February 4, 2019 - A major health conference takes place in Zagreb tomorrow, as Health Spot Croatia will feature many of the key stakeholder heavyweights. Is Croatia finally getting united?

Could it finally be?

One of the greatest potentials for the Croatian economy in general, and Croatian tourism in particular, looks set to take one major step forward tomorrow, with the first Health Spot Croatia conference in Zagreb, a conference bringing together 200 industry professionals and stakeholders together to discuss ways to move the Croatian medical tourism story forward. 

Medical tourism is a topic which TCN has written about a lot in recent months, as international expert after international expert has concluded the same thing - that Croatia has the potential to be one of the top 10 countries for medical tourism in the world. The major obstacle preventing that from happening was the inability of Croatian officials to unite to make that happen. After learning about the shining example of Malaysia at the Crikvenica International Health Conference a few months ago, and having interviewed several of the key international experts, I wrote Can Croatian Officials Unite to Exploit Huge Medical Tourism Opportunity?

There will be no better opportunity than tomorrow, with welcoming speeches coming from the Ministers of Health and Tourism, Mayor of Zagreb, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board, Director of the Zagreb Tourist Board and the President of the Chamber of Commerce. Other keynote speakers include Keith Pollard, Editor-in-Chief of the International Medical Travel Journal, Tomislav Mihaljevic, President and CEO of Cleveland Clinic, and Dragan Primorac of St. Catherine's Hospital. 

During the conference, the Zagreb Tourist Board will be presenting its much-anticipated feasibility study for health tourism in the city. According to the official website:

Over 200 participants and leading experts in the fields of medicine, healthcare, wellness and tourism from Croatia and other countries expected at the conference will discuss the present and future developments in health tourism, introduce strategies for creating new products and new experiences, and present examples of best practices in the field. The conference provides a marvellous opportunity for interaction between providers of tourist and health services. Over 200 participants and leading experts in the fields of medicine, healthcare, wellness and tourism from Croatia and other countries expected at the conference will discuss the present and future developments in health tourism, introduce strategies for creating new products and new experiences, and present examples of best practices in the field. The conference provides a marvellous opportunity for interaction between providers of tourist and health services.

We believe that the HEALTH SPOT CROATIA conference is an important step in making Croatia and Zagreb very attractive as a health tourism destination and would like to invite you to join us at the conference and become a part of this exciting journey.

For details on the official programme tomorrow at Hotel Esplanade, visit the official Health Spot Croatia website.

To follow more on medical tourism in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN health tourism page.

The top three questions I get asked to this day by Uber drivers and colleagues alike are, ''What do you think of Zagreb?'', ''Why did you come here?', and ''What do you do here?''

In a brazen attempt to address the final question, I thought long and hard about what I could expose, what crazy stories I could tell, without telling too much. A few ideas came to mind that perfectly encapsulate my last year here, shedding light on what a foreign teen with no connections can experience when you give yourself up to chance.

From meeting strangers in the night to accidentally taking the wrong train to Budapest, I make up for the lost time spent in my room in England by playing into Zagreb’s strengths - drinking, socialising and working. It got to the point where I asked my friend “What I should I do tonight, I have nowhere to go!” and she responded crassly “How about going to that place that, you know, you PAY FOR ON A MONTHLY BASIS?, that little place called your apartment!”.

She gives good advice sometimes. I’ve managed to mould something out of nothing here and with little language skills thanks to those around me. I want to hammer that in, not at all to brag but because having read post after post in expat forums and online about “I want to travel to X place but I’m afraid of not making friends, I’m afraid of being lonely or stuck”, I can’t help but yell “It’s completely possible”.

One night I like to remember in particular, I found myself sitting tipsily in the corner of a karaoke bar with little recollection of the journey there. I was sat with people I had met only twice before (coffee once and that New Year’s night), drinking a decent 15 kuna glass of vodka and coke while periodically stealing sips of the friend next to me’s beer. He noticed eventually and bought me my own.

