September 1, 2019 - Split welcomes September with impressive numbers. 

Splitski Dnevnik reports that through the two Split ports, the airport and the ferry port, an impressive 132,000 passengers will arrive by air and sea this weekend, the Resnik Airport and Split Ferry Port revealed on Saturday.

Mate Melvan of Split Airport said 115 aircraft with 27,000 passengers were expected on Saturday, while 95 aircraft with 25,000 people will land and take off on Sunday at the Split Airport. 

"When we look at the cumulative three months this summer and compare it to the same period last year, we see a six percent increase," said Melvan. 

The airport, he estimated, would conclude the year with a total of 3.3 million passengers.

However, there will also be crowds at the Split Ferry Port, which will receive 80,000 passengers and 13,000 vehicles in the three days of the weekend.

Jelena Ivulic, the head of Jadrolinija in Split, confirmed that there is a lower intensity of passengers towards the islands than in the past weekends, but because of that, there is a higher traffic intensity towards the ferry port.

“Due to the increased inflow of vehicles, we sent one extra line to Supetar at 8.45 am this morning, and there was a need for another extra line heading to Brač at 12.45 pm. All other departures and arrivals take place according to the timetable,” said Ivulic on Saturday, confirming that when ferries arrive and the vehicles are unloaded, traffic is usually created when leaving the port, approaching the Jadran Bridge and Bacvice in the city.

For the last weekend in August, Jadrolinija expects 80,000 passengers and 13,000 vehicles, which is a piece of cake compared to the first weekend in August, when 95,000 passengers and 18,000 vehicles passed through the port.

Recall, the penultimate Saturday in August saw many travelers return home after their summer holidays, where over 85,000 passengers and over 15,000 vehicles passed through the ferry port last weekend. 

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

August 31, 2019 - On Saturday at 6:30 pm, the 7th round of the Croatian First League will feature the first derby this season between Dinamo and Hajduk. The two teams will meet at Poljud for what is known around the world as the ‘Eternal Derby’. 

It is a chance for Hajduk to reach the top of the standings after 1399 days, with the first victory against Dinamo at Poljud after 1259 days, reports Index.hr.

About 30,000 fans have been announced for the match, making it an ideal opportunity for Hajduk to get a crucial win in front of their fans. Dinamo fan group Bad Blue Boys are also arriving in large numbers, who will be escorted by police from Dugopolje at 4 pm and accompanied to the stadium.

The last time Hajduk celebrated against Dinamo they were led by coach Damir Buric, their coach currently. It was on March 20, 2016, and the winning goal for Hajduk was scored in the 4th minute by Fran Tudor, a footballer who is no longer a member of Hajduk after his contract expired this summer.

"Today, it is worth the same thing. We know how good the opponent is, but we also know what we can do. We have to bring the quality we showed in previous games," Buric said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

However, Hajduk welcomes Dinamo without Ismajli, Edouk, Posavac, and Juric.

"Their absences have disturbed us a little. Juric is out thanks to a broken bone he didn’t even know he had. We will give those a chance who have not played a lot so far. We hope that Juric and Posavac will be ready for Rijeka. We cannot wait for the match against Dinamo. We don't have a chance to play the Champions League, but now we're going to see how we stand compared to a team playing in the Champions League."

Jakolis returns after suspension for exclusion, will he get a chance?

“I feel sorry for the guy because he is a player who plays with his heart and puts everything into the match. That was the case when he was expelled in Koprivnica. I think it was unfair to him and that exclusion was too strict. For every game, we have a plan. We know what lies ahead, and the most important thing is to design our game,” Buric said.

Dinamo coach Nenad Bjelica also spoke ahead of Saturday's game. 

“We expect to win, as always, no matter what stadium or who we play against. Hajduk has played very well in their last two games at home, defeating Lokomotiva and Gorica 3:0. A difficult task awaits us, but I think we are ready. We have recovered from the match against Rosenborg, as you know we have a very wide bench, we are probably going to use all of it and show our true face,” said the Dinamo coach, who was then asked if he dreamed more about Hajduk’s Caktaš or Kevin De Bruyne. 

