February 6, 2020 - Miki Bratanic, the Dalmatian writer and poet, who has done more to promote the heritage and culture of the Dalmatian konoba, has been inspired by the opening of Rijeka 2020, and he proposes an offshoot for Split 2021.

Soon after I started Total Hvar all those years ago, I became aware of a chap called Miki Bratanic, whose roots were from the Hvar village of Vrbanj. A writer and poet based in Split, this Miki Bratanic chap had rather a passion for the humble Dalmatian konoba. So much so in fact that he had turned his own konoba in the family home in Vrbanj into a fantastic little museum, and not long after my visit, it became officially recognised by the Ministry of Culture. And if you on Hvar, I recommend a visit (and a wine tasting from Miki's excellent range). 

Not content with having the ultimate konoba, Miki then wrote a great book about the history of the konoba, a book which has been very successful and has gone around the globe. Miki doesn't know this, but I have been very jealous of his book, Konoba. Several years ago, I went to see the then Split Tourist Board director to see if he wanted to buy a number of copies of Split, An Insider's Guide, a guide book for the city that I co-wrote with Mila Hvilshoj. The director told me he was not interested as my book was too big to fit into his little tourist gift bag. Unlike the Konoba, by Miki Bratanic... But he did write an excellent piece on Diocletian, owner of the first Dalmatian konoba for Total Split, so I forgive him.

Years passed. I hadn't seen Miki for a long time until I caught him in Zagreb in December, as he picked up an award at the FIJET Marko Polo awards. And then our paths crossed again, this time online in a discussion about the controversial opening of Rijeka 2020. 

And then this - a translation of Miki's Facebook post. A fantastic concept, which we are pleased to support. How about you? 

Dear friends, It's my great pleasure to announce the project concept "The tavern, the cradle of Dalmatia - 100 years of turbulent Croatian history", which I, in cooperation with a great promoter of Croatia, Paul Bradbury, the owner of the Total Croatia News portal, as well as with other interested partners, would apply for in the competition for the programme of cultural needs of the City of Split for 2021.

Modelling it on the recent state-of-the-art artistic and cultural installation in Rijeka, which has aroused the enthusiasm, admiration and widespread acceptance from many prominent people in Split and Dalmatia, an identical ''installation account'' of our own history would be made through the prism of taverns, viticulture and winemaking on Split's Riva, as well as in Diocletian's taverns, ie cellars, along with suitable art programmes.

Through stories and photographs, the painstaking but proud life of the people of Dalmatia would be presented through various chronologically ordered socio-political changes.

The historic flags under which Dalmatia or its parts existed over the last 100 years lined up along the Riva as follows:

From the east of Riva, that is, from the entrance to the Diocletian's Tavern, the flag of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia would first be placed. After that, the flags of Fascist Italy and then Nazi Germany would be lined up.

The flag of the Independent State of Croatia would be located right in the centre of the waterfront, where the passage to Marko Marulić Square is. Immediately after that, the flag of the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, ie the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, would be placed.

It would be modelled on what Rijeka has artistically done (who distorted the Nazi flag), so an octopus or an eledone would be inserted instead of the five-pointed star. After that, a SAO Krajina flag would be mounted, on which an artistic intervention would also be made, but for now, what it will be will remain a little secret.

After that flag, the first official flag of the Republic of Croatia would be erected, the one with the initial white checker first, and then, all the way at the western end of the waterfront, the present-day Croatian flag with the initial red checker first would be erected. Of course, this is just an initial artistic idea concept.

Since the artists in Rijeka have already used one of the totalitarian symbols, the five-pointed star, and it makes no sense to copy everything exactly, then another symbol of a totalitarian regime could be prominently displayed in Split, but there's still more to think about in regard to that.

Unlike the Rijeka artists, who have masterfully explained the artistic message of the five-pointed star, I'm personally completely uncreative and unimaginative in designing messages with such symbols, so I'd need the help of our broad artistic domain.

