Nord, Kevlar Bikini and dno. are the three new Croatian acts set to enhance the 14th INmusic festival this summer.

May 6, 2019 - The 32nd round of the Croatian First League was held from May 3 to 5, 2019. The 32nd round was crucial for Hajduk, Lokomotiva, Gorica, and Osijek, who are all fighting for a spot in the top 4. 

Two talented American comediennes will be taking the stage at Studio Smijeha in Zagreb on Tuesday May 7. TCN has four tickets to give away. 

An evening of comedy in English in Zagreb this week. Want to go along? We have two pairs of tickets for the event. 

Simply answer the following question correctly, then email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your answer, Subject title - Comedy, and the first two correct answers get the tickets. 

Questions - what was the previous capital city of Croatia before Zagreb?

Dear stand up comedy audience,

for 7th of May we are surprising you with two amazing comediennes from USA.

Do not miss fantastic evening of laughter and fun with:

April Macie official fan page
April Macie was a finalist on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” in 2006, has appeared on E! Entertainment, Sirius and XM Radio, Access Hollywood, Talk Soup, and HLN. April has appeared on the Howard Stern show where in 2008 she was voted the “Funniest and Hottest” comedian in America. She is also a regular guest on the Bob and Tom radio show and has toured with the Bob & Tom All-Stars. April has appeared on Showtime’s I Am Comic, Vegas Is My Oyster, Snoop Dogg’s: Bad Girls of Comedy, and was the host of the AVN Awards. April has also appeared on Comedy Underground with Dave Attell on Comedy Central and Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny on A&E. She also gave a TEDx talk on turning pain into humor. Currently, April travels internationally as a headlining stand-up comedian.
http://aprilmacie.com

Allison Weber
Since Allison was able to talk, she has wanted to entertain. Growing up with a piano teaching mother inspired her musicality. As a teenager, she picked up a guitar and eventually started honing her skills at writing lyrics, especially parody songs. After moving to LA in 2007, she formed her parodies into a stage-ready set. Her first taste of stand-up was at The World Famous Hollywood Improv in December 2008. Allison's raunchy yet sweet and witty style made her an instant hit. She has since been invited to perform at such festivals as the World Series Of Comedy, Laugh Your Asheville Off, and the San Luis Obispo Comedy Festival (in which she was named Best of the Fest 2015). In 2013, her voice was featured as the role of Flower Kid in the 20th Century Fox animated movie EPIC. You can see Allison performing today at the top Clubs across the country, on a Norwegian Cruise (NCL), or overseas performing for our troops.

Entry fee 40kn

Buy your tickets on time online or at the cash register of the club every day when there is a show from 7pm to 9pm (except Monday) or reserve them at: 095 5103 129 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

* drink order in the club is mandatory

**free tickets are valid till 8pm on the day of the show

***reservations are valid untill half an hour before the show starts

School uniforms are my original idea – said Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić two years ago, explaining that students in Zagreb's primary schools would all get the same clothing and footwear in order to "reduce social differences," reports Večernji List on May 5, 2019.

Thirty-one out of 108 schools decided to adopt the uniforms, with an additional 22 schools saying that some classes would use them. The uniforms were eventually bought for about 12 million kuna paid from the city budget.

A total of 18,631 students joined the project, but the results have been disappointing for the mayor, as evidenced by the fact that this year, according to the city authorities, the number of students will fall by about 10,000. The new clothing is being purchased for 8,688 students in 36 schools, with an additional 5.5 million kuna being spent.

“The parents decided so, and we simply gave up. There were no special benefits, students sometimes wore the prescribed T-shirts, and sometimes they didn’t,” said the principals of those schools which have decided to abandon the project. The first wave of rejections occurred last year when the first eight schools and about five thousand students dropped out, and the trend continues ahead of the 2019/2020 school year.

“The purpose of introducing the uniforms was not to force anyone to wear them. That is why schools are being asked whether they want them at all. In some schools, there have been no changes, while certain schools have decided they do not want them anymore, while some new school have applied,” said the city authorities.

