ZAGREB, 28 Sept, 2021 - The Croatian Chamber of Agriculture (HPK) on Tuesday requested a meeting with Mayor Tomislav Tomašević after the announcements that fairs and food festivals could be relocated from the centre of Zagreb caused concern among HPK members.

The HPK president Mladen Jakopović said in a press release that in recent years Zagreb residents have had an opportunity to buy home-made products and locally grown agricultural produce at various events organised in the main square Trg Bana Jelačića.

Lately, we have received information from the organisers of such events and from producers that the new city administration seems inclined to relocate those events to less attractive venues.

That's why the HPK would like to meet with Mayor Tomašević and his aides to discuss the matter and present their position on the short supply chains and the protection of domestic production, Jakopović said.

The HPK is willing to provide the City of Zagreb with all the necessary support to improve, in cooperation with farmers, the availability of locally grown agricultural products to all citizens of Zagreb, in compliance with the EU criteria and the criteria for the protection of urban space.

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

September 27, 2021 - Outgoing Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador Nimrod Dean Kuchel invites you to his final event, a Zagreb Meet-Up and Pitch Night at Canopy by Hilton. 

From the moment he landed at Zagreb Airport and even before he took up residence as the Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador for September, Israeli Nimrod Dean Kuchel has been working tirelessly to tell the remote work community about the joys of the Croatian capital. 

Accepting an invitation to speak at the inaugural Zagreb Digital Nomad Week back in June, Kuchel's engaging presentation on building community was one of the highlights of a thought-provoking week (you can see his presentation below). 

The conclusions of an experienced digital nomad who has travelled the world to over 100 countries in 7 years )and with an online DN community of 24,000 people) were encouraging indeed. In a brief interview at the end of that week, he declared that Zagreb ticked all the boxes for digital nomads, and that the only thing missing in Zagreb was more digital nomads. 

Just over two months later, Dean was back, this time as the official Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador for September. Over welcome drinks, he declared his intention to do as much as he could to unite and grow the community during his time in Zagreb. 

The Digital Nomads Croatia Facebook group hosted an Ask Me Anything (AMA) evening with Dean a couple of weeks, ago at Bustan, which was a well-attended event by locals and digital nomads in the city. Dean has been busy exploring all the co-working spaces in the city, as well as aspects of its social life I will never know about, and is now organising one last event before he hands over the ambassador baton to South African Andrae Smith, who takes up residence at Doma Zagreb Aparthotel on October 1.  

Dean is organising a Zagreb Meet-Up and Pitch Night from 18:00 on Friday, October 1, an opportunity to network and make new friends. The highlight of the evening will be 5 live speakers, sharing travel and digital nomad stories from around the world. 

The event will be held where part of Zagreb's digital nomad story began. Canopy by Hilton Zagreb hosted the opening day of Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, and it has since proved to be a hit with visiting nomads. The combination of excellent Internet, services within the hotel, nearby gym and various food options in the  Branimir Centre where it is located, has proved to be a winning combination. 

The Zagreb Meet-Up and Pitch Night will take place in the hotel's ReUnion restaurant on the ground floor. The Canopy by Hilton Zagreb team has kindly offered a welcome drink to people attending. Food and drink will be available throughout the evening, at your own cost. 

You can find more information on the Facebook event page. If you would like to attend, please inform Dean via the event page, so that he can have an idea of numbers. The invitation is open to all - here is Dean's message:

Hi friends,

It was super-awesome to meet you all on our last meet-up!

So a minute before I leave town onto my next adventure, let's meet once again, share a drink, meet new friends, and listen to 5 stories from around the world.

Our mini "Pitch-Night" will include 5 short stories of digital nomads and world travellers, followed by the usual networking event.

The location is the ReUnion restaurant in Canopy by Hilton (Branimir Centre), but please block your calendar - Friday, October 1st, happy-hour time, from 18:00.

Smash that "GOING" button, and I will see you Friday.

Love & WiFi,
Dean

*Want to share your story with the world? send me a message.

This meet-up is with the support of Digital Nomads Croatia Association, Saltwater Nomads, Total Croatia News, and the Zagreb Tourist Board - thank for all your efforts to make Zagreb feel like home to us, digital nomads.

For more news and features on digital numbers in Croatia, follow the dedicated TCN section. 

