May 28, 2021 - HNK Hajduk has named its new coach, Swedish expert Jens Gustafsson, after parting ways with Paolo Tramezzani earlier this week. 

Hajduk's statement transmitted in full:

"HNK Hajduk and Jens Gustafsson have agreed on a two-year contract, based on which the 42-year-old Swedish expert will take over the position of the first-team coach.

Jens Gustafsson was born in Helsingborg on October 15, 1978. He started his football career in Helsingborg and also played for the Swedish clubs Brage and Falkenberg.

He started his coaching career with the U-17 team of Halmstad, where he was very quickly promoted to the first team coach and stayed there for three and a half years. He was the coach of the U-21 national team of Sweden and was hired as an assistant coach at AIK. For the last four and a half years, he has been the head coach of Norrköping, with whom he has achieved excellent results in the Swedish league.

In addition to graduating from the football academy and passing the UEFA PRO license, Jens Gustafsson also has a university degree in Behaviorism.

He is a modern coach who prefers an attacking style of football, and in Sweden, he excelled in working with young players with whom he regularly raised their value and playing abilities. In his seven-season coaching career so far, he has led over three hundred first-league games.

During his last tenure as Norrköping coach, he led a total of 166 games, recording 91 wins, 38 draws, and 37 losses. His team averaged 1.87 points, averaging 1.90 and conceding 1.19 goals.

We wish Mr. Gustafsson a lot of luck and success in Hajduk!" Hajduk concluded. 

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May 27, 2021 - Paolo Tramezzani is no longer the coach of Split club HNK Hajduk. 

As of today, Paolo Tramezzani is no longer the coach of the HNK Hajduk first team. After a conversation, an agreed termination of cooperation was agreed with the now-former coach of the Split club. 

Paolo Tramezzani took over the first team in January this year, which won fourth place at the end of the season and a place in the qualifying round of the Europa League. He led Hajduk in a total of 24 games and achieved 14 victories, four draws, and six defeats. He is accompanied by his assistants Attila Malfatti and Valerio Zuddas.

"Thank you to Mr. Tramezzani for everything he has done for the Club, and we wish him good luck in the continuation of his career.

HNK Hajduk will inform the public about the new coach of our first team promptly," Hajduk concluded on its website. 

"First of all, thank you to the club for allowing me to send this message, and thanks. The message is sincere and from the heart, and I want to thank the club, the president, and the sports director for making a courageous decision to invite me to the club at a very delicate time," said Tramezzani after the agreed termination.

"For my part, I hope I helped achieve the goals, and for me, it was a wonderful experience that brought me a lot of joy. I realized when I came to be the coach of Hajduk it is a great privilege. It is a very desirable bench on which better coaches were sitting in front of me, big names, and I hope I did not disappoint anyone in what was my job. I want to thank everyone in the city on my own behalf and behalf of my family. Their passion and love and way of everyday behavior, as if they accepted me as their own. I don't like tears if they are not joyful," said Tramezzani and added:

"Because I've already shed tears of pain in my life, for things, unfortunately, much more important. But I carry with me in one part of my heart all the people I could meet in these four and a half months. I'm grateful to them for that. I'm a little bit disappointed that I did not experience the atmosphere with the fans at the stadium, and that is one thing I missed a lot because of their passion and love. I want to thank everyone who worked with me, really everyone; I would not list them because I will surely forget someone. From the medical service, the technical staff, my staff, and above all, a big thank you goes to all my players because a great relationship has been established with them. It was a beautiful adventure, a beautiful journey. So, I thank everyone, and I will always remain a fan of this club, and Hajduk and Split will always remain in my heart." 

As Index.hr exclusively finds out, Hajduk's sports director Nikoličius Mindaugas and president Lukša Jakobušić have already held talks with the main candidate for the new coach.

Allegedly, it is 51-year-old Portuguese expert Jose Manuel Gomes. The former coach of Almeria, Maritim, Reading, and many other clubs met with Hajduk leaders in Zagreb and is close to an agreement, says Index.

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May 27, 2021 - Peacocks in Split have almost become domestic animals because dozens of individuals and beautiful birds walk and fly around the city without restrictions.

Jutarnji List reports, while some enjoy their colors and others interfere with sleep, city services are just figuring out how to move them away from important roads, where they become a danger. 

