February 19, 2023 - There is no street party quite like a Rijeka street party. A photo special from Rijeka Carnival 2023, with photos by Steve Tsentserensky. 

I am still recovering from my last night out in Rijeka three years ago. 

The 2020 Rijeka Carnival coincided with the opening of Rijeka 2020, as the city became the European City of Culture in that ill-fated year of 2020. None of us knew what was ahead of us on that fabulous opening night, and you can read about how Rijeka threw one of the best parties in my 20 years in Croatia in Rijeka 2020 Opening Party: Bold, Controversial, Brilliant - a Foreign Resident's View.

The Rijeka Carnival is the biggest in Croatia and one of the biggest in Europe. It is a fantastic event, and this year, we dispatched American digital nomad Steve Tsentserensky off to the Kvarner coast to take a few photos for TCN. 

Thanks Steve - looks like an amazing day, and interesting to see that they traditional  effigy for burning this year contained the squabbling President and Prime Minister of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic and Andrej Plenkovic.  

February 19, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 22nd round was played from February 17 to 19, 2023. Rijeka continued its winning streak in this round after beating Lokomotiva. Istra also continued to impress after beating Osijek at home. Sibenik secured an important victory in their fight to stay in the top league, while Hajduk struggled against the last-placed team. 

Slaven Belupo v. Sibenik (0-1)

Belupo and Sibenik opened the 22nd round on Friday, February 17, in Koprivnica in front of 589 fans. 

The match's only goal came when Peric scored for 0-1 Sibenik. Belupo had more possession during the game (55%) and 21 total shots to Sibenik's nine. Belupo also had seven shots on target compared to Sibenik's 4. The Sibenik keeper had to make seven saves compared to Belupo's three. 

Belupo is in 5th place with 22 points, while Sibenik is in 9th with 19. Belupo plays the next round against Rijeka, and Sibenik meets Istra. 

Istra 1961 v. Osijek (1-0)

Istra and Osijek met on Saturday, February 18, in Pula in front of 1,358 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Mlinar's goal was called offside in the 47th minute. Just 10 minutes later, Erceg scored for 1-0 Istra, though Osijek disputed the goal as they believed there was a foul on Čeberko before Erceg scored. It continued going downhill for Osijek when Mierez was shown a red card in the 79th minute. Erceg pushed Mierez, and referee Ante Čuljak did not call the foul. Mierez then hit Erceg and received a straight red card. Osijek thus played with a man down for the remainder of the match and created only one good chance with 12 minutes of stoppage time added. Istra had 47% of possession to Osijek's 53%. 

Istra is currently in 4th place with 30 points and a game in hand, while Osijek is in 3rd with 35. Istra's next match is against Sibenik, while Osijek meets Varazdin. 

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (1-2)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka met in the second match on Saturday, February 18, in Zagreb in front of 1,102 fans. 

Frigan put Rijeka ahead in the 10th minute for 0-1. Obregon made it 0-2 in the 69th minute. Maric scored for 1-2 in the second minute of stoppage time. Lokomotiva maintained more possession during the match than Rijeka (63% to 37%) and had more shots on target (5 shots to 3). Rijeka's goalkeeper also made four saves compared to Lokomotiva's one save.

Lokomotiva is in 8th place with 25 points, while Rijeka is in 6th with 28. Lokomotiva meets Gorica next and Rijeka meets Belupo. 

Varazdin v. Dinamo (1-3)

Varazdin and Dinamo met on Sunday, February 19, in Varazdin in front of 7,581 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Ivanusec put Dinamo ahead with a goal in the 49th minute. Ivanusec increased Dinamo's lead to 0-2 in the 73rd minute. Teklic got one goal for Varazin in the 80th before Ademi scored five minutes later for the final 1-3. Dinamo had 56% possession in the match, 16 total shots, and seven on target. Varazdin only had six total shots and three on target. 

Varazdin is in 7th place with 27 points, while Dinamo remains in first with 52 points and a game in hand. Varazdin meets Osijek next, and Dinamo meets Hajduk at Maksimir. 