We were in an edgy and low-key karaoke bar, called Pračka (Croatian for sling or catapult), hidden in the centre of Zagreb. Let me clarify, I had little recollection of the journey there, in part due to my drunken state, but mainly because the bar was located on some street that looked like all other streets around it, at the bottom of a block of flats, indicated only by the entry door - a big, black metal door covered in stickers. I’m not sure how people manage to spot this sober let alone three Tomislav beers in to a night out.

I’ve come to have a few stand out memories of Pračka (Edit: I’m still unable to locate the bar on my own). One night was spent with a tram obsessive, a girl, and a man I’ve come to nickname Berlusconi. It was my first introduction to turbo folk and first lesson in how to awkwardly sing and dance along to a song you don’t know - a very important lesson for all new expats! As a result one of favourite folk songs is Kad Sam Bio Mlad by Riblja Corba.

The second was at an office party. Late into the night, I was waiting at the front of the queue for the bathroom. In an instant one of the doors threw open in a loud clamour. Out of the doors fell a couple, mid doggy style, who slammed their backs against the wall of the bathroom in full view of the entire queue and part of the club. We all burst into laughter and let me tell you, in this whole scene the couple were not phased (only a little surprised at the fall) and did not let it ruin their.. moment.

They promptly glanced at the crowd and closed the doors once again. Slightly taken aback, I accepted it for what it was and carried on with my queue waiting and got back to our group. The next singer was up, and I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw who rushed onto the stage but the same girl going at it in the ladies. A little unprepared she hurried onto the stage fixing her hair and proceeded to absolutely kill the song with the whole crowd singing with her. Girl, I salute your bravery.

What else have I done, well I've been travelling. First to Spain and by the time this is up I'll be bathing in the thermal baths of Budapest. What I love about Zagreb in addition to everything else I ramble about - it's a great location for taking a bus or BlaBla car around Europe for an affordable price.

Gone are the days of scraping together £200 for an all inclusive holiday to somewhere in Spain (Inbetweeners style) drinking as many cocktails as you can at the breakfast buffet to make the most of the all-inclusiveness. A friend of mine will often take a day trip into Italy when she has the time off work, while another friend just last month came back from a 5 day ski trip in Bosnia.

Turning up the notch on the cringe, in true Mira style, trying to answer this question I found myself returning to the question of “Why do I do any of this?”. As a believer in personal privacy online, I find it difficult to write these (not so) monthly posts about my experiences. For the majority, I hope at the very least they are entertaining to read.

For others, I hope they help explain my situation, who I was and what I think about life in Zagreb. But for myself, I must remind myself why I write. I write for the young girl that I was. Hiding in my room, afraid of the world and afraid of giving life a serious chance, but yet desperately yearning for an escape. Typical teenager.

I remember being fourteen trawling through sites about homestays abroad, how to get onto an exchange program, and I was desperate to get out into the world, Japan, Spain anywhere that would offer me excitement. I dreamt of swimming across the channel to France (if David Walliams could do it for charity, then surely I could do it too!). I thought about how I’d pack up my belongings in zip-lock bags so they’d float alongside me as I swam. I dreamt about running away to the eurostar and becoming a lowly waitress in Spain.

Sixteen came and I had been spending my time learning Japanese (you were right mom, it was just a phase). Planning how, when and where to go to become an English teacher there. Eighteen came and universities abroad were the topic of my free time. I write to give hope to the fourteen year old me cooped up in her room dreaming of suicide and life in another world. I write for my friend who, just last year, overcame some of his most fundamental fears and countered his psychological struggles (such as OCD) and travelled around Europe with a group of strangers totally off his own back. Creating memories I can’t help but admire. We were all typical teengers once!

I fantasized until I was finally met with the chance to leave. And so, in a rush against the clock, making the most of these teen years while I can, this last year has been a cacophony of unusual experiences interwoven with shifts at my equally unusual workplace, to create memories I’ll continue to tell.

Soon you'll be able to read more at http://miramaughan.com, so watch this space!

Give Total Zagreb a follow for more.

Zagreb and Dubrovnik, Croatia's foodie hubs, have been added to the Michelin Guide Main Cities of Europe for 2019. 

February 4, 2019 - With the spring season a month and a half away and summer hitting us before we know it, we hope we can make these bleak winter days go by a bit quicker with ideas for your 2019 holidays. Like road-tripping from Split to Zagreb, for example. 

