April 27, 2022 - Nineteen rowers from the Ukrainian rowing team will be preparing in Zagreb for the 2022 World Rowing Cup in Belgrade.

Croatia continues to show a big heart and desire to help the Ukrainian people, and this time the athletes are helping. As a result of the war in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Rowing Federation sent a request to the Croatian Rowing Federation for help in organizing and financing the Ukrainian Rowing Team in Croatia. The HVS undertook all possible preliminary work on realizing their request and, in cooperation with the Croatian Olympic Committee, the Zagreb Sports Facilities Management Institution, the Zagreb Rowing Federation, and the Zagreb Rowing Clubs managed to meet their needs.

“As athletes, we are aware that words are never enough and that deeds are what counts. Therefore, we are honored and obliged to help our Ukrainian colleagues, and I am sure that they would have done the same if the situation had been reversed," said Damir Martin.

The President of the Croatian Rowing Federation, Branimir Bašić, also commented: “Sporting spirit is not only of a competitive nature, but sporting spirit is something much more than that, and this is best seen in moments like this. It is said that the closest description of the sport itself is "autonomy of morals", and it implies acceptance of moral principles of tolerance, humanity, respect, and understanding that helping is a human duty, coming out of ourselves, adopting human because we belong to the human race as such."

The Ukrainian rowing team, which includes 19 rowers and their team of coaches and physiotherapists, arrived in Zagreb on Monday, April 25, and will remain until the beginning of the World Rowing Cup, to be held from May 27 to 29, 2022, in Belgrade.

Well done to Croatian rowers for coming together in a time of need! 

Photos by Berislav Rožman

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

April 27, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as the Air Transat Toronto-Zagreb line returns from May 8!

Canadian leisure airline Air Transat will resume traffic on the regular seasonal line between Toronto and Zagreb in just over a week, reports Croatian Aviation.

As earlier announced, Air Transat will connect Toronto and Zagreb again on May 8 this year with a regular line that will operate twice a week during the peak summer season.

This airline introduced a regular seasonal route between the two cities back in June 2016, and the number of weekly rotations gradually increased, so that in the summer of 2019, three flights a week were available on the route. Recall that in the summer of 2019, the daughter company of the Canadian national airline, Air Canada Rouge, operated on this route four times a week, running as many as 7 flights a week between Zagreb and Toronto. 

After the global pandemic hit, Air Canada Rouge retired all wide-body aircraft and canceled the route to Zagreb, and the plan was for Air Canada to operate on this route with A330-300 aircraft, but no flights were made.

Air Transat planned to return to Zagreb in 2020, but due to low demand and passenger restrictions, this did not happen, as in the summer of 2021.

After a long time, this airline returns to Zagreb International Airport on May 8 this year. In May, one flight per week was announced with departure from Zagreb to Toronto every Sunday, and from June two flights per week have been announced, additionally on Wednesdays.

The line should operate until the end of October (October 30), so this summer Air Transat will operate a total of 47 return flights between Toronto and Zagreb with its wide-body aircraft type A330-200. It is also the only confirmed overseas route to Zagreb Airport this summer season, and the only line on which wide-body aircraft have been announced.

Given that Air Transat aircraft has a capacity of 332 seats, around 31,208 seats are available on the route from May to October. Namely, most economy classes have a 3-3-3 configuration, while the standard legacy carrier on this type of aircraft is 2-4-2. For example, Korean Air also used this type of aircraft on a regular route between Zagreb and Seoul, which had a capacity of 218 seats, or 114 seats less than Air Transat.

The return of Air Transat to Zagreb is certainly positive news for the airport itself, which had several lines with wide-body aircraft before the pandemic. The average duration of a direct flight between Toronto and Zagreb is 9 hours and 20 minutes.

For more on flights to Croatia and other travel announcements, check out our dedicated travel section.

ZAGREB, 26 April 2022 - Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević has warned that waiting for a court decision on the legality of the amended decision on financial support for stay-at-home parents will cost citizens HRK 40 million a month, after the High Administrative Court on Monday postponed a decision on its legality.

"As of June, each month that we wait for the court to rule on the matter will cost an additional HRK 40 million," Tomašević told a news conference on Tuesday.

He added that the city administration made the decision to phase out the stay-at-home parent scheme five months ago, that it regretted the court had not ruled on the matter and that it hoped it would decide on the merits of the case as soon as possible.

The High Administrative Court on Monday suspended the application of the amended decision on financial support for stay-at-home parents in Zagreb, as a result of which their present allowance will not be reduced as of 1 May.

Stay-at-home parents will continue to receive the present amount of the monthly allowance, equivalent to 65 per cent of the average gross salary paid in the city's enterprise sector, instead of HRK 1,000 (€133) as decided by the City Assembly.

