ZAGREB, 3 July 2022 - The Tesla & Friends event will take place in Zagreb from 9 to 11 July and will include the presentation of annual awards and a conference on smart and innovative cities. 

The event is organised by the Nikola Tesla - Genius for the Future association to mark the 116th anniversary of the birth of the famous scientist and inventor and the ninth Nikola Tesla Day, the day of science, technology and innovation.

It will open with a demonstration of Tesla's experiments at the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum. In the evening of the same day, 9 July, a multidisciplinary performance called "Magnetic Field of Play" will be held, and Tesla's image will be projected at the fountains near the National and University Library.

On 10 July, Tesla's birthday, commemorative programmes will be held at the Nikola Tesla Monument and the Hotel Esplanade, where annual awards will be presented in three categories. A conference on smart and innovative cities will follow at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce on 11 July and will include a panel discussion on sustainable waste management.

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24 March 2022 - As the Mediterranean sun returns to its full vernal glory, summer is fast approaching, and innkeepers across Croatia are preparing for a busy tourist season. If you happen to be one of the lucky holidaymakers who've got Croatia on this year’s itinerary, pay attention because I want to share with you one of Croatia’s best-kept secrets which you should be sure not to skip on your way from Zagreb to Split. 

Located directly in the path of anyone travelling from central Europe to the Dalmatian coast, Lika is a Croatian treasure that is often forgotten. A rugged land nestled in the Dinaric Alps, Lika’s geographic seclusion and small population manifests as both a blessing and a curse, leaving the region relatively untouched by the annual tourism booms that flood neighbouring areas. While this trend has preserved the local authenticity of the towns and villages that dot the valleys, coasts, and mountainsides of Croatia’s largest county, the region has also been denied many of the economic benefits that come with a thriving tourism industry.

So, as the grandchild of a Likan myself, and an avid advocate of Likan culture and natural beauty, I strongly encourage visitors to venture beyond the holy holiday trinity of Zagreb, Istria, and Dalmatia, and consider adding my ancestral lands to at least one leg of your summer adventure. I promise you wont regret it. To make planning a little easier, I have put together a list of destinations you should be sure to check out on your next Croatian getaway, even if only as a pitstop along the way from Split to Zagreb, Vienna, or Venice.

Kuterevo Bear Sanctuary

As Lika is one of Croatia’s most wild regions, it comes as no surprise that a home for orphaned brown bears would find itself at the top of this list. According to the Lika Tourism Board, approximately 800-1000 brown bears live in Croatia. Unfortunately, due to hunting and other human activities, some cubs lose their mothers before they can survive on their own. This is where Kuterevo comes in. Founded in 2002, the volunteer-run rescue center has made it their mission to protect Croatia’s brown bears. As a result of their good deeds, the sanctuary has attracted curious onlookers to the local village, a fortunate side effect for a settlement that was once unknown to the rest of the world. The sanctuary currently hosts 8 bears, 2 of which came from a zoo, while the rest were taken in as cubs from the wild. If you are interested and want to learn more, check out the website of the Lika Tourism Board here.

Memorial Center “Nikola Tesla” Smiljan

As you might be aware, Lika was the birthplace of physicist and engineer Nikola Tesla. Born in Smiljan, Tesla went on to invent the first AC motor and developed AC transmission technology, an achievement that some say changed the course of human history. Come to Smiljan to learn more about the childhood and career of this iconic world figure. The exhibit includes two parts that outline his early upbringing and science-oriented life. Both science nerds and history buffs should be sure to include this pitstop or even spend a few nights in the nearby town of Gospić. Find out more here.

Memorial Center "Nikola Tesla" Smiljan - Pixcell

Plitvice Lakes

Probably the most well-renowned destination that Lika has to offer, Plitviče Lakes National Park is a 295 km2 forest reserve in the northeastern corner of the region. Known for its chain of 16 terraced lakes and waterfalls, this stop will bring out the inner naturalist in even the most well-established city dwellers. The park gained significant international attention in 2014 when a video of Croatian duo 2CELLOS went viral, garnering millions of views on YouTube. Even without the splendour of chordophone melodies, the natural beauty of the lakes speaks for itself, with over a million people visiting the park every year. If you want to avoid crowds, visit outside of the July-August rush. If you find yourself there during in high season, arrive early. The park opens at 7 am, and tour busses generally show up at 9 am. Most importantly, don’t make this the only stop on the Likan leg of your journey. For travellers looking to get off the beaten path, spending some time in at least one of the other options on this list will provide a more authentic and well-rounded experience.