Perhaps one of the most popular year-round routes in Croatia, getting from Split to Zagreb doesn’t have to be painful. Sure, you can get there with a 30-minute flight (though it’ll cost you a pretty penny), and then there’s the bus, the far more affordable option, though delayed buses and 5 and a half hour journeys don’t work in favor of all travelers. 

Instead, we suggest you hop in the car and take a road trip from the Dalmatian capital to the Croatian capital, and make a nature pitstop along the way. 

Namely, your journey from Split to Zagreb is best traveled with a stop in what we like to consider the ‘8th Wonder of the World’ - Plitvice Lakes National Park. 

Because we assume that 99% of travelers coming to Croatia are familiar with this natural gem, or better yet, that their trip to Croatia is motivated solely by the fact that you can frolic amongst these mesmerizing waterfalls, why wouldn’t it be a part of the journey from one capital to the next?

Allow us to map it out for you.

You’ll begin in Split, the capital of Dalmatia and once the home of Roman Emperor Diocletian. You’ll spend your days admiring the 1,700-year-old palace of Diocletian, the narrow stone alleyways, the thriving coffee culture you can enjoy from a bustling waterfront, the spirited local restaurant and bar scene, and the vibrant ancient history surrounding you with every step you take. 

After you’ve entirely consumed all that Split has to offer, you’ll hop in the car and head north to Plitvice Lakes National Park. Just under three hours away by car, you’ll be strolling through this mountainous karst area of Croatia in no time. You’ll gawk at its 16 cascading lakes, travertine barriers, flora and fauna, and vivid colors ranging from green to grey and blue. Once you’ve taken enough photos to kill the memory on your smartphones and are ready to depart from this experience in nature with a full heart, Croatia’s capital city awaits. 

Zagreb is just two hours away from Plitvice by car - and just enough time for a solid nap before you head out to explore yet another new city. Zagreb is Croatia’s quirky capital which prides itself on its laidback vibe, lively cafe society, and architecture ranging from Gothic to contemporary. Zagreb is also known for boasting the most museums per capita than anywhere else in the world. You’ll revel in its street art, savor in its international cuisine, and won’t find a minute to spare once you've started your adventure here. 

While we know that driving in Croatia may not be for everyone, we do have one solution we think you’ll like - Solo Transfers. Croatia’s reliable private transfers company, Solo Transfers is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to book your travels - and did we mention the most stress-free? Because all road trips should be made easy, you can find everything you need to know about booking with Solo Transfers on their website. 

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

February 4, 2019 - The 19th round of the Croatian First League returned over the weekend with a big result for Hajduk Split. 

After a long winter break, the Croatian First League (HNL) returned to Croatia’s stadiums and television screens around the country. After missing our favorite Croatian clubs play in league games since the middle of December, this comeback was more than welcomed. 

The 19th round already saw derbies and upsets, like Hajduk overcoming Osijek away at City Garden Stadium, promising better beginnings for the team and fans. Could this be a Hajduk revival? 

We also saw an upset for Rijeka, who lost to former Second-League club Gorica at home. A spring season opener they might wish to forget. 

Without further ado, here is our 19th round recap for the Croatian First League, which was played from February 1 to 3, 2019. 

Lokomotiva Zagreb v. Inter Zaprešić (2:0)

To kick off the second part of the season, Lokomotiva and Inter met on Friday, February 1, 2019, at Kranjčevićeva Street Stadium. 

While the first half went without goals, the second half didn’t see the first goal of the game until the 81st minute when Uzuni scored for Lokomotiva (1:0). Twelve minutes later, two minutes into extra time, Ivanušec knocked a penalty into the back of the net to secure the Lokomotiva win. 

Lokomotiva is currently in third place on the table with 34 points while Inter is in 8th with 17. 

Dinamo Zagreb v. Rudeš (7:2)

Croatian champion Dinamo met Rudeš on Saturday, February 2, 2019, at Maksimir stadium. 

The game saw goals, and quite a few of them early on - with Hajrović (5, 9), Petković (19), and Gojak (40) scoring in the first half for Dinamo. Rudeš got in one goal by Štrkalj in the 23rd for 4:1 at the half. 

