March the 30th, 2023 - A Rovinj Napoleonic prison is being transformed into a modern business-residential building, the doors of which will open only in a few years' time.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, although it might seem like a long way off yet, in the spring of the year 2025, the completion of a business-residential building is planned on the site of the former Mirna cold storage facility. This facility was built in a converted Rovinj Napoleonic prison, which was completed during the later era of the Austrian Empire.

The people of Rovinj know this location as ''Napoleon's prison'' or ''Napoleon's fortress'', because there is a legend that it was during the French rule that two oil mills were demolished and the construction of a fortified building on Valdibora began, which was completed by the Austrians when they took over Istria following French rule.

The Rovinj Napoleonic prison will be transformed into a business-residential complex which will be built after the demolition of the existing building whose walls are more than 200 years old, writes local portal Glas Istre/The Voice of Istria. The very interesting thing about this particular investment is that one of the most important investors is a construction, catering/hospitality and hotel entrepreneur from the City of Split who ended up in Split prison two years ago himself, allegedly as a result of something to do with his business.

If you're at all familiar with these things in Croatia, you'll more than likely know that we're referring to Zvonko Kotarac here. In many of his media appearances, he called himself "the greatest builder from Split after Diocletian", and whom Slobodna Dalmacija called the "king of construction" in Split and across Dalmatia.

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

December the 12th, 2022 - The Rovinj advent concept is an embrace of both glamour and tradition for a festive season well spent by the sea in that particular popular Istrian town.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes, sustainable development, prolonging the tourist season and increasing the quality of life of Rovinj's residents are among the main strategic goals with which the tourism sector plans to develop the town until the year 2030. 

Within the scope of all of that, they also incorporated the new Rovinj advent concept called "Christmas by the sea" that will come to life starting this weekend. The entire Rovinj advent offer and programme, in terms of decoration, the gourmet offer and overall programme is based on Rovinj's local traditions, with the main star of it all, the traditional Rovinj batana (a form of locally made vessel). The batana is a symbol of the local community, and it can be found in several locations across Rovinj.

For the first time, the Rovinj advent programme takes place in three locations - on Lungomare Plaza, a more modern version of advent will be held, then there is also the so-called the traditional advent being held in front of the Church of St. Euphemia, where a life size hand-made nativity scene has been set up, and the third location, a more ''native'' advent, on the main city square, will showcase what Rovinj has to offer in terms of local food and more.

The new Rovinj advent concept, packed with events throughout the month of December, was created through the cooperation and synergy of the city, the Maistra tourist company, the Rovinj Tourist Board, various other stakeholders, institutions and those from the hospitality sector, all coming together and participating in the organisation of the programme. The decorating concept was created in collaboration with the well-known academic painter, florist and interior designer Sasa Sekoranja.

During the second weekend in December on the Lungomare promenade at the foot of the Grand Park Hotel, all visitors will have the opportunity to taste some traditional Istrian products - Prodan truffles, Istrian prosciutto, Reginex bakery products and cakes, Agrolaguna wines, local cheeses, Japanese delicacies from the restaurant will be present in eight advent cottages.

In addition to the Rovinj advent cottages, various local restaurants have prepared a special advent menu which involves the tasting of Istrian wines and brandy. Numerous stores will offer an interesting assortment of clothes and shoes, niche perfumes, cosmetics, jewellery, fashion accessories, and well-known international and Croatian cult brands with special discounts included.

Three Maistra hotels from Rovinj, Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, Lone and Adriatic, will all remain open for the festive season and for advent, which, like every year, will be decorated with attractive installations designed by Sasa Sekoranja. This time, unlike back during previous years, they've been inspired by the sea and motifs of local heritage. At the Hotel Lone, an advent offer of food and drinks, concerts and DJ performances every Friday and Saturday, wine tasting and live music in the Enoteka winter garden are expected.

It's worth noting that Rovinj was declared the destination of the year at the Days of Croatian Tourism in 2022, partly because the destination is being developed on the rich potential it has, such as autochthonousness, art and tradition, cultural heritage, and the tourist offer is adapted to the requirements of modern tourists in accordance with sustainable development and current travel and tourism trends.

