March 25, 2023 - Every Tuesday at noon, a dozen Germans and Austrians, mostly pensioners, jump into the pool of the Visnjik Sports Center in Zadar. Under the watchful eye of a physiotherapist, of course. All of them chose Zadar or its surroundings as their second home, and many are choosing to spend their retirement in Croatia.

As HRT writes, Disciplined and punctual, as befits the Germans, they wait for everyone to gather in front of the pool. But the atmosphere is relaxed in the Mediterranean way. Some of these people have lived there for several years and have become used to the environment and lifestyle. They are full of praise for Croatia, and they are also starting to learn the language.

"Riba ribi grize rep," says Astrid from Austria, and Anja Schneider from Germany repeats.

Anja has been living in Zadar for almost two years. She can do that because she is a digital nomad. Since she worked as a waitress most of her life, she has problems with her knees, so she is happy swimming in the pool.

"I'm here on my own, but Croatia is so amazing. I don't know how long I will stay here, as long as I can", she pointed out.

Renate Nusser from Germany is now retired. She rented an apartment in Nin and doesn't want to return to Germany.

"I don't like Germany anymore. It's too crazy, too expensive, the weather is bad, and people are constantly under stress", said Renate Nusser.

A group of foreigners at the Zadar swimming pool every Tuesday. That was the idea of the pool receptionist Senka Marin.

"Our happy company at the pool is a group of foreigners who bought houses in Zadar or nearby and settled in our city. The pool has existed for 14 years, and our people have slowly created a pool culture; there are more and more of them, and the capacities are full. Of course, we also have our retirees who say they come to do something for themselves, and I love that, said Senka Marin.

"Well, I would say that they like to work. They have a dose of discipline. When I tell them, "we are working now," then there is no messing about; they will do it the German way. But they also like a dose of humor thrown in because, above all, the point of this is to hang out and have fun", said physiotherapist Jakov Žuga.

New members are expected to join them, and the number of hours spent in the pool will also increase.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

September the 29th, 2022 - Is Croatian luxury nautical tourism the way forward and the key to the future for Croatian tourism? A conference held in Zadar recently discussed the matter further.

As Morski writes, a conference was held recently in the Dalmatian city of Zadar under the auspices of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure, where the leaders of Croatian tourism and the nautical and maritime sector spoke about the development of Croatian luxury nautical tourism, more specifically within Zadar County.

Nautical tourism is one of the backbones of tourism in the Croatian Adriatic, we saw all its advantages during the global coronavirus pandemic when it led the entire tourism sector towards much needed recovery. From its very beginnings until this very day, it has been continuously developing and growing, and one of the fastest growing and most powerful segments is certainly Croatian luxury nautical tourism. This type of tourism implies significant investments, an extremely high level of offer and service, and it also brings guests with higher paying power, and these were the topics of the aforementiond Zadar-based conference.

''Ports are the gateway to the world, the driver of economic development and an important pillar of transport connectivity, their contribution to nautical industry, which continuously records better results, is unmissable. Our national chain of marinas - ACI, which manages 22 marinas from Umag all the way down to Dubrovnik, knows this better than anyone, and the construction of the 23rd marina in Porto Baros in the City of Rijeka is also currently being prepared.

ACI manages the Simuni marina on the island of Pag in Zadar County. The amount that ACI invested in its marinas, just last year alone, stands at almost 44 million kuna. It is precisely these continuous investments in infrastructure, but also in the entire offer, along with the coastline that Croatia has, that give these excellent results and place nautical tourism in the position of one of the leading sectors in the country's overall tourism results,'' said Minister of Maritime Affaits, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butkovic.

County Prefect Bozidar Longin rated the Zadar coastline as one of the most important and valuable resources available to the county. However, he also drew attention to sustainability, namely that the coast is a sensitive ecosystem that we must protect and preserve, while Mayor Branko Dukic pointed out that the proper preconditions should be created and the local population should be considered more than ever, given the large number of guests and crowds during the height of the summer tourist season.

