croatia at a glance

D E S T I N A T I O N

DUBROVNIKThe pearl of Mediterranean

Author: Stela LechpammerPhoto: UZAP Archives

Despite beautiful beaches and an average of 250 sunny days per year guests rarely enjoy the sea and you can fi nd the majority of them in-side the Old City. Th e fact that Du-brovnik has been on the UNESCO’s list of World heritage list since 1979 confi rms the city’s fabled beauty of its cultural monuments. Th e city has more to off er than that though; cultural happenings throughout the year ensure tourists’ loyalty to the city. Dubrovnik Summer Games Festival as founded in 1949 and represents a unique mix of musical, dramatic and dancing performances that are performed both indoors

and outdoors. Th e frame of the festi-val consists of plays by Marin Držić Ivo Vojnović, William Shakespeare, Carlo Goldoni and numerous Greek tragedians. Additionally, there is a chamber music festival „Julian Rach-lin and friends“that started in 2000 where many famous world musi-cians perform along the founder of this festival, the famous violinist and violist Julian Rachlin. In 2005 an idea to expand Dubrovnik’s cultural scene emerged and thus Libertas Film Festival was started.

Symbol of the city are the mag-nifi cent Walls of Dubrovnik that are protected by 4 towers, each fac-

ing one side of the world. Minčeta, Bokar, Revelin and St. John are the names of the four towers and pro-vide their visitors with a spectacular view of the city and the open sea. Outside the city fortress Lovrijenac, also known as the Gibraltar of Du-brovnik, is situated. Four city gates allow entrance to the city: Gate of Ploča, Gate of Pila, Gate of Ribarnica and Gate of Ponte. When you enter inside the city walls it’s like a passage to another world; lots of churches and monasteries, beautiful palaces, summer houses and museums make the city’s centre. It is almost an im-possible task to name all his sym-

8CROATIA AT A GLANCE

Dubrovnik is situated at the foot of Srđ Hill and represents Croatia’s most southern city. It’s also the administrational, cultural, educational and economic centre of the Dubrovačko-neretvanska County but his popularity mostly stems from his status as a tourist Mecca and the city boasts with a title of Croatia’s most famous tourist city.

Dubrovnik -The pearl of Mediterran

bols; Rector’s palace, litt le and big Onofrio’s Fountains that have been the city’s water source since the old times, Orlando’s column that once held the Republic of Dubrovnik’s fl ag and the city’s Bell Tower that is located on Stradun.

Stradun is the main street in Du-brovnik, a remnant of the famous past of the Republic which left us with this unique city.

Th e city was probably founded in the 7th century AD and his be-ginnings are shrouded in mysteries. Although there are some indications that the city existed during ancient Greece, the general theory links it with the ruin of Roman city of Epid-aurum (today’s Cavtat). Epidaurum was savaged by the Avars and Slavs and the survivors found shelter on Laus cliff . Th e locals forged from the name Laus a new name Ragu-sa and thus a new sett lement was born. At the same time the Slavs founded another sett lement which they named Dubrava because of its surrounding thick oak-tree wood. As time passed by the two sett le-ments began merging and fi nally a city named Dubrovnik was founded in the 11th century. Th e two sett le-ments merged by burying the canal

that divided them and in its place today’s world famous street of Stra-dun is situated. Th e city continued to expand and slowly became a naval and economic force to be reckoned with and in the 12th century sur-rounded itself with defensive walls. Th ose walls are 2 kilometres long and their uniqueness att racts around 1 million tourists every year. During that time Dubrovnik still recognized the Byzantium Empire as its ruler but the city had a great amount of autonomy. City life was very much organized despite the division of its society on rich patricians and poor plebes, something the city was un-able to shake off for a long time.

In 1205 Republic of Venice, by us-ing the excuse of the Crusade Wars, managed to conquer Dubrovnik thus eliminating its biggest compe-tition. Th e Republic of Venice had a great eff ect on the city ending its naval trade which resulted in the de-velopment of trade with its inland neighbours, especially Bosnia that was ruled by governor Kulin. It was his documents that mentioned for the fi rst time the name Dubrovnik in a document that allowed prefer-ential trade with Dubrovnik. Th e

city was also mentioned in many English texts, for example King Richard Lionheart found a refuge from a storm in 1192 in Dubrovnik on his way back from the Crusades. Th ough the city tried to regain its independence it didn’t succeed and it was only in 1358 that Republic of Venice gave up all of its land on the East Adriatic to Croatian-Hungarian Monarchy as agreed in the Treaty of Zadar (Treaty of Zara). Dubrovnik symbolically acknowledged Croa-tian-Hungarian king as its ruler in theory, and in practice retained its independence-a smart diplomatic move. Croatian-Hungarian Monar-chy didn’t meddle in city’s regula-tion, administration, trade and naval business which resulted in the com-plete emancipation of independent and sovereign aristocratic Republic of Dubrovnik.

Th e Republic was very power-ful and advanced for its time; they abolished slavery and forbid slave transportation on 27th January 1416, becoming the fi rst European country to do so. Th ey were the fi rst to recognize the United States of America as an independent state. Th e city housed around 40 000 peo-ple in the 14th century which made

it one of bigger cities in Europe; for comparison, London had around 50 000 people and Florence over 100 000 people. Dubrovnik was a developed city: they had one of the fi rst sewerage systems that are in use today. Also, in 1317 an apothecary was founded in the city’s Francis-can monastery and has been open since then, making it the third oldest apothecary in Europe.

In 1526 Turks defeated Croa-tian-Hungarian Monarchy but it didn’t aff ect the Republic because Dubrovnik made a deal with the Turks to pay them an annual fee in return for freedom and protection. Th e Republic had a strong naval force, third in the world in terms of strength and size. Dubrovnik’s Maritime Insurance Law from 1568 is the oldest law of its kind in the world. City’s ships carried foreign merchandise and sailed the Medi-terranean all the way to England and there’s even proof that they reached the shores of North America. Du-brovnik also founded the only Croa-tian colony in India in the village of Gandalium and even today there is a church of St. Blaise (Croatian Sv. Vlaho), the protector of the Repub-lic of Dubrovnik. Th e city’s richness is further proved by the fact they coined their own money in the 16th century, silver coins Artiluk. It is no wonder then that Dubrovnik was the centre of Croatian’s literature and language and that many famous Croatian writers, mathematicians, painters, physicists and other schol-



ars resided there. First quarantine was founded in Dubrovnik in 1377 and the orphanage in St. Claire’s monastery is one of the fi rst in the world.

Unfortunately, the great earth-quake in 1667 almost destroyed the city and many people died; together with the fi re that followed this event marked the beginning of the decline of the Republic. Th e discovery of new naval trade routes in the At-lantic aft er America was discovered also played a part in the decline and the city never regained its old glory and power.

Napoleon burst on Europe’s map in the 19th century aff ected the city greatly because in 1806 Napoleon’s army arrived and occupied the city and on 31st of January 1808 Mar-shal of France Marmont entered the city and thus ended the Republic of Dubrovnik. Aft er Napoleon’s de-mise Dubrovnik’s diplomats tried

to restore the Republic but failed and the city formally became a part of Dalmatia, having always been a cultural and historical part of the region. Since then the city’s fate was tied to Croatia’s fate which was a part of the Habsburg Monarchy and later Austro-Hungarian Monarchy till 1918.

Interesting fact is that Du-brovnik’s nobles didn’t start to fade till aft er WW1. Th e city, along with Croatia, became a part of the King-dom of SHS (Kingdom of Slove-nians, Croats and Serbs) on 1st of December 1918 and later the King-dom of Yugoslavia in 1929. In 1941 when the fascist Independent State of Croatia was declared most of Dubrovnik citizens rebelled against it and joined the illegal anti-fascist movement. Aft er the fascists were defeated in 1944 and WW2 ended the city became a part of new com-munist Democratic Federation of

Yugoslavia. In 1990 when Croatia asked for independence on her fi rst free elections and when the coun-try decided to become independent on the 1991 referendum vote, Du-brovnik joined and declared its wish for an independent Croatia. During the Croatian War of Independence the city suff ered heavy damage; on 1st of August 1991 the Yugoslavian Army started their att ack on the city. For months the city was under heavy artillery att ack that systematically seeked to destroy one of the most beautiful and most famous Croatian cities. City suff ered daily bombard-ing and shells damaged a large part of it but the people survived and slowly they rebuilt Dubrovnik, now a part of free independent Republic of Croatia. Later with UNESCO’s help the city was completely reno-vated and today it represents the pride of Croatia and is one of Euro-pean jewels.



