September 5, 2019 - Eight summer stages in the Split area, worth 27.8 million kuna, will provide additional facilities for locals and tourist attractions.

On September 3, 2019, Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Marko Pavic decided to finance the ITU strategic project "Open Summer Stages of the Urban Agglomeration of Split", which provides a non-refundable HRK 27.8 million from the ITU mechanism.

The project will revitalize cultural heritage and will provide additional facilities for locals and tourist attractions through the construction, renovation, and furnishing of outdoor summer stages at eight different locations. The construction, renovation and furnishing of the open summer stages, accompanying facilities and facilities for cultural and tourist purposes, will be carried out at the following locations in the cities of Solin, Trogir, Kastela and Omis and the municipalities of Klis, Dugopolje and Lecevica:

• Solin: renovation of Gradina, stage construction;

• Solin: renovation and construction of the Cultural Information Center and renovation of the square;

• Klis: remodeling two buildings and repairing the walls of Klis Fortress, 3D mapping, stage construction;

• Omis: renovation of the “Old Cemetery”, stage construction;

• Dugopolje: the summer stage near the church of Sv. Rocco;

• Kastela: renovation of the Dudan Park in Kastel Kambelovac, stage construction;

• Lecevica: renovation of the old wells in the village of Radosic, stage construction;

• Trogir: summer stage in the old town.

The project will increase the level of preservation and landscaping of these attractions, and modernize the existing facilities, while raising the quality of the cultural heritage and its long-term and sustainable use for the inhabitants of the Urban Agglomeration of Split and all visitors to the area.

The success of the project is based on the identification, activation and cooperation of local development potential with an emphasis on the efficient use of resources in planning and managed development in the area of Urban agglomeration Split.

Recall, this news comes after the City of Split has announced a competition for a new multipurpose hall for cultural and social content, which will be located in the city center. The hall should begin operating in the 2020/2021 season. The process began Monday through public consultation, according to the City. 

The hall is designed as a multipurpose hall and will be able to hold cinema screenings, theater performances, cultural and musical events, conferences and congresses. It will have an independent entrance via the main staircase from the outer space, it will be accessible to disabled people and persons with reduced mobility, and will boast a capacity of 168 seats.

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

September 4, 2019 - Here at last! Thirty-four brand new buses were officially delivered to Promet Split on Tuesday.

Namely, these are new 20 articulated and 14 solo low-floor city buses worth HRK 73.9 million, with the European Union co-financing 85% of this amount from the Cohesion Fund, and the remainder coming from the budget of the Republic of Croatia, reports Dalmacija Danas. 

Miroslav Lelas

Jolly Auto line d.o.o. from Šibenik delivered 20 Mercedes-Benz articulated buses, while the company Auto Hrvatska sales and service centers d.o.o. delivered 14 MAN buses from Hrvatski Leskovac.

The buses were parked in front of Poljud stadium, while an official handover ceremony follows.

By procuring these new buses, Promet Split solves the problem of old and outdated buses that create more pollution. This will improve the quality of service and the number of passengers in public transport, and reduce the emission of harmful gases.

Miroslav Lelas

Furthermore, at the end of July, a contract was signed between Promet and Autobus for the purchase of eight new buses by the "Iveco" brand.

“This is a continuation of that series, and according to the announcement, these eight vehicles should arrive by the next Sv. Duje celebration. This will be followed by ten more buses, for which we are waiting for the decision of the State Commission to sign the contract,” said Miroslav Delić, director of Promet, in July.

In addition to the Split public transport company upgrade at the beginning of May next year, a contract to purchase several dozen new buses should also be signed.

“So these 52 buses (in total) we are talking about now are not the end, but part of the process. This will reduce the age of our fleet from 14 to seven. There is no need to say how much more new buses will mean in terms of improved service and quality of transport,” Delić said.

Public urban transport is one of the factors influencing the satisfaction of the local population, and developed and organized transport represents the degree of development of each city.

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

September 4, 2019 - Split will welcome a new multipurpose hall for cultural and social events next year.

The City of Split has announced a competition for a new multipurpose hall for cultural and social content, which will be located in the city center. The hall should begin operating in the 2020/2021 season. The process began Monday through public consultation, according to the City. 

The hall is designed as a multipurpose hall and will be able to hold cinema screenings, theater performances, cultural and musical events, conferences and congresses. It will have an independent entrance via the main staircase from the outer space, it will be accessible to disabled people and persons with reduced mobility, and will boast a capacity of 168 seats.

The hall will be housed in an area of 435 square meters, in front of the police station building on the Croatian Brotherhood Square (Trg Hrvatske bratske zajednice), which the city purchased for construction years ago. However, this space intended for polyvalent use for social and cultural content has not yet been arranged or brought to purpose.