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

September the 12th, 2022 - The first gin festival is set to be held in the gorgeous Istrian city of Rovinj at the end of this month. GinIstra will more than likely prove a hit among visitors and locals alike.

As Morski writes, over more recent years, and speaking on a global level, there has been an increasingly present trend of people drinking gin. The creation of new, special, more diverse and even more specific flavours has naturally led to an increase in the production activity in the field of distillates. This is also the situation here in the Republic of Croatia, where there are currently around 40 active gin producers, eleven of which are located in Istria County.

In order to valorise local producers and introduce them to the production and the distillates themselves, on September the 30th, the first gin festival appropriately named "GinIstra" will be held in beautiful Rovinj, which will aim to gather producers and the profession in one place.

Nine producers from the area of ​​Istria have confirmed their participation in the upcoming GinIstra festival, and these are the distilleries AurA, Damijanic, Imagine spirits, Istarska kaptilpa, Martesi, Old school distillery, OPG Cehic, Rossi and Sempervivum. In addition to the presentation of almost twenty different types of gin, visitors will have the opportunity to listen to panel workshops, and on top of the rich entertainment programme which will be put on during the very first GinIstra festival, awards will be given for the best gin according to the evaluations of the profession, i.e. the Commission for evaluating all of the submitted samples.

The first GinIstra festival will be held in the white hall of the Academia Banquet in Rovinj, on Friday, September the 30th, from 16:00 until midnight, as reported by local portal Glas Istre (The Voice of Istria).

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

June 14, 2022 - In addition to two small noble pen shells, two adult noble pen shells were found in the sea near Rovinj. It is an endemic species of great importance to the marine ecosystem. In the last few years, newly discovered parasites and bacteria have spread through the Mediterranean, bringing this shellfish to its most difficult period in history.

Dr. sc. Andrej Jaklin from the Center for Marine Research of the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Rovinj says that they are in excellent condition, they have grown somewhere between 3-4 cm since last year and they react normally, writes HRT.

Periscopes are on the verge of extinction

Along with them, two small periscopes kept in the Pula Aquarium were found on collectors placed nearby. According to Aleksandra Bel Dajaković, head of the professional department of Aquarium Pula, they are in strictly controlled conditions, where in reality every parameter is controlled and they take care of them every day and watch how they progress.

This noble shellfish can grow up to one and a half meters, weigh over 3 kilograms and live up to 50 years, and is of great importance to the marine ecosystem.

"It is the largest Mediterranean shellfish that filters large amounts of water daily and thus contributes to the purification of water, eliminating excess organic matter from the water.", says Dr. sc. Andrej Jaklin.

The noble pen shells have been hit in the last 4 years by a plague of pathogens that have led them to almost extinction.

Dangers of anchors and curious tourists

In addition to searching the seabed and finding living individuals to preserve this species, various protection actions have been initiated. Protective cages are set up if it is near an anchor or there is an octopus threat.

Various education initiatives can raise public awareness in order to preserve the world of the noble pen shell - the largest shellfish in the Mediterranean.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

June the 13th, 2022 - The globally read and well respected traveller's publication, Conde Nast Traveler, has ranked the gorgeous City of Rovinj among the most beautiful European beach towns one can visit, shining a well deserved light on the stunning Istrian peninsula.

As Morski writes, Conde Nast Traveler, which is still very much a ''must read'' for many travellers seeking destinations to visit, has compiled a list of the most beautiful seaside/coastal towns in Europe. No less than the very first place was taken by Istria, more precisely the beautiful City of Rovinj.

Rick Jordan, one of the authors of the widely read magazine, makes no effort to hide how fascinated he is by the Croatian coast and numerous Croatian seaside towns and cities. He has been coming to Croatia regularly since the 1980s and absolutely loves Dubrovnik, and the islands of Vis and Hvar. However, he chose Rovinj as the most beautiful beach town to exist in all of Europe, as reported by Index.

Idyllic Rovinj fascinates him "with its coast, medieval walls and the old town, pine forests, small coves, seafood and Malvazija wine". In addition to all of that, Jordan was impressed by "every bike ride to the port, as well as small restaurants located on the edges of the rocks by the sea."

