December 3, 2019 - The ice skating spectacle 'Golden Spin of Zagreb' will open on Wednesday, December 4, at the Dom Sportova sports hall.

Gol.hr reports that the 52nd edition of the Golden Spin of Zagreb will be held from December 4 to 7, 2019. Not only will there be more than 200 ice skaters from 38 countries, but many Olympic, world and European medal winners will be reunited.

"There will be 29 female skaters, 27 male skaters, and 24 sports couples and 14 dance couples on the ice in the sports hall, and this year's ISU Challenger Series competition will feature senior skaters, including 27 female skaters, 8 male skaters, 20 dance and 5 sports couples. 

We will also have a chance to see a big clash between two great Russian women, current European champion Sofia Samodurova and former champion of the world and Europe, Yelizaveta Tuktamisheva. American Jason Brown is coming to defend last year's victory, and special attention will be paid to Ksenia Stolbova, the 2014 Olympic winner of Sochi, who recently has a new partner, Andrei Novoselov, in pairs,” revealed competition director Melita Juratek Cipek.

Croatia will have several representatives this year. In the senior pairs competition, Lana Petranović and Antonio Souza Kordeiru will perform. In the junior competition, Croatia will be represented by Hana Cvijanović, Hana Kosić, Stella Ristić, Luce Stipaničev, Lorena Čižmek and Charles Henry Katanović.

"So many juniors show that we have a future, and I am especially pleased to be breaking records this year when the Croatian Skating Federation celebrates 80 years since its inception," said HKS president Morana Palikovic Gruden.

Croatia's best junior, Hana Cvijanović, who celebrated her 17th birthday on Monday, is particularly looking forward to performing.

"I am excited, always nervous; nevertheless, it is the biggest competition in front of a Croatian audience. I hope to skate my programs best this season and meet the standard for the World Junior Championships. It would be an ideal birthday present,” Hannah wished.

Lana Petranović and Antonio Souza-Kordeiru will compete for the first time after an eight-month break.

"We are happy to be in Zagreb again. This is our first competition after my second knee surgery. The difficult preparations are behind us, and the difficult rehabilitation, but we hope to show ourselves in the best possible light to our audience," said Lana Petranović.

The ice skating spectacle begins on Wednesday, December 4, at 3 pm, with the opening ceremony scheduled at 5:30 pm. Like in the previous years, this Golden Spin will close with a grand show of the winners on Saturday, December 7, at 8 pm.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

''As a rule, we organise ourselves, the rotation and when we take days off, which is great for us,'' says Drago Pavlek, 37, who has been working at the Zagreb company for the last three years and who is very pleased with the four day week.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 2nd of December, 2019, one Zagreb company has been working a four day week, which many companies around the world are now talking about and considering, for a while now, and the resilts they have experienced are more than excellent.

''We recently had a course where I asked my employees if they'd like to continue the practice of a four-day work week and they unanimously said yes,'' stated Renata Šeperić Petak, the owner and director of the Zagreb company for 24sata.

Renata owns Logička matrica, and she shared the news that she was introducing this type of ''part-time work'' a year ago on her private profile on Facobook, and then her statement echoed across the media. However, Renata was surprised that everyone had become so interested in the idea.

All six employees of this forward thinking Zagreb company are permanently employed on indefinite contracts, and the four-day work week gives them a spring in their step. For four days, they work ten hour shifts in order to meet the quota of 40 hours worked by law, and then they take one entire day completely off.

''That day, we get to do all the things that we have to do, visit institutions, go to the bank, go to the police, go to the doctor... Most of us don't live in Zagreb and for that kind of thing we'd have to take special days off. We don't spend these free days on recreation or wellness because we get that after our ''ordinary'' working days are done, and then go for a drink or two after work,'' says Drago from Zelina.

When they work ten hours a day for four days, they don't feel it. It's not hard for them. An hour-long lunch break takes place, and the work is dynamic and fast, so time goes by in no time. They're there in the office from 08:00 to 18:00.

''I don't care if anyone needs to go to the dentist, a gynecologist. They're all adults and believe me when I say I'm ashamed to question them on where they're going. I don't want them standing in front of me and justifying themselves,'' says the owner of this Zagreb company.

''They have total freedom to organise their work for themselves. I just like to see on the schedule where they've marked their days off and that's really all I'm looking for. This is the type of business that often sees them end up in field meetings, so they do the rest from home, which is another benefit because our entire business is on the 'cloud'. We're as flexible as possible,'' she says.

''I realised that money is no longer everything and that it isn't enough to just reward people, but that they should be given enough time for themselves to become more satisfied,'' explains Renata, who completed European studies in London, UK.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more.

A big cash cow will be coming to Zagreb early next year, just after Christmas, when thousands of European diplomats and officials who need accommodation will arrive in the city for Croatia's six-month EU Council presidency.

Up to 30,000 EU Officials Expected

According to Deutsche Welle, official sources are saying that about 25,000 people will descend on Zagreb in early 2020, while other estimates say that the figure will be closer to 30,000. Many won't be staying in Croatia for the entire six months nor will they all be arriving at the same time. In any case, this is creating real chaos in the tenant world. Simply put, Zagreb landlords can earn more by expelling their current tenants and renting their apartments to EU officials.

Zagreb does not have many hotels. In fact, Jutarnji List notes that there are only 24 four or five-star hotels in the city, which is by no means enough capacity to accommodate the large number of high-level diplomats and EU officials arriving soon.

Zagreb Landlords Are Evicting Tenants

Stanka, a student from Zadar, experienced the nightmare of moving because of the upcoming EU Council presidency, according to Zagrebinfo on December 2, 2019. She had just moved to Zagreb to pursue her college degree.

