As Slobodna Dalmacija/Marija Loncar writes on the 13th of March, 2019, when he first came to Šibenik at the end of 2017 to volunteer at the Youth in the EU, 30-year-old Francesco Lombardi from a town near Naples had no idea he'd experience love at first sight upon arrival.

He had never been to Šibenik before and as he says himself, if someone had told him that after completing his eight-month volunteer job he'd want to stay here and get a job - he wouldn't have believed them.

Such is life, and that's exactly what happened, as Francesco said though a smile, he ''clicked'' with Šibenik at first sight. In addition, Dalmatian, therefore local Sibenik girls, he adds, are the most beautiful girls in Europe.

"Maybe I liked the city because of the sea, because my hometown is near the sea. The nature is beautiful, the old part of town is one of the most beautiful in Dalmatia. Moreover, with its beauty, Šibenik can easily stand alongside many cities in the world. Šibenik is a real little paradise!'' says the young Italian.

Francesco completed his studies in political science in Naples. After graduating, he volunteered, wrote music reviews, visited festivals and did interviews with musicians for local newspapers. He's interested in civic initiatives, and at one time formed an association with friends, wanting to further activate the citizens of Naples in solving their problems.

In Šibenik, Francesco, together with a fellow Romanian volunteer, first worked on the "Development in society" project, which was later selected by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programs as one of the examples of good practice of youth work and for young people, he'll travel to Brussels to present the project should he receive a positive decision on it from Zagreb in the coming days.

After completing that volunteer work, he remained in Šibenik and got hired by the Youth in the EU association and now, with a group of young people from Italy, Poland and Portugal, he's dealing with the issues of the future of the European Union and the importance of voting in the elections, ie the question - do we want to be citizens of the EU or just citizens in the EU - explains Francesco.

The project will be presented to all participants on the April the 16th in Šibenik, and Francesco's paid internship will be completed along with the project at the end of May. When that's done, will he seek a new job and stay in Šibenik? He still isn't sure.

''I feel very good here. Will I be here for amother five months or until the end of my life? I don't know. At the moment, I'm enjoying it as much as I can, because here, I do what I love and what I've been educated to do,'' he says.

In his leisure time, he loves to listen to music, he also loves sport. He used to play football, basketball, tennis, water skiing, but in Šibenik his hobbies are mainly music and movies.

''I miss having a cinema in town. If we want to watch movies, we need to go to Dalmare, and not all young people here have cars, so it's not really that easy for everyone. In the city I watched some movies organised by Kinoklub Šibenik. It's an interesting initiative,'' he says.

Although he's been living in Šibenik for almost a year and a half, Francesco admits that he doesn't understand Croatian as well as he'd like to, and part of the guilt for that he says, is shared by Šibenik's locals themselves.

''First if all Croatian is really difficult, and part of the guilt lies with me because I haven't been trying hard enough, but part of the guilt is in the hands of Šibenik's locals because they all speak good English. Not just young people but older people as well. They also speak Italian, but when I go to small shops and bakeries I always speak Croatian.

When I go out or to some cafe and when I meet up with people, it's always in Croatian. People tell me I speak well. Here young people speak great English. In all the countries of former Yugoslavia, in Albania... I travelled a lot of Europe and saw that people in all Slavic countries speak English well, but in Croatia it really stands out.

Although, as Francesco states, Šibenik locals are rather temperamental, just like his compatriots, they are slightly distant when it comes to making contact with new people. It's not easy to knock down this wall, but when it comes down to it, their friendship is deep and guaranteed.

''The coffee is very good here. But in Italy, when you order coffee, they know what you mean, and here there's a list of all different types: short, long, large, small macchiato, coffee with milk... In Italy coffee is a quick drink, and here if you order a coffee you know it will take you two hours... Drinking and talking... Pomalo (taking it easy),''

Somehow Francesco also managed to get used to some local pizzas, though, as he himself says, they have nothing on Italian pizzas. First of all because of the mozzarella, a cheese that his hometown is known for and without which there can be no real pizza.

''It's like going to Naples for a burek,'' laughs the Italian, who appears to have no plans to leave this stunning Dalmatian city any time soon.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for more.

