August 18, 2022 - Osijek's tourism workers follow world trends to keep up with the times and, of course, to be even more competitive in the global tourism market. This is confirmed by the example of Jasmina Krkić Poznić, the owner of Guesthouse Maksimilian, in Franjevačka Street, Tvrđa, who has just announced that accommodation and stay in the facilities can be paid for with cryptocurrencies.

Glas Slavonije spoke to Jasmina. “Paying for accommodation with cryptocurrencies from now on in our boutique. In step with the times. We might be located in a historic building, but our spirit is young. Cryptocurrency players welcome #cryptocurrency #wherecanIspendBitcoin #paycek”, says as of this week the Facebook page of Guesthouse Maksimilian, which, precisely thanks to the skill and courage of its owners to always combine modern and traditional, in the past seven or eight years has received valuable recognition from travellers who ranked it among the 25 best in Croatia, among the top 10 in Croatia in terms of hospitality, and several other recognitions that gain additional meaning, because they come from guests, service users, or tourists themselves.

It is thus not surprising that Maksimilian is the first guesthouse in Osijek that allowed payment with cryptocurrencies, but also among the few in all of Croatia that decided to take that step.

“I've been thinking about this for a year and a half, actually since the possibility of paying with cryptocurrencies appeared”, says Krkić Poznić, adding that in the end, she came to the position that paying with cryptocurrencies is a “full-time job”. “I was researching models of how we could introduce the possibility of paying for our services with cryptocurrencies. I realised that cryptocurrencies are used by a very large number of people in the world, but recently also in our country and that there is a need to use them in everyday life to buy goods and pay for services, to simplify things. In the past month, the boys who prepared the technical solution and the application found me”, explains Krkić Poznić, meaning a virtual currency exchange app.

According to her, she will not see cryptocurrencies at any time.

“Unfortunately, or fortunately, I will not even see cryptocurrencies, because the guest pays with virtual currency through the application, and I receive the full amount in kuna at the same time. I don't have any contact with cryptocurrencies, the virtual exchange that takes them, and they pay me in kuna to the amount of the issued invoice. They, therefore, take on the business risk of trading cryptocurrencies” says Jasmina, emphasizing that he does not even know what model or “exchange rate” this is based on.

When asked if there is any risk of loss of value or fraud in the transaction, Jasmina says no, as the moment she issues the bill to the guest for the service used, the entire amount in kuna is credited to her account.

“If there even was a way of paying with cryptocurrencies in Croatia, I would be in trouble, because I am not familiar with the management of virtual money. On the other hand, there are more and more people who own cryptocurrencies and want to use them. In our country, too, some gas stations, retail chains, and post offices accept cryptocurrency, according to the same principle as I do. It's a local company and if big players work with them, then that's enough of a guarantee for me”, claims Jasmina.

Considering that payment with cryptocurrencies has taken off in our country, it is logical that our tourism employees adapt to the new conditions, as well as to the wishes of tourists. Those who have even a superficial understanding of the world of cryptocurrencies say that it is a simpler and far safer way of payment than when you must carry cash or cards with you. For now, the only drawback is that there are still very few places that accept “virtual money” as a payment currency.

“I don't think that there will be a big rush of cryptocurrency owners, but they should be given the opportunity no matter how much we might shy away from change. There is, however, a whole world of IT people and cryptocurrency owners who like to travel, go on excursions, and go to good restaurants. For these people, the fact that they can pay in cryptocurrencies can be the deciding factor when choosing their destination”, Jasmina Krkić Poznić concludes with satisfaction.

60 booked for autumn

Although summer is not a peak period for tourism on the continent, Jasmina was asked how this part of the season was going, and how the preparations are going for autumn, which local tourism workers are looking forward to.

This year there are just as many tourists as there were before the pandemic. There are even more domestic guests, she claims, recalling that before the pandemic, a significant number of guests in the summer period were tourists from Australia and New Zealand.

“They haven't come back yet. More domestic guests are coming, and I notice that the profile of the guests is also changing. We were rarely a destination where people would come for holidays, it was mostly about travelling. They would stay for a night on their way to the south, however, this year some tourists would stay up to three or four days. French and Italian and those who don't like crowds look for solitude and don't want to go to the sea. Such people discover us” says owner Maksimiliana with satisfaction.