The second half started with more goals for Dinamo, as Orišić scored three times, in the 56th, 60th, and 65th. Štrkalj scored again for Rudeš, and the game ended 7:2. 

Dinamo is currently in first place with 48 points while Rudeš is in last with 3. 

Istra 1961 v. Slaven Belupo (1:1)

Istra and Slaven Belupo met at Aldo Drosina Stadium in Pula on Saturday, February 2, 2019. 

A rather quiet game that went without goals in the first half, N’Di scored for Istra first in the 64th minute, while Belupo was quick to equalize less than 10 minutes later with a goal by Krstanović for 1:1. 

Istra is currently in 9th place with 16 points, while Belupo is in 7th with 18.

Osijek v. Hajduk (0:1)

Osijek and Hajduk met for the highly anticipated derby on Sunday, February 3, 2019, at City Garden Stadium. 

The two rivals met in the pouring rain, which didn’t help any conditions on the pitch. The first half went without goals, though it was Hajduk’s Caktaš to score 4 minutes into the second half for 0:1. The Split club managed to hold onto their lead to kick off the second part of the season with a win, and high morale. 

Osijek is currently in 2nd place with 34 points, while Hajduk is in 6th with 26. 

Rijeka v. Gorica (1:3)

Rijeka and Gorica met at Rujevica to close out the 19th round on Sunday, February 3, 2019. 

While it was Rijeka’s Acosty to kick off the scoring of the game for 1:0 six minutes in, Gorica was given a penalty in the 30th to equalize (1:1). 

Gorica’s Dvorneković scored in the 57th minute to give the away team the lead, and Maloča scored in the 87th to secure Gorica’s win. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 34 points while Gorica is in 5th with 30. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. See the Croatian First League table. 

As Bojana Mrvos Pavic/Novi List writes on the 2nd of February, 2019, Zagreb's VeeMee connects customers and manufacturers over a platform where, by scanning a QR code on a product, the buyer can see all the information about the producer that interests them - who he is, how many hectares he is working on to produce his own food. That is, the customer can see whether or not what they're holding in their hands is truly authentic.

He may only be 31 years old, but he has many more good business ideas that, without exaggeration, could save the world - Marko Kozjak from Zagreb goes through life preventing food wastage and working towards having a "zero waste" future in which there will no longer be wasted food, or at the very least not so much of it.

Each of us, on average, throws away 75 kilograms of food per year into the trash - these are the alarming results of the research recently carried out by dr.sc. Branka Ilakovac. We mostly throw away fruits and vegetables, but also milk and dairy products, according to her research. How much food, however, is being discarded by chain stores, purely because of the smallest mistakes in packaging, the look of the food or other superficial defects, is difficult to imagine for the average consumer.

Tons of food is either returned to producers or taken to be thrown away, for example, if some tomatoes end up being damaged ​​during the delivery process, or if every tenth mango is too small - such cases see the whole consignment become a collateral victim and it is simply thrown away. This is a huge amount of food that is perfectly fine for human consumption.

Kozjak, who established the Zagreb-based VeeMee company with his partner Nikola Vida, is saving food from being needlessly thrown away. The company has saved more than a hundred tonnes of food over the last six months, and even prevented the dispersement of twelve tonnes of CO2, which would otherwise have ended up in our atmosphere.

Kozjak told Novi List at his office at the Technology Park in Zagreb, that when he finished "Tesla", the Central Technical School in Zagreb, he had already developed some projects for which there was unfortunately never any money to realise.

"Then, back in my younger days I took Nietzsche in my hands and fell in love with philosophy, and then completed philosophy and religiology. After graduating from the faculty, because I was always interested in sales and negotiation, I ended up selling fruit and vegetables, I was an assistant to the manager at one, and then a director at another company. I got to know all the holes in the system - from procurement problems, over freight, to logistics, and I decided to start a company that will repair that,'' stated Marko.