In any case, I'd like to invite all associations, non-governmental organisations, individuals, especially artists, designers, architects, photographers, conservators and anyone else who would like to join in on this project, to make themselves known via my inbox.

Programmes for the cultural needs of the City of Split are usually submitted in autumn, but preparations should still begin on time in order to produce the best possible documentation.

This project aims to showcase the need for human patience, work, perseverance, love, mutual respect, the acceptance of diversity, tolerance, and constant progressive thoughts while striving for peace in the world, and in a special way, this is intended to show that Dalmatia is the cradle, and Split with its great Marko Marulić, is the capital of Croatian culture.

Once again, heartfelt congratulations to Rijeka on the title of "European Capital of Culture 2020" and on the motivation and inspiration for our turbulent story of Split.

I look forward to working with you and I warmly welcome you all.

Yours, Miki Bratanic

February 6, 2020 - The eighth round of the LEN Champions League was held on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, featuring Croatian clubs Jug, Jadran, and Mladost.

The Jug Adriatic water polo team has made a big step towards the final eight after defeating Olympiacos 13:9 in the eighth round of Group A of the Champions League group stage, beating the Greek champions for the first time.

The Dubrovnik squad booked a decisive victory against the 2019 European finalist, and the key was the second quarter, which Jug won 5:1.

Olympiakos led 3:1, but Jug woke up and scored six goals in a row to lead 7:3. At half time, Vjekoslav Kobešćak's team had a five-goal advantage (9:4) and, in the continuation of the match, managed to maintain their edge.

Paulo Obradovic, Loren Fatovic and Luka Loncar each contributed to the win with three goals, while Toni Popadic was excellent in goal. The most efficient for Olympiacos was Maro Jokovic and Stefan Mitrovic with two goals each.

In the second match of this group, Jadran lost to Barceloneta 12:16 away and recorded their sixth defeat. The Split team held up well in the first three quarters and were losing 10:11 in the final eight minutes. However, Barceloneta was better 5:2 in the last quarter.

Alvaro Granados was the most efficient for Barceloneta with five goals and Alexandre Bodegas scored four goals, while Rino Buric, Ivan Domagoj Zovic, and Nathan Power were the best for Jadran with two goals each.

Barceloneta and Olympiacos are tied for the top spot in Group A with 19 points, while Jug is in second place with 18 points.

The third Croatian representative in the Champions League, Mladost Zagreb, defeated Marseille 14:11 as a guest in the 8th round of Group B of the Champions League.

Mladost is fourth in the rankings with 16 points, the same number of points as OSC in third, while Marseille is in sixth with nine points. At the top is Pro Recco with 20 points and Ferencvaros with 17 points.

You can see the full LEN Champions League table here.

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

February 5, 2020 - The Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board participated in the New York Times Travel Show from January 24 to 26, 2020, in New York City.

Judging by the interest in the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board booth at the recently concluded 17th New York Times Travel Show, an excellent number of guests from the US market could visit the region this year. This County, led by director Josko Stella, is more than pleased with the feedback, and the attendance and interest were excellent, said Stella, noting that numerous visitors, as well as colleagues from participating countries, were delighted with their presentation. Recall that from January 24 to 26, the Big Apple hosted a global tourism summit, a valued fair, which brought together 550 exhibitors from 170 countries.

With 30,000 professionals from the tourism industry, the New York Times Travel Show brought the best of the best from all over the world. Split-Dalmatia County had a lot to be proud of. 

“Split-Dalmatia County has been presented at the New York Fair for the third year now, with the recently completed fair bringing us great attendance. Dare I say, never better. We were presented with our best, most beautiful, natural wonders, cultural sights, but also what interests the American market most, like the Game of Thrones filming locations, and the movie mega-hit Mamma Mia, links to Meštrović… All this is more than a strong wind at our backs, given the fact that last year the Americans ranked seventh in the number of arrivals. They realized 473,000 overnights, which is 13 percent more than in the previous periods. And that is certainly one of the important reasons for our already traditional presence at this significant fair,” said Stella.

