Flights to Croatia: Croatia Airlines Cancels Numerous Flights in September
September 1, 2020 - The latest news for flights to Croatia with updates for Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik as Croatia Airlines cancels numerous flights in September.
Croatian Aviation reports that Croatia Airlines has announced its flight schedule for September this year. The company will continue to fly to the same number of destinations as in August, but there are cancellations of certain departures on almost all routes.
Airline companies are currently revising their flight schedule 2 to 3 weeks in advance, so we have taken the period from September 1 to 21 into review.
Lines from Zagreb
Zagreb - Amsterdam: flight canceled on September 16,
Zagreb - Dubrovnik - Athens: flights canceled on September 6, 8, 13 and 17,
Zagreb - Brussels: flights canceled on September 3, 10, 15 and 17,
Zagreb - Copenhagen: flights canceled on September 12, 16 and 18,
Zagreb - Dublin: flights canceled on September 10 and 17,
Zagreb - London Heathrow: flights canceled on September 2, 4, 9 and 11,
Zagreb - Munich: canceled flights on September 2, 8, 9, 10, 13 - 18,
Zagreb - Paris: canceled flights on September 2, 8, 9 and 10,
Zagreb Split / Dubrovnik - Rome: canceled flights 1-3, 7-0 and 14. September,
Zagreb - Sarajevo: canceled flights on September 6, 7, 9, 11, 16 and 20,
Zagreb - Skopje: flights canceled on September 11, 14 and 18,
Zagreb - Vienna: flights canceled on September 2, 12, 16 and 19.
Lines from Split
Split - Frankfurt: flight canceled on September 18,
Split - Vienna: flights canceled on September 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14 and 18
Split - Zurich: flights canceled on September 7 and 16,
Lines from Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik - Athens: flights canceled on September 6, 8, 13 and 17,
Dubrovnik - Frankfurt: flight canceled on September 18,
Dubrovnik - Paris: flights canceled on September 10, 13 and 17,
Dubrovnik - Zurich: flights canceled on September 2, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 16.
Croatia Airlines canceled a total of over 80 departures (160 operations in both directions) from September 1 to 21 on international routes from Zagreb, Split, and Dubrovnik. Flights on routes after September 21 have not yet been considered, so further cancellations are also possible.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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Flights to Croatia: Windrose Announced Zagreb-Kyiv Fights from October
August 29, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates for Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Rijeka.
Croatian Aviation reports that Windrose Airlines planned to launch the Kyiv-Zagreb route at the beginning of the summer flight schedule, but this route was not established for objective reasons.
The company then postponed the date establishing traffic on this line and then canceled it completely for this year. But Windrose made another change and reopened sales, announcing the first flight for October this year.
The originally planned three flights a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) are no longer on sale, but the company plans to connect Zagreb and Kyiv twice a week, every Wednesday and Sunday. The first flight has been announced for October 4, and flights will run throughout the winter flight schedule (until the end of March 2021).
This will be the first completely new line for Zagreb Airport this year, which can certainly be considered a success in this crisis. A direct line has never connected the capitals of Ukraine and Croatia.
Windrose plans to use the E145 aircraft on the route to Zagreb, with a capacity of 48 seats. The plane will depart from Kyiv at 11:30 am, with the expected arrival in Zagreb at 12:40 pm. Departure from Zagreb is planned for 13:25, and arrival in Kyiv at 16:20.
Furthermore, Croatian Aviation reported that Poland would ban flights from 46 countries from September 2 this year, and Croatia is among the many countries, according to a draft law released on Thursday. LOT, however, previously announced numerous routes to Croatian airports for September this year.
The Polish national airline currently operates on regular routes from numerous Polish cities to as many as 5 Croatian airports: Zagreb, Rijeka, Zadar, Split, and Dubrovnik. Although many of these lines will stop operating at the end of this month, which is logical considering that the end of the summer season is approaching, the Polish company announced traffic on as many as 7 lines to Croatia through September:
Warsaw - Zagreb,
Warsaw - Rijeka,
Warsaw - Split,
Warsaw - Zadar,
Rzeszow - Zadar,
Warsaw - Dubrovnik,
Krakow - Dubrovnik.
All these routes are still on sale on the LOT website, but the Polish national airline will likely be forced to cancel flights on these routes from the mentioned date (September 2). According to the announcements of the Polish authorities, with the ban on flights between Croatia and Poland, LOT has almost no other choice.
In addition to those who planned to travel directly between Polish and Croatian cities, this decision also affected many transfer passengers that LOT attracts, given the favorable prices.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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Beli Zagreb Grad: Awarded Online Project on History and Culture of Zagreb
Zagreb, August 25, 2020 - The day after the earthquake in Zagreb, in those most vulnerable moments, a portal dedicated to Zagreb was born. Named after a famous song, Beli Zagreb Grad has so far published more than 500 inspiring stories about Zagreb, and its founder, student Barbara Grgić, told TCN her story and commented on the portal's past five months.