Zadar County is an ideal destination for the development of Croatian luxury nautical tourism. Moreover, the president of the ACI Management Board, Kristijan Pavic, said that behind every luxury marina there must also lie a destination that is attractive to a clientele with higher paying power and greater demands, and Zadar is certainly one of those destinations. There can and should be a luxury marina located in Zadar, because the offer in the city and its surroundings is complementary to this type of marina, and vice versa.

The development of nautical tourism in Croatia over more recent years has defined a new direction in which we can head, and all those present agreed to continue to direct their proverbial sails in that direction, towards nautical tourism at an even higher level, remaining in synergy with the other facilities, content and tourist offer that the city already has.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

May the 27th, 2022 - A brand new Sukosan coastal belt is planned, carrying a hefty price tag of ten million kuna with it. The move, which includes a new port, will remodel the ''face'' of Sukosan as viewed from the sea.

As Morski writes, Sukosan will get a new small port worth 10 million kuna by the end of this year. The works are being carried out by the Zadar County Port Authority, and include the rehabilitation of the Sukosan coastal belt spanning a total length of 432 metres and the construction of a new pier on the removed site spanning a length of 12 metres.

''The project of rehabilitation of the Sukosan coastal belt is being implemented with the funds provided by the relevant ministry, the County Port Authority and Zadar County, with the operational support of the Municipality of Sukosan. This is just one in a series of investments in port infrastructure in the wider Zadar County area. Over the past five years, more than 250 million kuna has been invested in the rehabilitation of ports and harbours in all parts of this county, and we have a number of projects in the implementation or preparation phase,'' said Zadar County Prefect Bozidar Longin and the Director of the Zadar County Port Authority, Davor Skibola.

''We're satisfied that Zadar County, ie the County Port Authority, received more than 13 million kuna in national funds last year, and with this money as well as with funds from other sources, we're going to continue to invest in port infrastructure throughout this county. There is a real synergy here and I believe that together we will be able to implement a number of other projects for the benefit of our residents,'' the prefect added.

The estimated duration of the project of arranging a part of the Sukosan coastal belt within the borders of the port area is around fifteen months. The contractor is Akropolis d.o.o. from the City of Split, and professional supervision is being carried out by PI Consulting d.o.o.

''The planned solution envisages the construction of a new coastal wall, the reconstruction of the final surface of the existing piers and the coastal promenade,'' explained Davor Skibola, who also thanked Zadar County and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure for systematically assisting in their continued activities.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

April the 18th, 2022 - Zadar County is looking back at their tourism figures from record years and hoping that something similar can be repeated this year as coronavirus restrictions ease almost entirely across Europe.

As Morski writes, with the arrival of the Easter holidays, the tourist pre-season in the Republic of Croatia traditionally begins. Expectations from this season are high, despite the war that is still going on in Ukraine following Russian invasion, because after two dull, pandemic-dominated years, people desperately want to travel once again. In Zadar County, they're also hoping for figures similar to those enjoyed back during record years.

The whole of Dalmatia has always lived from the sea and tourism, and Zadar County was far from immune to the horrendous blow that the global coronavirus pandemic dealt the entire sector.

''I can only brag and boast! Our hotel has been full for Easter and will also be full for some time after Easter, so we're very satisfied,'' says the director of one Dalmatian hotel.

Across Zadar County, the final touches and beautification is coming to an end because the first guests from abroad have already arrived and the city's famous Kalelarga is also filling up rapidly.

''We heard that this is a beautiful country, so we wanted to explore and visit everything,''

''It's absolutely impressive, beautiful weather, kind people, clean and tidy...''

''The culture is what fascinates me, I also like the sea, the beaches and of course the local people...'' are just some of the comments left by foreign visitors about numerous gorgeous Dalmatian cities.

All this is accompanied by nice, warm weather, as enjoying the sun isn't just a privilege used by Dalmatians. Numerous guests are also enjoying themselves, most of whom are residents of Croatia from other parts of the country, writes HRT. However, they are quite closely followed by Austrians, Germans and Slovenes, and in the first two weeks of April alone, 50,000 overnight stays were realided.

