ZAGREB, January 15, 2020 - Culture Minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek said on Wednesday she would not be the one to decide what an artist would think or do, thus responding to a query about a five-pointed star sculpture to be displayed as part of the Rijeka 2020 - European Capital of Culture project.

"In 1990, we decided to live in a state which would be democratic and which would not censor artists," she told MP Zlatko Hasanbegović during Question Time in parliament, adding that "artists will decide what an artist in Croatia will think, do, how they will act, not a minister or a commissary."

Hasanbegović complained about plans to place a concrete five-pointed star sculpture by Nemanja Cvijanovic on a high-rise in Rijeka.

The minister said that under the rules of the European Capital of Culture project, the city chose its artistic director and project team and they conceived the programme.

"As to whether something will or won't be done to a protected culture monument, if we receive a request, we will consider it, of course, taking into account whether it endangers the monument, and make a decision," she said.

Hasanbegović said he was sure the minister would eventually exert her authority and prevent the five-pointed star installation, firstly because of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, who he said would not disregard numerous European resolutions on dealing with the consequences of communist totalitarianism, and secondly because of Italian minority MP Furio Radin.

More culture news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

January 15, 2020 - Rijeka will compete for the prestigious European Best Destinations 2020 title. 

Specifically, Novi List reports that from January 15 to February 5, 2020, hundreds of thousands of travelers from all over the world will vote for their favorite destinations, and the Croatian city will compete among 19 destinations, including Paris, Prague, Rome, Madrid, Reykjavik, Rotterdam, Colmar, Athens, Sibiu, Namur, Menorca, Heviz, Cascais, Tbilisi, Bydgoszcz, Vienna, Cork, Rochefort and Rotterdam.

The selection is conducted by European Best Destinations, a European organization based in Brussels. The best European destination has been selected since 2009 to promote tourism and culture in Europe, in cooperation with more than 300 partners of tourism offices and the European Destinations of Excellence (EDEN) network created by the European Commission.

Maximilien Lejeune, President of the European Best Destinations Organization, states that they are honored and proud that Rijeka is part of the eleventh edition of this competition, which brings together Europe’s best destinations.

He points out that Rijeka is a unique city that offers travelers real experiences. The nomination for this prestigious title is also welcomed in Rijeka.

Petar Škarpa, director of the Rijeka Tourist Board, said he was extremely pleased that the European organization recognized Rijeka as one of the best European destinations in 2020.

This year is significant for Rijeka, as the city also holds the European Capital of Culture title. The nomination for the best European destination is the result of many years of continuous growth in tourist traffic of the entire destination.

A vibrant year-long program will satisfy even the most demanding critics, and we urge all readers, partners and city lovers to cast their vote for Rijeka,” Škarpa said.

The public can cast their votes here and voting is open until February 5. 

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

RIJEKA, January 12, 2020 - This year's Carnival in the northern Adriatic city of Rijeka again starts on St. Anthony's Day on 17 January and ends on Ash Wednesday on 26 February, when the Pust effigy will pay for all the evils of the previous year.

The Rijeka Carnival, the 37th in a row, traditionally begins on St. Anthony's Day, when masked revellers blow the horn and start their reign. However, in the wider Rijeka region, the Carnival begins on the first Saturday after Epiphany.

On the first day of the Carnival, which will be held under the slogan "Be what you want!", the key to the city will be formally handed over to the master of the carnival, and the Carnival Queen will be elected.

The Carnival programme will include many parties and various masked events, such as the Masked Paris-Bakar Rally, a snowboarding race in the city centre, a charity masked ball and Laughing Days.

The merry Children's Carnival Parade has been announced for 8 February, while the great finale of the Rijeka Carnival, the International Carnival Parade, in which local and foreign traditional and urban carnival groups are expected to participate with thousands of masks and numerous allegorical floats, will take place on 23 February.

More Rijeka carnival news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

January 10, 2020 - A number of new hotels will open in Croatia this year. A look at five unique luxury hotels that should open this spring or at the start of the tourist season. 

