October 3, 2021 - A new month, a new Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador: meet Andrae Smith from South Africa, who will be resident for the month of October. 

The focus on developing the digital nomad story in Zagreb continues. After the success of the inaugural Zagreb Digital Nomad Week in June, the Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador project has been running since July 1, with the Croatian capital hosting one eexperienced digital nomad a month at Doma Zagreb Aparthotel to work with the city in increasing awareness of Zagreb as a quality destination for remote workers. 

The tenure of September's dynamic ambassador, Israeli Nimrod Dean Kuchel, came to an end with his final event on October 1. Dean hosted a Zagreb Meet-Up and Pitch night at Canopy by Hilton, with various speakers sharing travel and digital nomad experiences.   

Before leaving the following morning, Dean shared his thoughts on a month in Zagreb in the interview above. 

Among the 50 locals, expats and nomads who attended the event was Andrae Smith, who had just landed from flights from her native South Africa. 

Andrae is the Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador for October, and she and Dean had a good conversation and handover over a drink or three at Canopy, as well as breakfast the following morning. Andrae started her own company, Work Wanderers, which runs co-living and co-working retreats for digital nomads in locations around the world, including Bali, Cape Town and Portugal. 

And maybe now Croatia... Croatia has been on Andrae's radar for some time - here is her application video for the ambassador programme. 

She is enjoying her first few days in the city, and will be working with the programme organisers - Zagreb Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads, and TCN, to get the most out of her month in Zagreb, with various events with the digital nomad community planned.  

We caught up wth Andrae for a quick introductory interview at the Canopy by Hilton event - see above. 

If you would like to connect with Andrae during her month in Zagreb, you can find her on LinkedIn.

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

October 2, 2021 - A bundle of positive energy flew from Zagreb to Podgorica, as Nimrod Dean Kuchel, the Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador for September, departed for his latest adventure. He caught up with TCN before he left to reflect on his month in the Croatian capital. 

It is hard not to be infected by the boundless enthusiasm of Israeli digital nomad Nimrod Dean Kuchel. Two of his main mantras are very simple, but sum up his lifestyle very well. Say yes! to everything. And while he travels solo, he never travels alone. 

Kuchel said yes firstly to being a keynote speaker at Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, an initiative of the Zagreb Tourist Board, Saltwater Nomads, and Total Croatia News. You can see his very entertaining presentation below.  

And then he said yes when asked if he would be applying to be a Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador for a month, the second component of the project. 

Arriving at the beginning of September and taking up residence at Doma Zagreb Aparthotel, Kuchel told me of his intention to work hard to build up the Zagreb community during his stay. 

He seems to have been everywhere in the city, and the events that he held during his time attracted good crowds and networking opportunities.  

Last night's farewell event, a Zagreb Meet-Up and Pitch night at Canopy by Hilton, a favourite co-working space during his stay, brought together around 50 locals, expats and digital nomads for a social evening with various speakers contributing their travel and digital nomad stories, before several of the audience also took the stand in the ensuing Open Mic session. 

Shortly before his departure, Kuchel posted the following farewell to his Zagreb friends, old and new.  

You are looking at a construction site - and together we are building a community.

On my last night here, I was honoured by a large group of locals, expats and digital nomads for a night of stories, and new friendships - with tears in my eyes I said my goodbyes, although I know - we will meet again.

More than countries and beautiful landscape - I travel for people, that's the agenda I came to Zagreb with, that's the legacy I hope I leave behind.

My stay in Zagreb is coming to an end today, but I will forever stay an ambassador and advocate of the city, country, and the people.

Thank you Tanja Polegubic Jan de Jong Paul Bradbury Zagreb Tourist Board Andrej Karić every person who made my stay here so special.

Andrae Smith - enjoy Croatia, you are in good hands!

South African Andrae Smith is the Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador for November, and she introduced herself last night. There will be a TCN interview with Andrae tomorrow. 

Dean kindly invited the project stakeholders for a thank you breakfast this morning, after which he found the time to share some of his parting thoughts on his month in Zagreb, which you can watch in the interview below.  

