April 9, 2022 - Public cat feeding areas in Zagreb will be defined and managed by the city in an effort to solve the stray cat issue in the capital and protect the animals.

On March 31, the City of Zagreb announced a public call for applications to install cat feeders in public areas managed by the City of Zagreb, which was published on the city's official website.

It is part of an attempt to solve the problem of feeding cats in the city of Zagreb, while implementing such projects seek to protect animals adequately.

The city will announce a public invitation to associations. After the associations are selected, the feeding area locations will be selected and proposed to the Mayor, reads the public invitation.

To find out more about the public feeding areas, Zagreb.Info turned to Damir Skok, director of the Zoo and Dumovec.

"The shelter, in cooperation with the municipal police, will arrange for the sterilization of cats that live on feeding grounds and perform the necessary interventions to control the reproduction of cats.

Cat feeders are a project that tries to provide a dignified life for cats on the streets of Zagreb while limiting their population. Also, wild cats do one important task, and that is to control the population of rodents and rats.

The shelter also provides all the necessary veterinary care to stray cats that are sick, injured, or have their lives endangered. So, whenever a cat from the feeding ground needs treatment, our veterinarians can help it," says Damir Skok.

The first public and legal cat feeder was organized on Radićeva Street, called Miceki, which was created by a group of volunteers, the last of whom was Baka Ana. Unfortunately, like her fellow volunteers who took care of the cats for thirty years, Baka Ana became disabled, so a group of volunteers helped her take care of the cats.

The initiative to take care of cats had grown, and with the support of the Prava šapa association, they sent a request to the city to become a legal public feeding ground. Thus, Miceki received houses, drinking fountains, and even a mural by the famous graffiti artist Slaven Lunar Kosanović.

The cat feeding locations in Zagreb will depend on the local volunteers who will respond to the call published on the City of Zagreb website. 

For more, check out our lifestyle section. 

April 8, 2022 - The Croatian short documentary 'Noon Shot', about Stjepan Možar, the gunner of the famous Grič cannon in Zagreb, is directed by Stanka Gjurić and has been selected at the Lift-Off festival in London.

Zagreb is a city that is characterized, among many things, by the symbols and sights that one can find in different corners of the Croatian capital. One, in particular, generates a huge sense of belonging among its inhabitants and has recently returned to its operations after a long time of silence: the Grič cannon. The first time the cannon was fired to announce noon in the city of Zagreb was in 1877, as part of an initiative promoted by the writer, publicist, and city councilor, Đuro Deželić. The cannon has been the pride and joy of the citizens of Zagreb for over a century, and according to legend, it even saved the city from an invasion by the Ottoman Empire. If you want to know more about the legend, click here.

It was originally located in the building of the Hydrometeorological Institute, and today it is located in the Lotrščak tower on Grič. It is a mountain cannon type Howitzer M116, caliber 76mm, and its range is 7929 meters, and the volume of the shot is 140 decibels.

The cannon stopped during the First World War and resumed its activity, not until 1928. Since then it has not stopped announcing noon in Zagreb, until almost two years ago during the earthquake that hit the Croatian capital in March 2020.

It took two months for the cannon to restart, and it has been firing at noon between May 11, 2020, and December 29 of that same year. It last fired just 20 minutes before the earthquake that affected the Sisak-Moslavina region, with the epicenter in Petrinja, and which was also strongly felt in Zagreb. The cannon, which finally returned to work this year on February 14th, had been inactive since then.

Filmmaker Stanka Gjurić, director of the Croatian short documentary 'Noon Shot'

The history of the canyon is very rich in details and the interest it generates is irrefutable, and that is how the idea was born for the Croatian filmmaker Stanka Gjurić to make a short documentary. However, it is not about the cannon that the Croatian short documentary revolves. The film is about Zagreb gunner Stjepan Možar (today, unfortunately, deceased) who came to the Lotrščak tower on Grič every day to shoot from the cannon and thus mark noon (Možar fired from the Grič cannon every day for 35 years).