"People say they are bothered by their cries in the early morning. They scream at dawn, and people can't sleep because of them," Maja told Nova TV.

Peacocks have been in the Gripe Fortress area for decades.

"They come here from different neighborhoods; it's interesting for them. They bother us the most in the spring when they are more vocal. They got used to the city and cars. There are really a lot of them, too many," said Jere from Split.

They have also been seen on the fifth floor of a building and can often be found on busy roads.

"Something beautiful has created a problem that needs to be solved as soon as possible. The problem is when a female with young ones passes across the street. There have been none so far, but who says there won’t be a car accident. They will ask who is to blame in the whole story," said Nediljko Ževrnja, director of the Natural History Museum in Split.

Split citizens say that they already know how to react in such situations, drive slowly and stop and let the peacocks pass. The City of Split says that their hands are also tied because, according to the currently valid regulations, it is impossible to move these animals from the city center. They are working on resolving the situation together with the competent ministry.

"I think that a solution should be found here, that the birds, in accordance with the Animal Protection Act, to move them somewhere from this area," adds Ževrnja.

One of the ideas is to move them to the Marjan forest park. "I have nothing against them being on Marjan, just not further from Split because they are still ours," believes Meri from Split.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

June 2, 2021 - One TCN intern spoke to three people from different regions in Spain about their expat experience in Split.

Croatia is an easy county to adapt to Spaniards because they don't really need to adapt a lot. The climate is similar on the Mediterranean coast and the culture has a common Catholic base. Meanwhile, it's not the same thing and they value their experience from living in Dalmatia.

My Croatian boss told me about his mate, a Split journalist, who once wrote that the best city in the world was... not Split, but San Sebastian located in the Basque Country, Spain. It represents a flagrant case, but in general, as I can see, many Split citizens have the positive impression of Spain - either through business trips, or holidays there, or the Camino - and wouldn't mind moving there for some period of time. I spoke with my Spanish colleagues in Split who have done the opposite move and asked them to compare their life in Spain and in Croatia. They came from different regions of Spain: Estela (28) is from the north-west region of Galicia, Pablo (24) is from the Saragosa, the capital of the north-east region of Aragon, and Jorge (25) is from the south-east region of Murcia.

Jamon or pršut?

"In the cuisine, there are many similarities because of common ingredients of Mediterranian cuisine," Pablo starts and enumerates some of it as olive oil, cheese, vegetables. Some foodstuff is more popular for one region than for others. For example, a homemade meal in Saragosa usually contains dishes with green beans, while in Split, it's difficult to find fresh green beans to cook with at home. In Galicia, people traditionally eat more liquid food or soups, while Dalmatians prefer solid foods like pašticada. 'Ajvar' sauce from red pepper is popular in the Balkans and would probably never become a part of Spaniards’ nutrition if they had not moved to Croatia.

Some differences in nutrition arise from the geographical circumstances, for instance, seafood is more typical for coastal sides of Spain as well as Croatia. Dorada fish is bigger in Galicia in the cold waters of the Atlantic than in Dalmatia in the Mediterranean Sea. Other distinctions stem mostly from the generational gap and personal circumstances. Young generations try to keep healthy nutrition with less meat and more fish in spite of the geographical region they live in. Estela feels closer to this generation than to the older one that cannot imagine the main dish without meat, either in Spain or in Croatia. 

Jorge was surprised by the level of prices in the supermarkets here. It's more or less the same as in Spain, whereas the level of salaries is certainly lower in Croatia. He also misses big chain supermarkets in Croatia like 'Merkadona' in Spain, because it produces some foodstuff under its own brand. Things like 'guacamole' or 'hummus' have a good quality there. However, in Split, there are a lot of products imported from Spain, like 'Lidl' supermarkets with its 'Spanish week', etc. Maybe, you won't find some small local brands of cheese or beer that you're used to in Spain, but you will find an adequate substitution. Looking closer, ‘pršut' is similar to 'jamon', 'kulen' is similar to 'chorizo’, and the like. 

Coffee or beer?

Choosing between coffee and beer depends on the time and day schedule for Spaniards. They feel more streamlined in this matter. Breakfast should be before you go to work. A lunch is between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, and dinner is served between 9:00 and 10:00 pm. "In Croatia, people eat when they want!" Pablo and Estela wonder. "Here, people drink more coffee", Estela continues. In Spain, it's normal to have coffee first with your breakfast, to drink one more in the afternoon, and perhaps to have one more coffee after lunch. People usually drink their last coffee at lunchtime, but not at 8:00 pm as people do in Split. Of course, there are some people in Spain who have to work in the evening or have other reasons to drink coffee so late, but most Spaniards prefer beer in the evening.

