ZAGREB, July 3, 2019 - A closing conference for a transnational project called "GreenerSites - Rehabilitation of Brownfield Sites in Central Europe", was held in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka on Wednesday.

The 3.8 million euro project was launched in 2016 to improve the environmental management of unused or underused industrial areas. Apart from Rijeka and the city's port authority, it involved nine partner institutions from Italy, Slovenia, Poland and Germany.

Eighty-five percent of the money came from the Central Europe transnational cooperation programme 2014-2020, which promotes cooperation among EU member states in Central Europe, while the rest was provided by local partners.

The aim of the project was to improve the environmental management of unused or underused industrial areas by defining strategies and tools based on a sustainable and integrated approach in order to make functional urban areas (FUAs) cleaner, healthier and more liveable.

The focus was on developing a common geo-information tool for brownfield regeneration, strategic action plans and 11 pilot actions testing new and sustainable technical solutions to improve the environmental performance of brownfields. Workshops for public-sector employees and stakeholders were also held.

In Rijeka, the project covered the unused area of the former oil refinery at Mlaka which is now co-owned by the City of Rijeka, the Port Authority and the INA oil company.

More Rijeka news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Ever wondered just where in the mountains of Croatia you need to travel to manage to catch a glimpse of the wildlife? If it's deer you want to see, the roads in the Kvarner area might just be your best bet.

Your thoughts probably take you to some God forsaken, dangerous place in the Velebit mountain range or far off the beaten path in the rolling, green hills of Lika, but the roads around Rijeka and in the wider Kvarner area might just be your best bet. In fact, it seems that the entire Gorski-Kotar County area is teeming with wildlife, with deer causing the most issues of all.

As Morski writes on the 28th of June, 2019, as of the beginning of this week on the roads in the wider area of Crikvenica, Jelenje, Bakar, Matulji and Brod Moravica, all of which are in the Kvarner area, there were five cases of deer having run out onto the road and into oncoming traffic.

In these events, there were no injured persons, but unfortunately the deer, likely having run into the road in panic, were hit by cars. The total damage created by the deer so far is estimated at about 34,000 kuna. In addition, on June the 26th, in the wider area of Mali Lošinj, domestic animals, more precisely livestock, were recorded causing issues with traffic. In this instance, sheep were seen wandering around on the road, endangering not only their lives but the lives of drivers.

Police from the Kvarner area have since stated that these deer-related events were recorded between 23:30 and 23:30, therefore due to these unexpected occurrences of animals on the roads, both wild and domestic, the police advocated for drivers to exercise increased vigilance, particularly in the morning and evening hours and on less busy roads in areas less settled by humans.

It's worth remembering in accordance with the road traffic safety act, a driver of a vehicle which hits an animal on the road, can be held responsible for misdemeanor if it is determined that the animal has been hit due to a breach of traffic regulations or because the driver was speeding.

Follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

June 27, 2019 - Just months after European Parliament President Antonio Tajani caused uproar by referring to Italian Istria and Italian Dalmatia, an Italian flag is raised at Trsat Castle in Rijeka. 

One of my favourite pub quiz questions is the following:

Can you name the European city which was part of 12 different countries in the 20th century?

A city, which if you were born there in 1913 and lived to 1991, would have meant that you had visited 12 countries without leaving home. 

The answer is the European City of Culture 2020 - Rijeka. 

Someone born here in 1913 and alive in 1991 would have been travelling without moving through the following states: the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the Italian Regency of Kvarner, the Free State of Rijeka, the Kingdom of Italy, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Independent State of Croatia, the Third Reich, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and finally, the Republic of Croatia.

In Italy, Rijeka has a very different name, Fiume. And with such Venetian and Italian influence on Rijeka, Istria and Dalmatia over the centuries, there are those who yearn for a return of these territories to Italian control. 

Comments made by the European Parliament President Antonio Tajani back in February caused uproar in Slovenia and Croatia, and he was forced to apologise over comments made at the commemoration of WWII foibe (karst pits) victims in Basovizza near Trieste, when he reportedly said:

"Long live Trieste, long live Italian Istria, long live Italian Dalmatia."

It seems that Tajani's Italian interest in the Italian coast is not an isolated case. Earlier this month, on June 11, TCN was informed that a few days previously, three Italians travelled to Rijeka with the specific aim of raising the Italian flag at Trsat Castle. 

A video of the action at Trsat was sent to us today, which we publish without comment. 

To learn more about the fascinating history of Rijeka, here are 25 things to know. 

June 25, 2019 - Martha & the Vandellas knew back in 1965 that their hit ‘Heatwave’ would stand the test of time, and it'll especially get airtime this week as temperatures across Europe are projected to hit 40 degrees Celsius. 