He has already succeeded, though many say they initially expected him not to. He has developed a food rescue system, but VeeMee (Vi-Mi), as its name suggests, is doing something very useful indeed - it connects customers and manufacturers over a platform where by scanning the QR code on the product, the buyer can see all the information on the producer - who the producer is, how many hectares they have, and how they produce their own food.

Thus, the customer can check a product's authenticity. Up to 1,100 Croatian OPGs and other producers are connected to the platform at the moment, meaning the sources of their products are guaranteed, and the customer can, if they want to, even visit the OPG and see for themselves where the food they're buying and eating comes from.

The story continues with another important segment of this Zagreb-made business - saving edible and decent food from being carelessly and needlessly thrown away.

''When some products arrive at the factory of a shopping centre from their producers, due to a certain mistake, everything will end up being returned to the manufacturer, or it will be sent to be thrown away - in 70 percent of cases this is because of a packaging error, or because of a LOT print error. Similarly, in 30 percent of cases, it's due to some irregularities on the goods themselves, for example, due to a small part of the goods having been stolen and the like.

This doen't mean that it isn't good food, but that part of a delivery, two to three percent of the goods, has endured some damage, and the whole truck, as well as the damaged goods, will be returned to the manufacturer. It will be thrown away. We're in contact with producers, primarily for imported goods, because in Croatia this system is not yet sufficiently recognised, and we take the goods to our partner's warehouse.

We either repackage it, if it's a packaging problem, we correct any printing mistakes - we mostly do whatever it takes to deliver it in compliance with the law, and send it to the stores within the next 24 hours. If there is a product with more significant damage, and it's clear to us that returning it to a store would take longer than a day, then we sell it to food outlets or to wholesalers,'' explained Marko.

So far, in just six months of active work, Zagreb's VeeMee has saved about 90 percent of such goods, which are "repaired", sent to stores or to food outlets, or to wholesale markets. The third option is to divide the goods if there is no other solution, or there are no buyers for it, and yet someone still wants it.

Make sure to follow our dedicated Made in Croatia page for much more. If it's just Zagreb you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Click here for the original article by Bojana Mrvos Pavic for Novi List

ZAGREB, February 3, 2019 - Executives of the Zagreb Holding multi-utility conglomerate on Saturday called on defaulters, who are perceived in the public as well-off citizens, to pay utility charges in arrears following media reports that apart from poor residents, also some business people and other higher-class residents were covered by the city's measure to write off their debts.

After the law on debt discharge for natural persons came into force on July 21 last year, the City of Zagreb decided to discharge its citizens with blocked bank accounts from a debt of up to 10,000 kuna (1,350 euro) for utilities, regardless of their actual financial status.

In the late 2018, this information caused a public uproar when media broke the news that defaulters for whom such debts have been written off include football coach Zoran Mamić, former footballers Zvonimir Boban and Dino Drpić, entrepreneur Zoran Burić, who is the husband of Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić, former general Vladimir Zagorac, arms dealer Zvonko Zubak and Europatrade owner Marijan Šarić.

Some of them have in the meantime paid off their debts.

However, media outlets have recently again highlighted this issue, which was why Mirka Jozić, the head of the city department for economic matters held a news conference on Saturday at which she called on those remaining controversial defaulters to cover their debts.

She underscores that as a result of the measure, the City of Zagreb has written off the aggregate debt in the amount of 13.6 million kuna for more than 3,000 debtors.

Jozić insists that good effects of the law could not be overshadowed by the fact that a dozen of millionaires have mistakenly ended up on this list of residents eligible for debt write-off.

Also, Zagreb Holding believes that some of those wealthy debtors are not aware of their utility charges in arrears, as they live abroad.

As soon as in late October the scandal broke about the husband of Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić, being among debtors, the minister said that her husband had settled his debt to the City of Zagreb.

"I don't know about the City of Zagreb's decision or how my husband's name ended up on that list, because I have no knowledge of his business activity. My husband today checked the reasons of the debt incurred by his former business office and has settled the debt in full," the minister said through her spokesman then.

Also, Mayor Milan Bandić reassured the public then that he would put his veto on a possibility for wealthy defaulters to have their utility charges in arrears written-off.

More Zagreb news can be found in the special Zagreb section.