Given that there is an urgent need for additional venues and performing spaces in the city of Split, a decision was made by the City Administration, led by Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara, to arrange the space and give it a purpose, according to a statement from the City.

The budget provided 3 million kuna for the center. This year, a design solution was made and created by the architectural studio Super Ured d.o.o. from Split. 

With this project, the City of Split opens a new scene in the city, which will surely offer an appropriate stage space for cultural and social events of local performers. It also opens space for guest programs that, due to lack of capacity, did not have the opportunity to perform in Split, because the existing stages are primarily in the function of cultural institutions - the Croatian National Theater, the City Youth Theater, and the City Puppet Theater.

The new center would offer unique opportunities to city institutions as well, and the plans envision its opening by the start of the next 2020/2021 season.

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

September 3, 2019 - A meeting of the Executive Board of the Croatian Football Federation was held on Monday in Zagreb, where they announced the ticket prices for Croatia’s upcoming Euro 2020 qualifier against Hungary at Poljud.

At the meeting, the ticket prices were revealed for the European Qualification match between Croatia and Hungary, to be played in Split at Poljud stadium on October 10. Prices are as follows:

West: 250 kuna (200 kuna in advance)

East: 200 kuna (150 kuna in advance)

North: 125 kuna (100 kuna in advance)

The South stand is intended for fans of the Hungary national team.

All information about ticket sales will be published later on the HNS website.

Recall, Hajduk will not participate in the organization of the match, and will join the moment problems begin to resolve, the club's president Marin Brbić said at a meeting held back in June. 

The City of Split, as the majority owner of the stadium, will lead the organization with the Croatian Football Federation. 

At its session on June 12, the HNS Executive Committee decided that the Euro 2020 qualifier between Croatia and Hungary would be played in Split by a unanimous vote. 

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

September 3, 2019 - The 10th Cigar Smoking World Championship opened on the beautiful terrace of Roof 68 in Split over the weekend. A few years ago, the festival organized by the Split club Mareva, was proclaimed the 4th most important cigar festival in the world, which placed Split and Croatia on a very short and exclusive list of the most desirable destinations for all cigar lovers, reports Dalmacija Danas.

Although Split is not traditionally related to this topic, the enthusiastic team from the Split club Mareva, led by President Marko Bilic and his first associates Ivan Vrdoljak and Zeljana Bilic, successfully built the brand for ten years, which made not only their club famous but also Split and Croatia. In 2015, Marko Bilic received the prestigious Cigar Trophy Award for Best cigar ambassador in the world, and two years later their club was nominated among the top 5 cigar lounges in the world. The award was won by the Davidoff club that year.

The Cigar Smoking World Championship is by invitation, which invites prominent individuals from Croatia and the world to come to Split to participate in the festival of indulgence and gastronomy, but also a festival of culture and tradition. Namely, the Cigar Smoking World Championship is a Croatian brand designed by Croats Marko Bilic and Nenad Medak. It is organized in Croatia, more specifically in Split, and in every respect promotes the city and country from which it originated. 

Although based in Split, the Mareva Club does most of its activities internationally, organizing qualifying tournaments for the central festival in Split around the world; from Chicago, Nashville, New Orleans and New York in the west, across European metropolises like London, Rome, St. Petersburg, Paris, Copenhagen, Oslo, Helsinki, Kiev, all the way to Beirut, and Hanoi and Bangkok to the east. At all qualifying tournaments, the club representatives, in addition to promoting their Mareva brand, also promote the country or city they come from. The vice-president of the club, Ivana Vrdoljak, often points out that Cigar Smoking World Championship is actually a tourism project, which is designed to present Croatia, that is, its tradition and culture in an innovative way.

"We feel we must promote ourselves and the country we come from in the best possible way, when we are already enabled to do so. True, every year we strive to organize a high-level event and provide guests with the level of luxury they are used to, but we also strive hard to do so in the spirit of our culture and tradition, including as many local partners as possible. So we had a great collaboration with Nadalina, who gave us the pralines for the event in the first years, and we are grateful to Mr. Marinko Biskic for supporting our project and believing in us when a lot of people around us didn't even understand what we were doing, let alone support us. We can never forget that. 

We had a similar situation with Pernod Ricard Croatia, which includes Martell, Chivas, Havana Club and Mumm. And they have been following us since the first year, because they believed in this idea as much as we did. One does not forget such things. In the meantime, we have had offers from various competing firms, but we have remained true to them, as they have been faithful to us from the beginning. Those were our beginnings and they were really hard. It got easier with age. Now partners are mostly approaching us and looking to promote themselves on our platform. So, over the years, we have collaborated with many exclusive names like Sunseeker, McLaren, Cuervo y Sobrino Swiss Watches, Boveda, ST. Dupont. But with all these sound names, we are always especially pleased when we cooperate with a Croatian brand, as in the last few years we have had the opportunity to collaborate with Croata, Nadalina or the Museum of Oil on Brac. We must not forget the individuals who have been with us from the beginning, such as photographers Jadran Babic and Ante Majic. And they are part of one big puzzle, which makes the picture complete. We are therefore, grateful to them for their support over the years."