The Guardian reported on Monday that temperatures would reach or even exceed 40 degrees from Spain to Switzerland as "hot air was sucked up from the Sahara by the combination of a storm stalling over the Atlantic and high pressure over central Europe" - but thanks to the high humidity, it’d really feel like 47. Yikes.

Fortunately, Croatia isn’t Spain or France, and temperatures here shouldn’t reach 40 this week, though some parts of the country will reach 35, reports 24 Sata.

Here’s the weather report for the week - stay cool, Croatia. 

Enjoy the weather on Tuesday, as temperatures will rise on Wednesday with the peak expected on Thursday. A cold front is already likely on Friday, which should cool it down a bit, but not by much. 

DHMZ

The State Meteorological Institute issued warnings for the upcoming thermal wave in Croatia. On Tuesday, temperatures will rise to a maximum of 33 degrees. But as in the rest of Europe, on Wednesday temperatures will rise again. In Croatia’s interior, temperatures will reach 33 degrees, while on the coast they’ll hit 34 degrees.

The threat of the heatwave will be the greatest on Thursday and Friday in Zagreb, Karlovac, Rijeka, and Split, the DHMZ warns. Namely, on those days, the temperature will reach 35 degrees.

DHMZ

Apart from the high heat, UV radiation is likely to be very high in the days to come, especially on Thursday.

DHMZ

As with all heatwaves, it's important to stay hydrated and avoid being out in the sun at all costs, especially from 11 am to 3 pm. This is especially important for young children and people over the age of 75. Keep your windows shut in the house with the shades down to keep the heat out, and keep a cold shower close. 

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

As Morski writes on the 23rd of June, 2019, over the next twelve months, there will be temporary traffic regulations placed in Rijeka to allow for some significant works to take place. Works on the reconstruction of Krešimirova street (ulica), which include the construction of a new wastewater, water supply, and other types of necessary infrastructure, will begin on Monday, June the 24th, 2019.

The route of the course of these works is 930 metres long, it includes two south traffic lanes and stretches from the intersection with Blaž Polić street to the intersection with Milutin Barać street. At that section of the road, traffic will be two-way on two north-traffic lanes.

As Rijeka's city traffic centre has stated, for the purpose of maintaining the minimum traffic flow, the new traffic regulation is forbidden for all vehicles turning left from Krešimirova at the intersection to the Public Health Institute as well as for those turning left from Krešimirova to Manzonija street. It is also forbidden to turn left from Nikola Tesla street into Krešimirova in the direction of Žabica for all vehicles except for public transport vehicles and emergency vehicles.

On the route of the works on Krešimirova street, all bus stations except those next to Index restaurant (in both directions) are being removed, and they'll be moved slightly further away towards Žabica square (trg) and the bus station at the intersection of Krešimirova - Milutin Barača - Zvonimir (in the direction of Rijeka city centre) will be moved to Zvonimirova, just before the intersection. Bus stations in Manzonija street and Nikola Tesla street will remain in function as normal.

All of Rijeka's city bus lines will remain unchanged and will function according to the new route, except for line number three, which changes the direction of traffic on its return journey to the centre of the city, and instead of Zvonimirova and Krešimirova, it will operate as follows: Zvonimirova-Rikard Benčić-Franjo Čandeka-Vukovarska-Viktora Cara Emina-Fiorello la Guardia-Pomerio-Žrtava fašizma-Delta.

It is unfortunately expected that the congestion of Krešimirova will cause constant traffic jams and traffic issues, which will be particularly pronounced during peak hours, such as rush hour, therefore all of Rijeka's road users are advised to use public city transport more often, or to better educate themselves on the locations of bypasses, which will be marked by appropriate traffic signaling. It is also advisable for drivers heading between the eastern and western parts of the city to use the Rijeka bypass.

The City of Rijeka has asked all road users for understanding, and have continued to emphasise the fact that they must use the aforementioned bypass order to avoid too much crowding and congestion on Rijeka's roads.

Make sure to follow our dedicated news and lifestyle pages for much more.

For a long time now, the City of Rijeka has been trying to see Tito's old ''Galeb'' ship, which is sitting dilapidated and abandoned - renovated. While some see the idea as a potential for tourism, others find it distasteful and wish the ship simply be sunk with the rest of its history. Despite the previous lack of interest, Rijeka has opened up yet another tender for interested parties.

As Morski writes on the 20th of June, 2019, the City of Rijeka has reopened the tender for the reconstruction of the Tito's Galeb ship after the only offer they received during the last tender was that of the "Viktor Lenac" shipyard. 

The shipyard's offer to the City of Rijeka for the old and dilapidated vessel which once belonged to Tito was deemed to be an unacceptable price in relation to their initially estimated one. Several months ago, after the necessary preparation, the second bid was announced.