According to the eVisitor system, more than 1,170 hotels with about 172,000 beds are registered in Croatia.

Of the total accommodation capacity, which amounts to about one million beds, hotels account for only about 12 percent.

However, five hotels will improve that ratio somewhat. A look at the new luxury hotels opening in Croatia this year, courtesy of T.portal. 

Hotel Costabella, Rijeka

The five-star Costabella Hotel Complex is set to open this summer. It will have 280 rooms with a total of 560 beds, a large area for wellness, fitness and a private sandy beach.

All rooms and suites will have views of the Kvarner Bay. The resort will offer six restaurants, a beach bar, and a rooftop restaurant.

Costabella Simulation / Facebook

The investment is worth as much as 80 million euros. The investor is JTH Costabella. The resort will be part of the Hilton hotel chain.

Hotel Ambasador, Split

The new Ambassador Hotel is expected to have four-plus stars, with 101 rooms and suites, 240 restaurant seats, a spa, a gym, a nightclub and an underground garage with 59 spaces.

The Ambassador is seeing an investment by one of the world's most famous shoemakers, Klaus Alex Birkenstock, who announced that he was planning to build a new favorite tourist resort for tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria and France from the once dilapidated building on the Split waterfront.

Ambasador Simulation

Birkenstock has invested around 17 million euros in the new hotel.

Hotel Armerun, Šibenik

The Armerun Hotel will have 17 accommodation units, 14 of which are in the property itself, while three are in a separate property that can be rented as a villa. It will have two categorizations, one with four stars and as a heritage hotel.

Screenshot

On the ground floor of the hotel, there will be a restaurant for outside guests to enjoy.

The hotel is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020. The total value of the investment is around 2 million euros and the main investor is the company Stanovi Jadrana.

Amfora Resort, Split

The Hotel Amfora by Zvonko Kotarac, a businessman from Split, was supposed to open last year, but due to construction problems (and an invalid building permit), the opening has been delayed. 

Amfora Simulation

The total investment is over 26 million euros. The investor insisted that the hotel would have 207 rooms and suites, a 500-seat congress hall and 2000 square meters of wellness.

Courtyard by Marriott, Split

Courtyard by Marriott, the business brand of the renowned Marriott International Group, should also open this year. The hotel is located in the Dalmatia Tower, the tallest building in Croatia, standing 115 meters tall. 

Courtyard by Marriott will be located on the building’s top floors, from the 16th to 26th, allowing guests a spectacular view of the city, and because of the specific shape of the building, each of the 190 rooms and four suites will have sea views.

Westgate Group 

In addition to the conference facilities, the hotel will feature a wellness area, a gym, a restaurant and a bar.

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

Kvarner's tourist traffic numbers continue their upward trajectory. The Kvarner region, located in Northwestern Croatia, finished 2019 with 3.1 million arrivals and 19.1 million overnight stays. Compared to 2018, there were 2% more arrivals and 1% more overnights. Overnights also increased by 3% compared to 2017, 13% compared to 2016 and 50% compared to 2010.

During peak season, overnight stays remained at last year's levels, with an average occupancy of 25 days, and 30 days at hotels. That means that there wasn't a lot of room for growth during the the busiest season of the year, according to MorskiHR on January 8, 2020. Therefore, it is important to emphasize that overnight more stays increased by 1% during pre-season, while the post-season overnight stays increased by 4%. The increase in overnights during pre and post-season is more significant when compared with results from 2010, and it shows that overnights during these times of the year increased by 90%, according to the tourist board.

Germany Traditionally Strongest Market

In 2019, 630,000 German guests visited the Kvarner region, resulting in almost 4.7 million overnight stays. This figure has certainly been influenced by the large number of promotions directed toward the German market.  In addition to Germany, three more markets have reached more than one million overnights: Slovenia (3 million), Austria (1.8 million) and Italy (1.3 million). The share of foreign traffic for these four countries is nearly 70%.