September 26, 2021 - New details have emerged in the Harald Kopitz children deaths on September 25 in the Zagreb neighborhood of Mlinovi. 

Harald Kopitz, a 56-year-old Austrian from Vienna who lives and works in Zagreb, killed his three children at 2 am on Saturday, September 25. He is said to have strangled his 7-year-old twins and 4-year old son. He also posted a haunting message on Facebook before the crime and tried to kill himself. But many questions have been left unanswered. 

Police found the lifeless bodies of three children, two seven-year-old twins, and a four-year-old boy, and their stunned father, who tried to kill himself, in an apartment in Zagreb's Mlinovi neighborhood. He was transported to KBC Sisters of Charity, where he is now being treated. He is guarded by the police at all times.

Harald Kopitz was a businessman that worked for several large companies as a financial consultant and negotiator.

The parents of the murdered children were divorced, the mother was not in Zagreb at the time of the crime, and the children were spending the weekend with their father. The police say that there were no reports of domestic violence in that family before. However, the Zagreb County State's Attorney's Office, which investigated the Mlinovi neighborhood, reported that their 56-year-old father, an Austrian citizen, was suspected of killing the three minor children.

The Prosecutor's Office stated that, in cooperation with the police, it took further measures and actions within its competence to determine all the circumstances of these criminal offenses.

But while the police and the Prosecutor's Office are trying to unravel all the circumstances of the horrific crime, information is leaking to the public about the murder and the killer, reports Index.hr.

According to the latest information obtained by Index from sources close to the investigation, investigators, who first believed that Kopitz strangled his children, are increasingly inclined to think that the key to death was poisoning, probably pills.

However, suffocation injuries were found on the bodies of the three children, so investigators suspect that the father poisoned and suffocated the children, Index has learned.

But what exactly caused the deaths of the children will be determined by the expected autopsy results, as well as by toxicological expertise.

It is also possible that some of the children died of poisoning and some by suffocation.

The cause of death of the three children is one of the critical questions to which there is no answer yet. In addition, in the coming days, investigators will search for answers to questions that prompted the perpetrator to commit such a crime, whether he planned everything, but also whether he was under the influence of any means that would affect his judgment.

The children were with their father for the weekend as the ex-wife left them on Friday to go on a business trip to Dubrovnik. Around midnight, it is suspected that Kopitz got the children ready for sleep and gave them a cocktail of various pills and medicines before. According to Večernji List, the children, or one of them, started to wake up, and Kopitz then began to choke them.

However, it is not yet known what exactly the children died of and whether it was suffocation or poisoning, as investigators increasingly believe.

When he was convinced that none of the three children were breathing anymore, one by one, he took them in his arms and carried them to the couch in the living room. He laid them next to each other and placed their favorite toys around them.

A gruesome scene greeted police officers who came out to report a possible suicide. Namely, shortly after midnight, the 56-year-old Austrian posted a farewell status on Facebook and Instagram.

One of his acquaintances noticed this status and informed the police, who immediately went to the apartment. But it was too late. The status has since been removed from Facebook but remains on Instagram and Linkedin. 

The officers were shocked by the horrific scene, and to experienced investigators, this was one of the scariest scenes they had ever witnessed. Children's clothes were hanging on the window of the apartment where the horror took place that morning.

The officers at the scene will require psychological help.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere condolences to my mother and extended family members as a police officer, but also on my behalf, a mother and parent. Given that this is a very traumatic event, the police officers will be provided with professional assistance," said Nikolina Grubišić Požar from the Zagreb Juvenile Delinquency Department in a statement in front of the Zagreb police headquarters.

Grubišić Požar added that upon arriving at the scene in Mlinovi, a man was found in poor health and three minor children who showed no signs of life.

"The arrival of the emergency medical doctor confirmed the death of the children and that it was a violent death. The citizen was provided with medical assistance and placed at Sisters of Charity Hospital, where he is hospitalized," Grubišić Požar added, concluding that a criminal investigation was underway.

The Zagreb police had no information, nor had they ever intervened in a family in the Zagreb neighborhood of Mlinovi.

The director of the Sisters of Charity Hospital, Davor Vagić, said that 56-year-old Harald Kopitz is stable for now.

