June 2, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik, and Zadar.

Ryanair plans to resume traffic to Zadar on selected lines from July. The first line from Stuttgart to Zadar, on which Lauda operates, will run from June 28. All other lines are planned to begin operations from the first week of July. 

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There is not a single new line planned for this year with aircraft based in Zadar. Also, no routes from France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom are on offer. 

Furthermore, on all routes operating from the beginning of July, the number of flights per week has been significantly reduced. Most flights per week have been announced on the Vienna-Zadar route, twice a week from the beginning of July, with reinforcements to three times a week in August. 

In other flight news, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Aegean Airlines has delayed the resumption of all of its flights to Croatia until September. While the airline planned to fly from Athens to Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split from the beginning of July, they will not resume operations until September 1 to Split, September 2 to Zagreb, and September 3 to Dubrovnik. 

Finally, Croatian Aviation reports that Austrian national carrier Austrian Airlines has confirmed it is re-establishing the Vienna-Zagreb-Vienna route from the end of June.

As announced earlier, Austrian will fly from Vienna to Split and Dubrovnik again this month, so it was logical to expect the introduction of a route to Zagreb, on which, in addition to Austrian, Croatia Airlines also operates regularly.

From June 29, Austrian Airlines will once again connect the capitals of Austria and Croatia with one flight a day.

In the morning, a departure from Vienna to Zagreb is planned at 06:40, with arrival in Zagreb at 7:35. Departure from Zagreb to Vienna is planned for 8:15 am, with arrival in Vienna at 9:15 am.

In the afternoon, the plane will take off from Vienna at 13:10, and the arrival in Zagreb is planned for 14:05. The return to Vienna is at 15:15, with arrival in the Austrian capital at 16:10. In addition to direct (p2p) demand, passengers from Vienna are being offered a large number of destinations in Europe that Austrian will restart from the end of this month.

The smaller capacity aircraft, the DashQ400 and Embraer 190, are planned for the flights.

The company is currently working on a new flight schedule for July, but Austrian is expected to continue flying once a day on the Vienna-Zagreb-Vienna route in the first half of July.

ZAGREB, May 31, 2020 - Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling said last Thursday that as of July 1 they would be flying again from Madrid and Barcelona to some foreign destinations, including Split and Dubrovnik, after the flights had been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Since a state of emergency was declared in Spain on March 14, Iberia has been operating foreign flights to London and Paris only, so that passengers could reach their destinations in cases of emergency. Traveling for tourism purposes is prohibited, and documents and certificates of the rare foreign passengers at airports are checked by border police.

However, after the Spanish government last Monday announced that foreign tourists would be allowed to enter the country as of July 1, Iberia and Vueling stated that they would gradually restart their flights.

In July, Iberia will start operating flights from Madrid to Dubrovnik, which will be one of its 15 foreign destinations. In August, the airline will introduce flights to 28 additional destinations in Europe and North Africa.

Iberia also used to fly from Madrid to Zagreb and Zadar, but it is still unknown whether they will be resumed.

Flights between Madrid and Split are available for reservations at the Iberia website as of July 1 and passengers will be transported by the Vueling airline.

Iberia and Vueling share the same owner, the International Airlines Group.

Flights from Spain to other continents are suspended until further notice.

May 30, 2020 - Two planes from Frankfurt have arrived at Split Airport, bringing 200 German tourists to the coastal Dalmatian city.

Dalmacija Danas reports that on Thursday, the Croatian government decided that Croatia would open its borders to citizens of 10 countries that, like Croatia, are estimated to have a favorable epidemiological situation. This applies to citizens of Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany.

With the decision made, passengers from these ten countries will not have to prove the reason for their entry into the Republic of Croatia. However, epidemiological control is still necessary, reports HRT.

After domestic air traffic, international air traffic was re-established. Two planes from Frankfurt with about 200 passengers landed at Split Airport.

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In recent years, due to record results and good business, Split Airport has invested HRK 500 million in the building of the new terminal.