This year, the city will purchase 18,000 polo shirts with short sleeves, 9,000 with long sleeves, the same number of hoodies, and 5,500 plain shirts. The shirts will again include the logos of individual schools, and colours can be chosen from among the nine offered.

“These are good quality shirts, but students rarely wore them. The most common excuse was that they are washing the shirt, others say they do not want to always be in the same clothing, while others said they did not like the colour. We cannot force them to wear the uniforms, nor do we want to force them,” said the principal of one school which has dropped out of the project. She added that the money spent on the clothing, some 20 million kuna in total, could have better been used to buy computers for schools.

“The principals knew from the beginning that this was not going to work. It was perhaps initially a good idea for some of the students, but they like to express themselves with their clothing, and they do not like for everybody to look the same,” the principal said.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Mateja Šobak).

More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

One of the finest Croatian tourism promotion events takes place once again on May 12, 2019 - Nikola Tesla EV Rally, the quietest rally in the world. 

It is an event in his homeland that would have made Nikola Tesla proud. An event whose past participants have included the mother of Mr Modern Day Tesla, Maye Musk, the new king of electric supercars, Mate Rimac, and the first buyer of the Rimac Concept One. An event which takes place in a country of staggering natural beauty, 10% of which is given over to national and nature parks. It is an event in his homeland that would have made Nikola Tesla proud. An event whose past participants have included the mother of Mr Modern Day Tesla, Maye Musk, the new king of electric supercars, Mate Rimac, and the first buyer of the Rimac Concept One. An event which takes place in a country of staggering natural beauty, 10% of which is given over to national and nature parks. 

Welcome to the Nikola Tesla EV Rally in Croatia, officially the quietest rally in the world.

Now in its 6th year, this unique rally comprises a luxury tour of the finest sights, nature, hotels and gourmet experiences that Croatia has to offer. An 8-day luxury electric vehicle rally over 1,500 km taking in Croatia's fabled coastline and islands, 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 4 national parks, 3 Game of Thrones filming locations, and the birthplace of Nikola Tesla himself in Smiljan. 

Starting at luxury Novi Spa and Hotels Resort in Novi Vinodolski, the rally will be based at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik, before heading north to Sibenik, then inland to Smiljan, Plitvice Lakes and finishing in Zagreb. 

The electric vehicle revolution is taking off in Croatia, largely due to the efforts of the rally organisers, and full charging options are catered for. As just one part of its contribution to sustainable tourism, the Nikola Tesla EV Rally is the only rally in the world which leaves infrastructure for e-vehicles behind. This includes a charging station donated at the birthplace of Tesla in Smiljan.

The rally attracts a truly international field each year, with many from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Switzerland and Norway, as well as further afield from Canada and South Africa.

Last year's rally saw the remarkable sight of 50 Teslas alone on a ferry at one time. The rally is not a race as such (although there are 3 speed races included), more a leisurely drive admiring one of the truly more glorious natural paradises in the world. 

If you are interested in seeing the magic of the country which gave the world Nikola Telsa in a manner in which he would surely have approved, learn more about the Nikola Tesla EV Rally on the official website, and check out the 2019 itinerary below.

"NIKOLA TESLA EV RALLY CROATIA 2019"

12.05.2019. START Novi Vinodolski (hotel Novi Spa Hotels & Resort)

• 19.00 h conference room: gathering and official introduction of team, route and schedule
• 20.30 h Dinner
• 22.00 h Welcome drink with the view, our DJ will play some good music ….