The Croatian Littoral

If you thought Croatian maritime beauty was restricted to Dalmatia and Istria, think again. The equally magnificent Croatian Littoral lies just over the mountain from Lika’s vast woodlands. Travellers who crave the sea but shy away from crowded beaches will find Eden along this exquisite, rugged stretch of coastline. Mainly comprising the areas between Rijeka and Dalmatia, the Littoral hosts several charming seaside towns and villages with mild Mediterranean ambiance, a contrast to the more continental interior. My grandfather would recount tales of the difference in climate between his village and the coastal towns he would visit during his youth. “In my village, cold winters, but over the mountain, hot and… palm trees!” He would exclaim, testifying to the incredible variety his homeland provides.

You, too, can share in witnessing this marvel of geography. Quick day trips to the Littoral are a summer must for anyone staying in Lika. Journey to Zavratnica Bay, where you will find crystal blue waters between the steep cliffs that compose this tranquil inlet. A sunken German WWII ship can also be found here for those just as excited about diving into history as they do the ocean.

The town of Senj may also be of interest to anyone keen to embrace European history while staying dry. Stopover at Nehaj Fortress to marvel at the majesty of the stone walls that have defended the settlement as far back as 1558.

Boats in the Senj harbor - Pixabay

Gospić

The administrative center of Lika, located at the heart of the region, Gospić is an attractive destination for anyone trying to escape big crowds. Despite its modest size, the town is full of the same Southeastern European charm that invites tourists to neighbouring constituencies each year. Existing at the crossroads of empires, Gospić was initially built between two Ottoman forts, later experiencing rule under various other regimes, leaving a unique mark on the town. The proximal location of Gospic to many of Lika’s best tourist attractions makes it an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding area.

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

July 27, 2021 - Last week, the Croatian National Bank announced five motifs to be featured on Croatia euro coins, with the image of Nikola Tesla being the most popular one according to the vox populi. However, these are just the first steps of the process of creating Croatian euro coins. Who has the ultimate say on whether Tesla is to be kept or to be scrapped off? A look into the procedure of approving the designs of euro coins.

The announcement of five motifs chosen to grace the national side of Croatian euro coins that came last Wednesday was soon greeted by a statement on the official website of the National Bank of Serbia. In it, NBS objects to the Croatian idea of using the image of Nikola Tesla. It's described as ''an appropriation of the cultural and scientific heritage of the Serbian people.'' Serbia also stated it would file a complaint if Croatia put his image on one of the coins.

The question is, to whom would these complaints be filed, and to what effect? Is there a set legal way to get Croatia to remove Tesla from the coins not yet minted? (Un)surprisingly, there are a few precedents guarding the question, as this is not the first time that one country objected to the design of another country's euro coins, claiming it belonged to its own national heritage.

In 2005, Slovenia's use of the Prince's Stone on the 2 cents coins launched a protest from the Austrian state of Carinthia. Prince's Stone is an ancient Roman column that was used during the early Middle Ages in the ceremony of installing the rulers of the Slavic principality of Carantania. The ceremony was conducted in the Slovene language, and Caranthania was located, in part, on the territory of present-day north-eastern Slovenia. The stone itself used to be kept in a museum in Klagenfurt, the capital of Carinthia, where it was considered a historical icon of the state. The Carinthian state government (headed by the then-governor Jorg Haider) issued a resolution of protest on October 25, 2005, which was rejected as "not to be taken seriously" by the Slovene foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel.

Ten years later, in 2015, Belgium issued a €2 commemorative coin (individual Member States are allowed to issue commemorative coins to celebrate subjects of major national or European relevance). To mark the Battle of Waterloo, and the 200th year anniversary of the defeat of Napoleon,  the coin featured an image of the monument at the site. France objected, saying that the image carried a negative connotation. 

