How do you know when something in Croatia definitely won't happen? Usually when you're told that it definitely will. Some Zagreb traffic news as the much anticipated and highly problematic issue of closing the city's large roundabout, which was initially scheduled for much earlier on has been delayed yet again. 

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 29th of October, 2018, Zagreb traffic is set for some considerable disruption as the date is pushed back once again. As far as crossroads, temporary roads consisting of as many as four lanes will be constructed during the roundabout's closure.

The newly planned date for the start of for the closure of the capital city's large Remetinec roundabout is now December the 15th, 2018, and works on the area are expected to continue until January the 30th, 2020, according to a report from Dnevnik.hr, who obtained this new information from the competent City Office.

To briefly recall, the information which was being circulated before now stated that the rotor should have been closed from November the 30th this year.

"As far as the bypasses are concerned, there will be a temporary road with four lanes (two in the east-west direction) and the harmonisation of all of the traffic lights in the vicinity of the works will be carried out.

There will be temporary traffic regulation signs placed near the bypass near Lučko and at the Jankomir bridge, and a large part of the traffic that is now using the roundabout is being planned to be shifted towards other traffic directions. ZET Zagreb Holding ltd will organise substitute transport for passengers [using public transport] by introducing new bus lines, and ZET will arrange for all of its existing bus lines to continue but on the new temporary roads,'' read a statement from the City of Zagreb.

Want to keep up to date with the latest news, traffic related and otherwise from Croatia? Make sure to follow our news page for news from across the country.

Where can you enjoy the arts in the city, where are hidden playgrounds for children located, where are green oases hidden in the urban jungle, and where are places where you can meet creative people... These are just some of the questions answers to which can be found in the new alternative guidebook called Lost in Zagreb. The guide is written in Croatian, English and Arabic languages, reports Večernji List on October 29, 2018.

The guide was created as part of the "Magic Carpets" project, aimed at using artist residencies, workshops and exhibitions to foster intercultural dialogue between 13 European countries. The guidebook can be seen as an art book since it was created by the Danish artist Maj Horn, in cooperation with the Lab 852 organization, local artists and asylum seekers. The project was supported by funds from Creative Europe, the Ministry of Culture, the City Office for Culture, and the Danish Arts Foundation. The guidebook is free and will be available in city libraries.

“During my residency in Zagreb, I dealt with mapping hidden economic layers together with local artists and migrants who are staying in the former Porin hotel. We had three artistic walks and three workshops which resulted in the final product,” said Maj Horn. The guidebook is divided into six thematic parts: socializing, art, fashion, children, green areas and markets.

“We would like to share our favourite places in the city with others. The places were chosen arbitrarily by the participants. It is interesting that the authors are of different profiles, so we can see how the city is seen by a taxi driver from Baghdad, a poet, a cook or local artists,” explained the author.

The guidebook on Zagreb is a process, not an end result

Creating the guidebook helped Horn in her social art, while for asylum seekers the participation in the project was an important step in the process of adaptation. “The guide is in Arabic precisely because most of the authors are native speakers of that language. This is also the first guidebook to Zagreb in Arabic,” said Marija Kamber, an artist.

The alternative guidebook “Lost in Zagreb” is aimed at everybody who wants to enjoy hidden, yet beautiful and inexpensive venues in the city. “In addition to all the other things this publication is, it is also a witness to the current state of affairs in Zagreb, and our goal is certainly to encourage not only asylum seekers but also local people to get more involved in the life of the city,” said the authors. Therefore, the book should not be understood as an end result, but rather as a process.

If you are interested in more articles about Zagreb, visit our dedicated section.

The 12th round of the Croatian First League (HNL) was played from October 26 to 28, 2018. Dinamo Zagreb still leads the pack. 

The most important award in Croatia’s tourism industry has been presented – and the winners are known. At the annual tourism event – the Days of Croatian Tourism held on 24 and 25 October in Hvar, organized by the Croatian National Tourist Board, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Tourism – prizes and awards were given for the best in several categories. Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb has received awards in two categories – the best city hotel and the hotel of the year. The awards were presented to general manager Ivica Max Krizmanić, who has been leading the hotel for nearly seven years and who has worked at Esplanade for a quarter of a century.

“Esplanade is truly an exceptional hotel and my whole team and I are particularly happy and proud to be part of its spectacular and lavish history. Esplanade is an institution and an icon of the Croatian hotel industry, gastronomy and design, which has attracted guests with its irresistible charm and personality for almost 95 years. The hotel has always been known for its top-class service, and we strive to continue this tradition by following the needs of modern guests, new trends and the development of new technologies to provide the best possible level of service to our guests,” said Krizmanić.

