May 22, 2021 - The 36th and final round of the Croatian First League was played on Saturday. All games but Dinamo v. Sibenik started at 5 pm. A look at our HNL final round recap. 

While the final round did not determine the Croatian First League winner, it was crucial for three clubs as a Europa League spot was on the line - Hajduk, Rijeka, and Gorica were in focus. 

Hajduk v. Lokomotiva (2:0)

Hajduk and Lokomotiva met at Poljud for their final match. A win was imperative for Hajduk to secure the 4th-place spot which leads to Europa League. 

Marko Livaja scored far post in the 29th minute to settle Hajduk's nerves before the half. Hajduk's wunderkind Stipe Biuk sealed Croatia's victory in the 82nd minute for 2:0!

With this victory, Hajduk finishes in 4th place and locks in the final Europa League spot!  Lokomotiva finishes in 8th. 

Osijek v. Istra 1961 (1:1)

Osijek and Istra met at City Garden Stadium for their final match. Osijek had already secured 2nd place in the league, though the match had more importance for Istra who was closer to the bottom of the table. 

Kleinheisler scored for Osijek in the 34th minute for 1:0. Istra equalized in the 40th minute thanks to Ivancic. Istra finished in 9th. 

Rijeka v. Gorica (2:1)

Rijeka and Gorica met at Rujevica for their final match. A win would put Rijeka ahead of Gorica in 3rd, but a draw or loss would knock them down to 5th if Hajduk won.

Rijeka's Andrijasevic scored in the 10th minute for the early Rijeka lead. Gorica's Babec equalized ten minutes later for 1:1. Rijeka increased their lead in the 80th minute thanks to a Menalo goal for 2:1. With this result, Rijeka knocks Gorica out of 3rd place and secures a Europa League spot! Gorica thus finishes 5th. 

Slaven Belupo v. Varazdin (1:0)

Slaven Belupo and Varazdin met in Koprivnica for their final match. Belupo scored in the 57th minute but VAR ruled no-goal. Varazdin's goal was also called back minutes later. Zvonarek scored for Belupo in the 88th minute. With this result, Varazdin finishes 10th in the relegation spot. 

Dinamo v. Sibenik (play at 19:30) - result unimportant 

You can see the HNL table HERE. 

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

To get more news about sports in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

May 20, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as only 11 international routes to Rijeka Airport will operate this summer. 

Croatian Aviation reports that Rijeka Airport has announced a preliminary flight schedule with only 11 international routes to 10 destinations in Europe this summer season from the island of Krk. The first regular international flight this year on Krk is expected on May 29.

German Eurowings will have the largest number of lines to Rijeka this summer (just like previous seasons) and is planning 5 lines: from Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, and Stuttgart.

This year's first international scheduled flight to Rijeka has been announced for Saturday, May 29, from Dusseldorf, on an A319 aircraft.

Eurowings is planning a significantly smaller number of weekly flights to Rijeka compared to the 2019 season, which is logical given the global pandemic:

The Berlin - Rijeka - Berlin line has been announced from the end of June to the end of October, twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Düsseldorf - Rijeka - Düsseldorf line will operate from May 29, once a week, on Saturdays, and from the beginning of July, the second weekly flight will be introduced on Wednesdays.

The Hamburg - Rijeka - Hamburg line is planned from the end of June, three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, while the line from Cologne has been announced twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The Stuttgart - Rijeka - Stuttgart line will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays, from the beginning of July to the middle of October.

In 2018, the Dutch Transavia started traffic to Rijeka on the line from Eindhoven, and the same was in traffic last summer. The start of traffic is expected only in July, and from then, the company plans to travel to Rijeka as many as four times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The long-term partner of Rijeka Airport, Air Baltic, plans to introduce its seasonal line from Riga only in July. Two flights a week are announced on Mondays and Thursdays. The company announced a line between Rijeka and Vilnius in February last year, but it was not realized for obvious reasons - the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new Lufthansa line from Frankfurt was supposed to start operating in May but was postponed to early July. Lufthansa will operate to Rijeka once a week, on Saturdays.

The Munich-Rijeka-Munich route, operated by two airlines, Lufthansa and Croatia Airlines, has been announced from the end of June. Croatia will operate on it three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, and Lufthansa on Saturdays.

LOT introduced a line between Rijeka and Warsaw last summer, and flights have been announced since June 19, also once a week, on Saturdays.