The culture around having coffee or beer in some public places does not differentiate much. You can enjoy one cup of coffee in a cafe for hours if you're not in a hurry. You can drink coffee quickly and go to work as well. It's typical to have a beer in the evening as people usually finish work, but it's ok to have it even at 1:00 pm as you've already finished your business. Coffee in cafes is a little more expensive than in Spain. Prices for beer in Split bar are also higher, as Jorge and Pablo guess. Estela makes adjustments. A mug of beer is bigger here, and accordingly, the price is higher. In sum, we have more or less the same level of prices in Croatia and in Spain. Also, Split is the second-largest city in Croatia and a tourist city, namely the ‘Croatian Barcelona’. Certainly, in the historic center of Barcelona, a glass of beer costs more money than in some towns in Galicia.

The variety of coffee is broader in Spain. For example, 'cortado' most likely won’t be found in any cafe in Split. Spaniards agree that the quality of coffee is good. Meanwhile, they prefer coffee from the machine or an Italian drip kettle. "Turkish coffee is kind of disgusting to everybody who gets used to Italian coffee," Jorge supposes. A beer in Croatia is less strong than in Spain, however as mentioned, a normal glass or a bottle is 0,5 l instead of 0,33 l. You get less alcohol with a bigger amount. At will, you can get the same thing in Spain. There, if a beer is too strong, people dilute it with sparkling water or lemon juice. In Croatia, nobody does that. But Croatians often dilute wine with sparkling water or ice that seems weird to Spaniards. "If wine is really bad, we do 'sangria' or 'calimontxo' (namely Croatian 'bambus') from it. If wine is good, we never mix it. People would ask why?!” Estela explains to me.

Inside or outside?

Estela and Pablo arrived in Split in late November 2020, a week before the second anti-Covid lockdown. Jorge came in March 2021, a week after cafes and terraces started to re-open after winter quarantine. One might think that Jorge was luckier to come later, but in fact, the Covid restrictions were stronger in Spain than in Croatia. In any case, their experience in leisure time had objective limits because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It's difficult to compare entertainment in your home town and in Split, they say because they haven't seen that touristic crowded loud Split as it was before the quarantine. However, nobody really suffered from the lack of activities here.

Pablo says that when you come for a year, you're more concentrated on the communication with new people you meet here. He was not striving to go to a gym or wherever for any organised leisure time. "I'm not bored now. If I lived here for a longer period of time and had a routine every day, I would probably try. I mean there are some museums, etc." Pablo speculates. Indeed, in this sphere of communication, we were lucky in Split. There are some typical public places for drinking in the afternoon or evening time in every town of Spain, but this kind of social activity is prohibited and the police usually come. Otherwise, Matejuška pier situated on the edge of the Split Riva is open 24h and rarely visited by the police. You can go there almost any time to drink in a company and meet amazing people from all over the world.

We met people on Matejuška even on the coldest evenings in winter. As a whole, there are fewer activities during the winter and more in summer. Leisure time options in Split are similar to Ferrol, Estela says. As well she prefers to spend leisure time outside. You can go hiking in the mountains or swimming in the sea - fortunately, both options are close to the city. If you fancy it, it doesn't take much time to come by foot to some beautiful nature place in the surrounding area. Split is situated on the hills, nevertheless, the Riva promenade is straight enough for roller-skating and skateboarding. With her friend, Estela found a good place for skating behind the ferry port of Split. Besides roller skates, she also took a slackline and was pleasantly surprised to find another group of slackliners in the city park Sustipan. 

They went once to the cinema and theater. In the cinema, it was an American movie - an original version with Croatian subtitles. The fact that cinemas usually show original versions is for sure appreciated by Spaniards. In Spain, movies are mostly dubbed, thus foreigners have little chance to understand the plot. What is even more pleasant, as Estela's local friend shared with her, the summer cinema on Bačvice beach will be showed with double - Croatian and English - subtitles, so foreigners will have all the options. 

To speak or not to speak?