There is no doubt that Esplanade Hotel was and is the centre of Zagreb’s social life, a favourite gathering place for many generations of residents, and the first choice for statesmen, royal families and showbiz stars who come to Zagreb. From its beginnings, Esplanade has had great significance not just for the city of Zagreb but also for Croatia.

Andrea Ozegovic

"I am proud of these great accomplishments and acknowledgments and of my whole team, which helps guests create wonderful memories thanks to their positive energy, an individual and personalised attitude, and the love for the hotel. Our prestigious hotel is the pride of Zagreb and these awards are just a confirmation of our efforts, dedication and successful business results. I would like to thank the tourism experts who have recognized this and once again I congratulate everyone,” added Krizmanić.

Since the beginning of this year, Esplanade Hotel has received many prestigious awards and international prizes and has been included in globally-renowned hotel guides. The Oscars of the hotel industry – World Luxury Travel Awards – have been awarded to the hotel in three categories – Luxury Architecture Design Hotel, Luxury Historical Hotel for Croatia, and Luxury Heritage Hotel for Southeast Europe.

The TripAdvisor Hall of Fame certificates have been awarded to the Zinfandel's restaurant, Le Bistro and the Esplanade Hotel due to many years of excellent guest reviews. For two years in a row, both hotel restaurants have been included in the Michelin guide, while chef Ana Grgić was named the “Great Chef of Tomorrow” according to the Gault&Milau gourmet guide for Croatia for 2018.

If you would like to read more about Croatia's hotels, click here.

Croatian Diaspora MEETING G2.4 – PANEL ON THE POTENTIALS OF CROATIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

Australian-Croatian Chamber – Example of a contribution to increasing our exports

• This year's Meeting G2.4 conference will be an opportunity to present the Australian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, one of the most active chambers of our diaspora worldwide. Chamber president David Jakić will be a guest speaker at the conference and present the activities that have contributed to creating Croatia’s surplus with Australia

• In 2016, exports to Australia increased by almost 50%, and the last two years have also been dominated by positive trends, resulting in stability of exports

• Approximately 200 businessmen are expected at the Meeting G2.4, 80 of which are successful businessmen of Croatian origin from abroad

ZAGREB, October 28, 2018 – The Meeting G2.4 conference titled “A Look into the Future”, focused on fostering business connections between Croats in the country and abroad and taking place from November 12-14 in Zagreb, will feature a panel discussion on the topic of “The Potential of Croatian Chambers and Businessmen Worldwide – Australian Example”. The Australian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce is one of the most active chambers of commerce of our diaspora worldwide and has been achieving excellent results in the recent years, in particular with regard to providing assistance to our exporters in the Australian market. Thus the year 2016 saw a growth of almost 50 %, from 17.7 to 26.3 million dollars, and for the last two years the value of exports has been in excess of 20 million dollars, with potential for further increase.

One of the panelists will be David Jakić, president of the Australian-Croatian Chamber of Commerce, which comprises four chambers in the country. Mr Jakić will be speaking about the Chamber’s work, as well as their vision of how to improve connections and deals with entrepreneurs from Croatia.  

The panel will also be an opportunity to analyze sectors with the greatest potential for networking, to share the experiences of Australian entrepreneurs doing business in Croatia, to present the activities of the Croatian Chamber of Economy and of the Agency for Investments and Competitiveness in networking with our businessmen in Australia, as well as to discuss administrative barriers and how to attract investments. In addition to Mr Jakić, the panel will feature representatives of Croatian companies Katarina Line, Alpha Communications and Bagatin Polyclinic, who will share their first-hand experience in doing business with Australia. Incidentally, the largest share in Croatian exports to Australia is taken up by spices, sauces and preparations for sauces, as well as by electrical transformers and static converters.

The Meeting G2.4 conference, organized for the fourth consecutive time under the high auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, is expected to be attended by some 200 participants, of which 80 are successful businessmen of Croatian origin from numerous countries around the world.

The conference will also feature a pitch session during which Croatian startups will be presented to foreign investors, while the second day of the program includes as many as  seven panels with almost 40 participants representing successful companies and organizations from the country and abroad. For example, a panel on Croatian delicacies will serve to present Croatian producers achieving great success abroad but less known to the broader public, whereas the panel on non-traditional forms of tourism will present various projects that can contribute to extending the season and improving the offer. The panel titled “Turn-key”, focusing on investors to Croatia, will familiarize the participants with the importance of selecting a systems integrator on the project.