“My landlady bought my apartment and acquired me with the inventory. During our negotiations, she indicated that she would be upgrading the furniture and raising the rent. She also disclosed that we would not be signing a lease because she had plans to rent the apartment to diplomats in early 2020 for a much higher price. However, then she decided to completely renovate the apartment prior to their arrival, so I had to move out in September,'' the student reported, and claims she had less than a week to move everything out of an apartment where she had lived for only three months.

With the boom in Zagreb tourism over the last few years, a sizeable chunk of apartments which used to be rented monthly, are now being rented out to tourists by the day. This has greatly increased the average apartment rental rates.

“Of the approximately three and a half thousand who are officially registered, there are perhaps ten thousand available beds. And I believe that a large portion of this housing pool is ready to respond to the demands of the Eurobureaucrats," said Zoran Dragun, administrator of the Zagreb Private Landlords Association to Jutarnji list.

He claims that Zagreb has now become a year-round tourist destination, but also believes that rents in Zagreb have not increased as much as publicly reported. The current focus for private landlords is Advent (December); then they'll begin preparing for the big EU opportunity.

No Tenant Rights

Nedjeljko Marković, president of the Pragma social association, has a different opinion.

"The unpredictability of market movements is our biggest problem, because nobody in Croatia oversees these changes. We simply do not have any public housing policies,” he emphasized while referencing the unfortunate circumstances that many Zagreb tenants will soon face.

He claims that his sources from the association, which deal with tenant issues, have already received reports that scores of Zagreb tenants are facing eviction, and will soon be without a roof over their heads due to the arrival of EU bureaucrats and diplomats.

For more information on the housing situation in Croatia, check our our Lifestyle page here.

December 2, 2019 - Everyone is invited to the third Adria Business Network, organized by entrepreneurs Željka Barišić and Kristina Krstinić, which will be held on December 18, 2019, at 6 pm at the Bagatin Clinic, located at Avenija grada Vukovara 269 G / 2nd floor.

In the first part of the event, the guest lecturer, director of the Bagatin Clinic, Ognjen Bagatin, will share how, in just a few years, his family business has grown to 120 employees working in three locations. Bagatin will also touch on the questions:

- Why has the Deloitte Polyclinic been listed as one of the fastest-growing SMEs in healthcare? 

- What are all the skills and knowledge you need to get a healthcare institution to the top of Croatian and European brands? 

- Why are all employees of the Bagatin Clinic educated continuously and working on their professional and personal development? 

- What does the term conscious leadership include, and why does the leader of the Bagatin Clinic Ognjen Bagatin worship all his mistakes?

The second part of the event includes a one-minute pitch by all attendees.

At the end of the lecture, in an informal gathering with top-quality wine and the prosciutto of Delicatessen Prtenjača, the attendees will have the opportunity to exchange experiences with the guest lecturer and other participants.

The answers to all these questions, and a closer look into the entrepreneurial mindset, can be found at the Adria Business Network pre-Christmas event, directly from Ognjen Bagatin, who will welcome everyone interested in his into his company.

But that’s not all. This Adria Business Network event also has a humanitarian touch. Namely, the profit from ticket sales will go to the blind and partially sighted residents of the Center for Education "Vinko Bek" in Zagreb!

Why not do good for others while doing good for yourself? 

Tickets for the event can be found here. 

To read more about business in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

The first hearing for the trial of Croatian Filip Drača, a 24-year-old who vandalized the Franjo Tuđman statue in Zagreb with sickle and hammer graffiti earlier this year, was held on Thursday, November 28, 2019. A criminal complaint has been filed against him for property damage, and the State Attorney's Office is seeking a sentence of 10 months and 3 years' probation.

Croatian Inquiry

After Filip Drača sprayed a sickle and a hammer on the Franjo Tuđman statue on January 5, 2019; a public inquiry was launched to bring this perpetrator to justice as soon as possible, as reported by Anja Vladisavljević/Balkan Insight on November 29, 2019. Police have released security camera photos, and many major media outlets have been implicitly urging citizens to 'make a difference'.

Such demonstrations of force appear to send the public a message that the character and accomplishments of Croatia’s first President Franjo Tuđman must not be criticized. To counteract apparent intimidation tactics, a group of left-wing parties and associations organized a protest, and around 20,000 HRK (2700 EUR) has been raised for Drača’s defense.

When Drača was arrested, he confessed immediately. But when asked in court if he felt guilty, he responded that he did not feel guilty for the alleged offence. In an interview with Novosti newspaper in January, he said: “My intent wasn’t that serious, I meant to provoke and tease a little. If I offended anyone, that’s their problem. There is something wrong with anyone who perceives Tuđman and his small comical country as sacred.”

Resembles Franklin D. Roosevelt

The controversial four-meter-high Tuđman statue was unveiled in December 2018, on the 19th anniversary of his death, and was met with protests which resulted in arrests.

Critics have pointed out that the statue doesn’t resemble the Croatian president at all. Defenders indicated that the sculptor had taken considerable artistic license (apparently by softening the president’s distinctive features). In fact, it might be argued that the Zagreb statue looks more like US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who led the United States out of the Great Depression and back to economic prosperity in the 1930’s.

Graffiti Normally Minor Offense

The first hearing was held Thursday, November 28, 2019 at the Zagreb Municipal Criminal Court. The prosecution claims that the property was severely damaged and that it was the perpetrator’s intention to damage the statue and alter its appearance. But as Drača’s lawyer Lina Budak pointed out, the statue was not severely damaged – nor has its value or usability been diminished.

Budak also believes that a criminal trial should have never been initiated because this is a "minor offense" and the case could have been prosecuted as a misdemeanor. It’s obvious that there are two sets of criteria, she emphasized, since official investigations into graffiti vandalism are rarely initiated, or ever proceed to a criminal trial. As Zagreb Mayor Bandić once said, “Don't make an elephant out of a fly ... if any (monument) is damaged, let us know and we will restore it in two days,” after the statues dedicated to anti-fascists/communists in Dotrščina were vandalized. The question is why don't the same principles apply to the Franjo Tuđman statue.

