Many Croatian landlords, typically those along the coast, are more than ready to kick paying tenants out when the tourist season comes knocking in order to make far more money renting their property in the short term to foreign holidaymakers. Owing to such practices, it can be much more difficult than it should be for young families to find a stable place to live. Slavonski Brod plans to make things easier.

Slavonski Brod, a city far from the coast, located in the continental part of Croatia, has decided to adopt a special way to help out its young residents, with a particular focus on young families who need a place to live. 

As Novac writes on the 16th of September, 2019, Slavonski Brod has decided to help young families by giving them the possibility of renting land for a house or an apartment at a good price, more specifically of a mere one thousand kuna. And after ten years, they can buy that same plot of land or apartment.

In order to at least attempt to stop, or at best slow down the exodus of young people from Eastern Croatia, the City of Slavonski Brod is offering people the possibility of renting new apartments under the above-mentioned conditions, and the ten-year rent they will have paid will be deducted from the final price of the apartment.

''This is something that isn't present in our country except in Slavonski Brod,'' Mayor Mirko Duspara told HRT.

Local residents of Slavonski Brod are of course very pleased, and they say they are glad that the city realised that it was better to give families land at low prices, instead of merely seeing it stand there empty and unused.

''As you can see, the area is filling up. Everything will probably be filled up. It will be a young settlement, young families, lots of children, lots of young people,'' says Antun Lovrić from Slavonski Brod, who will soon celebrate moving in, while the signatories for new contracts are still awaiting construction.

Such help, they say, is more than welcome. Mihaela Ivković from Slavonski Brod explains her situation and just why this initiative is great for her:

''My husband and I were inquiring and looking for land. They were about 15 to 16 thousand euros per plot. That seemed great, it was very convenient to us,'' she stated.

This model will likely breathe some much needed life back into not only Slavonski Brod but the entire Eastern Croatian region, which continues to suffer from a brutal brain drain, with citizens leaving in their droves on a regular basis for better lives elsewhere.

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ZAGREB, May 26, 2019 - The people of Slavonski Brod should be a step closer to clean air and a solution to the pollution caused by the oil refinery in Bosanski Brod across the Sava river in Bosnia and Herzegovina after agreements on the supply of the refinery with gas were signed in the Croatian city by the refinery, its owner, Russia's Zarubezhneft, Crodux Gas and Croatia's Plinacro gas transport operator. The signing ceremony was attended by President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

The agreements envisage the repurposing of a gas pipeline whereby Crodux Gas will supply the refinery with gas for the next ten years, Crodux Energy director Branko Radošević said, adding that this Croatian company would invest HRK 24.5 million in the pipeline.

The refinery will be supplied by gas by connecting to Croatia's gas transport system by repurposing the 5.5-kilometre-long Slobodnica-Brod pipeline into a direct pipeline.

Radošević said the refinery would repay Crodux Gas the costs of the capital investment in the direct pipeline during the duration of the agreements, adding that the pipeline should be put to use in a year's time.

Zarubezhneft general director Sergey Kudryashov said he did not believe two years ago that this project would be realised.

But we have shown that we can work together, work fast, reach compromises, he said, adding that the project would help to improve the ecological situation around the refinery. He said the refinery was being overhauled since the end of March and that production was expected to resume next year after it was connected to gas supply.

President Grabar-Kitarović said the Bosanski Brod refinery was not the only problem but that it was the biggest air polluter in the Posavina region.

She recalled that she had discussed finding a solution a number of times with Russian officials and with those in Croatia who were interested. She thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he recognised the value of the project and stood firmly behind it. She also thanked "everyone" in the Slavonski Brod area for raising the issue of air quality and fighting for dignified living.

Asked by the press how much air pollution in Slavonski Brod would be reduced after the refinery began operating on gas, Kudryashov said the refinery would fully comply with EU regulations.

Reporters also asked what the benefit for Croatia was if the agreement stipulated that the refinery would be entitled to buy the direct pipeline, to which Radošević replied that Crodux Gas was the investor and owner of the pipeline on Croatian territory.

Kudryashov said two payments were envisaged, under a tariff enabling a refund on investments in the pipeline and under a tariff for the gas to be transported. The first tariff will stop being paid after ten years, after which payments will be made under the second tariff, he added.

The signing of the agreements was the result of talks begun in Slavonski Brod after an explosion in the refinery last October. They were initiated by President Grabar-Kitarović, who met in the Croatian city with representatives of the Russian Economic Development Ministry and Zarubezhneft. Also present was Croatian Environment Protection and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić and representatives of Plinacro and Crodux.

More news about Slavonski Brod can be found in the Lifestyle section.

