellers on this route - such as college students - essentially don’t have a choice but to travel by bus.

It’s a shame, as travelling by rail is not only more comfortable than taking a bus, but is also the most sustainable mode of passenger and freight transport.

Bus lines between Zagreb and Rijeka (and vice versa) are much more frequent, with several companies operating on the route and departing every hour or so throughout the day.

There’s not much to complain about on that front, except if you were looking to make a day trip to Zagreb during the holiday season. The last Zagreb-Rijeka bus departs at 7 PM on most days (weekends included), so if you were hoping to revel in the festive spirit of Advent in Zagreb, you’d be limited to daytime activities.

Arguably, Christmas markets are best enjoyed in the evening, and you’d have an hour or so to get a cup of mulled wine and appreciate the sparkling lights before hurrying back to the bus station. This goes for those travelling back to Istria as well, as the mentioned 7 PM service is also the last one that continues on to Pazin and Pula after a stop in Rijeka.

Perhaps a good way for the capital to generate more overnight stays in December, but considering how popular Advent in Zagreb has been in recent years, it could use a few more bus lines in evening hours to accommodate those who don’t necessarily want to spend the weekend.

December 20, 2021 - The 20th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 17 to 19, 2021. This round featured a sold-out derby between Hajduk and Osijek at Poljud Stadium, while Dinamo's victory pushed them into first place in the final round before the winter break. Here's our HNL round 20 recap. 

Slaven Belupo v. Lokomotiva (2:1)

Belupo and Lokomotiva opened the 20th round in Koprivnica on Friday, December 17, 2021. 

Krstanovic scored a penalty in the 2nd minute of stoppage time for 1:0 at the half. Dabro equalized for 1:1 in the 48th minute. Mario Marina put Belupo back in the lead for 2:1 in the 78th minute, which was the final score. 

Belupo is currently in 8th place with 19 points, while Lokomotiva is in 6th with 24. 

Gorica v. Šibenik (2:3)

Gorica and Šibenik met in Velika Gorica on Saturday, December 18, 2021, in front of 556 fans. 

Lovric scored the match's opening goal for 1:0 Gorica in the 12th minute. Jakolis equalized for 1:1 in the 30th. Delic put Šibenik in the lead in the 51st minute, while Stojanovski equalized in the 68th minute. Jakolis scored the winning goal for the final 2:3 Šibenik. 

Gorica is currently in 5th place with 29 points, while Šibenik is in 7th with 22. 

Rijeka v. Istra 1961 (1:0)

Rijeka and Istra met in the Della Ucka Derby on Saturday, December 18, 2021.

Obregon scored the match's only goal in the 82nd minute for the final 1:0 Rijeka.

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 40 points, while Istra is in 9th with 18.

Hr. Dragovoljac v. Dinamo (0:2)

Dragovoljac and Dinamo met in Zagreb on Sunday, December 19, 2021. 

Peric scored for 0:1 Dinamo in the 17th minute. Andric increased the lead to 0:2 in the 68th minute for the final score. 

Dragovoljac is in the last with 7 points, while Dinamo is in 1st place with 40 points (and one match in hand). 

Hajduk v. Osijek (0:0)

Hajduk and Osijek closed out the 20th round on Sunday, December 19, 2021, in front of over 30,000 fans at Poljud Stadium. 

While the game ended without goals, Osijek was awarded a penalty in the 13th minute. Bohar scored his first attempt, which the ref discounted and made him. retake. Lovre Kalinić was brilliant in goal with a save on his second attempt to keep the score even. 

Osijek coach Bjelica was sent off with a red card in the 70th minute. 

Hajduk is currently in 4th place with 35 points (and one match in hand), while Osijek is in 3rd place with 40 points. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE.

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

December 13, 2021 - The 19th round of the Croatian First League was held from December 10 to 12, 2021. This round saw Lokomotiva and Hajduk finish 3:3, Rijeka lose to Gorica, and Osijek jump to first place. Here is our HNL Round 19 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Hr Dragovoljac (3:0)

Istra and Dragovoljac opened the 19th round on Friday, December 10, 2021, in Pula in front of 296 fans. 