"In June, there will be 180 flights in international traffic and 80 in domestic, and 30,000 passengers are expected," said Pero Bilas, Deputy Director of Split Airport.

Which is ten times less than last June, but optimism is not lacking.

Split Airport had direct flights from 25 countries around the world. They are aiming for that record even in this most difficult tourist season.

Upon entering the Republic of Croatia, their entry will be recorded with the collection of additional data (destination, mobile phone number and e-mail address), due to the possible need to contact for epidemiological reasons.

Therefore, in order to reduce congestion at border crossings and shorten the waiting time for crossing the state border, it is recommended that foreign citizens submit their data in advance via the website entercroatia.mup.hr.

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May 30, 2020 - After the Museum of Illusions, yet another interactive attraction opened in Split. Meet virtual reality experience Diocletian's Dream. 

‘Wow, where do we live?’, is the first thing you might say after watching the first 3D animated film ‘Diocletian’s Dream’. That sentence is the best indicator that the duo who started the original experience, Tomi Taraš and Declan O'Rourke, succeeded in the idea in which they invested many years of effort, knowledge and resources.

Dalmatinski Portal reports that the project began more than two years ago, and the story itself leads to the year 305 and the time of Emperor Diocletian.

"The goal was to tell the story in a new and original way that opens a completely new perspective towards the approach and presentation of cultural and historical heritage. Virtual reality is the language of new generations and those who are open to something new, interesting and educational," describes Taraš.

Through 15 minutes of animated film with a script, Severina takes you on a tour of the royal chambers. In case you have never heard of Diocletian, you will learn a number of interesting facts about the history and life of one of the most prominent emperors of the Roman Empire. The voice of Mladen Badovinac is hidden behind Severina.

In the film, you climb to the top of the Palace, look at the Vestibule from above, bathe in the sea, and while the unique action lasts, learn about the history of a unique city with the narration of one of the most recognizable citizens of Split from the cult music group TBF.

"We wanted something different and new and that's how the idea was born. We are delighted with the reactions, and our goal was to be a fun, educational and factual film," Taraš adds.

"We would be very glad to be able to interest the younger generations who will recognize the fascinating history of our city where one of the greatest Roman emperors lived and one of the most fascinating buildings of that time which significantly influenced the architecture of the empire - and beyond," he said. 

The doors to Diocletian's Dream opened a few days ago on Zagrebačka Street, across from the walls of Cornaro and Đardin, and word has quickly spread about the unique experience. Nevertheless, they are currently running promotional prices.

You can read more about the project here.

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May 29, 2020 - Croatia fully opened its borders to Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia, and Germany - though tourists from these countries haven't made it to the beaches in Split just yet.

Dalmacija Danas writes that we are at the very end of May and only a few days separate us from the first month of the 'climatological summer'. Under normal circumstances, during this part of the year, beaches across the Adriatic would already be abounding in swimmers, and a good part of them would be foreign tourists. However, this year, in the corona era, our beaches are looking quite the opposite. 

Why there are no tourists on the beaches is well known, but why there are no local bathers, or at least not many of them, has nothing to do with the corona crisis. 

Namely, unlike in the previous few years when the sea in May would reach 20+ degrees, this year, the spring warming of the sea is extremely slow.

The surface layer of the sea has even cooled down a bit in the previous days, so now its temperatures are mostly from 17 to 18° C, which is not enough for a comfortable swim - especially when we are talking about Split locals. The bura also contributed to the cooling of the sea, and the day before yesterday, only 14° C was measured in the sea near Šibenik in one term!

Fewer people on the beaches, fewer swimmers, less sea traffic - and what is the result? A sparkling Split sea.

You can check out the scenes from Firule in Split, thanks to photographer Marin Lukas. 

All photos by Marin Lukas

There is no better time to visit Croatia. 

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May 29, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that Spanish airlines Iberia and Vueling announced on Thursday that they would return some flights from Madrid and Barcelona to foreign destinations, including Dubrovnik and Split, from July 1, after those flights were suspended due to the coronavirus.