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MEET IN DUBROVNIK

Open all year round

ISTRIAAuthor: Andrea BregovacPhoto: Tourist board of Istra, NP Brijuni

Th e fi rst breath of life in Istria occurred early in the older Palaeo-lithic. It is estimated that the bat stone found in Šandalja cave near Pula is old between 2 million and 800 000 years. Th ere are also fi nd-ings from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Age, when there was already large population at the peninsula; it is evidenced by the existence of over 400 forts with a special technique of building, dry-stone: that technique is still highly esteemed and remains impressive.

History of Istria is rich and tur-bulent, various rulers, which is why even today in many areas the impact of various interwoven cultural cir-cles can be felt, which further con-tributes to the wealth of experience - from Histri, who are considered the fi rst inhabitants and by whom it was named, through Roman and Byzan-tine, Avar-Slavic att acks, Charles the Great and Venice from the medieval period, continued by Napoleon..

Each era left its stamp on this small region, making it ultimately stronger and special. Its residents have recognized the potential and its distinctiveness, nurturing what history left there as legacy and have turned Istria in one of the most de-

sirable tourist destinations that truly has something to off er during all four seasons.

Istria is a diverse place - the magi-cal blue of the sea set alight by sun-shine, white stones and the magic of fragrant, green forests, fi elds and vineyards make a perfect harmony. A variety of the adornment which nature has generously endowed to this part of the planet-the national park Brijuni - archipelago of 14 is-lands, is an interesting touch of na-ture, autochthonous and allochtho-nous species of luxurious fl ora and fauna with a historical heritage - sites and objects (the Neolithic period onwards), which makes treasury of rich artistic and historical value. Th en Lim bay, park Učka, Motovun Forest, cape Kamenjak, Mramor-nica cave are just some of the many natural att ractions where you can immerse yourself in the nature and the treasures it hides.

When we talk about the fruits of nature, Istria is primarily known for its olives and grapes fl ourish, Medi-terranean cultures of exceptional quality in this area-therefore the wine and olive oil are symbolic of Is-tria. Th ere are, of course, indispens-able truffl es, expensive mushrooms

Can words be found to describe Istria, or is language too poor to faithfully express the magical beauty of this peninsula? And can all the features of Istria be expressed in 8000 characters of text? And there are really plenty of them.



Istra

hidden in the heart of the earth. Th ey represent the ultimate delicacy, and the Istrian white truffl e is one of the most respected in the world. Fish, shellfi sh, molluscs, game, veg-etables, wild plants in the intoxica-tion of aromatic spices, wines and oils are part of the luxury and magic of Istrian cuisine, and we urge you to experience Istria through the di-mension of food and wine!

Towns and villages in Istria, both

in coastal areas and inland, are also part of the region that will intrigue your senses and stir your imagina-tion. Th ey will captivate you with its charms and grace, with majestic architectural creations and monu-ments that evoke the past and repre-sent witnesses of a turbulent history. Th ere you will be able to experi-ence a rich cultural off er in the form of concerts, exhibitions, various events, fi lm festivals and numerous

other att ractions. Considering that a rich historical and cultural heritage of Istria was born and created in the cities, let’s meet some of them.

For the city of Pula we have records of the permanent sett le-ment since the 10th century BC. In Roman times it was the admin-istrative centre of Istria, and today it represents the largest economic and cultural centre of Istria. Vari-ous historical stages and changes

of the rule have created a variety of architectural richness, of which the most signifi cant one is the famous amphitheatre, the Pula Arena. She is one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world. Today you can enjoy high quality cultural events in it, from concerts to fi lm festivals, and you’ll experience the amazing close encounter with Ro-man history in which the imposing edifi ce radiates.

Only a few kilometres away from Pula are towns Vodnjan and Fažana. You can also see the Brijuni Islands,

the only national park in Istria.But if you go to the Istria inland

you will fi nd towns and cities that are actually medieval fortresses; Grožnjan, Motovun or Buzet will give you peace and privacy, with a premium culinary and wine tour-ism off ering. Motovun, a small town on the hill known since prehistoric times, is special for its famous Mo-tovun forest that is the habitat of the best truffl es in the world. A rich cul-tural background is off ered by Pazin, who’s (sometimes established by Habsburgs) castle Kaštel now oper-

ates Ethnographic Museum of Istria and the town of Pazin.

Inspiring art can defi nitely be ex-perienced in Labin, a town full of art studios. Going to the sea in Rabac, you’ll see a former fi shing village, now the pearl of Istria rich tourist off er.

If you go the other side, along the western coast of Istria, the inevitable city to visit, aft er Medulin and Pula, is defi nitely Rovinj. Th is town still has preserved a high rocky coast and houses built on the cliff s, while the mainland is surrounded by high


walls. Th e atmosphere of this city is unspeakably sentimental, and the culmination of your experience will defi nitely be the church of St. Eu-phemia, a baroque building in Ve-netian style. Built on a hill to which all the streets of this city lead, it rep-resents the most important cultural monument of Rovinj.

Vrsar and Funtana, small fi shing villages between Poreč and Lim ca-nal with its unique archipelago of

idyllic islands, green atmosphere and crystal clear waters off er you perfect conditions for relaxation.

A cultural monument, so signifi -cant that it is included in the list of World Cultural Heritage by UNES-CO, is the Euphrasian basilica in Poreč. It was built in the 6th cen-tury in the Byzantine style. Mosa-ics which are painted are one of the most beautiful preserved Byzantine works in the world. Poreč, other

than the beauty of its streets and buildings which clearly show that the city is the former Roman colony off ers a wide range of tourist ser-vices. Besides the beautiful indented coastline and mysterious islands, excellent gastronomy and accom-modations, it is full of entertainment and recreational facilities. During the past few years it has also become a popular destination for many ath-letes from all over the world.


While in Poreč, be sure to visit Euphrasian Basilica, one of eight UNESCO cultural treasures in Croatia.

However, the central place of sport facilities in Istria is defi nitely the city of Umag. Th is city besides beautiful beaches and hotels also of-fers areas specifi cally equipped for riding, walking, biking, as well as al-most a hundred tennis courts. Also, Umag hosts the famous ATP tour-nament each summer, along with supporting contents, that att racts more than 70 000 guests.

Guests are not lacking in Novi-grad, the town that dates from the ancient times. Although once a fi sh-ing town, tourism today is one of the most important industries. Out of cultural att ractions we can point out Novigrad Lapidarium, a museum collection of 93 stone monuments from the ancient and medieval times. Th e parish church of Saint Pelagius and Saint Maximus, built in the early Christian era, is a basilica nowadays where a deep corps with Baroque altar stands in front of an early Romanesque crypt. Th is crypt is the only one of its kind in Istria and one of the few in Croatia.

Indeed, it is diffi cult to summa-rize the experiences and opportu-nities that Istria can provide. She is one of the most developed Croatian regions, and its focus on the preser-vation and nurturing of the authen-tic cultural historical and culinary heritage in conjunction with the quality of the service encourages you to visit and to experience its natural beauty.


w w w . c r o a t i a n t r a v e l l e r . n e t

TravellerC R O A T I A N

L I F E S T Y L E M A G A Z I N O P U T O V A N J I M A

NINA royal destination

Author: Nika ČabrićPhoto: Tourist board Nin

During 3000 years long history, Zadar region has ex-panded to an area which covers 14 percent of the Croa-tian territory, about 12 percent of the territorial sea with the islands surface of about 580 km, and with the total number of islands being the same as the number of days in a year.

Th e city of Zadar, as the centre of the region is a city that makes every visitor fall in love, unintentionally or not. No one can remain indiff erent to its sea organs that sing so beautifully whenever a boat passes by, and is lo-

cated at the waterfront, nor can anyone ignore the instal-lation located next to the organs called the Greeting to the Sun whose beautiful colours are simply fascinating. A lot was writt en by a famous fi lm director Alfred Hitchcock about the most beautiful sunset: “Sunset in Zadar is the most beautiful in the world, and it is incomparably more beautiful than the one in Key West in Florida.” So we will turn to the northwest of Zadar and introduce you to one less known town which is simply breathtaking, because of its fascinating beauty. We direct our way to Nin.