13.05.2019. Novi Vinodolski – Klis - Dubrovnik

• Famous TV Show “Game of Thrones” was filmed on 2 locations in Croatia – Fortress Klis in Dugopolje and Dubrovnik. Lunch in Fortress Klis is not allowed for public so you will have a unique opportunity to experience lunch in medieval fortress overlooking the city of Split.
• 20.00 h arrival at Sun Gardens Dubrovnik hotel
• 20.30 h dinner at the hotel
• 22.00 h briefing in conference room (presentation of route and activities for the following day

14.05.2019. Dubrovnik Old Town – Lokrum island

• After relaxing morning and lunch in Sun Gardens hotel our first stop will be visiting fortress Srđ built in time of Dubrovnik Republic which was an aristocratic maritime republic centered in the city of Dubrovnik that carried that name from 1358 until 1808. One of the most spectacular views in Croatia overlooking city of Dubrovnik.
• One more location we must visit is Island of Lokrum which was first mentioned in 1023. in connection with the funding of Benedictine abbey and monastery where peacocks roam free.
• Walk in the Old City up Stradun
• 20.00 h Dinner in Taj Mahal
• 22.00 h 22.00 h briefing in conference room (presentation of route and activities for the following day)

15.05.2019. Dubrovnik – Cavtat

• 11.30 h „Skill exam”-Port Gruž

• Lunch in konoba Vinica
• Visit to Cavtat (Birth house one of the most famous Croatian painters, Vlaho Bukovac and Meštrović Pavilion)
• 20.00 h Dinner
• 22.00 h briefing in conference room (presentation of route and activities for the following day)

16.05.2019. Dubrovnik – Ston - Šibenik

• 08.00 h Start from Sun Gardens

• Visit to Ston, salt factory where the tradition od harvesting salt has been passed on for over 400 years and since then salt is produced in the same way with only the assistance of the sun, sea and wind. Also, you will see the walls of Ston that were built in 1333, a massive architecture and construction feat originally 7000-meters long (22 965 ft.), they consist of several parts; the Ston city walls, the Mali Ston city walls and the Big wall with its three forts. Its forts and towers are strengthened by 10 round and 31 square flanking towers and 6 semi-circular bastions

• Visit to Red and Blue Lake in Imotski. Red Lake is known for its numerous caves and remarkably high cliffs, reaching over 241 metres above normal water level and continuing below the water level. The total explored depth of this sinkhole is approximately 530 metres with a volume of roughly 25–30 million cubic meters, thus it is the third largest sinkhole in the world.
• 20.00 h Amadria park hotel Jure
• Dinner
• 22.00 h briefing in conference room (presentation of route and activities for the following day)

17.05.2019. Zadar – Šibenik – Skradin – NP Krka

• 11.00 “Skill exam”
• Lunch in restaurant Skala in Skradin
• Visit to NP Krka 7^th largest national park in Croatia and home of the hydro plant that was open in 1895, just two days after Tesla’s hydroelectric plant on Niagara Falls. At the same time, 11 km of power lines to transmit electricity and a city lighting network were built, the first complete electricity system in Croatia. Thanks to Šibenik Mayor Ante Šupuk and engineer Vjekoslav Meischner, Šibenik had electrical lighting before many European cities, including Vienna, Budapest, Rome, London and others.
• Visit to Old town Šibenik Sv.Mihovil and Barone fortress. The Medieval St. Mihovil Fortress was erected on a sixty meters high and steep rocky hill that dominates the surrounding waters. Under its walls, Šibenik evolved - the oldest native Croatian town on the Adriatic. Barone Fortress was built in 1646 on Vidakuša, the 80 meter-high hill above the city. Along with the other three fortresses in Šibenik, it represents a unique defence system which resisted the enemies of the city for centuries. Today, it has an exceptional monumental value recognized across Europe.
• 20.00 h Dinner
• 22.00 h briefing in conference room (presentation of route and activities for the following day)

18.05.2019. Šibenik - MC Nikola Tesla-Plitvička Jezera - Zagreb

• 11.30 h Visit to Smiljan – MC Nikola Tesla (birthplace of Nikola Tesla)
• Croatia, the one and only Homeland of Nikola Tesla! Nikola Tesla was an inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.He was born 10 July 1856. In Croatia (former Austria-Hungarian Empire) and spent his childhood in his birthplace, small village Smiljan near Gospić
• Visit and lunch at NP Plitvička Jezera. Plitvice Lakes is the oldest and largest national park in the Republic of Croatia. With its exceptional natural beauty, this area has always attracted nature lovers, and already on 8 April 1949, it was proclaimed Croatia’s first national park. The process of tufa formation, which results in the building of the tufa, or travertine, barriers and resulted in the creation of the lakes, is the outstanding universal value, for which the Plitvice Lakes were internationally recognized on 26 October 1979 with their inscription onto the UNESCO World Heritage List.