The club points out that through every part of the event, they try to promote as much of Croatia’s tradition and culture as possible. So this year, on the terrace of Roof Restaurant 68, guests were greeted with prosciutto, which was cut in front of them, along with award-winning homemade olive pate by Katja Cukrov from the Museum of Oil on Brac.

The club also boasts cooperation with numerous Croatian wineries, such as Meneghetti, Bibich, Korta Katarina, Belje, Tomić, Duboković, Kutjevo, Kozlović, Krauthaker, Roxanich, Tomac, Rizman, Matošević, Vukoje, Boskinac, Galić, Degrassi, Babic, Kolaric, Posip Milan and Bruno Ferenac. 

Marko Bilic points out: “We are very happy that for 10 years, Croatian wineries have been following us and supporting us in the realization of our ideas through the Championship. Every year, we design a very intensive three-day program for 200 people, and in each part of the program, we have wines, champagnes, spirits... In the evenings, each wine goes with a new plate, before dinner there are cocktails, after dinner, there are cocktails, during the workshops, there is Havana rum, there is champagne at breaks... They are large quantities and that is why we are extremely happy that this year we have cooperated with Dalmacijavino, which gave us wines for the second night of the festival. It is a company with a long tradition and was one of the symbols of Split. So we are really happy that they are back on their feet and if we as a club can help them to rise even more, whether, through branding or sales, we will be happy to do so."

The Cigar Smoking World Championship is held at the Radisson Blu Hotel ballroom, where it has taken place for the last six years. 

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

September 2, 2019 - Hajduk held a press conference on Monday afternoon led by the club president Marin Brbić. 

Already before the derby against Dinamo, Poljud announced a press conference for the last day of the summer transfer deadline. At the conference, the club's president Marin Brbić confirmed that Darko Nejašmić has extended his contract and that World Cup finalist Filip Bradarić was returning to the club on loan, reports the club's website and Gol.hr.

"Darko Nejašmić extended his contract until June 2023. The only exception to what I said earlier is Filip Bradarić, he is a Croatian national team player with extensive experience, coming on loan until the end of the season. I will also say that we are in the negotiation phase with a striker,” Brbić said.

Former Hajduk player and Croatia national team player Filip Bradarić arrives on loan from Serie A club Cagliari, where he fell out of favor. Bradarić returns to Hajduk after four years. Recall, the player was sold to Rijeka where he became the captain.

“This is a really emotional moment for me, after five years I'm finally coming home. I'm going back to Hajduk, my club, my city... I made my first football steps there and my heart is finally in place. I followed Hajduk all the time, I believe I can help this team and I hope we can do great things together. I can't wait to put on my holy jersey again and play for Hajduk,” said Bradarić from Italy, who will arrive in Split on Tuesday morning.

“We went into the last hours of the transition period, which was very long and arduous, I think we have to be satisfied, my humble opinion is that we have done quality within the deadline. There is still the question of strikers and small exit transfers, especially the loan of young players,” said sports director Saša Bjelanović.

The attacker in question is allegedly a Peruvian attacker of Croatian descent, Ivan Bulos, who plays at Boavista in Porto.

Bjelanović confirmed that Ivan Strinić will not return to Hajduk.

''We don't even have to discuss the qualities of Ivan, but in that position, we brought in two young players for whom we invested big money. By bringing Čolina and Dolček, we decided to take that path, and we have to look at the financial dimensions.''

Brbić wanted to make something else clear.

"We announced the press conference before Dinamo because we want to make it clear that one game, whether it was a derby, is not crucial. The championship is a marathon; we are running to win,and the main goal is to enter the Champions League qualifications. The goal is to bring in young players who are national team players who can improve the club and move forward and increase value. Like it or not, we have to market players."

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

September 2, 2019 - Saying goodbye to summer doesn’t have to be sad,  that is, if you let Break Time jewelry cheer you up with September discounts. 

Here we are, at the end of yet another summer season. The grueling temperatures have cooled, the busy streets have thinned, and we welcome a new month that will bring us into a new season. While many of us will miss the season behind us, the summer blues don’t have to thump us this time around. 

Break Time nautical jewelry is giving you a chance to shop smart this autumn with a world of new discounts you can delight in. 

