The Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ), in cooperation with the Croatian Chamber of Crafts and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, will organise the Croatia 365 Gourmet educational workshop which will be held on November 20 at the Hotel Turist in Varaždin. The workshop will present the latest trends in the food and wine segment as well as in marketing. Some of the participants are Michelin-starred chefs, reports Večernji List on November 19, 2018.

“I am very excited about the fact that Varaždin will be among the host towns of these workshops. Promotion of tourism in the continental part of Croatia is one of the main goals of the Croatian National Tourist Board, and this workshop is just one of many activities that we are carrying out in order to improve the quality in important segments such as food and wine tourism. This is also a great opportunity for all tourist workers and gourmets to get to know the tips and trick from some of the world’s top chefs,” said HTZ director Kristjan Staničić, adding that similar workshops had been successfully held in towns such as Zagreb, Opatija, Vukovar and others.

As part of the workshop, the participants will have an opportunity to attend a lecture on “Seafood, algae and their pairing”, held by chef Giuseppe Mancino, who holds two Michelin stars for the Il Picollo Principe restaurant in Viareggio. Mancini's lecture will include show cooking based on seafood and algae. “My cuisine is a blend of creativity and the classical approach. We try to rework typical dishes without changing traditional flavours,” Mancino said.

The lecture on “La Capinera as a treasure of the Sicilian cuisine rebuilt with intelligent and innovative creativity” will be given by chef Pietro D'Agostino, the holder of one Michelin star from the La Capinera restaurant in Taormina. His lecture will include a theoretical part about restaurant operations, as well as a practical part.

A lecture on “The impressive dessert for beautiful memories” will be given by Bruno Pastorelli, the pastry chef at Assiette Champenoise in Reims. His lecture will also include the preparation of some of his signature recipes. Chef Bruno is a real pastry genius and is the founder of the famous ELDA pastry school in Spain.

Maurizio Dante Filippi will present the lecture “Sommellerie: a passage through the senses for the pleasure of guests”, which will focus on the effective communication of wine history, as well as on the ways how to present the tastes of Croatian wines to guests who are unfamiliar with the wine varieties and regions of Croatia.

The programme will include a lecture on marketing by Gabriel Vasquez. Vasquez will discuss the possibilities for branding a specific area or destination through food. “Local and regional food provide additional value to the destination and thus contribute to the competitiveness of the geographic area,” said Vasquez.

The same workshop is taking place today at the Kompas hotel in Dubrovnik. It has brought together more than 80 participants.

For more on Croatia’s cuisine, click here.

ZAGREB, November 7, 2018 - The Varaždin Town Museum is taking part in a 1.5 million euro European project - Living Castles - aimed at connecting castles in Slovenia and northern Croatia, it was said on Tuesday in Varaždin.

The focus of the Living Castles project is to preserve and promote cultural heritage and evaluate seven sites through the development of joint cross-border tourism programmes and the integration of innovative activities in preserving and presenting heritage.

The project encompasses Varaždin's 'Old Town,' the Old Town of Čakovec, Veliki Tabor, Oršić Castle in Gornja Stubica in Croatia and the Ptuj, Celje and Rakičan castles in Slovenia.

The total value of the project, that will be implemented until the end of March 2021, is almost 1.5 million euro and 85% of that amount will be co-financed by the EU within the Interreg V-A Slovenia-Croatia 2014-2020 programme.

The Varaždin Museum director, Ivan Mesek, underscored that the project will enable the modernisation of the holdings of the museum in Varaždin. "The Varaždin Town Museum has 200,000 artefacts, most of which are hidden from the public's view. The whole of Varaždin would need to be a museum to be able to exhibit everything we have. Modern technology is essential to present everything that is interesting in our fund," Mesek said.

Modernisation means hologram projections, 3D projections, touch screens and the like, said Ljerka Šimunić, an associate on the project.

The project result will be the joint presentation of these seven castles and the expected outcome is to increase the number of visitors by more than 5%. The concerning castles and museums register annually approximately between 15,000 and 80,000 visitors. More than 50,000 people visit Varaždin's Old Town a year.

To read more about Varaždin, click here. For more on some of the numerous castles in Croatia, click here.

Because the negative impact of climate change today is visible to everyone, Varaždin has decided to participate in the city’s first ever ‘Climathon’.

ZAGREB, October 18, 2018 - An international stamp exhibition opened in Varaždin on Thursday to mark the 100th anniversary since the launch of the first Croatian postage stamp and the 40th anniversary since the foundation of the Alps-Adriatic Alliance.

October 12, 2018 - While most real estate is based on the coast and Zagreb, an increasing number of foreigners are taking advantage of the excellent value on offer in rural Croatia. In the latest in our series on foreign entrepreneurs in Croatia, meet Paul Fischer, owner of Rural Property Croatia in the northern city of Varazdin. 

Towns across the country win awards in various sectors.

September 22, 2018 - Another record-breaking weekend in Vidovec near Varazdin, as the region's celebrated cabbage breaks the world record again. 

September 22, 2018 - The old town of Varazdin oozes additional charm with a decidedly Japanese flair. A wander around the streets of the old town on the opening night of this year's Varazdin Baroque Evenings. 

ZAGREB, September 22, 2018 - The Croatian Baroque Ensemble, soloists of Japan's Orchestra Libera Classica, the La Fontaverde ensemble, and the Varaždin-based Chorus Angelus choir, on Friday evening gave a concert under the baton of Japanese musician Hidemi Suzuki at the Varaždin Cathedral, marking the beginning of the 48th edition of the Varaždin Baroque Evenings classical music event.

A fortnight of culture is about to begin with the opening of the 48th Varazdin Baroque Evenings on September 21, 2018, but the festival is about much more than music.