Kvarner’s inclusion on group tour routes which take guests from distant markets to Europe has also resulted in a large increase in traffic from these markets. In the last 3 years, guests from China have almost tripled their number of overnight stays while US citizens have increased their overnights by 50%.

Guests from the United Kingdom are also worth mentioning. They spent 137,000 overnights in Kvarner which is 25% increase from 2018, and 44% increase from 2016! Foreign tourists account for 85% of overnight stays and domestic tourists 15% (3 million nights, an increase of 5%). 

Mali Lošinj

Most Guest Overnights on Island of Krk

Among the subregions, the island of Krk is in the lead, with an increase of 1% and 7 million overnights (and has a 36% share of total overnights in Kvarner).

The Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera ranks second (3.2 million) followed by the island of Losinj (2.4 million). The number of overnight stays continues as follows: the Opatija Riviera and the island of Rab (2.2 million), the island of Cres (1.1 million), the Rijeka area (925,000) and Gorski Kotar (110,000). The highest percentage increase in overnight stays (14%) was recorded in the Rijeka area.

Mali Losinj (2.4 million nights) and Crikvenica (2.2 million nights) are among the "best" destinations.

Guests Prefer Croatia Family Accommodations

Family accommodations accounted for 40% of recorded overnight stays (7.7 million). Campsites and hotels recorded almost the same number of total overnights: 3.7 million each with individual shares of 19%. 

The highest increase in overnights was recorded in upper-category accommodations:

• Hotels generally realized 1% more overnights. However, 4 and 5-star hotels enjoyed a 6% increase.
• All family accommodations experienced a 1% increase in overnight stays, but 5-star family accommodations enjoyed a 38% increase!
• A similar scenario applies to campsites: there was an overall 1% decrease in overnight stays, but overnights at 5-star camps are up 22%.

Regardless of the type, 5-star facilities have seen 15% increase in overnight stays during the past year and 70% increase overnight over the last 3 years!

Cres

Nautical Tourism Overnights Up Thirty-Two Percent

These figures do not include 24,500 arrivals and 156,000 overnight stays due to nautical traffic, which in has increased by as much as 32% the last year alone. There are about 20 nautical tourism ports in Kvarner, and Marina Punat alone accounts for more than half of nautical overnights.

Kvarner Third to Istria and Split-Dalmatia in Accommodation Capacity

As of 2019, there are 190,000 permanent beds available for tourists in Kvarner which represent a 17% share in accommodation capacity within Croatia. The Kvarner region ranks third in terms of total available accommodation, which is behind Istria and Split-Dalmatia counties in Croatia. 

Irena Peršić Živadinov, Director of the Kvarner Tourist Board, emphasizes that the primary goal is to strengthen the pre and post-seasons, because one cannot always count on a record “peak” season.

Kvarner Tourist Board Expects Long-Term Increase

“In recent years, the Kvarner region has definitely succeeded in strengthening the pre and post-seasons. Compared 2010 to 2019, we have seen a huge increase in overnight stays during both seasons - almost 90%! Over the past 10 years, we have invested in the quantity and quality of the regions’ offerings. We have also focused on joint branding and activities and recognized our strengths regarding products and offerings."

“These steps probably won’t yield immediate results but will take a longer time to have an effect. Taking that into consideration, for example, 12.7 million overnight stays were recorded in 2010, it is clear that in a period of 9 years we have realized 6.3 million more overnights, or the total number of overnights in Kvarner ha increased by almost 50%,” Peršić Živadinov points out.

Follow our Travel page to keep up-to-date on tourism trends in Croatia.

ZAGREB, January 4, 2020 - As of January 1, Rijeka, Croatia and Galway, Ireland hold the prestigious European Capital of Culture title.

"Thanks to their title of European Capital of Culture, Rijeka and Galway will be harnessing the full potential of culture to enrich our life experience and to bring our communities closer together", Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life Margaritis Schinas has said.

