October 1, 2019 - Need something to do in Split when the sun isn't shining? A closer look at rainy-day activities in the Dalmatian capital. 

If you follow Croatian tourism, chances are, you’re aware that the Croatian National Tourist Board and Ministry of Tourism are moving their focus towards ‘year-round’ tourism, and primarily, tourism that doesn't need the ‘sun and the sea’. 

Split is one of Croatia’s top destinations, the bustling capital of Dalmatia, and is known for its waterfront promenade and accessibility to many of Dalmatia’s islands. Namely, it is the spotlight of a summer holiday. 

However, with autumn in full swing (though this extended summer weather might say otherwise), we thought we’d run through everything possible in Split without the sunshine. 

The Cinema

Let’s start with an easy one - going to the cinema. Known to be a favorite activity for the cozier months, this pastime has never lost its touch. Fortunately, those of you in Split have quite a few cinemas to choose from, like the Cineplexx at City Center One, where you can enjoy 3D and the new MX4D technology, the Cinestar at the Joker Shopping Center, or Mall of Split’s Cinestar 4DX, which was named the best new cinema in Europe in 2018. However, if you’re looking for something central and a bit more modest, you can always visit Kino Karaman, or see what’s playing at Kinoteka Zlatna Vrata. 

Ivanisevic Ivan - ivanisevicivan.com

Shopping Malls

Did you know that Split has three shopping malls, one of which is the largest shopping mall in Dalmatia? If you feel like splurging on some of the world’s leading fashion brands or diving into the food court comfort of McDonald's, Burger King, or Chinese, you won’t find it hard to kill some time outside of the sunshine here. You can choose between Joker, which is the closest shopping centre to the old town (10 mins on foot), the Mall of Split, which is accessible by public transport buses 1, 5, 6, 10, 16, 18, and 22, or City Center One, which can be reached by the 18, 3 or 6. If you’re not up for shopping or eating, you can enjoy the casino, go-karting, and the Museum of Senses. 

Croatian National Theatre

The new season at the Croatian National Theatre in Split begins this month and features two operas and four drama premieres, two ballets, and many reruns and concerts. The opera premieres will include Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto and Verdi's Lombardi, while the ballet premieres include Piazzolla/Stravinski and Barak Marshall's Monger. Drama fans will be able to enjoy Lepurica by Ana Prolić and Bambina by Ana Tonković Dolenčić which brings Neno Belan’s hits to the big stage. Little Floramye, Splitski Akvarel, Ero s onoga svijeta, Parallel Worlds, The Crucible, The Imaginary Invalid, The Taming of the Shrew, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Death and the Dervish, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem have all been announced this season. You can see the full HNK Split schedule here. 

HNK Split

Museums and Galleries 

If you can’t be at the beach, soaking up Split’s history and art should be a close second. Not only will you find that this rainy-day activity is quite affordable, but you’ll gain a bit of knowledge, too. Perhaps Split’s most favorite museum is the Ivan Mestrovic Gallery, which is housed in a villa steps away from the beach and includes works by the 20th-century Croatian sculptor. The Split City Museum, which is located inside the Gothic-Renaissance Papalic palace, boasts 2,000 years of the city’s history. The Gallery of Fine Arts holds over 5,200 works from the 14th century to present day, while the Ethnographic Museum, located right next to Peristyle, presents extremely valuable ethnographic collections that give us a look into the former life of the inhabitants of Split, the islands and deep into Dalmatia’s hinterland. And that’s just part of it. 

Explore Diocletian's Basement 

Whether you enter from the Riva or Peristyle, you’ll want to check out Diocletian’s basement (or cellar). While tacky souvenir shops take up part of the substructure, buy a ticket and take the ride through the palace's substructure. Known to Game of Thrones fans as the place where Daenerys Targaryen kept her dragons in the popular TV series, the basement is also the best-preserved remains of the Palace. While it’s empty now, this area was once used as storage during Diocletian’s time - and we’re certain you’ll find the acoustics pretty impressive, too. If you’re lucky, you can visit during one of the many events held there, from art exhibitions and live classical music shows to wine and flower fairs, and many other social and cultural happenings. 