Mahmoud opened the match with a goal for Istra in the 19th minute for 1:0. Bande increased Istra's lead to 2:0 eight minutes later. Lisica confirmed Istra's win with a goal in the 72nd minute for the final 3:0. 

Istra is currently in 8th place with 18 points (and one game less), while Dragovoljac is in last place with 7. 

Lokomotiva v. Hajduk (3:3)

Lokomotiva and Hajduk met in Zagreb on Saturday, December 13, 2021, in front of 2,776 fans. 

An own goal by Elez put Lokomotiva in the lead in the 11th minute. Livaja equalized for Hajduk in the 33rd for 1:1 at the half. Maric put Lokomotiva back in the lead in the 63rd minute, before Mlakar scored two goals in the 76th and 80th for the 2:3 Hajduk lead. A Katic own goal 6 minutes later gave Lokomotiva the 3:3 draw. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 24 points, while Hajduk is in 4th with 34 (and one game less).

Rijeka v. Gorica (1:2)

Rijeka and Gorica met at Rujevica on Saturday, December 11, 2021, in front of 3,082 fans. 

Rijeka was weakened when Ampem received his second yellow in the 34th minute, forcing Rijeka to play with a man down for the rest of the match. Lovric scored for the Gorica lead in the 64th minute, and Delfi made it 0:2 in the 75th. Drmic scored one for Rijeka three minutes later for the final 1:2. 

Rijeka is currently in 2nd place with 37 points, while Gorica is in 5th with 29. 

Osijek v. Sibenik (3:1)

Osijek and Sibenik met on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at City Garden Stadium.

Mierez put Osijek in the lead from the 3rd minute, followed by a Bohar goal three minutes later for 2:0. Marin scored for Sibenik a minute after that for 2:1, though Kleinheisler scored in the 33rd for 3:1 at the half, which was also the final score.

Osijek has jumped to first place with 39 points, while Sibenik is in 7th place with 19. 

Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)

Dinamo and Belupo closed out the 19th round on Sunday, December 12, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium. 

Andric put Dinamo in the lead in the 13th minute, followed by Orsic goals in the 19th and 25th minutes for the final 3:0. 

Dinamo is currently in 3rd place with 34 points (and two games less), while Belupo is in 9th with 16. 

You can see the HNL standings HERE. 

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

December the 8th, 2021 - A man has selflessly gathered together the Rijeka homeless population and bought lunch for them all at a restaurant so that they could have a bit of normality in their lives that we all typically just take for granted. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Marijan is the only bit of information we know about the man who gathered together the Rijeka homeless population and gifted them with something so kind. A project and accompanying magazine about the issue of homelessness recently began, entitled Street lamps/Ulicne svijetiljke. Part of it, entitled ''A family lunch, but nobody's blood related/Obiteljski rucak, a nitko u krvnom srodstvu'' describes the actions of the mysterious ''Marijan''.

Marijan. We have no idea what his surname is, we don't even know if his name is spelled Marijan or without the "i" or perhaps even without the "j". This man called the editorial office with the idea that he wanted to treat all of the users of the Street lamps project in Rijeka to lunch. He very modestly and simply explained that he reads the magazine and that he "found himself" in some stories and that every part belongs to us, feeling great sympathy for the Rijeka homeless population.

A time was arranged, the mystery man Marijan chose the place, and the Rijeka homeless population got together as a family might do.

What does Marijan look like? We have no idea because he didn't come. He became unwell so he didn't join us, but he didn't want to cancel the lunch. He simply said; ''I don’t matter, THEY matter,'' and then he sent his friend’s son to the restaurant with the money to settle the bill.

This act of kindness from a complete stranger who clearly had no ego involved as he didn't want to disclose much information about himself and didn't even turn up should act as a reminder to us all about what the festive season is truly all about.

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.