Judging by the current schedule, Rijeka will have the busiest traffic on Saturdays, when as many as 9 aircraft operations are expected on international routes. Still, the other days of the week are extremely weak: only two international flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, three on Tuesdays, five on Thursdays, and no flights announced on Fridays!

Compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic, Rijeka was left without several lines. This year, it will not be possible to travel directly to London (in 2019, two lines, to Stansted and Gatwick), Marseille (Volotea), Belgrade (Air Serbia), Stockholm, and Brussels (Ryanair), Tel Aviv (Arkia), and Hanover Eurowings). In the published schedule, there are no regular charter lines from Paris and Košice that operated in the summer of 2019.

In 2019, Rijeka managed to reach 200 thousand passengers in one year for the first time, but already in 2020, there was a sharp decline due to the impact of the pandemic - only 27,680 passengers passed through this airport last year. Given the preliminary schedule and the modest announcements of the airlines, it is obvious that the number of passengers at Rijeka Airport will not be large this year either.

In addition to the mentioned international destinations, Rijeka Airport also has direct routes to Osijek, Split, and Dubrovnik as part of the PSO program. These lines operate twice a week throughout the year.

Given the announced traffic in neighboring airports (Zagreb, Zadar, and Pula), the number of international routes to Rijeka, according to the schedule HERE, will be relatively small, so most passengers who gravitate to this airport will start or end their travels to the three airports mentioned above.

This will be the case until one airline decides to connect Rijeka Airport with a major European hub, such as London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, or Paris, at least three times a week throughout the year.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE. For everything, you need to know about Rijeka Airport, follow our Total Croatia page.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 18 May, 2021 - During the local elections held throughout Croatia on 16 May, a total of 70 cities managed to elect their heads in the first round of voting, while others will have mayoral runoffs on 30 May.

Of those 70 mayors, who clinched the victory in the first round of voting when they gained the support of more than 50% of the voters who turned out for the elections, 36 winners are from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), or six fewer than in 2017, whereas 13 Social Democratic Party (SDP) mayoral candidates gained outright victory, or one more than in the first round of the local elections in 2017.

Seven female mayors winners in first round

Of those 70 mayors elected in the first round of the elections, seven are women.

According to the report provided by the gradonačelnik.hr portal, there is a rising trend in the election of mayoral candidates who are not members of political parties and who are introduced as independent candidates. Ten independent mayors were elected on Sunday.

Donja Stubica mayor reelected with support of more than 83% of voters

Of the winners with an outright victory on 16 May, the most successful mayor who managed to gain the largest support was independent Nikola Gospočić, who was reelected for another term in Donja Stubica with 83.01% of the voters who went to the polls voting for him. In the previous term, he was a member of the SDP party and left it before these elections.

Another independent mayor, Dinko Burić, won 82.15% of the support for his new mayoral term in the eastern city of Belišće.

In terms of the percentage of support, Darijo Vasilić of the regional PGS party ranks third, winning 80.26% of votes for another mayoral term in the City of Krk.

Of the regional parties, the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) remains the strongest. In the first round of the voting, five IDS candidates were elected mayors.

Four biggest cities to have mayoral runoffs

Zagreb

Tomislav Tomašević of the We Can!, New Left, ORAH and For the City coalition took the lead in the mayoral race for Zagreb on Sunday, winning 45% of votes, and will face-off with Miroslav Škoro of the Homeland Movement party (12%) in the second round of the elections.

Split

In the biggest Croatian Adriatic city, Ivica Puljak (Centre) and Vice Mihanović (HDZ) will face off in the 30 May runoff. Puljak won 26.82% and Mihanović 23.23%.

Rijeka

In the northern coastal city of Rijeka, the current deputy mayor Marko Filipović (SDP, HSU, IDS, HSS) won 30.25% of votes, followed by independent Davor Štimac (16.10%).

Osijek

In the eastern city of Osijek, Ivan Radić (HDZ) won nearly 39% of votes, ahead of independent Berislav Mlinarević, backed by the Homeland Movement and Bridge (about 20%), and they will vie in the second round of the elections on 30 May.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 17, 2021 - The 35th round of the Croatian First League was held on May 15 and 16, 2021. This round saw Hajduk defeat Sibenik, while Rijeka topped Varazdin to remain in 4th place. Here is our HNL round 35 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo (1:0)

Istra and Belupo opened the 35th round on Saturday, May 15, 2021, in Pula. 

