June 9, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik.

June 7, 2020 - A 3D video by young Split student Petar Alfirevic envisions Diocletian's Palace as it once was. 

Dalmacija Danas writes that the Architectural and Geodetic Technical School in Split in the Erasmus + project not only helps students to complete cultural and heritage aspects, but also develops their intercultural competencies by promoting cultural differences as common values and wealth.

The students participating in this project are: 

Ante Dražen Tranfić, 3rd grade student, Marta Vladušić, 3rd grade student, Ante Pauk, 3rd grade student, architectural technician; Petar Alfirević, 2nd grade student, architectural technician; Toni Šarolić and Bernarda Franić, 2nd grade students, technician for geodesy and geoinformatics; Daniel Barada, 2nd c grade student and Petar Bašić, 2nd b grade student, construction technician; Ivan Žižić and Magdalena Vukušić, 2nd grade students, architectural technician.

Students most often present the heritage of Split by making models in wood, drawings, videos, floor plans, and 3d visualizations that work in ProgeCAD and SketchUp. This time, a genius and self-taugt student of the School of Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Petar Alfirević, created a 3D video of Diocletian's Palace, faithfully reconstructing what it looked like in Diocletian's time. Modest by nature, unobtrusive and self-effacing, Peter spoke about his 3d video:

"I made the video in SketchUp. It took me about a month to finish it even though I worked a couple of days a week. I started from the floor plan of the whole palace and started to build the walls and towers. When I finished the walls, I made the northern part of the palace and after it, the Peristyle, the mausoleum, the Temple of Jupiter and then the rest of the southern part. I worked on the details later."

You can watch the brilliant new 3D video of Diocletian's Palace below:

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

June 7, 2020 - Hostels could be the most affected by the corona crisis in the tourism sector, and hundreds have sprung up in Croatia in recent years. There are forty hostels in Split alone, all of which are mostly empty.

HRT reports that guests who stay in hostels, mostly young people arriving by plane from overseas countries, will hardly be able to come this summer, so many hostels are threatened with closure.

Antea is the owner of two hostels in Split. At the end of last season, she invested her earnings in a food bar. Now there are no earnings, and the bills for rent and utilities are piling up.

"Our guests are Americans, Australians, Canadians, and British, I would say 90%, which is a huge percentage, and a few Europeans will come. I don't know how much of the season we will save along the way," says Antea Ćurin.

It is not just a matter of the owners' troubles, as jobs are also questionable. 

Last year, Split hostels with about 1,300 beds recorded more than 115,000 overnight stays. All of these rooms are now empty, as is the city center where most are located.

"We would already be full, we planned to start on April 1 this year and by May 1 it would already be a full season," says Antonia Dora Ferić, the hostel manager.

A returnee from Germany has invested almost one million kuna in the renovation of this hostel, restaurant and another facility just for this season.

"And what will happen now, I don't know. I guess we will have to survive and not sink, or something like that. That's my forecast, and even when you look around, everything is still quiet. No foreign voices are heard yet," points out Ćiro Sabljić, a hostel owner in Split.

Savings are wasted and prices have been lowered. However, there are no guests, so most of the 80 hostels in the county will not survive the year. Thus, the Split-Dalmatia County Hostel Group called an emergency meeting for survival at the beginning of the week.The solution remains to be seen. 

You can watch the full video on HRT

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

June 7, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Split and the island of Losinj.

Croatian Aviation reports that Scandinavian Airlines, better known as SAS, the airline of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, will soon launch two international routes to Croatia.

SAS is a long-time guest at Croatian coastal airports, so it is not surprising that it will be among the first after the corona crisis to launch two flights to Split Airport.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

The company has announced a flight schedule for June, while the schedule for July will be finalized soon.

From June 20, the company will introduce the Copenhagen - Split line, twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays), with the A320neo aircraft.

From the same date, the Oslo - Split route will be introduced, but only once a week (on Saturdays), with the same type of aircraft, the A320neo, which has a capacity of 174 seats in the fleet of this carrier.

In the summer flight schedule, SAS operates from numerous destinations in Scandinavia to Pula, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik, but the company has so far announced only two flights for Split Airport.

Avio Radar reports that Czech airline Silver Air has returned to traffic in Italy and is flying again from several Italian cities to the island of Elba. Losinj is planned this year as well, but with only one line from Switzerland on offer. The Losinj - Zagreb line is no longer available, nor are the other lines from Losinj to Split and Pula, or other Italian destinations. 