The Split-Dalmatia County delegation included representatives from the top of tourism, people from the private sector, Suncani Hvar, Split's Cornaro hotel, and people from the Tourist Board of Split and Kastela. The Split Tourist Board also participated in the prize competition. Also impressive was the presentation of the Kastela Tourist Board, which introduced the famous Kastela red Zinfandel wine, thought by Americans to be of their origin. However, this fair was also an excellent opportunity for visitors to get acquainted with the fact that this premium wine originates from Dalmatia by its genetic roots.

“At fairs of this kind, with this kind of attendance from a critical market, are places where we definitely need to appear in our tourism planning strategy. The number of American tourists coming to our area is increasing every year. In addition to Dubrovnik and Zagreb, they have become numerically important in their favorite locations in Split, Hvar, in many areas of our county. We have to brag about how our county has become one of America's most important holiday destinations. The excellent impressions we have collected present the data of the current tourist barometer. We are very pleased with our presentation and delighted with the feedback,” added Stella.

A well-designed presentation strategy included another important item - a sweepstake that garnered a lot of interest from visitors. The prize fund included a two-week free stay in the county - 14 nights total, seven at Suncani Hvar, and seven days at the Cornaro Split Hotel. 

“The prize game went beyond our expectations. The lucky winner was truly thrilled. She will be greeted with a paid holiday, top quality accommodation, flights sponsored by Croatia Airlines in partnership with the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and the Split Tourist Board, while accommodation will be provided by Suncani Hvar Hotel and Cornaro Split Hotel. The five remaining lucky ones went home with a bottle of Kastela's prized wine sponsored by the Kastela Tourist Board. Summarizing our participation, we can say with pleasure that this fair helps us to position ourselves in the US market as best we can,” Josko Stella said.

There is no rest for tourist workers in Croatia, as these fairs are genuine opportunities for direct publicity. Thus, it is not surprising that the county delegation, with a lot of prepared material, does most of their logistic preparations in the early months of the year. After New York, Stella and his team, intensified by private sector representatives from Split-Dalmatia County, went to Atlanta for a workshop. Other Croatian counties will join them there. The task is clear - they are waiting to be presented, promoted, but also to make even better deals with US agencies. 

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

February 4, 2020 - 'Green Mind - transnational integration of innovative entrepreneurs' is the name of a conference held on Tuesday at the premises of ICT Counties, that is, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Split.

Dalmatinski Portal writes that the conference was part of the Green Mind project co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg MED program, which aims to develop economic competitiveness and innovation in the green and start mobility industry by enhancing regional and transnational cooperation between businesses, research bodies and authorities. The total value of the two-year project, which ends at the end of July 2020, is 1,298,000 euro, and the share of Split-Dalmatia County as a partner amounts to 151,000 euro.

“We are in the final phase of a project that needs to be capitalized through a transnational innovation network and that aims to showcase eight pilot areas and eight pilot services specifically designed for SMEs involved in the smart and green mobility sector,” said Martin Bucan, project manager for the Green Mind project in Split-Dalmatia County, adding that it is a sector that contributes to reducing CO2 emissions and influencing climate change.

Split-Dalmatia County, as a project partner, organized this transnational event, bringing together small and medium-sized enterprises interested in participating in the future of mobility to obtain free support from project partners and external experts; testing pilot services to better understand the green and smart mobility market and to take advantage of these business opportunities; assistance in finding public funding for their projects; and B2B matchmaking to find the right project partners, as well as supporting the integration of the local cluster and the transnational network.