You can find more detailed information on this year’s program and previous conferences at the meeting-g2.com website. All those who are interested can register online.

For the latest news from the Croatian diaspora, follow the dedicated TCN page.

October 28, 2018 - A weekly roundup of the latest news about flights to Croatia.

Flights to Croatia - Cork to Dubrovnik Direct

Great news for tourists (and Croatian diaspora) in southern Ireland, as Aer Lingus has announced the first scheduled direct flight from Cork to Croatia. The new Cork to Dubrovnik route will commence on May 4 and fly twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Cork route is the second Aer Lingus connection to Dubrovnik, with Dublin's direct link to the Pearl of the Adriatic already well-established. Aer Lingus has also announced its summer schedule for Split and Pula, with the Split route strengthened for 2019.  

Flights to Croatia - Less Winter Flights to Dubrovnik, More Summer Connections from USA Anticipated

Dubrovnik's attempts to become a 12-month destination have received a minor setback, with several major carriers announced a reduced service to southern Dalmatia. These include Emirates, FlyDubai, Turkish Airlines and British Airways. There is some better news on increased interest in additional direct flights from the United States, however. The first direct connection between the United States and Dubrovnik for 28 years will begin from Philadelphia on June 7, when American Airlines will touch down. IT is anticipated to be the first of a number of connections, according to Romana Vlasic, Director of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board:

"After 28 years we will finally have direct flights from the US again, with American Airlines announcing services from Philadelphia. This pilot project from American Airlines will grow over the coming years to include more American cities as well as new airlines". She added, "Through our representative office in New York we have made contact with the airline and the travel company that represents them. We have already arranged joint marketing opportunities and cooperation. We are only too happy to help fill these flights and make sure that this new link is successful." Read the full story on ExYuAviation. 

Flights to Croatia - Split Airport Breaks the 3 Million Barrier

The rise and rise of Split Airport continues, with yet one more record broken this week, as the airport handled 3 million passengers for the first time in one year, a 10% increase on a record 2017. The new terminal is scheduled to open in July, 2019, which will help take off the pressure a little. Read the full story about the rise of Split Airport. 

Flights to Croatia - Volotea Opens 2019 Sales

Low-cost carrier Volotea has significantly increased its operations to Croatia in recent years, principally to Dubrovnik and Split from multiple destinations in France and Italy. Sales for the 2019 season are now available. Check out the routes via Avioradar. 

Flights to Croatia - JAL to Codeshare with Zagreb

"Japan Airlines (JAL) will be adding its designator code and flight numbers onto British Airways' service between London Heathrow and Zagreb starting next week. Both airlines are members of the Oneworld alliance. Japan Airlines passengers can now book flights to Zagreb via the carrier's website. British Airways will maintain five to seven weekly services between London and the Croatian capital this winter season, depending on the month." Read the full story on ExYuAviation. 

Keep up with the latest news about flights to Croatia with the dedicated TCN tag.

ZAGREB, October 27, 2018 - The first international protest to ban hunting, organised by the Animal Liberation initiative, was held in downtown Zagreb on Saturday with loud drumming and banners with photos of killed animals and messages against killing them.

About 50 activists from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina took part in a protest march, calling on citizens to join them so as to put an end to the killing of animals. They said taxpayers participated in the financing of it.

Activist Robert Međugorac told reporters that, although they were for a complete hunting ban, they realised they would not succeed "because the lobbies are strong."

He condemned the Croatian Agriculture Ministry's reward of 1,200 kuna (162 euro) for each fox or jackal killed.

Organisers said more and more people had a very negative view of "the cold-blooded shooting of innocent animals" and that this was reflected in a declining number of hunters. Still, in 2016 hunters killed 4,250 deer, up 3% on the year, and nearly 30,000 wild boars, up 9.5% on the year, they added.

For more information about the latest from the Croatian capital, click here.

Croatia diaspora initiatives are increasing, bringing together the business communities of the homeland and those living in other countries. 

• The first day of the conference taking place on November 12-14 in Zagreb features a pitch session to present 10 successful Croatian startups, while the second day is reserved for seven panels with numerous successful businessmen

• The previous conferences were attended by over 150 successful businessmen of Croatian origin from as many as 26 countries worldwide

Croatia Diaspora: the Business Opportunity

ZAGREB, October 27, 2018 – The fourth edition of the MEETING G2 conference titled “A Look into the Future”, focused on creating business links between Croats in their homeland and abroad, will take place on November 12-14, 2018 at the FORUM Congress Center in Zagreb. Just like the previous three, this year's conference will be organized under the high auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, and with the support of numerous state and local institutions.  