"We are confident that our decision is quite legal. On the other hand, had we not amended the decision (on financial support for stay-at-home parents), it would have been detrimental to the public interest and the city policy that we advocate," Tomašević said, adding that waiting for the final court decision wasn't in anybody's interest.

"Is there another city in Croatia that has an aid scheme for stay-at-home parents? There isn't. Is there such a scheme at the national level? No. Did this government promise to introduce it at the national level? It did, so why hasn't it introduced it?" the mayor asked.

He repeated that regardless of the court decision, the city administration would insist on repurposing city-owned buildings to enable the expansion of kindergarten capacity as well as the construction of additional kindergartens.

"Things should be put into perspective - if the current scheme stays in force, it will cost the same as one kindergarten a month. Citizens should be aware of that," Tomašević said, noting that EU funding would be sought for the construction of new kindergartens.

Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec also said that the city would organise the traditional International Workers Day celebration in Zagreb's Maksimir Park on 1 May, inviting citizens to the event.

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

ZAGREB, 26 April 2022 - The 26th edition of the biennial Biam Machine Tool Fair and the 29th edition of the Welding Fair opened on Tuesday at the Zagreb Trade Fair Centre (ZV).

The only two industrial fairs in the country will be open until 29 April and as such, they are a significant economic and business event.

ZV Director Renata Suša said that this year's fairs have attracted 120 exhibitors from 19 countries, on an exhibition area of 5,500 square metres.

Suša said that the fairs aspired to be regional leaders in their field and that their value had been recognised by leading companies.

Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević recalled that due to the COVID pandemic fairs had not been held at ZV but that now activities were slowly getting back to normal.

In cooperation with the Ruđer Bošković technical school and ZV, a day-long event will be organised during the two fairs to promote vocational careers in an effort to popularise vocational careers and help establish connections between employers, partners and future students.

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

April 24, 2022 - A new type of tourism is emerging which is connecting the countries of South-East Europe, with all roads leading to Bansko in Bulgaria. 

One of the main differences I have noticed over 20 years living in Croatia is the perception of the term 'the Balkans' by locals and tourists. Many Croats will get very irate at the mere mention of their country being part of the Balkans, an association which is considered primitive and laced with conflict, as opposed to the supposedly more civilised lifestyle of Central and Western Europe. For many tourists, however, the Balkans is a place of undiscovered fascination, with many not quite sure exactly where each country is in the Balkans. The concept that it is a mysterious melting pot of intrigue, culture, history and ethnicity makes it one of the most exciting tourism destinations in this increasingly sanitised tourism world. 

And with exceptional prices, great lifestyle and a ton of authentic experiences, it is quietly becoming a magnet for the remote work revolution. Rather than just focusing on an individual country, as happens elsewhere, South-East Europe is home to some of the most progressive countries in Europe for digital nomads, and their combined offer is attracting increased attention from the global digital nomad community.

Croatia might have attracted many of the global headlines when it introduced only the second digital nomad visa/permit in Europe back in January 2021, but plenty of other countries in the region are also making significant strides. Belgrade in Serbia is emerging as one of the top nomad hubs in Eastern Europe, Montenegro has announced its own digital nomad visa, and Bulgaria is home to arguably the most important and well-established nomad festival of all - Bansko Nomad Fest. Add to this the considerable networking and collaboration which is going on behind the scenes (as witnesses in conferences such as last September's Budva Cross Border Coworking Conference in Montenegro), and it is clear that this is a region which is only going to become more attractive to digital nomads in the future. 

July and August are considered the peak tourist season in the region, but it is clear that this new type of tourism is starting to shift the thinking in terms of season as well. Nomads are typically price-sensitive and so usually looking for temporary homes away from peak season prices, and the Balkan region is emerging as an excellent choice for lifestyle and affordability in the shoulder season months. With winter over and the swimming season in full swing, countries like Croatia from late April to the end of June are increasingly attractive to the digital nomad mindset - especially as the nomad communities and offer continue to grow in those countries. And with distances between the countries relatively small, there is an opportunity to take in a multitude of experiences in a relatively short space of time. 

In terms of content, Croatia continues to lead the way in the region, and nomads considering a new region to check out over the next few months would be well-advised to check out Croatia and the Balkan region, which will be attracting a number of digital nomads with various excellent conferences over the next couple of months. Most are repeats of 2021, and Spring and early Summer are slowly turning into an attractive nomad destination option. 

Following the award-winning Dubrovnik Digital Nomads-in-Residence program a year ago, the Pearl of the Adriatic will be hosting Work. Place. Culture. from May 5-7, bringing remote professionals and destinations from around the world will together to inspire a global workforce who have greater location flexibility than ever before, and the destinations which are reinventing to support them through policy, infrastructure and community. You can learn more about Work. Place. Culture. on the official website.