Beli Zagreb Grad is a project by a Dalmatian Hinterland girl, as Barbara, who is originally from Knin, likes to say. She came to Zagreb in 2015 to study Coatology and Latin at the Faculty of Croatian Studies, and currently, in addition to the faculty and running the portal, she also works in a media agency.
Barbara Grgić at the Green River Festival in Zagreb / Private archive
She initially expressed her interest in writing about Zagreb through the Instagram profile Beli Zagreb Grad, where she gathered 10,000 followers in the first year. She was already thinking about starting a portal at the time, but, as she says, we always postpone something because we think we are not ready enough.
The earthquake in Zagreb was her main trigger.
Love for Zagreb
"That morning, a little over five months ago, was certainly one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I still twitch at every vibration in the building. When life literally shakes you and wounds what is dearest to you, then all your problems, fears, and limitations fall into the water. Then the only question remains – now that you are alive and well, what is your role in this world and this city? What do you want to leave behind when you are gone and what do you want to be remembered for? These are just some of the questions I have been asking myself for the whole two years, and I found the answers in a few seconds while life was rewinding in front of my eyes," Barbara describes her decision to finally launch a portal about the city of Zagreb.
Currently, the portal employs about 20 volunteers from various fields of interest, from cultural anthropologists, ethnologists, historians, art historians, to people from Croatian, Italian, Latin, and German studies. They all have a common passion – love for Zagreb and love for writing. They do not lack motivation because they consider Zagreb to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration, thus proving that Zagreb's culture is very much alive, which makes it easy for them to find their way to their audience.
Different but unique
So far, they have covered 180 historical topics, as many as 380 events in the city on various topics (fine arts, music, film, performing arts), and held 70 interviews with artists of various profiles (artists, musicians, actors, dancers).
However, from the quantity itself, they always put the quality and educational component of the content in the first place.
"I put an enormous emphasis on inspiring stories by local artists of all kinds, which is why our interview section is so read and special," says Barbara, who, as the founder of such a successful portal, gave many interviews for various Croatian media.
Although they do journalistic work, none of the members of the Beli Zagreb Grad team are journalists, but they use it as their advantage, not a disadvantage. People with different educational backgrounds and attitudes approach the topics they write about differently, which makes this portal unique. Nevertheless, they are all bound by an interest in a deeper understanding of the topics they write about.
"We are not typical journalists and we do not ask typical journalistic questions. It is not enough for us to cover when, where, how, why, who. We want to dig deeper. Leave the reader thinking,” says Barbara, adding that originality stems from complete commitment, dedication, and interest in the topic.
Barbara Grgić with a friend Klara Halužan at the Green River Festival / Author: Hana Klain
Soon to become the leading portal for culture
And the fact that the Beli Zagreb Grad project was recognized and awarded with the third place in the Competition for the best Zagreb online projects designed and realized during the coronavirus pandemic proves that the commitment paid off.
Barbara Grgić wins an Award for the best Zagreb online projects designed and realized during the coronavirus pandemic for Beli Zagreb Grad / Private archive
Barbara points out that the stories they publish are stories they believe.
"We are a little different. We are not talking to robots that will fix our monthly analytics, but to neighbors, fellow citizens, children, young people, women and men who share the same interest as us,” explains Barbara.
Readers feel it very well, so Beli Zagreb Grad has over 5,000 new followers on social networks since March, and as many as 80,000 views on the website.
Continuing at this pace, Beli Zagreb Grad strives to become the leading portal in the field of culture in Zagreb, but also in the entire Zagreb County. As Barbara emphasizes, after all, the song, after which the portal was named, says "Lepe ti je Zagorje zelene, još je ljepši Beli Zagreb Grad“, meaning that Zagorje is also beautiful, and Zagreb is even more beautiful.
Flights to Croatia: British Airways Cancels Lines to Zagreb, Split, Pula for September
August 25, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates for Zagreb, Split and Pula.
Croatian Aviation reports that British Airways has announced operational changes to its flight schedule for September this year. Direct lines from London to Zagreb, Pula and Split are no longer!
After the company had return tickets on sale at extremely favorable prices on routes to Croatia, obviously not achieving the earnings they expected, as many as three of the four British Airways routes to Croatian destinations will be canceled in September this year.
The last announced flight on the London Heathrow - Zagreb route is planned for less than two weeks away, on Sunday, September 6. All flights in September after the mentioned date are canceled.