Th e town of Nin is only 10 min-utes away by car and 114 km north-west from Zadar, a city located at the heart of the region. Nin is interesting with its rich and turbulent history, also called Croatian Bethlehem, as well because of its unusual position. Heart of Nin, i.e. its historical centre, is located on an island whose width is just 500 meters in diameter. Nin is situated in a unique lagoon on the east coast of the Adriatic Sea, sur-rounded by long sandy beaches, and apart from its beautiful beaches it is known for its salt pans. Th e old forti-fi ed town is connected to the main-land by two stone bridges from the 16th century. A very good strategic location and fertile environment en-abled it to become an urban centre. City with glorious past is 3000 years old and is one of the oldest cities on the East coast of the Adriatic. Its his-tory tells a story at almost every cor-ner. It was the fi rst political, religious and cultural centre of the medieval Croatia. Nin is also the oldest Croa-tian royal town and bishopric from 9 - 19th century. Nin bishops are important for the Croatian church, among which the most notable is Gregory of Nin, an advocate for the preservation of Croatian national Glagolitic alphabet. A bronze statue of Bishop Gregory of Nin that is lo-cated in the church of St. Anselm in Nin and is one of the three that exist in Croatia. All three monuments of Gregory of Nin were made by Croa-tian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic. Th e fi rst statue was donated to the city of Varaždin, another monumental statue to the city of Split, and the third was set in Nin, on September 10th 1969. Th e bronze sculpture of Bishop Gregory welcomes travel-lers and “grants a wish” to those who touch his thumb.

Rich archaeological fi nds can be seen at the Museum of Nin Antiqui-ties, where two original old Croatian ships Condura Croatica from the 11th century are also located as well as the reconstruction of the Libur-nian ship Serilie Liburnica from the 1st century.

Today Nin is a modern tourist and cultural destination where tour-ists come because of its exception-ally well-preserved natural heritage and clean environment, rich cultural heritage and modern tourist village with apartments and camping sites that are designed to accommodate

Nin - Royal destination


the needs of even most demanding guest.

Natural heritage, in addition to sandy beaches and salt pans, include the largest deposit of medical mud in Croatia. Mud is used for treat-ment of rheumatic diseases, defor-mities of the spine, female infertility and various skin diseases. Th erapy has been conducted in a completely natural environment for more than forty years. Nin is developing medi-cal tourism and has begun with the construction of health and tourist resort. Park salt pans Nin produce salt in a natural way by way of sun-light and wind. Sightseeing of salt pools is organized and you can buy souvenirs made of salt; there’s also an oasis of a large number of birds, as many as 150 species, with two interesting nesting species that are rare and endangered and whose numbers in Croatia and Europe is in decline: endemic Stilt and Kentish Plover. Th e gastronomic off er is very rich because the city has more than 30 restaurants ranging from bars, taverns, pizzerias and restaurants , and you can also try a Dalmatian specialty unique “šokol” there.

Enchanting sandy beaches stretch out around the old city with a total

length of 8000 meters. Th ose same beaches are oft en declared the most beautiful beaches in Croatia. Nin lagoon abounds with favourable winds ideal for windsurfi ng. Queens beach, a 3 km long sandy beach in the lagoon of Nin with one of the best views of the Velebit Mountain is breathtaking and suitable for va-cation especially for families with small children. Th ere is a legend about the queen’s beach:

Th e fi rst Croatian king Tomislav came to rest in Nin aft er the corona-tion ceremony. Th e queen usually went to the sandy beach in a quiet lagoon with the healing mud, dur-ing their stay in Nin. Upon the rec-ommendation of their consultant she spread that black mud on her skin, which glowed aft er few days with new brightness. Th at was the queen favourite beach in the entire country. Th e king, who rarely joined her on the beach, one day stayed with the queen all aft ernoon. In a romantic mood on that occasion he utt ered: “Th is place will only be yours when we arrive in Nin, here is where I want to spend at least one aft ernoon with you, this is paradise on earth and this is your beach.” Queens’s courtiers then called this

beach Queen’s Beach. Every time the queen visited the Nin common people did not go to this beautiful beach. Th is information is still a part of folk tradition, and the name of the Queen’s beach can be found in writ-ten sources.

In the end, we will reveal you a litt le culinary secret of Nin, Šokol: Šokol is a meat product that is pro-duced from pork neck meat. Treated like prosciutt o, i.e. .left to lie three


23CROATIA AT A GLANCE 22 2 23333CROCROCROCROATIATIATIA AA AA AAAT AT AT A GL GLG ANCANCNCCEE

Nin - Royal destination

to seven days in pure sea salt, then placed in mulled red wine. Th e meat is coated with several kinds of spic-es, pepper, cloves, nutmeg and then “špikuje” with them. Th en the meat is placed in a specially prepared wrapper and is banded in a special way with a rope. Th e šokol is then placed on smoke for a few days, and

then exposed to wind called bura. Apparently, according to the in-habitants of Nin region, factor that contributes is the phenomenon of the wind bura, which in the winter months is a stable occurrence in Nin, and it is the most crucial for the drying of the šokol. In fact, a unique microclimate which unites the wind

bura that brings mountain air en-riched with fl avours and ingredients of medicinal herbs of Velebit Moun-tain and sea air aff ects the drying process and the quality of the Nin šokol.

Welcome and enjoy your meal!

Following the footsteps of medieval knights and wanderers


C U L T U R A L H E R I T A G E

Author: Kristina PavlićPhoto: UZAP Archives, Castle Trakošćan

Northern Croatia, a region domi-nated by Hrvatsko zagorje has a lot to off er, especially castles that are surrounded by magnifi cent gardens. Mostly Baroque castles all have their own story to tell. If you take a drive through Hrvatsko zagorje you’ll enjoy a view of numerous castles perched upon green hills.......

Th is area is rich with cultural heri-tage and 50 or so castles; the most interesting ones are Bežanec Castle, Trakošćan Castle, Gjalski Castle,

Castle Veliki Tabor, Castle Sv. Križ Začretje, Miljana Castle, Mihanović Castle, Maruševac Castle, Patačić Castle and Oršić Castle.

Bežanec Castle is a cultural mon-ument of fi rst category (registered in 1962) and hails from XVIII century. It was renovated in the 19th c. in Classicist style. Th e castle driveway is interesting because the road itself is a 90 m long alley of maple trees built in 1911. Th e castle is near a village called Valentinovo, another

reason for a visit, maybe a romantic one in February.

Trakošćan Castle is perhaps the most att ractive out of all the castles found in Hrvatsko zagorje, and it is defi nitely the most visited one. Its att ractiveness is due to its sur-rounding grounds; Trakošćan Lake is equally breathtaking throughout the year. Trakošćan is also a cultural monument of fi rst category. Th ere is also an open museum with perma-nent exhibits within the castle.


Castle Veliki Tabor is situated on a hill (334m) and it is the best kept medieval fortress in the whole country. Th e castle boasts with an active tourist programme, such as an international fencing tourna-ment (28th June) and there is also an international fi lm festival Tabor in July that started in 2003, as well as falconing in August. All these activates should be followed by leisure activities; the castle boasts with a wine-cellar that holds bar-rels ranging from 53 litres to 5450 litres, a rustic bar, wine storage and an ancient wine press. Th e locals like to brag about their wine so be sure to try it. Th e castle is under protection as one of cultural monu-ments of the highest category.

You must have heard about Cro-atian literature’s long tradition; it developed arm in arm with its Eu-ropean counterparts. So it is not surprising that one of the most fa-mous Croatian authors of the 19th century searched for his inspira-tion in beauties of another castle, Gjalski Castle. Ljubo Babić, or his pseudonym Ksaver Šandor Gjalski inherited with his family the castle that was originally in the hands of the Komanory family. Th e most distinguished representative of that family was Sigismund, a royal advi-sor. Every year there are numerous happening in the castle, all related to the Middle Ages and knights, but also literary events. Th e castle can be rented for weddings and similar events so that guests can experience a dash of 19th century castle.

Another writer made an impres-sion in one castle. Antun Mihanović was a famous writer who wrote the text of Croatian national anthem in the castle who was later named aft er him; Mihanović Castle. Th e castle is located in the Tuhelj District that is famous for its thermal spa Tuheljske toplice.

If you end up in Varaždin County be sure to visit Maruševac Castle. His gardens are especially lovely and posses a number of exotic plants and trees (Algerian fi r tree, ginkgo tree, Bott lebrush buckeye, Cauca-sian walnut and others).