It is adored by bikers, discovered by craft beer fans, an attractive destination for rural tourism, a well-known Slavonian gastro-destination with many traditional and urban events – it is Brod-Posavina County.

“You can enjoy our county from January to December,” said the director of the Brod-Posavina Tourist Board, Ružica Vidaković, at the presentation of its tourist offer at the Bornstein wine shop in Zagreb. She listed numerous events that this county is proud of, including the Mega Bikers meet on 10, 11 and 12 May. There is also one of the oldest folklore events in Croatia – Brodsko Kolo, held for 55 years in a row. This year, Slavonski Brod will host the CMC music festival is August. At the Fishermen’s Evening in Davor, as much as five tons of freshwater fish is gutted and prepared in just a few days.

She added that all the most attractive venues in the county are located just ten kilometres apart, from the newly-opened family farms to those with a long tradition in rural tourism, such as the eco-ethno village of Stara Kapela, which attracts visitors from all over the world. In addition to the unique and rustic attractions, the urban ones are no less interesting.

The largest town in the county, Slavonski Brod, is known for one of the most beautiful love stories – the one about Malena and Klepetan. There is also the main square that is actually the longest corso in the whole of Slavonia, while the bank of the Sava river is the favourite promenade. The fortress is one of the most beautiful in Europe, while the famous Croatian writers Ivana Brlić Mažuranić and Dragutin Tadijanović also lived in Slavonski Brod.

Although the Brod-Posavina vineyards produce top-quality wines, the county has recently been known for its great craft beers. The pioneers of the Croatian craft scene, the Bošnjak family from Sičice, entered the ranks of the most prominent breweries with the lager beer prepared according to a Czech recipe. “Our lager comes in a light and dark variant, and we also produce the beer brandy, Beershine, and the corn brand, Moonshine. We are especially proud of our MB72 craft gin, that was created thanks to the brandies. To get one litre of MB72, we need 10 to 15 litres of high-quality beer, rich in good hops aromas. Our gin includes seven types of herbs and two distillations, and it has been named after the initials of our main producer and master-beermaker Mario Bošnjak,” said Marijana Bošnjak at the Bornstein. In addition to the tasting hall in Sičice, the Bošnjak family owns the Bošnjak Beer & Gin Bar in Nova Gradiška, which is the only other official town in the county. Among other events, it is known for the Nova Gradiška Musical Summer, an event that attracts 20,000 visitors every August.

One of the most famous Croatian food bloggers, Ena Kokanović, also comes from Brod-Posavina County. Together with the Brod-Posavina County Tourist Board, she is working on the Tastes of Gračansko Posavlje project, a designation given to about fifteen restaurants with a traditional offer. Although it might seem that Ena is very demanding when the food is concerned, she says that her favourite dish is roasted lamb with potatoes. In her kitchen, she prepares everything she wants to eat at any given moment. Slavonian empanadas, a different kind of “štrukli”, “masnica” with walnuts, vegan ice cream – these are just some of the recipes she shares on her blog.

Whether you are a fan of asphalt and adrenaline or want a peaceful family vacation, if you love tradition and authentic products, if you are a gourmet or a beer fan – it is right time to discover the Brod-Posavina County this spring. You will not make a mistake, for it is a destination that is a great selection at any time of the year.

All photos by Borna Subota/EXE produkcija

More news about Brod-Posavina County can be found in the Travel section.

Just how close are we to a real digital Croatia? The answer is unclear and as varied as ever, but some Croatian cities have shown promise with some rather impressive and encouraging results.

As Novac/Gradonacelnik.hr writes on the 23rd of April, 2019, although more and more cities are gradually digitising their business and investing in smart city solutions, and some of the most advanced have almost completely switched to doing solely digital business, generally speaking, Croatian cities are only in the very early stages of the much needed digital transition, just as Croatia is, as a country, at the very bottom in Europe in terms of the digital readiness of general society and the economy.

As the methodology for ranking cities in terms of digital readiness is only at its very beginning even at the European level, stories and analysis of the "smart city" concept development here in Croatia are still very much based on individual experiences, examples and projects.

That is why, in order to gain a real elementary insight into the digitalisation of Croatia's services and the communication of the country's many city administrations with citizens, experts from Apsolon, a consulting company specialising in digital business development, has undertaken the very first major study of the ''digital readiness'' of twenty of the largest cities across Croatia. This study, according to project manager and smart management director at Apsolon, Ivana Novoselec, is the basis for the further development of research tools and methodology that will track the development and progress of Croatia's cities on an annual basis.