According to the COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) No 729/2014 on denominations and technical specifications of euro coins intended for circulation, when a eurozone country wants to issue a new €2 commemorative coin, it is required to send a draft design of the coin to the Council, the European Commission and to other eurozone countries. In the end, as RFI wrote in 2015, ''Brussels has been forced to scrap 180,000 coins worth 1.5-million-euros that it had already minted before Paris got wind of the affair.''

And in 2013, Slovakia re-thought its idea of issuing commemorative coins with the images of Christian saints and missionaries Cyril and Methodius with crosses and halos above their heads, as some Member States pointed out that the designs went against the ''principle of respect for religious diversity in Europe''. 

However, all of these disputes were started and resolved between the EU Member States, not a Member State and a third country, as is the case with Serbia. As European Commission Deputy Chief Spokesperson Dana Spinant said on Friday, ''the design of the national side of euro coins is decided by the country adopting the euro.''

The designs have to be passed from the Croatia National Bank to the National Council for the Introduction of the Euro for approval and then have to be confirmed by the government of Croatia.

That doesn't mean that the design lays solely in Croatia's hands.

The abovementioned Council Regulation also states that ''each Member State (....) should take into account the fact that euro coins circulate in the whole euro area and not only in the issuing Member State'', and should ''avoid the use of inappropriate designs''.

Recognizing the potential problem when it comes to defining the term ''inappropriate'' the Regulation states that ''uniform conditions'' for the approval of the designs should be laid down and also that ''in view of the fact that the competence for an issue as sensitive as the design of the national sides of the euro coins belongs to the issuing Member States, implementing powers should be conferred on the Council.'' 

Therefore, Croatia has to submit draft designs to the Council, to the Commission, and to the other Member States whose currency is the euro at least three months before the planned issue date. Since Croatia is set to enter the eurozone in 2023, that criterion shouldn't be difficult to meet. 

Within seven days following the submission, any Member State whose currency is the euro may, in a reasoned opinion addressed to the Council and to the Commission, raise an objection to the draft design proposed by the issuing Member State if that draft design is likely to create adverse reactions among its citizens.

If the Commission considers that the draft design does not respect the technical requirements set out by the Regulation, it shall, within seven days following the submission, submit a negative assessment to the Council.

If no reasoned opinion or negative assessment has been submitted to the Council, the decision approving the design shall be deemed to be adopted by the Council.

In all other cases, the Council shall decide without delay on the approval of the draft design, unless, within seven days following the submission of a reasoned opinion or of a negative assessment, the issuing Member State withdraws its submission and informs the Council of its intention to submit a new draft design.

Since there are essentially two criteria to meet - the suitability of the design requirement and the technical requirement, both assessed by other Member States (the EU), the only tool any country outside of the EU can use is its political influence on a Member State to try and come up with a reasoned opinion as to why a draft design is ''likely to create adverse reactions'' - but only among its (a Member State's) citizens.

There is nothing in the Regulation on the influence the design may have on the non-EU countries. In fact, the Regulation even makes sure to point out that the other Member States whose currency is not the euro are excluded from deciding. Will Croatia be able to keep Tesla on its coins?  If these provisions are anything to go by, then yes. 

For more on politics, CLICK HERE.

ZAGREB, 23 July 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday that the Serbian National Bank (NBS), which contests Croatia's intention to put the image of Nikola Tesla on euro coins, could express its opinion on the matter and could take a stand, but that that had no influence in the decision making.

"Nikola Tesla was born in Smiljan on the territory of Croatia. And he lived most of his life in the USA. It is citizens who have recommended that one of the future euro coins should include the image of Nikola Tesla, we do not appropriate anybody," Plenković said after the NBS said on Thursday that putting Tesla's image on the national side of euro coins if Croatia joined the euro area "would represent appropriation of the cultural and scientific legacy of the Serb people."

Plenković elaborated that the suggestion made by Croatians amounted to a great gesture, having in mind the fact that Tesla was of Serb descent and his own merits globally were unquestionable.