"Neither," laughed Bjelica, and spoke about Hajduk's best player. "Mijo was the best goal scorer last season. We respect him very much. He can handle the game with a single action. We will have to pay attention to him and keep him in control from inside the box. But there are other dangerous players in Hajduk, like Jairo, and we will need maximum concentration to win."

With such a deep bench, we can certainly expect a change in Dinamo’s lineup compared to the match in Trondheim earlier this week, but Bjelica did not want to go into detail.

"We will see after training, and we will practice somewhere around Split. There certainly will be. Hajduk is always motivated against Dinamo, they will be carried by a full Poljud, but we have played in such atmospheres in Budapest and Trondheim, where there were also full stadiums with a great atmosphere, and we came out unscathed. I believe we will succeed in Split as well."

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

August 30, 2019 - Mayor of Split, Andro Krstulović Opara, has appointed Marijan Čipčić, an employee of the City Museum, and professor of history and archeologist, as the coordinator for the restoration of the Monumental Fountain (Bajamonti Fountain) on the Riva. This is the first step in the long-standing debate over the reconstruction of the fountain, which was one of the most important city symbols in the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

Recall, the Monumental Fountain was conceived by the then-mayor Antonio Bajamonti as the crown of the great event - the restoration of the water supply system from the Jadro, which still gives Split drinking water a thousand and a half years later.

It was commissioned in Milan in 1880, and water flowed from it ten years later, three months before Bajamonti's death. It has also been considered a symbol of the community of citizens, since it was funded by residents of all classes, from bishops to the poor. 

Its pools and allegorical figures symbolized the river Jadro and the Adriatic Sea, as well as mythological sea creatures, and the figure of a young man at the top of the fountain with his hand extended to the east referred to the economic orientation of Split towards the hinterland and Bosnia. Soon the fountain became an indispensable protagonist of city postcards, family photographs and monographs of Split.

It was demolished by an unknown decision of the Communist authorities on May 30, 1947, crushed with dynamite and used as a mound in road embankments, and several fragments were rescued by the Solin painter Vjekoslav Parać.

Thanks to the enthusiasm of Split’s older generation, a replica of the fountain was erected to film the Miljenko Smoje series 'Velo Misto', and whole families came to take pictures in front of the never forgotten stone beauty of Split. Unfortunately, more than thirty other public fountains and smaller fountains were erected on city streets and squares when restoring Diocletian's aqueduct in the 19th century. However, only a few smaller ones survived, and two larger ones in Đardin and Pazar.

Since the 1980s, several initiatives have been made to restore the fountain, which the new Split named 'Bajamontuša'. The first in 1990 was prompted by the restoration of the monument to Ban Jelačić in Zagreb's main square.

At the beginning of the 2000s, new initiatives were created, more than 12,000 signatures were collected, and after months of deliberation by the Monuments and Streets Commission - since no original documentation was available to allow the fountain to be reconstructed - a compromise solution was made to build a fountain that would maximally respect the appearance of the original, which was accepted by the City Council.

The initiative for the restoration of the Monumental Fountain on the Riva in Split, formed in 2016, was the most vigorous in proving that the fountain could be replicated, several models were made, and documentation was collected, but no concrete steps were taken.

In March this year, Mayor Krstulović Opara did not announce how conditions were met for the fountain to be restored. In the Split budget for 2019, HRK 250 thousand is planned for the Monumental Fountain, while HRK 2.5 million is set aside for 2020, and HRK 5 million for 2021, which amounts to HRK 7.75 million or about one million euros over three years. 

The named coordinator Čipčić said that his tasks were defined: proposing procedures for the implementation of the Monumental Fountain, monitoring the implementation of activities, proposing the dynamics of drafting technical documentation, preparing and monitoring information and educational activities, and reporting to the mayor on the dynamics of the project.