In its study, Apsolon divided the cities into three categories - large (Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek), middle (Zadar, Velika Gorica, Slavonski Brod, Pula and Karlovac) and smaller cities (Sisak, Varaždin, Šibenik, Dubrovnik, Bjelovar, Kaštela, Samobor, Vinkovci, Koprivnica, Đakovo, Vukovar.)

The digital readiness index at Apsolon was set based on several criteria - the availability of e-services (the number of administrative services and their digitalisation rate in Croatia), the availability of site service information and the development of unified services for making payments in the city, then came the availability of city data, the level of citizen participation in decision making and communication channels between the city administration and citizens, ie, the availability of data and time in which citizens receive answers to their various questions. At this stage, Apsolon hasn't entered into the internal processes in Croatia's city administrations, but rather focused on what services are offered to the city's citizens and how long such things typically take.

After this type of indexing and ranking, the title of the ''digitisation champion'' among the Croatian cities was awarded to the City of Rijeka, thus confirming its status as the best city in the Smart City category which it won last year. Apsolon pointed out that the City of Rijeka has achieved the greatest advances in the systematic raising of the quality of its services, but also the opening of data and communication channels to citizens.

"Rijeka as the most advanced city in Croatia in terms of digitisation and is characterised in particular by the emphasis on openness and communication with its citizens. Its administration is oriented towards clear communication (a very clear centralised e-services approach with well-organised access to all automated services and available forms), openness and participatory management," said project manager Ivana Novoselac.

In many categories, especially those relating to the functional aspects of digitisation (advanced digital services, e-citizen connectivity, etc.), Rijeka is followed closely by the City of Zagreb.

The city of Pula is the most advanced middle-size city in Croatia, which also presents its services and available information to its citizens in a systematic and very detailed way, raising standards in terms of transparency and interaction with citizens, and is certainly a champion among cities with between 50.000 and 100.000 inhabitants.

In relation to the criteria relating to specific functional and technological solutions, Karlovac, Velika Gorica and Zadar follow. For the City of Karlovac the large number of available administrative procedures on its website and responses to citizens' inquiries are generally quick made it stand out from the crowd.

Among the small cities in Croatia, there is no distinctly dominant digital champion, but according to research findings in different aspects of digitisation, Dubrovnik, Samobor, Sisak, Koprivnica and Varaždin appear to be the most successful ones, according to this research. Among the prominent representatives of this category, Dubrovnik is strategically trying to profile as Smart City and has a high quality City Card, e-Visitor platform, is very active on social networks and it continuing to develop innovative application solutions. When it comes to the number of digitally available services, Koprivnica ranks above all.

Samobor, which is particularly active on social networks and is the category winner for social networking, has a very comprehensive and interactive website which separates the site accordingly and has adjusted all of the information for citizens and for visitors, as well as separating foreign visitors from domestic ones.

It should also be noted that Bjelovar is extremely proactive in the field of the digitalisation of its administration, it is working on applicative transparency solutions as well as on internal digitalisation processes. What is particularly commendable is Bjelovar's focus on the digitalisation of its internal processes.

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Click here for the original article by Novac/Jutarnji/Gradonacelnik.hr

Although we celebrated the return of Klepetan to his beloved Malena just a month ago, Stjepan Vokic and his son Dario, who take care of Croatia's widely adored love birds, are concerned that the male stork who returned to Malena might not be Klepetan.

As Vecernji list writes on the 19th of April, 2019, in the Facebook group managed by Stjepan's son ''Malena i Klepetan, najljepsa ljubavna prica'' (Malena and Klepetan, the most beautiful love story) Dario Vokic claims that this male stork has been behaving rather strangely, and is likely not the famous stork it should be.

''Dear members, if you didn't know... The real Klepetan probably didn't arrive. The current stork is acting weird, he came for a meal and then he went for two days. Malena is probably frustrated and that's why she destroyed two eggs. She even demolished the nest, not completely, but all of the new material this male bought has been removed. My dad thinks that Klepetan is old and that he is going to die. I don't believe this is him, so these thoughts will remain here in this group'' wrote Dario Vokic in English, before apologising for his English skills, which are of course excellent.

Unsurprisingly, Dario's post was followed by many questions from members, and they found it odd that upon his arrival, Klepetan ate some fish in Stjepan's yard, and only after that did he go to Malena.

''It's worrying, we'll have to see what happens. There about 3-4 storks in Varos, and some of them go to eat fish in Stjepan's yard,'' wrote Vokic.

Despite the worries and suspicions, there is as yet no official information that the male stork which is apparently behaving oddly isn't actually Klepetan, however, the concerns of the pair's longtime care givers are likely correct, although we hope this time they got it wrong.