We can be proud of that. I cannot see why somebody may deem it as a problem. If I were on the helm of the National Bank of Serbia, I would send congratulations (for such a decision), the Croatian PM said.

The NBS responded with its objections after Plenković announced that Tesla's image would appear on 50, 20 and 10 cent euro coins when Croatia joined the euro area.

The Croatian National Bank Currency Committee on Wednesday defined a final proposal of motifs for the national side of Croatia's future euro coins. This will now be considered by the National Council for the introduction of the euro as Croatia's official currency, after which the government will adopt a conclusion.

The Croatian coat-of-arms, a geographical map of Croatia, the marten (after which the Croatian currency is named), the Glagolitic script and Tesla are motifs that have been proposed.

For more on politics, CLICK HERE.

July 6, 2021 - This Saturday marks the 165th anniversary of the birth of the genius born in Smiljan, and the Tourist Board of Gospić, the city of Gospić, and the Nikola Tesla Memorial Center have prepared a worthy event called ''Tesla Power of Lights'' to celebrate Nikola Tesla in style.

Turističke priče reports that as part of the celebration of the 165th anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla on July 10th, a lot of content was prepared that will serve as a kind of reminder of the fact that one of the world's greatest geniuses, Nikola Tesla, was born in Lika. On his birthday, this Saturday, as part of the July program in Gospić, the event "Tesla Power of Lights" will be held.

It is a one-day event to celebrate Nikola Tesla, organized by the Tourist Board of the City of Gospić, the City of Gospić, and the Nikola Tesla Memorial Center, and the program will be held in the evening. This year, a light spectacle will be organized in Gospić and its surroundings, and citizens and visitors will be able to enjoy a laser show, among other things. In addition to the extraordinary light effects that will spread the sky over the city, the program of the celebration also includes a multitude of contents on the main city square.

Gospić Tourist Board Facebook Page

Thus, Interactive Games of Light, Laser Harp, Light Labyrinth… will be held on Stjepan Radić Square, and part of the “Tesla Power of Lights” program will also take place on the newly built Nikola Tesla Square. At 9 pm, in the Atrium of the Cultural Information Center Gospić, there will be a promotion of T-shirt From Smiljan by ELFS and Traumatic Lights - Led acro duo, followed by a House party that will start at 10 pm. DJ Felver and DJ Ian Podley will perform.

Under the colored light beams will be buildings related to the life of Nikola Tesla in Gospić, and the Nikola Tesla Memorial Center in Smiljan, which includes the birthplace of the great inventor, physicist, and inventor, will have an Open Day on July 10.

Total Croatia included Nikola Tesla in its guide to Croatian inventions and discoveries, which you can read HERE.

For more news about everything made in Croatia, be sure to follow TCN’s dedicated page.

Friday, 4 September 2020 - After promising to open branches of his company here last September, Elon Musk is now looking to employ team members in Zagreb as Tesla arrives in Croatia

Elon Musk and his Tesla company are advertising the first two job opportunities to work at their forthcoming set-up in Zagreb. Tesla arrives in Croatia at a time of uncertainty for many businesses and investors, but the forward-thinking clean energy firm seem always to be thinking two steps ahead. The positions currently advertised are 'Tesla Advisor' and 'Sales & Delivery Manager.'


Screenshot from Tesla website

Musk revealed his plans to begin operations in the country in September 2019, when responding on Twitter to a question about Slovenia. The company co-founder and CEO replied that he was looking forward to establishing the company, which takes its name from Croatia-born inventor Nikola Tesla, in the 'countries' (sic) of his birth.

This is literally the second time in a month that TCN has been able to announce Tesla arrives in Croatia. Following a 30-year absence, a famous statue of Nikola Tesla – currently seen in both Belgrade and America – is finally being brought back to Gospic, his home town.


Tesla's best-selling Model 3. The company currently has the largest global share of the electric car market, roughly 17% © Vauxford

Tesla, Inc. is an American electric vehicle and clean energy company based in Palo Alto, California. They are most famous for their electric cars and have several models on the market. Croatian motorways were last year equipped with electric refilling stations across its entire network, in order to facilitate pan-Croatian travel in the increasingly popular vehicles.