With this litt le titbit we’ll con-clude our story about castles, not because we don’t have anything else to say but because we would sooner

C U L T U R A L H E R I T A G E

Castles of Hrvatsko Zagorje

run out of paper than out of words. Th at is why we singled out the most intriguing ones in the hope that you would be suffi ciently intrigued and continue the exploration of other

ones like Miljana Castle, Patačić Castle, Oršić Castle and so on. We have no doubt that the spirit of old times will charm you into returning to Croatia.


Diocletian’s palaceThe largest and best preserved Late Antique-style palace in the world

Author: Stela LechpammerPhoto: UZAP Archives

U N E S C O H E R I T A G E

Photo: Zlatko Sunko

City of Split is situated at the heart of the Dalmatia region and in its centre there is a unique rem-nant of Roman architecture, the Palace of Diocletian that has been standing there for the past 1500 years. With its beauty and unique-ness the Palace leaves its every visitor breathless and has deserv-ingly been a part of UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage since 1979.

Slit is the cultural, economic, tourist and traffi c centre of Dalma-tia. It is the 2nd biggest city in Croa-tia with many natural and cultural beauties. Th e most famous monu-ment in the city is the beautiful Pal-

ace of Diocletian that represents the historical core of the city.

Th e Palace was built at the be-ginning of the 4th century AD on the order of Emperor Diocletian in the city of Aspalatos which was the ancient name for today’s Split. It is assumed that the Emperor himself was from Dalmatian’s town of Salo-na (nowadays called Solin) which is situated next to Split. Diocletian was born as Diokles around 236 AD in a farmer’s family and became a Ro-man soldier who then rose up in the military ranks and fi nally became the Emperor.

Th e entire 3rd century was a very turbulent period for the Empire; the

army chose the emperors who ruled shortly and foolishly. Th e longest one lasted only 3 years and the shortest only 88 days. When the army estab-lished Diocletian as the emperor in 284 there was no reason to believe that he would fare any diff erently but soon aft er it turned out that he was exactly what the ailing Empire needed. He ruled over 20 years till year 305 when he retired to his newly erected palace for illness. During his rule he relied heavily on the army that was never defeated under his com-mand. He made many reforms and built many monuments like thermae in Rome, arch in Arcus Nova, the Statue of Tetrarchs, numerous roads and his Palace in Split.

In shape, the Palace looks like a Roman army camp, castrum. Its shape is almost rectangular and its towers that are situated on 4 corners follow the Roman military architec-tural tradition. Th e inside also looks like a Roman military camp; there are two main streets that are called cardo and decumanus and they di-vide the palace into 4 parts. Th ere are 4 corresponding entry gates in the palace, 3 from land and one from the sea. Th e brass, silver, iron and gold gates invoke admiration even today. Also impressive are the un-derground halls that can be used to recreate how the palace looked like since they correspond perfectly to halls that used to be above them.

Life at the Palace continued aft er the death of Diocletian and with time came many changes; in the Middle Ages the beautiful cathedral of St. Domnius was built and today with its Romanesque bell tower it

represents one of symbols of Split. Numerous Romanesque churches and medieval fortresses hail from that period. Th e Palace houses many younger gothic, renaissance and baroque palaces that are inside the Place and together they form a unique harmonious complex.

Due to many diff erent styles that the Palace houses you can enjoy in the beauty of Roman Peristyle, the Mausoleum of Diocletian, the Temple of Jupiter, early Christian churches, Romanesque houses and architectural beauties by Juraj Dal-matinac, one of the most famous Croatian sculptures and builders. All this makes the Palace of Diocle-tian of the most preserved Roman monuments and is one of the most important monuments of late an-cient architecture that astounds people with its uniqueness. It also represents national as well as world heritage. Together with its later

buildings the Palace represents a valuable archaeological and histori-cal complex and is a part of UNES-CO’s World Cultural Heritage list.

Th e Palace off ers other entertain-ment besides its beauty; plays and concerts are regularly held at the Peristyle and there are also Days of Diocletian, a 4 day manifestation that brings back the past to its visitors. All this is an excellent reason to visit the Palace and enjoy its beauty.

U N E S C O H E R I T A G E


Journey youwill remember...The magnificient nature of Lika and Gorski Kotar

Author: Jelena PraštaloPhoto: Tourist board Kvarner, UZAP Archives

The mountain region represents the central upper part of Croatia and consists of 2 smaller regions; Gorski kotar which is the mountain part and Lika that is the home of 3 national parks. Uniqueness of this region is the fact that there is a variety of differ-ent natural sites in a geographically small space, so you can experience the beauty of Plitvica Lakes and the wilderness of Risnjak Mountain without having to travel far from one site to the other. We hope this text will encourage you to visit here and explore the rest for yourself.

N A T U R A L H E R I T A G E

DE S T I N A C I J E

Th e region begins with Karlo-vac-city of four rivers. Among of Croatia’s biggest treasures are these relatively intact lowland rivers that are a favourite lace for many swim-mers and amateur rowers who were the fi rst to discover them in search of peace and virgin nature.

Th e four rivers-Korana, Mrežnica, Dobra and Kupa- sneak between hills till they end up in karst area with red earth and luscious vegeta-tion that enchants every visitor. An hour from Karlovac downstream there is a lovely miller’s village Ras-toke where the rivers Korana and

Slunjčica meet. Th is village is special for its richness of vegetation and lit-tle islands and reefs where the locals made their homes and mills some 300 years ago. Th ey are also called Litt le Plitvice because they precede the national park Plitvička jezera (Plitvica Lakes).


Plitvice is an area of rough karst, dark and rocky underground and breathtaking lakes that connect them all. Th is park is on the UNES-CO list of the most beautiful world sites and they are among the most beautiful European national parks! Th ey are also on the UNESCO World Heritage List and have been since 1979, among fi rst in the world. Th eir specifi c beauty is a sanctuary to nature enthusiasts and artists and their uniqueness is a never-ending source of curiosity for scientists. Th e national park is a mountainous area that consists of lakes arranged in cascades. Currently, 16 lakes can be seen from the surface. Th ese lakes are a result of the confl uence of several small rivers and subter-ranean karst rivers and they are all interconnected and follow the water fl ow. Th ey are separated by natural dams of travertine that form beau-tiful waterfalls and lakes. Th e park


off ers visitors a chance to enjoy this magnifi cent view through an orga-nized round trip and activities such as hiking, drive on electrical boats and panoramic train, photograph-ing, rowing, mountain climbing and skiing. Aft er enjoying these activi-ties during the day tourists can fi nd nourishment and a place to rest in numerous hotels that will provide them with everything they need.

One other place that is worth see-ing is Skrad, situated on the north-western part of this region that is only one hour drive from Zagreb. It is an ideal weekend place for people who wish to relax and enjoy an active weekend. Th ere are two nature won-ders you need to experience; Zeleni vir and Vražji prolaz. Zeleni vir is a strong spring located at the bott om of a shallow wide cave whose en-trance is guarded by looming vertical rocks 70 meters high down which a lively waterfall falls. Th e spring was named aft er its greenish colour of the lake that is inside of the cave. Th ere are several footpaths and hik-ing paths and one of them leads to Vražji prolaz (Devil’s passage) that is an 800 meters long canyon that was made when a mountain river Jasle broke through surrounding rocks, thus forming a narrow passage. For millenniums the water corroded the rocks and fi nally created a magnifi -cent and wild space. Th ere are litt le

bridges and steps in the rocks above the canyon made by way of metal girders.

We continue our adventure with a visit to Lokvarsko Lake. One of the best anti-stress therapies is a visit here, especially if you take the time for a raft ride on the lake where you can enjoy the view. You can also enjoy long walks and swimming in the summer or maybe fi shing that is good throughout the year. You can fi nd a place to sleep in a litt le place called Fužine that is surrounded by picturesque mountains, silent pine-woods and beautiful lakes. Th ere are some excellent restaurants you shouldn’t miss with specialties like dishes from various game, mush-rooms, fi sh or forest fruits. You can enjoy lake swimming, fi shing, ca-noeing or you can visit cycling roads and hiking paths. You can go riding, coach driving or hop onto tourist train for sightseeing.