Click here for the original article by Marija Loncar for Slobodna Dalmacija

As Frane Saric/VL/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 24th of February, 2019, a research and exploration vessel sailed to Šibenik-Knin County, along with all of its modern and sophisticated equipment, in order to properly track what is happening in the sea in that area of Dalmatia.

The Nature of Šibenik-Knin County (Priroda) public institution, in cooperation with the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split has begun with numerous activities of scientific monitoring in the area of ​​the ecological network "Natura 2000 Ušće Krke", covering the area from Skradinski buk to the historic St. Nicholas Fort.

Šibenik-Knin County reported on the move and pointed out that the well-equipped IB BIOS DVA exploratory vessel is 36 metres in length, and is currently in Šibenik's waters. With an array of highly sophisticated equipment, it can explore complex physical, chemical and biological processes going on under the sea in the area.

"This important research, as part of the project worth more than 26 million kuna, will be carried out by a large number of scientists from the field of physical, chemical and biological oceanography of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, and this will showcase the situation in the Natura area under the great pressure of tourism, maritime traffic, and construction,'' said Anita Babačić Ajduk of the aforementioned public institution.

The results of the monitoring will, as the county has already stated, serve as the basis for the popular-scientific presentation and an attractive exhibition in the city's future visitor centre.

The sheer importance of scientific research as the first step in tourism valorisation projects in this area was greatly emphasised, and Šibenik-Knin County has stated that the contract is worth 500,000 kuna. The contract is part of a local tourism valorisation project, which includes sampling and carrying out an analysis of the data with the aim of making an initial assessment of the status of the biological and oceanological indicators in that area.

The aim of the project is to preserve the biological and landscape diversity of Šibenik's underwater area, increase the area's attractiveness and educational capacity, and improve the tourist and economic potential, as was  reported from Šibenik-Knin County.

Through this project, there will, as has already been mentioned, be more visitor infrastructure arranged, and a range of new tourist products will be created with the help of the upcoming introduction of brand new educational and information content.

Make sure to stay up to date with more of what's going on in Šibenik-Knin County and beyond by following our dedicated lifestyle page.

Click here for the original article by Frane Saric/VL on Poslovni Dnevnik

The nautical blog Sailing Europe published a heartwarming piece about the often overlooked Croatian island of Krapanj near Šibenik. While the original article is of some age now, it's unusual to see Krapanj mentioned in detail by anyone outside of Croatia, as media coverage about the lowest-lying Croatian island, famous for its long tradition of sponge diving, is unfortunately not all that frequent.

As Morski writes on the 26th of January, 2019, the island of Krapanj is the smallest and lowest-lying inhabited island in the whole of the Adriatic sea. Located just south of the historic Dalmatian city of Šibenik, it rises only 1.5 metres above sea level, making it the "lowest" Croatian island of all.

About 200 inhabitants live permanently on an area of ​​less than 0.5 km². Not so long ago, there were about 1,500 people living on Krapanj, which once made it the most heavily inhabited island in the Adriatic. The island fosters a long tradition of dealing with sponge, a way of life which has been known on Krapanj for centuries now.

The sponge tradition on Krapanj is over 300 years old, and in 1893 it became a real job, because then the first set of heavy diving equipment arrived at the island, and an official diver's cooperative was established. The secrets of sponge diving on the island were originally brought there by a Franciscan, who arrived there from the Greek island of Crete.

He taught local divers from Krapanj how to handle the raw sponges, which is this unassuming Greek could easily be considered a reformer of the local economy on the island. You can find out more about the history of the island in the monastery of Sv. Križ, surrounded by a thick pine forest, in the very centre of the island.

Krapanj is connected to the mainland by a boat which operates daily, while a taxi service is available on request.

The author of the text warns nautical drivers to take care of the varying depths of the sea, especially when they approach Krapanj through the very small group of islands located just in front of it.

Detailing further, the author of the text on Sailing Europe states that even though Krapanj is not the most popular Croatian sailing destination, one should be sure to visit it.

Follow our dedicated travel page for more.