Copyright Romulic & Stojcic

Enjoy Split’s Specialty Coffee 

Coffee culture is synonymous with Split, so much so that you’ll use the phrase ‘meeting for a coffee’ as a cover for just about any type of meeting. Whether its a casual chat with friends or you’re closing a big business deal, chances are, you’ll be at a cafe (but whether you’re actually drinking coffee is debatable). So, why not visit one of Split’s specialty coffee shops to call home during rainy weather? New to the Split coffee scene this year is Kava 2, the second location in the Kava family after Hvar. Not only do they roast their beans, but they’ll offer specialty drinks such as the piccolo, flat white, and cold brew tonic. Their homemade baked goods are the perfect addition to any drink. You can also try D16 or 4coffee soul food if you need a coffee-to-go! 

Kava

Drinking, Eating, Indulging 

This one is a no-brainer. Park yourself in a pub, restaurant, or cafe for hours and enjoy the change in weather. Gossip with friends, grab a book (which you can also rent from Split's City Library), or get out your laptop to get ahead at work (er... realistically, catch up). If you’re at a restaurant, use the time to dig into Dalmatia’s local cuisine and wine. If you’re at a pub, take a drinking tour of Croatia’s craft beer. And if you’re at a cafe, eat the cake. Rainy weather is the ultimate excuse. 

Adventure Time

Did you know that you can still go rafting down the Cetina river even if it rains? Less than an hour away by car from Split, head to Omis to get your adrenaline rush and sign up for a rafting tour! Hiking is another outdoor activity that is better in colder weather, and experienced cyclists might prefer this season, too. Exploring Split’s surroundings, like Trogir, Inland Dalmatia, Klis, Kastela, or Makarska can be reached by a short bus ride - but make sure you have your umbrella in tow! 

Copyright Romulic & Stojcic 

And if all else fails, stay in and order delivery 

Did you know that Split has three online food delivery services now? Whether you choose Croatian delivery pioneer Dobar Tek, Wolt, or Glovo, you’ll be safe inside and still satisfied by some of Split’s best restaurants. 

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

October 1, 2019 - The Split-based VAJT agency for public relations was presented with the prestigious Golden World Award for Excellence, awarded by the International Public Relations Awards (IPRA) last weekend in Yerevan, Armenia.

The world's greatest recognition in the PR business was given to VAJT for their campaign "Want to switch places?", which was done with their client, Split Parking, and in cooperation with the initiative "For Accessible Split".

Their campaign won in the public sector PR category, competing with several other campaigns from all over the world. The goal of the campaign was to increase driver awareness of the importance of respecting the invalid parking places, and it brought swift and fast results addressing the problem in Split. At the award ceremony in Yerevan, the agency from Split was in the same situation as many of the top PR agencies, such as Hill+Knowlton, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard Vanguard, Ketchum and others. The brands and campaigns for which other awards were won were Adidas, Ford, Coca-Cola, Ikea etc.

CEO of VAJT agency, Jerko Trogrlić said that he was very impressed by the evening. He sat with the representatives of companies which have offices worldwide and thousands of employees:

"We communicated like peers, and they have up to 800 million dollars of income a year, and they've been doing amazing campaigns for decades. It was a great experience to talk to them, listen to what they have to say, and who knows, it might lead to some sort of cooperation. I'm not getting carried away, tomorrow is another day, we have to prove ourselves. We're still a small firm from Split, and I don't have a problem with staying that way. There's six of us in the company now, maybe there'll be seven or eight of us in a year's time and that the plans from our perspective today," Trogrlić added.

The campaign that won the award was the creation of young consultants Dora Čolaković, Antonela Vukorepa and Marin Babarović, designer Stjepko Rošin was in charge of the visuals and Milan Latković's Kreativna agencija produced the video materials.

Trogrlić added that his goal was that you can stay in Split and Croatia and do great stuff, no matter how hard it may look or how many frustrations you'll face along the way. Every time a hard-working and talented person leaves, two dummies jump in. If we manage to turn eight people into experts so that they and their families can have a good life in Split working with us, and if we can communicate and bring some positive change to happen in Croatia, then we did good, he highlighted.