The company is currently keeping flights on this route from October 1, but British Airways has not yet revised its flight schedule for that month. Apart from the reduced demand due to the current coronavirus pandemic, the decision of the United Kingdom that all passengers coming from Croatia are subject to a measure of 14-day self-isolation certainly contributed to this.
The airline's seasonal line between London (Heathrow) and Pula, which has operated twice a week so far, will be canceled on Saturday, September 5, and will not work for the rest of the year.
The London (Heathrow) - Split line will operate for most of September, but this line will also be interrupted earlier than initially planned, on Saturday, September 26.
The only British Airways route to Croatia that should operate throughout September is the line between London and Dubrovnik.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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Zagreb Earthquake: Poorer Will Not Pay For Home Reconstruction
August 24, 2020 – Government proposes all reconstruction costs be borne by the state and city for the poorest homeowners in society.
In new government proposals, poorer residents of Zagreb and the two neighbouring counties most affected by this year's earthquake will pay nothing towards the cost of home reconstruction. The new proposals contained in the Law on Reconstruction of Zagreb will be officially presented in a government session on Thursday 27 August and then to parliament on September 2 or 3.
Homeowners in the City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje, and Zagreb County whose residencies were damaged are those affected by the new proposals. If a homeowner or cohabiting couple earns HRK 8,000 a month or less and does not have assets of more than HRK 200,000, the state and the city will finance the entirety of their home renovations.
In the law's first reading, it was proposed that structural renovation costs be borne 60% by the state, 20% by city or regional government, and 20% by property owners and co-owners. Property owners whose income did not exceed HRK 4,000 per month in the previous year (or cohabiting couples earning less than HRK 8,000 per month), will now be exempt from any contributions towards reconstruction, provided they did not hold assets exceeding HRK 200,000 on the day of the earthquake, 22 March 2020. Assets refer to real estate, motor vehicles, and vessels, savings and shares.
For people meeting the criteria, apartment and house renovation costs will be borne 80% by the state, and 20% by city or regional government (City of Zagreb, Krapina-Zagorje, or Zagreb County). Reconstruction costs of the homes belonging to those left disabled of the Homeland War or beneficiaries of social care who receive maintenance assistance will also be fully financed.
Damage to a dwelling on Ilica in central Zagreb © Franjo Tahy
The proposals are aimed at assisting the poorest homeowners affected, although the implications stretch much further
People who do not meet the low income/low asset criteria, who do not have a home insurance policy, must pay for 20% of their home renovation. Those who do have an insurance policy can request payment or partial payment of that 20% by their insurers.
It is possible that some unmarried couples who are living together, but not officially co-habiting, and whose income and assets exceed the set amount, could benefit before other couples who are married and legally co-habiting.
There are also potentially serious implications for those who are on a very low income, but who have inherited a property worth more than HRK 200,000 (approx €26,500).
In the final bill, there remains a provision for mortgaging real estate if the owners and co-owners cannot secure 20% of building renovation costs.
The new proposals also include the possibility of obtaining financial assistance for the repair of staircases in buildings, in addition to previously announced assistance for the repair of gable walls, elevators, chimneys, and the replacement of gas boilers.
Damage from the earthquake in Zagreb and surroundings was estimated at 86.4 billion kuna (approx €11.5 billion). The new proposals mean that a larger amount than this previous estimation will now be needed.
Zagreb the Outdoor Stage: Adapting Tourism in the Corona Era
August 21, 2020 - No destination in Croatia has adapted its tourism in the corona era as well as the Croatian capital. Meet Zagreb the Outdoor Stage.
All the world's a stage, wrote Shakespeare. And that is certainly true of Zagreb.
This has without question been the most challenging year for tourism globally. Record drops in tourism traffic with the accompanying loss of income, social distancing, the cancelling of most events, the silent but omnipresent threat of COVID-19.
Such uncertainty is hard to cope with, and many destinations had little more of a strategy of hoping that things would be alright, and that the bright blue skies and warm sunshine would keep the virus at bay.
(Zagreb Tourist Board - J. Duval)
But there has been one destination which has consistently taken the lead with an innovative approach to deal with the unfolding new realities - the capital Zagreb.
Until recently, Zagreb was not really even considered to be a major tourist destination - Croatian tourism was all about the coast after all.
And then something changed, and suddenly Zagreb became a very cool destination. So cool, in fact, that Lonely Planet named it its Best Destination in Europe in 2017.
But it was the spectacular rise of Advent in Zagreb - voted Best Christmas Market in Europe for three successive years - that really took the Zagreb tourism story around the globe. A spectacular affair, lighting up its central parks and main square, until Advent expanded slowly year on year to cover more and more nooks and crannies of the centre and upper old town.