Since the state of emergency was declared in Spain on March 14, Iberia has only operated foreign flights to London and Paris so that passengers can reach their destinations in an emergency. Tourist travel is banned, and border police check the documents and certificates of those rare foreign passengers at airports.

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But after the Spanish government announced on Monday that it would allow foreign tourists to arrive in the country from July 1, Iberia and Vueling announced the gradual return of their flights.

In July, Iberia will fly between Madrid and Dubrovnik, which will be one of its 15 foreign destinations. It will introduce an additional 28 destinations in Europe and North Africa in August.

"In order to restore customer confidence, we will not charge penalties for changing tickets purchased from today until June 30, for flights until December 31," Iberia said in a statement posted on its website on Thursday.

Iberia also had flights between Madrid and Zagreb and Zadar, but it is unknown at this time what will happen with them. The company did not respond to the inquiry until the news was published.

Iberia's operations in July and August will be at 21 percent of capacity compared to previously forecast this summer, and in the event of increased demand, capacity could increase to 35 percent.

Flights between Madrid and Split can also be booked via Iberia's website from July 1, and passengers will be transported by Vueling Airlines.

Iberia and Vueling, in fact, have a joint owner, the company International Airlines Group.

"We can confirm that we will gradually return flights from Barcelona to Dubrovnik and Split from July," said Vueling's spokesman Xabier Martinez Serrano.

Flights from Spain to other continents have been suspended until further notice.

"We also plan to return long-haul flights to distant destinations when the situation allows it and when quarantine and travel restrictions are lifted," Iberia said.

Spain, one of Europe's most affected countries by the coronavirus, currently has closed borders, so only foreign cross-border workers, aircrew, truck drivers, healthcare professionals and patients ordered for surgery or people with a certificate of emergency entry are allowed to enter the country.

The Spanish government is easing measures of limited population movement through four phases (0 to 3) and trying to bring the country to a "new normal" by the end of June.

The largest and hardest hit cities Madrid and Barcelona are in phase 1 and most of the territories are in phase 2.

Iberia will also increase the number of domestic flights in Spain from July 1, because now its planes fly from Madrid only to the Canary and Balearic Islands, Barcelona, Bilbao and the northern provinces of Asturias and Galicia.

Furthermore, Croatian Aviation announced that Austrian Airlines announced the relaunch of international routes, after all the company's planes were grounded for almost 90 days.

The establishment of international flights is expected from June 15, and in the first week of operations, Dubrovnik Airport is among the destinations.

Austrian Airlines will fly from June 21 on the Vienna-Dubrovnik route twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays). An A321 aircraft with a capacity of 200 passengers has been announced.

As of June 24, Austrian is introducing the Vienna-Split route, which will run 4 times a week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays). A321 aircraft have also been announced on this route.

In a recent statement, the company announced that it would initially operate its routes with smaller capacity aircraft (Embraer 195 / DashQ400), so a change of aircraft type to Dubrovnik and Split is still possible.

Austrian Airlines is currently preparing a flight schedule for July and will be announced soon, it is expected that the company will return the Zagreb-Vienna route in July.

Finally, Croatian Aviation announced that it is re-establishing another international route. From Monday, June 8, Croatia Airlines will fly between Zagreb and Zurich.

From that date, Zagreb and Zurich will be connected four times a week (Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays) with a DashQ400 aircraft with a capacity of 76 passengers. As of June 15, daily flights between the largest cities in Switzerland and Croatia are on sale.

The plane will depart from Zagreb at 09:10, the expected arrival in Zurich is at 10:45. The return flight will take off from Zurich at 11:45, and the expected landing in Zagreb is at 13:10.

After June 15, the introduction of several international lines to Croatia is expected, given that the borders of many countries should be opened from that date.

From June 8, Croatia Airlines will operate on international routes from Zagreb to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Zurich, along with domestic routes to Split and Dubrovnik.