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Despite the odd investment here and there, continental Croatia rarely gets a look in when compared to the coast, particularly when compared to Dalmatia. In Eastern Croatia, more specifically Slavonia, the situation is even more depressing, but it seems that not everything is as bleak as we sometimes like to imagine and even portray.

As Suzana Varosanec/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 16th of April, 2019, the economic expectations from the Luka Brod (Brod Port) project worth more than 100 million kuna are high. Through the construction of new port infrastructure, the project has become the driving force for the development of Brod-Posavina County, as was highlighted by the Croatian Government.

As stated, the much anticipated construction of new port infrastructure is the driving force for the development of this Slavonian county, this was highlighted at the eighth session of the Council for Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, and according to the prime minister, it's essential for the Croatian Government and local self-government units to do everything to create the proper conditions for economic development that will end the mass exodus of citizens from Croatia.

Until now, contracted projects with EU funding amount to 9.7 billion kuna, stated the Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Gabrijela Žalac. Another 1.85 billion kuna are contracted investments from the state budget.

For the strengthening of the Croatian economy, the development and enhancement of competitiveness, projects such as Brod Port are of great importance, stated the Croatian Chamber of Commerce's Mirjana Cagalj. This is also an incentive for the development of a local environment that is particularly burdened with the exodus of the resident population who are leaving in their droves owing to the unfavourable economic situation, contributing to Croatia's worrying demographic crisis.

Its exceptional traffic position provides great potential for the development of the new port in Slavonski Brod in an intermodal logistics centre, which, according to Cagalj, would work to influence its future strategic role in international container traffic because Brod Port is located on the border of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, near the crossing of the railway corridor X and the road corridor Vc, which is an international entry port for the EU.

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Click here for the original article by Suzana Varosanec for Poslovni Dnevnik

An economic boost is on its way to Eastern Croatia, more specifically to Vukovar this autumn with the opening of a brand new Pevec sales centre, bringing with it employment opportunities and much more to this otherwise greatly overlooked city.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of March, 2019, Pevec has signed a contract for the construction of a sales centre in Vukovar with a local company from Slavonski Brod, Projektgradnja, which is otherwise a member of the Fortenova Group. The new sales centre will cover an area of ​​almost 5,000 m2. On the first floor, the office space that will be used by the company is set to be done up, Pevec's logistics and potential other tenants will make use of the revamped space.

"We have signed a contract with the Croatian company Projektgradnja, with which we're getting another modernly equipped and well-organised sales centre, employees will get high quality working conditions, and our customers a nice location for good and always competitive purchases. The opening of the new Vukovar sales centre is scheduled for October the 1st, 2019, and Vukovar will get fifty new jobs,'' Krešimir Bubalo of Pevec's management board, said.

Samofino Café will also open its doors within the new Vukovar centre. In the second stage of construction, additional business premises are planned and the retail center Pevec is expanded to a retail park with other retailers and brands.

"It's my great pleasure that Pevec, as the first Croatian trading chain, is investing in the city of Vukovar. We're building two sales centres in Slavonia, with which we want to try to encourage our people to stay here. By increasing the net minimum wage to 5,000 kuna in our stores, for our merchants, warehouse workers and our drivers, we're going to be giving our employees jubilee awards, systematic examinations, Christmas bonuses, child allowance and support for newborns, we'd like to show our employees that we care and that through working for Pevec, they can realise their dreams in Croatia,'' stated the president of Pevec's management board, Jurica Lovrinčević.

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''Trembling with the cold, he isn't yet used to these low temperatures. He arrived yesterday at 15:00 and immediately devoured two kilos of meat,'' Stjepan Vokić stated when talking about Croatia's most famous lovebirds (or storks, to be more precise), Klepetan and Malena.

As Vecernji list/Ivan Halar writes on the 19th of March, 2019, the love story between the two most famous storks in Croatia, Klepetan and Malena, is still very much in bloom. For the seventeenth time, after leaving to head for the warmer regions, Croatia's beloved stork Klepetan returned to his beloved Malena in the Slavonski Brod area of Brodski Varoš. However, his return this year has occurred earlier than usual because he usually comes back right at the end of March.

Stjepan Vokić, who observed Klepetan trying to re-adjust to the much colder climes is a now retired janitor of a school in Brodski Varoš, he has been taking care of the storks since 1993.

Vokić added that he was surprised by Klepetan's early return, but says that ''nature knows its own''.

"I saw seven storks flying over the playground and then landing. I went up to them to find out if Klepetan was among them. When I approached them with the meat, Klepetan recognised me and immediately came up to me. After he had eaten, he flew into his nest where Malena was waiting for him,'' said Vokić, adding that the pair had already made up for Klepetan's absence with some ''fun'', and in just a few weeks, Malena will likely lay eggs, meaning that maybe some baby storks might appear on the scene.