''Foreign guests are mostly staying in hotels and in private accommodation, but this is also accompanied by nautical accommodation and camp sites,'' said Mihaela Kadija, the director of the Zadar County Tourist Board. Those guests who arrive by plane are very much counted on in Zadar,cand the city will be connected to more than 70 European and global destinations by air this summer.

''The figures we expect this year should be similar to those we saw back in 2019. That means about 800 thousand passengers,'' said Tomislav Zepina, the head of the commercial department of Zadar Airport. Coronavirus ruined people's plans in the past, and the prestigious title that Zadar's Gazenica won before a biological disaster struck the globe as the world's best cruise port wasn't capitalised, but that looks as if it will alter throughout 2022, according to Djoni Stambuk, the interim director of the Zadar Port Authority.

The record pre-pandemic numbers Zadar County enjoyed back in 2019, according to current announcements, could finally be reached.

For more, check out our travel section.

January 8, 2022 - By organizing various programs and activities, developing and encouraging reading literacy, and increasing the availability of books, the Zadar City Library continues to monitor the National Strategy for Encouraging Reading in 2022.

The network of the Zadar City Library includes five city districts (Central Library and branches Aleksandar Stipčević - Arbanasi, Bili Brig, Crno and Ploča), the islands of Olib and Silba (library hospitals), a library station in the city district Bokanjac.

Considering that the library has the status of a county main library, the wider continental area of ​​Zadar County has been covered, since 2007, by a mobile library, Bibliobus, and includes 67 settlements with 77 stops.

As reported by eZadar, by organizing various programs and activities, developing and encouraging reading literacy, and increasing the availability of books, the Zadar City Library (GKZD) in 2022 continues to monitor the National Strategy for Encouraging Reading for the period from 2017 to 2022. Emphasis is on the continuation of the project for young people Get involved with books and start working on new premises - Youth Department and connecting the Library with the Youth Center building, the City Branch within the Providur Palace, and the beginning of the library station in Kožino. 

In the area of ​​the Providur Palace on the ground floor, a department of the City Library will be formed, whose book fund will be oriented to the heritage and culture of the city.

''In the especially challenging times of today, we are adapting to the digital world, promoting new technologies, new ways of accessing knowledge, promoting literacy, and reading in all forms, among which the classic paper form still plays a very important role. As our predecessors throughout history have created works in various materials and forms, librarians are finding solutions to provide knowledge in the environment of technology development and offer verified and reliable information to all users'', said director Doroteja Kamber-Kontić.

The Zadar City Library also deals with home delivery of books, performs the activity Ask Librarians (online reference service), helps children from low-income families learn, conducts a volunteer program Mentors for reading, promotes reading through the Croatian Book Month, and holds a computer course for retirees.

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

December 17, 2021 - Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović attended a ceremony in Zadar on Friday marking the completion of mine clearance activities in Zadar County. Thirty-five people were killed in the Zadar County by mines left over from the 1991-95 war.

Zadar County head Božidar Longin was presented on that occasion with a certificate showing that the county is no longer among areas suspected of being infested with mines while Civil Protection Directorate head Damir Trut held a presentation on the mine removal project in Zadar County, reports Antena Zadar.

Thirty-five people were killed in Zadar County by mines left over from the 1991-95 war.

"There were more than 18,000 infantry and tank mines on 680 fields in the county and a large number of houses and commercial facilities and infrastructure were in areas suspected of being mine-infested, which slowed down economic growth and posed a threat to local residents who were unable to return to their homes," Longin said.

Mine removal is a priority that is systematically invested in

Minister Božinović said that mine removal was one of the priorities in the field of security and that it was systematically invested in.

"The success is visible. The implementation of our original plan has made us globally recognizable and has even won us a leader status in mine action and humanitarian demining. Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Syria have asked for our help and expertise. Mine action in Croatia is still very topical, mines still pose a real threat to the full normalization of life in seven counties, where there are still 15,000 mines on an area of 208 square kilometers," he said.

Around seven billion kuna has been spent on mine removal so far and 204 people have been killed in mine-related accidents, with the latest case happening in Karlovac County in March this year.

For more, check out our dedicated politics section.

September 11, 2021 - The DroneDays 2021 event will turn Biograd na Moru near the popular city of Zadar into an aerial robotics mecca from October 4-5.

