The latest statistics of the ninth edition of the Zagreb Advent festival which will end in a few days show further marketing effect from winning the title of the Best European Advent Destination over the past three years, reports Poslovni.hr on January 2, 2019.

However, this Advent has brought about a smaller growth compared to 2017, at least as far as the guests who have been registered with the Zagreb Tourist Board are concerned. According to the eVisitor data, in the first 29 days of Advent 2018, 117,100 visitors realised 214,300 overnight stays, which is 13 per cent more overnights and 9 per cent more arrivals than in the same period of 2017. During this period, the number of Croatian visitors was 38,800 (+9 per cent), and the number of foreign visitors was 78,200, which is 9 per cent more than 2017. Of the total number of overnight stays, Croatian tourists realised 67,200 overnights, which is 14 per cent more, while foreign guests realised 147,000 overnights, which is a 13 per cent increase.

The previous edition of the Zagreb Advent saw a growth of 23%. While in past years, the most numerous guests were those from Italy, this time Italian guests have been overtaken by guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina, followed by Italians, Slovenes, Austrians, and guests from Germany, Serbia, Asian countries (Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines) and Korea, the United States and the United Kingdom. Most of the overnight stays were recorded by visitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Great Britain, Serbia, USA, Asian countries and Korea.

However, these data do not include a substantial number of one-day trips. Also, when calculating the financial effects, we must not forget the significant contribution of citizens of Zagreb. The study conducted by the City of Zagreb two years ago in cooperation with the Institute for Tourism showed that the 2016 Advent was visited by a total of between 3.3 million and 3.8 million people, and 49 per cent of visitors in the period came to Zagreb specifically for Advent.

Advent also gave an extra momentum to the year-round tourist season in Zagreb, which still exceeds the national average. From the beginning of the year to 29 December, the number of arrivals was 9 per cent higher and reached 1.39 million, while the number of overnight stays was 2.49 million (+10 per cent). Most visitors were from Korea, USA, Germany, Italy, China, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Spain and the United Kingdom.

More news on the Zagreb Advent can be found in our Travel section.

Translated from Poslovni.hr (reported by Marija Crnjak).

ZAGREB, December 16, 2018 - About a hundred scouts from throughout Croatia brought the Bethlehem Light of Peace from Austria to Zagreb on Sunday.

After a procession through the city centre, they were joined by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Zagreb Cathedral Rector Josip Kuhtić and together they took the Light of Peace into the Zagreb Cathedral.

The ceremony was organised for the 26th year in a row by the Croatian Scouts Federation. It is held under the auspices of the Croatian parliament.

The Bethlehem Light of Peace is a symbol of Christmas and in the Bible, it symbolises the coming of Jesus, whose birth promised peace to all people of good will. The burning and sharing of the Bethlehem Light is a reminder to people of good will to wish one another peace and well-being and to spread peace among people.

The head of the Croatian Scouts Federation, Lidija Pozaić Frketić, said that the custom of burning and sharing the Bethlehem Light of Peace was started by Austrian scouts, who first brought the light from Bethlehem to Austria in 1988. Every year scouts from across Europe flock to Austria to collect the light and take it to their respective countries.

Croatian scouts collected the Bethlehem Light of Peace in Linz on Saturday and today they will take it to their parishes and to many state institutions.

More news on the Advent festivities in Croatia can be found in our Lifestyle section.

The Croatian National Tourist Board, in cooperation with the British-Australian production, organized the first Food Box Day this week at the British Square in Zagreb. British chef Jack Stein was the special guest. 

Experience one of the best parts of Zagreb Advent at Klovićevi Dvori Gallery and Gradec! 

The Zagreb Advent festival will feature a new event this year, a special exhibition of luxury and valuable items from all over the world that will take place from 5 to 8 December at the Technical Museum, reports Jutarnji List on November 19, 2018.

At the Zagreb Winter FairYtale exhibition, the visitors will be able to see things for which one usually has to travel all around the world. The show will be a great opportunity for visitors to see all that luxury brands in the region and beyond can offer, whether it is premium cars, yachts, expensive watches, real estate, fashion, artwork, travel... The exhibition will also be a chance to enjoy “good vibrations” during the Advent.

Darko Šupuk, the main organizer, is excited about everything they have prepared for the visitors. “FairYtale is an ambitious and imaginative project that focuses on the beauty and the value of life, as reflected in the so-called premium products and lifestyle, compatible with luxury. Luxury today is spending high-quality time together, which is enabled by such products. The mix will be presented by FairYtale through several programmes. When we publish a list of exhibitors, among them you will find names that I am sure will cause a lot of positive reactions. I am proud to do something like this in Zagreb and Croatia, and I look forward to the Advent days that will be enriched by the FairYtale exhibition.”

Zagreb Advent Winter FairYtale will be the perfect stage to enjoy lifestyle characterized by enjoying life. In addition to artwork that will be presented in a dedicated area, part of the exhibition will be dedicated to golf, high fashion, fine dining, and enjoyment in life. The additional element of the fair is numerous events for visitors, which will make their stay at the fair pleasant – and unforgettable. Several events such as fashion shows, Advent cooking, gala dinners with famous chefs, musical performances and special cocktail presentations have been announced. Also, FairYtale has a charity element, aiming to raise funds for socially vulnerable children with developmental difficulties.