May 28, 2020 - The famous open-air cinema Kino Bacvice returns tonight with the screening of Israeli film 'Synonyms'. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that after two years, the dispute between the City of Split and the private company Ekran d.o.o. has ended, which used the space of the Bacvice Open-Air Cinema for years without authorization and refused to hand over the "Zlatna Vrata" center, to which the City gave the space for management.

Film lovers can rejoice because it has been officially confirmed that the City is the 100% owner of this property, and "Zlatna Vrata", in cooperation with Kino Mediteran, will continue managing this Split film oasis, which has been operating since 1956.

Just before the upcoming season, a press conference was held for the first time at the Bacvice Open-Air Cinema, which is already ready for tonight's opening. The prescribed distance between the seats has been set, and at 9.30 pm, the first screening starts - the Israeli film "Synonyms", winner of the prestigious international festival in Berlin.

"For now, screenings will take place three times a week, and depending on the interest of the audience, we will consider increasing that number. As before, we will publish the program on a weekly basis, and due to the situation in the film industry, the backbone will be independent films," said the director of Kino Mediterranean Alen Munitić and called on all citizens to book their tickets online to avoid crowds at the box office.

Although many are probably wondering what will happen to the favorite Mediterranean Film Festival Split, which also takes place at this location, we will have to wait for news about a new date a little longer, says Munitić.

In addition to the announcement of the season, Munitić, together with Deputy Mayor Jelena Hrgović Tomaš and the director of "Zlatni Vrata" Danijela Ćukušić, commented on the past two years of work that were crucial in repositioning the open-air cinema on the city's film map.

Last year, over ten and a half thousand visitors were recorded, or 140 spectators per screening, and thanks to their own investments and the support of the Ministry of Culture, the cinema received new lighting, chairs, portable digital equipment and electrical installations.

"Electricity is very important here; you remember that in the first year we ran out of electricity at the very beginning of the screening," Ćukušić remembers an anecdote related to this cult space, which is gladly visited by both locals and guests.

It is precisely the retention of the recognizable role of the open-air cinema that is the common goal of the City and the "Zlatna Vrata". As Hrgović Tomaš emphasizes, this is the only film stage in the city.

He adds that after a series of realized projects, they also have a horticultural idea in the plan. Although the exact date of the start of work is still unknown, Ćukušić explains that the access will be arranged first, after which the rest of the space will retain its ambient atmosphere and no trees will be demolished unless it is an urgent rehabilitation.

They also emphasize that the tender for repairing the fence has been completed, and the works should start in the coming days.

"Once the space is renovated, the open-air cinema will be self-sustaining," Munitić said positively.

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May 27, 2020 - HNK Hajduk has decided to thank its loyal season ticket holders in a special way for the 2019/20 season.

"Considering that according to the decision of the competent authorities, our season ticket holders will not be able to use their right to watch the matches at Poljud until the end of the season, the Club designed the project "Uvik u Srcu" (Always in the heart) whose goal is to gather all season ticket holders in one place to show them love and respect in moments when the team cannot play in front of their fans.

In addition, as a sign of gratitude to its loyal subscribers, Hajduk has provided a unique 20 percent discount on the entire range of products in all fan shops (Poljud and City) and through the webshop, which they can use until the end of the current season.

All the names of season ticket holders for this season will be inscribed in the thousands of hearts that will adorn the East of Poljud Stadium, all to at least figuratively compensate for their absence, support and roar coming from the stands of Poljud.

All those season tickets holders who, due to the protection of privacy and personal data, do not want their name to appear among the many red-blue hearts, can send their name and surname to the e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. until Friday, May 29 at noon. Namely, on that day, every season ticket holder's heart will get a place "under the sun" on the East Stands, which will be ready for the first referee's whistle against Inter Zapresic, the first opponent of the Hajduk in the continuation of the season," writes Hajduk on its official website. 

Hajduk and Inter Zapresic will open the 27th round of the Croatian First League on June 5, 2020, at 8 pm at Poljud Stadium. 

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May 27, 2020 - New York, Paris, Shanghai, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and thirteen other attractive locations around the world, are now connected with Split by one thing - the Museum of Illusions.