The Lugano -  Losinj line is offered once a week, on Wednesdays, which is one flight less per week than last year. Traffic on this route is planned from July 8 to September 30 with the Let L-410 Turboolet aircraft. 

Finally, Avio Radar reports that on Saturday,June 6, German low-cost carrier Eurowings increased traffic on two lines from Germany to Split. Namely, on the planned routes on this day, there will be two planes from Dusseldorf and Stuttgart to Split.

An even larger aircraft will come from Dusseldorf, the Airbus A320. Eurowings noted this change thanks to an increased interest in passengers. 

June 5, 2020 - After a nearly three-month break due to COVID-19, the Croatian Football League returned on Friday for the 27th round match between Hajduk and Inter Zapresic at Poljud. TCN was there. 

While the football season in Croatia continued with the semifinals of the Croatian Cup last weekend, football fans in Croatia could hardly wait for the return of the Croatian Championship. The last game of the Croatian First League was played on March 9, when Lokomotiva celebrated in Gorica 3:1.

Exactly 88 days later, Hajduk was hungry for points to ensure second place and the Champions League qualifiers against the second-to-last place Inter, a club fighting to stay alive. Hajduk had celebrated in seven consecutive games against Zapresic in Split before tonight.

TCN reported live from a much quieter Poljud on Friday, as only journalists and a select few others were invited to witness the return of Hajduk outside of club members. Temperatures were checked upon entering the stadium, and no dilly-dallying was allowed - you were meant to go straight to your seat once inside. 

The pre-game protocol was also a bit different for players, who were not allowed to line-up or touch hands before kick-off. 

While the raging jugo wind and quiet stands didn't help either side on Friday, Hajduk dominated most of the first half - and Torcida even found a way to cheer outside of the stadium in the 25th minute - with fireworks! 

Unfortunately, Torcida's display couldn't help much - Inter's Mamut scored from a free-kick in the 37th minute for 0:1, which was how the first half ended. 

The ref consulted VAR in the 56th minute which saw a Hajduk penalty and a red card for Inter's Soldo. Caktas missed, though was given a second chance after the ref called that the keeper was off his line. Caktas scored this time for 1:1. 

Hajduk spent the remainder of the match in Inter's half, missing key chances for 2:1. And then it happened in the 7th minute of added time - Dimitrov scored for 2:1, which was the final score of the game. 

Slaven Belupo and Gorica will play on Saturday at 7 pm, and Varaždin and Dinamo at 9 pm, while the matches between Istra 1961 - Rijeka and Lokomotiva - Osijek will end the round on Sunday.

The Championship continues without spectators, but since the epidemiological situation in Croatia is good, the return of fans to the stadiums can be expected.

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

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

June 5, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik, Rijeka and Pula. 

Croatian Aviation reports that in its latest statement, Emirates further postponed the start of traffic on the Dubai-Zagreb route.

The company first postponed the line to July, then to August, and the latest news is September. Emirates is currently offering sales on the Dubai-Zagreb route from September 1 this year, four times a week; on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Boeing 777-300ER aircraft have been announced on the route, which has several different configurations in the fleet of this airline, so depending on the registration of the aircraft, they can carry between 354 and 442 passengers.

Considering that Emirates turned the Zagreb line into a seasonal service, and that the partner FlyDubai operates on the route in the winter flight schedule, the chance that Emirates will return to Zagreb this summer is slim. According to the plan, the already mentioned FlyDubai should take over the line from the end of October.

Qatar Airways, a competitor to Emirates (along with Etihad), is still on sale for 3 weeks from the beginning of July to Zagreb, but changes are also possible with this airline in the next two weeks.

The largest aircraft (both in terms of technical specifications and the number of seats in the passenger cabin) in Zagreb was Emirates, while Air Canada Rouge and Korean Air flew with long-range and capacity aircraft to the Croatian capital. However, both have canceled their flights completely for this summer. Air Transat still has a line between Toronto and Zagreb on sale, 3 times a week since the beginning of July.

Furthermore, Avio Radar reports that Swiss airline Edelweiss Air resumed its service from Zurich to Split on June 4. The week, Edelweiss will also arrive on Sunday, June 7. By the end of June, this line will be in service twice a week,  on Thursdays and Sundays, with the Airbus A320 aircraft. From July, the route will operate 5 times a week, or every day except Wednesday and Friday. 