• 20.00 h Zagreb- arrival on Ban Jelačić square (main city square).
• The city of Zagreb, capital of Croatia is a cultural, scientific, economic, political and administrative center of the Republic of Croatia. The streets and monuments proudly testify to its thousands of years of history. A mixture of Austro-Hungarian and modern architecture, Zagreb has culture, arts, music, gastronomy and most important of all … vision of the future. Only city in Croatia with fast charging stations in front of Municipality

• 21.00 h Amadria Park hotel Capital Zagreb/Heritage hotel - dinner
• 22.30 h briefing in conference room (presentation of route and activities for the following day)
• *Vehicles will be parked and charged overnight at the main square under security protection (hotel is located 100 m by walking distance from the main Square)

19.05.2019. Zagreb- FINISH

• 11.00 h Start from Ban Jelačić square
• Carousel arround the city, visit to Meštrović Pavilion- HDLU
• 12.30 h „Speed race“

Award and celebration ceremony

Lunch- FINISH!

See you in 2020.

Nikola Tesla EV Rally Team!

Curiosity has prompted him to peak out of his mum’s pouch, but he is yet to wander much from it. Just ten days ago, the staff of the Zagreb Zoo noticed that the pouch was moving, which meant that the zoo at Maksimir had become richer for another swamp wallaby, the first ever born in Zagreb. There are three others which already live at the ZOO, but they came from other European cities, reports Večernji List on May 2, 2019.

“The head of the family is the three-year-old male Skibo, who came from Belgium. We also have two younger females who came from France,” explains the Zoo director Damir Skok, adding that one of them is the little wallaby’s mother.

Wallabies are a species of kangaroos living in the wilderness of eastern Australia, with an average weight of 15 kg. They grow to about 70 cm, and their tails are about the same length as the rest of the body. The baby will surely grow into a beautiful wallaby, says the ZOO employees, who will have to wait a little bit longer to see the new inhabitant running around his home.

“The cub stays in the pouch for about eight months, which means that he will be there for about half a year more," says Skok, explaining that the sex of the little kangaroo will only be known after he is seen for a bit longer. At the moment, the wallaby pops out of the pouch only when there is something exciting to see, but he remembers quickly that he should return to his mother. In the meantime, she is waiting for him, patiently and willingly.

“She is a great mom. This is the first cub for this family of swamp wallabies, but she knows what she is doing. And the other two, the male and the female wallabies, have no problems with the new member,” says Skok.

Swamp wallabies prefer a solitary life and gather in nature only at feeding time, mostly at night. Since they live in the wild and are relatively short for kangaroos, during the daylight, they are usually hidden in tall grass. However, the ones in Zagreb prefer to spend the sunny days sunbathing outdoors, just like other animals from Australia.

And all the animals from Australia will take part in the Australian day, which will take place from 11 am to 6 pm on Saturday, organised together with the Australian Embassy. Visitors will get to know the nature, sports, culture, gastronomy and customs of Australia, play Australian cricket and football and paint boomerangs, and they will also be able to visit eight areas of the garden that will represent different parts of Australia.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Mateja Šobak).

More news about the Zagreb Zoo can be found in the Lifestyle section.

Immediately after celebrating the International Workers’ Day on 1 May, get ready to taste your favourite liquor – gin! In the heart of Zagreb, at the Avantgarden Event Square, the Gin Gourmet Fair of Croatian gin, brandies and liqueur will be held on 3 and 4 May. The fair venue, the AvantGarden Event Square, is located near the Maksimir park, in Hondlova St. 2/9. For two days, it will become an oasis of top-quality drinks. As the name suggests, AvantGarden is a venue for various events. It has already hosted many private and corporate events, including the unique whiskey fair called “Whiskey Leaks” and the increasingly popular concept of pop-up dinners called Gypsy Tables.