From September 1, 2019, shoppers can enjoy

10% discount off any 2 Break Time nautical bracelets (use code 10OFF at check-out)

15% discount off any 3 (with code 15OFF at checkout)

20% discount off 4 or more (use code 20OFF)

Break Time announced that the offer applies not only for the online orders, but is also available in-store. 

The discount codes will appear automatically at check-out, if conditions are met (10OFF for 2 bracelets, 15% for 3 bracelets or 20OFF for 4 bracelets).

In case you add, for instance, 4 bracelets to the shopping cart and press check-out, you will automatically see the 20OFF discount code applied. However, if you change your mind and modify your shopping cart, for instance, by removing one of the four bracelets initially selected - then the code will no longer be applied and you will have to introduce the appropriate discount code (15OFF for 3 bracelets) manually.

FYI, the offer does not apply to the Zadar key-rings collection or the replacement pins. 

If you're in Croatia and don't need to shop online, you can find Break Time’s five Croatian locations below: 

Ilica 14, ZAGREB

Zadarska 1, SPLIT

Trogirska 8, SPLIT

Antuninska 5, DUBROVNIK

Via Arsenale 10, ROVINJ

To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. 

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

September 2, 2019 - Will the cultural heritage of Split be destroyed by the Instagram generation? One scene from Peristyle speaks volumes. 

Dalmacija Danas writes that Peristyle is one of the most recognizable parts of old Split, with the Sv. Duje Cathedral dominating its east. However, one detail, in particular, catches the attention of passersby - the Egyptian sphinx located in the western access to the church.

The black granite sphinx is nearly two and a half meters long and about one meter high. It is an old sculpture, probably built during the reign of Thutmose I or Thutmose III. These 18th dynasty members ruled in the 16th and 15th centuries BC, making it clear how old and valuable the monument is.

Unfortunately, no matter how old or valuable, we will continue to encounter those who lack respect for cultural heritage, which is especially seen in the social-media-dominated tourism of today. 

A perfect example of this carelessness was captured in Split, at Peristyle, where one tourist was spotted propped on top of the Split sphinx for a photo. 

It didn't take long for the scene to horrify the citizens of Split, and numerous comments have circulated on social networks.

"This monument is literally 3,500 years old. It was transferred from Egypt 1,700 years ago. It has been the most damaged in the last 200 years. It survived the Middle Ages, the Christian destruction of Diocletian's property. And it will be destroyed by the Instagram generation,” read one comment.

“The tragedy is how little people care about such a valuable piece of cultural heritage,” read another. 

One comment pointed out how things work in neighboring Italy, where in '94, Rome initiated 150,000 lira fines.

Others agree:

“A penalty is necessary… 1000 kuna, sit down and pay. I don't see a problem,” one Split resident wrote.

What do you think?

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

ZAGREB, September 1, 2019 - The School of Medicine in the biggest Croatian Adriatic city of Split is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the beginning of its work this autumn.

The organisers of a celebration, which was held on Saturday, underscore that in the last 40 years many positive things happened.

Currently the School of Medicine in Split has four teaching programs: Medicine, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy (in collaboration with the Faculty of Chemical Technology) and Medical Studies in English.

The Medicine program annually enrols 90 students, Dental Medicine and Pharmacy enrol 30 each, and Medical Studies in English 60, according to the information available on the school's website.

This educational institution says that "the MD programme in English offers the degree of Medical Doctor (MD) after a 6-year curriculum. Students with transferable university credits may be eligible for exemptions".

"The School of Medicine in Split started Medicine program in English in the school year 2011/12., when enrolment quota was 30, lately increased to 60 students. The curriculum is governed by the Bologna process."

The dean, Zoran Đogaš said today that 1,200 were now attending courses offered by this school.

There are 27 German students who are currently attending post-graduate courses.

The school boasts that "scientific research and international collaboration are well developed" at this institution that "also supports student exchange".

More news about Croatian universities can be found in the Lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, September 1, 2019 - The Brazilian Navy's training ship BRASIL (U27) sailed into Split's Lora naval port on Friday night, where it will stay until September 3 on a visit to the Croatian Navy and the City of Split, the Croatian Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

The visit is part of the military cooperation between the two countries' navies. On Monday, the ship's commander, Captain Alexandre Bessa de Oliveira, and a delegation will visit the Fleet Admiral Sveto Letica-Barba barracks for talks with Croatian Navy officers.

The BRASIL is 130 metres long, 13.52 m wide and 30.72 m in mast height, and sails at 15 knots. The crew comprises 31 officers, 228 non-commissioned officers, sailors and civilians, and 227 cadets.

The ship was built in Rio de Janeiro in 1983 and visited Dubrovnik in 1987 and Split in 1988.

More news about relations between Croatia and Brazil can be found in the Politics section.