While the first half went without goals, the only goal of the match came at the start of the second half when Vuk scored for 1:0 and the eventual Istra victory. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 29 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 31. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (0:2)

Lokomotiva and Osijek met in Zagreb on Saturday, May 15, 2021. 

Zaper scored Osijek's first goal which was called offside thanks to VAR in the 14th minute. The first half ended at 0:0. Kleinheisler scored in the 60th minute to finally put Osijek in the lead, though Mierez missed a penalty 13 minutes later to keep the game 0:1. Bohar scored for 0:2 in the 3rd minute of added time. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 8th place with 30 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 74. 

Varazdin v. Rijeka (2:3)

Varazdin and Rijeka met in Varazdin on Sunday, May 16, 2021. 

Obregon scored the first goal for Varazdin in the 34th minute for 1:0 at the half. Rijeka's Menalo equalized in the 62nd minute, and Capan put Rijeka ahead five minutes later for 1:2. Drmic made it 1:3 for Rijeka in the 79th minute, and Novoselec scored in the 84th for a final score of 2:3.

Varazdin is currently in last place with 28 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 58. 

Sibenik v. Hajduk (0:2)

Sibenik and Hajduk met in Sibenik on Sunday, May 17, 2021. 

While the first half went without goals, a Livaja header made it 0:1 for Hajduk in the 58th minute. Jakolis increased Hajduk's lead to 0:2 in the 70th. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 35 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 57. 

Gorica v. Dinamo (0:3)

Gorica and Dinamo closed out the 35th round in Velika Gorica on Sunday, May 16, 2021. 

The Croatian champions were too strong for Gorica with two goals by Gavranovic already in the first half (3', 36'). Lovric missed a penalty for Gorica in the 87th minute. Gavranovic secured a hat-trick with a final goal in the 3rd minute of added time for 0:3.

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 59 points, while Dinamo became already became Croatian champions this season, with 82 points in 1st place. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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

To get more news about sports in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

May 13, 2021 - The 34th round of the Croatian First League was held on May 11 and 12, 2021. In this round, Hajduk shocks Gorica at Poljud with a 4:0 victory while Osiejk topped Sibenik 3:0 at home. A look at our HNL round 34 recap. 

Istra 1961 v. Lokomotiva (1:1)

Istra and Lokomotiva opened the 34th round on Tuesday, May 10, 2021, in Pula. 

Pivaric scored a penalty in the 38th minute to put Lokomotiva in the lead before Gonzalez equalized for Istra just before the whistle for halftime (1:1). Neither team was able to score in the second half. 

Istra is currently in 10th place with 26 points, while Lokomotiva is in 8th with 30. 

Osijek v. Sibenik (3:0)

Osijek and Sibenik met at City Garden Stadium on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. 

Osijek's Zaper scored from offside in the 28th minute to keep the match 0:0 at the half. Mierez missed a penalty in the 58th minute, but Santini finally got a goal in for Osijek in the 65th minute for 1:0. Mierez got his chance 8 minutes later when he scored for 2:0. Gyursco scored in the final minutes of added time for a final score of 3:0

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 71 points, while Sibenik is in 6th with 35. 

Slaven Belupo v. Rijeka (0:2)

Belupo and Rijeka met on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, in Koprivnica.

Andrijasevic put Rijeka in the lead just before the half with a goal in the 40th minute for 0:1. Drmic scored in the 69th minute for 0:2, which was the final score of the match. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 55. 

Dinamo v. Varazdin (2:2)

Dinamo and Varazdin met at Maksimir Stadium on Wedneday, My 12, 2021. 

Ivanusec scored an early goal for Dinamo to make it 1:0 in the 9th minute, but Elezi equalized in the 34th for 1:1. Peric put Dinamo back in the led for 2:1 at the half. Herrera equalized for Varazdin in the 59th minute for the final 2:2 result. 

Dinamo has already clinched the Croatian Championship title and sits in 1st place with 79 points, while Varazdin is in 9th with 28. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (4:0)

Hajduk and Gorica closed out the 34th round on Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at Poljud Stadium in Split. 

Hajduk's first goal was thanks to a steller free-kick by Mario Vuskovic for 1:0 in the 14th minute. Kacaniklic made it 2:0 after a brilliant display by Hajduk wonderkid Duje Biuk. Only 7 minutes later, Marko Livaja scored a penalty to make it 3:0, and Biuk got his chance after humiliating the Gorica defense for 4:0 in the 39th minute. 