"Promoting culture as a core element of our way of life has many positive impacts on society, in terms of social inclusion, integration and economic growth. It enables people to gain new experiences, skills and opportunities to participate in society and to make our societies fairer and more inclusive," he added.

"A successful Capital of Culture is inclusive and meaningful to its citizens. It is also open to the world, illustrating our Union's willingness to promote culture as a driver for peace and mutual understanding worldwide whilst bringing long-lasting socio-economic benefits to its region," Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commissioner Mariya Gabriel has said.

Rijeka is the first Croatian city to be awarded the European Capital of Culture title.

The "Port of Diversity" cultural programme presents Rijeka and its specificities while at the same time focusing on current European cultural-social issues.

Three themes have been chosen as symbols of the merging of Rijeka's identity and contemporary Europe: water, work and migrations. They are reflected in exhibitions, shows, operas, conferences, concerts, festivals, guest-appearances by international and Croatian artists, projects by local organisations, interior design, sculpture, book launches, and encounters between the people of Rijeka, the region, Croatia and Europe.

This year Rijeka will host nearly 300 cultural programmes with more than 600 events. Over 300 partner organisations from 55 countries from around the world are involved in the organisation of the programmes.

More Rijeka news can be found in the Lifestyle news.

ZAGREB, January 4, 2020 - The Rijeka City Puppet Theatre celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2020, the year in which it will actively participate in the European Capital of Culture project, with the final celebratory show of the season, "Bomboniera Variete", premiering in July at the Tobogan Children's Festival, the theatre has announced.

"The puppeteers are celebrating their 60th birthday in 2020, the year when our city assumes the title of European Capital of Culture. And our shows are an essential part of the Children's House programme. We will celebrate puppets and puppetry in our theatre," stated the head of Rijeka City Puppet Theatre, Magdalena Lupi Alvir.

"We will be presented with various puppetry forms. Our stories will be inspired by the beginnings of puppetry in Rijeka, the legends and stories from our port city as well as its forested hinterland, the region of Gorski Kotar, urban city scenes," Lupi Alvir pointed out.

The first premiere of the City Puppet Theatre, which will be held in March, is a show for children, "Happy Little House", adapted by Ivana Đula and Milica Sinkauz from an award-winning picture-book of the same name by Karmen Delač-Petko and Dijana Arbanas.

All of this year's premieres in the City Puppet Theatre are a part of the Rijeka 2020 - European Capital of Culture programme.

The Rijeka City Puppet Theatre has premiered 174 shows up to now.

More Rijeka news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Croatian Railways is building 400 kilometers of high-speed track and trains on several key routes will be running at speeds of up to 160 km/h within 10 years. The average speed of a current Croatian train is only 58.2 km/h! Only Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro have railway systems worse than ours.

However, December has proven to be the month of railways when it comes to major projects in this area of Croatian infrastructure, according to Krešimir Žabec/Jutarnji List on December 30, 2019. For years, there have been reports of billions of euros coming to Croatia to upgrade our catastrophic rail network.

Map of Current and Upcoming Croatian Railways High-Speed Projects | Croatian Railways

Average Speed of Current Croatian Train: 58.2 km/h

The state of railway infrastructure in Croatia is perhaps best illustrated by the indicator of 58.2 kilometers per hour, which is the average speed of trains running in Croatia. Only Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro have railway systems worse than ours. But until recently, promises of a brighter future for Croatian Railways have sounded like the dreams of politicians which never produced any visible results. However, a turnaround began to take hold this past month.

First New Railway Line in 50 Years Launched in December 2019

First, after 50 years, a new railway line was launched in Croatia: from Gradec to Sveti Ivan Žabno. Then, in Vukovar, a contract was signed with the Spanish company Comsa to upgrade and electrify the Vinkovci - Vukovar railway. Eight years after its launch; the Turkish company Cengiz was selected as contractor for the Križevci - Koprivnica - Hungarian Border section of the project. And a 321 million EUR contract was finally signed to build the Lowland Railway section of Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac, which is being co-financed by the European Union.