Croatia's reputation as an emerging nomad destination received a boost in March, when the world's first nomad business and travel club chose the idyllic coastal town of Primosten as the local for only its third-ever conference and meetup. The Nomadbase conference will take place just two days after the Dubrovnik event, from May 9-15. More information on the official Nomadbase website. 

While a lot of nomad interest in Croatia is understandably focused on its spectacular Adriatic coast, the Croatian nomad destination which has been making all the waves has been much further inland. A year ago, the capital city of Zagreb rarely featured in any nomad discussion. By October, however, all that had changed, and Zagreb was named the 5th most-liked nomad city in the world (and first in Europe) in the extensive and influential 2021 NomadList survey.

The most high-profile nomad event in Zagreb last year was the inaugural Zagreb Digital Nomad Week and Ambassador program, which took place in June, one of the few global nomad events to take place that summer. You can check out the atmosphere in the video below. Zagreb Digital Nomad Week 2022 has been announced for June 13-19 this year (information as it is posted on the official website), just before the INMusic Festival in the Croatian capital, and just a few days before one of the top nomad events in the European calendar...  

... Bankso Nomad Fest. 

Billed as a celebration of the location independent lifestyle and nomad mindset, for one week hundreds of nomads, remote workers and freelancers will take over a beautiful village in Bulgaria for an amazing mix of presentations, workshops, sports, mindfulness and nature. The famous Bulgarian ski resort is becoming extremely well-known as one of the top coworking spaces in Europe for its affordable pricing and dynamic year-round community.  

This year's Bansko Nomad Fest will take place from June 26 to July 3 (book your ticket here), the perfect end to a nomadic few months in South-East Europe, experiencing Croatia in Spring with its growing community and numerous conferences. The collaboration of the regional community is intensifying, and one thing is for sure - there will be even more reasons to pencil in Croatia, Bansko and other regional attractions for a digital nomad visit from April to June 2023. 

For more news and features about digital nomads in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

ZAGREB, 23 April 2022 - The Extinction Rebellion Zagreb initiative staged a Climate March in the centre of the capital on Saturday in response to the climate crisis, with the participants demanding the government turn to renewables.

The march was organised on the occasion of Earth Day.

The participants shouted they wanted climate justice, that it was the only hope, and that revolution was the only solution.

They carried banners which said "Systematic change - No to climate change", "For global peace, for climate justice, for social justice", "Green capitalism does not exist", and "Less work at work, more work on the environment, let's shorten the work week".

"We wish to encourage citizens to get involved in dealing with the climate crisis, given that at the last march we had demands which the government has not fulfilled," said Magdalena Škoda of Extinction Rebellion Zagreb.

Those demands were that Croatia declare a climate crisis and that the climate crisis be highlighted in schools, she said, adding that Croatian scientists have published an appeal which Croatian politicians probably have not read.

Green Action and Greenpeace activists also took part in the march.

Green Action president Luka Tomac told Hina the march showed how concerned citizens were about climate change and how willing they were to take action.

However, citizens can only do so much and it is up to the government to create ambitious climate and energy policies that would lead to a low-carbon society much sooner than the government plans, he said.

Those policies put sun and wind energy first instead of investing in fossil projects such as the continued use of coal, new LNG projects and a new block of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, he added.

"We need a swift energy transition because it's the only way to achieve energy independence and avoid existing and future crises," said Tomac.

The director of Greenpeace's Croatian and Slovenian office, Zoran Tomić, told Hina two major fossil fuel-related crises had marked this year, the "unfortunate war in Ukraine" and the "galloping climate change."

"We need radical change, we must turn to renewable energy sources, notably sun energy, and not gas, oil and coal," he added.

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

ZAGREB, 23 April 2022 - Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević has offered humanitarian and other assistance to the mayors of Mostar and Stolac after a strong earthquake struck southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina late on Friday.

Tomašević has spoken by telephone with the Mayor of Mostar, Mario Kordić, and the Mayor of Stolac, Stjepan Bošković, conveying his sympathies and offering help, he said on Twitter on Saturday.

Zagreb itself was hit by a 5.5 magnitude earthquake on 22 March 2020 and has received aid from other towns and cities.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina shortly after 11 pm on Friday. The epicentre was between the towns of Ljubinje and Stolac.

The earthquake claimed the life of a 28-year-old woman, who suffered fatal injuries after a rock fell on her house in Stolac. Several people were lightly injured elsewhere in the region, and the property damage is being assessed.

The tremor was also felt in neighbouring Croatia and Montenegro. 

In the southern Croatian border town of Metković, firefighters received five calls for assistance in removing damaged chimneys and shattered windows, while elsewhere in Dubrovnik-Neretva County firefighters were called in to help clear rockslides. 