An own goal for Hajduk happened in the final seconds of the game, which was ultimately called offside by VAR. 

Hajduk is currently in 5th place with  54 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 59. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE. 

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

ZAGREB, 12 May, 2021 - During a visit on Wednesday by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to the British American Tobacco (BAT) factory in Kanfanar, BAT revealed an investment of HRK 200 million in the production of a new category of heated tobacco products (HTP), underlining the importance of the new logistics centre in Rijeka.

"By expanding production in Kanfanar and opening a hub in Rijeka, we are continuing with BAT's significant investments in Croatia. With the introduction of production lines for new product categories, Croatia is additionally strengthening its position on the global map of production sites in the tobacco industry. We are continuing to expand our selection for consumers in Croatia," BAT Adria director Zvonko Kolobara said in a statement to the press.

He added that the increased capacity in Kanfanar would help BAT meet growing demands for HTP in Europe and northern Africa.

Kolobara thanked the government and Prime Minister Plenković for their efforts in creating an investment climate that stimulates further investments.

Plenković expressed satisfaction that BAT is continuing with its investments in Kanfanar and ensuring jobs. BAT's announcement of the investment comes after its announcement that it could leave Croatia due to unfavourable business conditions.

Plenković underlined that the new investment was an example of a good business climate and that BAT did not exert any pressure on the government to meet its demands to continue doing business in Croatia.

"The new, HRK 200 million investment in new products means a new impetus, enthusiasm and a new generator of business and with that, a contribution to Croatia's economy. The company employs 1,600 people and another 800 cooperate closely with BAT and make a living that way. The investment plans have been coordinated with their headquarters in London and all the employees at the factory will be satisfied while the entire economy of Istria County will benefit from BAT's operations," said Plenković.

He noted that the government was open to large global investors.

"It is excellent that BAT has established a hub in Rijeka for products from China that are distributed throughout Europe. That is additional confirmation of Rijeka's attractiveness as an exceptionally important transport and commercial port in the country. As far as BAT's staying is concerned, the government took account of the Croatian economy and creating conditions for all foreign companies doing business in Croatia and investors to have the same treatment. It is obvious that BAT has decided that the Kanfanar factory is important and that it wants to invest and that Croatia is important to it. There was never any pressure," said Plenković.

For more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 12, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 8 LOT lines to Croatia will operate this summer to five Croatian airports!

Croatian Aviation reports that Polish national airline, LOT Polish Airlines, plans to operate regular flights to five Croatian airports in the summer season. We bring you the planned flight schedule, currently confirmed by the airline.

After a short break without operations in January and February, the Polish LOT resumed traffic to Zagreb with the first day of the summer flight schedule this year. The line is currently in operation three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the company will gradually increase the number of operations. It will operate 6 times a week during the peak summer season between Zagreb and Warsaw. Before the pandemic, LOT operated twice a day to Zagreb.

Lines to Dubrovnik Airport

At the end of April, the line between Warsaw and Dubrovnik started operating twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. On this line, there will be an increase in the number of operations. The company plans to run to Dubrovnik four times a week.

In addition to the line from Warsaw, LOT will resume traffic on the line from Poznan, which will be in operation from June 3, once a week, every Thursday. From June 19, the third line to Dubrovnik will be introduced, from Krakow, also once a week, on Saturdays.

Lines to Zadar Airport

This summer, LOT will also have two lines to Zadar. The line from Warsaw will operate from June 19, once a week, on Saturdays, and from the same date, the line from Rzeszów will also be in operation once a week.

The company has already resumed traffic on the line between Warsaw and Split. The line is in operation twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, and LOT plans to keep two flights a week on this line throughout the summer season.

Return to Rijeka Airport as well

Good news for Rijeka airport, too! Although the company had previously considered canceling the route to Rijeka and withdrew it from sale, flights are now available for booking again, and LOT plans to resume traffic on the line between Warsaw and Rijeka from June 19 with one flight a week, on Saturdays.

On the routes to Croatia, LOT plans to use Embraer aircraft (170, 175, 190, 195), but already on the first flights to Dubrovnik, the company used a larger capacity aircraft - B737-800.