According to Bucan, some 30 companies participated in the Green Mind project, and seven of them showed interest in participating in this pilot project. After the analysis, all publicly available financing was found for them, and fairs and competitions were identified, and they could join in the next period to find a partner. Vuk Kašić of Net Media Sistemi, a company specializing in website design and customer support, said their company had participated in the project and hoped for its successful continuation.

“By participating in this project, we were provided with an analysis that was very difficult for us to cover financially, nor did we have the resources to execute it, and we were given complete insight into the current market situation. Based on this analysis, we will decide to visit the fairs, and we will also analyze the financial possibilities for further investment in infrastructure. We also hope for the possibility of withdrawing European funds for our projects,” said Kasic.

Professor Mateo Perak outlined the benefits and perspectives of developing their Smarparking app, which reduces the unnecessary circulation of cars by seeking free parking, reducing CO2 emissions.

“As entrepreneurs, in this Green Mind project, we see an opportunity to solve certain problems in society and to connect people with similar interests and energies, which always results in progress,” Perak added.

The conference was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts (Sector for Innovation Policy), Split-Dalmatia County, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture. After that, a panel discussion was held on the importance of connecting and collaborating with the private sector, the research community, and the public sector, in which representatives of FESB, Ericsson Nikola Tesla and Profico and the City of Split discussed.

Successful innovative projects Smart Parking (Profico), electric parking barrier (Parklio) and Smart City (City of Split) were presented during the conference, followed by a visit to the FESB H2 Laboratory.

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

February 4, 2020 - The sixth Adriatic Gastro Show begins on Wednesday at the Spaladium Arena, featuring an entire tourist and catering range of products and services through 12,000 square meters of attractive exhibition space. 

Dalmatinski Portal writes that this year's Adriatic Gastro Show brings together over 1000 exhibitors at 200 exhibitions. The director of the fair, Stipe Šamija, has announced the arrival of exhibitors from 20 countries around the world, even from America, Africa, and some from Asia.

“This year's peculiarity is that we again managed to gather the largest number of exhibitors. I would also like to single out a large number of conferences and gatherings, while on the other hand, we have a rich accompanying program for both professionals and visitors,” said Šamija.

Visitors will enjoy the women’s bartending competition '5. Split - Lady's Cup' organized by the Croatian Bar Association on Thursday from 3 pm. In addition, at the fair, which brings together the most famous names in the field of gastronomy, winemaking and tourism, there will be a cooking show, organized visits to hotel chains, and expert lectures. In particular, there will be an attractive raffle, where Prima Furniture will donate a kitchen worth 20,000 kuna. One ticket is only 30 kuna.

Within the fair, the 5th Regional Family Tourism Forum, organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, will also be held. This year, on Thursday and Friday from 10:30 am, several interested private accommodation renters will learn the new trends in tourism, possibilities of financing from EU funds, legislation, cooperation with travel agencies, marketing, and more.

“What we need to work on is the quality of the accommodation, and our education supports this. A lot of applications have already been sent to us, which means that people are hungry for knowledge and want to move forward in business,” said Natasa Busic of the HGK Split County Chamber. She added that Split and Split-Dalmatia County could offer everything regarding private accommodation.

Along with several major exhibitor companies such as Metro, Alca, Stanic, Velpro, Apfel, Tekstilpromet, the importance of the Adriatic Gastro Show and its impact on the economic processes of small and medium-sized businesses in Dalmatia, especially in the tourism segment, were recognized and sponsored by President Kolinda. Grabar-Kitarović, the Ministry of Agriculture, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, Split-Dalmatia County, the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, and the Split Tourist Board.

The director of the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, Josko Stella, highlighted the importance and contribution of the fair to the development of tourism in the pre-season. It is precisely during the pre-season and post-season that the growth of this important industry is focused, as we are limited by infrastructure in July and August.

“It comes at an ideal time, compliments to the organizer and exhibitors for helping with overall tourism,” Stella said.

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

February 4, 2020 - Croatian tourism chiefs keep talking about 12-month tourism, and the Dalmatian capital has enough content to support it, so why are there no budget winter flights to Split? Shall we try? 