She reminds us that autumn, that is, September - October, is their full season.

“We are already about 60 percent booked. Business events, meetings, seminars, congresses, conferences are starting, plus the tourist part, we are ready to welcome all our dear guests” she points out.

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ZAGREB, 16 March 2022 - A total of 13.5 million passengers were transported by rail in Croatia in 2021, which is 400,000 more than in 2020, as well as 15.3 million tonnes of goods, which is an increase of 200,000 tonnes, according to the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM).

The data indicates that railway passenger transport is slowly recovering from the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, HAKOM said.

In the last quarter of 2021, slightly more than 4 million people used this mode of transport, up by 500,000 from the same period of 2020.

However, the number of railway passengers has still not reached the 2019 level when nearly 20 million people travelled by rail, of whom nearly 5.5 million did so in the last quarter of that year, which is nearly 1.5 million more than at the same time last year.

The Q4 2021 increase was partly due to the government decision on free rail transport for children and students, HAKOM noted.

In Q4 2021, 4.2 million tonnes of goods was transported by rail, which is about 100,000 tonnes more than in the same period of 2020 and about 310,000 tonnes more than in the last quarter of 2019.

Business: For more, check out our business section.

January 9, 2021 – From this year, full-time Osijek and Baranja students can get free train travel any time throughout their own county and for travel to educational centres anywhere in Croatia, in a new deal struck by the county and the national train operator

Once a sea bed, the vast flatlands of Slavonia are perfect for farming. At one time, this area was the breadbasket for much of Yugoslavia. It really wasn't so long ago that many folks left dry and dusty Dalmatia in search of employment and new lives on this fertile ground. Now, it's the other way round - Slavonian youth travel to the coast each summer in search of seasonal work. Others move to Ireland, Germany, Austria. Slavonia is losing many skilled younger people at an alarming rate. Increased mechanisation has reduced the need for labour in the area's agriculture. And, besides, most Slavonian youths are these days educated to a degree where their ambitions are greater than joining local agricultural endeavours.

In an area with limited possibilities, limited opportunities, education lies at the heart of survival in Slavonia. Local authorities know this and try to facilitate education as best they can. It is to that end that those in the Slavonian county of Osijek and Baranja have struck a deal with Croatia's national train operator to offer free train travel to all full-time Osijek and Baranja students.

Agreed upon at the end of last year, the scheme was implemented on 1 January 2021. Osijek and Baranja County has agreed to co-finance journeys for full-time Osijek and Baranja students who study not only within the county itself but across the whole of Croatia.

Osijek train station © Romulić & Stojčić

Monthly tickets for travel within the county already held a discount of up to 65 percent given to full-time students by the train operator, depending on the route. The County has now agreed to pay the remainder of the monthly ticket for all full-time Osijek and Baranja students. To meet the requirements of this deal, the departing and destination stations must both be in Osijek-Baranja County. The free monthly ticket allows an unlimited number of trips on the route, meaning that Osijek and Baranja students can also use the train for free on recreational journeys within the county.

The second deal sees the County co-finance 50% of journey costs for full-time Osijek and Baranja students who study elsewhere in Croatia, with the train operator HŽ agreeing to grant a discount to cover the other 50 %.

In order to obtain a free (monthly or individual) ticket, it is necessary to first obtain a certificate from their Administrative Department for the Economy. To get the certificate, Osijek and Baranja students must submit a copy of their identity card, a certificate of full-time study and two completed application forms (these can be found on the county's website www.obz.hr). Requests can be made in person or by mail (Osijek-Baranja County, Administrative Department for Economy, Županijska 4, Osijek or on the e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Free tickets can thereafter be bought by Osijek and Baranja students at the box office, prior to travel, or on the train itself, upon producing the relevant and needed documentation.

The announcement of these flights has recently been transmitted by one of Britain's most well-known magazines.

A worthy stamp of recognition for one Dubrovnik-based tourist agency!

When it comes to entrance into non EU countries without a visa, Croatia is at the bottom of the list.

Need a ride?

The French are coming!

Why go just by water when you can go by air?