A welcome piece of Zagreb news for those in the city as a new service for the Croatian capital, the well-known Wolt food delivery service, has begun operating as of today.

As SEEbiz.eu writes on the 20th of December, 2018, as of today, Wolt, a renowned international food delivery service, behind which stands a successful Finnish company of the same name, has become available in Zagreb.

The Republic of Croatia thus becomes the thirteenth country, with Zagreb being the 38th city in which Wolt runs its operations, and through the brand new service, you can now order food from just over 35 restaurants from across the capital.

Wolt's list includes some of the most popular and well-frequented restaurants and pastry shops across the city, including Umami Restaurant, Cookie Factory, Bikers Food Bar, Pani, Curry Bowl, and the list even includes some of the most famous chains, such as Medvedgrad Brewery.

All the food is delivered by Wolt's delivery partners in special heated bags, and through Wolt's top quality service, all customers have an easy and efficient experience when it comes to ordering food - as Wolt has stated from Wolt's office in Zagreb. Additionally, one of the best features of this new Zagreb service is its extremely fast and high quality customer support which responds live to customers during and after they place their food orders.

This will come as a welcome change to some who have had rather poor food ordering experiences in Zagreb, with delivery drivers even calling them to ask for directions to their location, the food arriving cold, or you simply not getting what you've ordered at all.

Wolt can be accessed and used over the Internet or via a smartphone on both iOS and Android platforms. Registration is simple, and a new user can login via Facebook or via their email, and after entering their credit card, they can choose food from more than one hundred restaurants from around Zagreb. Wolt currently accepts all credit cards and Visa debit cards for payment.

Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If it's just Zagreb news you're interested in, stay up to date with our Total Zagreb page for everything you need to know about what's going on in the capital.

Croatia's summer tourism is not the only season breaking records this year.

Uber awards scholarships to students of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences.

December 17, 2018 - Gypsy Table is coming back to Zagreb on Friday, January 4th, 2019!

UEFA held the round of 32 draw for the Europa League on Monday where Dinamo's opponent was announced. 

December 17, 2018 - Each December, members of the active women’s wine association WOW celebrate Christmas in the best way they can - with the wine that is the central theme of this women's group!

While there are around 200 members in Croatia, there were about thirty in Zagreb for this celebratory evening. Since the group was founded seven years ago, the members have ensured that they regularly meet each month, and sometimes even several times a month, in various places, and often by the establishments of their own members.

Thus, on December 12th, members of WOW met in the showroom of the pharmacy Priroda on Vlaška Street, where the hostess, Mirjana Brlečić - a master of pharmacy - welcomed all members. 

The author of top quality cosmetics Nikel, whose products continue to conquer gold medals and other medals internationally - most often for innovation - prepared gifts for her friends from the association including a hyaluronic mask with C and B vitamins.

“I guarantee that this energizing mask will allow you to be beautiful and shine for the holidays,” said Brlečić.

Members of WOW and media representatives drank and enjoyed cakes by Catering Lisak, salami from Four Bees, and last but not least, Honest Wines Matković - exhibiting an excellent combination of natural brands coming together to heal. 

“It's not business. The production days are packed with hundreds of beautiful and less beautiful stories that make us proud of the wines we have created for all the sincere, human moments you will experience. Without fancy words, colorful labels and brilliant advertisements, life is for us is a genuine dedication to creating good wines. Maybe that's why Matković's wines have an inexplicable power. They are inspired by some small, unspoken truths, which, like our wines, make the finest languages,” said Iva Matković.

Guests enjoyed the Cabernet Franc 2015 at the event. A high-quality dry wine from the Slatina-Orahovica vineyard, it is 13.4% alcohol content that was macerated for ten days and vinified for two years in barrique Slavonian oak barrels and then bottled at least six months before going on the market. 

After Žarko Gojčeta from Four Bees met the guests to explain his fantastic salami products, the group switched to a top dry wine, Frankovka from 2013, which was also a star of the evening. With 13% alcohol, this wine is macerated for ten days and vinified for two years in barrique Slavonian oak barrels and then stored in bottles at least six months before going on the market. 

The last wine was a top quality, dry cabernet sauvignon from 2013 with 13.6% alcohol content. This cabernet was also macerated for ten days but vinified for four years in barrique barrels of Slavonian oak and then bottled at least six months before going on the market.

December 16, 2018 - Madvent in Zagreb. Taking a closer look at Europe's most popular Christmas market. This week, Borna and Domagoj take a look at the Christmas lights.

Advent in Zagreb is in full swing, and so too is the satire of the stories they don't tell the tourists. 

Last week, Newsbar legends Borna Sor and Domagoj Zovak teamed up with Gong.hr to bring an Advent Sunday series with a difference. Madvent in Zagreb takes a look at some of the issues surrounding the event which are not often discussed. Here is the first episode last week, which was focused on the alleged wide margin between the price the popular stalls are being charged by the city, and the amount that vendors are forced to pay to get one.