And the "Want to switch places?" campaign did just that - to make things better. It succeeded by hitting the emotions, thanks to the personalized traffic signs that were put up around Split. In them, a real person with disabilities asked everyone without the disability if they want to switch places, if they wanted to take their parking spot. Additionally, a hidden camera video by Stipo Margić, one of the faces of the campaign, in which he personally approaches the offenders and asks them why they parked at the disabled persons parking spots quickly went viral. That achieved the other goal, to embarrass the person offending and to spark condemnation from his surroundings. The number of these offences fell rapidly in Split, by 20 per cent in the first three months, and the trend is continuing. The campaign has spread around Croatia, and ten other towns have adopted it, creating their own signs, and the campaign even made its way to the European Parliament, where it was highlighted as an example at the European Disability Forum.

The final step of the campaign is now underway, and an amendment to the rule on the sign of accessibility has been initiated in Croatia, which is aimed at preventing its misuse, and in cooperation with the competent authorities, it is expected that this final objective will be fulfilled soon.

Trogrlić also wanted to point out that the market of PR agencies in Croatia is strong, and that there are much bigger agencies than theirs, and that it's awesome how fast the market is developing as it didn't exist at all almost 20 years ago. "VAJT agency is like a special ops unit. We don't take many clients, but we do have long-term cooperations. We do our best in each job we take, and that takes its toll and that's why we're so happy when we have a great result. We prefer the difficult stuff which is also good for society, and there are as many of those as you want in Croatia. If it's not difficult, it's probably not even gonna come our way. To complete any investment in Croatia is almost science fiction. Changing the habits of the people when it comes to, for instance, mobility or recycling, increasing the transparency and the level of communication for the local and public administration, promoting the young and successful companies... There's so much work to be done, but it's important to find people like Marko Bartulić from Split Parking and Jugana Sinovčić from the Initiative for accessible Split, who are positive, persistent, even a bit too much at times, when they're fighting for what they believe is right. This is their award, we were just given the privilege to work with them."

This is the third award VAJT agency has been given this year, as the European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC) presented them with the Polaris Award, and the local experts also recognized it as Croatian Public Relations Association awarded it the Grand PRix prize. This is in total the sixth award for the agency in just five years.

IPRA Golden World Awards for Excellence (GWA) is the biggest and most prestigious competition in the PR business, also known as the "PR Oscars". It has been awarded since 1990, for excellence in public relations in a series of categories. The project that applies can be local, regional, national and international in character, and they're graded based on five criteria: situation analysis, research, planning, project implementation and evaluation. This year's jury had experts from all over the world, including Austria, Bulgaria, Japan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Philippines, United States, United Kingdom and others.

For more business news, go to our Business site.

September 30, 2019 - HNS announces the security measures for fans ahead of Croatia's Euro 2020 qualifier at Poljud.

Before and during the 2020 European qualifier between the national teams of Croatia and Hungary, which will be played on 10 October at 8:45 pm at Poljud stadium in Split, a special security procedure and traffic regulations will be in place at the entrances to the stadium.

Stadium Opening 

Poljud stadium will be open to fans from 6:45 pm. Due to the extensive security measures that will be taken to prevent bringing in prohibited articles into the stadium area, fans are invited to come to the stadium as early as possible. 

Tickets

On the day of the match, there will be no sale or exchanging of tickets for the match between Croatia and Hungary. HNS reminds that the tickets are personalized and as a prerequisite for entering the stadium, a valid identity document (ID or passport) must be presented with the ticket.

Pursuant to the Conditions of Ticket Purchases, persons who do not match the personal data on the ticket during surveillance will be prohibited from entering the stadium and their ticket will be void without the right to a refund. As they are in violation of the law, please note that they can be detained and handed over to the police for competent misdemeanor proceedings.