When I first moved to Dalmatia back in 2003, I found Split in winter a little creepy. 

Walking through Diocletian's Palace after dark was a depressing experience, nothing was open, and I had the feeling that I might get mugged on some occasions. I remember the fabulous ladies from Zinfandel and B7 telling me that when they opened the first licenced hostel around the same time, things were so bad that they had to take their winter guests to a bar at the bus station to party. 

How times have changed! 

Tourism has really boomed in Split since I arrived, and it was known back then as the Gateway to the Dalmatian Islands, whereas now it is known as one of the hottest destinations in Europe. In the summer and shoulder months. But once those budget airlines wind up for the season, things change considerably from November to early April. And yet the content is there if people came. Events such as Advent in Split are great additions to the winter scene (as those who remember the pre-Advent days will confirm). But adventure tourism, gourmet tourism, cultural tourism - these have all progressed considerably in the last decade, and the tourism providers stand ready to greet their winter guests. 

And yet - despite the explosion of budget air travel in recent years - the airports on the Adriatic are mostly idle. Does it really have to be that way?

I recently received a message from a tourism business owner in Split:

So the reason for this message is to get businesses in Dalmatia thriving (specifically Split) from 1st of November to April 1st. We are dying!!! Literally!! 

I've just been away and coming back made me realise how dead this city ACTUALLY is!!! I was too busy being a boring mum, ? and I didn't realise what a ghost town it actually was. Sure there a few local places that do well and manage to survive, but the overall situation is horrific! And if foreigners, even just Europeans were to fly here for short city breaks then it will motivate the locals to come out of there houses. It will create a chain reaction!!

Dalmatia is the Florida of Europe and all we have is sunshine and a bunch of pensioners!!! I even invested in a marketing agency over winter to help with winter businesses. But we have achieved nothing!! 

It's great that we are getting more flights over summer, but we desperately NEEEEEEEED to be connected to Europe over winter. 

Dalmatia is no better off than Slavonia over winter, I'm telling you. We may have the finances left from summer to get us through, but the lack of people and moral3 is so demoralising.

The email got me thinking - surely it was worth testing the market to see if there was enough of a market? I have heard SO many people complain over the years that Split and Dalmatia is so inaccessible over the years. If we made it more accessible, would they actually come and support such an initiative. Perhaps, perhaps not, but the only way to find out would be to try. 

Should we try or just keep on talking about it and complaining? 

The Croatian National Tourist Board had some kind of programme for providing financial assistance to airlines. I had thought that this was in the form of a subsidy, but as I found out when I contacted them (see below), it isn't actually a subsidy: 

Inquiry:

1. I know that HTZ subsidises some flights. Is it possible to give me more information, please? A statement on the strategy, as well as details of which flights/airlines are subsidised. 

2. Has there ever been a plan to experiment with subsiding a year-round flight to Split to see if the interest was there?

Response:

The Croatian National Tourist Board offers the opportunity for interested partners from the tourism industry to propose activities related to programs for Croatia via public calls for proposals, with the aim of realizing common interests, actively promoting the domestic tourist offer and attracting more guests.

All interested travel industry partners (tour operators and carriers) with all forms of organized programs for Croatia (air, bus and nautical) that are introducing or looking to enhance their programs or extend the period of operations in the pre-season and post-season with a tendency to further grow in the 3 years following the introduction of the program are eligible to submit to the public call.

Interested partners submit their proposals for cooperation to the CNTB representative office in the relevant market (CNTB Head Office for other markets depending on the partner's programs and headquarters), and when selecting a partner, the compatibility of the partner's program with the main strategic goals of the CNTB is taken into account. The proposal submitted, as well as the submitting partner’s market position, openness to cooperation and the possibility of establishing a viable partnership are all taken into account. A final decision on the selection of partners for the implementation of the CNTBs strategic promotional campaigns (affiliate marketing campaigns) is made by the CNTB Tourism Council.