Croatian Anti-fascist Statues Destroyed

It’s worth noting that over 3000 anti-fascist statues have been destroyed in Croatia since the 1990s. That destruction is ongoing, and the culprit is often an "unknown perpetrator". In other words, there doesn't appear to be any government interest in prosecuting anyone who destroys monuments dedicated to anti-fascism.

Repair Costs Not Disclosed

Perhaps the most interesting detail from today's hearing is that the City of Zagreb, which owns the statue, has not yet provided an estimate of the alleged material damage. This means that the criminal complaint was filed without knowing the extent of the damage, which is problematic since the gravity of the offense is directly correlated to the repair costs - whether they amount to 100 or 100,000 HRK.

Regarding damage repairs, the City of Zagreb already pays lump sums of money, among other things, to two contractors who maintain the statue and grounds. Those maintenance contracts include removal of graffiti, so it seems excessive to claim any harm to the 'property owner' or the city.

The hearing ended after the plaintiffs and the defendants had presented their evidence. And, the next hearing is scheduled on February 21, 2020 at 9:00. The trial is open to the public.

To stay updated on the trial of Filip Drača and Croatian politics, follow our page here.

ZAGREB, December 2, 2019 - A crew of Russia's MUZ TV music channel is currently in Zagreb where it is filming Zagreb's Christmas market as well as the SalajLand Christmas light show in Cažma, the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) said on Monday.

MUZ TV is Russia's version of MTV and the production crew will stay in Zagreb until December 4 where it will shoot on site at Zagreb's Christmas market and the SalajLand Christmas light show, which will be broadcast on its Independent Traveler show on December 21.

"In the past three seasons, the show has attracted more than 25 million viewers throughout Russia. I am certain that the show from Zagreb and SalajLand will be an opportunity for a lot of Russians to come to know Croatia as a quality all-year round destination with a very rich offer during the winter months too," HTZ director Kristjan Staničić said.

Daily direct flights between Zagreb and Moscow throughout the year will certainly contribute to the positive trends from the Russian market, added Staničić.

The increase of the tourist turnover from the Russian market this year will be almost 14% and interest by Russian tourists for Croatian destinations is constantly rising, the director of HTZ office in Russia, Rajko Ružička said.

This is the third study tour that HTZ has organised for Russian television. A crew for the "Let's Go, Let's Eat" show on NTV filmed in Croatia in June, and in September the Friday TV did some shooting for its show "Orel I reshka".

More tourism news can be found in the Travel section.

The 2019 Human Rights Film Festival, which is among the most anticipated film festivals in Zagreb, Croatia, begins this evening Sunday, December 1st. While this festival is bereft of glamour, red carpets or big festival hype; HRFF offers a carefully curated selection of the most noteworthy art films from recent world festivals. Here are our top 10 recommended films, all with English subtitles. They are organized by date and time, from today December 1, 2019 through next Sunday. Links to additional information and film trailers are included.

Admission is free and tickets are available at Kino tuškanac 1 hour before the film showing or 18-19h on each day of the festival (01.12 - 08.12).

Honeyland (UPDATE: No more tickets for Sunday 01.12. Another showing Monday 02.12 at 17:00)
(Medena zemlja)
Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov • North Macedonia • 2019 • 87′
Sunday 01.12. • 19:00 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

Situated in an isolated mountainous region deep within the Balkans, Hatidze Muratova lives with her ailing mother in a village without roads, electricity or running water. She’s the last in a long line of Macedonian wild beekeepers, making a living farming honey in small batches to sell in the closest city, a mere four hours’ walk away. Hatidze’s peaceful existence is thrown into upheaval upon the arrival of an itinerant family, along with their roaring engines, seven rambunctious children and herd of cattle. Hatidze optimistically meets the promise of change with an open heart, offering her hospitality, brandy and beekeeping advice. This fascinating documentary had its world premiere at the Sundance Festival, where it received the award for Best International Documentary.

Just Don't Think I'll Scream
(Samo nemojte pomisliti da vrištim)
Frank Beauvais • France • 2019 • 75’
Monday 02.12. • 21:30 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

After his relationship ended in 2016, 45-year-old Frank Beauvais found himself all alone in a small village near France's eastern border with no job and no prospects. Lost within himself and intimidated by the world around him, he found solace in the screen, watching four to five films a day. It was here that he began to work on an audio-visual diary, which he put together by editing shots of the movies he devoured.

He then combines a cinematic collage from these films with his intimate diary, in which he incidentally responds to current events in France (a series of terrorist attacks), vividly illustrating the state of general crisis, intimate and social.

The Trial of Ratko Mladić
(Suđenje Ratku Mladiću)
Henry Singer, Rob Miller • UK, Norway • 2018 • 99’
Tuesday 03.12. • 17:00 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

Twenty-five years ago, Europe was shocked by appalling images of the concentration camps and mass graves in former Yugoslavia. The Bosnian War cost the lives of around 100,000 innocent people. In 2012, almost exactly 20 years after that bloody conflict started, the trial of the Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladić began at the Yugoslavia tribunal in The Hague. The crimes he was accused of included leading the siege of Sarajevo and murdering 7,000 Muslim men in Srebrenica.

Filmmakers Rob Miller and Henry Singer shed light on the war from two perspectives. Not only do they speak to public prosecutors and visit victims and witnesses; they also interview Mladić’s lawyers, supporters and family members, who consider him a patriotic hero. In addition to telling the stories of victims and witnesses, the film raises questions about the international tribunal itself—and whether it’s possible to achieve justice by a five-year trial. It won’t bring back the dead and the accused refused to accept the verdict. Shocking, potent images from archive news footage remind us of the absurd and gratuitous cruelty of this dirty war, whose battles are still not finished. 