Click here for the original article by Sailing Europe

It isn't unusual to see Croatia's stunning coast being talked about, the natural beauty and the sparkling Adriatic sea are enough of a winning combination for any wordsmith. But it's somewhat different when someone outside of Croatia recognises and talks, or writes rather, about the success and the renaissance history of a city, especially in a publication with as much international respect as the Washington Post boasts.

As Morski writes on the 19th of January, 2019, this is exactly what the historic Dalmatian city of Šibenik has experienced on multiple occasions in recent years, and the city was written about once again on Friday in one of the world's most highly respected daily journals, the Washington Post. The journalist who wrote about Šibenik is Anja Mutić, who has Croatian roots. She is the daughter of legendary sports journalist Boris Mutić and lives in New York, she has written for the likes of Lonely Planet, the Wall Street Journal and Conde Nast Traveler for a number of years.

Anja's vivid description of Šibenik for the Washington Post begins with her gazing upon the Adriatic sea from St. Michael's Fortress, describing how the late September bura has cleared the skies. Her comments about the scent of Cypress trees in the air is enough to fill the senses of anyone who has spent any time on the Dalmatian coast.

Anja continues, talking about how the fortress upon which she is standing as she takes in the views was all but an abandoned place not so long ago, and how Šibenik itself was much more of an industrial place, which saw the majority of tourists skip right over it in favour of the glitz and the glamour of the arguably more tourist-developed south of Dalmatia. Touching on the 1980's, when tourism and leisure came a firm second to industry, she details how the war changed Šibenik's industrial ''look'', altering its direction permanently. With that being said, as Anja correctly states, the city only really got its first city beach, Banj, in 2012.

Going back to Šibenik's very roots, Anja takes the reader through a proverbial maze of time, detailing Šibenik's glorious renaissance, the foundation of the city by King Petar Kresimir IV in 1066, the later Venetian era, Juraj Dalmatinac's touch on the city, all the way to UNESCO recognition and the city which it has become today. Anja speaks in depth about how Šibenik, unlike southern Dalmatian cities, has adopted a culturally sensitive way of developing its tourism.

''Taking small measured steps, respectful of the ground it walks on, immersed in heritage and tradition, Šibenik is on the slow rise to Croatia’s hall of fame,'' Anja concludes.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated lifestyle and travel pages.

Click here to read the Washington Post's entire lowdown on Šibenik

As SibenikIN writes on the 16th of January, 2019, the much loved Seasplash Festival is set to move from Istria where it has been held so far, to a brand new location for 2019's festival. Seasplash Festival's seventeen-year long tradition will take to Martinska beach in Šibenik, as the festival's organisers have revealed.

''Situated directly across from the city of Šibenik, on the unique Srima peninsula and at the entrance to Šibenik's harbour, Martinska will open up a new chapter in the history of the festival with its appearance and location. From July the 18th to the 21st, 2019, relaxing in the sun and the sea with the best of domestic and international reggae, dub, drum and bass, jungle, ska and punk is waiting for you at Martinska!,'' Seasplash Festival's organisers state.

Lee "Scratch" Perry, Scientist and Mad Professor - the trinity of still active diva and reggae legends will perform together on the main stage of the 17th Seasplash Festival. Martinska, as the new venue for the festival, will host some of the world's top bass music for its premiere.

Lee "Scratch" Perry, a true Jamaican icon, a music producer and a revolutionary, has the rightful title of one of the most enduring and most original reggae producers and performers of all time. In 2003, Perry won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album, in 2004, Rolling Stone added Perry to the list of the greatest artists of all time, and this year, in the eightieth year of his life, he will perform for the first time at Seasplash Festival. Bob Marley, The Wailers, The Clash, Beastie Boys, Max Romeo, and Adrian Sherwood are just some of the famous names he collaborated with.

After last year's memorable performance, the ingenious dub producer Mad Professor returns to Seasplash Festival. Until the early 90s, Mad Professor and his Ariwa Studio achieved a legendary status with over one hundred albums, world-wide tours and many stars (Depeche Mode, Jamiroquai, Beastie Boys). In the new millennium, with more than 200 released albums, Ariwa created his own soundsystem, with which he travels around the world, to various clubs and festivals.