Three Billion EUR Investment in Croatian Railways

Croatia, the European Union and the World Bank are expected to invest more than 3 billion EUR in designing, renovating and upgrading Croatian railway infrastructure over the next ten years. There are 18 projects in different stages of progress, of which only the Gradec - Sv. Ivan Žabno line has been finished.

Overview of the 250-Kilometer Lowland Railway Project

The international Mediterranean railway corridor connects Rijeka with the Baltic. The Croatian part of this corridor is divided into a section from Zagreb to Rijeka, known as the Lowland Railway, and the section from Zagreb to Botovo (the Hungarian border). It is a 250-kilometer railway line, and only 22 kilometers, from Zagreb to Dugo Selo, are currently two-lane and have been electrified. The estimated value of the modernization and construction of this route is approximately 2.6 billion EUR, and that tab does not include the cost of modernizing the Zagreb hub.

The other sections of this route are in different stages of completion. Work on the 38.2-kilometer Dugo Selo – Križevci section is underway and running about two years behind schedule.

The contract for co-financing and a tender for a contractor have been signed for the section from Hrvatski Leskovac to Karlovac.

Two Options for Most Expensive Lowland Span: Karlovac - Škrljevo

The Hrvatski Leskovac – Karlovac section is connected to the most difficult and expensive span, running from Karlovac to Škrljevo, which is about 150 kilometers long. Construction costs could reach 1.5 billion EUR, but he total cost of will depend on whether the Northern or Southern option is selected. Kupska, the Northern option, is 150 kilometers long, of which 61 kilometers involve tunnels and bridges. Drežnička, the Southern option, is 170 kilometers long with 45 kilometers of tunnels and bridges.

It is unknown at this time whether this section will be put into concession or the European Commission will decide to co-finance the project, due to concern over utilizing Chinese capital. EU funding for Croatia is a more favorable option as it won’t impact public debt. In the event of a concession, a Chinese company would build and finance the project, backed by state guarantees of around 1.5 billion EUR. And it would be difficult for the Croatian state to allow that.

Close-Up of the Zagreb - Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac - Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani Line | Croatian Railways

Location Permit and Plans for Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani Section

A location permit has been obtained for the Škrljevo - Rijeka - Jurdani section and the main plans are being drawn, and are being co-financed by the EU with 8.5 million EUR. A final solution is currently being worked on for the Zagreb hub. According to projections, the entire Lowland Railway could be completed by 2030.

Close-Up of Railway Line Upgrades to Hungary and Serbia | Croatian Railways

Work Progressing on the Zagreb - Serbian Border Railway

Another important international route is railway from Zagreb to the border of Serbia. The sections of Vinkovci – Tovarnik – Serbian Border and Okučani – Novska have been modernized and plans reconstruction and upgrade of the Dugo Selo – Novska section are underway. The estimated price tag for work on this section is 580 million EUR. Project plans for the modernization of the Okučani - Vinkovci section are also in development.

In addition to the construction of the Dugo Selo - Križevci section, two more projects are underway. As part of the modernization and electrification of the Zaprešić - Čakovec railway, work is progressing on the Zaprešić - Zabok section.

Zagreb and Rijeka Port Hubs Undergoing Upgrades

The railway network within the greater Zagreb metropolitan area plays a crucial role in passenger transport. The value of this project, which is being carried out by the Swietelsky construction firm, is estimated at 529 million EUR, with a planned completion date of 2021.

Another important project is the reconstruction and capacity expansion of the Rijeka Brajdica freight railway station.

This project includes the complete reconstruction of the existing nine tracks and the extension of the Sušak railway tunnel to a length of 423 meters. The total value of this project is 35.6 million EUR. This project is extremely important for expanding the capacity of the Port of Rijeka.

Along with these and a few other projects in the upcoming ten years, Croatia is expected to finally upgrade its railway infrastructure. As mentioned in an earlier TCN article, these upgrades will allow train passengers to travel at speeds of 160 kilometers per hour.