Hajduk v. Gorica (2-1)

Hajduk and Gorica closed out the 22nd round on Sunday at Poljud in front of 12,362 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Livaja found the back of the net for 1-0 Hajduk in the 59th minute. Bralic equalized just five minutes later for 1-1. Benrahou assisted Kalinic for the final 2-1 in the 78th minute. Hajduk maintained 56% of possession during the match. Gorica had 18 total shots compared to Hajduk's 9, but Hajduk had four shots on target compared to Gorica's 2. 

Hajduk is in 2nd place with 44 points, while Gorica is in last place with 9 points. Hajduk meets Dinamo next, and Gorica meets Lokomotiva. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

February 13, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 21st round was played from February 10 to 12, 2023. Another exciting round saw Hajduk score four goals against Varazdin for an important win, while Dinamo, Lokomotiva, and Rijeka also recorded 3 points. 

Dinamo v. Istra 1961 (1-0)

Dinamo and Istra opened the 21st round on Friday, February 10, at Maksimir in front of 2,412 fans. 

Josip Drmic missed a penalty for Dinamo in the 29th minute, though Ristovski found the back of the net less than 10 minutes later to make it 1-0 at halftime. The second half saw two disallowed goals for Dinamo - one in the 64th minute when Spikic's goal was called offside and another four minutes later when Petkovic's goal was called offside. The game thus ended 1-0 for Dinamo, who had 56% of possession throughout the match and three shots on target compared to Istra's zero. 

Dinamo remains in first place with 49 points and a game in hand, while Istra is in 5th place with 27 points and a game in hand. 

Varazdin v. Hajduk (1-4)

Varazdin and Hadjuk met in the first Saturday match in Varazdin in front of 5,881 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Melnjak put Hajduk ahead for 0-1 in the 47th minute. Brodic equalized four minutes later for 1-1, but a red card for Elezi complicated Varazdin's chances as they played with a man down for the remainder of the match. Livaja found the back of the net in the 77th minute, Pukstas scored one minute after that for 1-3, and the young star scored again in the first minute of stoppage time for the final 1-4. Possession was even during this match at 50-50, while Hajduk had eight shots on target compared to Varazdin's 5. Both keepers also recorded four saves. 

Varazdin is in 6th place with 27 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd with 41. 

Osijek v. Slaven Belupo (0-0)

Osijek and Belupo met in the second Saturday match in front of 2,007 fans. 

The game went without goals and was overshadowed by a nasty injury for Osijek player Kristijan Lovric who claimed he couldn't feel his legs. In the 70th minute, Lovric was motionless after a tackle and was carried off the pitch by an ambulance. Fortunately, an MRI of his spine and pelvis showed that he was not seriously injured but received a blow to the lower back. Lovric hopes to return to training as soon as possible. 

Osijek is in 3rd place with 35 points, while Belupo is in 4th with 29. 

Sibenik v. Lokomotiva (0-4)

Sibenik and Lokomotiva opened Sunday's games in Sibenik in front of 628 fans. 

Kulenovic and Drum scored two goals within four minutes for 0-2 Lokomotiva in the first half. Gorican scored for 0-3 in the 77th minute, and Tuci scored for the final 0-4 in the 85th minute. Possession was relatively equal in this match, with Sibenik maintaining 47% to Lokomotiva's 53%. Sibenik had six shots on target to Lokomotiva's 7. 

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Sibenik is in 9th place with 16 points, while Lokomotiva is in 7th with 25. 

Rijeka v. Gorica (2-0)

Rijeka and Gorica closed out the 21st round on Sunday at Rujevica in front of 4,479 fans. 

After a scoreless first half, Marin scored a penalty for 1-0, and Liber made it 2-0 in the 83rd minute. Rijeka maintained 54% of possession throughout the match and had nine shots on target. Gorica's goalkeeper had to make seven saves. 

Rijeka is in 8th place with 25 points, while Gorica is in last place with 9 points. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

February 6, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL 20th round was played from February 3 to 5, 2023. It was another round where Dinamo slipped up, this time against Belupo, Osijek lost to Lokomotiva, and Hajduk failed to take advantage of both results after losing to Rijeka at Poljud. While the race for the title could have been shaken up again this round, Dinamo once against sits comfortably at the top. 

