May 22, 2019 - The Tourist Board of the Town of Vrlika organized an English language course in the field of tourism for its renters and others who are engaged in providing tourists services in order to prepare better for the coming season. The course was attended by 10 people and lasted for 40 hours.

Education is essential in this sector and needs to be sustained on a continuous basis, and given the fact that Vrlika notes positive figures now, its effectiveness is not questioned. 

Vrlika has already recorded excellent results for the first quarter, which is 71% more arrivals than the same time last year and 12% more overnight stays. Of these figures, 39% were domestic guests and 61% foreign guests.

May 16, 2019 - The Croatian Astronautic and Rocket Alliance, with the cooperation of the Sinj Technical Aircraft Society, and under the patronage of the City of Vrlika and the Tourist Board of the City of Vrlika, will host the 18th open championship in rocket modeling for children and youths in Dalmatia in the Inland Dalmatian town of Vrlika! 

The championship will take place in Ježević (Suhopolje) on May 18, 2019, starting at 10:30 am, and more than 100 competitors from all over Croatia are expected to compete in the national class category in rocket modeling for children and youths.

April 18, 2019 - From ancient times to the present day, one of the ’Good Week’ customs in Vrlika is the 'Guarding of Christ's Tomb or Grave'. This custom involves a group of men from the 'Brotherhood of Guarding Christ’s Tomb' who participate in the rituals and processions guarding. This custom became not only a church manifestation, but also part of the historical and cultural heritage of the Croatian Catholics of the Vrlika region. 

The story behind the custom

The Arambaša is the commander of the tomb and, of course, all of the activities must go through him. Guards must be 18 years of age to guard the grave, and they must also be an active Christian. 

On Good Thursday, the guards meet at the parish house where, after confession, they have a joint dinner. Following dinner is Mass in the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, after which they wash their feet and continue to a procession where the holy sacrament is offered to them.

On Good Friday, the guards take the way of the cross to the town of Vrlika, continually alternating their places around the tomb. This is a deep religious feeling and commitment to preserving the body of Jesus from the body's placement into the grave to its resurrection. The entire process of safeguarding Christ's tomb takes place in a strict and severe atmosphere, in the traditional folk costumes of the beautiful region, with the traditional weapons the Vrsani’s had for centuries to defend their home and holy Catholic faith and its principles. The men embellish the mystery of suffering and death, Easter and victory.

 On Good Saturday, the guarding begins at 23:00. When the mass reaches the ‘Glory to God,’ the guards leave the tomb, coming out of the church singing, and then go back to listen to the Mass.

On Easter, the guards' service ends when they begin the Vrlika folk dance in front of the church in the name of victory of Christ's resurrection over evil and sin. 

March 22, 2019 - The first CSHR Vrlika Rally 2019 will be held this weekend! 

Four Croatian cities are trying to make it easier at least financially for parents when it comes to caring for their children. Umag, Belišće, Vrlika and Obrovac are the only Croatian towns to ensure free kindergarten for kids, removing at least one worry from the heads of their parents.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 21st of January, 2019, in addition to employment, decent salaries and a resolved housing issue for young families, a key prerequisite for changing the negative demographic picture in the Republic of Croatia is the development of a network of nurseries and kindergartens which are made readily available to parents in need of them.

The Croatian towns in which parents, when it comes to kindergartens, have at least the financial side of things taken care of for them are Umag, Belišće, Vrlika and Obrovac. These towns are, as previously mentioned, the only four towns in the whole of Croatia that provide free kindergartens for all their children, as was reported by the portal Gradonacelnik.hr.

Until just a few days ago, there were only three towns offering such measures - Umag, Vrlika and Obrovac, and now they have been joined by Belišće, whose administration, headed by Dinka Burić, recently lowered the prices of kindergartens from 410 to 300 kuna. Upon the further analysis of budget items and revenues, they have since realised that they can provide an additional 700,000 kuna, giving parents in the area completely free kindergartens for their kids.

Although a formal decision is still yet to be made on the 28th of January, the move has been effective since January the 1st, meaning that the parents who have children needing kindergartens in Belišće no longer have to think about payments of any kind.

Thanks to European Unoon tenders and intensified local self-government activities in project preparation, nearly 200 new kindergartens are being prepared or constructed in their various different stages across the Republic of Croatia, with lack of capacity and the unavailability of accommodation becoming less and less of a problem.

Give our dedicated lifestyle  page a follow for more on Croatia's demographic problem, and to stay up to date with other Croatian towns and cities which follow in the footsteps of Umag, Obrovac, Vrlika and Belišće.

January 11, 2019 - The results are in, and Vrlika tourism achieved a record year in 2018!

Namely, in 2018, 2,988 overnight stays were realized, which is 84% more than the previous year when there were 1,618 overnight stays. There were 721 arrivals in Vrlika, which is 83% more than in 2017 when there were 393 arrivals.

Most guests visited Vrlika from Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, and guests stayed in the Vrlika area on average 4 days.

Particularly exciting is the fact that the share of foreign guests in Vrlika was 80%!