''It's plain to see that the long journey has worn Klepetan out. So, as they're accustomed to it, I'm bringing them some food,'' says Vokić, noting that he took a video of Klepetan's return, and the footage will soon be released on the Facebook page dedicated to the feathered pair, which his son usually edits.

Have a look at Klepetan and Malena's unique relationship with their carer here:

"I'm not exactly all about these phones, my years are here..." Vokić concluded with a smirk and a sense of joy in his voice as his birds were safely reunited once again for the seventeenth year in a row.

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Click here for the original article by Ivan Halar for Vecernji list

The City of Slavonski Brod signed a contract with the company Šprajc THD as the contractor for the reconstruction and arrangement of the northwest part of the Brod Fortress, where the unique Tambura Museum will be located, reports Lokalni.Večernji on February 11, 2019.

Along with the museum exhibition, a multimedia center, master workshop and souvenir shop will be set in the area of nearly 2,500 square meters. The total value of the project, which is titled “House of Tambura - Slavonian Fairytale" is more than 27 million kuna, and 85% of funds are co-financed from EU funds. The remaining 15 percent will be co-financed by the City’s budget.

“With this, the city of Slavonski Brod and the Fortress will receive an important place on the cultural map of the region, because in the projects that will follow after the reconstruction of the area where the Tambura Museum will be located, our goal is to position the Fortress as the cultural center of Slavonia and Baranja. I think we will succeed,” said the mayor of the city Mirko Duspara.

Slavonski Brod is the only city in the world that has a Tambura Museum, which gives a historical overview of the development of tambura music in these areas through a set of musical instruments, notes, photo documentation and posters, as well as a multimedia area with speakers. As part of the new project which was launched by the City and the Brod Association of Tambura, the museum opened in 2013 and will be moved to a new, refurbished space in the city fortress. 

“The complete reconstruction and restoration of the external and internal parts of the cavalry, without equipment, is ensured. The tender for equipment should be announced at the end of this year. Along with the exhibitions that the Brod Association of Tambura has already gathered, a workshop will be located in the museum's premises for making tambura instruments, where the masters will be able to show their production, as well as a souvenir shop,” emphasized Duspara.

Part of the House of Tambura will include a multi-purpose hall, an archival documentation center, and administrative and storage facilities. By converting a part of the Fortress into an interactive creative center dedicated to traditional tambura music and tambura instruments, the area will be protected from further deterioration, and then, gradually, with contemporary content, linked with the urban and cultural parts of the city. Future programs should transform it into a genuine tourist attraction and a first-class experience for visitors.

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

The oil refinery in Bosanski Brod in Bosnia and Herzegovina, just across the border from the town of Slavonski Brod in Croatia, which is a significant air polluter due to its obsolete technology, stopped its production on January 9. The management of the loss-making and Russian-owned refinery said that the overhaul works could last at least a year, reports Jutarnji List on January 31, 2019.

According to Petar Đokić, the minister of energy and mining of Republika Srpska, one of two entities comprising Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is uncertain when the production at the refinery will resume since it is unclear why the production has been suspended. The refinery management just announced that this year, due to the overhaul, there would not be primary processing and that the refinery would not import crude oil. Its buyers will be supplied through the Serbian oil company NIS.

“The refinery probably has its own reasons for the long overhaul. Perhaps there are some organisational factors or market conditions which are the reasons for the delay in production. It is not uncommon for large companies to supply each other from plants which are the cheapest and the most profitable. Large corporations are trying to maximise their profits by optimising all production capacities. If one comes to the conclusion that it is not worthwhile to produce something on their own, but rather to buy it from someone else, that is a legitimate and normal decision in the market economy,” said Viktor Simončić, an independent environmental expert.

In the past eleven years ago, when the Russian owners of the refinery restarted the production, citizens of the neighbouring Slavonski Brod in Croatia have been having problems with polluted air. Will the people of Brod finally be able to breath more easily?

“As far as the refinery is concerned, the citizens of Slavonski Brod will breathe a little cleaner air, but it will not be completely clean until the problem of home furnaces and transportation is resolved. According to my rough estimate, except in some rare extreme situations, about 90 per cent of air pollution in Slavonski Brod is coming from local home furnaces and transport. These pollutants have nothing to do with the refinery,” said Simončić, challenging the widely-held assumption that it is the refinery which is causing health problems for people on both sides of the border.

Translated from Poslovni.hr.

More news on Slavonski Brod can be found in the Lifestyle section.