Stanka Gjurić's short documentary, 'Noon shot' has entered the official selection of the global network of the Lift-Off film festival in London (Great Britain). Lift-Off Global Network is based at one of the most famous film studios on the planet. Their headquarters at Pinewood Studios in the UK is at the heart of the film industry.  The Lift-Off Film Festival Global Network is the only worldwide exchange of true independent cinema. 

Congratulations to our artist on her hard work, perseverance and, of course, success in presenting her own films around the world: France, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland, Slovenia, Egypt, Canada, Serbia, USA, South Africa, Argentina, India, Russia, Austria, Brazil, Great Britain, etc. With her short films, to date, Gjurić has won 15 international awards.

Learn more from Croatian filmmaker Stanka Gjurić HERE.

If you are looking for the most complete information to enjoy Zagreb, be sure to check out Total Croatia, Zagreb in a Page guide HERE. Available in nine languages!

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

April 5, 2022 - Explore Gornjogradske coprnice, a walking tour that tells the tale of Zagreb history’s dark side.

Croatia’s answer to the Salem witch trials, the 17th-century witch hysteria had also made its way to the Zagreb upper town. We’ve briefly covered the story of Zagreb witches in this 2018 article, but to sum it up, every woman accused of doing some sort of harm was believed to be a witch. Known as “coprnice” (meaning “sorceress” or “wizard”), these women were blamed for every misfortune, from frost and hail to various diseases. This was followed by a trial carried out by the city court, with the accused witch being arrested, imprisoned, and subject to cruel investigations, during which she was tortured, until she confessed who she was, and who were her partners in crime. 

The legends of this historical event are now being told and re-enacted at streets of the old Gradec town and Tuškanac park, by Zagrebačke gornjogradske coprnice - the historical walking tour based on real stories about the women who were accused of and prosecuted for witchcraft - and the setting of witch executions in novels written by the most popular Croatian writer, Marija Jurić Zagorka. 

Photo: Gornjogradske coprnice/Facebook

Great for both adults and children, the tour is an interactive experience that includes both storytelling and acting, complete with costumes and revivals of historical scenes in which the visitors are prompted to interact with the characters. The organising and performing team includes historians, tourist guides and actors, joining forces to bring the dark tale of hysteria, crime, and magic to life.

Photo: Gornjogradske coprnice/Facebook

The tour begins at Tuškanac at the infamous Zvejdišče, the designated execution spot at which a large crowd would gather to watch a judge read an accused witch’s accused crimes and announce the verdict, after which the woman would be burned at the stake. She would be taken through Mesnička Street, bound and with a shaved head, ridden in a cart after having her legs broken through torture. On her way to the execution spot, she would be followed by the judge, executioner, and guards, and the crowd would throw stones, spit on her and insult her.

The walk carries on through Tuškanac park to the location where a revival scene based on 17th-century court records is acted out, featuring the introduction of Kata Cankovica, a Gradec resident who practised witchcraft for over 20 years, and a mysterious figure in a long black cape who casts a spell by leaving a piece of “enchanted strudel”, a sweet favoured by witches, on the visitor’s path - it is up to the tour guide to chase away the witch to save the group. 

Photo: Gornjogradske coprnice/Facebook

Other historical locations covered on the tour include the areas of the upper town associated with witches, from the Stone Gate to St Mark’s Square. Throughout the walk, the visitor will learn historical facts and legends associated with these areas, as they meet important figures who join the tour, such as one of the few aristocrats accused of witchcraft, in addition to Sybilla the fortune teller, who offers them a chance to learn about their future.

The tour must be booked in advance - contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 091 606 7770. For a price of up to 111 kn per adult, and 88 kn per children aged 7-16, the tour lasts two hours and may be made longer or shorter, or may use alternative locations, depending on visitors’ wishes. A short break for refreshments can be included in the tour, as well as the option of staying for a magical dinner, with costumed characters joining the party. More info on alternate tour routes and price range can be found here. And, if children under age 7 wish to join, they can do so free of charge.