The other two Edelweiss lines for Croatia are planned from July, i.e., the Zurich-Dubrovnik line twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays from July 3, and the Zurich-Pula line, also twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays from July 1. 

Finally, Avio Radar reports that Latvian airline Air Baltic will establish a route between Riga and Rijeka from June 17. Flights from Riga were scheduled for July 29, but the carrier decided to launch a month and a half earlier despite the current corona situation. The line will operate on Wednesdays with an Airbus A220-300 instead of last year’s Boeing 737-300.

Air Baltic also announces flights to Split and Dubrovnik from June 20.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

June 5, 2020 - In May, in addition to the city record, the citizens of Split also broke the Croatian record in the monthly number of public bicycle rentals. A total of 9,168 rentals were achieved in Split, which is twice as many as in April, when there were 4,544 rentals. In total, since the beginning of 2020, over 25,000 rentals have been made in Split.

Dalmatinski Portal reports that the largest number of rentals was made by locals, or 96 percent of them. Last month, a total of 1,436 new users were registered in the system, while the total number of registered users is 7,075, of which 84 percent are domestic users. The station with the most rentals in May is the Riva, followed by Žnjan, Split 3, Zvončac, Spinut and others.

Given the growing number of new users and rentals from Split Parking, they call on all cyclists, but also drivers of cars, motorcycles and other vehicles, to be extra careful and responsible when driving. This especially refers to the way bicycles are used and the transport of children on bicycles, which, they emphasize, is prohibited with the existing offer of bicycles. But with the system operator, Nextbike, they found a solution so that parents with children could also use bicycles. These are child seats, and a number will be set soon.

"Nicer and warmer weather is coming and we expect that the numbers will continue to grow and that is why we appeal to users to use bicycles responsibly and correctly, as stated in the instructions. This means that it is forbidden to ride with another person on a bicycle, especially children. We warn about this because we want to protect our youngest, and we will soon install a number of bicycles with child seats that will enable safe transportation. If it turns out that there is an increased interest, as we procure new bicycles, we will also procure additional seats. We also ask drivers to pay attention to cyclists," said Marko Bartulić, director of Split Parking.

The figures show that users have created the habit of using bicycles and that they are becoming a favorite means of transport for more and more citizens from month to month. The company says that the use of bicycles is good for health and environmental protection, it is cheaper and faster, and the use of bicycles ensures the necessary social distance. In order to meet the growing demand, the entire system is being improved, which will set up about 40 new stations and 175 new bicycles in Split by the end of the year. This will give each district at least one station, and all-important institutions and frequency locations will be covered.

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

June 4, 2020 - With tourism slowly starting, who is flying to Split and Dubrovnik, and how many flights are scheduled this month?

I met with Croatian Minister of Tourism, Gari Cappelli yesterday to discuss various issues relating to tourism. Minister Cappelli gave me some official answers on EU border openings, air bridges and driving across Europe to enter Croatia. I will publish this interview once all the information in the article is double-checked, hopefully today. Croatia currently hold the EU presidency, so Minister Cappelli is speaking on behalf of the EU, so all must be 100% correct. 

One other issue I asked for is better access to current information for our readers. We start with something many people want to know - who is flying to Split, how many planes are there, and where from. PLEASE NOTE this is purely advisory and you should check everything with the relevant airline. Changes and cancellations are inevitable. 

This is what I received. 

Dear Mr. Bradbury,

following your inquiry about the number of flights, below you can find information about flight announcements.

IMPORTANT! – This information are announcements and are subject to change.

Regarding the airport in Split: There are a total of 365 active flights (39 to 15 June + 326 second half of June) with 115,365 seats. Although the announcements are still valid, it is realistic to expect the realization of about 50 percent of the announced flights (180 flights).

Destinations for Airport Split in June 2020:

At Dubrovnik Airport, in the second half of June, there are currently 10 active flights from Tel Aviv, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo, Pariz, Nantes, Porto and confirmation of additional routes is expected.

For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily. 

Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language - now available in 24 languages

Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community.

ZAGREB, June 2, 2020 - The Split office of the Attorney General has issued an indictment against two-man, aged 53 and 21, for assaulting reporter Zivana Susak Zivkovic while she was trying to record a mass in a church in Split on her mobile phone on 12 April.