Good news for retail therapy lovers and job seekers alike as both Zagreb and the Istrian city of Poreč are due to get new big shopping centres and a wave of new employment opportunities that go with it.

As Korana Sutlic/Barbara Ban/Novac writes on the 2nd of February, 2019, the current plan for Poreč's up and coming brand new outlet is to have it completed entirely by this summer, it will be located at the entrance to the popular Istrian city. It will be the first such shopping centre in the second largest city in Istria to accommodate shops such as BIPA, C & A, CCC, Deichmann, Galileo, Hervis, Müller, New Yorker, Tedi and Svijet Media.

The investor and owner of the project is the company AM PS Delta Nekretnine d.o.o., which has already built a shopping center in Pula - Pula City Mall. Otherwise, the company AM PS Delta Real Estate Ltd., a member of the Croatian subsidiary of MID Bau Real Estate Ltd., is one of the leading developers on the domestic market, and along with the Pula project, they so far have realised the Garden Mall project in Zagreb, TC Koprivnica, STC Osijek, STC Sisak , STC Valpovo, and STC Umag.

''Works began several months ago, and the completion is scheduled for June this year. Poreč will get its well-deserved shopping and entertainment centre, conceptually conceived as a retail park, and every store will have its own entrance. The retail area of ​​the centre will be around 8,379 square metres in size, which will also make it the largest shopping center in Poreč, and in just a few days the final version of its layout will be known,'' they say from Poreč's city administration upon welcoming this large investment.

Along with the new shopping centre, new jobs will of course come as part of the greater package, which is naturally a more than welcome move for the local economy.

Projects in Zagreb

In addition, this June will see a brand new retail park open at the western part of the Arena Center in Zagreb, on a surface of 8,000 square metres, the content of which will mainly be shops which need large spaces. In the Zagreb district of Špansko, a brand new Z centre will be constructed, which will result in an impressive 60,000 square metre shopping centre, along with stand-alone facilities - McDonald's and Lidl.

The new Zagreb retail centre will boast a square, a multiplex cinema, as well as numerous shops, cafes and restaurants. The completion of Zagreb's Z centre's construction is planned for the end of this year. The completion of the reconstruction of Branimir Centre is also expected this spring.

Make sure to stay up to date by following our dedicated lifestyle and business pages for much more. If it's just Zagreb you're interest in, give Total Zagreb a follow.

Click here for the original article by Korana Sutlic and Barbara Ban for Novac.jutarnji.hr

Museum Night was held on Friday, February 1, 2019, across Croatia. 

ZAGREB, January 31, 2019 - The City of Zagreb's Office for Emergency Situations has completed the first stage of the project "Satellite Internet - A Back Up System for Emergency Situations", which has helped connect 15 locations, notably emergency services and hospitals, which in the case of a breakdown of standard communication channels will be able to continue with their work with the help of satellite connections, Office head Pavle Kalinić said on Thursday, noting that so far 140,000 kuna had been spent on the project's first stage.

"The project is about a satellite communication system which enables alternative communication and access to the Internet in the case of a failure of the so-called land infrastructure, which happens frequently in major accidents or natural disasters," Kalinić told reporters.

During the first stage of the project, satellite Internet connections were established between all fire departments, the city hospitals of Dubrava, Rebro and Sveti Duh, the City Emergency Medicine Teaching Institute, the "Dr Andrija Štampar" Public Health Teaching Institute, the City Administration, the Zagreb Holding multi-utility conglomerate, the ZET public transportation company and the Office for Emergency Situations.

The second stage of the project, to be carried out this year, will include the instalment of equipment in at least 15 more locations, to connect central voluntary firefighting brigades, community health centres and the "Dr Fran Mihaljević" hospital for infectious diseases, Kalinić said.

Zagreb has launched the satellite Internet project because earthquake is the natural disaster that poses the biggest potential danger for the city. At the moment, the city has around 700 staff trained to intervene in the case of an earthquake, Kalinić said, noting that other towns lacked such staff.

The Civil Protection in Zagreb registered 14,714 interventions in 2018, with last year being an average year in terms of the number of interventions, Kalinić said.

More Zagreb news can be found in the special section.