"Tonight, a 56-year-old man with a narrowed consciousness was brought by ambulance accompanied by the police. The patient was treated in our unified Emergency Hospital, after which he was transferred to our intensive care unit, where further diagnostics and treatment were made," said Vagić in an extraordinary address to the press in front of the Vinogradska Hospital.

According to him, the patient is stable and with no life-threatening conditions.

"The man is conscious. Absolutely all possible findings are being made under the suspicion that he was under the influence of psychopharmaceuticals, but we cannot say that definitively," Dr. Vagić emphasized.

Psychopharmaceuticals are generally considered drugs that affect mental processes, so they are used to treat mental illness and disorders. They include several groups of drugs such as psycholeptics (antipsychotics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and sedatives), psychoanaleptics (antidepressants, psychostimulants, nootropics, and anti-dementia drugs), and other drugs that act on the central nervous system. However, in a broader sense, psychopharmaceuticals are considered chemical substances that, in a specific dose, have a special effect on mental life and cognitive behavior.

Psychiatrist Herman Vukušić said that mentioning psychopharmaceuticals, in this case, could be harmful because it could lead to patients shying away from them and that it is almost impossible for these drugs to be the cause of such a crime.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Family and Social Policy Margareta Mađerić said that the competent Center for Social Welfare had no information about domestic violence.

"The Center for Social Welfare did not have any reports, of individuals, mothers, but also of any other bodies, which would indicate domestic violence against children or mothers," Mađerić said at a press conference.

She pointed out that this family was in a mandatory consultation at the competent Center for Social Welfare in 2018, adding that this is the standard procedure for all divorced couples.

She said that the father and mother of the children then came to the Center together and agreed to have joint custody of their three children.

"After that, there was no action by the Social Welfare Center. The center could not act because they did not have information that there was violence," said Mađerić.

At the same time, she called on the citizens to immediately report any suspicion of violence in their environment to the competent institutions.

While investigators are trying to unravel all the circumstances of the horrific crime, the mother, devastated by what happened, went to Neum, where she was born.

According to unofficial information, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Dnevni Avaz writes that the children will be buried in Neum.

Dragan Jurković, the mayor of Neum, explained the connection between the mother and Neum. He also said the children were there this summer.

"She finished primary school in Neum, her parents live in Neum, and the children stayed in Neum over the summer," Jurković told Avaz.

He announced a day of mourning if the funeral is in Neum.

"If the funeral of the children is in Neum, we will declare a day of mourning on that day. I am very sorry. I express my sincere condolences," concluded Jurković.

TCN will be updating this story as things develop. 

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

September 25, 2021 - A press conference related to the overnight Zagreb child deaths of the three children of Austrian Harald Kopitz has taken place.

Reporting on the story so far:

Austrian Father Kills 3 Kids in Zagreb, Cites Masons on Facebook

What We Know about Harald Kopitz, Austrian Father Who Killed His 3 Kids 

Below is the transcript in full courtesy of Index.hr.

HARALD KOPITZ, a 56-year-old Austrian from Vienna who lives and works in Zagreb, killed his three children last night in the Mlinovi neighborhood. He strangled twins at the age of seven and a son at the age of four. He then posted a message on Facebook and then tried to kill himself by poisoning.

His friend, who saw a farewell message on Facebook, informed the police about a possible suicide attempt. When police arrived at the crime scene, they found Kopitz and three dead children.

Kopitz was immediately transferred to the KBC Sisters of Mercy hospital, where doctors fought for his life. He is stable now. He faces up to 50 years in prison.

State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor, Pension System, Family and Social Policy Margareta Madjeric convened a press conference on the murder.

She made a statement at the beginning.

"We are shocked. It is completely incomprehensible what happened. The situation is terrible. I express my sincerest condolences, primarily to the mother, but also to the whole family," she said.

"The family was at the Social Welfare Center during counseling in 2018. The family divorced. The parents came together, had a joint care agreement and there was no action after that. The center did not have a single indication, either by individuals, mothers or any other bodies that would point to violence,” the secretary of state said.

She called on everyone to always report violence if they have information.

The director of KBC Sisters of Charity Davor Vagić gave a statement about his health condition.

"Absolutely all possible findings are being made due to the suspicion that he was under the influence of psychopharmaceuticals, but we cannot say that with certainty."

Journalists asked him if the perpetrator of the horrific crime was conscious, but he did not answer directly.