My Spanish colleagues as well as I came to Croatia through an international program that affected our community. Almost from the first month, we joined the Facebook group 'Expats meet Split' and it also affected the international diversity of our social circle. Estela speculates: "If I had an ordinary work here, in a public school, for example, perhaps I would have more Croatian friends, and it would be easier to do at the workplace". But anyway, she considers Croats are very open to communication and their way of socialising similar to Spaniards. Croatians are open to suggestions to have coffee together, to go to the beach, to drink a beer in a bar.

Pablo has a more skeptical view of making friends with Croatians. He agrees that Croatians are open people, however, his experience of watching football in the company of Croats suggests that he needed to speak Croatian to have a true Croatian friend. They are nice, they invite you to watch a match together, but finally, they start speaking Croatian to each other and you're out of it, Pablo explains. Estela objects to him. "People of our generation, they speak good English. Of course, if you're in a big company, it'd be better to speak Croatian. If you're in a small company or one-on-one, you would not have problems socialising. You can communicate, speak, explain..."

Learning Croatian is a challenge for people from Spain. The grammar is complicated. There is just a little intersection with Latin, therefore you need to learn totally new vocabulary. There are some words without vocals ('krv' blood, 'prst' finger, etc.) which is difficult to spell, some words with sounds missing in the Spanish language which is also difficult to spell ('ljubav' love, 'izviđači' scouts). Some usual words in Croatian sound funny to Spaniards, because it sounds similar to obscene words (‘koliko puta..." how many times...). Certainly, it would take years to learn Croatian properly. So far, my Spanish colleagues in Split speak mostly English and use a dozen of Croatian phrases on occasion.

Spanish people are everywhere. If you want to find them, you'll find them. However, my Spanish colleagues don't really try to find their countrymen. Jorge shies away from the Erasmus students' society that is kinda well-staffed by Spanish students in the University of Split. Pablo's first preference was an international party, but now he doesn't care whether he will join an international or Spanish party the next evening. Estela said that she tried to avoid Spanish society. "If they start talking with me, of course, I talk... If we are in a big company, I try to move to an international circle... I have enough Spanish friends in Spain."

Pomalo or even more pomalo 

As we seek to describe the culture of a region by one word, we likely use 'pomalo' for Dalmatia. In the Dalmatian dialect it means 'take it easy', 'relax', 'slow down', 'put it off until tomorrow, 'we will do it tomorrow, 'we can do it tomorrow... or later'. The Spanish word 'mañana' (tomorrow) has quite a similar context to it. In Europe, these concepts are traditionally associated with southern sloths and laziness. "Europe has a stereotype of us that we are really pomalo, but here there's even more pomalo," Estela shares her impression. Pablo echos her: "Here everybody is so relaxed. It doesn't matter whether you come on Monday morning, or Tuesday morning, the Riva is full of people. And these people are not only tourists!" It looks like nobody works in this city!

Joking aside, some manifestations of this pomalo mentality at times frustrates my Spanish team. Estela chooses her words to be merciful with our lovely Dalmatia - flexible, not disorganised. Notwithstanding, she would like to see fewer last-minute moves and more long-term plans. Maybe, slowly, but it should come to its objective. The illustrative example is local services. Croatian Post works really slow. Sending something from Spain takes about a month, but in the end, reaches the consignee. One of the bottles was broken, but when they contacted the Croatian Post service, they promised to manage it. Meanwhile, postcards that Estela's mom had sent her via post never came to Split.

Another story has happened with my colleagues during the use of the 'e-bike' service in Split. They bought an annual Croatia subscription in Zadar and should not be charged more. But the bike company began to charge them more for rentals in Split. After e-mailing, the Spanish expats learned that Split (a big tourist city, for economical reasons) and Jastrebarsko (a small town, for a random reason) are excluded from the whole-country subscription. The company returned the money and they changed the subscription to Split only. So, services work, although slowly, whereas you should make contacts and push them, and remind them, but finally, a responsible person helps you, and you get a result. So, you can manage. But, it'd be better to feel more secure from the beginning, wouldn't it?

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

May 26, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as flights from Scandinavia to Croatia return this summer thanks to SAS, Norwegian, TUI, and Nova Airways. 

Croatian Aviation reports that SAS, Norwegian, TUI, and Nova Airways are announcing the start of operations on their seasonal routes from Scandinavia to Croatian airports.