Gin, an absolute classic among alcoholic beverages, has been particularly popular recently among the younger consumers, and also among women. Women are allegedly becoming more and more fond of this well-known "male" drink, which in addition to good taste is known for its use in various cocktails and also for its visual attractiveness. This is probably the reason why women love it.

Gin Gourmet has been conceived as a place to provide local producers with a unique opportunity to network and present the fruits of their work – gins, brandies and liqueurs. Croatian distilleries pay special attention to the production in order to create high-quality, yet homely Croatian products. The speciality of Croatian gins is that they are made with the highest quality natural ingredients and aromatic native plants from the whole of Croatia.

Nearly all local gin distilleries have confirmed the participation at the fair, so fans of this drink will have a unique opportunity to meet: Nostromo Gin by the well-known Istrian distillery Rossi; HVAR22 craft gin from the sunniest island of Hvar; the Rebel Gin by the famous producer Maraska; Rhapsody Dry Gin from Samobor; MAP gin; Karbun gin from the Aura distillery; Old Pilots Gin; MB72 gin; Koraca Gin and many others.

The opening is scheduled for Friday at 5 pm and will last until 10 pm. The fair continues on Saturday, from noon to the evening. Each exhibitor will present its products at a separate stand/desk and will also have the opportunity to hold a 45-minute presentation at the central location where they will present their products individually. Besides the introduction of the exhibitors, the goal of the fair is to educate visitors about the development of Croatian gins, brandies and liqueurs with the aim of preserving the original Croatian product.

Due to the considerable interest of exhibitors and sponsors as well as visitors, the organisers are working on a summer version of the fair to be held in Zadar on 16 and 17 August, at an attractive location of one of the partners. Where precisely that event will be held is still a secret which the organisers will reveal in time.

While we wait for the long hot summer, we may start in Zagreb with a glass of our favourite drink – gin!

More lifestyle news can be found in our dedicated section.

It all started in Chicago, where workers in 1886 demanded better working conditions, launched “a revolution" and succeeded. The news of their strikes quickly spread around the world and workers everywhere began the struggle for their rights. In memory of bloody protests in Chicago, 1 May is marked as the International Workers’ Day. Croatia joined the movement in 1890, and the first gathering was organised at the Maksimir Park in Zagreb. Workers described their demands with the three 8s: eight hours of work, eight hours of rest and eight hours of cultured education, reports Večernji List on April 30, 2019.

After the Second World War, the holiday’s importance increased. It became the favourite holiday after the New Year. It was celebrated over two days. In time, the struggle for workers' rights retreated to the background and 1 May is nowadays mainly seen as a work-free day spent with family and friends and with barbecues, traditional bean dishes and fun.

As usual, the largest celebration will take place in Maksimir, where mayor Milan Bandić and associates will distribute about 60,000 servings of beans with sausages. The programme starts at 9.30 am when the Zagreb Tram Orchestra will welcome the citizens. Various orchestras will continue to entertain the revellers from noon to 3 pm, while the programme at the main stage will last until 7.30 pm.

Bean dishes can be tasted at the Bundek lake as well, where the Chill & Grill festival is taking place. Tomorrow’s theme is Africa. Famous chef David Skoko will grill lamb and chicken in exotic fruit marinades, along with an African version of beans. In the evening, Soulfingers will perform.

Smoke will be raising at the Jarun lake as well, which traditionally welcomes fans of grilling and barbecues. The struggle over the tables, benches and barbecues starts early in the morning. Some even opt to spend the night there in order to reserve their place in time, since the barbecue positions are distributed on the first come first served principle.

Surrounding towns are also preparing their own events. For example, Zaprešić will organise the traditional "Grill on Labour Day" event with live music performances, while sports fans can come to Šiljakovina near Velika Gorica where a football tournament will be held, together with competition in darts, table tennis and beach volleyball.