It is important to note that this is not a subsidy, but a marketing cooperation, because in consultation with the chosen partners, advertising is carried out in all types of media, depending on the final agreement. While a portion of the agreed activities certainly include some related to year-round flight routes of interest to individual Croatian regions.

I am not sure I am much wiser in terms of my questions answered, but perhaps there is something that we can take from this. Assuming that the Croatian National Tourist Board is interested strategically in 12-month tourism and would support marketing cooperation to make that happen, and with the excellent connections the tourism chiefs must have with the airlines that they deal with, can we not package a deal to make it sufficiently attractive to a low-cost airline to dip a toe in the water and see what the interest? Even if that deal means giving the airline better summer landing slots, for example? Surely Split Airport would be flexible on fees to allow this seed to grow.

A couple of flights a week from London, Oslo, Berlin and Rome, for example. 

Would local businesses like to be involved to see if it could work, either through financially supporting or offering special discounts? 

Isn't it worth a try?

To follow the latest from Split, check out Total Split. 

February 4, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Zadar, Dubrovnik, and Split. 

Ex Yu Aviation and Avio Radar report that Ryanair has added its 12th new route and 34th total to Zadar for the summer season. Namely, Ryanair will connect Budapest with Zadar twice per week, on Thursdays and Sundays, from July 2 until September 27, 2020. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft will operate on this route. Avio Radar adds that this is only the second line from Hungary to Croatia. 

Recall, Lauda, which is Ryanair’s subsidiary, will base three aircraft at Zadar Airport in the summer. Around 672,000 passengers are expected to use Ryanair to fly to and from Zadar in 2020. 

Recall, Zadar Airport, also expects over one million in 2020. 

“Having welcomed 800,000 travelers in 2019 is a big achievement for us. It is a milestone. However, new records will be broken in 2020,” said Zadar Airport General Manager, Josip Klišmanić. “During our first fifty years of operations, we handled under a million passengers annually. This will no longer be the case in 2020,” he added. In 2019, Zadar Airport handled 801,347 passengers, which is an additional 197,308 compared to 2018. 

Zadar Airport will thus become the fourth airport in the country to welcome one million passengers in a single year, after Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik.

Furthermore, Avio Radar reports that SkyTeam member and French national carrier Air France has announced that it is boosting operations to Dubrovnik and Split. 

The Paris (Rossy-Charles de Gaulle Airport)-Dubrovnik route will operate daily in 2020. Namely, the line will begin operating on March 29, a week earlier than last year. At the same time, during the preseason, it will work twice a week, on Saturdays and Sundays, or one flight a week more than last year. 

During the heart of the season, Dubrovnik and Paris will be connected by seven flights per week instead of the five routes last year. The Airbus A318, A319, and A320 will run on this line.

The Paris (Rossy-Charles de Gaulle Airport)-Split line will run six flights per week, or every day but Saturday. This is twice as many flights as last year when the two cities were connected by Air France three times per week. The smaller Embraer ERJ-190 will fly on this line. Last year, the Airbus A319 aircraft flew on this route. 

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

February 4, 2020 - As part of the EU project "Palace of life - City of changes", the archaeological research at the Old Town Hall in Split will begin at the end of this week.

TCN has already announced that the neo-Gothic Old Town Hall building in the Split Pjaca will undergo a complete transformation. 

Namely, the building will retain its current size, layout, and height. Renovations will be carried out on the floors, all floor structures, and the roof.

Architect of the project, Josip Ružić, said that by removing the existing walls and modifying the inter-story structures, the intention is to achieve an open and flexible exhibition space on all three floors. This will allow the heritage facility to be used for new functions and to hold seminars, lectures, concerts, receptions, and the like.