The tender, along with VAT, is worth more than 40 million kuna, and in the process that took place before the actual tender was opened, four companies gave their remarks and suggestions and expressed an interest in converting Tito's Galeb into a ship museum, according to a report from Novi list.

The new estimated value of the renovation of Tito's Galeb (without VAT) now stands at 35.200.000 kuna, and things in this tender will be implemented in two groups. The first group refers to the reconstruction and conversion of Tito's former ship into a ship museum with all of the necessary, accompanying commercial amenities, while the other group refers solely to restoration works on the vessel's interior design.

It is estimated that the renovation and conversion of the Galeb ship will cost an enormous 33,600,000 kuna, and the restoration works on its interior design will cost 1,600,000 kuna (both prices are without VAT).

According to the first estimate, the renovation of Tito's Galeb should cost a massive 26,565,000 kuna, which was announced in the first failed public procurement procedure, while the old offer from the Viktor Lenac shipyard amounted to 59,964 .856 kuna (without VAT), which the City of Rijeka deemed too high of a price.

Following the two conducted consultation procedures with the interested public which preceded the repeated procedure for the first group of works, a repeated public procurement procedure was issued for potentially turning the old ship into a ship museum with all of the necessary accompanying commercial facilities, with the deadline for submission for that tender being July the 23rd this year.

Follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

As Novac writes on the 6th of June, 2019, on Wednesday the 5th of June, 2019, at 20:10 a Volotea flight (V72616) arrived in Rijeka directly from from Marseille, making it the very first Volotea airplane to land at Rijeka Airport.

The arrival of this flight to Rijeka Airport precedent for the entire Kvarner region, since this flight marked the first time in the last twenty years that a regular route has been established between not just Rijeka and the city of Marseille, but between Rijeka and any other French city, as they stated from Rijeka Airport.

Although a direct line between Paris and Rijeka was established last year, these regular flights represent a much greater potential as regardless of the quantity of tickets sold, will allow each individual to fly at a very low price to the second largest French city, as was reported by Rijeka Airport.

On June the 5th, the inauguration ceremony of another new airline at Rijeka Airport was held with the classic display of water and cutting ribbons, and passengers were welcomed with homemade cakes and a taste of the area's local folklore, writes Novi list.

The new Volotea line will fly on the Rijeka-Marseille route once per week, on Wednesdays until October the 2nd, 2019, and traffic on this line will be powered by a Boeing 717 aircraft which can accommodate 125 passengers.

Volotea is a Spanish low-cost airline that connects over 83 cities throughout Europe, of middle and smaller sizes, with special emphasis placed on passenger quality and safety. Volotea's main focus is destinations located on the European side of the Mediterranean coast, in both Western and Southern Europe.

With over 6.5 million passengers, Volotea saw an increase of 36 percent over the previous year in 2018, making it one of the fastest growing carriers in the whole of Europe.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel page for much more.

Just a few days ago, Lufthansa landed at Rijeka Airport for the first time and thus established a permanent line with Munich. And now, on June 4, 2019, Air Serbia landed at Rijeka Airport. Therefore, for the first time in almost 30 years, Rijeka is once again linked to Belgrade with a direct flight, reports Otok-Krk.org on June 4, 2019. 

The new airline was welcomed with a traditional inauguration ceremony and water cannon salute. Representatives of the Rijeka Airport attended the ceremony with chief representatives of Air Serbia Goran Grozdanić, Chief Marketing Officer Maja Šotra, Regional Manager for Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina Damir Rigo, and Area Controller in charge of Rijeka Airport Zlatko Kuzmanović.

Thirty passengers were on the flight from Belgrade and were welcomed with homemade cakes and folk dancing by the young KUD Ive Jurjević from Omišalj. The tape was cut collectively by Air Serbia representative Goran Grozdanić and head of the RJ Plan and development of the Rijeka Airport Vedrana Čubranić.

This new line has established a direct air link between Rijeka and Belgrade, which will take place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the year. This will, as Vedrana Čubranić pointed out, cut travel time between the two cities from six hours on the highway to only eighty minutes in the air. 

Traffic on the Belgrade-Rijeka line will be operated by the ATR 72 which can accommodate 66 passengers. During the high season, the A319 aircraft will work with a capacity of 144 seats.

Air Serbia is Serbia's national airline flying to a total of 49 destinations in Europe and the Mediterranean, with direct lines to the Middle East and North America, and direct flights from Belgrade to international destinations in Asia, Australia, and Africa.

“Introducing a direct year-round regular line between Rijeka and Belgrade represents a very significant step forward for the Kvarner region, since it was introduced after almost 30 years when it was traded twice a day in the former Yugoslavia. This line is of great significance as it will travel throughout the year, and introducing lines that will travel for 12 months are the foundation for the further sustainable development of the Rijeka Airport, as it reduces its seasonality and passengers can connect with larger centers throughout the year,” concluded Čubranić.