Airplanes are fun, but unless yo're a pilot, you can only passively enjoy the stunning aerial view as you travel the beaten path managed by the captain in a cockpit. No control, no say on the height or the direction of the above ground observing experience.

Although providing that exciting sense of freedom of flying on a screen only, drones are much better options for those who want to take control of an aerial space. For those who want to learn more about drones, October 4-5 needs to be marked in the diary for DroneDays 2021, a Croatian conference on all things related to drones.

''DroneDays 2021 is a two-day workshop focused on unmanned aerial vehicles, which will be held on 4th and 5th October 2021 in Biograd na Moru, Croatia. The programme consists of keynote lectures, an exhibition area, and is focused on unmanned aerial vehicle applications and end-user industries. It will serve as a meeting place for experts from the industry and academia, end-users, as well as regulatory bodies from the region,'' reads the official website of the event.

DroneDays 2021 will be held at the Ilirija Resort at Biograd na Moru, and 14 speakers have confirmed their arrival at the event at the time of writing this article, with more invited. The confirmed names include drone experts from across Croatia and abroad, from academics from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) to foreign universities and even NATO.

DroneDays 2021 promises an exciting two days for drone lovers in a more theoretical approach with conferences hosting presentations from keynote industry leaders to more practical opportunities. These include exhibitions (open for the public) where visitors can have face-to-face meetings with leading industrial companies from across the region, showcasing their latest products and services. In addition, there will be a flying area where you can participate in live demonstrations of the latest technological achievements in aerial robotics, and there is also a B2B event where you can meet new partners who share your love for aerial robotics.

Much like drones, the event isn't free. Would-be participants must register on the website and buy a 10 euro ticket. That ticket includes two-day access to the whole programme as well as accreditation, a registration package, workshop materials, and coffee breaks.

With the discussion of order and freedom at large, the debates concerning the legal frame of operating drones in Croatia may well be the most interesting topics of this year's edition of DroneDays.

As TCN previously reported, drone regulations in Croatia have two levels of authority, one that is national and the other concerning EU Drone Regulation that came into force back in 2020.

After the conference in Biograd na Moru, why not hop to nearby Zadar? Learn more in our TC guide.

For more about technology in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 5th, 2021 - On Monday, the Zadar County Civil Protection Headquarters made a decision, which was confirmed by the National Headquarters, on introducing what are deemed to be necessary new epidemiological measures in Zadar County - a ban on all types of concerts and similar events in open areas.

Jutarnji List reports that the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Republic of Croatia, on July 5, 2021, has decided to introduce the necessary epidemiological measure for the area of ​​Zadar County.

The following is being introduced:

The necessary measure in item I of this Decision is: A ban on holding all types of concerts (live music) and similar events in open areas where it is impossible to control the persons present.

The staff of local self-government units is in charge of intensifying compliance with the prescribed epidemiological measures.

The necessary epidemiological measure referred to in this Decision shall be determined until 18 July 2021.

This Decision shall be published in Narodne Novine (Official Gazette) and shall enter into force on 6 July 2021.

Davor Božinović, Chief of the National Headquarters, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Croatia, has signed this decision.

According to the Headquarters, the decision will be in force until July 18 this year, and it was made, according to the Headquarters, in agreement at a meeting with representatives of local self-government units in Zadar County.

This decision comes after the COVID-19 outbreak in Zadar County; for the past few weeks, most new cases of infection within the country have come from Zadar County. 

For all, you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

June 27, 2021 - Due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Zadar County, it is now considered a low-risk area for travelers returning to Germany. 

As of today, Zadar County is a low-risk area for travelers returning to Germany, reports HRT.

This means that those who leave that county for Germany must first register digitally, have a negative test when entering the country, or self-isolate until a negative test is presented. This does not apply to those who have been vaccinated.

Yesterday, out of 86 new COVID-19 cases, 42 were recorded in Zadar County. At the COVID wards at the Zadar General Hospital, 10 patients were hospitalized, and there are currently 207 active cases in the county.

The head of the National Civil Protection Headquarters Davor Božinović and the Chief of the Zadar Civil Protection Headquarters, Ante Babić, hope that the increasing number of newly infected will not affect the success of the tourist season.