If you desire a more active vaca-tion there is the Premužić path, a mountain path that leads through national park Velebit. Th e path itself isn’t steep so even people who are not used to hiking can enjoy it and its serpentines that lead thorough rough karst area. If you want an adrenaline-fi lled vacation though, you can choose free climbing in Pak-lenica or Risnjak. Th ere’s something for everyone, you simply have to de-cide and take it on the road!

N A T U R A L H E R I T A G E

While in Karlovac County, be sure to visit Rastoke, charming ethno village in heart of Croatia.

GA S T R O N O M I J A


SLAVONIAWhat’s cooking in CroatianGolden Valley?

Author: Kristina PavlićPhoto: UZAP Archives, Slavonijom.info, Tourist Board of Osijek-Baranja County

G A S T R O N O M Y


how to make the specialties that are well known in all of Croatia. So, what’s cooking in Slavonia?

Th eir cuisine is indeed rich. Th e morning starts with milk, cream, butt er and cheese. Cow cheese will usually have a smatt ering of red pa-prika and will go nicely with meat products such as čvarci, sušena slanina (dried bacon), sušene ko-basice (dried sausages), kulen and kulenova seka. If we were to de-scribe their cuisine in one sentence, we would say; Slavonians like their food spicy. Th e proof is the red pa-prika that is used in every meal, like kulen, gulaš, paprikaš, fi š-paprikaš and čobanac. Th e reason is prob-ably the infl uence form Hungarian and Turkish cuisine and it makes the food more colourful.

Th e most famous product is def-initely kulen. Its recipe is a secret of sorts and traditional and the meat it

Every housewife in Slavonia will always brag fi rst about her culinary prowess. It is, aft er all, expected of her because in Slavonia the second most important thing is food-fi rst are their fi elds of course. Snaša (local name for a traditional woman form Slavonia) cannot be a real Slavonian housewife if she doesn’t know

is made with is chosen very carefully. People in Slavonia are very proud of it and it char-

acterizes this region and its people. You need to earn a piece of kulen; nowa-

days it is served mostly on special oc-casions and to dear people because the making of kulen is a diffi cult and

complex process that takes several

months. Th e process is modernised nowadays but the basis is still based on traditional recipes. It’s listed on the List of protected cultural goods of Republic of Croatia. We will end this story with an anecdote: „Kulen is like Šokac ; bećar in its spici-ness, proud in its looks and pliable in its smell and taste. “ Now we can conclude that Slavonians like their meat. Besides the aforementioned food, they also like food made from game, like paprikaš. Fir tree is the pride of Slavonian woods and deer and boar meat is the pride Slavo-nian kitchen.

Croatian love weddings, espe-cially in Slavonia, and one of the reasons for this are their delicious cakes. Wherein the meat is usually prepared by men, cakes and cook-ies are made by women and they are well known for its deliciousness. It takes days to make them and both quality and quantity matt er.

e now

is main Sla

ac

Taste of Slavonia

Photo: Mario Romulić & Dražen Stojčić

Slavonian women pride themselves in their cakes.

Paprenjaci, medenjaci, šape, rumene breskvice-all are delicious and sweet. Pogačice sa čvarcima and salenjaci are traditional cakes made for the annual traditional pig slaughter (kolinje). For Christmas there are usually orehnjača and makovnjača. It is interesting that the

entire Slavonian cuisine is found in one cake; donut made in pig fat. Th e feast can begin. You’re all invited!

WINES OF SLAVONIAWine production is a centuries-

long tradition in these parts. Th ere are tons of texts writt en already on wine; we wish to introduce you to the most famous wines in Slavo-nia, some of which are also world-known.

Th ey are known to all here, and have received numerous awards; Davor Zdjelarević, Ivan Enjingi, Damir Josić, Vlado Krauthaker. Th eir success is the result of family work and all of them have their own special story. Slavonia has the perfect conditions for wine business and its wines have in the past oft en found themselves served to kings. Th ere are many vineyards in Slavonia; in Srijem, Đakovo and Baranja in the East and in Kutjevo in the West of


G A S T R O N O M Y

Slavonia. Th is region, together with Dalmatia and Istra, is the most im-portant wine region in Croatia. Sla-vonian wines are world-know and their quality and uniqueness of taste is the result of constant experimen-tation with new sorts. Th e most fa-mous ones are graševina, merlot, bijeli pinot, sivi pinot, crni pinot, ri-zling, muškatni silvanac (Sauvignon Blanc), sauvignon and traminac.

Th e most famous vineyard in this part of Croatia is the Iločko vineyard that is also a part of European wine ma because of its specifi c climate

conditions. Th is vineyard produces primarily grapes. Th ere is a unique ancient wine cellar beneath the Od-escalchi Castle where the famous iločki traminac was ordered and sent from to the British court for the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Th e stories about wines of Sla-vonia wouldn’t be complete with-out recommendation so we’ll name a few that will certainly enchant you...

Zdjelarević: Nagual – Grand Cuve (Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2007)Josić: Pinot Sivi

Krauthaker: Graševina (Izborna Berba Prosušenih Bobica 2009.)

Enjingi: Zweigelt Barrique 0,75

Croatia has around 2500 wine-cellars and it is a testament how much they are important to Croa-tians. Because of such large compe-tition Croatian wines are constantly being improved and they are a regu-lar presence in world restaurants and in 1st class in planes. So, don’t wait and try them out!

Taste of Slavonia

Welcome to Slavonia and Baranya, where land loves the sky!


Text & photo: Mislav Pavošević

Association for tourism and promotion of traveling culture

[email protected]


Between the blue waters of the mighty Danube and the green beau-ties, rivers Sava and Drava, you will fi nd Slavonia and Baranya, with their golden fi elds, spacious vine-yards and dense oak forests. At the edges the green plains dive into the big rivers and in the west, just like a wreath, gentle mountains rise.

Visit the eastern Croatian prov-inces of Slavonia and Baranya fa-mous for their green vineyards and centuries old wine cellars that tell a story of an old culture proud of its roots. Try the local variety wines like the fruit fl avored “Graševina” Riesling and “Zweigelt” red wine or take a tasty sip of the sweet “Tra-minac”, wine served in royal courts across Europe. Take a ride through the wine country and then enjoy the company of the locals in their pic-turesque towns and villages, within simple and yet nicely ornate tradi-tional houses, beautiful baroque mansions and mystical medieval fortresses. Accept their invitation to try the culinary masterpieces like the “čobanac” stew, fi sh paprikash (fi sh stew), suckling roasts made from pork and game and also cakes, so rich in fl avor that just you might feel like a real hedonist. Come and we will take you on a quest for the

most beautiful and secret delights of life…

When to visit Slavonia and Ba-ranya? Th e decision is yours… Th at could be spring when snow melts and Drava becomes mighty as the Danube which spills it’s waters into the marshlands… Summer is the time of relaxation. See how sensationally sticky the air can be by the lake under the medieval walls of Ilok, when even the fi sh relax. Taste the famous wines at the local wine festivals and treat yourself with a summer romance… It is also beautiful in autumn, in the time of traditional festivals like the Osijek Beer Festival, Vinkovci Autumn Festival and Golden Strings of Slavo-nia in the picturesque baroque town of Požega where you can enjoy the cheer-ful sound of “tamburica” mandolin and various fl avors of local food like home made “kulen” sausages… And at the end comes winter. Maybe here you won’t come across the kilometers long ski slopes, but Papuk Mountain off ers you beautiful unspoiled nature. When you are there, be sure to take a ride in the horse-drawn sledge thru it’s mystical forests, on the border of the ancient kingdom – between real-ity and the most beautiful vacation of your life.


OpatijaCongress destination

Author: Ira KraljPhoto: Tourist bord Kvarner, UZAP Archives

Congress tourism holds an important place in Croatian tourism with its main centers in Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Opatija. We will try to present Opatija as the cradle of congress tourism in Croatia since this city has the longest tradition in this type of tourism.


C O N G R E S S T O U R I S M

Opatija is a city known not only as a tourist destination that hails from 1884 but also as the pioneer in congress tourism in Croatia. It is situated on the eastern shore of the Istria peninsula, close enough to Za-greb and also within a 500 km radius from important European scientifi c and business centers like Milan, Vi-enna and München that are all well connected by roads.

Congress tourism being a type of tourism that organizes diff erent scientifi c, business or trade events it needs a specifi c type of destina-tions that fulfi ll several conditions. Besides the standard requirements there needs to be a polyvalent con-gress hall that is equipped with tech-nical equipment and internet access and they need to be operational all year round. Th ere also needs to be quality culinary establishments, wellness centers, spas, casinos and bars all available.