“The fact that the mayor has appointed a coordinator for the reconstruction project demonstrates that there is a strong will to finally and in the near future resolve the issue, to the delight of the many Split citizens whose ancestors co-financed its construction. Initiatives for its renovation date back to the late 1970s when a model was temporarily installed to film the series 'Velo Misto'.

After the Commission for its Restoration was established at the Friends of Cultural Heritage Society in 2005, the restoration initiatives were intensified. I recall on this occasion the decisions of the City Council of 2006 and 2016, which decided that the Monumental Fountain would be restored, and Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara, following these qualities, included the funds for its reconstruction in the budget for this and next year,” says Čipčić, and reveals:

“The Conservation study is completed, which was sent for expert opinion to the Croatian Council for Cultural Property, the Ministry of Culture, and an advisory body for performing professional and other tasks in the field of protection and preservation of cultural property. My appointment followed this,” he adds, and points out that it is difficult to talk about deadlines the same day he was appointed to the position of coordinator.

“Everyone has their own opinion and that is quite legitimate. The vast majority of our fellow citizens are in favor of rebuilding the Monumental Fountain, as evidenced by various initiatives and signed petitions. But what is certainly important to emphasize here is that the decisions to renovate the Monumental Fountain were made legitimately within the institutions. Here again, I am reminded of the 2006 and 2016 City Council decisions.

That's the merit of things. The renovation of the fountain on the waterfront in Split will re-enrich this space, as it ideally agrees with the close architectural forms of that part of Riva. The act of its restoration will correct one major historical injustice,” concludes Coordinator Čipčić.

You can read more about the fountain here.

Translated from Slobodna Dalmacija.

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August 29, 2019 - In addition to the counties of Istria and Dubrovnik-Neretva, Split-Dalmatia County last year had more immigrants than emigrants. At a time when there is a continuous increase in population going beyond the borders of the country, it is commendable to single out a county that offers something more to not only retain, but also bring in new residents.

Dalmacija Danas presents a list of measures and programs drawing people to the coast. 

Tourism, as the most promising branch, attracts many to the coastal county. Apart from the cities, many people are opting for a life on the islands, and for which the state has already adopted several measures to make life easier for families on the islands. In addition, through the EU's rural development program, many on the islands and other rural areas of the County have used grants to invest in non-agricultural activities, most notably tourism and the construction of holiday homes, which bring them secure income.

In order to ensure balanced development, the County is working hard on measures to keep the population or bring them back to rural areas. Certainly, the 'Your Home is Here’ measure is the most important in this regard, which, under favorable conditions, allows young families to build or renovate homes. It was launched this year, when 200 applications were received, and the contract was recently concluded with the first 33 families with 80 children. Another 60 new contracts are expected to be signed soon.

Last year, County prefect Blaženko Boban also introduced a series of measures for entrepreneurs. Thus, a small business start-up support program has been prepared for beginner entrepreneurs, for which a loan of HRK 20 to 50 thousand can be obtained. Entrepreneurs can also be granted loans for strengthening entrepreneurial competencies up to HRK 100,000, and economic zones are encouraged for equal entrepreneurial opportunities. With subsidized interest, it is only one percent for the end-user.

“I expect that young people will not only be left with the option to take their identification and go across the border, but that they will be interested in these measures and through them recognize the future of Split-Dalmatia County, and above all the rural part of the County,” said Boban last year.

That proved to be correct. Through lending to small and medium-sized enterprises, interest subsidy generated 1,925 loans worth HRK 2 billion. A total of 445 grants worth 7 million kuna were given to start small businesses.

Particularly significant is the measure for women entrepreneurs, who also received co-financing through applications for these competitions. According to this analysis, Split-Dalmatia County is the second among Croatian counties in terms of budget allocations for entrepreneurs and craftspeople in 2018.

ICT Counties is about to get a new headquarters, and the plan is to find a place for established businesses, as well as young people with start-ups. This profession precisely attracts a new population to the County.