Present.Perfect
(Present.Perfect)
Shengze Zhu • USA, Hong Kong • 2019 • 124′
Wednesday 04.12. • 16:30 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

The Chinese documentary 'Present.Perfect', which won the award for Best Picture at the esteemed Rotterdam Film Festival, is made up of often-incredible live streaming footage collected by Shengze Zhu over nine months. The film offers us a fascinating insight into contemporary Chinese society through a series of eccentric characters, mostly marginal people, who have an online presence which is often their only form of communication with others. The phenomenon of online streaming everything from the most boring everyday jobs to pure exhibitionism has garnered so much momentum that censors in China intervened.

Cold Case Hammarskjöld
(Zaboravljeni slučaj Hammarskjöld)
Mads Brügger • Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium • 2019 • 128′
Thursday 05.12. • 19:00 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

The new film by Danish director Mads Brugger ('The Ambassador') is sure to be a crowd pleaser within this year's HRFF program. The film has already been screened at the Rab Film Festival, and is an exciting, shocking and entertaining documentary which addresses colonialism and racism in Africa. He addresses these topics through an investigation into the case of the death of United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in a mysterious plane crash in 1961. While investigating the conspiracy, which led to the sudden death of an influential politician and diplomat, and freedom fighter for African countries, the director reveals an even more horrific narrative, which changed history.

State Funeral
(Državni pogreb)
Sergej Loznica • Netherlands, Latvia • 2019 • 135’
Friday 06.12. • 16:30 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

Sergei Loznica, a highly awarded Ukrainian documentary filmmaker, dissects the personality cult phenomenon in a new film by combining archival footage of Stalin's five-day funeral ceremony. The fascinating color shots are a testimony of a specific time in history, and Loznica's ironic commentary accompanies the tears, flowers, warm words and expressions of respect which hide millions of dead, subjugated and starved to death. The footage of this magnificent ritual also served as an unequivocal critique of Vladimir Putin, another personality cult that has been taking shape in Russia for years.

Vitalina Varela
(Vitalina Varela)
Pedro Costa • Portugal • 2019 • 124’
Friday 06.12. • 19:00 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

Portuguese director Pedro Costa’s new film 'Vitalina Varela' premiered at the Locarno Festival, where he won the Golden Leopard for Best Picture and the Best Actress Award. Costa's film has brilliant visuals, but it’s style and form require a patient viewer. Vitalina Varela is a middle-aged widow from Cape Verde who, after her husband's death, goes to the Lisbon slum where he lived for years. Vitalina is Costa's muse, which he introduced in his 2014 movie 'A Horse Called Money'.

End of the Century
(Kraj stoljeća)
Lucio Castro • Argentina • 2019 • 83′
Friday 06.12. • 21:30 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

Few films have captured the fleeting and enduring nature of an intimate connection as poignantly as “End of the Century.” The elegant film, which revolves around two men who meet on a Barcelona balcony, has a lingering emotional effect. “End of the Century” gives voice to a seemingly indescribable feeling, one that anyone who’s ever fallen in love will recognize. Written and directed by Argentinian filmmaker Lucio Castro in his feature debut, “End of the Century” follows lush romances like “Weekend” and “Call Me by Your Name,” and will certainly endure as one of the most evocative gay films of the decade.

Heimat is a Space in Time
(Heimat je prostor od vremena)
Thomas Heise • Germany, Austria • 2019 • 218′
Sunday 08.12. • 15:00 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

This acclaimed documentary, by the great German filmmaker Thomas Heise, was awarded Best Film in the Forum at the Berlin Festival. This is historical essay offers insight into 100 years of German history through the prism of the author's complex genealogy. Beginning with World War I, through Nazi rule, and living in East Germany until the fall of the Berlin Wall; Heise shares her rich family heritage and questions her beliefs on homeland and identity.

The Painted Bird
(Obojena ptica)
Václav Marhoul • Czechia, Ukraine, Slovakia • 2019 • 170′
Sunday 08.12. • 20:00 • kino Tuškanac • Zagreb

The Czech film 'The Painted Bird' by director Václav Marhúl, based on the novel by Jerzy Kosinski, is arguably the most controversial film of the year. The film starring Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel and Udo Kier, is spoken in a fictitious pan-Slavic language. Because of the brutal portrayals of violence, the film shocked audiences at the Venice Film Festival, where it premiered. The story follows a Jewish boy who wandered the expanses of Eastern Europe during World War II, fleeing anti-Semitic persecution and witnessing the unprecedented cruelty of war. The film is a 'wild three-hour journey through hell' but is magnificently directed and shot with an impressive black and white camera. The film was selected as a Czech representative for the Oscars.

To stay updated on film festivals and cultural events in Croatia, follow our Lifestyle page here. Updates on film showings can be found on the HRFF Facebook page here. More info on Kino tuškanac can be accessed here.

November 30,  2019 - A handful of carriers are contributing to the airline exodus at Zagreb Airport, and so far, only 69,739 passengers have been added compared to 2018. Should the capital city airport be worried?

Despite the recent announcements that airlines are pulling out of Zagreb Airport, and that its performance this year is a bit worse than the competitors on the coast, the capital city airport sees no reason to worry. 

“Since the beginning of the concession in 2013, Zagreb Airport has recorded excellent operational and financial results. We have registered passenger growth of around 46%. While Zagreb Airport handled 2.300.231 travelers in 2013, we welcomed 3.336.310 passengers five years later. This year we are also seeing an increase in our numbers. In 2013 the number of airlines serving the Croatian capital stood at 20, while today it amounts to 33. The number of destinations on offer has also grown from 34 to 52," Zagreb Airport said for Ex Yu Aviation News. 

Recall, TCN announced that a handful of airlines are contributing to the airline departure at Zagreb Airport. Like Eurowings, for example, which has terminated its two routes to Zagreb from Berlin and Dusseldorf. Furthermore, Swiss Air and Czech Airlines have canceled their seasonal services next summer from Zurich and Prague. 