This flight schedule is a planned schedule of the airline which, in case of higher demand, will react by introducing additional flights, but also cancel certain ones in case the booking is not satisfactory, which became the practice of all airlines after the global pandemic.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 11 May, 2021 - The Rijeka-based LORI lesbian association and the Rainbow Families association of LGBTIQ couples and individuals who have or want to have children will file a report with the local prosecutorial authorities over the burning of a rainbow flag on the City Hall building.

In the night between May 7 and 8, a video of the burning of the flag was posted on the Instagam profile "riječani.1987", which is linked with the Armada football fan group, with the message: "This is the response to the newly-adopted law on adoption by same-sex couples."

LORI and the Rainbow Families said they would file a report for incitement to violence and hate and causing damage to another's property.  

The two associations said they expected a prompt reaction by the competent state institutions, with LORI recalling that in 2020 it filed a report with the Rijeka prosecutor's office over graffiti saying "Kill faggots", sprayed on a window of the Rijeka City Hall after an exhibition dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the association was staged there.

For more about LGBT in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 10, 2021 - The 33rd round of the Croatian First League was held from May 7 to 9, 2021. In this round, Gorica topped Osijek, Hajduk was better than Varazdin, and Dinamo secured the Croatian championship title after defeating Rijeka at Rujevica. 

Lokomotiva v. Slaven Belupo (3:1)

Lokomotiva and Belupo opened the 33rd round on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Zagreb. 

Krstanovic scored the first goal of the match in the 9th minute for the Belupo lead. Simic scored an offside goal for Lokomotiva to keep Belupo in the lead, but Simic returned 4 minutes later to equalize for 1:1 (25'). Kacavenda made it 2:1 for Lokomotiva in the 65th minute, while a double yellow for Maric saw Lokomitva play with a man down from the 71st minute. 

Pivaric scored in the 90th for 3:1 final score. 

Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 29 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 31. 

Sibenik v. Istra 1961 (1:0)

Sibenik and Istra met on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Sibenik. 

The match's only goal came in the 48th minute when Sahiti scored for the Sibenik lead and eventual win. Bailone was sent off the pitch in the 73rd minute, forcing Sibenik to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 35 points, while Istra is in the last place with 25. 

Gorica v. Osijek (1:0)

Gorica and Osijek met in Velika Gorica on Friday, May 7, 2021. 

Jovicic scored the only goal of the match in the 48th minute. The game was nearly impossible to play due to adverse weather conditions. 

Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 59 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 68. 

Varazdin v. Hajduk (0:1)

Varazdin and Hajduk met on Saturday, May 8, 2021, in Varazdin. 

The match's only goal came in the 89th minute when Livaja scored a penalty for the Hajduk win. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 27 points, while Hajduk is in 5th with 51. 

Rijeka v. Dinamo (1:5)

Rijeka and Dinamo closed out the 33rd round on Sunday, May 9, 2021, at Rujevica. 

Menalo put Rijeka in the lead in the 1st minute of the game for 1:0. Dinamo's Gvardiol scored from offside in the 16th minute, but an own goal by Galovic saw Dinamo equalize for 1:1 in the 43rd. 

Misic put Dinamo ahead in the 48th minute, and another Rijeka own goal (Capan) made it 1:3 for Dinamo one minute later. Orsic scored in the 64th for 1:4, and yet another own goal in the final minutes by Vukcevic gave Dinamo the 1:5 victory. 

With this win, Dinamo became Croatian champions for the 22nd time, three rounds before the end of the championship. Rijeka sits in 4th place with 51 points. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

ZAGREB, 4 May, 2021 - About 10% of the total of 555 towns and municipalities in Croatia already know who their mayors will be over the next four years because they are sole candidates running in the 16 May local elections.

The Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) can already claim victory in four towns and 44 municipalities, as shown by the data on mayoral nominations available on the Electoral Commission's website.

This was also noted by the HDZ leader, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, on Monday. "At this point the HDZ has already won in 48 local government units, which speaks of the strength of the HDZ candidates and the strength of the party," he said.

The ruling party has thus already secured mayoral posts in four towns - Pakrac, Skradin, Nin and Hrvatska Kostajnica. The majority of municipalities where the HDZ candidates are running unopposed are located in eastern Osijek-Baranja County.

In addition to the HDZ, some other parties have also already notched victories.

The Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) has sole candidates in two municipalities, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Croatian People's Party (HNS) each have one such candidate and candidates of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) will face no opposition in three municipalities.

In the southern municipality of Muć, the present long-serving mayor, who is running as an independent, is also the sole candidate.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.