Behind the Republic of Croatia on this particular Conde Nast Traveler list are Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Greece and a handful of other countries. Second place went to Plage de Saleccia, a sandy beach with turquoise sea located in the north of the French island of Corsica.

The third place on the list compiled by the aforementioned travel magazine was taken by Favignana, one of the five islands of the Egadi Islands.

Istria tends to lure in many with its fairy tale-like charm, beautiful hilltop towns and stunning interior and coastline, having also well and truly enchanted the NY Times journalist who visited various sights across this region by bike and explored the Istrian gastronomic offer in a large photo report. He spent six days on the road in total.

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

June 7, 2022 - The Nikola Tesla EV Rally 2022 is underway, showcasing luxury tourism and Croatia's green credentials for the 9th year. 

Did you hear about the time Elon Musk's mum took part in a electric car race driving a Tesla? Not many have (That Time Elon Musk's Mum Maye Came on the Nikola Tesla EV Rally in Croatia).

(Maye Musk with event organisers Igor and Tina Kolovrat)

Or that time when a Jadrolinija ferry was 100% occupied by electric cars, an image which was shared on social media by Musk's Tesla company?

Or the time that Croatia's own electric car genius, Mate Rimac, took part in speed tests on the same rally in his Concept_One?

One of the very best events in Croatia is underway for a ninth year, the Nikola Tesla EV Rally 2022, which kicked off in Istria, and which will be making its way down the coast to Zadar over the next week. More than 60 electric vehicles, predominantly Teslas, will be taking part in the quietest race in the world.

An excellent week of 5-star hotels, excellent Croatian gastronomy and culture are being enjoyed by a very international field, as well as speed skill exams for competitors to pit their skills against each other. 

A key component of the rally each year is connecting with the public who are interested in learning more about the electric car revolution. The programme of this year's rally is below, with local tourist boards able to inform you on exact arrival times and locations. 

05.06. START Rovinj
06.06. Rovinj (Riva – Obala Maršala Tita) – PROGRAM:
– 11.00 gathering/arrival of vehicles
– 11.30 – 12.00 h official start announcement by Mayor of Rovinj, Mr. Marko Paliaga
07-08.06. Rovinj – Vrsar – Svetvinčenat – Kringa- Tinjan – Pazin – Lupoglav – Hum – Opatija – Zadar
09.06. Šibenik – PROGRAM:
– 13.30 . 16.30 h exhibition of vehicles on Riva (Obala dr.Franje Tuđmana)
10.06. Zadar – PROGRAM: Parking of Višnjik Sport Center (open for public, visitors are welcome)
– 11.00 h gathering
– 11.15 – 13.30 h „Speed skill exam“
– 13.45 h Award ceremony
11.06. FINISH Zadar

Here is how the rally looks in the video below. To follow the latest, check out the Nikola Tesla EV Rally 2022 Facebook page.

May 4, 2022 - All roads lead to Rovinj on the first May weekend, where a new spring edition of the unique gourmet event Paths of Rovinj Delicacies is held, justifiably attracting more and more visitors, gourmets, and lovers of Istrian specialties year after year.

From May 7 to 14, some of the most famous restaurants in Rovinj, especially for this occasion, will prepare famous local specialties made from indigenous ingredients of this region. In addition, all visitors will be able to taste local wines from local winemakers.

If you are going to Istria, head to Brancin da Nino, Graciano, Fortuna, Dream, Santa Roma, or Štorija as fish and meat menus await you at promotional prices. Renowned chefs will prepare homemade seafood pljukanci, black cuttlefish risotto, cod and tuna carpaccio, veal steaks in an asparagus sauce, stuffed pork fillet with prosciutto and cheese, Istrian fuži with chicken žgvacet and many other top delicacies that are simply an unavoidable part of the Istrian region. In addition to a unique offer of specialties, the menus also include top local wines that go well with traditional Istrian cuisine, carefully selected to harmonize the entire gourmet experience.