Each person must have a ticket and use the seat marked on the ticket when entering the stadium until the end of the match. All persons without a valid ticket, as well as persons found in the sector/part of the stadium for which they do not have a valid ticket, will be removed and handed over to the police for competent misdemeanor proceedings.

Traffic info on match day

On match day, in the narrow area of Poljud Stadium at Ulica Mediteranskih igara 8, a temporary traffic regulation will be put in place, which will prohibit the movement of motor vehicles, except licensed vehicles, tenants and users of business premises.

Fans are invited to come to the immediate area of the stadium on foot or by public transport. Parking will be prohibited in the narrow area of Poljud stadium due to the limited number of parking spaces except for accredited vehicles.

Fair and correct behavior of fans

“We ask supporters to comply with the provisions of the Law on the Prevention of Disorder in Sports Competitions and the Law on Public Order and Peace, in particular regarding inappropriate chanting, alcohol consumption and the use of pyrotechnics.

Umbrellas, larger bags or backpacks, bottles, lighters, coins and other items suitable for injury or that can cause a fire will no be allowed into the stadium. Fags or banners larger than 2.00 m x 1.00 m or with inappropriate content will also be disallowed. Flags or banners will not be allowed on the fences or other areas of Poljud stadium to obscure the view from or to the stands.

We invite all fans, visitors, and citizens to be fair, correct, and show good sportsmanship without racist and discriminatory chanting before, during, and after the match.

At the same time, we take the opportunity to inform you that, following the Police Affairs and Powers Act, police will operate video and photo recordings of the narrower area and the stadium itself.

The use of pyrotechnics is not allowed and those who use them will be prosecuted per the Law on the Prevention of Disorder in Sporting Competitions, all aiming to ensure this event is a suitable sporting event,” concludes HNS. 

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

September 30, 2019 - The Dobar Tek (dobartek.hr) platform enables fast and easy food ordering online and cooperates with more than 100 restaurants in several cities in Croatia. It is used daily by over 70,000 users.

Now, the popular online service has released a new product: Dobar Tek at work. Co-founder and CEO Nebojša Veron met with Dalmacija Danas to tell us more. 

How did the idea come about for Dobar Tek at work?

“Ordering lunch at work is generally a sweet worry. Being able to order food online enhanced this experience because it eliminated telephone orders. However, it did not solve all the potential challenges. Namely, when there are a lot of people in the office, ordering can be a bit stressful because someone has to collect all orders and then order without skipping or forgetting something. Then, all the money to pay for the food should be collected. Managing cash on the spot can be a real hassle because it also involves a lot of squabbling and remembering who owes whom. Also, it is not uncommon for someone to be accidentally forgotten or for people to miss the delivery time that would suit them best. Thus, we have prepared a solution that has three key features:

- enabling group food ordering;

- issuing monthly invoices;

- providing records of orders and expenses.

Who is the primary candidate for Dobar Tek at work?

“We have developed a solution keeping in mind the employees who will use it to facilitate their daily ordering, but also the companies that provide their employees with hot meals. We wanted to address both needs, and we succeeded. Businesses that offer meals to their employees can easily do so thanks to monthly invoices, and monthly invoices also help employees who pay for the food themselves, as there is no longer the need to pay for the order daily.

Who can apply for Dobar Tek at work?

“Companies, but also employees of companies who often order food together at the office, can apply for dobartek.hr at work. Of course, it is not necessary for the order to be made by an official representative of the company. An online solution makes it easier for businesses to do business in this segment, and employees can easily organize and report on whether or not their employer pays for a hot meal. However, we hope that this will encourage more businesses to pay for meals. We process each application immediately upon receipt and strive to meet any specific needs that companies and/or employees may have.

It should be noted that dobartek.hr is already used by several companies at work, among them HR Cloud, HR Prodigy, Profico, and Rimac Automobili. New applications have already been received in the early days of launching the product, and the service is available in all cities in which dobartek.hr operates - from Split to Zagreb.”

Marko Marinovic, head of the Dobar Tek development team, concluded:

“We created dobartek.hr at work to make it easier to order food to the office every day. Simple group orders, cost records, and more. We have targeted this for companies and teams that often order together. We continue to work on this to never leave a team hungry at work.”