After several months, Scandinavian airlines are resuming traffic on their seasonal international routes to Croatian airports. Pula, Split, and Dubrovnik will again have direct connections with several cities. A look at the flight schedule for June.

Lines to Split begin first

The first flights this season have been announced to Split Airport. From June 5, Norwegian will operate once a week on the Stockholm - Split - Stockholm route, and from the end of June, daily flights have been announced.

In addition to Stockholm, Norwegian plans to introduce the Copenhagen - Split - Copenhagen route (daily) from the end of June, and flights on the Oslo - Split - Oslo route have been announced from June 17, three times a week, every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines will resume operations on the Stockholm - Split - Stockholm route from June 5, and as of June 16, two flights a week have been announced on this route, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

As of Wednesday, June 9, SAS introduces the Copenhagen - Split - Copenhagen line, which will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. At the beginning of July, the company will introduce a regular line between Oslo and Split.

In addition to the two mentioned carriers, from Friday, June 4, TUI will operate once a week from Stockholm to Split. Nova Airways will also operate on the regular charter line Gothenburg - Split - Stockholm from the beginning of June.

At the end of June, the return of SAS to Pula

From the end of June, SAS Scandinavian Airlines routes to Pula Airport have also been announced. These are three international lines, from Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stockholm.

The line from Copenhagen to Pula is announced twice a week, on Tuesdays and Sundays, the line from Oslo once a week, on Mondays, and the line from Stockholm twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The lines will be in operation from the last week of June, and an increase in the number of weekly operations is expected from July.

Norwegian is currently not selling tickets to Pula Airport for this summer season.

Lines to Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik has SAS and Norwegian flights in the announcement; both mentioned airlines should resume traffic to Dubrovnik in the last week of June.

SAS is currently planning two lines to Dubrovnik from Copenhagen and Stockholm. The line from Copenhagen is announced once a week from June 28, on Mondays, while the line from Stockholm is also announced once a week, on Sundays, from June 27. The carrier also plans to increase the number of operations towards Dubrovnik in early July. 

Norwegian currently offers only one line to Dubrovnik Airport. It is a line Stockholm - Dubrovnik - Stockholm, which should have its first flight this season on June 28. Three flights a week have been announced, on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and from July on Saturdays.

Four lines from Zagreb

According to current announcements, Zagreb will have four direct lines to Scandinavia this summer.

At the beginning of June, Croatia Airlines will increase the number of operations on its regular route Zagreb - Copenhagen - Zagreb with a morning departure from Zagreb Airport, and in June, flights on this route will be available daily.

From July 23, Ryanair will introduce the Zagreb - Gothenburg - Zagreb route (three flights a week), while from September, regular flights from Zagreb to Oslo Torp and Malmo have been announced (both routes two flights a week).

In previous years, Norwegian operated on the line between Copenhagen and Zagreb, but this line is not on sale on the airline's official website this year either.

Flights from Zadar to Stockholm

Since the end of June, Zadar Airport has announced a regular direct Ryanair flight between Gothenburg and Zadar; two flights a week have been announced, on Tuesdays and Fridays, and in July, there will be as many as four flights a week on this route.

In addition to Gothenburg, Zadar will be connected to Stockholm and Aarhus in July.

Rijeka, Osijek, and Brac, the three remaining airports open to international traffic, currently have no scheduled flights from Scandinavia for this summer season. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 26, 2021 - The latest news for flights to Croatia as Russian S7 flights to Split and Zadar will operate from Moscow at the end of June! These will be the second and third routes to Croatia this year after Pula Airport. 

Croatian Aviation reports that the Russian airline, S7 Airlines, will introduce two more scheduled flights to Croatia in June. Namely, the Moscow-based airline will introduce two more scheduled flights to Croatia in the second half of June.

The airline traditionally operates on a regular seasonal line between Pula and Moscow, and this year, it will also operate to Zadar and Split!

Regular flights to Pula operate once a week, on Sundays, and the airline currently plans to maintain one rotation throughout the summer season.

The positive news is that S7 Airlines will introduce two more new routes to Croatia from the end of June.

The Moscow - Split - Moscow (Domodedovo Airport) line will be in operation from June 25, once a week, every Friday. Fifteen rotations with the B737-800 aircraft, with a capacity of 176 passengers, have been announced. The S7 will offer a total of 5,280 seats with one flight per week until the end of September (September 24, 2021) between Moscow and Split.