It was a first-class display of Zagreb, the Outdoor Stage. The temperatures may not have been for the ardent t-shirt weather, but tens of thousands of tourists poured into the city to enjoy the concerts, exhibitions, ice skating, mulled wine and seasonal cheer. It was a perfect advertisement of one of the lesser - until recently - advertised aspects of tourism in the capital - the Great Outdoors.
During the lockdown, as many destinations settled for a simple message of Stay Home, Travel Later, Zagreb went a lot further with great mini-campaigns such as Zagreb Loves You and From Zagreb Balconies. It seemed that there was hardly a piece of the capital which was not showcased in these two brilliant campaigns.
The best was yet to come, however, with a new initiative in cooperation with the Zagreb County Tourist Board to truly show Zagreb, the Outdoor Stage. A new website, Around Zagreb, instantly gave Zagreb a completely new dimension as a tourist destination - and one which could not have been more timely or relevant.
With a focus on the Great Outdoors, both within the city limits with its endless parks, open spaces, outdoor concerts, and cafe culture, to the equally impressive tourism offer in the close vicinity of the city - nature, hiking, cycling, culture, authentic gourmet experiences, glimpses of the traditional way of life. Here was a healthy and appropriately socially-distance tourism focus away from the crowds which brought Zagreb into the tourist framework from a completely different perspective.
From truffle hunting - long assumed to be the preserve of Istria - to exploring the incredible street art of the city itself, Around Zagreb takes tourists away from the crowds and out into the fresh air, suggesting itineraries for families, culture buffs, romantics and nature lovers.
Zagreb's street art deserves a special mention, for it is a sub-culture genre which has really blossomed in recent years, attracting more and more creative designs all over the city. These include the famous Blue Whale mural, voted one of the top 10 in the world at the Festival d'Art Public in Montreal in 2016. Isn't it beautiful? An expert guided walking tour of the street art of Zagreb is just one outstanding and innovative tour that did not exist a decade ago.
And there are events...
Art project Okolo/Around invites you to a unique artistic stroll ‘around’ Zagreb. From August 20 to 30, "Okolo" will bring life to a number of hidden streets, forgotten aisles and treetops of Zagreb parks using them as canvases for urban art.
This year's event, in cooperation with the Zagreb Tourist Board, focuses on the wounded city, as the Croatian capital rebuilds after the devastating March 22 earthquake, with the goal of creating a more optimistic image of the city. Working with local artists, Okolo conducts a series of urban interventions with the aim of revitalising selected public spaces which congregate the community around positive and inspiring ideas.
September calls you to Zagreb's longest and most famous street to take part in a fantastic 5-year project to involve artists in developing some of the city's derelict spaces in Project Ilica Q'Art:
The Ilica 2018 project (projekt Ilica 2018) is something of a continuation of the process that began nearly two decades ago, which is now making its return, more vital than ever, as a five-year project aimed at actively encouraging the cultural and artistic development of the city of Zagreb by developing a collective vision and corresponding models of participatory management of derelict spaces, involving artists, civil society organizations, educational institutions, trades and residents. The five-year framework is designed to boost the neglected cultural infrastructure through research and practice, based on which we will develop strategic guidelines for further action and establish appropriate models of the sustainable use of today’s empty urban spaces.
(Photo credit - Međunarodni festival umjetničkih zastavica)
There are many more such events taking place all over the city, all through the year. As previously reported on TCN, the centre of Zagreb received an additional dash of colour this month with Flag Art Zagreb.
Tourism is changing around the world, but not all destinations are prepared or able to make that change. Zagreb is one such destination which is not only moving with the times, but actively looking to take the lead in new directions. If you haven't visited the Croatian capital in a while, another visit may well surprise.
For the latest news from Zagreb, check out the dedicated TCN section.
This article was sponsored by the Zagreb Tourist Board
Zagreb Holocaust Monument Is Ready. This Is How It Looks
August 19, 2020 – The 11-metre high steel Zagreb Holocaust Monument will stand between the central Post Office and Glavni Kolodvor (main train station)
The new Zagreb Holocaust Monument has been completed and is ready to be installed. The 11-metre high structure will sit atop a concrete pedestal on which six million tiny Stars of David will be imprinted. The stars signify the total number of Jews killed in the Holocaust
The Zagreb Holocaust Monument itself is made of steel and is an irregular-shaped wall comprised of three hundred suitcases, representing the essentials Jews were told only to pack prior to deportation. It was designed by Rijeka-born architect Krešimir Rogina and sculptor Dalibor Stošić. The monument will be illuminated at night and will sit next to the old locomotive train which already stands between the Post Office and train station.