HRTurizam writes that the importance of quality, authentic and different content in our tourist destinations is paramount, and the city of Split is now richer for exactly that. Namely, the Museum of Illusions opened its doors in Split on Monday at Andrija Kačića Miošića 2, with more than 300 square meters and 70 exhibits and attractions. 

Thus, the people of Split and all their guests will witness the realm of illusions, unusual rooms, vortex tunnels, interesting holograms, and other exhibits that are mostly produced in Croatia.

"The concept was designed in Zagreb in order to be the first Museum of Illusions of this kind to achieve great success. And then, through the franchise, it expanded to 18 world locations. Split is the third Croatian, it has just opened, and we already have a lot of guests. People have heard of it, and now they have the opportunity to see the attractions, of which about 20 are presented for the first time in the city under Marjan," says Mario Braovac, co-owner of the Museum of Illusions in Split, for Slobodna Dalmacija. 

“A sincere smile, helping visitors with all the important information, i.e., caring for the end user are just some of the reasons why most of our visitors come back several times. This is a fact that we consider being the greatest indicator of our success, perhaps more than the incredible number of franchises opened worldwide. In the last few years, Split has been the bearer of the flagship of Croatian tourism, a kind of capital of the Croatian coast. The cheerful spirit of its inhabitants makes it a perfect host. The Museum of Illusions will only further complement its already generous cultural and entertainment offer not only to the residents of Split and its surroundings but also to all its guests," points out the Museum of Illusions.

The Museum of Illusions is also equipped with a smart playroom based on the Dilemma games didactic program, approved by the Ministry of Education and Science.

An excellent tourist story and quality entertainment and tourist content is proof of how the business model of private museums can work. 

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May 26, 2020 -  Parklio barriers have been set up in 42 reserved parking spaces in front of nine hotels in Split to help prevent further misuse of these parking spaces.

Dalmacija Danas reports that this is the result of Split Parking's initiative, whose idea was to offer a unified and Smart City solution that will eventually become the standard. Barriers were procured and installed by Split Parking, and users whose places are set up for their maintenance will pay an additional monthly fee in addition to the already existing price of the reserved parking space.

These barriers are locally produced and are a step forward in the world of the parking industry and are the most technologically advanced product of its kind. The barrier battery has a solar charge, and the barrier itself is controlled on smart devices, allowing you to share digital keys via the app with the option to automatically close it when the vehicle leaves, for an absolutely worry-free experience for the end-user.

Split Parking said that in the past year since the City of Split gave them jurisdiction over the reserved parking spaces for hotels, they detected a number of problems in the use of these spaces, the most common being illegal use, but also a large number of different solutions that then stand out from the environment and each other. To put an end to this, in cooperation with the Split company Parklio, they found a solution, to which all hotels and users of reserved parking spaces quickly agreed.

"For several years, we have been focused on Smart City solutions, and we want to keep up with the latest technology and thus bring order to traffic and parking in Split. We started with the Split Parking app and installing sensors, and now we have set up smart barriers. We are glad that we had the opportunity to do it in cooperation with our Split company Parklio. By installing these barriers, we have ensured the uninterrupted use of reserved spaces for their users, and we have protected the company and the City from potential lawsuits and provocations," said Marko Bartulić, director of Split Parking.

Parklio has won numerous awards for innovation for many years and is in over 35 countries around the world, but they say that this is certainly their favorite delivery, as barriers in their own city solve the problem of parking for all hotels.

"Once you actually see the added value that this product provides, we are convinced that this will be just the beginning of cooperation that will enrich the offer of the city of Split. All Parklio products are fully developed in Split and we really have to take the opportunity to praise the progressive thinking of Split Parking and their decision to work with a local company with a production plant in Split to solve the burning problem of the city in a very modern way," said Dario Boras director Parklio.

In the future, the goal is to set the same barriers in all reserved parking spaces in Split (courts, museums, tax administration, embassies, consulates, etc.).

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