From June 26, S7 will operate on the Moscow - Zadar - Moscow line (also from Domodedovo Airport). This line was also announced once a week, on Saturdays, until September 25, so the same number of operations was announced as for Split.

On two new lines to Croatia, S7 will offer an additional 10,560 seats. This is the only announced line this season between Moscow and Zadar, while the Russian national airline - Aeroflot - will operate daily to Split. As it stands now, Aeroflot will fly to Split from June 1. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 25, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Iberia flights to Split and Zagreb return next month, while the Dubrovnik line will increase to four flights a week! 

Croatian Aviation reports that Spanish national airline, Iberia, will resume traffic to two Croatian airports - Zagreb and Split - from the beginning of June.

Iberia is running again to Zagreb and Split from the beginning of June! Since March, the Spanish national airline has been operating on a regular route between Madrid and Dubrovnik and will reintroduce routes to Split and Zagreb next month. 

Return to Zagreb

These lines were not in operation in the summer of 2020, and the airline only had reduced traffic to Dubrovnik Airport. Still, in the summer of 2021, Iberia will operate to the Croatian capital, Split, and later to Zadar, which will restore traffic on all lines Iberia had in the summer season of 2019, before the pandemic.

The Madrid - Zagreb - Madrid line was announced on Friday, June 4. Initially, Iberia aircraft will operate on this route three times a week, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Three flights a week have been announced throughout June, and A320 aircraft will operate on the route.

Iberia will offer a total of 4,104 seats between Zagreb and Madrid in June.

Madrid - Split - Madrid from June 1

In addition to Zagreb, Iberia will return to Split Airport as of June 1. In the first half of the month, two flights a week are announced, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and from mid-June, flights on Saturdays and Sundays are added.

As early as the end of June, Iberia will operate between Madrid and Split five times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Currently, 16 rotations have been announced on this line in June, with 5,472 seats available for sale between the two mentioned cities.

More flights to Dubrovnik

As we mentioned earlier, Dubrovnik is the only Croatian airport to which Iberia operated in the summer of 2020 and is also the company's first destination in Croatia this summer season.

So far, two flights a week have been available on this route, and as many as four have been announced since the beginning of June (from Friday to Monday).

From Friday, June 18, Iberia plans to operate daily between Dubrovnik and Madrid, with A320 aircraft, so that the Spanish company will offer the largest number of seats to Dubrovnik. There are currently as many as 7,182 seats on sale.

Zadar from July!

Regular flights on the route between Madrid and Zadar are currently postponed to the beginning of July (from July 3). Two flights a week have been announced on this route, on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but given that the start date of operations is still quite far, there is no need to hurry with booking because the airline could continue to cancel flights on this route.

In June, Iberia will have three lines to Croatia with a total of 15 weekly operations. Between Madrid, Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik, there are as many as 16,755 seats on offer.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 24, 2021 - The latest flight news to Croatia as 16 Eurowings flights to Croatia have been announced from next month! 

Croatian Aviation reports that the German low-cost airline, Eurowings, is planning 16 international flights to six Croatian airports in June.

In May, Eurowings renewed traffic on several routes to Split Airport. In the last week of May, the company will also operate to Rijeka, Zagreb, and Zadar, and in June, it will significantly increase its presence at Croatian airports.

Three Eurowings lines from Berlin

Eurowings will operate for the first time from the new Berlin Airport (Brandenburg) to Croatian airports. Three lines from Berlin are introduced in June; to Dubrovnik, Rijeka, and Split.

The Berlin - Dubrovnik - Berlin line will operate from June 27, once a week, on Sundays. The second weekly flight has been announced since early July, on Tuesday.

The Berlin - Rijeka - Berlin line will be in traffic from June 26, once a week, on Saturdays. The introduction of the second weekly flight (Thursday) from the beginning of July is also expected on this line.

The Berlin - Split - Berlin line starts in mid-June. The first flight has been announced for Saturday, June 19th.

Four lines from Hamburg

From June, three more Croatian airports will have a direct Eurowings route to Hamburg. The following lines have been announced:

Hamburg - Dubrovnik - Hamburg, from June 27, Sunday,

Hamburg - Rijeka - Hamburg, from June 26, Saturday,

Hamburg - Zadar - Hamburg, from June 26, Saturday,

The Hamburg - Split - Hamburg line is already in operation, but from June 28, Eurowings will increase the number of operations to two weeks of flight, on Mondays and Saturdays.