To preserve the rich Istrian tradition but also to present well-known local dishes to all those who have not yet had the opportunity to taste them, the Rovinj Craftspeople's Association, Rovinj Tourist Board, and Maistra Tourist Company joined forces and created this irresistible gourmet story, which is undoubtedly responsible for the recognizability of Istrian beauties, both visual and delicious, around the world.

These delicacies can be tasted at a promotional price of 140 kuna per menu. A fantastic way to tickle your palate, don't miss out on this irresistible gourmet offer, and be sure to book your place on time!

Uncover all offers at the following link: https://www.rovinj-tourism.com/hr/kalendar/22464

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

April the 11th, 2022 - Ever been mugged by a seagull? I have. I was three when it happened and the bird stole an entire pastry from my hands and although I find it funny, it probably isn't that amusing when it's happening to you fairly regularly. Rovinj seagulls have decided that attacking and mugging people is an easy way of getting by in that Istrian town.

As Morski/Jurica Gaspar writes, the story of seagulls from Istria tells how adaptable and intelligent some animals are. Rovinj, like the whole of western Istria, has been fighting these birds for years now, especially after the landfills were closed, meaning that the birds literally moved to the cities in search of food, and this is where the problems of the people who live there began. Naive tourists have also been the victims of Rovinj seagulls and their strategic attacks and food theft.

''We came out of the bakery and started walking down the street, and a seagull flew in, past my wife's back, right between the two of us, and stole her food, all of it! When the bird attacked us, he flew down from the air, as fast and accurate as a rocket! Along the way, he flapped at us with his wings and behaved aggressively,'' said Ivica Brusic from Rijeka, who was unpleasantly surprised by the courage of these flying predators. ''We tried to record a second seagull attack… but we didn't succeed,'' added Brusic.

They settle in on the town's rooftops and make unbearable noises all night

Rovinj city authorities have been struggling with their resident seagull problem for a long time now, and Rovinj seagulls not only attack people, but also pollute the city by dropping litter all around that they've been going through in search of food, they leave excrement all over, and they also create intolerable levels of noise, which a Rovinj resident complained about a few months ago:

''The problems with the seagulls begin at about four in the morning, they like to settle on the roofs of buildings. I'm appealing (to the city, to the communal services, to vets, to whoever), on behalf of all of the residents of this red zone, to try to solve the problem with the seagulls that have settled on the roofs of buildings and start making awful noises at four in the morning regularly, disturbing people's sleep. People need to be able to sleep and then get up and go to work (especially those who work shifts), and at night it's impossible to sleep because of these birds. The problem is growing every year because more and more of them are flying over and settling here. Please help, this is no longer normal, it's becoming impossible to sleep. Their natural habitat is the islands and the coast, not buildings. We understand that they're a protected species, but who will protect us from them?!'' a letter addressed to the City of Rovinj reads.

Rovinj responded that they have been participating in seagull population control project for several years now using the only method approved so far - by replacing real eggs with fake ones.

Their natural habitats and food sources are under threat

However, it isn't only western Istria or other coastal Croatian cities in general that have this problem, it seems the ever-brash seagulls have become a global problem, but it isn't their fault, but ours. Their cries are most often associated with the sea and the coast, but as their natural homes are under threat, they're simply moving more and more inland to settle in cities, the BBC wrote about this.

From the seagull's perspective, our cities, or the roofs of houses, are a series of islands surrounded by steep cliffs. Nesting there brings many benefits to these birds - it helps protect them because fewer predators visit human architecture. There is also often no shortage of food on the streets below the buildings. As a result, urban seagull colonies are growing all over Europe but also elsewhere.

Like many other species that have adopted urban areas as their homes - rats, pigeons, foxes - seagulls have an image problem. The tabloid press in the UK describes seagulls as public enemies because of incidents in which birds bombard pedestrians, either to defend their young or to snatch food straight from the hands of naive tourists, much like Rovinj seagulls. Their relentless noise and the clutter they create provokes anger among the people who are forced to live near them.