Air Serbia will also soon begin flights to Zadar, which will operate twice a week, on Fridays and Sundays, from June 21 to September 15, 2019. 

Recall, Air Serbia has already operated seasonal flights from Belgrade to Dubrovnik, Split and Pula, while the airline flies to Zagreb throughout the year. This summer, however, the Serbian airline will cover Croatia’s entire Adriatic coast, plus Zagreb, with its new flight announcements. 

Airline expert Alen Šćuric revealed that Air Serbia would have 31 flights per week to Croatia on the summer flight schedule, which is 4.5 flights a day, while they will run 12 flights a week in the off-season. The airline will offer about 165,000 seats annually, in both directions, on their total flights to Croatia, said Šćuric.

“This means that around 1.5 percent of all Croatian air passengers will travel through Belgrade,” says Šćuric. Though Croatia’s tourists may find that these lines are primarily used to bring Serbian tourists to the Adriatic, Šćuric believes that 70 percent of those passengers will travel across Belgrade to other destinations where Air Serbia operates. 

On the other hand, the Croatian national carrier Croatia Airlines has only one line for Serbia and Belgrade from Split in the summer, where it offers a total of 5800 seats. And it will stay that way for now. Croatia Airlines said that Belgrade has been part of the regular evaluation of the company's network planning department for a long time, but also that the new lines introduced in the last three years showed a higher demand, and accordingly gained an advantage when opening new routes.

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

The tunnel of Rijeka, the newest street in Rijeka as it is sometimes referred to, has been reopened for all visitors, hrturizam.hr reports.

It's a former military tunnel, 330 meters long, built by the Italian Army during World War II (1939-1942). It's around 4 meters wide and has an average height of around 2.5 meters. Its original purpose was to protect the civilians of the town of Rijeka against any possible shellings during the war, and it was a part of the fortified structures that were used as bunkers for ammunition. It goes to as deep as 10 meters underground, so it provided ample protection to the civilians at the end of the World War II, and it was used twice during the Homeland War when there were signs that there might be attacks against civilian targets in Rijeka.

Some signs that remain from the time the tunnel was originally built can still be seen on the walls.

All 330 meters of the tunnel have been illuminated, and you can walk through it - some sand has been put down in the tunnel to make it easier for those walking the length. The temperature inside the tunnel is 15 °C, which sounds like a great selling point for all those who will find themselves in Rijeka during the hottest days of summer. And that's exactly the type of people it hopes to attract, tourists interested in a unique perspective of Croatia's biggest port town.

The tunnel of Rijeka has not managed to come alive as a place to host any events, something that the Grič Tunnel in Zagreb has successfully done, as it has hosted concerts, exhibitions, it has been a part of Zagreb Advent and other events. However, with Rijeka soon becoming the European Capital of Culture 2020, it can be expected that the tunnel below the centre of the town will find its purpose during the year-long celebration of the culture of Rijeka.

The tunnel will be open to visitors every day in the period between 10 am and 8 pm. You can enter the tunnel through the entrance by the Cathedral of St. Vid at the centre of the town, and it goes under the old town all the way to the Dolac elementary school.

We've previously written about the plans which involve the undertaking of a large reconstruction project on the infrastructure of Platak, a very unique place in Croatia.

Platak is a ski resort, located around 40 kilometers to the north from Rijeka, where you can ski during the winter while having an amazing view of Kvarner bay in front of you. It's a popular winter destination for the people of Rijeka and the surrounding area, and has been gaining popularity even during the summer months, since the ever-increasing temperatures at the location with the lower elevation have been forcing people to find refreshment at higher altitudes. 

The works we wrote about in the previous article have started on time, and the first phase is almost finished - it is expected to be fully done by the end of this year.

The entirety of the project should be fully completed by the end of 2020. One of the most important parts of this entire project is the installation of the snowmaking system at Platak, which will improve the reliability of the naturally unreliable snow cover at Platak. It will also help extend the ski season, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect Zlatko Komadina, while visiting, said that he hoped it would achieve as many as 40 to 50 skiing days on Platak.

To get that done, a whole new lake will have to be built (where the water will be kept for the snow guns), and it will become a new attraction at the site, with a walkway around it. A new cableway is also going to be built, with the idea of connecting Platak with the Risnjak National Park. The road to Platak is also undergoing reconstruction, Novi List writes.

Infrastructure for various other sports is also being improved at Platak, with hopes that it will attract many athletes for their training at higher elevations. As a part of that, a partnership has been concluded with Rogla, a well-known winter sports centre in Slovenia.

The summer program on Platak has already begun, and many events are already taking place at the centre. On September the 8th, the last day of summer, a festival will be held there.