Three lines from Dusseldorf

Eurowings will resume traffic on the line between Dusseldorf and Rijeka later this month. That line will also have one weekly flight in June, every Saturday. An increase in weekly operations is not expected until July.

The company will resume traffic to Pula from June 26. The line between Dusseldorf and Pula will run once a week, on Saturdays.

The Dusseldorf - Split - Dusseldorf line will continue to operate twice a week in June, on Thursdays and Saturdays.

Two lines from Cologne

The line between Cologne and Zagreb is open three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The same number of operations was announced for June. The line between Cologne and Split starts with regular operations from May 29, once a week, on Saturdays. One flight a week is also announced through June.

Lines from Stuttgart to Zagreb, Zadar, and Split

From May 27, Eurowings will run again between Stuttgart and Zagreb, twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays. Flights have also been confirmed for June.

The Stuttgart - Split - Stuttgart line is in traffic from June 9. Eurowings will introduce the second weekly flight on Wednesday.

The Stuttgart - Zadar - Stuttgart line will operate again from June 13. One flight per week is announced on Sundays.

Eurowings will also have one line from Dortmund to Croatia. From May 29, the Dortmund - Split - Dortmund line will be introduced on Saturdays, which will get its second weekly flight on June 8, on Tuesdays.

The German low-cost airline will have 16 routes (23 flights a week) to 6 Croatian airports in June; Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, and Rijeka. 

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 21, 2021 – Interesting research suggests most Zagreb and Split citizens support the initiative to ban working on Sundays.

We have already reported on the Croatian government's initiative to ban retail stores from working most Sundays. It is an unusual idea in a time when businesses are getting more and more flexible with working hours. The initiative has been endorsed by the Catholic Church since the beginning. It promotes the idea of people being allowed to enjoy Sundays with their families or attend mass service if they are religious. How this type of decision would affect the tourism destinations is another issue altogether.

Results of the Poll

The opinion poll was done in the run-up to the last week’s elections. As reported by N1, which organised the research poll, 65,3% of Zagreb voters and 74% of Split voters support the initiative to ban working on Sundays. MASMI agency conducted the poll on a sample of 1300 people. There were eight reasons to choose from for those in support of the ban. The right to have a day off during the week ranked as the most popular reason in both cities. In Split, 43,2% of people in support of the ban chose this option. In Zagreb, that percentage was 45,5.

Seeing how this poll was tied to the election poll, it is interesting to note the differences in political affiliations and choices made. Most right-leaning voters see Sunday as a day for the family. Left-leaning voters see it more as a day of relaxation and rest for the workers. Protection of worker rights is an important reason for SDP’s (Social Democratic Party) voters. 31,8% of them support the ban for this reason in Split. 18,5% of all those who voted positively to the poll question in Split and 15,8% in Zagreb feel this decision would help protect the rights of the workers. In other words, they don’t feel these rights are being protected or respected at the moment. This might be the most interesting and worrying statistic in the entire research.

It is also interesting to note how religious reasons didn’t rank high, scoring only 3,9% in Zagreb and 1,4% in Split. Religious voters believed the church service can be attended in times outside of the person’s working hours.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

May 20, 2021 - What's it like doing business in the expat village of Split? Monique Laffite shares her trials and tribulations as a female business owner in the Dalmatian capital. 

I wanted to start this article with seven Spanish curse words that can easily describe what it is like to be a female business owner in Split, but I’ll leave the profanity to the gossip corner.  Lord knows they are half of the problem. That’s how I felt forced to write this article: pure gossip. So, before you lend your ear to those with the colorful stories about people’s lives, and how they should be punished for them, I ask you to hear me out.

It is no secret being a female business owner is hard. Pair that with a small town, and then add an even smaller foreigner community, and you have a recipe that would send even the strongest person running away from this city.  A friend of mine said the expat community can sometimes be the ‘selo within the selo’. She nailed it this time.

I was born and raised in a small town in Honduras, and I am no stranger to small-town gossip, or tactics. In my country, you settle things the old-fashioned way, face-to-face, or with a machete. I am kidding, most of us carry guns ;). 