Earlybird festival tickets for Seasplash Festival are now sold out, and currently tickets are being sold at a price of 249 kuna for the Republic of Croatia and the countries of former Yugoslavia.

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It goes without saying that the historic coastal city of Šibenik is beautiful, and yet despite that, quite a lot is still said about it. How could one not try to describe the beauty of the sunset over the Adriatic sea? And on the other hand, how could one really begin to describe it? 

Dotted with ancient stone cities and towns, the Dalmatian coast is a magnet for tourists from not only Europe but from all over the world. Attracting millions and millions of international travellers each and every year, the world's ''discovery'' of Dalmatia has propelled Croatian tourism to previously unimaginable heights, even seeing it leak over into continental Croatia, the country's still somewhat undiscovered gem. 

As SibenikIN writes on the 9th of January, 2019, the well-known New York musician and DJ, Brian Cid, who performed live in Šibenik in May last year and opened his music season with his live video set at Šibenik's utterly stunning St. Mihovil (St Michael's Fortress), has recalled his stay in this incredible Dalmatian city in a beautiful manner and shared it with his army of fans on both Facebook and Instagram:

''On this precise moment, while playing a live stream set on the highest tower of a majestic castle in Šibenik, Croatia, overlooking the historical city, river and mountains...

I turned around, took a deep breath while looking straight to the orange sun, and said ‘thank you. I surrender to you, mother nature’.

This is the perfect representation of 2018 for me. On to the next one''

His live video set located at the fortress, where he performed alongside the Šibenik DJ Lawrence Klein, has been viewed by about 55,000 people on Facebook, and tens of thousands of views of the video have accumulated on different YouTube channels, with the stunning city of Šibenik playing host.

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

The Croatian demographic crisis is something that is making all the headlines for all the wrong reasons of late, but just how ''new'' is this negative and concerning trend? It would appear that the tap has been trickling for a great number of years. The popular historic Dalmatian city of Šibenik is an unlikely but excellent example of this.

As SibenikIN writes on the 8th of January, 2019, in the face of the Croatian demographic crisis, in his latest blog post, Ivo Jakovljević has written about the gradual reduction of the Šibenik population since the beginning of the Homeland War, the largest reduction caused by the plague back in 1649. All this, as Jakovljević writes in his blog post, has influenced Šibenik's age and education composition with long-term consequences, even in terms of the local surname composition.

The largest demographic changes in 300 years occurred in the area of ​​Šibenik-Knin County during the Homeland War between the years 1991-1995 this was highlighted by the population census taken in 1991, and then again in 2001. Not only did the total number of inhabitants decrease significantly (in part due to deaths on both the Croatian and the Serbian side, and mainly in the face of forced migration), but there were also changes in many other areas, too.

As opposed to the economy being the main driving force for the negative trends the country is experiencing today, war migrations played a huge role in the Croatian demographic crisis back then. During the Homeland War, from the summer of 1991 onwards, a lot of movement could be witnessed. These displaced people were predominantly Croats, and also some Serbs who didn't agree with Greater Serbian politics. Individuals and families were expelled from their places of residence in many cases during the war, and many of these people moved to Šibenik and the unoccupied areas of Šibenik-Knin County, while a smaller number went abroad.

As of mid-1992, amid the continual spread of the war in neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, many refugees, made up mainly of Croats and Bosnians, also arrived in the wider Šibenik area. At the beginning of August 1995, a significant number of Serbs left not only Šibenik-Knin County but Croatia as a whole, heading generally in the direction of the Banja Luka area and towards Belgrade, and from those areas they were displaced in all directions, with some even heading towards the north of Kosovo.

Hundreds of them (mostly younger, more mobile and better educated people) then continued moving onwards to Central Europe, with some of them even heading much further afield, outside of Europe to Canada and Australia. During the time of the pre-war crisis in Kosovo, after 1995, many people from Janjevo arrived in the village of Kistanje, and later settled and declared themselves as Catholics.