Hotels in Opatija have all the above mentioned facilities and the city herself off ers so much more. Th ey don’t call her a fairytale city for nothing; her mild climate, beautiful Austro-Hungarian villas, parks, gar-dens and promenades make her an att ractive destination throughout the year.

Opatija - Congress destination

Th e city is known for its quality cultural off erings; art exhibits and concerts as well as events like Festi-val of chocolate, Days of Vienna and Balinjerada- race of funny vehicles held as a part of Carnival days in Opatija.

Church of St. Jacob is one of more att ractive sacral monuments. It was built around 1420 and is consid-ered the oldest building in Opatija although litt le remains today from its original form. Th e builders were a Benedictine colony and the city got her name aft er this abbey (Cro. opatija=abbey). Th e church is situ-ated in the park of Villa Angiolina that was bought in 1844 by a rich merchant from Rijeka and turned it into a magnifi cent manor. Th is villa represents the beginning of tourism because it was the place where dis-tinguished guests such as Austrian empress Maria Anna, Governor Josip Jelačić and countless others stayed while in Opatija. Th e park itself is one of the most beautiful ones in Croatia, spreading over 3, 64 hectares with over 150 diff erent plants. Among those plants a spe-cial place is reserved for Japanese camellia that has become an offi cial fl ower symbol of Opatija. Th e villa today houses the Croatian tourist museum that oft en holds diff erent cultural and protocol events as well as exhibits.

Th e city symbol is the statue Girl with the seagull by sculptor Zvoni-mir Car that is situated on a cliff that has a beautiful view of the city. An-other tourist att raction is the Croa-tian Walk of Fame in the part of city called Slatina, where marble stars on the pavement honor people who have promoted Croatia throughout the world with their scientifi c, artis-tic or sport achievements.


C O N G R E S S T O U R I S M

Opatija - Congress destination

Republic of Croatia bases its economy largely on tourism and increases its ef-forts to invest in environmentally friendly and sustainable business. Green tourism is a new business trend that off ers signifi cant opportunities for improving opera-tions and in accordance with which numerous tourism oriented businesses, from well-known hotel chains to small rural estates, run their businesses.

For this reason, a renowned international company Culmena Ltd. from Za-greb in cooperation with the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija, and the Association for the promotion of tourism destinations, products and services (UZAP) decided to organize the fi rst International Green Tourism Conference, which will be held in spring 2012. Th e aim of the Conference will be education and training, business development and encouraging innovation and implementation of the latest achievements in the fi eld of green tourism.

If you would like more information, or you are interested in cooperation on this project, you can contact us via e-mail: [email protected]

Green and Lean Producition Conference is the fi rst regional conference that covers both Lean and Green production and services. Th e Conference is a traditional event, and every year a special jury is presenting awards to the most suc-cessfull Lean and Green companies. Th e speakers at the Conference are the most experienced and renowned international consultants, managers, and professors that cover various areas of Green and Lean implementation. Th e speakers of the Conference come from various internationally renowned institutes, companies, expert associa-tions and universities such as Fraunhofer Insti-tute, Toyota Motor Company, Telecom Paristech, French Lean Institute, Deutsche Forschungsge-meinschaft etc.

Green and Lean Conference in Zagreb rallies some of the most distinguished Croatian corpo-rate managers and executives. Th e main goal of the conference is to encourage Croatian compa-nies to start implementing the main principles of Lean and Green production in their businesses, so that they can successfully compete on interna-tional markets.

By adopting and implementing the aforemen-tioned principles, the companies are achieving op-timized and sustainable production and construc-tion of the fi nal products, as well as services.

Th e organizers of the Conference are the Croatian Lean management initiative (LMI) and Culmena, Ltd.


Education in tourismf thm CROATIA’S BEST COLLEGE

FOR TOURIST SECTOR EDUCATION www.f thm.uniri.hr

Th e Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management in Opatija is Croatia’s only university institution fully oriented towards educating managerial positions in tourism and towards scientifi c human resource de-velopment in this fi eld. Th erefore the mis-sion of the Faculty and its staff is to contrib-ute, through teaching and research, to the realization of a new development mnodel of Croatian tourism.

Th e history of the Faculty began in 1960 with the founding of a two-year Catering College, which became the Department of Catering and Tourism (a specialized four-year university programme) at the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka in 1969. In 1974 the Department of Catering and Tour-ism developed into the Faculty of Hotel Management, Opatija, a modern univer-sity institution for the training of hotel and tourism industry workers, which off ered diff erent levels of university programmes - undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate and

doctoral. As an att empt to harmonize the Faculty’s activities with its name, in 2008 the Faculty registered under its new name - Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Man-agement.

Today, the Faculty performs numerous technical and scientifi c projects in Croatia and abroad and it also organizes scientifi c and professional conferences and round tables. Among the most signifi cant ones is the Faculty’s traditional Hotel House, a biannual scientifi c-professional conference which has been organized since 1972 and which is today known under its new name: Tourism and Hospitality Industry: New Trends in Tourism and Hotel Management. Th e Faculty acts as publisher for numerous titles which are considered to be valuable literature in the fi eld of tourism and hospi-tality. Th e journal Tourism and Hospitality Management, holds a crucial place among the Faculty’s publishings.

Ethnographical and sacral heritage

You may experience the richness of folk dresses, an outline of national customs and other ethnographical treasures in an ethographical collection of Th e Museum of Međimurje” in Čakovec, in the collections of cultural associations in Kotoriba, Sveta Marija, Mala Subotica as well as private collections of Lucija Krnjak’s family in Mačkevec and the family of Stanko Trstenjak in Marof.

You must visit the most important sacral facilities that are at the same cultural monuments, like St. Hieronimous Church in Štrigova, St. Martin’s Church in Sv. Mar-tin na Muri, St George’s Church in Lopatinec, St. Nicholas Church in Čakovec, Th e Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Macinec, Th e Church of the Holy Trinity in Nedelišće, St. Jacob’s Church in Prelog, Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Sv. Marija, Church of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Cross Church in Kotoriba.

In Međimurje, handicraft s used to be one of the most important means of survival. However, at the same time they were a medium for an artistic expression of the “com-mon” people. Th e best way to experience the county’s rich heritage is by following the “Tradition Road”.

Th e road connects a dozen of workshops presenting traditional handicraft s (pot-ter, weaver in a loom, woodcarver, gardener in a traditional garden, weaver, carnival mask carver, traditional cuisine chef, river miller). By a prior telephone appointment, visitors can have a look around the workshop and at the same time they can get ac-tively involved in the craft s (individually or in a group) by making a souvenir or an useful item with their own hands.

At the centre of the tradition road there is a “Gallery & Educational Centre” whose collection presents a history of handicraft tradition in Međimurje. Both the “Road” and the buildings are marked by tourist signs

Th e Tradition Road...

MeđimurjeCroatia’s flower garden


At the northernmost point of the Republic of Croatia, near a litt le place called Žabnik, the river Mura turns the impressive wheel of a wooden river mill. It is a unique example of traditional architectural heritage both in Croatia and in the broad-er region. Th e water murmur and the creaking sound of grindstone bring visitors back to the long gone 1902 when fl our was grinded for the fi rst time on that fl oating “old-ster”.

Around the mill, in an idyllic natural surrounding, a “Miller’s instructive path” has been built. Apart from off ering a walk in the intact nature, this instructive path also presents a multitude of interesting information about natural and traditional heritage of the Signifi cant Landscape of the river Mura. Th ere is also a river raft that, just like a perpetuum mobile, takes people and vehicles from one river bank to the other, with no motor, sails or oars.

Th e river Mura and its numerous backwaters off er a possibility to experience a true fi shing adventure or a “light raft ing” in traditional wooden boats. Not far from there, there is a place called Križovec where a natural-science collection is situated.

Th e Tradition Road...

Th e Wine Road of MeđimurjeTradition has it that the Romans were the fi rst to plant grapevines on the gentle

hills of Međimurje. Today, good asphalt roads, connecting about thirty wine cellars and tasting rooms, run through the picturesque landscape streaked with more than 2,500 acres of vineyards. Th ere, one can taste excellent white wines (Sauvignon, , Chardonnay, Welschriesling, Rhine Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Traminer, Zele-ni Silvanac, Pusipel, Yellow Muscat…) and some red wines (Pinot blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon…).