You can connect with Nimrod Dean Kuchel via LinkedIn. 

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

October 2, 2021 - The 2021 Zagreb Advent will be modest this year, with only 93 spaces for holiday houses available to rent.

The City of Zagreb has announced a tender for renting holiday houses at the upcoming Zagreb Advent, which, judging by the tender, will take place in fewer locations than before the pandemic and will be much more modest, reports Jutarnji List.

Thus, citizens will enjoy the Christmas atmosphere only on Ban Jelačić Square, European Square, Bogovićeva and Gajeva Streets, and Strossmayer Promenade. This year there will be no skating rink on King Tomislav Square or Advent on Gradec.

According to the tender data, only 93 spaces are available to rent, which is twice less than the two hundred that have been available in recent years. In addition, Jutarnji learned from the City that Zrinjevac and Strossmayer promenade would be the space of the City of Zagreb and the Zagreb Tourist Board. 

As before, Zrinjevac will be decorated and lit, and there will be a cultural program and concerts on the Strossmayer promenade. Unfortunately, food will not be available in these locations. The skating rink was too expensive and will not be set up this year, Jutarnji from the City.

The tender for holiday houses was announced on the auction principle - the starting price for a particular house has been determined, and it will be used by the caterer who makes the best offer.

This is an interruption of the current practice according to the decision of the late Mayor Milan Bandić. Namely, as the media wrote, Zagreb's Advent has so far been ruled by the "kings of Advent," a few companies that would get the right to the location and then resell that location expensively. However, according to the new tender, this will no longer be the case because only the person or company that submitted the bid can rent.

As for prices, they vary from location to location. For a 15 sqm holiday house on Gajeva, with a maximum of six high tables, the minimum is 30 thousand kuna, although there is no doubt that the final price will be much higher. They will also have to pay a daily fee of 35 kuna per square meter of the occupied area. Confectioners will pay the same daily fee, but they have smaller houses at their disposal, up to 9 sqm, with a starting price of 15 thousand kuna.

Stands for occasional sales will pay the least - the starting price is 3 thousand for stands up to 4 sqm, while the fee is 20 kuna per day.

The story is similar for Bogovićeva and Ban Jelačić Square. The prices are slightly lower for Augusta Cesarca Street - European Square and Strossmayer Promenade, where the initial prices range from 5,000 to 7,000 kuna.

For more on lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

October 1, 2021 - The Croatian Toys Exhibition "Toys-Childhood Forever", displays toys from as early as the 19th century. Numerous Zagreb museums took part in this project lead by the Ethnographic Museum.

The pandemic and earthquakes caused some setbacks to events and cultural happenings in Zagreb, but art and culture in the capital of Croatia quickly got back on its feet (as culture and art in Croatia are sadly used to harsh conditions).

True, some museums such as the School Museum still await reconstruction, but other museums not only slowly re-opened, a cluster even managed to pull off a suitable programme for International Museum Day earlier in 2021. Zagreb's Ethnographic Museum, along with other museums, continues to keep culture alive both for citizens and visitors.

''Toys-Childhood Forever'' is a project the Ethnographic Museum which started in June and will continue all the way until May 22, 2022.

Eleven guest exhibitions from other museums across the city (in the small gallery on the first floor of the Ethnographic Museum), as well as the central exhibition, have been modified to children (but its not forbidden for adults), and will present traditional, artistic and industrial kids toys manufactured in Croatia from the 19th century until today. These include showcasing the work of noted Croatian artists that worked with known foreign clients and museums.

The author of the project is dD. Iris Biškupić Bašić while the graphic solutions for the exhibitions were managed by Nikolina Jelavić Mitrović. Financial support was secured by the Croatian Ministry of Culture and the Zagreb City Culture Office.

''The project includes animated movies from the production of Zagreb Film within the famous Zagreb School of Animated Film. There are also educational workshops and thematic exhibitions of other Zagreb Museums,'' reads the description on the official Zagreb City website.

It's worth pointing out that the Zagreb School of Animated Film is an iconic animation style that originates from the city and was active from the late 50's to the 80's. The style became particularly respected thanks to Dušan Vukotić and his animated film Surogat, which, as TCN previously wrote, is the only Croatian film to win Oscar Academy Award back in 1962.