“The IT industry is, in addition to demographic renewal and infrastructure projects, I will not say the third, but perhaps also the first pillar of the development of Split-Dalmatia County,” said Boban recently, explaining that the IT sector is a fine upgrade to demographics, transport and infrastructure efforts to keep young professionals, but that it also attract the best IT experts from around the world, given that there are no business headquarters restrictions.

The County also pays generous benefits for newborns. Based on the demographic analysis in each municipality and city, there are five groups within the counties, and depending on them, the amount of compensation varies. Thus, in the least developed cities and municipalities within groups 1 and 2, benefits are highest and are paid by the age of three. In the other groups in the first year, the amount is lower.

Split-Dalmatia County has allocated the highest number of all counties for kindergartens, and last year was ranked fourth. A large number of kindergartens are currently under construction, renovation, and upgrading. There is a lot of investment in education, and the most significant project in this area is the Center of Excellence. In the two years since the first Center of Excellence was established, the number of students has grown to nearly 400, who, along with their mentors, are refining their knowledge. Such an investment in gifted students has also brought in many national champions in various subjects. This year, Split-Dalmatia County is the second county with the most Oscars of knowledge. 

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

August 28, 2019 - The 2nd edition of xSTaticJAM, the international graffiti gathering and street art festival in Split, begins on Wednesday, August 28. 

The content-rich program this year gathers 50 local and international graffiti artists in Split who will enrich the city’s public spaces in five urban locations with their artwork. In addition to the graffiti program, this year's xSTaticJAM will also give citizens and visitors the chance to participate in an all-day street art event on Saturday, August 31st, offering a range of free content at the Youth Center and the surrounding area, reports Dalmacija Danas.

The artists will use their expertise to create artwork on Pujanke Street, Supavla Street, the sidewalk in Kman and the walls at the entrance to the Marjan Tunnel. The artists will paint until Friday when Split’s citizens will be able to see the final result and revitalized city walls, which will become a unique street showroom and an example of how to aesthetically enrich urban spaces.

The grand finale of this year's xSTaticJAM will follow this Saturday, August 31st, at the Youth Center and on the plateau in front of the Center, where a full-day program dedicated to street art culture will be held. On this occasion, citizens will have the opportunity to try their hands at graffiti, take photos and talk to graffiti artists, but also to leave their messages on the billboards as part of "Take It Off!" by which the City wishes to promote freedom of expression without affecting public spaces. 

Split’s youth and anyone up for an adventure can join the skate school and ride BMX bikes, while visitors will also be able to learn the basics of screen printing, film projections and video projections, check out a photo exhibition by graphic designer and documentary filmmaker Marko Dajak, and explore the Open art corner, all accompanied by music from the DJ duo Los Santos and an interesting food offer.

From 9 pm, the music part of the evening will be followed by live concerts, with Gršo, Žuvi, and Krešo Bengalka performing. The after-party then moves to Kocka with Banana Zvuk and a gastro corner. All content is open and free to all interested citizens.

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

August 27, 2019 - The new Westgate Tower B in Split, which will eventually house the Marriott hotel and stand as Croatia's tallest building, should be completed by 2020. 

After the works were temporarily suspended, the construction of the Westgate Tower B in Split continues with full steam. Currently, the workers have covered up to the 23rd floor, and are working on the structure of the 24th floor. This skyscraper, which should be called "Dalmatia", will have 27 floors in total that reach 115 meters above sea level. This will make it the tallest building in Croatia, reports Dalmacija Danas.

While the adjoining, smaller tower became home to OTP Bank, its taller brother will host the first Marriott hotel in Croatia, featuring a total of 200 luxury rooms. This hotel will be located between the 16th and 26th floors, and on the top floor, there will be a “Sky bar” with the most magnificent views of Split and its surroundings. It will be the fifth hotel from this luxury hotel chain in Croatia, though it will be the first "Courtyard by Marriott" in Croatia which is recognized worldwide as an ideal accommodation for business travel.