Although the monument is completely finished, it is currently being kept in parts across three different factories in Zagreb. After the concrete plinth is in place, it will take approximately one month to assemble the monument on the site. Weathering steel (cor-ten steel) was specifically chosen as the construction material. Unlike some other types of steel, this metal ages over time. Different shades of rust begin to appear in patches after just six months and slowly progress to encompass the whole surface.
Some members of the Zagreb City Assembly along with the Jewish Community of Zagreb (ZOZ), the World Jewish Congress (WJC), and the Israeli Ambassador to Croatia have previously criticised the move to dedicate the Zagreb Holocaust Monument solely to the victims of the Nazi-helmed Holocaust in Europe. They say it fails to properly recognise the abhorrent crimes of ethnic cleansing committed in Croatia by the German-allied NDH. The City of Zagreb is said to be addressing the criticism by looking at the wording of the dedication that will appear on the Zagreb Holocaust Monument. It is hoped the new monument will be fully in place in time for Holocaust Memorial Day, 27 January 2021.
Meet HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
August 19, 2020 – All weather, all terrain, all year round – meet HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, amazing volunteers who will never let you down
They're never far from the news. For the last two weeks, members of HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service have yet again been on the TV news every night. They're leading the search for a summertime visitor, a Polish hiker missing on Biokovo mountain.
But, watch again this winter and, for sure, they'll be in the headlines once more. Whether, they're scaling mountain ranges in the unbearable heat of high summer, searching underwater caves, flooded rivers or the sea, breaking through wild forest or trudging through metres of snow, they undertake their search and rescue missions over every terrain, in every weather condition, in every month of the year, all across Croatia. And, they all volunteers.
Marc Rowlands meets the head of service for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service and three of its volunteers to find out who they are and what makes them do what they do.
Josip Granić, head of service for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
My name is Josip Granić. I'm the Head Of Service for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. We've had an extremely busy couple of weeks. Being head of service for an organisation like this under such circumstances means you're always on the phone; co-ordinating, talking to outside organisations, members of the press. Communication. It's a 24/7 job, 365 days a year. If people need help, you can't take a holiday. Not at this level of the organisation.
We have around 1000 members. There are 11 paid positions in the main organisation and 25 people we pay to run the administration in each of the teams or stations we have. All of the members who perform the search and rescue are volunteers. We have pilots, surgeons, nurses, students, professors, every part of society.
I'm originally from Kaštela, but my home station is in Karlovac. I've been there for 15 years. I've been Head Of Service for two. Since I assumed the position, I've spent most of my time in the car. I travel all over Croatia.
HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service missions can be hampered by extreme weather conditions © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
To get a certified position as a mountain rescuer in Croatia you all do the same training. It doesn't matter if you come from Slavonia, Dalmatia or Istria, you must have the knowledge and ability to deal with circumstances in any terrain; caves, pits, mountains, on snow, underwater.
Depending on where your station is, the type of call-outs you get could be very different. In Slavonia, 90% are for missing persons - searching forests, rivers, and in floods. We've had a big search on Biokovo mountain for the past 16 days. The stations from Split, Makarska, and Dubrovnik were at first involved, then teams from all over Croatia. It's not the same as Slavonia. The terrain is very different, so you have to be good at a particular set of skills. But, the largest percentage of call-outs is still missing persons. It's 70% of our work nationwide. The other 30% are rescues.
HGSS volunteers are educated to use a wide range of technical equipment. They are trained to operate in all the different kinds of terrain found across Croatia © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
There are usually 800 – 1000 missions a year across the country. We get roughly the same amount of calls in colder months as in warmer months. Only, winter months can be busier. The terrain is more difficult. There are some villages in Croatia – usually where the front line of the fighting was, around Karlovac, Kordun, Lika – and when it snows, it can be almost impossible to reach those places. But, some older people still live there. It can take days to reach them on snowmobiles, then skis, to deliver food or medecine. The other busiest places in winter are the ski resorts - Platak, behind Rijeka, and in Zagreb, on Sljeme. There are teams stationed in those places throughout the snow season.
What's the greatest danger of the job? Almost everything. Nothing in this job is easy. The greatest dangers we face are the same facing those that we rescue - underestimating the environment, nature, the conditions. That's where our training comes in.
In mountain rescue, we separate dangers into subjective, objective and technical. Subjective is the stuff you're guilty of - lack of preparedness, knowledge or equipment. Objective dangers are the ones you can't control, like sudden changes in weather, or avalanche. If you're sensible and informed, there should be no objective danger.
HGSS on a mission, clinging to a steep incline in Paklenica © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service "People need to be aware at all times on the mountains. By the time most people think they may be in trouble, they've usually been in trouble for five or ten minutes already" Josip Granić.