Th e wines range from excellent blend wines, through high quality sort wines, to superior predicates – late harvest and ice wines. Wine tastings in nicely furnished tast-ing rooms off er a possibility to taste traditional home-made cold cuts. Individual visits to wine cellars and tasting rooms should be appointed by phone at least a few hours prior to the arrival. Individual visits to the wine road can be made by car, by bike or on foot. Except by car, organised tourist groups can visit the wine road by a special wine train. All access routes and facilities are marked by tourist signs. Th e wine quality and tasting rooms design place this wine road to the very top of Croatian enological of-fer. As a result, in 2007 it was proclaimed the best product of continental Croatia.


Tourist board of Medjimurje County

J. B. Jelačića 22, Čakovec , Croatia+385 (0) 40 390 191

[email protected] www.tzm.hr


Spa & sport resort Sveti MartinSpa&sport resort Sveti Martin proudly bears the following names: the best, the

best-looking and the biggest thermal resort in Croatia. It earned those compliments in the last two years by receiving the Golden Plaque for improving the quality of tourist off er, awarded by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian Television. It was also awarded the Green Flower of Croatia with golden border by the Croatian Tourist Board, in the category of the best-looking thermal resort. A modern inner pool with thermal and plain water, numerous water eff ects in the biggest complex of open pools in Croatia, a wellness centre, convention halls, a shopping centre, four star apartments, several restaurants, a pub, playgrounds for several sports, organized trips, a variety of animation and entertainment, as well as many other programmes – all of the abovementioned fully justifi es the name “the biggest thermal resort in Croatia”.

Th e vicinity of the resort is also exceptional. For fi ve consecutive times, Sveti Mar-tin na Muri (St. Martin on the Mura river) was presented the award for one of the best-looking litt le places in continental Croatia by the Croatian Tourist Board. Within the EDEN project (European Destinations of Excellence), Sveti Martin na Muri was included among the ten best rural destinations in Europe.z

Međimurje is an ideal place for recreational cycling. It covers a relatively small area - therefore, in a single day or even within a few hours, it possible to combine routes that diff er in terrain and contents, depending on how fi t you are. Th e cycling routs are divided and marked in two main categories: recreation and mountain bike trails. Rec-reation trails run mostly through side and gravel roads where traffi c is scarce. Th ey run through beautiful landscapes connecting various cultural-historical monuments, restaurants, wine houses, boarding houses, rest areas and belvederes. Th e climbs are mostly mild and accessible to all generations.

Mountain (off -road) trails are intended for adrenalin lovers. Th ey mostly run through forests and meadows, sometimes with no beaten tracks. Somewhere they intersect the brook beds, the base being mostly soil and gravel. Th e steeps are more demanding, yet not extreme. Th e trails are marked with characteristic blue signs. It is possible to rent a bike in Sveti Martin Th ermal Resort and services and bike shops are located in Čakovec.

Cycling

Th e town of Čakovec is situated almost in the centre of Međimurje. Th e old Ro-mans located their resting-place Aquama (wet town) in this area. Th e 13th century cronicles have a record of the timber “Čakov tower”, as a precursor to today’s town and its name. Th e Zrinski family, together with other rulers in the 16th and the 17th century turned the tower into an unconquerable and sumptuous wasserburg (a castle encircled by a moat) around which a free royal city was about to emerge.

Surrounded by the park and its green leaves, the historical centre has been pre-served until the present day. Around this core, a town made to human measure has emerged. Excellent communications, the most modern infrastructure, beautiful hor-ticulture, economic progress, a dynamic cultural and sports life – all of these contrib-ute to a cosy living of about twenty thousand inhabitants. Besides the historic core, the tourists are presented with an excellent gastronomic off er, swimming pools, vari-ous sports fi elds, rich night life and interesting occasions throughout the year.

Čakovec

Th e Zrinski FamilyFrom the mid 16 to the mid 17 century Međimurje was governed by the Zrin-

ski noble family. Th e Zrinski became a part of Croatian and European history due to their military feats in the wars against the Turks, but also as poets, gastronomers, politicians, plott ers and fi nally, as tragedians. Th e biographies of the family members resemble true historical ballads which even present Hollywood scriptwriters them-selves wouldn’t create bett er.

Today, the att ractive historical military unit named “Zrinska garda” (Th e Zrinski Guard) evokes their glorious past. In the palace of Th e Old City of the Zrinski Family there is now the Museum of the Međimurje County Čakovec which , apart from the collection dedicated to the Zrinski family, houses a rich archaeological, historical and ethnographic collection as well as an art gallery. In the place called Šenkovec there are remnants of the Zrinski mausoleum, and in Gornji Kuršanec there is a memorial to the death of Nikola Zrinski.



Trail of the sailorsGreat escape - rent-a-lighthouse for private vacationAuthor: Nika Čabrić, Photo: Croatian Lighthouses

If you ever dreamed of vacationing on a deserted island, away from all the noise, it’s time to make it happen. It is possible to get away from it all and enjoy a magnifi cent view of an end-less horizon, all thanks to a new trend on the Adriatic coast-lighthouse renting.

I S L A N D T O U R I S M

Lighthouses were essential in the past for safe voyage on the Adriatic be-cause of the well-indented coast. Th eir construction started in the early 19th century in time of Austro-Hungarian monarchy and they soon became the biggest and most important objects for marine signalization. Besides their light signalizations lighthouses also had a designated space for lighthouse keeper and his family. As time passed, lighthouses stopped being commer-cially usable and became instead mon-uments of zero category. Th en, some ten years ago an idea emerged about lighthouses as unique vacation spots and so a new type of adventure tour-

ism developed. It was original enough for everyone and it continues to gain popularity as the years go by.

Th e Adriatic coast has even 48 light-houses and 13 of those are rentable. Some of them still have their keepers who maintain them and some are de-serted and reserved only for admirers of Robinsonian tourism. Th e rooms can have from 2 to 6 occupants who can enjoy fi shing, diving or can rent out boats. At the lighthouses Savudrija, Struga and Veli rat you can stay both in summer and in winter. Th ere are plenty of challenges that tourists can experi-ence that will guarantee them a vaca-tion they’ll never forget.

Off the coast of the biggest Croatian peninsula Istra there are 4 lighthouses for rent; Savudrija and Rt zub are closer to the coastal cities of Umag and Poreč and Porer and Sv.Ivan are out on the open sea and are only reachable by boat.

Lighthouse Veli rat is situated on the island Dugi otok near the city of Zadar. Th e legend says that thousands of eggs were used for his construction so that it would fare bett er against salt and wind. It’s not very isolated so his guests can visit the national park Telašćica that is also on the island and the national park Kornati that is located nearby.

Kornati National Park is also near-by a small island Prišnjak that houses the similar lighthouse with the only inhabitants being harmless endemic types of rabbits and lizards. Th e is-land is connected with the island of Murter by boat and you can see rock walls, a small waterfront, a beautiful rock terrace and pine trees and fi g trees.

Island of Host is only 5 minutes by boat from the island of Vis and its sea bed is a valuable archaeologi-cal site. Th ere is only a beach and the lighthouse on the island which off ers a spectacular view of Vis on one side

and sunsets on the other side of the island.

On the island of Lastovo, the big-gest island of the Lastovo archipela-go that consists of 50 or so islands, there is a lighthouse Struga perched on the similar cape. It off ers a spec-tacular view of the open sea giving the observer the impression of an abandoned island although there are

several villages there. On the other hand, lighthouses Sv. Petar and Gre-beni are situated near Makarska and Dubrovnik respectively and provide their guest an original housing near big cities.

If you long for completely isolated lighthouses then you want Sušac and Pločica, both situated on a deserted island of Sušac.

Rent-a-lighthouse


Th e most isolated lighthouse is Palagruža that is situated at the top of similar island on 90 m above the sea. Th is is the most remote Croatian island and is in the centre of the Adri-atic, between Croatian and Italian coast. It’s a nature reserve with ani-mal and plant endemic species and a valuable archaeological site. Without any contact with the civilisation and with a magnifi cent view of the endless horizon this lighthouse provides you with a really special vacation.

Every lighthouse has a unique loca-tion and its own story to tell, but all of them hold a dash of history in them-selves and peace and quiet you’ve only dared to dream about. Whatever you choose to send your vacation at you won’t be disappointed.