According to reliable sources, the concrete part of the works will be completed in a month and a half to two months, and the new skyscraper will open in 2020. The installation of glass panels in the lower part of the tower has already begun, and it’s slowing beginning to look similar to the neighboring structure. 

Recall, at a recent public auction, a large plot of land that used to house the failed Mils Split dairy in the area was bought by Ivan Miloloža, owner of the real estate company “Jedina nekretnina”, and speculation has already begun on what will be built on that land.

Either way, the Westgate Towers have significantly altered the skyline in this part of Split. What the view will be once the taller tower is completed remains to be seen. 

For now, enjoy the progress of the new complex in a series of photos by Split photographer Goran Leš.

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

August 26, 2019 - Foreign camper vans have finally found the best location to ‘camp out’ in Split this summer - and they don’t even have to reach into their wallets. 

Interestingly, the location is known and accessible to everyone in Split, and if you live in the city or, hell, even got hit with an injury or illness on your Croatian holiday, chances are, you’ve been here too. 

Namely, Slobodna Dalmacija writes that tourist campers have found a home in the southern parking lot of the Clinical Hospital Center in Firule (KBC Split), right in front of the main medical building that houses the Psychiatry Clinic. For countless days and nights, camper vans have found comfort in spending their summer holidays in this popular Split parking lot. There are sometimes five to eight vehicles, most often with Italian and Spanish license plates, though some citizens recall seeing Czech plates, too. 

Hospital staff, as well as patients and visitors of the hospital, aren't taking a liking to the campers because parking at KBC Split is already a battle, and always a headache. 

The campers can be found across the hospital parking lot, but you can also find them on the nearby dirt area, along the entire southern side of the KBC Firule complex.

“We know about this problem and we have already reported it to the Communal Police. We, as a hospital, do not have the mechanisms to remove these camper vans. But the problem is that they, as tourists, do not in practice violate the law, but are just parking in a parking lot. The Communal Police Department said they could not do anything to them either, because the campers do not occupy more than one parking space,” says Dr. Anton Marović, Assistant Director of the largest Dalmatian healthcare institution.

There have been cases in recent years where their owners would bring out tables, chairs, and even umbrellas to dine beneath the hospital windows and balconies. 

Slobodna Dalmacija also spoke to Damir Ordulj, the head of the City of Split municipal department.

“Legally, we can't do anything to them because they only take up one spot in the parking lot to accommodate the vehicle. In addition, they have not set up tables outside their campers. But we will definitely send a traffic officer right away to see what he can do in this regard,” said Ordulj on Saturday. 

KBC Split also said that they still have not been able to reach someone from the Tourist Inspectorate, which is the only one authorized to sanction campers outside the campgrounds. For reference, the closest campsite to Split is in Stobreč.

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

August 26, 2019 - An outstanding weekend for PK Jadran Split swimmer Franko Grgić who has celebrated two gold medals and achieved new records at the 7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest.

After winning the gold in the 800-meter-freestyle while breaking a Croatian record just three days ago, Franko Grgić has left his fans no time to recover from the celebration - the 16-year-old swimming sensation has done it again, this time becoming the world champion in the 1500-meter-freestyle, reports HRT.

Namely, Grgić won the World Junior Championship title in the 1500-meters-freestyle at the World Championships in Budapest and even achieved a new world junior record with a time of 14:46.09 minutes.

Grgić swam 10.46 seconds faster in Budapest than his best-ever record in the 1500 meters, which was also Croatia's national record.

Just how dominant Grgić has been in Hungary is shown by his advantage of 13.10 seconds over silver Australian Thomas Neill, or 19.08 seconds over the bronze medalist Russian Ilya Sibirtsev.

“I practiced swimming at my own pace, regardless of the others, and that is how I started this race. I believe in myself, I am aware of my reach, but I think I can do a lot more than I have shown,” Franko Grgić said after the win.

Recall, just three days ago, the 16-year-old wunderkid won the gold medal at the World Junior Championships in Budapest in the 800-meter freestyle. Grgić celebrated with a score of 7:45.92 ahead of Russian Ilia Sibirtsev and Australian Thomas Neill, who were more than two seconds behind him.