The Old Town Hall could also serve as a place where the mayor would occasionally receive high-ranking guests, and suitable furniture for the first floor will be specially brought in for the occasion. The dropped ceiling will be removed and a wooden cassette ceiling installed, with thermal insulation required. The base of the pillars in the loggia that were cut off during the earlier interventions will be reconstructed and add the missing part of the stone base.

The existing wooden windows and doors will be replaced with new ones, but in the same style. Anti-theft foil is envisaged on the windows, with additional thermal insulation and sun protection.

On the ground floor, the reception area, souvenir shop, control room, and toilets will be located along the existing loggia and the exhibition area, and all the facilities mentioned above will occupy a quarter of the space, while the rest will be used for exhibiting. An 18th-century illustrated monograph of Diocletian's Palace, authored by Scottish architect Robert Adam, will be displayed on the touch screen.

The north side of Old Town Hall will provide access for people with disabilities, up to the ground floor level by a ramp, and access to the second floor by elevator. A stone staircase with a wrought iron fence will be retained. On the first and second floors, there will be showrooms, and the attic is intended for mechanical installations, storage, and office space.

Recall, at the end of last year, the City of Split Administration announced a competition for archaeological research and the renovation and interior decoration of the historic building located in the Split Pjaca, or People’s Square. 

These activities are an integral part of the EU project "Palace of life - City of changes", financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the ITU Mechanism of the Urban Agglomeration of Split, and the value of this part of the works is estimated at 7.2 million kuna.

Slobodna Dalmacija announced that the archaeological research at the Old Town Hall finally begins at the end of this week.

Renovation works precede these works, and their goal is to fully discover and protect the archaeological layers and structures of the building. They are expected to be completed in March 2020, when renovation and interior design work is scheduled to begin.

The interior design project is signed by Nikolina Jelavić Mitrović, who designed and executed 12 permanent exhibitions of museums in Croatia and more than 130 exhibitions in our leading museums and galleries. For the Vukovar City Museum housed in the Eltz Castle and the Museum Alka of Sinj, she received prestigious European awards.

The designer notes that, given the importance of the building, it was approached with the utmost care and that all possible installation equipment would be kept as hidden or as noticeable as possible.

“In addition to the installation of a modern ventilation system, a microclimate control system is envisaged, which will allow the exposure of the most sensitive and valuable exhibits. The first and second floors will have microclimate control when needed, so that the most sensitive exhibits can be exposed,” says Jelavić Mitrović, adding that there will be automatic glass doors on the floors that provide stable microclimate conditions.

Unlike the existing lighting, the new lighting will be flexible, able to move around, and allow for better adjustment of light intensity depending on the purpose. There will be built-in speakers on the ceilings.

The project envisages a system of dismantling panels that will allow the window openings to be covered, thus providing more exhibition space.

“No use of the walls is envisioned, but the exhibitions will be shown exclusively on the billboards. The space is a bit darker as the walls will not be white, and the use of disassembly panels will be used. The panels will be able to change color depending on the exhibition,” notes the designer, pointing out that the panels will be able to be placed freely in the space, but also against the wall using a special suspension system to create a continuous exhibition surface.

The coat of arms on a glass wall in the center window is planned on the first floor, which was created when the town hall was Neo-Gothic. The coats of arms will be made of colored glass, and not painted on glass as it is now.

Incredibly, this space has not been valorized so far as a building and a site of significant events in the history of the city. It is time it is presented adequately.

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

February 3, 2020 - The Croatian National Theater Split (HNK Split) is using 'cat island’ next to the official theater entrance to help promote its February events.

The citizens of Split are well aware that a few years ago, street cats began settling in the central green area next to HNK Split. Over time, they have not only taken over this green city area, so much, that is has been given the name ‘cat island’, but they've also won the hearts of locals and visitors alike. 

Today, Splitski Dnevnik writes that the dozen or so cats who spend their time here each day will now find shelter thanks to cat homes named in honor of the February event Bambina, which is expected to premiere on February 14, but also Romeo and Juliet, Cicibela and Roko, to cover the whole ‘month of love’.