The Zagreb Winter FairYtale will be a great addition to the Advent festivities in the city, which has been the proud winner of the title for the best Advent event in Europe for the last several years.

For more on the Zagreb Advent festivities, click here.

Translated from Jutarnji List.

The first Advent stalls will be opened in 18 days, while the official start of the Advent in Zagreb is December 1. The festival will conclude on 6 January, and here is an overview of the events taking place in the city during the most festive part of the year, reports Index.hr on November 9, 2018.

One of the new programmes this year which is certain to draw a lot of attention is the Film Advent at the Baković Sisters Passage, which will be decorated like a set of a Christmas movie, providing countless opportunities for taking Instagram photos. When you get bored with taking pictures, you can enter the nearby Europe Cinema where favourite Christmas movies will be screened.

Another new location is Stara Tkalča, which will give visitors an opportunity to get to know old crafts. That will witness the skills of old Zagreb clockmakers, hatters, butchers and bakers, with plenty of opportunities for taking photos.

The third new programming element is the Advent in Maksimir and the Zoo, which will allow the visitors to discover what the animals are doing even outside of the official ZOO opening times. The programme will include interactive workshops for whole families.

When it comes to old, well-known Advent locations, they will be decorated in the fairytale style this year. The Advent will have three themes. The first is the famous Croatian author Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, and this theme will run through most of the festival sites.

The second theme is music, so the classic Christmas soon will be heard throughout the city centre. As many as eight special festivals will be held: Adventfest in the Cathedral, Advent Classic Fest, Festival of Advent and Christmas Songs in Zagreb, Concerts in the St Catherine Church, the Zagreb Soloists Concert Programme, Advent in the Parish of St. Blaze, From the Christmas Balconies, and Christmas with the Kids.

The third theme is ecology, meaning that plastic straws, cups and plates will not be used this year. The city authorities have appealed to caterers to replace them with paper cups and straws, or with products made of recycled materials.

Everything else will be quite similar to last year. The festivities begin with the lighting of the first Advent candle at 5 pm on December 1, continuing with the opening of the Ice Park and the lighting of the Christmas lights at Zrinjevac at 8 pm.

The Advent will also take place from Ban Jelačić Square to the Flower Square, while the urban atmosphere will be felt the most on the European Square. The Marić Passage will be decorated in the Christmas spirit, just like Zrinjevac, while the Strossmayer Square will host the Fuliranje event. The southern endpoint of the Advent is the Ice Park on Tomislav Square.

The Grič tunnel will host the Museum of Reality, in cooperation with UNICEF. The Vranicani Meadow will host photo points, and the very successful Cafe de Matoš will return.

The Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Ethnographic Museum and the Archaeological Museum will organise special Advent exhibitions.

For more articles on Zagreb, click here.

Translated from Index.hr.

Advent in Zagreb has seen Croatia's capital go from strength to strength in terms of tourism over the last few years.

Attracting visitors from all over the world and gaining the title of the Best European Advent Destination for three years running, Advent in Zagreb isn't messing around when it comes to turning the city into a winter wonderland to get you ready for the most wonderful time of the year. Scrooge or not, it's hard to resist Zagreb at this time of year.

As 24sata writes on the 3rd of November, 2018, Zagreb's tourist board has its fingers crossed that this year will also be a great one, with the aim of attracting a record number of arrivals and overnight stays. 

This year, the much loved Advent in Zagreb will begin on December the 1st, and as Martina Bienenfeld, the director of the Zagreb Tourist Board told RTL, the christmas spirit and cheer is spreading out over the city much more, and advent will also take to some new locations across the capital.

Advent in Zagreb's organisers are already claiming that this year will be the most beautiful to date, and things have already got started.

There are already decorations being readily put up along the streets of Zagreb, given the fact that, as previously mentioned, this year things kick off as early as December the 1st with a little warm up taking place just a few days earlier.

As Bienenfeld stated, Advent in Zagreb will take to some brand new locations in the city, and owing to that some of the locations people have frequented in the past few years will naturally be overlooked, therefore they will be shut down.

To briefly recall Advent in Zagreb's incredible rise to fame and recognition, Zagreb's advent has been proclaimed to be the most beautiful in Europe for three years running and continues to attract very high numbers to Croatia's previously very much overlooked capital city. The Christmas spirit will stay in the capital in the form of advent for five weeks.

Want to stay up to date with Advent in Zagreb and what's going on in the capital? Make sure to follow Total Zagreb and keep yourself in the loop.

In addition to being THE Advent destination in Europe (which probably means in the world as well), Zagreb also has a lot to offer when it comes to the New Year’s Eve parties and events.

The Guardians of Zagreb, a performance troupe dedicated to medieval historical re-enactments, will perform their “Christmas Knight Fairy Tale” show on December, 22^nd at 8:30 pm on the main Advent stage at the Ban Jelačić Square.

Grič Tunnel is one of those locations in Zagreb where creativity of the people involved in organizing Advent and their desire to create something very unique and appropriate for the setting of a WWII 500-meter long tunnel in the centre of the city really becomes obvious.