In the incident in the Sirobuje residential area, the journalist of the Dalmatinski portal web site sustained light injuries when she was pushed away, and her mobile phone, on which she was streaming the gathering, was taken and her arm was pinned with the church door.

The mass was being held despite the ban on public gathering, and the two attackers are charged with preventing the reporter from doing her job which is described as a job of public interest.

In the incident the reporter's mobile telephone, the value of which is estimated at 3,000 kunas, was destroyed. If found guilty, the 21-man, who smashed that phone, will be required to compensate that damage.

June 2, 2020 - The songs and performers of the 60th Split Festival, which will take place at the beginning of July at Prokurative, have been revealed. At this year's jubilee music event, in addition to an evening of new compositions, the program will also have a retro component. 

Dalmatinski Portal writes that as usual, some of the biggest names in the music scene will sing their news songs at the Split Festival, and young musicians and authors who have a successful career ahead of them will have the opportunity to feel the charms of one of the most beautiful stages. Last year's winners Goran Karan and Tedi Spalato return this year, but this time each with their own song. Neno Belan and Zorana Kačić Čatipović will sing together in a duet, while the event will also feature the faithful Tomislav Bralić and Klapa Intrade, the unique Hari, Giuliano, Mladen Grdović, Klapa Rišpet and Alen Nižetić.

After last year's duet and success with Mio Dimšić, Marko Tolja returns to Prokurative this year with his own song. Jole, Ivo Perkušić and The Frajle will also present themselves to the audience with a new composition, and young singers Filomena and Adriana will make their debut.

The musical jury, composed of Eduard Gracin, head of the music department of Radio Split, Katarina Perišić, head of the music department of Radio Dalmatia, professor Nenad Šiškov, composer, producer and arranger, professor Jasminko Šetka and composer and director of the Split festival Tomislav Mrduljaš, given the number of songs received, had a great responsibility to choose the 22 compositions that will be performed at this year's Split Festival.

You can find the list of songs below:

1. BUDI ČOVJEK (Robert Grubišić-Robert Pilepić) IBRICA

2. ČAROBNA STVAR (Neno Belan-Alka Vuica) NENO BELAN & ZORANA KAČIĆ ČATIPOVIĆ
3. DOĐI, UZMI DUŠU (Marko Kutlić-Aleksandar Čubrilo) ADRIANA
4. DUGO NISAM BIO MLAD (Goran Karan) GORAN KARAN
5. FALI MENI ONA (Pero Kozomara-Sanja Tafra) JOLE
6. IDEM JUGU SVOM (Hari Rončević) HARI RONČEVIĆ
7. IZDALO ME MORE (Filomena Puljiz/Josip Grgantov-Filomena Puljiz) FILOMENA
8. KAD DUŠA BOLI (Mladen Grdović-Nenad Ninčević) MLADEN GRDOVIĆ
9. KAKO SAMO MATER ZNA (Tonći Huljić-Vjekoslava Huljić) LORENA
10. MAKA MAKA (Pero Kozomara-Lući Tukić) KLAPA RIŠPET
11. MENI TRIBA MIRNO MORE (Boris Oštrić) BORIS OŠTRIĆ & RIBARI
12. NE ZAMIRI VILO (Tedi Spalato-Nenad Ninčević) TEDI SPALATO
13. NEMA BOLJE (Ines Prajo-Arijana Kunštek) IVO PERKUŠIĆ
14. NIJE DOVOLJNO (Marko Matijević Sekul/Maja Kolarić/Boris Kolarić) ČIVRO
15. O TEBI OVISAN (Marko Tolja) MARKO TOLJA
16. OSTAJEM TU (Vinko Barčot) TOMISLAV BRALIĆ & KLAPA INTRADE
17. PISMA SPLITA (Želimir Škarpona/Dalibor Musap-Nedo Zuban) TENORI DALMACIJE
18. PJEVA MI SE ALI NEMAM S KIM (Branimir Mihaljević-Nenad Ninčević) GIULIANO
19. SAMO MI SE JAVI (Fedor Boić-Nenad Ninčević) ALEN NIŽETIĆ
20. SVE DO KRAJA (Jasminko Šetka-Ružana Kovač) KLAPA PRASKA
21. TO NE MOGU PODNIT (Darko Bakić) PETAR DRAGOJEVIĆ
22. VOLI ME GODINAMA (Marija Mirković) FRAJLE

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