"The police are with him and he is under police supervision all the time. You will need to ask the police that part," Vagić said.

He also talked about the condition of Kopitz.

"The first and basic thing is that life functions and everything else is in order and we are sure that he is stable in that regard. Only then will long-term relocation and further care be agreed upon," Vagić said.

September 25, 2021 - The Austrian father that killed his 3 children in the early hours of September 25 has been named Harald Kopitz. Here is what we know about him so far. 

Harald Kopitz, a 56-year-old Austrian from Vienna who lives and works in Zagreb, killed his three children at 2 am on Saturday, September 25. He is said to have strangled his 7-year-old twins and 4-year old son. He also posted a haunting message on Facebook before the crime and tried to kill himself.

A friend who saw Kopitz's farewell message on Facebook informed the police about a possible suicide attempt. When police arrived at the crime scene, they found Kopitz and his three dead children.

Kopitz was immediately transferred to KBC Sisters of Charity. He was hypothermic when he was brought to the hospital and unconscious and thus placed in an intensive care unit. A diagnostic procedure is underway to determine exactly which pills were taken and whether he has any other chronic illnesses. For now, he is stable and under intensive medical care, said the Sisters of Charity Hospital.

What we know about Harald Kopitz so far

Index.hr reports that Harald Kopitz is an experienced financial consultant who graduated from the Donau-Universität Krems and held a Master of Business Administration (MBA), has worked in some leading Austrian leasing companies, but also in management positions at Robert Bosch AG, Alcatel AG, and others. He is an Austrian citizen with a permanent Croatian address, and according to available data, he was born in 1965.

Namely, he worked for 13 years as a member of the Board of Directors and 5 years as the head of international marketing and business development in the CEE region at VB Leasing, 7 years as a manager at Robert Bosch AG, with a focus on development marketing, and for Alcatel Austria and AKG Acoustics.

Before the brutal crime, he posted on social media stating that his girlfriend had left him because his ex-wife was bad to her and that he had run out of money. He also mentions his 'brothers from the Freemasons lodge.'

"Today, September 25, at around 2 am in the center of Mlinovi, based on information about the announced suicide received from citizens due to posts on social networks, a 56-year-old man was found in the apartment who was in poor health when police officers entered.

Three children without signs of life were also found at the scene. The arrival of the ambulance confirmed the violent death of the children, while the man was transported to KBC Sisters of Charity, where he was kept for treatment. The investigation was conducted under the direction of the Deputy County State's Attorney, and a criminal investigation is underway," the Zagreb police said.

At the time of the crime, the children's mother was not in Zagreb, and the children were spending the weekend with their father.

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

September 25, 2021 - An unsettling story in Croatia this morning as an Austrian father kills 3 kids in Zagreb, leaving a haunting Facebook message before committing the crime. Here is what we know so far. 

In the Zagreb settlement of Mlinovi, the police found three dead children and their father (56), who tried to kill himself at around 2 am. After being found in the apartment where he likely killed his three children - 7-year-old twins (boy and girl), and a 4-year-old boy, he tried to kill himself with poison or pills. He is now in the hospital and is stable, reports Vecernji List.

Zagreb police released a statement about the gruesome event.

"Today, September 25, at around 2 am in the center of Mlinovi, based on information about the announced suicide received from citizens due to posts on social networks, a 56-year-old man was found in the apartment who was in poor health when police officers entered.

Three children without signs of life were also found at the scene. The arrival of the ambulance confirmed the violent death of the children, while the man was transported to KBC Sisters of Charity, where he was kept for treatment. The investigation was conducted under the direction of the Deputy County State's Attorney, and a criminal investigation is underway," the Zagreb police said.

DORH also spoke about the case. "The on-duty Deputy County State's Attorney at the Zagreb County State's Attorney's Office conducted an investigation in Zagreb in the early morning hours of September 25, 2021, in cooperation with police officers, to find three dead bodies in an apartment. There is reason to suspect that he is an Austrian citizen (1965) who committed the criminal offenses of aggravated murder under Article 111 of the Criminal Code to the detriment of three minor children. The Zagreb County State's Attorney's Office, in cooperation with the police, is taking further measures and actions within its competence to determine all in a statement."