Ex Yu Aviation adds that we must not forget that Korean Air ultimately ended up discontinuing its service between Seoul and Zagreb in the winter, though their seasonal service will return from April 1, 2020. 

“We expect successful operations and passenger growth to continue in the future. We also believe that travelers will recognize our efforts and reward us for our high quality of service,” the airport added. 

The high-fees at Zagreb Airport are also a factor. After opening the new passenger terminal in 2017, the fee per each international passenger jumped from two euro to a total of seventeen euro. It also increased its fees by half a euro per domestic passenger to seven and a half euro.

Recall, Eurowings has cited high fees at Zagreb as a deterrent for introducing new routes and will cut the two routes mentioned above. It will only be serving Cologne and Stuttgart from Zagreb. 

Eurowings previously said that the fees in Zagreb are “significantly higher than most major European airports, making it less appealing for low-cost carriers."

Ryanair and Wizz Air do not serve Zagreb at all. 

“It [Zagreb] is a high-priced airport environment with fluctuating demand. Should the costs come down, we think they would attract us,” Wizz Air said when considering resuming operations to the capital. 

EasyJet left the airport in 2014, also citing high fees.

From January - October this year, Zagreb Airport welcomed 2,957,109 travelers, which is up 2.4% and is just under the European average. Overall, 69,739 passengers were added compared to 2018.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that Minister for Sea Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, will discuss the airport’s operations with Zagreb Airport’s concessionaire.

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

November 27, 2019 - Thinking of studying at Zagreb University and wondering what you need to know? Our next task for our intrepid interns is a joint project to come up with their ten top tips for noobs.  

Hi there, Future Student at the University of Zagreb! If you are worrying about studying in the Croatian capital, you are in the right place. We, Paula, Ana, and Janja, have highlighted ten things we wish we had known before we started our university life in Zagreb. We sincerely hope this article will help you and make your student life more comfortable in the new city. Let's begin!

Financial plan

ATM around Student centar (special for students, you can withdraw a HRK 50), credit: Janja Šestak

When you live with your family, you don't bother that much about money, right? Well, when you go to college, it's a bit different. You get money from the parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles. You have your own money, but you are also in charge of spending the money. That might sound fun at first, but not everything is as easy as it sounds. Firstly, our warm recommendation is to make a financial plan for the whole month. Housing, food, clothes, coffees, parties, and the most important, of course, literature for college ;), all of this requires a certain amount of money. Pay attention to how much money you spend, and is there really a need to eat at McDonald's or fancy restaurants so often. When you buy food, make sure you rather spend money on quality products and buy on discount if possible.

If your grandparents ever forget to send you the money, you can apply for a scholarship. Each year, the Ministry of Science and Education awards three types of state scholarships to full-time college students: state scholarships to students in STEM fields of science (1200kn), state scholarships to students based on socioeconomic status (1200kn), and scholarships to students with special needs (1200kn).

More information can be found on their website.

Also, some faculties have their own scholarship, which they use to encourage their students to study harder. Don't forget to thoroughly research the faculty you are applying to. Another thing to keep your eye on is the Scholarship and Higher Education Fair, which is held every year in October in three Croatian cities: Zagreb, Zadar, and Rijeka.

Housing: apartment, family, or student dorm?

Christmas room in a dorm, credit: Petra Lončar

There are different types of accommodation for you in Zagreb. The first one is pretty simple. If you are from Zagreb, you are probably going to remain in your family home. The second option is taking the matter into your own hands and finding an apartment. With it comes all the responsibilities of cleaning and cooking by yourself. The last and most common one for anyone coming to Zagreb is living in student dorms.

All three of us have different experiences regarding housing. Paula is from Zagreb, so she lives with her family, Ana is from Šibenik and lives in the flat and Janja, also not a student from Zagreb, used to live in a student dorm.

Janja lived in student dorm Stjepan Radić, popularly called the Sava, and her experience was a surprisingly pleasant one. She was in a renovated 7th pavilion on the first floor. One of the most important things about living in a dorm is your roommate. If you get a normal one, you're lucky. So, if there's a chance, try to meet your potential roommate before you two move in. Secondly, Sava is the biggest dorm of all, and it has around 4000 beds. In the dorm complex, there is a fitness center, a cinema hall, classrooms, a foreign language school, a medical and dental office, a dance hall, two student food restaurants, and a pizzeria, as well as a cafe popularly called "Slasta." You can find all the other information on the website that we linked to above.

There are a few other things to know which you will not find on the website. If you're a quieter person, we recommend pavilions 7th to the 9^th. But if you are more of a party-animal, book pavillions 1-4 because they are closest to the famous night clubs, Roko and Žabac. 

The unwritten rule is that students greet each other in the hallways of the dormitory, hold the door open, and have respect for others. You might be wondering right now about the last thing. Let me put it in this way: You just passed the last exam and want to celebrate it with your friends. You invite the people in your room, put the music on, and after half an hour, you hear knocking on the door. You open the door, and there are security guards who say that someone has reported you because of the loud music. They will kindly ask you to turn the music down. What we are trying to say is that there is no problem in celebrating. The problem is in people who might not be the kindest if you party in the middle of exams season. If you want respect from your co-habitants, you have to act the same way towards them as well. Don't call the security guards as soon as you hear music from the room across you. Instead, come to the room where the LOUD music comes from and kindly ask them to turn it down a bit. If they are rude to you, feel free to call the security guards, and they will solve the problem.

People often say that the Sava has soul. And you know what? It truly has. It's wonderful when, in the evening, there are a bunch of young people sitting on the benches, some of them playing the guitar, others just talking with each other... The Sava is a mini-city for students and the best you can get if you are here both for studying and fun.

Apart from the Sava, there are Student dorm Ante Starčević (known to most of the students as Šara), Student dorm Lašćina and Student dorm Cvjetno naselje.