This year also expects to be even better than last year, as tourism numbers have only grown over the last four years in the Inland Dalmatian area. 

For more information about visiting Vrlika, visit the Vrlika Tourist Board official website. 

To read more about Inland Dalmatia, visit TCN's dedicated page. 

October 28, 2018 - The incredible inland Dalmatia tourism success story continues, as Dalmatinska Zagora is named as the best destination for rural tourism at Days of Croatian Tourism 2018.

I am often asked where my favourite destination is, a question I find impossible to answer. There are so many great places to visit and live in this country, as well as such a variety of experiences that no one place would be a clear winner. Hvar, of course, will always be my first love, but other islands such as Korcula are fighting hard for my affections, while life in Varazdin Country with access to fabulous Zagreb has been a revelation. But there is one region in Croatia for which I have a real soft spot. 

Inland Dalmatia. 

It was with immense pride and almost a tear in my eye that I watched the fantastic inland Dalmatia team pick up a much-deserved award as the best destination for rural tourism at the 2018 Days of Croatian Tourism awards. It has been a real pleasure to watch tourism in inland Dalmatia blossom since my first visit there at the invitation of the Sinj Tourist Board, back in February 2013. 

I loved the energy of the young tourist board directors in this gorgeous region just behind the mountains near Split. One thing led to another and before long, I found myself doing a presentation (see above) to the tourist board directors of inland Dalmatia about a partnership for a new website called Total Inland Dalmatia. It would have been nice of Google not to choose that particular moment to show a Google Ad for Thai brides, but you can't have everything. There was support from the Central Dalmatia Tourist Board and even - ah, those were the days - a small grant from the Ministry of Tourism. Everyone agreed there was a need to better promote the richness of Klis, Sinj, Trilj, Dugopolje, Imotski, Vrgorac and Vrlika as one. 

And while Total Inland Dalmatia played a small part in the rise of inland Dalmatia as a destination, the local stakeholders have played a major role in developing the destination as one brand, and with an increasingly enticing tourism offer. And the progress is extraordinary.

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - the Rise of Imotski

Few destinations in all Croatia have experienced growth like Imotski in the last five years. Certain infrastructure projects such as the opening of a tunnel to the Makarska Riviera have helped immensely, but so too has the innovative tourism promotion, such as Austrians slacklining over the Red Lake. The increase in tourism overnights and the accompanying number of new villas with swimming pools has transformed Imotski into a very attractive destination - a chance to enjoy traditional Dalmatian hospitality and accommodation while being a short drive from the beach.  

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - the Rise of Sinj

The driving force for inland Dalmatia in the last few years has been the historic town of Sinj, most famous for its Alka knights' tournament, which has taken place each year to commemorate the victory against the Ottomans in 1715. 2015 saw the historic 300th Alka, and the Sinj Tourist Board took the Alka story as far away as New York, while the outstanding new Alka museum is the latest attraction in this fascinating historic town just 30 minutes by car from Split. 

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - the Emergence of Vrlika

I am a little embarrassed to admit I had never heard of Vrlika before I started getting involved with the region, but it did not take me long to realise what I had been missing. Check out the latest promotional video from Vrlika above, to see why you too should be heading to Vrlika next summer. For now you can stay - although the numbers are small, the first tourist accommodation rentals have become available in Vrlika in the last two years,a process of patience and encouragement from the Vrlika Tourist Board.  

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - the Roman Heritage of Dugopolje

Some imaginative diversification from Dugopolje, known by many as the motorway exit for Split, but also home to some great Roman heritage. Dugopolje was the first destination in Central Dalmatia to take part in the Roman roads initiative by Central Tourist Board Director, Josko Stella (pictured above).

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - From Roman Heritage to Trilj Blues

One of the things I quickly learned about inland Dalmatia is that the unexpected is always around the corner. A great addition to the Trilj calendar these past two years - the Thrill Blues Festival.  

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - Klis and the Game of Thrones Factor

If you are trying to develop a tourist destination, it always helps with the promotion is Game of Thrones decides to film there. And while the hit HBO series put Klis Fortress on the map, local authorities have done much in recent years to turn it into a fantastic tourist attraction. And one you can get to easily by bus. Here's how.

Inland Dalmatia Destinations - Vrgorac and a Unique Wine Festival

Thought you had experienced every type of wine festival possible? How about one which celebrates a distinctly Dalmatian beverage - red wine and goat milk, or bikla. You can top up your glass straight from the goat at the annual biklijada in Vrgorac. 

An amazing region with great energy. And where else would TCN choose for a teambuilding session? Here is what you can get up to on a day out in the region they call Dalmatinska  Zagora. . 

Congratulations to all the inland Dalmatia team both on the award and the progress you have made. I, for one, am looking forward to the next chapter.  

Want to learn a little more about inland Dalmatia? Here are 25 things to know about Dalmatinska Zagora.

An incredible achievement for the inland Dalmatia region!

October 11, 2018 - Another great promotional video from the heart of inland Dalmatia - meet Vrlika. 

Vrlika is booming!