At the end of this pattern of deep demographic shock, the total number of inhabitants in Šibenik-Knin County during the period between 1991 to 2001 decreased from 152,125 to just 109,799. According to the latest estimates by the Central Bureau of Statistics (due to the chronic low birth rate and the somewhat new trend of economic emigration - predominantly to Zagreb, Germany, and Ireland) in 2019, there may be less than 100,000 in total.

Thus, from 1991 to 2001 the total number of inhabitants in the aforementioned county decreased by 42,326 persons - almost one third! Then, from 2001 to 2019, by about ten thousand. Among the emigrants from 1991 to 2001, almost three quarters (or 74 percent of them) were Serbs.

In Šibenik-Knin County, Serbs once made up as much as 40.7 percent of the population. Just ten years later, Serbs were no longer a majority in any one of the counties. This trend continued, and in 2011, the number of Serbs in the county decreased from 60,800 in 1991 to 11,518 in 2011, and in Šibenik, there were 1,434 Serbs recorded in 2011. On the other side of that same medal, the number of Croats in the total composition the population in the county increased from 58.42 percent in 1991, to 83.80 percent in 2001, and then to 85 percent in 2011.

The same trend changed the confessional composition of Šibenik-Knin County. The number of Catholics increased from 54.9 percent in 1991 to 82.8 percent in 2001, while the share of those of the Orthodox faith decreased from 38.02 to 7.31 percent.

The long-term consequences of war victims, forced and voluntary emigrations, and war and transitional economic damage in the broader Šibenik hinterland, right up to Drniš and Knin, have resulted in some significant changes in the area's surname structure, which - judging from both from the 2001 census and from the much later 2011 census, has seen the apparent disappearance of a subset of traditional Croatian and Serbian surnames from the Šibenik hinterland.

Want to find out more about the Croatian demographic crisis and much more? Give our dedicated lifestyle and politics pages a follow.

A firm foot forward for Croatian nautical tourism as the country's biggest marina receives a much-deserved award for the incredible Zadar Royal Cup SUPER SERIES, according to eZadar.

As Morski writes on the 23rd of December, 2018, at the awarding of the annual awards of the Zadar County Tourist Board, Marina D-Marin Dalmatia was awarded as a commercial entity for the Croatian nautical spectacle hosted under the title of the SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup, which naturally involved the promotion of the huge nautical potential of the region.

Additionally, the Tourist Board of Šibenik-Knin County awarded the D-Marin Mandalina marina the prestigious "Zlatna boula" award during the Days of Croatian Tourism event, mainly as recognition for its contribution to the development of Croatian nautical tourism.

The prestigious 52 SUPER SERIES Zadar Royal Cup regatta, for which the D-Marin Dalmatia marina was awarded, was held back in June this year when the cream of the crop of the world of sailing took to Zadar. D-Marin organises this, as well as numerous other regattas, working hard to promote sport sailing and other forms of recreational yachting, as well as the destinations in which such activities are held. Such moves are of paramount importance for the stronger positioning of the Republic of Croatia as one of the most beautiful sailing destinations in Europe.

"The acknowledgments that our marinas have received, as well as the fact that their contribution to Croatian tourism is being recognised by the profession, are an incentive for us in our further efforts to provide tourists in Croatia with new and better content, along with the best service. I'd like to thank our tourist boards for their continued support, cooperation, and their efforts to promote the destination,'' said Božidar Duka, regional director of D-Marin Croatia.

D-Marin Dalmatia is otherwise the largest marina in Croatia and one of the largest in the whole of the eastern Mediterranean, and has been the proud bearer of the Blue Flag for almost twenty years now. It has a large capacity of 1200 berths in the sea, and an additional 300 moorings on the land, and can accept yachts of up to 80 metres in length. Located at the very centre of the marina is the Portus Beach Club, which offers its guests numerous facilities and services, enriching its overall offer and placing special emphasis on the massive potential of Croatian nautical tourism.

D-Marin Mandalina is the only marina in the whole of Croatia designed to accommodate mega yachts and has 429 berths in the sea, of which 79 are built for mega yachts of 30 to 140 meters long. Thanks to its position, the depth of the sea and the lack of boat height restrictions, this marina in particular is a more than ideal place for super-yachts.