Even though we don't have the first-hand experience with any of the other dorms, we can assure you they don't have significant differences. The only thing is that the Sava is the biggest Student dorm. The Sava also has its Facebook group, where students help each other with all the necessary information. In that group, students make jokes, ask each other where they can buy cheap food, and inform each other about security and payment issues. Also, there will always be information about upcoming events in clubs and other exciting events in Zagreb.

Life with your parents has its ups and downs as well. While your colleagues have a hard time figuring adult tasks such as doing the laundry or cooking and have just now realized how extremely grateful are they for their moms at home, some of you might wonder what the best way to "survive" living with your parents for the next five or more years is. While some of you think everything is magically going to change as soon as you enroll in college or live in an illusion that your parents will be more understanding of you since you are a college student now, forget it. Most of you will have the same relationship with your parents you use to have while you were in high school. That is why a significant number of people go on Erasmus exchange or try living on their own by the end of college. While living with your parents might sound like a hard time, try asking some of your friends who live on their own or in student dorms how much more they appreciate their parents.

Living in a flat is a whole other story. When you live in a flat, make sure you know the person that lives with you very well. We recommend you know the person because figuring out a financial plan and agreeing on who does the house chores might be hard with someone you don't know that well and aren't used to. When you are looking for a flat, make sure you find the location from which you have the least to commute to your college. Furthermore, search for places where tram, bus stations, and stores are nearby. Also, make sure your landlord is not strict and that they don't request frequent inspections. Make sure your flat has all the necessary equipment such as washing machine, TV (if you watch it), Internet, central heating, etc.

Living on your own is great because you have your own space and you don't have to depend on the cafeteria for your meals. If you are a good cook or don't feel like eating the same thing every day, this is the ideal time to perfect your cooking. Besides, you are not as restricted as your colleagues in a student dorm and can bring friends to your apartment if you wish to. But bear in mind when your friends come and the party starts, you might find that you have neighbors sensitive to loud music here as well.

Traffic in Zagreb

One of the most frequently asked questions almost every student who is not from Zagreb asks probably for the first month or so is, "In which direction I am supposed to go?"

This sweet problem is part of Zagreb's public transport, which includes trams, and buses owned by a company called ZET (Zagreb electric tram). The monthly student pass is HRK 100, while the annual is HRK 960. If you choose the monthly option, remember to renew it on the 1^st of every month. Otherwise, you can be charged up to HRK 800. There is a valid reason why ZET's official motto is – A ride without a ticket/pass - The most expensive ride. You can renew your pass at kiosks or in ZET offices.

Essential information for students who like to party in many of Zagreb's famous clubs or are going home from a friend because they studied till 3 a.m. - be aware there won't be a tram every 7 minutes. There is a big difference between daily and night tram transport. In the 21st century, with the help of Google Maps, there shouldn't be a problem to get somewhere, right?

This is a screenshot of a network of nightly tram lines that run on average every hour.

Get informed, don't be shy!

We all know what it is like to be a lost student in the faculty building, searching for the right lecture hall. The most important thing is to relax. You can always ask a doorman or some person who seems approachable. Don't be shy! There are always older students who are willing to help you. Try to find Facebook groups and join them. You will find a bunch of useful information. If you don't find the answer to the thing you are searching for, ask politely, someone will answer it. If you can help others, this is also great. You will get to know many people through conversations such as "Where is the next lecture?" and remember, some of them might become your friends.

One important thing about having a lot of friends in the first year is that you have to be aware that some friendships won't last. Don't take it as something bad; be natural, and real friends will eventually come around.

Posters in the front of the SC, (recognition of the SC), credit: Janja Šestak

If you want to do some extra job, volunteer, or you already want to start working in the field in which you are studying. Maybe it would be better for you to leave it for next year or at least the next semester. College is not a high school. There are numerous new things that you have to get used to. You might have moved from your parents, you are meeting a lot of new people. Give yourself some time and only then include work and/or volunteering.

Lectures and how to survive them

You have to be aware that some lectures won't be that interesting. Our sincere advice is, no matter how boring the lecture is, be there. The first week is one of the most important weeks, and it's often called orientation week. That means professors say the most important things every student needs to know - dates of midterms, which literature you have to have, where to find a syllabus, how many absences you can have (!), and whether the lectures and seminars must be attended. We recommend you pay attention to how many times you were absent because if it's more than the professor says, you won't get his signature in the Index. That means you can't pass that lecture. It is a pretty big deal, so don't play with that.

On some faculties, you can pass the course without taking the exam in exam season (February, June, or September), but rather be done with it earlier and pass it through the midterms. Then again, don't be upset if you don't pass the midterms and have to take an exam, which includes a whole semester to learn. It's not the end of the world. You will just need to organize better in order to learn everything!

Literature and how to spend the least amount of money on it 

Interliber, credit: zv.hr (Official page of Zagrebački Velesajam)

One of the most significant differences between High School and college is definitely the amount of books you will read (or will you?) during the course of your higher education. Most of the classes will have their mandatory literature, and without reading it, it is highly unlikely you will pass the exam. The problem is that most of these books can be pretty expensive, especially for students. But there is a solution to the problem – INTERLIBER.

Interliber is a book fair that lasts for a week, every year, during November (great if your exams start in late November, early December), which offers a wide variety of books for cheaper prices. You can either find books for leisure reading for rather symbolical prices of 5 to 10 kunas or stumble upon a significant discount for your mandatory literature.

If you are one of the lucky ones, and your college doesn't oblige you to buy all of your literature books, but you still need to find the books somewhere, Zagreb City Libraries (Knjižnice grada Zagreba -http://www.kgz.hr/en/about-us/zagreb-city-libraries-today/523) or National and University Library Zagreb (Nacionalna i sveučilišna knjižnica - http://www.nsk.hr/en/) are the most important places you can go to. Both of them require you to pay for membership fees and in return, offer a broad range of books that can be related to your subject of study. If you feel overwhelmed already, both of the libraries have a catalog of all of their books on their website, and you can even check if the books you need are available.