Istra 1961 v. Varazdin (2-1)

Istra and Varazdin opened the 20th round on Friday, February 3, in Pula in front of 952 fans.

The game was exciting from the get-go as Erceg missed a penalty for Istra in the 5th minute. However, Galilea scored for 1-0 Istra in the 42nd minute, which is how the match ended at halftime. It didn't take too long for Varazdin to equalize when Brodic scored for 1-1 in the 57th minute. But in the final minute of regulation time, Maresic put Istra back ahead at 2-1 for the victory. 

The match was close overall. Istra maintained 51% of possession to Varazdin's 49%. Both teams had four shots on target, while Varazdin had 17 to Istra's 7. 

Istra is in 5th place with 27 points and a game in hand, while Varazdin is in 6th place with 27 points. 

Lokomotiva v. Osijek (1-0)

Lokomotiva and Osijek met in Zagreb on Saturday, February 4, in front of 710 fans. 

Pivaric scored the only goal of the match in the 39th minute. Lokomotiva maintained 55% of possession throughout the game compared to Osijek's 45%. In addition, Lokomotiva had four shots on target to Osijek's 4 and 14 total shots compared to Osijek's 8. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 34. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo (1-1)

Belupo and Dinamo met for the second match on Saturday in Koprivnica in front of 1,743 fans. 

Drmic gave Dinamo the early lead for 0-1 in the 3rd minute. Jambor equalized for 1-1 in the 32nd minute. Dinamo mostly struggled against a weaker Belupo. While Dinamo maintained 69% of possession throughout the match, they only had two shots on target (just like Belupo) and seven shots total (Belupo had 9). Dinamo also blocked three shots from Belupo, while Belupo only blocked one for Dinamo. Both keepers made one save. 

Belupo is currently in 4th place with 24 points, while Dinamo is in 1st with 46 and a game in hand. 

Gorica v. Sibenik (0-3)

Gorica and Sibenik met on Sunday, February 5, in Velika Gorica in front of 1,024 fans. 

Cop scored Sibenik's first goal for 0-1 in the 44th minute. Dolcek made it 0-2 in the 64th minute and Cop again for 0-3 in the 90+4'. 

Gorica had more possession throughout the match (53%), while both teams had six shots on target. Gorica had 26 total shots to Sibenik's 15. 

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Gorica is currently in last place with 20 points, while Sibenik is 9th with 16. 

Hajduk v. Rijeka (1-2)

Hajduk and Rijeka closed out the 20th round on Sunday in front of 13,098 fans who braved the icy bura. 

Knowing they had yet another chance to capitalize on Dinamo's draw against Belupo this weekend, Hajduk failed to secure 3 points. The first half went without goals, and Rijeka shocked Poljud by scoring two in the second half - in the 65th and 83rd minutes. Hajduk was awarded a penalty in the 90th minute, which Livaja scored for some hope in the 8-minute-long stoppage time, though another penalty was given to Hajduk six minutes later, which was saved by Labrovic. 

Hajduk maintained 57% possession with eight shots on target to Rijeka's 43% possession and six shots on target.

Hajduk remains in 2nd place with 38 points, while Rijeka is in 8th with 22.  

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

February the 3rd, 2023 - A huge Rijeka waterways project worth as much as 300 million euros is set to begin soon, and the traffic issues it will cause will continue for years before completion.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, in the City of Rijeka and its surroundings, works will soon begin as part of the large aforementioned project involving the improvement of water utility infrastructure in the area of the Rijeka agglomeration, worth almost 300 million euros in total.

This huge Rijeka waterways project will last (depending on individual sections and areas involved, as well as any issues which may come up during the process) for the next few years, which is why significant traffic jams and stoppages are expected in some places within the wider area, writes local portal Novi list.

The project to improve water and communal services in the area of the Rijeka agglomeration includes the construction and optimisation of the water supply and drainage system, whereby about 217 kilometres of sewage system and about one hundred kilometres of water supply system will be built, along with 125 pumping stations and a new wastewater treatment plant on the Delta.