80 – 85% of the people we rescue are Croatian. Only 15 – 20% are guests. People from Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, (Austria and Slovenia too) tend to enjoy nature more. They like hiking. That's the reason there are typically more rescues for those nationalities than there are for British, Belgian, French, Italian, America, Canadian or Australian guests. I don't remember the specific year, but sometime between 15 and 20 years ago we had a season where 5 or 6 Czech nationals were being searched for or, sadly, turned up dead. The media covered it and ever since there's been this myth that all the people who get into difficulty are Czech.
The question about expensive helicopter rides - why don't you charge the people you rescue - has been here forever. It's like this - if you're a tourist and you have a car accident in Croatia, the fire service, police and an ambulance will come. You won't get charged. We are a tourist country. According to international agreements, we are obliged to make everything safe for residents and guests alike. We are here, just like the fire service and police, to do our part. The Croatian air force is responsible for the helicopter rides and I have to give credit to them - they are crazy good pilots. Amazing. Even if we did charge everyone we saved - and most of the 85% of Croatians we save would struggle to pay - it still wouldn't be anywhere near the money required to run this service.
The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service used specially trained dogs on their searches © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
In 2007, I got a new search dog. It came from the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue service in North Wales. We cooperate a lot. We were sent out on a job to look for a three-year-old male child who had gone missing near Požega at the beginning of January, wintertime. His grandma was watching him and they were in a house on the edge of the woods. Early in the morning, he was playing with a dog. It suddenly ran into the forest and the boy chased after him. The grandmother didn't see it happen. I found him using my new dog, just after 8 o'clock the next morning. He'd been alone in the freezing forest for almost 20 hours.
Time is really moving fast on a job like that, because it's a kid and because it's so cold. Survival rates in such conditions are not good after 24 hours. When I found him, saw that he was alive, those big eyes looking up at me, it's a crazy feeling. You can't describe it. You can't compare it. A lot of positive emotions.
Every mission is special. We meet them all with the same level of determination and professionalism. But, it's the ones where you know you've really saved someone that stand out in the memory. Not the broken leg, where you transported someone – sure, that's an excellent job. But, when you know you've saved someone's life, that they definitely wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you, that's what makes it all worthwhile.
Jana Mijailović, volunteer for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
My name is Jana Mijailović, I'm 48 years old and I'm from Zadar. I finished school to be a teacher, but I never did it. My husband and I run a company that does plastic and aluminium windows for houses.
I started to go into the mountains when I was at high school. I never had the ambition to be part of mountain rescue services – people just noticed me on the mountains. They said I'd be good at it and asked me to join. I met my husband on the mountains. We are both volunteers for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. I've been doing it for 16 years.
I was a member of the first and second all-female Croatian expeditions to the Himalayas. We first climbed Cho Oyu in 2007, then Mount Everest in 2009. Croatia is the only country in the world that has only one successful male climber of Mount Everest, but four successful female climbers. I sometimes work as a guide too. I guess you could say I'm all about the mountains.
Being a climber, an Alpinist, I know that if I get into trouble, it's only my HGSS colleagues who can help. I feel this instinctively. I cannot be in the house, safe and warm, knowing that maybe someone needs help that only I can provide.
HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service members entering Paklenica under foreboding skies © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
I've really been on so many expeditions with HGSS. My station are on duty in the season at National Park Paklenica and I'm now the coordinator. Climbers from all around the world come and so there are many interventions. None of them are easy because the terrain is incredibly difficult. You really have to be in shape and know the techniques inside out.
I'm very proud of my statistics. Everyone I've rescued, who was alive when I reached them, is still living today. Unfortunately, not everyone we reach is alive when we arrive.
I remember one time, my husband and I were having dinner. We were arguing about the techniques and knots for moving a stretcher down a vertical climb. The training is so intense, you really have to know it well, and I guess that's just the kind of people that we are, that we would be arguing about it in our free time. Ha! He told me, "Why do you care? You'll never have to do that," because usually, it's really strong guys who do that specific job. If you're on a 400-metre-high section of rock, it really takes a lot of muscle.
Ascending from a valley floor or descending from a mountain peak with a stretcher is a technically difficult operation, often hindered by darkness and adverse weather conditions. It requires a lot of training and a lot of muscle © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
In the evening, just two days later, we were called out to rescue an Italian guy who broke his leg on Anića Kuk. It's a really mighty part of the stone. And the leader of the expedition asked me to go on the stretcher. They pull you down on the ropes and you have to push very hard to keep the stretcher, the person you're carrying and yourself away from the rock, while balancing the weight of all three. It was dark, raining and with lots of Bura, the incredibly strong wind that sometimes hits us. That's probably my most memorable rescue.