Other Museums involved in this project include the Museum of Arts and Crafts, the Croatian History Museum, the Croatian School Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Nikola Tesla Technical Museum, the Croatian Sport Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

The authors of the visiting exhibitions are the curators from the aforementioned museums, and noted Croatian toy designers Jasmina Kosanović and Lea Vavra are enrolled in the project too. Until May 22, 2022, both visitors and locals have an excellent opportunity to see the history of children's entertainment as well as a chance to see neat craftsmanship that is no child's play to achieve.

Learn more about Croatian museums on our TC page.

For more about culture in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 1 Oct 2021 - The State Commission for the Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures has quashed a decision by Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević and the city will have to complete a previous tender and sign a preliminary agreement with the Reoma Group or Petar Pripuz's Cezar company, Večernji List reports on Friday.

Mayor Tomašević recently cancelled a tender for the recycling of bulky waste, explaining that the city did not need privately owned companies to do it because its Čistoća public sanitation company could do the job.

Two bids had been submitted to the tender, one by the Reoma Group, which offered to recycle the city's bulky waste for HRK 89 million and one by Cezar, which offered to do it for HRK 125 million.

The public procurement procedure itself was advertised in December 2020 but the previous city government did not make a decision on the matter, explained Tomašević, who took office after the May 2021 local elections.

Tomašević in September announced that the city would purchase crushers for bulky waste and that one was already being tested. Meanwhile, he sent some of municipal bulky waste to Sisak to be recycled by the local Royal Media company because of problems with the necessary licences and procurement so currently bulky waste from Zagreb is crushed in Sisak and taken back to Zagreb's Jakuševec landfill.

Tomašević now faces one more obstacle - the State Commission for the Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures and the Reoma Group, whose complaint against his decision to cancel the tender has been accepted by the Commission.

The State Commission for the Supervision of Public Procurement Procedures has concluded that there were no grounds for Tomašević's decision to cancel the tender because it believes that the city's explanation that it has only now become aware that it can recycle bulky waste on its own cannot be true.

For more on politics, CLICK HERE.

October 1, 2021 - Where to find an affordable, walk-in Zagreb rapid antigen test with almost immediate results? Can we beat 16 minutes and 150 kuna?

A year ago, the only thing I seemed to write about was coronavirus. Providing life updates and several daily articles on such a depressing topic was pretty soul-destroying at times. And while the comprehensive corona coverage continues on TCN, I have largely tuned out of the latest situation, leaving it to my capable colleagues to handle. 

Being fully vaccinated, I encounter few restrictions, and I have not kept up-to-date with the latest developments on testing etc. 

So when I received an invitation to attend the premiere of the new James Bond movie last night, I asked my teenage daughter if she would like to be my plus one for the night. She did indeed, but we had a little bit of bureaucracy to jump though. As proof of vaccination or negative test was a prerequisite for all attendees, I found myself looking around for an immediate Zagreb rapid antigen test centre so that my daughter could join me at the Bond movie. 

I had assumed that the concept of walkin tests would be fairly well-established by now. A couple of friends suggested I try the Andrija Stampar Institute which was both quick and reasonably priced. So into the car we hopped and headed up the hill to northern Zagreb. 

My heart sank. A notice by the entrance that all tests needed to be booked in advance was confirmed at the gate. I had the option to walk 20 metres and sign up for an immediate PCR test, cost 450 kuna, and no, they were not aware of any other Zagreb rapid antigen test with immediate results.  

Time was not on our side. Not only did we need to get the test and the result the same day, but we also had to get home and ready for school. Perhaps I should not have been surprised, but I genuinely was at the seemingly lack of availability of such an important service. With more and more events requiring such confirmations, I thought a quick service would be more widely available. 

A little more research online and asking around at Stampar all pointed to the same solution - a walk-in test option with immediate results at Prima Nova on Nemetova Ulica 2, some 5 minutes further nother from the Andrija Stampar Institute. 