Open a business as a woman and be ready to constantly get asked to ‘go get the big boss’, when I speak to vendors or people interested in doing business with me, which means: go get the man in charge. You need to explain yourself that even though you are a female that you are the big boss.  I smile, give them the short version, turn around, and roll my eyes. 

When someone cheats you and you demand an explanation for why, they call you hysterical (or when you look like me, ‘a crazy Latina’).  When you demand to get paid for your graphic design work and they only give you 25% of your agreed-upon price, they call you names and even threaten your legal immigration status, because you are willing to fight for what you have earned. Although things like this happen all too often, you are never prepared for the meaner, ill-spirited people and rumors that come from your own community. 

I have played the part of crazy Latina, uneducated immigrant, helpless woman, among others, but in my most recent and cruelest role, the battered wife.  Yes, this time, they have made me out to be the victim of a domestic abuse situation, spread this horrible rumor to the expat community in town, and then went ahead and attempted to punish me and my business as the battered wife. 

I am part owner (with a British gentleman) of a small Mexican restaurant in Split called To Je Tako, and I was surprised to find out a group of foreigners boycotted my restaurant.  When speaking to one of the digital nomads in town, we found out the boycott was put in place to punish the ”American owner” based on an embellished tale about a past owner and myself.  Ironically, I am the victim in the tale and the boycott is punishing me, the supposed victim.  Victimizing me, shaming me, aiming to destroy my hard-worked business.  Is it because I am a woman? My gut tells me yes. The times of #metoo & #girlpower, are outshined by the ever so classic Split foreigner gossip. 

Marvin Gaye said, ‘believe half of what you see son, and none of what you hear’. Maybe Marvin spent a couple of days in Split back in the day.

How do you react to something like this? I won’t lie to you and tell you I laughed this off and felt above it. No, I am not ashamed to say I cried. I screamed. I cursed in three languages. And when the dust settled, I did what is ever so familiar to us women, I found I had to explain myself by writing this piece.

I did not write this article to be able to explain my personal actions, my life, my decisions, or the fact that this rumor is not true. We are not friends, I’m not twelve, and this is not my diary. I am writing this article because at the end of the day, I am a business owner with responsibilities to my staff, to my landlord, to my vendors, and my business partner.  I need to explain that none of them need to be punished because of this rumor.

I have been doing business in Split since 2014. I opened a tiny bar doing pretty great things at the time. We did charities for the homeless, animals, an orphanage, art exhibits with young local artists, and became the first stage to a lot of the small duets and bands you listen around in Split now. We pushed gay rights, supported local businesses, hosted famous karaoke nights and Monday quizzes, and even closed it down one Saturday evening to celebrate the civil union of two girls in love (only the seventh such ceremony in Croatia at that time).

Today, I buy my table linens from an organization in Honduras that promotes women workers, cook for local soup kitchens, support animal charities, and hire local artists. Our staff is racially diverse, LBTQ-inclusive, loyal to the bone, and I would have nothing without them. 

Why do I feel the need to tell you all this? Because actions speak louder than words. 

Writing this article was not pleasant. The first version looked like a ransom note. But ultimately, I wrote it to let people know how boycotts often affect the wrong people (especially in this case, being it a malicious lie). You punished my staff, my vendors, and my business partner—but never an “American wife-beater”. It took me one day to figure out who started this rumor, and realized how personal it was.  To the group of men that started this, pick on someone your own size. The people behind To Je Tako deserve none of this.  If you know me, or any other woman in this situation: back off, because we will go down swinging.  It is time to let sleeping dogs lie.

In the domestic violence rumor, I am the battered wife.  The boycott does not affect the non-existent American owner, but me—the battered wife owner.  If the rumor were true, the people saying the rumor would be re-victimizing me—the battered wife.  Everyone knows that there is no American involved anymore in my business.  They know every lie they tell, every time they laugh about proliferating the lie, their goal is more than to affect my business, but to hurt me as a supposed battered wife.  Imagine if this were true how every Kuna I lost I also had another band-aid ripped off the wound.  This boycott is more savage than monetary and does not even hurt the person they are told it would hurt.  So why do you keep listening to it?

If you find yourself lending an ear to local gossip, take a second to see who is trying to entertain you with it, and consider the effect of your actions after listening to it.  In the meantime, we will be the ones next to the Temple of Jupiter, selling good food, and listening to none of it.

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