The tour is both in Croatian and English (on request), and each visitor receives a small souvenir gift - a recipe for magic potion. It has won several awards, including a certificate of excellent quality issued by the Luxury Travel Guide awards, for three consecutive years from 2016-2018. And according to TripAdvisor, Gornjogradkse coprnice is the third most popular guided tour of Zagreb, with several thousand participants having joined to date. So it’s safe to say this tour isn’t one to miss, especially during the autumn season, or on Halloween - if you dare. 

Info: meetinzagreb.hr  

For more, check out our lifestyle section. 

April 5, 2022 - The latest flight news to Croatia as Turkish Airlines Istanbul-Zagreb flights have been running daily since April 1, and three-weekly Dubrovnik flights begin from April 6. 

The Turkish national airline and Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has been operating twice a day between Istanbul and Zagreb since the beginning of April and announced three-weekly flights to Dubrovnik, reports Croatian Aviation.

Turkish Airlines has been operating daily between Zagreb and Istanbul since April 1, bringing the number of weekly rotations back to pre-global pandemic levels. Two flights a day run every day of the week, departing from Zagreb in the morning and evening, thus providing several transfer options through its own hub in Istanbul.

On the route to and from Zagreb, Turkish Airlines uses several types of narrow-body aircraft in April, such as A320, A321, B737-800, B737-900ER, and B737-MAX8, and a total of 21,024 seats are available in both directions in April, with the share of Business Class seats also significant.

From April 6, Turkish Airlines will also operate regularly on the route between Dubrovnik and Istanbul. Three flights a week have been announced, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, and A319, A321 and B737-800 aircraft will operate to Dubrovnik Airport.

In April, 4,246 seats were available between Istanbul and Dubrovnik. It's interesting to note that Dubrovnik recorded 25,645 passengers in March, while in the same month last year there were only 5,069 passengers. Several airlines returned to Dubrovnik on the last weekend of March, and domestic routes, as well as Freebird charter routes, were in traffic for the whole month. In the first three months of this year, Dubrovnik recorded 44,207 passengers, while in the same period in 2021 there were 12,346.

In April this year, Turkish Airlines announced a total of 73 return flights to Zagreb and Istanbul and a total of 25,270 seats available on the market. The number of seats will increase in the coming months when Turkish should increase the number of rotations to Dubrovnik and capacity to Zagreb.

Recall, we recently reported that the 2022 Zagreb summer flight schedule offers 3 million seats on 20 well-known European and international airlines.

For more, check out our travel section.

April 1, 2022 - The 2022 Zagreb summer flight schedule offers 3 million seats on 20 well-known European and international airlines.

After Croatian Aviation published the detailed figures of available seats on the two largest airlines at Zagreb International Airport, Croatia Airlines and Ryanair, they've released the figures of other airlines flying to Zagreb Airport in this year's summer flight schedule.

Namely, in this year's summer flight schedule, 20 well-known European and international airlines will operate on regular routes to Zagreb Airport. 

The Lufthansa Group's airlines have the largest number of available seats: Lufthansa, Eurowings, and Austrian Airlines. These three airlines offer a total of 330,760 seats to and from Zagreb on several international routes. 

The second group, KLM - Air France, offers a slightly smaller number of seats, a total of 204,140, currently 126,620 seats less than the Lufthansa group.

The share of seats available on low-cost airline flights has increased significantly, over one million, or 1,062,272. Ryanair offers the largest number of seats (over 850 thousand), followed by Eurowings (more than 125 thousand seats), FlyDubai (38 thousand), Vueling (32 thousand), and in last place is Norwegian (5.5 thousand).