Croatian media have named him Harald Kopitz, an Austrian with a Croatian address, who lives and works in Zagreb. He worked in reputable Austrian leasing companies and had a consulting firm in Vienna. Before the brutal crime, he posted on social media stating that his girlfriend had left him because his ex-wife was bad to her and that he had run out of money. He also mentions his 'brothers from the Freemasons lodge.'

At the time of the crime, the mother of the children was not in Zagreb, and the children were spending the weekend with their father.

TCN will be updating this story as things develop. 

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

September 25, 2021 - A bilateral meeting between Slovenian and Croatian business people was held at the Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb as part of the Lifestyle CHECK IN brand.

The beauties of Slovenia are widely known. From Lakes Bled and Bohinj, Triglav, cities of Ljubljana and Maribor to Kranjska Gora and the Julian Alps, this green country is located in southern Central Europe, offers a wide range of opportunities for a quality vacation, but also for a comfortable life, work, and education. This, as well as the many other qualities of this country, through numerous examples and with guests from economic and diplomatic life, was discussed by the participants of the "Beauty of Slovenia" event, held at the Hotel Esplanade in Zagreb.

During the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union to further strengthen the traditionally intensive and successful economic cooperation and cultural exchange between Croatia and Slovenia, the event brought together numerous Croatian and Slovenian business people from various sectors. Thus, it was an opportunity for even better mutual acquaintance, exchange of experiences, but also to establish concrete business relations.

The event was attended by Mr. Bernard Šrajner, Counselor for Economy at the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Zagreb, who emphasized the excellent connection between the two neighboring countries on many levels. "The global health crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic may have slowed us down for a while, but it has not and will not stop us from deepening our economic and other ties between Zagreb and Ljubljana," he said.

Besides him, the diplomatic delegation also included the Ambassador of Romania to the Republic of Croatia, HE E. Constantin - Mihail Grigorie, Honorary Consul of Romania in Croatia Mr. Stjepan Roglić, Mr. Ilario Schietto First Secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Italy in Croatia and Attaché for Trade Promotion at the Institute of Foreign Trade, Ms. Sandra di Carlo.

Mr. Joze Tomaš, President of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce - Split County Chamber, also pointed out the positive results from the cooperation between the two countries' chambers of commerce. He emphasized that this event, organized by the international platform Lifestyle CHECK IN based in Split, is an additional input to the excellent cooperation between Croatia and Slovenia. "This project brings foreign entrepreneurs closer and presents to them the most valuable thing we have in Croatia - our unique lifestyle in a unique natural environment. I believe that the citizens of Slovenia, as well as many other international guests, will recognize the off-season potential of our country as a place for professional work and development, thanks to the benefits that Croatia offers to the growing business category - digital nomads. Working from some of the Croatian locations by the sea, their lives will be more pleasant thanks to the mild and pleasant climate and significantly reduced stress," added Joze Tomaš.

The artistic part of the program included the performance of the renowned jazz singer Jadranka Juras, and numerous Croatian and Slovenian artists and designers were presented, such as the sculptor Hrvoje Dumančić with his recognizable and unique horse sculptures and the painter and graphic artist Leon Zakrajšek with his works.

The colours of fashion design were 'defended' by the designers Ivana Jurić and Draž Knitwear who on this occasion showed some of their models, adorned by beautiful jewelry by world-famous Slovenian designer Olga Košica. The event was moderated by the Croatian presenter with a Slovenian address, Ivana Šundov, who briefly presented numerous business people from Croatia, Slovenia, but also Austria and Germany, among which: Quintessentially – global luxury concierge lifestyle club, SAMSIC – European leader in facility management and ORBICO – leading Croatian distributor of numerous high-quality brands. 

Lifestyle CHECK IN is one in a series of events aimed at bringing together business and diplomacy. “Before this event, with all the organizational challenges brought by the pandemic, we held the events with Austria Romania as partner countries. The ones to follow soon will focus on other European countries and their numerous beauties," announced Monica Ioanițescu, an entrepreneur based in Split and founder of the Lifestyle CHECK IN platform.

For more, follow our lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 24 Sept 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Friday received for talks representatives of the International Judo Federation (IJF) and the Croatian Judo Federation, on the occasion of the IJF World Judo Tour - Zagreb Grand Prix 2021.