Zagreb City Libraries are not as student-oriented as the National and University Library. There are 42 City Libraries located throughout Zagreb, many of them in the city center. However, there are some in the neighborhoods not so close to the center. If we had to single out the best library in the city center, it would be Bogdan Ogrizović Library near Cvjetno square, which has the biggest collection of books in English. The annual fee for ZCL is HRK 50, and with it, you can borrow books from all ZCLs. Working hours for ZCL are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., so you have plenty of time to borrow books and study there throughout the day.

If you are the type of person who can study while being surrounded by other people who study, the National and University Library is the place for you. It is located in Hrvatske Bratske Zajednice street number 4, next to Zagreb fountains, and it is the perfect building, which is both the place to borow books and study if you can't find peace anywhere else. The annual fee for NUL is HRK 100, but you can be sure to find all the mandatory literature in one place.

Student jobs 

The building of Studentski Centar, credit: Janja Šestak

More than 60% of students in Croatia work through the Student service. Most of them only get the chance to work during the summer break, but those of you lucky enough to have some free time left after your lectures might be able to work throughout the year.

There are many great reasons why you should get a job. For starters, having some pocket money on the side can be a great help to your parents and a first step in becoming economically independent. Trust us, your parents will be extremely grateful if they don't have to pay for everything you do in your free time.

If you decide to get a job, the first thing you need to know is to create a student contract in the student service (Savska 25), one floor above the student cafeteria. Prepare yourself for gathering a lot of official papers and waiting in a line, but after that, you can be sure you will get a job you will be paid for regularly and fairly.

• http://www.sczg.unizg.hr/media/uploads/sservis/upute_za_izdavanje_ugovora_putem_web_portala_tj_122019.pdf

What you'll need to enroll in Student service are following official papers:

1) college confirmation that you are a full-time student (can be electronic record as well)

2) identity card (ID) – osobna in Croatia – it is necessary to prove your identity

3) IBAN personal giro account – a bank card or a contract with a bank, that way Student service can be sure money will come to your account and not someone' else

4) OIB number – same as ID, only for confirmation of your identity

5) 35x25 mm format photo

6) X-card (X-ica) – confirmation document for all students –

• • recent high-school graduate students can present Indeks if they haven't received their X-card as well as a certificate that shows they have finished the final year of high-school and printout of the application for state matura examination or a certificate of the state matura examination

Student service is for full-time students and high-school graduate students who have finished their matura exam and want to work during the summer before their college starts.

If you've fulfilled all the above instructions, you can start looking for a job. Your best chance lies in sending an e-mail of application and your CV on one of the numerous job applications you will see on the Student service page. Remember not to be disappointed if your first application doesn't result in you getting a job right away. Don't be afraid to send an e-mail and CV to multiple addresses.

After you have found the job and got through the interview, you should watch out for these things as well:

1) as of January 1st, 2020 your minimum hourly wage should be 25,38 kunas

2) students that work don't have usual health insurance that full-time employers have, so make sure you check on the Croatian Health Insurance Fund pages (HZZO) what kind of insurance if any, you have

3) watch out for night shifts, working on Sunday and during state or religious holidays

1. a) night shifts are counted from 10 p.m. and your hourly wage should be 30% bigger than on the regular workday
2. b) on Sunday, your hourly wage should be between 30 and 50% more than on the regular workday
3. c) your hourly wage for state and religious holidays should be at least 50% bigger than on a regular workday

4) a minimum of one day off per week is mandatory

5) when it comes to working multiple shifts, remember that there needs to be at least 12 hours break between two shifts

Unfortunately, student work isn't regulated by strict law. That means that some people like to take advantage of students by making them work multiple shifts in a row, not paying them enough, etc. This problem can be easily solved by educating students about their rights and finding out who you'll be working for, how much you'll work, and in what conditions. 

X-card (x-ica)

HNK, the Croatian National Theathre - credit: Janja Šestak

In addition to cheaper food in the cafeteria, X-card can also give you other advantages and make your student life a bit more than studying and attending lectures. You can get a discount if you buy student passes for trams and buses. Also, there are discounts for students traveling home, and all of that can be achieved if you show your X-card.

If you are a fan of sports or just want to keep your body in shape during your college days, you can get a discount with X-card in various gyms and sports clubs. The Sava student dorm has a gym, which you can use an unlimited amount of time for only 100 kunas per month. Other offers include Zumba and aerobics, both of which you can practice two times a week, also for 100 kunas. In Cvjetno Naselje, unlimited fitness gym is 125kn, Zumba two times a week is 100kn, Aerobics three times a week is 125kn.

If you are passionate about movies and enjoying going to the cinema, but you think CineStar is a bit expensive, don't worry. You can get a discount there as well. You will pay 23 kunas for movies that last 120 minutes, and 25 kunas for movies that last 120 minutes and more. In addition, every Wednesday, all the tickets are 20 kunas.

More information can be found on the link.

If you are a fan of theatre, there is something for you as well. With your X-card, you can watch a show at Kerempuh for 45 kunas. The Gavella, one of the Zagreb's most famous theatres, has a special card for pupils, students, pensioners, and for people with disabilities. The price for the card is 35 kunas as well as ticket price. Theatre Komedija enables students a 20 percent discount for one ticket if you show your X-card.

Explore Zagreb

When you get tired of studying and want to relax with your friends and drink for affordable prices, you might want to check Žirafa. It is one of the most visited places if you are a student in Zagreb, and is located in four locations: Jurišićeva 19/, Maksimirska cesta 64, Gunudlićeva 11, and Ilica 70. The other clubs in Zagreb for students are Club Roko (Jarunska 5), Žabac (Jarunska 1), and Klub klub (Pavla Haltza 14).