To avoid being late, you should check the tram and bus timetables, since ZET trams and buses will run according to Sunday schedule. The markets will be closed, but most shopping centres will work as on a regular workday. If you need to go to a post office, there will two branches opened, the one in Branimirova Street, open from 7 am to midnight, and the one at Avenue Mall, open from 9 am to 9 pm.

It seems that the weather will cooperate, with temperatures reaching 20 degrees, which is ideal for outdoor gatherings. However, there is a possibility of rain, so bring an umbrella or a raincoat with you, just in case.

Translated from Večernji List (reported by Jelena Pišonić Babić).

More Zagreb news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

For a long time now, we've been trying to show and tell people that Croatia is far, far more than just the sun and the sea. Sure, the sparkling Adriatic and the warm climate is of course a big draw for many who take to Croatia's beautiful coastline every summer, but those who think that's all that this incredible little country has to offer are sadly mistaken.

I'm not just talking about the more encouraging numbers of tourists starting to uncover continental Croatia, Eastern Croatia and the country's various hidden gems, but about the Croatia which lies outside of the tourism bubble entirely, well... almost.

Tourism makes up a large part of Croatia's GDP and there's no denying that it is by far the country's strongest economic branch, this is not always a particularly positive thing and owing to it, Croatia has been plagued by enormous seasonality in terms of the economy and the labour market. Unemployment traditionally drops quite suddenly and by a significant amount during the run up to the bustling summer tourist season, especially on the coast, and then rises once again come the end of October thanks to the attempted lengthening of the tourist season, if not before.

Now a victim to a demographic crisis, mass emigration thanks to the country's membership of the EU's single market and a strange paradox in which there are no jobs but plenty of would-be employees but also many jobs and nobody who wants to do them, it's becoming more and more obvious that despite it being the country's strongest economic branch, relying almost entirely on tourist money might not be the best plan. 

So, what else does Croatia have? It has some excellent doctors and nurses and many truly outstanding medical facilities. As Croatia tries to position itself as much more than ''just sea and sunshine'', medical tourism, or perhaps better to say ''health tourism'' has begun to take off, and with some promising results. Just recently, Donald Trump's first wife, Ivana, was in Zagreb for eye surgery at the well known Svjetlost clinic, where she underwent a procedure to restore her vision to normality and afford her a life without glasses and/or contact lenses. People like Ivana catch people's attention, and she's just one of many who have found their way to Croatia for a procedure of some sort.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Marija Crnjak writes on the 29th of April, 2019, tourists from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are increasingly travelling to Croatia and love luxury hotels and villas, and the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ) is set to present Croatia's rich tourist offer at the ATM Arabian Travel Market in Dubai on May the 1st, 2019.

In the scope of the above, HTZ Director Kristjan Staničić met with media and partners such as WEGO, Medical Ozone, AVIAREPS, Jordan's Tourism Organization, Meetin and Think Strawberries.

"Presenting Croatia on this market and cooperation with the UAE has multiple effects for Croatian tourism and for the economy, and the direct air link between Zagreb and Dubai with Emirates has led to an increased demand from business travellers, as well as tourists from East Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and then even Australia,'' he said.

There are also high expectations from the new Fly Dubai line, which will link Dubrovnik and Dubai from June the 2nd to October the 13th.

Citizens of the UAE realised 25.5 thousand overnight stays in Croatia last year, and most of them came to Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Split. They are typically demanding guests who love a touch of luxury and are travelling more and more.

In addition to HTZ, there are seven co-exhibitors, TZ Zagreb, TZ Dubrovnik-Neretva County, NP Plitvice Lakes, HUP, Amathus Travel Croatia, Abacus Tours and Jung Sky.

Zagreb will be presented in Dubai as a city break, as well as a health tourism destination.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for much more. If it's just the Croatian capital you're interested in, give Total Zagreb a follow or check out Zagreb in a Page. Find out more about Croatia's blossoming health tourism story, as well as the health system in general, here.

Click here for the original article by Marija Crnjak for Poslovni Dnevnik

April 29, 2019 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Zagreb and Rijeka airports.