IJF president Marius Vizer, Croatian Judo Federation president Sandra Čorak, Croatian Judo Federation honorary president Tomislav Čuljak, and Hrvoje Lindi, secretary general of the Croatian Judo Federation attended the meeting. The prime minister was accompanied by Tourism and Sports Minister Nikolina Brnjac.

They discussed the upcoming Grand Prix in Zagreb, a competition important for promoting judo and Croatia in the world, which PM Plenković will officially open today.

PM Plenković congratulated the International Judo Federation and the Croatian Judo Federation on their many activities and expressed the government's continued support for developing sports and encouraging sport activities for a healthier and more active life, especially among young people. Also, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports provides continuous financial support to the activities of the Croatian Judo Federation.

The meeting underscored the importance of popularising judo among young people and its participants mentioned Croatian judoka Barbara Matić's success and her gold medal at the World Judo Championship in Budapest.

For more on sport, CLICK HERE.

September 24, 2021 - Can you imagine if Zagreb had a coastline instead of being landlocked? TCN reporter Ivor Kruljac shares his coastal Zagreb fantasy through the magic of really, genuinely terrible photoshop.

With autumn officially here, both on the calendar and evidenced by less stable weather, Zagreb is returning back to the spotlight. Students are arriving from all over to the biggest university in the country, and Zagreb is also a city where many come for job opportunities outside of the tourist season. Add the fact that as capital, Zagreb is also the centre of politics, science, culture, art, economy, and more, makes the city the place to be. It is the beating heart of the country (although many would agree that further decentralisation should be welcomed).

However, despite being a big, metropolitan, open-to-diversity city, Zagreb is far from perfect. Many issues were left unchanged by the late Mayor Milan Bandić (followed by a series of alleged corruption arrests), expensive real estate, and other political and social troubles one can expect in a big city. That said, a much bigger problem for this writer is that Zagreb sadly isn't a coastal city.

Imagine how awesome would it be if Zagreb had its own exit to the Adriatic Sea, combining all the benefits of a capital city with the seaside. The joy of the Adriatic air, sea-trade transport income, maybe a bit of fishing, and of course, places to jump in and swim and chill on a hot summer day (yes, there are the Bundek and Jarun lakes, but that's just not it).
It's a fantasy I couldn't which more more, particularly during heat waves which can be absolutely unbearable in Zagreb.

The little gulf that could...

So, how would that work outside of mere wishful thinking?

Well, there is a simple natural explanation that would relieve Zagreb of its land locked status, if only it had happened at the right place. The gulf.

As defined by Meriam-Webster, a gulf is a part of an ocean or sea extending into the land. In international terms, the Gulf of Mexico is the biggest gulf in the world, with an impressive 5,000 kilometre long coastline. Croatia has countless bays, such as Kvarner Bay. While Britannica warns that the difference between gulf and bay is not clearly defined, it is implied that bays are much smaller than gulfs. Following that, we can establish the fact that Croatia currently has bays, but not gulfs. 

However, imagine if there was a gulf through Primorje-Gorski kotar County, all the way from Kvarner Bay (by the south side of Krk Island) to Zagreb (which could be called Zagreb Bay). It wouldn't break any world records, but it would allow Zagreb an exit directly to the Adriatic sea. Have a look yourself at this terribly photoshopped map of Croatia.

An illustration of the imaginary Gorski kotar Gulf © Ivor Kruljac / Total Croatia News

The gulf could be called the Gorski kotar Gulf. And yes, this alternate reality would sink a significant number of small towns and villages, but the benefits of the gulf wouldn't contribute only to Zagreb. The population could settle along the gulf and live from fishing and from the trade provided by these connections. Who knows, maybe the economy would be better.

Zagreb's island and natural lakes 

How would Zagreb look with this geographical twist? Well, Zagreb is currently divided into the old town and Novi (new) Zagreb via the Sava river. But, with the gulf imagined as portrayed (terribly) on a photoshopped Google map, the Sava would be gone. Novi Zagreb would be an island in Zagreb Bay, while the old town would have an exit to the sea and be connected by land to Northern Croatia. The bridges across the Sava would, in this reality, go over Zagreb's channel.