As for legacy carriers, the largest number of seats is offered by Croatia Airlines (over 1.2 million seats), followed by Turkish Airlines (over 165 thousand), KLM (over 130 thousand), Lufthansa (over 115 thousand), British Airways (over 105 thousand), Austrian Airlines (86 thousand), Air France (almost 74 thousand), LOT Polish Airlines (more than 45 thousand), Qatar Airways (more than 40 thousand), Air Transat (30 thousand), Air Serbia (29 thousand), Finnair (19 thousand), TAP Portugal (18 thousand), Iberia Airlines (over 13 thousand) and Aegean Airlines (more than 12 thousand).

Legacy carriers offer more than 2 million seats, or exactly 2,104,800. In total, together with low-cost carriers, from March 27 to October 29 this year, airlines offer 3,167,072 seats. 

If taking into account the number of passengers in the first three months of this year (January - March), and flights that will take place in November and December this year (winter flight schedule), Zagreb in 2022 will have over 3.6 million seats. 

For more, check out our travel section.

ZAGREB, 31 March 2022 - Most deputies in the Zagreb City Assembly on Thursday supported a proposal to take a new short-term loan in the amount of €50 million, with a repayment period of 12 months, and the funds will be used to improve the liquidity of the city-owned companies.

Thirty million of the 50 million euro loan will be used to improve the liquidity of the Zagreb Holding multiutility conglomerate and 20 million for the liquidity of the ZET public transportation company. The city will take a loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Even though it was endorsed, the proposal to seek the loan was criticised by some opposition parties, and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) deputies objected that since the start of his term Mayor Tomislav Tomašević had taken loans in the amount of €1.1 billion.

Tomašević replied that the city was taking loans in order to settle the accumulated debt of the previous city government in the amount of €1.4 billion.

Politics: For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, 29 March 2022 - Housing, investing in education institutions and expanding services for citizens at risk of poverty and social exclusion are priorities Zagreb city authorities should focus on, it was heard at a presentation of Zagreb's social image for 2020 and 2021.

The head of the city office for social welfare, health, veterans and disabled persons, Romana Galić, said that new data points to the importance of creating a quality social policy regarding housing, which is the key to preventing social exclusion.

The social image points to the importance of expanding welfare services, particularly for children and youth as well as preventing dropping out of school.

Some of the essential measures, cited in the city's  strategy to combat poverty and social exclusion for the period 2021 to 2025, refer to energy price hikes.

It is necessary to approach the most vulnerable population with preventative measures, education and energy packages to prevent them from falling into energy poverty.

Galić said the quality of life in Zagreb is of a high standard given the numerous services provided by institutions and civil society organisations however some indicators show that there is room for improvement.

She confirmed that the city plans to build public housing and her office has applied for funds for the most vulnerable to resolve housing issues.

Quake and pandemic adversely affect real estate market, employment, pay

The social image has been prepared for 20 years now and represents one of the strategic documents that are important for social planning and evaluation. It shows the situation and challenges in nine areas: population, household and family, housing, education, employment and unemployment, economic indicators, healthcare, welfare and co-financing projects and programmes.

March 28, 2022 - The latest news on flights to Croatia as the return of Seoul-Zagreb flights this summer seems increasingly unlikely. 

After Zagreb Airport published its summer flight schedule, there was a discussion about the available flights between Zagreb and Seoul, a line that was canceled in November 2019, reports Croatian Aviation.

The airline's summer flight schedule is available on the official website of Zagreb International Airport. Among others, the announcements of two Korean airlines, T'way and Korean Air to Zagreb, stand out. But will those flights really happen?

Namely, the Korean MOLIT issued a license to T'way Air to operate up to four flights a week to Zagreb, so Korean Air temporarily lost that right. If they wish, there is no doubt that this airline will also receive the necessary permits from the competent authorities.

Because part of the Croatian Aviation editorial board previously worked for this airline, they are continuously receiving information about the possible return of Korean Air to Zagreb. The original plan was to launch the line with the start of the summer flight schedule. However, it was decided to postpone the start to May 3, and due to the impact of the pandemic in that Asian country, bookings are far weaker than expected, and the new delay resulted in moving the first flight to July 2.