This week's episode concerns the plentiful Christmas lights, and do look out for the cameo role of Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric right at the end. 

In many ways, the story of the Christmas lights at Advent in Zagreb tells the tale of the modern Croatia. 

Many years ago, one young Nikola Tesla offered to build an electricity grid for Zagreb, according to the video below, but his suggestions was waved away.

Just one genius from Lika, who ended up moving to the United States and global stardom. 

But if the chance to light up the city is offered by a company whose contracts are allegedly declared illegal, what better way to proceed than to renew the contract, year after year. 

Who cares about the cost? 

It is Christmas after all. 

There are two more videos in the series, which will appear on the next two Sundays - a perfect Advent gift. 

Borna Sor, of course, is a TCN contributor and runs our podcast, which will be bursting into life in the new year once more. You can follow his TCN writing here. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Driving in Zagreb comes with both ease and difficulties, unlike the along the coast, the time of year rarely causes issues when it comes to traffic in Zagreb, but Mayor Milan Bandić's timing for major roadworks often does.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 14th of December, 2018, after having been delayed multiple times, the closing of the huge Zagreb roundabout has now been announced for this coming Sunday, December the 16th, 2018, as has another important event, a sporting one.

On Sunday, December the 16th, the Zagreb Advent Run will take place in the Croatian capital, and driving in Zagreb will become more problematic as the new traffic changes will come into force.

Isidor Kršnjavi street (Ulica Isidora Kršnjavog), where the start of the race will be, will be closed for all traffic from 08:00 to 12:30 on the aforementioned date.

The rest of the routes being used within the scope of the Zagreb Advent Run will begin being closed off by local police several minutes before the start of the race at 10:00 and will remain closed until 12:30.

Sunday will also bring problems owing to the Dinamo Zagreb - Hajduk Split match, which traditionally brings with it major traffic jams, at 15:00.

Make sure to follow our dedicated news page for more information on traffic and driving in Zagreb, as well as in the rest of the country. If it's just Zagreb you're interested in, stay up to date with everything you need to know about what's going on in the Croatian capital city by following Total Zagreb.

ZAGREB, December 14, 2018 - After they facilitated the adoption of the Zagreb City budget for 2019 by voting for it in the Zagreb City Assembly on Thursday, Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) secretary-general Ilija Ćorić and Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) City Assembly member Miroslav Polovanec were expelled from their respective parties.

Informing reporters of Ćorić's expulsion from the party, HSS leader Krešo Beljak told a news conference that Ćorić's decision had taken him by surprise, the more so as earlier in the day Ćorić had made it clear that he would vote against the budget proposal, as agreed within the City Assembly group of which he was a member. "But evidently we mustn't let anything take us by surprise in politics considering that we know who our opponents are - Mr Bandić and Mr Plenković. This is clearly their doing," Beljak said.

Beljak said he was confident that this was a case of corruption and called on state institutions to investigate it. He added that when asked why he voted the way he did, Ćorić told him that his circumstances made him do it.

Beljak also dismissed accusations by Zlatko Hasanbegović of the Independents for Croatia that the outcome of the vote on the city budget was a result of an agreement between Beljak, HSLS leader Darinko Kosor and Plenković.

Beljak also commented on GLAS MP Anka Mrak Taritaš' statement that there was no room in the Amsterdam Coalition (made up of GLAS, the HSS and the HSU) for people forging alliances with Bandić and the HDZ and that she expected Beljak to act accordingly.

"I did not have the impression that Mrak Taritaš would blame me or anyone in the HSS for that, I'm confident that the Amsterdam Coalition will continue to exist and not only that - we will consolidate it with true politicians and be an alternative to the decay that dominates the political scene in Croatia," said Beljak.

HSLS leader Darinko Kosor, who is also a member of parliament and of the Zagreb City Assembly announced today that Polovanec would no longer be a member of the HSLS or its group in the city assembly. "The HSLS voted in line with the party's decision - against the budget proposal, but members' terms are their own. All those who voted for the budget are no longer members of our group," he said.

Asked about the future of Jozo Miličević of the Zagreb Independent Slate, who is the deputy chair of the City Assembly and who also supported the 2019 Zagreb city budget, Kosor said that Milicevic was a member of another party.

Speaking to reporters after the City Assembly adopted the Zagreb city budget proposal for 2019 with the help of members of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), City Assembly chair and HDZ member Andrija Mikulić said that the HDZ had definitely not been involved in any political trade-offs and called on the opposition in the City Assembly to report their suspicions to the relevant state institutions.

"I was saying the whole time that I was an optimist, that I believe in the proposed projects and I thank God and all members of the City Assembly that reason has prevailed," Mikulić told reporters. "The vote was about supporting Zagreb's further development and not about relations between City Assembly members," said Mikulić.

The Zagreb City Assembly on Thursday adopted next year's budget of 8.19 billion kuna, up 185 million kuna from this year, with 26 votes in favour, 24 against and no abstentions.

More news on the Zagreb politics can be found in our special Zagreb section.