The company also manufacture batteries, solar products, other green energy solutions and services associated to them. As Tesla arrives in Croatia, a country with a proven track record in green energy, such as hydroelectricity and wind farms, it's coming to a suitable home. Tesla is the world's best-selling manufacturer of plug-in and battery electric cars.

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August 22, 2020 – After being destroyed in the war, the famous statue of genius Nikola Tesla will finally return to his home town

Following a 30 year absence, the famous statue of Nikola Tesla will be returned to his home town of Gospić. The original Tesla monument that once stood in the central town square, created by Croatian sculptor Frano Kršinić, was blown up during the 1990s Homeland War.

Gospić mayor Karlo Starčević today signed a contract approving construction works for the renovation of the square in front of the Gospić Culture Information Centre, where the Nikola Tesla statue will be placed. The contract is worth about HRK 1.8 million.

The location where the monument will stand is planned as a quiet area with several benches and gravel footpaths. The statue is an exact replica of the one previously lost to Gospić. Copies of this statue currently reside outside the School of Electrical Engineering section of Belgrade University and on the American side of Niagara Falls (main picture).


Nikola Tesla is honoured on both sides of Niagara Falls. This is his statue on the Canadian side © Milan Suvajac

An inventor and hugely innovative engineer, Nikola Tesla is best known for pioneering the alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. AC enables electricity to be provided safely to every home, street and business today. Tesla was born in 1856 in the village of Smiljan, in Lika, just six kilometres from Gospić.

In 1862, his family moved to Gospić where Tesla's father worked as an Orthodox parish priest. Nikola Tesla himself was supposed to follow his father and his mother's father into the Orthodox priesthood. Thankfully, he did not. In 1870, Nikola Tesla moved to nearby Karlovac to attend the Higher Real Gymnasium. A new Nikola Tesla exhibition centre is currently being built there, next door to the place of his former studies.

After Karlovac, Nikola Tesla continued his studies in Austria, and then spent some time teaching and working in Hungary. He eventually got a job working for Thomas Edison's company in Paris. While there, his incredibly innovative work was soon noticed and he was invited to go and work for the company in America.


Nikola Tesla, pictured before his work in America © State Archives

Thomas Edison - also a pioneering inventor - is frequently cited as one of the most innovative figures in the development of electricity supply. However, Edison was adamant that direct current (DC) would be the best way to distribute electricity. The DC system he championed was in direct competition to that proposed by his one-time employee, Tesla. Despite Edison's wealth and power, the DC system he fought hard to impose proved to be impractical and unsafe. Instead, the AC distribution design, perfected by Tesla, became the standard supply system that the world uses today.

Nikola Tesla stayed in America for the rest of his life and continued to create countless pioneering inventions. He worked within the fields of early x-rays, wireless power supply, electromagnetic radiation and radio waves, before his death in 1943. In the years since he died, interest in the enigmatic Nikola Tesla has only grown.


David Bowie playing Nikola Tesla in Christoper Nolan's 2006 movie The Prestige © Warner Brothers 

A mystique continues to surround him, not least because many of his wondrous ideas remain unrealised. Nikola Tesla has been portrayed in film by Nicholas Hoult and David Bowie (the latter, famously, in Christopher Nolan's The Prestige). The national airport in Belgrade, Serbia is named after him, as is Serbia's largest power plant. In Croatia, over 130 streets are named after Nikola Tesla.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of July, 2020, Rimac Automobili has appointed Chris Porritt, former chief engineer at Aston Martin, vice president of engineering at Tesla and head of Apple's special projects group, and chief technology officer (CTO). Chris will report directly to founder and CEO Mate Rimac, with a focus on future projects within the company.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Chris has overseen the development of a range of sports and electric vehicles. During his sixteen years at Aston Martin, he was chief engineer for the limited production of the One-77 and V12 Vantage Zagato hypercars. In 2013, Porritt moved to California where he became vice president of engineering at Tesla, and then moved to Apple where he had a leading role in a group for special projects to develop new products. In addition to his professional career, Chris spends his weekends and free time constructing and racing his own vintage race cars. His experience in the development of luxury supercars at Aston Martin, and electric cars at Tesla that have reshaped the entire industry and enthusiasm for race cars make him the perfect addition to Mate Rimac's talented team.

Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Automobile, stated: ''We've started a journey in a country that isn't known for car development. We learned a lot through trial and error as it was difficult to attract people from other countries, which made the whole process challenging but also exciting. I can’t imagine what our journey would be like and how far we'd have come by now if we had Chris from the very beginning. I was worried that people with a lot of experience in the industry wouldn't suit our culture and company spirit. However, as an absolute car lover, who likes to get involved in creating new projects, Chris fit in right from the start. We share the same way of thinking: we want to develop cars that raise the bar, and that are fun and high quality. I can't wait for the results we'll achieve together.''

Chris Porritt, Chief Technology Officer of Rimac Automobiles, stated: ''The opportunity to join Rimac Automobili is the dream of every engineer. Since almost every key component is constructed and designed at Rimac itself, we have real freedom to create something that is completely different from anything else previously developed in the world of super sports cars. Rimac is the perfect place to make good use of my combined experience gained in the development of supercars working for Aston Martin and with electric cars in California. What the team has achieved so far with the development of the C_Two car is phenomenal and I look forward to helping them develop future products that will push the boundaries.''

This year is a key period for the presentation of the latest all-electric Rimac car, codenamed C_Two, as prototypes are continuously constructed, used and tested for the purpose of global homologation. Starting in 2021, 150 examples of Mate Rimac's brand new car will be constructed manually on the new production line in Veliko Trgovišće. All of the major systems and components for the C_Two were developed and built within Rimac Automobili itself.

Mate Rimac's C_Two will reach a speed of 0-100 km/h in less than just two seconds and a top speed of 258 mp/h in its final production form. These values ​​were achieved by developing the original C_Two concept and then with later prototypes. In parallel with the development of the C_Two car, Rimac Automobili's business continued to grow, as evidenced by the increase in Porsche's ownership stake in the business to 15.5 percent, while the Hyundai Motor Group invested 80 million euros in the business. The latter announcements join a long list of Mate Rimac’s earlier partners, including Koenigsegg, Automobile Pininfarina and Aston Martin.

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ZAGREB, July 5, 2020 - A round table discussion called "Innovations: From Idea to Realisation", which will be held on 9 July in Zagreb, will usher in a three-day event in memory of 164th anniversary of the birth of inventor Nikola Tesla.

The event is being organised by the Nikola Tesla Association - Genius for the Future which will hold a conference on Tesla's inventions and patents and their application in the economy, in Zagreb on 11 July. 

The event is being held under the auspices of Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic, the ministries of science and economy, the City of Zagreb administration, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Transparency International Croatia and Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia.

Tesla Power of Lights is the name of the event that is to be held on July 9, as a part of the celebration of the 163rd anniversary of the birth of Nikola Tesla, a genius inventor who was born in Smiljan, a village near Gospić in 1856. The event Tesla Power of Lights will be held on Gospić's main square after the sunset (the expected start is around 9 pm), so that the spectacle of lights thrown in Tesla's honor can be more visible. 

The spectacle aims to show to the visitors all of those remarkable things Tesla invented which drastically changed the course for the humanity. It will also try to take the visitors back to the stormy night, back in 1856, when Tesla was born in Smiljan. A long-prepared laser show, remarkable lighting effects which will illuminate the skies all the way to Smiljan and a special lighting furniture created just for Tesla's birthday - all of those will be entertaining the visitors at the biggest birthday party in Croatia.

The attractive dance group called Atomi will perform the "light dance", which will include the silk dance performed on the main square which will, of course, be illuminated extra for the night. The educational train will be taking people all over Gospić all day, showing them all of the locations in the town which are somehow connected to the life and the work of this genius who grew up there. All of the buildings in which Tesla lived or worked will also get their own light-show for a day, and the story of his life in Lika will be told as the train passes by them. The band Diktatori will perform at the party. There will be stands with food and drinks all over the town centre for the visitors to enjoy, as they come to Gospić to celebrate Tesla's birthday.