Franko’s previous career-fastest in the 800-meter free was achieved in Zagreb in March where he swam 7:53.75. In Budapest, however, Grgić was 8 seconds faster, thus breaking the Croatian record held by Marin Mogić (7:51:78). 

Grgić was thus named the 25th fastest performer of all-time, any age, in this 800-meter freestyle.

Earlier this year, Grgić won the gold in the 400-meter and 1500 meter at the EYOF in Baku, and also hit the Olympic standard for Tokyo 2020.

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

August 24, 2019 - Will it be a nightmare escaping Split this weekend? A closer look at the ferry port crowds. 

As was expected, the penultimate Saturday in August is set for many travelers to return home after their summer holidays. The traffic of vehicles and passengers, especially from the Central Dalmatian islands, is also felt at the Split ferry port. However, travelers shouldn’t encounter too many delays on the way from the ferry port through Bačvice, reports Slobodna Dalmacija.

“We expect over 85,000 passengers and over 15,000 vehicles to pass through the Split Ferry Port this weekend, with an emphasis on returning from the islands. Everything is going according to the timetable except that at 9 am and 12:30 we had to introduce one extra line to Supetar, given the large number of vehicles waiting to board. In the next day, we will see how things will work out and react accordingly,” said Jelena Ivulić from the Jadrolinija branch in Split.

Otherwise, the Split-Supetar-Split line has 14 regular trips daily, which are always full. The Sesartić family spoke to Slobodna Dalmacija about their travels from Supetar to Split and onto Zagreb on Saturday.

“We have waited in line for about an hour, and judging by the number of vehicles in front of us, we will probably wait another hour and a half, if not longer. The queue for boarding vehicles is all the way to the roundabout in Supetar, which is good. We thought it would be longer as they announced. The utility and fire department guys are down the road and directing drivers to create order. We have heard that bottles of water are being distributed to passengers and vehicles, but that may be the case at the end of the queue,” said Ana, who is traveling with her family.

Increased passenger and vehicle transport is also expected on Sunday and even Monday when travelers increasingly choose to travel to avoid traffic jams.

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Thanks to the partnership of the City of Split and the Croatian (Osijek) company MediaKing, a free Wi-Fi network was released Friday on the Split Riva. In the coming days, other popular areas of Split will too be covered, reports Dalmacija Danas and the City of Split.

Namely, the project includes the most attractive public areas in the city of Split - the East and West Coast, Riva, Marmontova, and the entire Bačvice, including the beach and all catering facilities.

As we have learned from Darko Kraljević, a representative of MediaKing, this is the first implementation of an advanced and innovative solution of the MediaKing Smart Wi-Fi in public urban areas, after the same solution was successfully implemented in a complete public transport fleet in Osijek, Split, and Dubrovnik. The biggest advantage of this home solution is the ability to simultaneously connect a large number of users while maintaining a stable and fast Internet connection. Users of the MediaKing Smart Wi-Fi system have already been able to test its quality at the Mall of Split shopping center, which has been using this system for several months. Besides being the largest mall in the region, it is also the mall with the fastest Wi-Fi in Europe.

Thus, this makes Split the city with the fastest public Wi-Fi network in Europe. For all users, this service is free of charge, and the network itself does not ask for any password or give time restrictions. 

Thanks to the efforts of Krešimir Budiša, advisor to mayor Andro Krstulović Opara for EU Funds and Development, Split has become the first city in the world to introduce MediaKing Smart Wi-Fi, which is why the entire implementation for the City of Split will be free of charge. The city will only pay a symbolic amount of system maintenance.

MediaKing is a Croatian company engaged in the implementation of an advanced and innovative Smart Wi-Fi solution for large companies, business centers and malls, public institutions, public and private transportation (trams, buses, ferries, etc.) and places and surfaces that need a large number of concurrent connections to quality and secure Wi-Fi.

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