You can check it out at https://www.dobartek.hr/na-poslu

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

September 27, 2019 - The 9th round of the Croatian First League was held from September 27 to 29, 2019. This round saw big wins for Dinamo, Osijek, and Rijeka. Dinamo is now only one point behind Hajduk, who sits at the top of the table.

Lokomotiva v. Dinamo (0:4)

Lokomotiva and Dinamo opened the 9th round at Kranjčevićeva Street Stadium in Zagreb on Friday, September 27, 2019, in front of 2,983 fans. 

Kadzior opened the scoring spree for Dinamo with a goal in the 10th minute for 0:1, which was the score at the half. 

Olmo and Orsic scored in the 58th and 59th minute for 0:3, while Gavranovic secured Dinamo’s victory with a goal in the 74th for 0:4. 

Lokomotiva is currently in 6th place with 14 points, while Dinamo is in 2nd with 19. 

Varazdin v. Rijeka (0:2)

Varazdin and Rijeka met on Saturday, September 28, 2019, at NK Varteks stadium in front of 1,946 fans. 

Rijeka scored both goals in the first half - Pereira in the 12th minute and Halilovic in the 36th minute. Varazdin’s Djurasek was shown his second yellow in the 69th minute, forcing Varazdin to play with ten men for the rest of the match. 

Varazdin is currently in 9th place with 7 points, while Rijeka is in 3rd with 18. 

Slaven Belupo v. Osijek (0:4)

Belupo and Osijek met on Saturday, September 28, 2019, in Koprivnica in front of 703 fans. 

Mance (’25), Maric (’35), and Lepa (’41) scored for Osijek in the first half for 0:3. Skoric secured Osijek’s shutout with a goal in the 71st for 0:4. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 10 points, while Osijek is in 4th with 16. 

Inter Zapresic v. Gorica (0:2)

Inter and Gorica met on Sunday, September 29, 2019, at ŠRC Zaprešić Stadium in front of 553 fans. 

Cabraja scored in the 31st minute for 0:1 at the half.  Zwolinski increased Gorica’s lead in the 57th minute for 0:2, which was the final score of the game. Gorica also played a man down from the 53rd minute after Marina was shown his second yellow. 

Inter is currently in the last place with 6 points, while Gorica is in 5th place with 15. 

Istria v. Hajduk (1:1)

Istria and Hajduk closed out the 9th round on Sunday, September 29, 2019, in Pula in front of 4,569 fans.

Hajduk’s Caktas scored in the 35th minute for 0:1 at the half. Loncar equalized for Istria in the 80th minute for 1:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Istria is currently in 8th place with 9 points, while Hajduk remains in first place with 20. 

You can see the full HNL table here. 

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

September 29, 2019 - Croatia and Split are thinking pink, as they join the world's largest fundraising event for breast cancer for the first time - Race for the Cure.

Dalmacija Danaas writes that Split lit up in pink on Saturday evening, from the southern part of Diocletian's Palace to the Riva and its palm trees, Peristyle, the HNK facade, and the City Administration building. Namely, pink is the color of the humanitarian action THINK PINK, which is being held in Croatia for the first time this year and thus, Split.

The first day of action, which took place on Saturday, produced excellent results. Not only was the attendance and interest of people above all expectations, but all the T-shirts available were sold for humanitarian purposes.

The event is organized by the County Cancer League of Split, which has been diligently and selflessly working to prevent and reduce cancer mortality for more than half a century.

On Sunday, September 29th, according to the protocol of the European Think Pink organization, the action begins at 9:45 with the performance of the HRM orchestra and the KUD of Split Majorettes. The ‘Race for the Cure’ starts promptly at 11 am, when Split Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara will lead the runners. Those walking will be led by Split-Dalmatia County prefect Blazenko Boban. Recall, the Race for the Cure consists of a series of 5K runs and fitness walks to raise money for breast cancer, raise awareness, celebrate breast cancer survivors and remember those who are no longer here. 