Petar Prpić, firefighter and volunteer for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
My name is Petar Prpić, I'm 25 years old and I'm from Hrvatska Kostajnica, just on the Croatian-Bosnian border. My station is in Novska. In my full-time job I'm a professional firefighter. I guess I have two dangerous jobs. Well, one job and one hobby.
I've always been interested in the outdoors – mountaineering, hiking, canoeing. But, that's not why I joined HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. I just wanted to help people. I don't know, I guess it's just something in me.
We have a lot of rivers in our area. During the times of flood, we get a lot of call-outs. Our part of the country has a high percentage of elderly people in the population. A lot of them live in small villages, on the edge of the forest. We get a lot of call-outs for searches. Especially in the autumn when people go out looking for chestnuts or mushrooms. But, like all the stations in Croatia, we are here year-round if there are any actions in other parts of the country that need us.
In some areas, HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service are frequently called out in response to flooding. This picture shows HGSS members on operation during the 2014 floods. In that year, flooding across the whole region was so bad that HGSS members operated not only in Croatia, but also donated their services to neighbouring Bosnia and Serbia © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
I was just on the search in Biokovo. The head of service called me and asked me to go. I first had to get some free days from my job. I called my boss, Zvonimir Ljubičić, chief of the fire department. He's great, very understanding, and he gave me permission. Two years ago I was called to Rab. Very hard operation, very difficult terrain.
Late last summer, we were called out to look for an older man near Glina. It was around 11 o'clock in the evening. He'd gone to look for mushrooms in the afternoon and never came back. Police were there and they sent for us.
The man had a cell phone on him, but there was no signal. There was no location given off the phone. We were a team of four, split into two teams. We went up into the woods above Glina and concentrated our search on areas where we could see there was no telephone signal on our phones. We were yelling in the dark. After an hour of search, someone answered. He'd been missing since 2pm. We found him at 2am. He was just lying there, uninjured but unwell, unable to move.
The reason it sticks in my mind is that the next day, in the morning, his daughter called me. She was so thankful, so emotional. For sure we saved his life. None of the other emergency services who were present could find him. It was down to us. We finished the operation at about 6am and then all four of us had to go immediately to our regular jobs.
Mario Franolić, physician, ex-commando and volunteer for HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
My name is Mario Franolić and I'm 60 years old. I'm the chief of the mountain rescue service in Istria. I travel throughout Croatia because I'm also an instructor for the medical commission of HGSS. I was born on island Krk. I'm based in Pula although I work in Rijeka. I travel a lot between the two. I've been with HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service for 18 years.
In my day job, I'm a physician. I am a senior mentor at the Institute for Underwater and Hyperbaric Medecine in the Clinical Hospital Rijeka. I'm an expert in my field of emergency medecine. I've been doing it for almost 30 years.
When I was young, I trained to be a physician in Belgrade. It was then the best medical faculty in Yugoslavia. At the same time, I also started spelunking (cave exploration). I've been doing it since 1978. Later, I was a physician in the military underwater commando unit. I lived in Austria for five years, but when I came to Pula, they were just starting the HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service station here. They asked me for help because they didn't have any medical professional on the team. I accepted. It would be a waste not to use all these skills I have.
Specialist teams from HGSS are trained in underwater rescue from caves. Such caves exist all over Croatia in the karst rock, and also on some islands © HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Sometimes, our status as volunteers can give us problems. Although we have official duties, we are more like an NGO than something like the police. There can be legal implications. I remember one situation, very acute because a paraglider fell from the sky. None of his colleagues saw him fall. Paragliders go into the air together, but then they each branch off to do their own thing.
We had no idea about the location. We started from the last point of sighting, knowing that it could be very far from the place where he actually fell. But, we had to start somewhere. We had one mobile phone signal direction. But, you need three in order to locate someone. We only had a line on the map.
In the past, HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service sometimes had difficulties because the telephone companies wouldn't give us the information we needed in order to triangulate the position of a missing person. They would only give it to the police. But, it's a race against time. We searched for this man all day and all night. In the morning, some Croatian paragliders made private contact with a guy from the phone company. They begged him to release the information we needed. Although he could lose his job, giving such information to private citizens, he did it.
We found the man about 150 metres from where we were. Sadly, he was already dead. It was very small comfort to see that he had died instantly, on impact. It's unbearable when you reach someone you could have saved if only you had got there quicker, especially in an instance such as this, where we were hindered by a lack of information that was available. I think it moves more quickly now, but still we have to go through the police.
© HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
One of the most emotional operations I went on was around five years ago, the rescue of a young girl - maybe two and a half to three years old – who got lost in the woods in a small place in central Istria. She chased into the forest after some dogs around 10 or 11 in the morning. The family saw immediately that she had disappeared and started to search. About two hours later, we were called out. It was impossible for the family to find her.