The Municipal Water and Sewerage Company (KD ViK) says that the works within the Rijeka waterways project are being contracted in several components, each of which has its own performance dynamics.

For more on Croatian and EU projects being carried out in various parts of the country, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

January 31, 2023 - Croatia's preparations have officially begun for the Davis Cup qualifiers against Austria, scheduled for this weekend in Rijeka. 

Croatian tennis players are currently training on new courts at Zamet hall in hopes it'll help launch them into the next stage of this competition.

"The impressions are excellent. The hall is beautiful, and I hope it will be filled on Saturday and Sunday. The boys are training, getting used to the conditions, and the surface, and we hope to be ready for Saturday," said Croatia coach Vedran Martić.

According to the latest data, the hall could be filled to capacity. Some of the most experienced Croatian tennis players are training in Rijeka, such as Ivan Dodig, who made his debut in this competition in 2002 for Bosnia and Herzegovina and in 2010 for Croatia. There are also some young players who are expected to take an essential role in the national team, like Mili Poljičak and Dino Prižmić. 

"We have young players with us, as well as Ivan Dodig, to whom I am very grateful for coming. He had health problems in Australia but gathered the strength to be with us in Rijeka. Young players gain experience and train with older players. These are our two talented juniors from whom we expect a lot in the future," said Martić.

Marin Čilić, who played his first Davis Cup match against Austria in 2006, will not be in Rijeka due to knee surgery. Will Borna Ćorić and Borna Gojo be safe selections in the singles matches? 

"Yes, they are prime contenders for the singles matches. In the last two years, they have played fantastically. Ćorić did his best, played brilliantly, and Gojo always plays outstanding tennis for the national team, and I hope it will be like that again," Martić said.

The Austrian national team is led by Dominic Thiem, once the number three tennis player in the world, and a player who can boast one Grand Slam title and three Grand Slam finals, as well as two entries into the Masters finals. 

"Austria is good; they are dangerous. It won't be easy to win. Thiem is an excellent player, and even though we do not know in what form he will be coming, it will be difficult to beat him in Rijeka. The next two players, Novak and the left-handed Rodionov are around the 100th in the ATP ranking but are very good players. As a doubles team, Erler and Miedler are getting better and better, and they play together all the time. We expect a difficult match, but we hope to win," Martić concluded.

Source:  HTS

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

January 22, 2023 - The SuperSport HNL finally returned after a long winter break, with Croatian clubs back in action from Friday, January 20 to Sunday, January 22. The 18th round brought some unexpected results, making the race for the title interesting as we kicked off the second part of the season. 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo (0:0)

Istra 1961 and Slaven Belupo opened the 18th round on Friday, January 20, 2023, in Pula, in front of 557 fans. 

The match went without goals, while Istra held more possession (61%) with 15 total shots to Beluop's 5. Istra also had six shots on target to Belupo's 0. 

Istra is currently in 6th place with 21 points and a game in hand, while Belupo is in 4th with 27. 

Osijek v. Rijeka (1:1)

Osijek and Rijeka met on Saturday, January 21, 2023, at a snowy City Garden Stadium in front of 2,082 fans. 

The second draw of the 18th round at least featured some goals. Spoljaric scored for the Osijek lead in the 9th minute. Frigan equalized from the penalty spot in the 38th minute for 1:1. Osijek's goal in the 89th minute was called offside thanks to VAR, and the match ended 1:1. Osijek held 49% of possession to Rijeka'ss 51%, with four shots on target compared to Rijeka's 3. 

Osijek is currently in 3rd place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 8th with 16. 

Dinamo v. Gorica (0:0)

Dinamo and Gorica met in the second game on Saturday, January 21, 2023, in front of 3,568 fans who also had to brave the snow.

Not only was this the third draw of the 18th round, but yet another one without goals. Dinamo's goal in the 2nd minute was disallowed due to a foul after consulting VAR. Neither team was able to score for the rest of the match. Dinamo maintained 80% of possession throughout the game compared to Gorica's 20%. Both teams had three shots on target. 

Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 42 points and a game in hand, while Gorica is in last place with 9 points. 

Hajduk v. Sibenik (2:1)

Hajduk and Sibenik met at Poljud on Sunday, January 22, 2023, in front of 9,358 fans. 

Sibenik took the lead in the 13th minute when Arai scored for 0:1. Kalik equalized for Hajduk just before halftime for 1:1. Livaja saved the day in the 85th minute with a goal for 2:1, the final result. Hajduk had 70% possession throughout the match compared to Sibenik's 30%. Hajduk also had seven shots on target compared to Sibenik's one. 

Hajduk is currently in 2nd place with 38 points, while Sibenik is 9th with 13 points. 

Varazdin v. Lokomotiva (0:0)

Varazdin and Lokomotiva closed out the 18th round on Sunday, January 22, 2023, in front of 785 fans. 

The final draw of the 18th round also saw no goals. However, it was a close match, with Varazdin maintaining 48% of possession compared to Lokomotiva's 52%.  Varazdin had four shots on target compared to 5 for Lokomotiva. 

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Varazdin is currently in 5th place with 24 points, while Lokomotiva is in 7th with 19. 

You can check out the HNL table HERE. 

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

December the 21st, 2022 - The City of Rijeka, known for its modern take when it comes to an array of issues, has put the welfare and health of pets and all other animals at the forefront by saying no to fireworks for this year's Rijeka NYE celebrations.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, The City of Rijeka is abandoning the classic form of celebration - New Year's fireworks, which until now were a regular part of the organised welcoming of a brand new year, reports local portal Novi list. This year, fireworks will not be part of the programme of the Rijeka NYE celebrations organised by the powers that be in that Northern Adriatic city.

As the City of Rijeka's administration has pointed out, this decision was made with the intention of protecting the health and welfare of pets and other animals, as well as the environment from the negative consequences of fireworks. There are also war veterans and other individuals who experience varying degrees of suffering because of fireworks, and all people for whom the use of pyrotechnics may have any consequences have been taken into consideration.

Rijeka's aim is for the New Year's celebration to be held in accordance with modern ecological and environmental standards, and part of the funds provided by the City of Rijeka which would have otherwise been allocated for the firework display will instead be redirected to associations across the region which care for animals.

This praiseworthy move for the Rijeka NYE celebrations will hopefully be an example to other cities and towns across the country which set off fireworks for this event, as well as for all forms of other celebrations, seeing dogs and cats sometimes terrified to the point of running away from home and getting injured or killed.

For more, make sure to keep up with our dedicated news section.

December the 19th, 2022 - Three Croatian cities are the most ready of all to dip their feet in the proverbial pool of almost 700 million euros provided by the European Union (EU) through the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Darko Bicak writes, through the Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds, the EU has provided a massive 681.3 million euros to be spent on increasing the quality of life and the green transition of Croatian urban areas, and most Croatian cities have plans for projects that they will apply under this particular programme.

22 Croatian cities are entitled to access funds from the Integrated Territorial Programme (ITU mechanism), and Bjelovar is one of only three Croatian cities that already have prepared all of the necessary documentation ahead of time.

If we're to include municipal projects, there are fourteen priority projects in Bjelovar alone, with Mayor Dario Hrebak highlighting the restoration of the old prison building in the centre, a protected cultural property whose restoration is demanding and cannot be submitted to other tenders, as well as the revitalisation and furnishing the building for the needs of the student dorms.

"Bjelovar and the neighbouring municipalities of Veliko Trojstvo, Stefanje, Rovisce and Kapela have all acquired the right to a financial envelope of 22 million euros from the ITU mechanism, with Bjelovar receiving 70 percent and the municipalities 30 percent of that amount," says Hrebak. In addition to the revitalisation of the old prison, they also list some other projects in Bjelovar; a digital innovation centre, the Jabuceta business incubator in the municipality of Kapela, the Rovisce development centre, the proper arrangement and equipping of the social centre in Narta, pedestrian and bicycle paths with storm drainage in Gornji Plavnice, the revitalisation and equipping of the student dorms,Terme Bjelovar, and much more.