Antonia Dora Pleško will lead the entertainment portion of the program, and five hundred pink balloons will be released into the sky in memory of those who are no longer with us.

Everyone is welcome to join on Sunday, September 29th at 11 am for the Think Pink Race for the Cure. 

Watch Split transform into a pink wonderland thanks to local photographer Maja Prgomet.

All photos by Maja Prgomet

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

September 28, 2019-  Marijan Kustic was spotted in Split again. The HNS executive director leads the team in charge of organizing the highly anticipated Croatia-Hungary match at Poljud, and preparations are in full swing.

Slobodna Dalmacija caught Kustic ten days before the spectacle to see if everything was going according to plan. 

“Arrangements have entered the technical phase, related to security and ensuring all the preconditions for the great spectacle that awaits us. Nothing is out of the ordinary.”

Will security be especially emphasized?

“Everything is going at the usual pace, as is usually the case with big games like this. We conducted a series of interviews and agreements with representatives of the Police Department and the Police Directorate, as well as security companies. HNS always insists on the highest level of preparation regarding all aspects of the organization, including security.”

Rumor has it that Hungarian President Viktor Orban will also be in attendance?

“At this moment, we are not able to provide such information, but when these games are at stake, it is common and expected that political leaders come. Sandor Csanyi, president of OTP Bank, which has its bank in Split, and sponsors of Hajduk, should also attend.

Accordingly, we can also expect President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

I would not announce anything, and I would like to focus on the massive interest of our fans, who generally rule this game.”

Is Kustic surprised by the incredible interest of Split?

“Everyone at HNS and the people involved in the organization are genuinely delighted that Split and Dalmatia have embraced the arrival of our team at Poljud. Honestly, we all hoped for it together, but that the stadium would be sold out in a day or two, it still exceeded my optimistic expectations. And because of that, we look forward to this great game with even more impatience.”

How many tickets were actually sold?

“The capacity is about 33,000 tickets, but the interest was so high that we would sell twice as many tickets if we had the capacity. If tickets were only for sale online, they would be gone in three hours! It’s good that there were old-fashioned sales, too, so the people of Split had the opportunity to get these valuable tickets live. Poljud is sold out.”

How many tickets were set aside that didn’t go on sale to the public?

“It is logical that for the needs of the staff and football players, a small portion of the tickets was set aside. But it is a negligible figure. I tell you, we were pleasantly surprised by the interest, Dalmatia and Split want the Croatia national team. They can hardly wait! This gives everyone in and around HNS the right to be optimistic in the future. I must point out here that this is proof that the HNS Executive Board made the right decision when it decided that Croatia would come to Split. Dalmatia wants the Croatia national team at Poljud!”

Will there be a lot of security around and at the stadium?

“Tickets are personalized and we can announce today that it would be good to get to the stadium on time. Ticket holders will also need to show their ID and ensure that their last name matches the one on the ticket. I invite everyone to follow the instructions of the organizers and the police, so that everyone can enjoy the football and sports spectacle that awaits us together.”

What does Split Mayor Opara have to say?

“We are negotiating everything with the City and everything is flowing normally, without interruptions. On behalf of HNS, the national team and all of us, I would like to thank the Mayor and his associates who are available to us.”

No financial terms have been published?

“It is important to emphasize that HNS bears all costs of the organization. And we are happy that as a Federation we have the conditions to bear such costs. Finances are always important, but this is a match that is more than that and every kuna that is invested makes sense and will be well invested and will be returned not only financially but also intangibly.”

Supposedly, Split is receiving about half a million kuna from the Federation?

“The city will receive its financial part, but the city will receive much more. It will be the center of Croatia that day, gathering tens of thousands of people. The accommodation, the venues, the restaurants, they will all be full of work. One has to look at events like this much wider than the match itself.”

There was a lot of talk (or quarrel) about the arrival of the national team in Split, at Poljud, mostly because of the situation with Hajduk.