From the beginning of December till late January, Zagreb becomes the most beautifully decorated city in Europe. It even won the award for it three years in a row.

King Tomislav Square has a big ice rink, and there are many stands all over the city which sell mulled wine, sausages, or if you like something sweeter, fritters (fritule), germknödeln, and many more delicates from all over Croatia. The main square (Ban Jelačić Square) is also famous for its many concerts during the winter period. Park Zrinjevac is very beautiful when the snow comes, and there are great concerts of traditional Christmas songs there as well.

Klovičevi dvori are famous for being the most photographed place during the advent. From the back entrance to the Klovičevi dvori, there is a breathtaking platform that offers a view of Zagreb Cathedral. Free concerts are also held there. For more information about advent, take a look at their page https://www.adventzagreb.hr/.

If you are into sports, Jarun is an excellent place for you. It has a track for running, skating, riding a bike, or taking a walk with your friends. Jarun is very close to Studentski dom Stjepan Radić. During the summer, precisely in June, Jarun is the home for the Inmusic festival. Bundek is also a lovely place for sports activities, as well as concerts. In September they have an event which is called Rujanfest, the prices are not expensive.

If you love skiing and hiking, Sljeme is an excellent place for you. Medvednica, a hill under which Zagreb lies, is a popular weekend getaway for the people from Zagreb and can be an alternative offered on some Faculties as a way of completing your physical training course (PE).

Makismir forest is a fantastic alternative for everyone who lives on the east side of the city. In the middle of the park, there is a Zagreb ZOO. Nearby there is a stadium where the football matches are held.

Zagreb is renowned for its many museums. Probably the most famous is the Museum of Broken Relationships (Muzej prekinutih veza), where people from all over the world leave relics and symbols of their failed relationships. Other museums include, the modern Museum of Illusions and The Museum of Torture.

Student organizations

Again, for those of you who have free time and want to develop some additional skills to be more competitive in the job market, student organizations are the best option. While volunteering in organizations might sound silly to the students in the STEM department, it can mean the world to the students studying social sciences. 

Zagreb is an excellent city and headquarters for many different organizations, so there is something for everyone. Some of the organizations are Studentski.hr, Srednja.hr, Financijski klub, Hrvatska studentska organizacija, Svjetski savez mladih Hrvatska, Erasmus studentska mreža, and many more. If we had to highlight some of them, AIESEC and eSTUDENT would definitely get our vote.

AIESEC is the oldest student organization in the world, it was established in 1948 as a response to all the violence that the world has seen and as a way of connecting students all over the globe. Their primary mission is changing the world and bringing peace to everyone by changing one person after another. Today AIESEC works in more than 120 countries in the world, it has over 40 000 members, and it mainly focuses on its volunteering and working internships. In addition, they strive to create leadership skills in young people (all of their members being between18 and 30 years old) and creating a better tomorrow.

eSTUDENT is a Croatian based non-profit organization that was founded in 2004 through an initiative of proactive students who wanted to make a difference and gain practical knowledge experience. From the beginning, it was led by people who strived for more, and their goal hasn't changed until today. They still aim to provide students with additional education which they might not found at their colleges and through working on projects and creating a firm atmosphere which would significantly improve students in their future jobs.

Both of these organizations give a fantastic asset to your CV and might make a difference when it comes to job offers. You will be much appreciated and awarded for all the hard work and for doing something out of your free time.

Check out how it was on Radićevi dani (Radić's days) in the video above, and don't be afraid to admit the Sava already gained a place in your heart!

• written by Janja Šestak, Ana Samodol and Paula Anić

To learn more about the Croatian capital, check out the Total Croatia Zagreb in a Page guide.

November 27, 2019 - The Zagreb 80s Museum, in cooperation with the Zagreb Tourist Board, officially opened its doors on the Chinese market as the Shangai 80s - Zagreb 80s museum.

HRTurizam reports that in the center of Shanghai, at the Cool Docks location near Bund, one of the most attractive pedestrian zones in the city, the exhibition will run until February 29, 2020, and will then tour all major Chinese cities over ten years.

“After a very dynamic Year of Culture and Tourism, in which Croatian and Chinese citizens learned a lot about each other through cultural projects and tourism promotion, its official closure in China is marked by an exhibition of the 80s that will show us how much both societies have changed in the last thirty years. Croatia and China are, and I will quote the President of the National Council of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang, in a diamond period, in relations that are moving forward and which, thanks to such intensity, bring us closer together, not only politically and economically, but in the general social and cultural sense,” said Dario Mihelin, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the People's Republic of China.

Proof of this is the number of Chinese tourists visiting Croatia, which is expected to reach half a million tourists by the end of this year. In 2018, guests from China achieved 37% more arrivals (57,861) and 43% more overnight stays (81,027), placing 5th overall and 7th overall in Zagreb for overnights. Good results have been achieved this year as well, and in the first ten months, Chinese guests climbed to 4th place in arrivals and 5th place in registered nights.

"After the Museum of Broken Relationships, the Museum of Illusions and the Thematic Exhibition of the Museum of Arts and Crafts, this is another museum in Zagreb presented in Shanghai in collaboration with the Zagreb Tourist Board and the Zagreb Museum in the 1980s. We support this unique project and believe that the exhibition of the 1980s will present and promote the tourist offer of the city of Zagreb in China in an interesting way. Our city has seen a steady increase in the number of Chinese tourists, and as 2019 is the Croatian-Chinese Year of Culture and Tourism, we believe that the said project will contribute to the consolidation of tourism, cultural and friendly ties between the two cities, Zagreb and Shanghai, whose friendship will mark 40 years next year,” said Zagreb Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld.

To conclude, it is interesting to note that 2020 will be a significant year for improving mutual relations, as next year marks the 40th anniversary of friendship between Zagreb and Shanghai.

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