In order for it to work, Jarun lake, located to the west of the old town, as well as Bundek lake in Novi Zagreb, should probably be natural lakes instead of artificial ones to provide water for the population in the past, allowing for the very first human settlements. The south of Novi Zagreb, given the depth of sea it would have in this little fantasy world, could serve for bigger cargo ship traffic while the Zagreb challen between the two sides (where the Sava currently flows) could be used for smaller boats and, of course, swimming and enjoying the refreshing seawater.

The view of the "coastal" Zagreb channel instead of the Sava river © Ivor Kruljac / Total Croatia News

The pollution-block

Given the fact that eastern Zagreb is both an industrial zone and also has the Jakuševac junkyard from the Novi Zagreb side, the waters in Zagreb clearly wouldn't be the cleanest in the country. Similar to the industrial Rijeka, whose residents often go to nearby Opatija or Lovran to enjoy the cleaner side of the Adriatic.

It's often noted that locals who actually live in coastal cities don't really go swimming that often. Maybe the same thing would apply to the imaginary coastal Zagreb's citizens too? In reality, we will never know as Zagreb is as landlocked as Switzerland or Austria is. But, one can dream big before accepting reality and booking a holiday on the lovely coast Croatia already has.

Given how beautiful the coast already is, it's not good to get too greedy.

Yes, Zagreb doesn't have a sea, but it has so many other interesting things to see and do. Learn more in our TC guide. 

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

September 23, 2021 - The first Croatian Cannabis museum will soon open in Zagreb, which will cover more than 400 m2 and have two floors, an outdoor space, and parking for all visitors.

Jutarnji List spoke to Tvrtko Kračun, the founder and co-owner of the Hemps.hr store, where you will find the largest selection of CBD oils and other CBD products.

The museum opening is scheduled for mid-December. It will be located in the building opposite the Ministry of the Interior on Petrinjska Street, which additionally attracted the public's attention.

"We did not intentionally go into it and wait for the space next to MUP to be vacated. We have been looking for adequate space with a parking lot near the city center for a long time because we believe that our museum will be interesting for tourists. We did not want to be in the 'focus' like, for example, on Ilica. Still, we wanted a space that would provide visitors with a 'casual' atmosphere while enjoying educational lectures in the open air," said Kračun, who admitted that the idea of a hemp museum came after visiting the Zagreb Chocolate Museum with his daughter.

"I liked how Mrs. Ružica did it, and I thought why not apply something like that to hemp and educate people. This is one of the changes I want to see, and not for Croatia always to be the one to follow the trends last," he explains.

The first floor will introduce visitors to the hemp plant, its morphology, species, and subspecies and will highlight the history of its use in different cultures. Through the wall of fame and the wall of shame, visitors will get to know various significant figures from history and, for example, find out the status of hemp during the Prohibition era.

"Visitors could be interested in the information that Yugoslavia was the largest producer of hemp in Europe. We will try to educate them about hemp in Slavonia and explain how it turned into a ghost at some point," Kračun explains.

On the second floor, through three separate rooms, the museum will educate visitors about medical use, examples from other countries on the use of hemp, provide information from proven scientific research on the economic impact and impact on human health - both positive and negative. Finally, in the third separate room, the museum will explain what the future holds and in what ways the plant could be used - for example, why eco-blocks are essential and what hemp materials are eco-friendly.

"We plan to use the outer part of the space for lectures and workshops that will be exclusively educational. We plan to bring lecturers with experience, both domestic and foreign," said Tvrtko Kračun, who revealed that they plan to have four employees in the museum.

"Our goal is to educate the public about hemp. I want to emphasize that we do not persuade to consume but present scientific facts and emphasize science, medicine, and the economy. For this reason, we decided to provide free entrance to the museum to employees of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of the Interior. In addition, we plan to talk to institutions and, if they are interested, include them in lectures that will be held at the museum because our goal is to provide scientifically proven positive and negative facts in one place," explains Kračun, who is pleased with the success of his Hemps stores.

"We worked very well during corona, and our webshop contributed to that. We had a space on Radićeva Street that we exceeded with our products in less than three months, so when more space was freed at the bottom of Radićeva, we moved the store there. Our Cannabis club is also progressing very well; we have several thousand members," he said. 

Anyone who joins the Cannabis Club for free, in addition to receiving discounts on Hemps products, will also be able to actively participate in the selection of exhibits at the Cannabis Museum and contribute to its appearance. Namely, they will vote which exhibitions and people are important to the industry that should be prominently displayed in the museum.

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