"It is certainly not good because nowadays, given that this is a pandemic that has affected the whole world, given that this is a pandemic that has affected the whole world, and given that those countries from which tourists come, their citizens listen to the recommendations of their countries and to see where they should come to eventually rest and be healthy. So it’s not good, but I repeat again, I don’t think it should ultimately jeopardize the season. If this had to happen already, then it is better today, in June, than possibly in a month or so. We hope that the numbers will start to drop as soon as possible, but the biggest responsibility is on all of us," Babić said.

13 new cases in Zadar County

Today there are already fewer infections in Zadar County. The Civil Protection Headquarters announced that there are e13 new positive cases in the last 24 hours.

380 samples were tested and 611 residents were monitored.

For all, you need to know about coronavirus specific to Croatia, including travel, border, and quarantine rules, as well as the locations of vaccination points and testing centers across the country, make sure to bookmark our dedicated COVID-19 section and select your preferred language.

April 22, 2021 - The Representation of the Croatian Tourist Board in Italy, in cooperation with the Zadar County Tourist Board, is holding a virtual presentation intended for Italian travel agents and B2B media. The topic of the virtual meeting is the tourist offer of Croatia, with emphasis on the offer of Zadar County.  

As htz.hr reports, the virtual presentation gathered more than 60 participants. The presentation included information on the national safety label Safe Stay in Croatia and all measures implemented for the safe stay of tourists in destinations.

"While we are waiting for the full opening of Italy and the possibility of uninterrupted travel, activities such as virtual presentations are an ideal opportunity to, in cooperation with county tourist boards, present the tourist offer of Croatian regions for which Italy is one of the most important markets. In these uncertain times, it is essential to maintain presence and visibility on the market and continuously communicate all current information to partners and the media", said Viviana Vukelic, director of the CNTB Representation in Italy. 

Vukelic added that the Safe Stay's information campaign in Croatia would soon be launched on the Italian market, followed by a B2B campaign in specialized tourist media, and then the main invitation campaign for Italian tourists.

The gathered partners and media representatives were also greeted by the director of the Croatian Tourist Board, Kristjan Staničić. "Good expectations from the Italian market for this season are based on the feedback of the main partners from the Italian market, as well as on the announcements of new shipping and airlines that will connect Croatia and Italy this season," said Staničić.

The presentation of the potential of Zadar County to Italian agents and the media is especially focused on three products, namely outdoor, nautical, and gastronomy.

"Italy has always been our loyal market, which was, unfortunately, the most affected by the epidemic last year, and for which we still expect a good response this year. The Italians greatly appreciate our indented coastline and beautiful archipelago. On this occasion, we reminded the interested partners of our strengths and introduced them to the offer of various opportunities that can be experienced in various parts of the county. Nautics, i.e., islands, with an emphasis on gastronomy, capacities, and various tools to make it easier for our guests to organize their stay, are just some of the prominent topics. We are extremely pleased and optimistic about the great interest shown by the partners for our destinations, which is proven by this virtual meeting", said the director of the Zadar County Tourist Board, Mihaela Kadija.

Regarding traffic connections, along the international ferry line Zadar - Ancona, from July 24 to August 29, 2021, the fast ship of the tour operator Gomo Viaggi with 374 seats will connect Pesaro and Cesenatico with Mali Lošinj and Novalja and Cesenatico with Rovinj. The ship will operate three times a week in July and four times a week in August. The same partner confirmed that it would keep the airline from Ancona to Split in August. Other routes of companies such as EasyJet, Volotea, Ryanair, and Vueling will connect Croatian airports with Rome, Milan, Napoli, Bari, Palermo, and Venice. The cruise company MSC Crociere will start traveling again from June 2021, and Croatia is included in their program. It is planned that their cruisers from Venice, Trieste, and Bari will stop in Dubrovnik and those from Venice and Bari in Split.

Follow the latest on flights to Croatia HERE and the latest travel updates and COVID-19 news from Croatia HERE.

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

Find more information about Zadar HERE and everything you need to know about the Zadar airport HERE.