The conference organized by a multidisciplinary group of Croats from the diaspora and the homeland, as in the previous years is expected to gather numerous successful businessmen of Croatian origin from the world over, as well as companies from Croatia wishing to present themselves and network in order to develop both existing and new products and services. Previous editions of the Meeting G2 featured more than 150 Croats running successful businesses in 26 world countries, and in total the conferences gathered over 550 participants who made valuable contacts and exchanged numerous ideas.  

“The main goal of the conference is still to facilitate the networking of businessmen of Croatian origin from all over the world, to increase our diaspora’s investments into the homeland, to promote Croatian products and the country in all continents, and to halt the ‘brain drain’. We are convinced that Croatia has great untapped potential and a very good quality of life, and we firmly believe that Croatia indeed has a population of 8 million, and not just the 4.3 million living in Croatia!“, said the president of the Meeting G2 Association, Josip Hrgetić.

This year’s conference will also present possibilities for investing into Croatia, best practice examples and specific features of different industries. The first day is reserved for “Who’s Who in G2?“, where every participant will be able to present themselves briefly and exchange contacts with others, as well as for a “Pitch Session” where 10 Croatian startups will present themselves with the aim of obtaining financial support from businessmen from all over the world.

The second day is reserved for seven panel discussions covering the topics of tourism, Croatian delicacies, blockchain initiatives, the state of play on the real estate market, but also discussing the potential of Croatian chambers of commerce worldwide and the preconditions for greater investments by the diaspora into the country. The panels will feature more than 40 participants, well-known Croatian businessmen from the country and abroad, as well as representatives of state and local institutions.

For example, the panel titled “Success Comes through the Stomach” or production of delicacies in Croatia, along with representatives of the companies Agropošta, Volim Ljuto: I Like It Hot and Podravka, will also include Neb Chupin, creator of the Dida Boža, i.e. Dalmatia brand, who has been successfully placing delectable spreads on the global market. Another panel of note will be the one on “Croatian Tourism – Out of the Box”, to discuss non-traditional forms of tourism that could extend the tourist season.  

For more information about this diaspora event, visit the G2.4 Facebook event page.

Looking for more information about the Croatia diaspora? Follow the TCN Croatia diaspora section.

At the beginning of last season, the Croatian Football League led a fierce fight to be 15th place in the ranking of the best European leagues - Rijeka was in the playoffs of the Champions League, and Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, and Osijek in the playoffs of the Europa League. The start of the current European season, however, has been completely the opposite - and Croatian football has experienced a great downfall, reports Index.hr on October 27, 2018. 

Zagreb is getting ready for the most terrifying night of the year - Halloween.

On October 31, Zagreb will be full of crazy, masked and a bit terrifying parties. Haloween, or “Noć vještica” as it is called in Croatian, will bring DJs and live music to numerous clubs, so there will be something for everyone. The only requirement for most events is to come dressed as someone else, with a mask that will hopefully terrify everyone, reports Večernji List on October 27, 2018.

A special treat for horror film fans will be organised at the Tuškanac cinema, which will screen a horror classic, "Halloween", starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

Everyone who likes to disguise themselves and enjoy the music in the company of witches, zombies and vampires, should visit the Vintage Industrial Bar where the music of Misfits, the American horror-punk band, will be featured. In the same street, at the Bikers Beer Factory, masked visitors will dance to the funk music of Groovy Cakes. Fun can also be found at the Depo Club, as well as in Boogaloo, at the Witches vs. Vampires party.

Klub at Hatzova Street is organising a trash party where DJs Kiki B and Lana Del DJ will play some of the biggest hits of the 90's Croatian dance music. Katran will have a pirate ball on four floors, and four DJs will be in charge of music entertainment. Jabuka will give awards to the best masks, while as many as seven DJs, including Rea and Zrna, will entertain the guests at the newly-renovated Tvornica, where the party will be split into two areas, a safe zone and a quarantine.

A special Harry Potter party will take place at the Metropolis Club. There will also be a raffle, the best mask competition, while the guests will have a special place to “park” their brooms. The party at Lauba will last until 8 am and will feature international DJs like Dennis Cruz, PEZNT and others.

Aquarius and Močvara will also feature terrifying parties, while a little bit let spooky atmosphere will be found at City Centre One, where kids will decorate pumpkins and participate in magic workshops.

To follow the latest from the Croatia capital, check out Total Zagreb.