D-Marin Mandalina also contributed to the positioning of the historic Dalmatian city of Šibenik as a tourist destination through the organisation of numerous sporting events. In June next year, thanks once again to the D-Marin group, Šibenik will host the ORC World Championship which will be the biggest sporting event ever organised in Šibenik's long history.

Make sure to follow our travel and lifestyle pages for more. If it's just sailing in Croatia and Croatian nautical tourism you're interested in, stay up to date with absolutely everything you need to know with Total Croatia Sailing.

Click here for the original article by eZadar

As SibenikIN writes on the 30th of November, 2018, a project which brings together animals and children in the name of helping kids with varying disabilities, worth a massive million and a half kuna, will seek to help as many as twenty kids with numerous developmental disabilities in Croatia.

This project is not only a praiseworthy but an interesting one because it directly involves working with children with various developmental disabilities, these children tend to do very well once they get involved in athletic activities, and the emphasis this time, is on horses.

''The children will learn how to ride a horse, as well as how to properly groom and care for a horse in preparation for riding. We're proud because the project will go on for three years and we're expecting at least twenty children to be included in it,'' said Suzana Živković of the Kolan riding association.

It has been proven on numerous occasions that therapeutic riding has quite a few effects on the overall health of children and young people.

''Improvements in both the motor and emotional fields are seen in all children. The children are given freedom, they gain self-confidence, their social communication is strengthened, and being around nature is an incentive to a healthy life,'' noted Suzana Živković.

The Kolan riding association was established back in 2012 and currently has 48 members, including both recreational riders and children with various disabilities.

There are currently twelve horses who live permanently on the farm, four of which are ''therapeutic'' horses, and the remaining horses are ridden for recreational purposes. The breeds present at the riding club include Icelandic horses and various types of mixed breeds.

This wonderful project aimed at helping kids with developmental disabilities in Croatia is funded by European Union funds, as well as funds from the Ministry of Family and Demography and it will, as previously mentioned, last for three years, the project's partners are the City of Šibenik and the Šubićevac Education Centre.

Make sure to follow our lifestyle page for more.

Fancy spending part of the festive season in a rather unusual location? It isn't Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar or Zagreb, but Knin, one of Croatia's most historically important cities, located in the rugged hills of the Dalmatian hinterland. Advent in Knin is, just like other locations across the country, looking like it's definitely worth a visit.

While Croatia is continuing to struggle with the self-limiting chains summer tourism places on the country, winter tourism has been helped hugely by Zagreb's advent success over the past three years. The Croatian capital has come on leaps and bounds, going from all but overlooked tourism wise, to being voted Europes best Advent destination for three years running. A title the city wants to win again this year.

The capital's continued success has rubbed off on other towns and cities up and down the country, with Dubrovnik's winter festival drawing more and more visitors each year, Split putting on an equally impressive show, and locations like Zadar, Rab and Pag following suit. It's not enough to say that Croatia desperately needs to try harder to free itself from the clutches of the three to four month long ''sea and sunshine'' destination box, but the chains are beginning to loosen with each passing year, and thanks to Zagreb's popularity at this time of year, other more overlooked Croatian cities are beginning to find their place.

As SibenikIN writes on the 28th of November, 2018, Advent in Knin is set to kick off very soon. The ice skating rink in front of the Franjo Tudjman school will be officially opened this coming Sunday at 17:00, and Knin's city administration, as well as the organisers of Advent in Knin have invited all those interested to be there.

In addition to the official opening the ice skating rink, the Christmas lights placed across the city will be turned on, and all the events for Advent in Knin 2018 are set to begin on Sunday, according to Huknet.

The ice rink will remain open until January the 2nd, 2019, and on Sunday a festive cottage serving drinks and food located next to the ice rink will begin its work. Advent in Knin will see to it that ice skating, as well as all of the required equipment for skating will be free for everyone.

The remaining five festive cottages partaking in this year's Advent in Knin festivities will be located in the park below the school playground and they will open considerably later, on December the 21st, when numerous cultural events are set to begin in the same location, also as part of Advent Knin's event programme for 2018.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for more news on the numerous advent programmes for various locations across the country.