In addition, due to the war in Ukraine, the airline does not expect that the demand for European travel will grow significantly. Hence, the announced return of Korean Air to Zagreb may be canceled. Tickets have been on sale for ten days for flights from July 2, but in case of cancellation, the airline will redirect passengers to Air France flights to Paris and then to the Korean Air flight to Seoul.

The low-cost T'way has already announced its arrival in Zagreb several times, and they have finally taken over their first wide-body aircraft, type A330-300. This line has been planned for June 1 this year, the tickets are not yet on sale, and it seems that there will be several operational changes here as well.

Croatian Aviation also received an official response from Korean Air: "At this point, we do not have a confirmed plan to resume our regular flight between ICN and ZAG. To consider resuming our suspended routes, we closely monitor changes in regional demand, quarantine and entry policies, and other external factors, and Zagreb is just one of them."

T'way plans flights between Zagreb and Seoul on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, while Korean Air plans operations like before the pandemic - Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Will both carriers operate in this year's summer flight schedule? Croatian Aviation believes they could be overly optimistic. 

If yes, there would be 165 return flights from two airlines (with T'way running nine more flights than Korean Air), and this low-cost airline would also offer more seats. Namely, the B787-9 Korean Air has a capacity of 269 seats, while the A330-300 T'way Airlines has a capacity of 347 seats. In total, according to the announcements of Zagreb Airport, these two airlines should offer 102,342 seats between Seoul and Zagreb, which seems too much for current demand.

For more, check out our travel section.

March 27, 2022 - Five magical days which lit up Zagreb in March - a photo and video appreciation of this year's Festival of Lights Zagreb, including the inaugural Glow Run. 

One thing I am realising about tourism in Croatia is that Zagreb knows how to grow a concept. The Croatian capital is not blessed with the sun-kissed beaches of the Adriatic or an endless coastline, but it has plenty of other resources in its arsenal to develop its own unique tourism story. 

I have watched Croatian tourism very closely over the last decade, and it has been instructive to see how Zagreb has progressed from a relatively disregarded destination to one which now not only has international recognition and branded events, but is also now very much on the cool capital city tour of Central Europe, proudly sitting alongside Vienna,  Prague and Budapest. 

The best example of this, of course, is Advent in Zagreb, an event which went from total obscurity to being the champion of Europe three years in a row. Not only did Advent in Zagreb make major inroads into developing the Croatian capital as a 12-month destination, but it has inspired the rest of the country as well, and seemingly every town in the country now has its own Advent event each year. Zagreb worked hard to keep the brand of Advent alive during the last two difficult years, and I have no doubt it will be back in style this December, assuming the world and its pandemics have calmed down. 

I see a lot of similarities between the growth of Advent and the gradual rise of another Zagreb festival which only began in 2017. Back then, the Festival of Lights had just 7 locations in the city, all located in Upper Town. But, just like Advent, it has spread its wings magnificently, and this year's 5-day  event from March 16-20 was to be found in an impressive 31 locations, 16 in Upper Town and - for the first time - 15 in Lower Town.  

During these trying times, it is hard to explain what a joy it was to walk around the city during the Festival of Lights. Never having been before, I was not sure what to expect, but from walking through Gric Tunnel on the way to an evening meeting on the opening night, the mood of all around was lightened. Simply stunning. 

The Croatian National Theatre, which hosted the festival opening, looked particularly resplendent.

Magnificent in its own right, for me it symbolised the architectural magic of the event - combining Zagreb's historic buildings with a modern and very colourful interpretation. 

But the highlight for me walking around was not seeing foreign tourists on the streets of the city, but local families. Seeing the faces of young kids in awe at the various light attractions was a wonderful thing. After two years of earthquake, pandemic and conflict in Ukraine, it felt like a return to an era of innocence, if only for a few days. I found it intoxicating, and taking in the faces, smiles, laughs and squeals of the little ones was as rewarding as appreciating the impressive light installations and displays.

The city was alive, and I am sure when COVID restrictions subside and budgets are once more increased that the Festival of Lights will add a gastro component, which will help it grow even more. 