"This is a small intervention. The first time I came to Split, I was surprised at how many cats were fed, chipped, and neutered, which is good for the theater because we have drastically fewer mice. The other thing is that a lot of tourists take photos of the cats, and many citizens feed them. It occurred to me that, following the model of Antalya, where the city services set up shelters in the places cats gather, we wanted to do a similar project. Not only will this make them more comfortable, but we can also mark the premiere of the musical Bambina in this way,” said the leader of this charity and promotional action, called 'Homes for cats in the theater square', intendant Srećko Šestan.

Two houses read the names Tonca and Mariana, who are characters from the Bambina musical.

"This is a small, wonderful human gesture to our little friends. I have been a member of Animal Friends for many years, and I have Frida, a well-fed pet cat at home, which is why I think it is wonderful to help the little four-legged friends of the theater this way. I am also glad that one of the homes is called 'Bambina', although in our play, it is the name of a tanker, so it will probably be for the biggest cat. This kind of thing makes everyone a little bit better,” said Bambina show director Krešo Dolenčić.

The seven colorful houses brightening up the square were made in a fireproof plywood theater workshop. They are intentionally not grounded, as Šestan says, hoping that the citizens of Split will respect them and not take them home.

"If someone needs a cat shelter, we will gladly make it, because they were made by our employees and painted by our painters," concluded Šestan.

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

February 3, 2020 - The Croatian First Football League returned on Friday after a long winter break. Dinamo and Hajduk, currently first and second in the standings, both booked victories to open the spring season.

Inter Zapresic v. Istra 1961 (2:0)

Inter and Istra met on Friday, January 31, 2020, to open the spring season in Zagreb in front of 906 fans.

Thanks to two early goals for Inter in the 11th minute (Mitrovic) and an own goal in the 26th (Bosancic), Inter was not only 2:0 up at the half, but held their lead until the final whistle. 

Inter is currently in 8th place with 16 points, while Istra is in 9th with 12.

Lokomotiva v. Rijeka (2:1)

Lokomotiva and Rijeka met on Saturday, February 1, 2020, in Zagreb in front of 863 fans. 

Kastrati scored the first goal of the game to put Lokomotiva in the 1:0 lead at the half. Kastrati scored his second goal of the game in the 71st minute for 2:0. Rijeka’s Loncar came back with a goal in the 86th minute for the final score of 2:1.

Lokomotiva is currently in 5th place with 31 points, while Rijeka is in 4th with 34. 

Slaven Belupo v. Dinamo Zagreb (0:2)

Belupo and Dinamo met on Saturday, February 1, 2020, in Koprivnica in front of 2,323 fans. 

Dinamo’s first goal of the game came right before halftime when Ivanusec scored for 0:1. 

Petkovic increased Dinamo’s lead at the start of the second half for 0:2 in the 53rd minute, which was the final score of the game. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 18 points, while Dinamo is in 1st place with 50 points.

Varazdin v. Hajduk (0:3)

Varazdin and Hajduk met on Sunday, February 2, 2020, at NK Varteks Stadium in front of 5,043 fans.

After a missed penalty, Hajduk finally took the lead in the first half thanks to Jradi, who made the game 0:1 in the 42nd minute.

A penalty in the 72nd minute (Caktas) and another in the 4th minute of added time (Eduok) made the game 0:3 for Hajduk.

Varazdin is currently in the last place with 10 points, while Hajduk is in 2nd place with 38.

Gorica v. Osijek (0:0)

Gorica and Osijek closed out the 20th round on Sunday, February 2, 2020, in Velika Gorica in front of 689 fans.

Neither team was able to score and the game ended 0:0.

Gorica is currently in 6th place with 30 points, while Osijek is in 3rd with 34. 

You can see the full HNL table here.

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