Croatian Railways Project Overviews:

Here is an overview of six key railway projects; their statuses and expected dates of completion:

Dugo Selo - Križevci:

Length: 38.2 kilometers
Details: Upgrade of the existing track and construction of the second track.
Contractors: Zagreb Montaža, DIV, Dalekovod Integral
Completed: 65 percent of the financial part of the contract.
Deadline: 48 months
Cost: 196.9 million EUR

Križevci - Koprivnica - Hungarian Border:

Length: 42.6 kilometers
Details: Upgrade of the existing track and construction of the second track.
Contractors: Cengiz (Turkey)
Completed: Signing of construction contract in Spring 2020.
Deadline: 48 months
Cost: 400 million EUR

Vinkovci - Vukovar:

Length: 18.7 kilometers
Details: Track upgrade and electrification.
Contractors: Comsa
Completed: Signed construction contract.
Deadline: 24 months
Cost: 55 million EUR

Hrvatski Leskovac - Karlovac:

Length: 44 kilometers
Details: Upgrade of the existing track and construction of a second track.
Contractors: Tender in process.
Completed: EU approved co-financing with 361 million EUR.
Deadline: TBD
Cost: 450 million EUR

Zaprešić - Zabok:

Length: 23.9 kilometers
Details: Railway modernization and electrification.
Contractors: Swietelsky
Completed: In progress.
Deadline: End of 2021.
Cost: 80.8 million EUR

Rijeka Brajdica:

Length: 4 kilometers
Details: Connecting track to the container terminal of Adriatic port.
Contractors: Kolektor and Euro Asphalt
Completed: In progress.
Deadline: 45 months
Cost: 29.5 million EUR

Follow our Travel page for our continuting coverage of high-speed train track upgrades in Croatia. Train schedules, tickets, route maps and news can be accessed on the Croatian Railways site here.

December 22, 2019 - Kvarner is ready for the 30,000 guests that should visit during the Christmas and New Year holidays, which is about the same number of guests as last year.

Novi List writes that about 100,000 overnights will be realized during the holidays, most of them on the Opatija Riviera (45,000). The island of Lošinj has announced 17,000, the Rijeka area 15,000, the Crikvenica-Vinodol Riviera 9,000, the island of Krk 7,000, Gorski Kotar and the island of Rab 5,000 each, and the island of Cres 1,000. 

There will be 64 hotels open in Kvarner, as well as three camps, two in Losinj and one in Krk.

Most guests are expected on the Opatija Riviera. In Opatija itself, according to the data of the Opatija Tourist Board, the Christmas and New Year holidays should see13,250 guests, which will generate 37,800 nights. Most overnights will be spent on hotel accommodation. In this period, 27 hotels will be open in Opatija, with the majority expected to be guests from Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy and Croatians.

“A rich program of ‘The Most Beautiful Advent by the Sea’ awaits all visitors, which will bring a lot of good music like concerts by Marko Tolja, Martina Majerle, Renata Sabljak and Đani Stipanič, as well as many other renowned musicians who will grace the beautiful winter and summer stage, animation for the youngest and other surprises. As many as four events have been prepared for the New Year - for the youngest at noon on the Summer Stage, to three outdoor parties. All guests who have chosen Opatija for the New Year will be congratulated by the Mayor of Opatija on January 1 at the traditional Mayor's Toast,” said Željka Stašić, project manager at the Opatija Tourist Board.

The second most visited destination for the upcoming holidays will be Rijeka and its surroundings. According to the long-term trend of growth in the number of overnight stays in the city, the Rijeka Tourist Board emphasizes that the tourist turnover for the holidays will exceed last year's results.

“The rich Rijeka Advent program will certainly contribute to the positive results, which this year ends with a spectacular New Year's Eve concert with Nina Badrić, Dubioza Kolektiv and Nikolina Tomljanović. However, there are also New Year's Eve celebrations at numerous restaurants in the city center and the surrounding area.