Located next to Polyclinic Aviva, Prima Nova came up trumps with outstanding service that I could only have dreamed of. There was zero queue, we were asked if we wanted to talk in Croatian, English, German, Italian or Spanish, and we were given the option of an email result or waiting 15 minutes for a hard copy. Total price 150 kuna.

Having learned that a paper in the hand is worth two in the promised email, we decided to wait. And we were soon rewarded  - just 16 minutes after taking the test, the all-important stamped hard copy of a negative test - 007, here we come. 

Prima Nova is on the right of the Polyclinic Aviva through this entrance door. Excellent service at what seems to be the quickest time and most competitive price. 

Does anyone have a better experience and we will add to this article? Contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Subject Testing 

The Zagreb Tourist Board has an up-to-date list of all the testing points in the city, including prices, waiting times, translations, and whether or not you need to order. 

For the latest news on coronavirus in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

The Total Croatia travel update also has lots of useful information on coronavirus in Croatia.

September 30, 2021 - Dinamo tops Genk away in Belgium in the second round of the Europa League Group H. 

Dinamo played the second round of the Europa League Group H against Genk in Belgium. Dinamo won 3:0 with goals from Ivanušec (10') and Petković (45 + 3' - 11m, 67 '- 11m).

Dinamo recorded their first victory in this season's Europa League. The Croatian champion played away against Genk in the 2nd round of Group H and beat the host 3:0. After losing to West Ham (0:2) in the first round, Dinamo holds second place behind the English Premier League club. 

Dinamo has visited Belgium three times since Croatian independence until this Thursday, all in Europa League matches, and won all three times without conceding a goal. This tradition continued today.

Genk opened the game better and was more dangerous through possession, but Dinamo was the one who knew how to use the chance when it appeared.

The first goal was scored by the Croatian champion in the 10th minute. Luka Ivanušec scored for the 1:0 lead. 

Before the end of the first half, Dinamo shook the goal post after Oršić's shot, the home team retaliated in the same way through Heynen, and Dinamo again had a chance to increase the lead. Duje Čop fell in the penalty area after being hit by Toma, which was reviewed by VAR and called for a penalty. In the third minute of the extra time, Bruno Petković scored for 2:0.

Petković once again had an opportunity to score from the penalty spot and did in the 67th minute. Dinamo then calmly brought the game to an end at 3:0. 

After two matches played in the group, West Ham leads the table with six points. Dinamo is in second place with three points, the same as the third-placed Genk. Rapid is in last with one point. 

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

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE.

ZAGREB, 29 Sept, 2021 - The Zagreb Holding Group had a loss of HRK 60.8 million in the first six months of 2021, which is significantly less in comparison to the H1 2020, when the loss amounted to HRK 139.6 million, the group's financial statement released on the Zagreb Stock Exchange on Wednesday indicate.

The Zagreb Holding Group comprises the Zagreb Holding d.o.o., which is completely owned by the City of Zagreb and its 14 branches and 8 companies and institutions.

The Group's total revenue in the first six months of 2021 amounted to HRK 2.02 billion, which is 7% more year on year, whereas expenditure amounted to HRK 20.8 billion or 3% more.

Revenue from business operations amounted to HRK 1.96 billion, or 7.4% more y-o-y, as a result of economic recovery.

The most significant growth in the Group's revenue was generated in the energy sector and the supply and distribution of gas, primarily through expanding new distribution areas and an increase of 11% in the delivery of gas supplies.

At the same time, material costs and the cost of services increased by HRK 28.2 million or 3%.

The Group's results are still largely impacted by losses in the Čistoća - city waste collection service which registered a loss of HRK 85.7 million in H1.

At the end of June, the Group had 7,765 employees. Personnel costs in H1 amounted to HRK 611 million or HRK 12 million more than last year.

The Group's investments reached HRK 146.5 million, with an additional HRK 26.2 million invested in the construction of public premises.

 There were 7,765 employees on the group+s payroll at the end of June.

(€1 = HRK 7.489688)

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 28 Sept, 2021 - Zagreb Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec told a news conference on Tuesday that the city had relieved of their duties former members of the Steering Board of the Zagreb Child and Youth Protection Centre, and appointed three new members, including new Board chair Gordana Keresteš.