“The decision, you see, turned out to be good, a big hit. People want Croatia in Split. The choice of the HNS Executive Board, with which I share the view, is that the national team travels to Croatia and thus to Split. These are all our cities, they have played and will play in Osijek, Varazdin, Rijeka, Pula. Only one game in the qualifying cycle was played in Zagreb against Azerbaijan, and the rest throughout Croatia. So we came to Split. And we will again! This is just the first in a new series.

Have HNS and Hajduk turned a new page?

“All of us at HNS are genuinely trying to bring in a lot of energy to make things right and to start normalizing all relationships. Is it any more normal than having the national team play at least one official qualifying match in Split? I would also like to thank the HNS Executive Board for making this decision and supporting everything. The tickets are sold out and I am convinced of the spectacle!”

Is Hajduk still not involved in the organization of the match?

“They are not and we regret it. I'm sorry that Hajduk stayed out. The national team is sacred and I would not interfere with the Federation when it comes to the national team. But I'm optimistic by nature, so I'm always looking forward. We raised certain issues in our discussions with Hajduk. I believe that the normalization will continue when the match against Hungary is over. And some good things will remain for Hajduk after this game, even though they are not participating in the organization.”

Does Hajduk still have a chance to be involved in organizing the game against Hungary?

“They are always welcome, certainly. But I don't think that's realistic to expect now. It is their decision and I am sorry that they feel that way, which I have already mentioned. I emphasize that our doors will always be open for cooperation between Hajduk and all other clubs. At this point, the audience's interest in the match is what thrills me. The interest is such that we would sell out three Poljud stadiums!”

And what happens when the game against Hungary ends?

“Talks with Hajduk on all outstanding issues are continuing, the story remains, and the team will come to Split again. We want this to become the rule so I can say that we will see you in Split in the next qualification cycle. We will not stop now. We will continue to play all over Croatia, and we will be at Poljud again.”

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

September 28, 2019 - Shake off your end of summer blues with the Croatian National Theatre's new season in Split.

Splitski Dnevnik writes that two operas and four drama premieres, two ballets and many reruns and concerts are part of the upcoming season at the Croatian National Theater Split, announced director Srecko Sestan at a press conference on Friday.

Presenting the new directors of Drama - Jelena Bosancic, Opera - Jura Bucevic and Ballet - Ilir Kerni, director Sestan said that for this season, the link was "The Mediterranean with the center in Split" and that the season would be exciting.

He congratulated the national champion of HNK Split, Ivica Cikes, for winning the County award, which will be presented to him on Monday.

“What I want to emphasize is that our concert subscription has dropped tremendously. Given that we now have a key problem empowering our orchestra, in this financial situation, I did not dare announce a concert subscription and be responsible for making those programs a reality. Nevertheless, there will be very interesting concerts, and all subscribers so far will have a discount and priority when purchasing concert tickets,” Sestan added.

Thus, the opera premieres will include Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto and Verdi's Lombardi, and as for the ballets, the audience will be able to watch the premieres of Piazzolla/Stravinski and Barak Marshall's Monger.

The most premieres are in the drama program. The audience will be able to enjoy Lepurica by Ana Prolić and Bambina by Ana Tonković Dolenčić which brings Neno Belan’s hits to the big stage. 

The small stage features Laponija by Marco Angelet and Cristina Clemente, directed by Nenni Delmestre, and The Homecoming by Harold Pinter, directed by Nina Mitrovic.

The audience will again be able to watch Little Floramye, Splitski Akvarel, Ero s onoga svijeta, Parallel Worlds, The Crucible, The Imaginary Invalid, The Taming of the Shrew, Ol smo za jedan dan, and Čudo u Poskokovoj Dragi.

The small stage will once again feature the performances of Little Moscow, Stories from Vukovar, and reruns of the ballet Coppelia, The Nutcracker, and Death and the Dervish. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Requiem was announced on the eve of All Saints' Day, a concert of Croatian Christmas songs on December 21 and 23, and a New Year's concert on December 28, 29 and 30.

Drama director Jelena Bosancic said that they had a big job ahead of them and that they should "roll up their sleeves" and work hard. 

“Any personality of power must be discarded for us to come together. I will not engage in any position other than the position of work and use my energy and fusion with positivity to better implement this beautiful season,” Bosancic concluded.