Five hotels are open in the city of Rijeka - Bonavia, Jadran, Neboder, Continental and Molo Longo, most of the hostels and a large number of privately owned accommodation, where the highest number of overnight stays has been realized,” said Dominik Damiš, Head of Marketing at the Rijeka Tourist Board. Furthermore, domestic tourists usually achieve the most overnights, followed by foreign guests from Italy, Germany, Serbia, Slovenia and Austria.

In the area of the Crikvenica Riviera, from December 20 to January 6, approximately 1,700 guests will spend 7,500 overnight stays. The Crikvenica Tourist Board states that in addition to the Marina Hotel in Selce, which is always open, the Omorika Hotel, the Mediteran Hotel and the Crikvenica Hotel will be open during the New Year holidays. In addition to hotels, several dozen apartments will be opened. Most guests are expected from Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia, and the largest number of guests will stay in Crikvenica during the New Year holidays. Guests stay an average of three days. As the Crikvenica Tourist Board revealed, most of the hotel accommodation is already full, while some of the private apartments are still available to guests who want to spend their holidays in Crikvenica, which boasts a unique Advent atmosphere this year.

The largest tourist company on the Riviera, Jadran Crikvenica, is organizing New Year's Eve at the Omorika Hotel.

“Only this hotel is open to us because we have already started the second phase of the investment cycle in other facilities to be even more prepared to welcome the new 2020 season. The main broadcasting market for us is Italy, and we also have a lot of local guests,” said Lucija Jukić, director of marketing for the Jadran Crikvenica, adding that they offer guests a New Year's Eve dinner with live music, champagne at midnight, as well as live music.

In Novi Vinodolski, for example, 250 guests from Austria are expected for the New Year holidays in the only open hotel Lišanj and about 100 guests in private accommodation. Guests stay an average of three days, and the Novi Vinodolski Tourist Board revealed, the hotel is fully booked. Otherwise, the organized New Year’s Eve reception is in Marina Nova. And at the traditional Zdravica Nova 2020, about 1,000 foreign guests are expected, or about 8,000 in total.

This year, more destinations became involved in the organization of Advent, so the whole of December was marked by increased arrivals and overnight stays. But as expected, the culmination is yet to be expected. Most destinations have prepared outdoor receptions, with hoteliers and NYE parties for their guests.

The New Year holidays are traditionally the best for Gorski Kotar. This year, for the twentieth time, the people of Fužine and their guests will celebrate the ‘old year’ at noon. 

Marinko Jakovljevic, director of the Fužine Tourist Board, said that most of the accommodation for the New Year holidays are reserved in the Gorski Kotar area. As a rule, holiday homes and apartments are full, while there is some room in household accommodation, as well as in hotel accommodation. But in the coming days, all should be full.

“Since we have prepared a four-day program starting on December 29th with a traditional concert of our Wind Orchestra, as a rule, these are stays based on three overnights. We have also prepared surprises to bid the Old Year farewell at noon, and besides, the New Year's train from Rijeka will come again. The director of the Fužine Tourist Board concluded that guests are coming from all over Croatia, and there is an increase in arrivals from Slovenia.

The Kvarner islands are ready for the busy holidays. This year, for the fifth time, a rich Advent program called ‘The Most Beautiful Island Advent’ was prepared for the coming holidays. This year, the program started on November 30 and will last until January 7 next year, with the extension to the Boškopini Park in addition to the historic city center. Rab’s rich program, as well as hotel programs, will attract more guests this year than last year. Namely, the Valamar Collection Imperial Hotel will open for NYE, while the Valamar Hotel Padova and the Veritas Restaurant and Wine Bar will open before Christmas. 

“So, that is one more hotel than last year. Full occupancy is expected, with guests coming mainly from Austria, Germany and France. In addition to all hotel facilities with entertainment and animation programs, guests will also have access to excursion programs and various programs within Rab Advent, which this year deservedly bears the name 'Best Island Advent'. By the way, the Best Island Advent has been increasingly profiled for several years as an additional motive for the arrival of guests to Rab, and the question is only to what extent the weather will allow its realization,” said the President of the Imperial Riviera of Rab.