About 300 people came – my station, the Rijeka station, hunters, firemen, police and volunteers. In such an operation, the police are the lead service. But, 99% of the time they leave the organisation of the search to HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service. We are the only organisation who is very well educated in organising searches. When other people do searches, they use intuition. But, people all have different intuition. It can be chaotic. We are highly trained for this. There are procedures, recognised internationally, that we follow. We found her early in the morning, at around 7 o'clock. The dogs were lying on each side of her, giving her warmth.
All photos courtesy volunteers and HGSS The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service
Flights to Croatia: Eurowings Boosts Traffic in September, 76 Weekly Operations
August 17, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for flights to Croatia with updates for Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Rijeka, Zadar, and Osijek.
Croatian Aviation reports that Eurowings, a low-budget German airline owned by the Lufthansa Group, has announced its flight schedule for September this year.
The company was among the first to establish regular traffic to Croatia, but as the end of the summer season approaches, Eurowings will also reduce the number of weekly flights to specific destinations.
Find the complete flight schedule to Croatian destinations below.
40 operations a week to Split
Split Airport will still have the largest number of Eurowings flights. Moreover, the number of weekly flights in September will be higher than in August!
Split - Dusseldorf will operate 4 times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays), one flight less per week compared to August,
Split - Hamburg will operate 4 times a week (Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays), one flight extra than in August,
Split - Cologne will operate 5 times a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays twice a day and Sundays), one extra flight than in August,
Split - Stuttgart will operate 4 times a week (Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays),
Split - Hannover will operate once a week, on Saturdays,
Split - Berlin will operate twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays), one extra flight compared to August.
Rijeka and Zadar see reduced traffic, the line to Osijek is canceled
As for the traffic to the three airports mentioned above, the number of weekly frequencies will decrease in September:
Rijeka - Dusseldorf will operate once a week, on Saturdays (one flight less per week compared to August),
Rijeka - Hamburg will operate once a week, on Sundays,
Pula - Dusseldorf will operate once a week, on Saturdays,
Zadar - Cologne will operate once a week, on Saturdays,
Zadar - Stuttgart will operate twice a week until September 9, after the mentioned date once a week, on Sundays,
Osijek - Stuttgart line will not be in operation in September this year.
Eurowings returns to Dubrovnik
As announced earlier, Eurowings will re-establish traffic to Dubrovnik in September. Initially, the company planned to launch four lines, but canceled the line from Cologne.
The following lines are planned for September this year:
Dubrovnik - Dusseldorf will be in traffic once a week, on Sundays,
Dubrovnik - Berlin will be in traffic once a week, on Sundays,
Dubrovnik - Hamburg line will be open once a week, on Sundays.
Zagreb connected with Stuttgart and Cologne
In September, Eurowings will continue to operate two routes to Zagreb Airport, from Stuttgart and Cologne.
Zagreb - Stuttgart will operate 4 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays,
Zagreb - Cologne will operate 5 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, which is one flight more than in August.
In total, Eurowings will have 76 weekly operations (takeoffs and landings) at 6 Croatian airports in September.
For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.
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PHOTOS: Amazing Zagreb Street Art And Art Installations
August 15, 2020 - Before next week's return of street art and art installation event Okolo, we look at some of the amazing Zagreb Street Art they've gifted us
Zagreb street art and art installation event Okolo (Around) returns to the Croatian capital next week. The event, which is supported by Zagreb Tourist Board, will hold its third installment over 10 days between Thursday 20 August and Sunday 30 August.
In preparation for the event, we look back at some of their vibrant contributions to the streets, parks and public spaces in Zagreb. Incredible images of their past works should give visitors an idea of what to expect – it's one of the public art events of the year and it's well worth visiting during its occurrence.
Some of Okolo's painted Zagreb Street Art works have taken place on ground level and are so large, they are best seen by drone
Photos © Okolo
Okolo's art interventions don't always take place on a grand scale - they've sometimes appeared in miniature
Photos © Okolo
In the past, Okolo artists have used light projections to add 3D-looking geometric shapes on top of natural backdrops around the city. Zagreb Street Art interventions in the city centre thoroughfares take on a more tangible form
Photos © Okolo
Okolo artists responded to the 2020 earthquake with heartfelt Zagreb Street Art 
Photos © Okolo
Although not an Okolo project, some of the event's artists were involved in adding to the walls of Opatovina park, between Tkalčićeva and Opatovina ulica, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The new works were again supported by Zagreb Tourist Board
Zagreb Street Art Photos © Ernest Mazarekić / Art Park / Zagreb Tourist Board