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

September 27, 2019 - Watch the largest sailboat in the world take a test run around Split. 

"Croatian shipyard Brodosplit created the most sophisticated sailboat and the most complex passenger ship ever built. The Flying Clipper is not only the largest, but arguably one of the most beautiful in the world. And, with its large sails and masts, probably the fastest sailing vessel in the world, which will be registered in the Guinness Book of World Records," said Tomislav Debeljak, CEO of Brodosplit and DIV Group.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that the Flying Clipper was designed according to the 1911 France II sailboat design. It is luxuriously decorated with touches reminiscent of old sailing ships. It is 162 meters long and 18.5 meters wide, with a load of 2000 tons. It has five steel masts with 36 sails in aluminum crosses with a total area of 6,347 square meters. The largest mast is 63 meters high and weighs 24 tons, and the largest cross is 31 meters long. It has five decks, a beauty center, a sauna, a jacuzzi, a spa and fitness center, a library area and a salon. The Flying Clipper can accommodate up to 450 people. It has 224 cabins, of which 150 are luxury cabins for 300 passengers and 74 cabins for 150 crew members.

It is the first sailboat with built-in "Safe return to port" security standards and meets all the requirements for the US Coast Guard and US Public Health Service. The Flying Clipper is the only sailboat in the world that has received the highest possible class for noise and vibration.

This majestic sailboat set off on a test ride and sailed the Split sea for the first time with all the sails raised. The scenes are awe-inspiring.

Recall, a 70 million euro contract between Brodosplit and Star Clippers owner Mikhail Krafft has recently been terminated because both sides claimed that it had been violated: Krafft had exceeded the deadlines and the Split shipyard failed to meet the conditions for completion. The dispute is still moving towards arbitration, but, according to unofficial information, negotiations over a possible compromise are also in parallel.

Thus, during that time, the ship is officially owned by the Split shipyard and will sail under the flag under which it was built - Malta.

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

September 26, 2019 - There’s a new company in Split connecting restaurants to hungry customers - meet Wolt. 

The revolutionary Finnish food delivery system has opened in its third Croatian city, Split, after only nine months of operating on the Croatian market. At the end of December last year, Wolt's adventure began in Croatia, and the city of Zagreb was opened for delivery as a testing ground for the service. After only six months, Wolt started operating in Rijeka.

The company itself probably didn’t expect such success and results - however, in just ten months, the restaurant portfolio has grown eight-fold since its inception, and the Wolt app currently has more than 200 restaurants from Croatia’s three largest cities. 

The application is straightforward to use and fully customized, so the food ordering process is quick and painless. The app displays a list of all the restaurants open for deliveries, and each dish also has a photo to help the user decide what to order. Payment is accepted by card, and being able to track your order from the time the restaurant receives it until the meal arrives at your doorstep is just one of the reasons why existing customers love Wolt so much.

On average, the entire process, from the order to delivery, takes about 35 minutes. If something goes wrong, Wolt Customer Service is on hand to save the day while making sure that the user remains satisfied - their average response time is 20 seconds and customer satisfaction is 4.8 out of 5.

From wraps at Sexy Cow to Dalmatian soul food from Uje Oil Bar or fast food favorites KFC and Burger King, Wolt offers some of the city’s top restaurants wrapped up in a revolutionary delivery service that is all the buzz from Zagreb to Rijeka. Split locals and tourists can currently choose from about twenty restaurants, though this figure should increase significantly in the coming months. 

To find out if Wolt delivers to your neighborhood, check out the map below. 

Wolt is also recognized worldwide as an extremely reliable employer, and it cooperates globally with over 10,000 delivery partners. Anyone interested and eager to try their hand at delivery can apply.

The number of registered Wolt users in Croatia has already exceeded several hundred thousand, and with the opening of every new city, this number will continue to grow.

Wolt is available for Android and iOS. It is also the only application on the Croatian market that has won the Apple Editors Choice Award for Best User Experience.

You can learn more about Wolt and download the app here. 

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

Source: Splitski Dnevnik