On the island of Krk, advent programs for the New Year have been prepared by the tourist boards of Omišlj - Njivice, Malinska - Dubašnica, Krk, Punta, Dobrinj and Vrbnik. A rich program throughout Advent as well as for the holidays themselves was prepared in Mali Lošinj, which this year received new Advent attire and an ice skating rink, as well as a covered space for the New Year's festivities, so that even the bad weather cannot spoil the fun. 

Hotel Aurora in Mali Lošinj and Hotel Televrin in Nerezine are open for New Year's Eve, as well as two campsites. In addition to Čikat, the Poljana campsite in Mali Lošinj is open, and part of the private accommodation will be provided, with the assistance of local tourist agencies. Vitality Hotel Punta and Family Hotel Vespera are open for closed groups. Talking about the upcoming holidays as well as announcements for 2020, Ricardo Hesky, a member of the Jadranka Hotel Management Board, said that the number of guests coming from Lošinj Hotels & Villas have increased year by year, along with the number of overnight stays.

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

December 17, 2019 - A zip line connecting Trsat and Delta in Rijeka will be one of the highlights in the European Capital of Culture program next year.

Rijecanin.hr reports that the building of the former Exportdrvo warehouse on the Delta, along the Dead Canal, will be leased to the City of Rijeka for the Rijeka - European Capital of Culture 2020 program, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure confirmed.

As part of the program, which will include several significant exhibitions and other events, the highly anticipated, two-kilometer-long zip line, from Trsat to Exportdrvo, will be built, confirmed the Rijeka's head of culture, Ivan Sarar.

“The City of Rijeka has applied for a concession for the special use of the maritime domain and to run the Rijeka - European Capital of Culture 2020 program. The Rijeka - European Capital of Culture 2020 program includes the production and implementation of cultural, artistic and entertainment programs and events related to the Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture project and its long-lasting heritage, organizing congresses, national and international gatherings and festivals and promotional events, organizing educational programs for children and young people, and setting up and using the Rijeka zip line arrivals station,” the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure said. They noted that, given the importance of this program, for the City of Rijeka as well as for the whole of Croatia, the Ministry has already proposed to the Government of the Republic of Croatia a decision to grant the requested concession to the City of Rijeka.

The Minister of Culture from Rijeka, Ivan Sarar, spoke about the future purpose of the building and why the building was chosen for the ECOC 2020 program.

“It is a port warehouse that has lost its original purpose over time as conditions and the mode of operation and/or operation of the port have changed. Also, it is a space in the center of the city that has so far proved ideal for various entertainment and cultural events, so using that space for the European Capital of Culture program is a logical choice,” said Sarar, adding that any work on the building itself is under the authority of the Port Authority and the Ministry of the Sea as the owner, that is, the authorities managing the port area.

Sarar also announced that, if the concession agreement between the Government and the City of Rijeka is indeed signed, a zip line will be constructed with the final stop at the Exportdrvo building, which will surely be one of the biggest attractions not only during the ECOC, but also in the years to follow. 

The zip line project from Trsat, through the Rječina canyon to the Exportdrvo building, stands out among the projects in the ECOC program and is the idea of Rijeka entrepreneur Eris Marotti, who already has experience in setting up a zip line in Croatia. Marotti envisioned that the ride would begin at Trsat, from where the descent, at an average speed of about 50 kilometers per hour, would lead to the Katarina tunnel, and from Katarina, the zip line would go partly through the Rječina canyon and across the city center, down to the Exportdrvo building.

Earlier last year, when the project was announced, Marotti said it would take about two million kuna to execute. Marotti also estimated the time required for all the works to be about half a year, so that, under ideal circumstances, the zip line could function in the next summer.

Exportdrvo will also host various temporary art installations as part of the European Capital of Culture program next year. 

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