"Bjelovar currently has prepared documentation for investments worth 1.2 billion kuna in total. I expect that through the ITU mechanism, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and all other sources of funding available to us, we'll manage to realise 80 percent of these projects over the next four years. Equally, we expect that the participation of Bjelovar in this will stand at 250 million kuna", explained Hrebak. In order to realise the projects from the ITU mechanism, Bjelovar established the Administrative Department for the implementation of the ITU mechanism.

Rijeka also has a horse in the EU funds race. Back during the period from 2016 to 2021, during which the implementation of several projects important for the development of the City of Rijeka and the city's agglomeration was contracted, and this included public transport.

"The preparation of projects for the period until the year 2027 is currently underway, and they'll be presented only after the decision of the Coordination Council as the governing body of the Agglomeration, and we believe that in January 2023 we will be able to state which projects we're talking about. There is no doubt, however, that the newly proposed projects must be shaped within the established priorities, that is, the specific goals on which the Integrated Territorial Programme for the period 2021-2027 is based, and they are; the industrial transition of Croatian regions, strengthening green, clean, smart and sustainable of city traffic and the development of urban areas through the rehabilitation and revitalisation of brownfield areas, the restoration and presentation of cultural heritage for the development of sustainable tourism, and the development of green infrastructure, etc, they explained from the City of Rijeka, headed by Mayor Marko Filipovic.

Of the other ''most ready'' Croatian cities, Osijek also started preparing for the ITU financial period 2021-2027 last year with the establishment of the Osijek Urban Agglomeration. The territorial scope of the Osijek Urban Agglomeration consists of ten local self-government units: the City of Osijek and the municipalities of Antunovac, Bilje, Bizovac, Cepin, Erdut, Ernestinovo, Petrijevci, Vladislavci and Vuka.

As they revealed from Administrative Department for Finances and EU Funds of the City of Osijek, during 2021 and 2022, the establishment of the Urban Agglomeration of Osijek took place alongside the establishment of the Coordination Council. The drafting of the Osijek Urban Agglomeration Development Strategy, a strategic document that defines development goals and is a precondition for the use of funds from the ITU mechanism, has now been started. For this purpose, on November the 22nd, 2021, all local self-government units from the scope concluded an agreement on cooperation on the development and implementation of the Osijek Urban Agglomeration Development Strategy 2021-2027.

For more, check out our news section.

December 15, 2022 - The Rijeka City Museum has been nominated for the flattering title of European Museum of the Year. The competition is fierce, and the winner will be announced at the conference of the European Museum Forum in Barcelona in May 2023.

As Poslovni / HRT write, the Rijeka Museum will compete for the title of the best with 32 other European museums. This is the first nomination at the European level.

"This would be the greatest recognition and success, but being nominated is a success in itself. Even the nomination for an Oscar counts, and we already had two awards from the Croatian Museum Society," said Ervin Dubrović, director of the Rijeka City Museum. Those were for the exhibition of restored works by Gustav Klimt and Merika - an exhibition dedicated to emigration. The permanent display in the magnificent Sugar Refinery Palace also received awards. It covers two floors and thirty rooms.

In the museum, you can learn about the first torpedo in the world, the history of the theater, or the legendary rock music scene in Rijeka, which is only the beginning of the story. The home of the permanent museum exhibition has been attracting many curious visitors for two years since its opening.

"In two years, 32 thousand people visited the Palace. From the beginning, it was our fellow citizens who wanted to see the new city attraction; tourists came to the fore later," says Velid Đekić, head of public relations at the Museum of the City of Rijeka.

This is not an empty, lifeless space; quite the opposite! It breathes and lives alongside its fellow citizens; many find inspiration in the space. "The sugar refinery is a representative object that we found fits very nicely with our models, which will fit well into the space so that they can show all their beauty," pointed out Renata Štefan Barišić, a professor at the Rijeka Trade and Textile School.

The European Museum Forum will decide the best museum on our continent, and the winner will be announced in May next year.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated Lifestyle section.