There was no need to involve firefighters from other areas of the county, the Croatian Fire Service said on Saturday, adding that the situation is under control.

For more, check out our politics section.

April the 23rd, 2022 - A brand new initiative to breathe life back into Zagreb markets, which were a traditional place for everything from purchasing goods to socialising for centuries, hopes to achieve good results here in the capital.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, this new initiative of the Civic Platform "1postozagrad" which wants the Zagreb markets to remain lively even after regular working hours, wants to bring back the level of significance the city's markets boast. The idea is for the selected Zagreb markets to get their own recognisable fair that would be held once a week, modelled on what the British do with theirs, and where an antiques fair is held on Sundays.

The Zagreb markets initiative was sent to the mayor and they now expect an official response. The request was immediately forwarded to Zagreb Markets, whose director, according to Simpraga, showed openness and readiness to start this project in stages. As such, the Zagorka Fair was chosen to be the first fair as part of the wider initiative, which should be held on the eve of the City Day, more precisely on May the 31st, 2022.

''We were guided by the fact that some markets, ie some parts of the city have a history of a certain activity, for example Kvatric has a history of selling flowers. In this sense, we have proposed that Kvatric market has, for example, the sale of plants on Wednesdays from 17:00 to 09:00 from March to October,'' Sasa Simpraga explained for HRT.

He added that they also proposed an Art Fair, a fair of handicrafts, design and art for the same plot, and the ZG OPG fair for the market in Tresnjevka. He stated that a lot of family farms contacted them and asked for such activities themselves.

''We also suggested some very practical things, for example, that you have a place where all those who have children can come to exchange used toys and baby items. I think that such proposals are very realistic and necessary, and they would certainly enrich Zagreb,'' concluded Simpraga.

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

ZAGREB, 22 April (2022) - A monument to Andrija Mohorovičić, the great Croatian geophysicist, was unveiled in Zagreb's Grič Park on Friday to mark the 165th anniversary of his birth.

Mohorovičić, who was born in Volosko in 1857 and died in Zagreb in 1936, was a prominent researcher in the fields of meteorology and seismology.

Mohorovičić's most important discovery is the boundary between the Earth's crust and mantle - a boundary subsequently named the Mohorovičić discontinuity, which is usually referred to as the Moho discontinuity or the Moho. The crater Mohorovičić on the Moon's far side is also named in his honour.

The site for the monument has been chosen in Grič Park in upper-town Zagreb near the weather institute where the scientist had been employed.

After studying mathematics and physics in Prague, Mohorovičić worked as a high school teacher in Zagreb and Osijek and later at the Maritime School in Bakar, where he taught meteorology and in 1887 established a weather station.

Since 1892 he headed the meteorological observatory in Zagreb, which ran all weather stations in the then Croatian Banovina.

He earned his PhD degree in Zagreb in 1893 and became a member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1898 while in 1910 he became an associate professor of geophysics and astronomy.

The monument to Mohorovičić was designed by sculptor Nikola Džaja.

For more news about Croatia, click here.

April 21, 2022 - Željko Kopić is no longer the coach of Dinamo Zagreb after losing to Hajduk at Poljud on Wednesday.

Last night, the 9th-round makeup match was played between Hajduk and Dinamo at Poljud in Split. The loss leaves Dinamo in first place with only two points more than Osijek and four more than Hajduk. Dinamo issued a short statement on their official channels, reports Index.hr.

"GNK Dinamo hereby informs the public that Mr. Željko Kopić is no longer the first team coach. Željko Kopić took over the first team's bench in December 2021 and led Dinamo in a total of 19 official matches, with five friendly matches played. In official matches in the HNL and Europa League with the Blues, he recorded 13 wins, two draws, and four defeats with a goal difference of 27:10. We especially emphasize the fantastic victories against West Ham United and Sevilla in the Europa League."

Kopić commented after his dismissal:

"I would like to thank the club's management, players, professional staff, coaches, and all club employees for the successful and quality cooperation we have had for the last two years. From the first day I became director of the Football School and later sports director and coach of the first team, the club is progressing, and I hope that I have achieved that in one part. I wish the club a successful end to the season, and the most important thing is to win the title."

Kopić took over Dinamo on December 2, 2021. He debuted with a defeat against Hajduk, a club from which he was also fired in 2018. He led Dinamo in the Europa League round of 16, where they lost to Sevilla, and his most notable victory on the bench of the Blues was against West Ham in London. 

In his career, he also led Lučko, Cibalia, NK Zagreb, Slaven Belupo, and Paphos in Cyprus. He has been with Dinamo since April 27, 2020. He then took over the role of head of the Academy, and in December last year, he succeeded Damir Krznar as the first coach.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.