Dolenec said that Keresteš was a full-time professor at the Department for Developmental Psychology of the Zagreb Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and that the other two new members of the Board were Andrea Jambrošić Sakoman, a psychiatrist from the Vrapče Psychiatric Hospital, and Lora Vidović, former Ombudswoman and head of the UNICEF Office Croatia.

"The new Steering Board, which will meet shortly, has the task to formally accept the resignation tendered by Centre head Gordana Buljan Flander, appoint the Centre's acting head and call applications for its new head," Dolenec said.

Asked if he would promptly replace the Centre's Steering Board if the editor in chief of the H-alter web portal, which was banned by a court injunction from reporting about the Centre, were not a member of the We Can! platform, Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević of the We Can! platform said that he would.

"Of course I would, this is about the event itself, the court decision and the very act of seeking a court injunction to ban media from reporting about the Centre's work and its director in the future. It has been condemned by all political actors in this country, from those in power to those in the opposition," Tomašević said.

He added that it was an act of common sense to condemn the court injunction by replacing the Centre's Steering Board, thus sending the message to all city-run institutions and companies and offices that they were liable to public criticism and had to answer to it with arguments.

The former head of the Zagreb Child and Youth Protection Centre, Gordana Buljan Flander, resigned last Thursday following negative reactions to her demand for a court injunction to stop the H-alter website writing about her and the Centre.

The injunction by Zagreb Municipal Court judge Andrija Krivak came after the nonprofit website in the past few weeks ran a series of articles by reporter Jelena Jindra problematising the work of the Zagreb Child and Youth Protection Centre and its head.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

September 28, 2021 - The Zagreb Subversive Festival 2021 will present movies and discussions on alternative, progressive solutions to burning global issues throughout October.

After the iconic Kino Europa (Europa Cinema) in Zagreb's centre closed down (despite huge support for it to remain, as well as protests), many cultural festivals that called the venue their home weren't sure where they would continue their cultural programmes.

However, many programmes successfully moved on, and the Zagreb Subversive Festival is no exception. The 14th edition of this progressive culture event is making a return to Zagreb and will last from October 3-23.

The Tuškanac Cinema, the Cultural Informative Centre (KIC), the Prosvjeta Serbian Cultural Centre (SKD Prosvjeta), and the Miroslav Krleža Institute of Lexicography joined forces to host the programme. Additionally, the online Volimdokumentarce.net (Ilovedocumentaries.net) programme will live stream online for those unable to attend the events in person.

''The Zagreb Subversive Festival 2021 is a multi-disciplinary platform inside which political theory and film join forces to shake up the status quo, identify the aesthetic of resistance and nurture a more radical approach to film, theory, and practice. We're interested in the potential transformation of our neoliberal daily lives, and the role art and culture could play in this endeavour,'' writes the official website of the Subversive Film Festival.

The festival began back in 2008, marking the 40th anniversary of 1968 global protests, and since then, it has evolved into one of the most important progressive festivals in the region. The festival is split into two sections: The Subversive Film Festival and the Subversive Forum.

The film part showcases movies that deal with topics of social injustice, social change, women's and minority rights, LGBTQ+, student and workers' issues and movements, as well as post-colonial heritage. The screenings also have a competitive nature due to the ''Wild Dreamer'' Award for the best feature, documentary, and short film categories.

The Subversive Forum portion of the festival holds conferences that present ''tools for the deconstruction of the offered normalised story about the world'', as well as the articulation of a possible alternative reality and its foundation.

Noted international movie directors, philosophers, social scientists, and activists such as Oliver Stone, Toni Negri, Slavoj Žižek, Michael Hardt, and many others have attended and participated in the Zagreb Subversive Festival over the years.

The 14th edition has a central topic, ''A Post-COVID Democracy: The Ethics of Fight and Solidarity Poetics'' and thirty movie titles are confirmed for the programme, which will be filled with exhibitions, lectures, and discussions that will stretch throughout the month of October.

Learn more about Zagreb in our TC guide. 

For more about culture in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.