When large seagulls begin to nest in urban areas, the size of their colonies inevitably increases. So, what is it that is attracting these birds in increasing numbers to human-dominated places and cities? Should they now be classified as an urban species? Part of the reason for their growing numbers is landfills where garbage isn't being burned, but instead covered with earth every day. Seagulls quickly take advantage of this source of food. Looking for discarded food in landfills and usually succeeding, they manage to raise more young, more of whom eventually survive. Their population has jumped sharply as a result. With all this, there is another force at play. Industrialised fishing practices meant that their natural food sources were depleted, while their nesting sites were often hampered by human activity.

In recent times, with the rehabilitation of old landfills, but also with the depleted fishing stocks in the sea, seagulls tend to migrate to where they will most easily find food and raise their young, and these locations are typically cities. Practice has shown that the replacement of eggs with fake ones successfully halved their numbers in Porec three years ago, but their problem will continue to be an issue, as long as people continue to disturb their natural habitats.

For more, make sure to check out our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - ACI marina Rovinj is known among sailing fans as the location of numerous regattas in recent years and on 1-3 April it will host the first European Sailing Series in the Melges 24 Class.

Nine ACI Match Race Cups, three RC44 regattas and one ClubSwan36 regatta have turned the Istrian resort of Rovinj into a respectable sailing destination.

Thirty sailboats from Croatia, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia and Great Britain as well as numerous famous names in sailing will make the premiere European Sailing Series in the Melges 24 Class one of the biggest one-design regattas ever held in Croatia.

The Melges 24 is one of the most popular monohulls in the world, with more than 900 sailboats made. With over 20 boats, Croatia has the third largest numerous fleet in the world, which was crucial for hosting the premiere European Sailing Series.

Nine races are planned for the three-day event in Rovinj.

Travel and destinations: For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 10th, 2022 - One of the world’s top chefs has been confirmed as a guest of the upcoming gastronomic festival in Istria

A press conference was held today regarding the upcoming Weekend Food Festival. As we recently reported, the unique gastronomic event will be taking place the 5th to the 8th of May in the Old Tobacco Factory in Rovinj. Organised by Tomo Ricov and Boris Kovaček together with programme director Hrvoje Petrić, the festival will host many top chefs of international renown.

The WFF crew has now confirmed that Massimo Bottura, one of the world's greatest chefs and restaurateurs, will be joining the guest list.

Bottura owns several restaurants, including the famous Osteria Francescana which currently holds 3 Michelin stars and was declared the best restaurant in the world twice, topping the World’s 50 Best list in 2016 and 2018.

Born in Modena, the Italian chef inherited his love of cooking from his grandmother, writes Jutarnji list. When designing new dishes, he draws inspiration from everything around him, from art and music to fast cars. Bottura has also written numerous books, is an advocate of food waste reduction, and has launched a non-profit organisation Food for Soul which educates and encourages the community to use food responsibly and reduce food waste.

As a chef, Bottura is known for creating new culinary trends and directly influencing the international gastronomic scene. Nowadays, in addition to managing several successful restaurant projects in Italy and abroad, he stands out as an exceptional humanitarian who tirelessly initiates new actions and helps those in need.

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He remembers Croatia fondly from a trip he made in 1984, when he travelled our coast on a motorbike, was hosted by the locals and prepared freshly caught fish with them. As he himself says in the video published on WWF’s Instagram page, he is looking forward to participating and sharing his visions at the Weekend Food Festival.

Bottura thus joins the impressive guest list which also includes the likes of Ana Roš, Rasmus Munk, Dabiz Munoz, Paul Ivić and Chiara Pavan.

Alongside the top chefs, some of whom will present their unique dishes at gala dinners in the restaurants of the Maistra Collection hotels, the Weekend Food Festival will be attended by many Croatian and foreign panelists who will discuss topics such as the importance of media, the role of women in gastronomy, contemporary culinary trends, as well as Croatia-specific topics such as olive growing and winemaking.

‘Apart from meeting world-class chefs, the audience will have an opportunity to sample top-quality wines from Croatia and beyond, as well as socialise with all the relevant people in the industry. All the things we managed to accomplish with the communication industry at the Weekend Media Festival, namely networking, socialising and entertainment, is now guaranteed at the biggest gastronomic event in the region’, said Boris Kovaček, the director of the Weekend Food Festival.