I reached out to Zagreb Tourist Board CEO Martina Bienenfeld for her impressions of this year's event: 

"We are very pleased with the interest and wonderful comments on the organization of this year's edition of the Festival of Lights Zagreb, as well as with the results achieved. According to the Zagreb Tourist Board, during the Festival of Lights, arrivals increased by 176 percent, while the number of overnight stays increased by 114 percent, compared to the same period last year. Thus, during the 4th edition of the Festival of Lights, in the period from 16 to 20 March, 10,742 arrivals and 22,759 overnight stays were registered.

"We also received preliminary results from our online promotional campaigns in the markets of Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia and Serbia, according to which the Festival's ads had more than 43 million views. Our advertorials have been read more than 76,000 times, and the leading markets were Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

"Festival of Lights came into being in 2017 with 7 locations in the Upper Town and this year’s edition spread on 31 locations of, both, Upper and Lower town which was a huge milestone for us and the Festival itself. In these uncertain and difficult times, it was a real challenge to organize the Festival of Lights Zagreb, so I thank once again to all the partners and institutions that helped us in its realization.”

The other thing I have noticed over the years about the development of tourism in Zagreb is that good ideas tend to attract good ideas. The concept of Advent in Zagreb started small, but the bigger it became, the bigger the sense of ownership among private tourism businesses, who came up with their own suggestions and concepts to add yet more content to the event. 

A good example of this from Advent was the Zagreb Digital Nomad Jolly Wrap Up event in December, which connected the city's fantastic digital nomad year with Advent.

And the architects of that idea, Swanky Travel, lost no time in adding a warm glow to the concept of this year's Festival of Lights. 

Just three weeks before the start of the festival, the Glow Run organisers (Swanky Travel, Urban Entertainment, and Run Croatia - who have organised an impressive 64 races in Croatia in the last 8 years) approached the Zagreb Tourist Board with a concept to add another dimension to the festival - the Zagreb Glow Run, a 5 km race through the streets of Zagreb, with participants invited to wear glowing objects on themselves and their pets, as they raced through the streets of Zagreb past all the illuminated buildings.  

Three weeks is not a long time when it comes to organise a race in a capital city. There are a lot of permissions to be obtained, plenty of planning required. 

But, as I have learned in my time in Zagreb, if Iva Perokovic from Swanky Travel wants it to happen, it will happen. It helps to be a little crazy, I guess, and she can be very persuasive in her glowing goggles. 

And what an evening it was! Check out the video of the run, and see just how magnificent Zagreb was as a backdrop to the race. 

Despite the relatively late announcement of the Glow Run, an impressive 380 runners signed up for the 22:00 start, adding a little more glow and colour to the Croatian capital, which was already shining. 

A few more photos from the Glow Run below, but watch out for Festival of Lights Zagreb 2023 and its Glow Run - it is the festival which will keep on growing. And glowing. 

Learn more about the city in the Total Croatia Zagreb in a Page guide. 

ZAGREB, 27 March 2022 - This year's Walk for Life will be held in ten cities across Croatia on Sundays in May and June, a news conference heard in Osijek on Sunday.

Representatives of the civic group "Walk for Life, Family and Croatia" told reporters that marches would be held in Vinkovci, Varaždin and Slavonski Brod on 7 May, in Zagreb on 14 May, in Split and Imotski on 21 May, in Zadar and Ploče on 28 May, and in Osijek and Sisak on 11 June.

Lidija Blagojević of the civic group said that the Walk for Life was a peaceful walk for every human life from conception to natural death, for the protection of unborn children and their mothers, and for the protection of every family.

The national coordinator of the Walk for Life, Željka Markić, said this year's campaign was taking place in the context of a horrible war in Ukraine, noting that many volunteers of the Walk for Life initiative were involved in collecting aid and providing accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.

"The killing of people we have been witnessing every day makes us particularly sensitive to the need to build the culture of life and fight for every human life, from its beginning to its end", Markić said.

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.