CRIKVENICAHealth tourism destination


H E A L T HT O U R I S M

Author: Andrea Bregovac Photo: Tourist board Kvarner

Croatia is a country where tour-ism is one of the most dominant branches of economy. Its diverse and rich tourist off er encapsulates various specifi c types of tourism such as cultural tourism, eco-tour-ism, religious tourism, sport and recreational tourism, nautical tour-ism, gastro-tourism but also medical tourism. What is medical tourism exactly and why does Croatia makes an ideal place for potential users of this particular brand of tourism?

Medical tourism is diffi cult to de-fi ne because of its variety of services it includes. It represents all services and activities that concern health,

form wellness to spa treatments, professional and controlled medical treatment with natural herbal agents to dentist, orthopaedic and plastic surgery services. All of this can be the main reason or perhaps simply an additional incentive for your visit to Croatia.

Our country possesses intact natural resources like quality air, varied vegetation, the sea, thermal waters and healthy mud that, when combined with a mild climate and sunshine, have a positive eff ect on health. Th is was fi rst recognized in the 19th century when medical tourism blossomed in Croatia and

the fi rst sanatoriums and spas in Crikvenica, Mali Lošinj, Opatija and Rovinj were founded. Croatia pro-vides quality medical services in up-to-date equipped medical centres. Combined with reasonable prices, it is no wonder that more and more foreign tourists use their vacation time here for medical purposes.

Th e main reason medical tourism is popular today lies in our way of liv-ing. Stress, pollution and fast food are our everyday life now and that causes many health problems that people seek to alleviate via medi-cal tourism. A good example is the widespread popularity of wellness centres and spas that are growing more popular in Croatia so more and more hotels include it in their off ers. Massages, sea therapies, anti-stress therapies, detox treatments and beauty treatments...all these are nowadays a regular art of every ho-tel.

We can recommend two destina-tions for medical tourism; island Lošinj and the city of Crikvenica.

Lošinj is an island in the Kvarner Bay that has mild climate and qual-ity sea air with rich fl ora. Almost 100 years ago both Mali Lošinj and Veli

Lošinj were recognized as climate sanatoriums. Today there is a sanato-rium for respiratory related illnesses in Veli Lošinj that is situated outside city centre and is protected by a gar-den of exotic Mediterranean vegeta-tion that is roughed by pathways.

Th e second destination is Crikvenica, a city where in 1885 a special respiratory illnesses hospital was founded because of the agree-able local climate. It was the precur-sor to today’s thalassotherapy that uses sea water, sea air and various sea minerals like algae to improve health. Other places that use thalas-sotheraphy today are sanatoriums in Opatija, Rovinj and Veli Lošinj. In Crikvenica you can enjoy yourself in the newly renovated hotel Th era-pia. Its building was built in the late 19th century in Jundgenstil type of architecture, during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and it came with rooms designated for hydro-therapy. Th is 4-star hotel off ers well-ness treatments where you can expe-rience massages, aroma treatments or beauty treatments, or perhaps indulge in face and body treatments based on sea water, sea salt and algae. If you’re feeling adventurous though,

you can always visit the Crikvenica adrenaline park that is located in the city’s centre. It’s a great place for teambuilding exercises, educational seminars and excursions and we defi nitely recommend it if you fi nd yourself in the vicinity.

Th ere are many destinations that Croatia has to off er and whatever you choose, you will certainly expe-rience the benefi ts of our sun, ther-mal waters and sea air.

H E A L T HT O U R I S M

Interview withBoris Ljubičić

I N T E R V I E W

Author: Branimir PađenPhoto: Boris Ljubičić

Designer is responsible for the space and time he creates in!

Boris Ljubičić is a world-known explorer of visual commu-nication and design. He was the president of Croatian Design-ers society from 2003 to 2005 and one of the 5 jury members in charge of choosing the best world logo in professional and student category S2010. He’s the visual identity author for the Mediterranean games and he has been heavily involved in cre-ating Croatian visual identity since the 90ties.

You have been a designer for over 3 decades, you’ve won numerous awards and your works are in every major world designer publications. What part of your career do you think helped most in establishing yourself as an artist? How much did your small-town background complicate things?

Th e most important is the fi rst period that lasted almost 10 years when no one accepted me. Th at’s the time when you develop your worldview and your personal att itude within it. Th ose works were unintelligible to potential clients but were actually self-explanatory and „ordinary“ people got them, un-like marketing experts who didn’t recognize in those works imported design that was desirable. For example, NEVA cos-metics was a copy of German brand NIVEA, Zagreb’s tobacco factory (TDZ) had a heraldic lion motif just like Phillip Mor-ris (on Marlboro cigarett es) but they had blue colour like the typical Zagreb blue, instead of gold. I designed the logo for Sarajevo’s tobacco factory (FDS) that had a cigarett e on each lett er, and the lett er F had a fi lter so everybody understood it was a tobacco factory logo. Th at was in 1973 and Sarajevo was a province compared to Zagreb. Th e most interesting example was the VIII. Mediterranean games that were held in Split in 1979; their logo was much defi ned and represented a derivate of the Olympic logo but it had 3 circles in blue (Europe), black (Africa) and yellow (Asia) that were the obligatory part of the bid. My design had only blue colour and the circles were un-even because they were immersed in the Mediterranean - a unique area that has its history, culture and civilisation. Th e

bid was repeated 3 times in 9 months and I sent the exact same design that is the offi cial logo of all future games in the Medi-terranean, just like the one for the Olympics. I liked designing absolute solutions where you have to use all the possibilities that the content off ers. Many of my designs weren’t used, like the one for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984 or the one for the 1987 World University Games (Univerzijada) in Zagreb. I „broke“ rules there too. I call them my „unadjusted“ works that I adjusted later bit by bit and created them in a whole new concept. During socialism we were defi ned by our former country’s borders, but only my works were published in manuals and books from Japan to the US and Canada as ex-amples of their uniqueness and professionalism they exuded. I don’t mourn for a career in the West because I feel that the designer is responsible for the space and time he creates in.

You’ve been involved in creating Croatian national identity since the 90ties. How successful was Croatia in positioning herself as a global brand?

Not very much! Croatia complicated her visual story with her dull coat of arms and her fl ag that the politicians use to hide themselves, because it’s writt en in the Constitution and it’s a part of a politically indoctrinated nation with a claim that Croatia defended herself under that fl ag and that, surely, not every new government will have its own fl ag or even with a position that we should let this matt er rest since we have more important problems to deal with. It’s not a change in fl ag design, like some say-it’s a change of Croatia herself. Croatia has been without her vision for 20 years unfortunately. It’s actually the fi rst Croatia and the main reason for my project of SECOND Croatia. SECOND Croatia is not the fi rst; it’s a measure of humility but also of a brand new beginning. Th e fi rst Croatia was created by the fi rst president and his party but other parties also made their contribution and we have this today because you can’t turn back the time. Th e euphoria



I N T E R V I E W

and happiness that we experienced when we got our indepen-dence caused mistakes that will remain permanent unless we start over. Th ere’s no use in ‘crying over spilled milk’. Every-body is dissatisfi ed and unhappy nowadays; the economists, the workers, the syndicates, employed and unemployed, in-tellectuals......let’s face it, the fi rst Croatia is done with. To fi x it doesn’t make any sense-we need a SECOND Croatia. Elements of the vision are what we’ve writt en on 11 diff er-ent posters: 1/diff erent, 2/good, 3/beautiful, 4/worldly, 5/Croatian. To isolate, recognize and form a SECOND Croatia we need to defi ne ourselves by using those 5 terms. We need diversity in regard to others, mostly our fi rst neighbours, and we have plenty of those but I’ll mention our sea and numerous islands that we have. Th e sea that we haven’t protected enough so I once launched a slogan: “SEA is LAND. “ Th e diff erence itself is not enough, it’s also important that it’s good. Only af-ter those two does the ‘beautiful’ come, as an aesthetic extract. If we have something global, like for example the cravat, then ‘Croatian’ is also global but the world needs to know it came from us. Why wouldn’t we have the fi rst museum of cravat in the world? Indeed, Croatian is something that doesn’t possess any of these characteristics or it does but not in abundance, but Croatian is Croatian and we need to cherish it, respect it, develop it.....how to make it happen? By changing people? By changing of the system? Yes, but fi rst: we need to announce a change that will provide the energy and the vision to those who are dissatisfi ed and to tell them it’s the right time for them, for their SECOND Croatia. My project is very diff er-ent from any party program and their goal-to win the election. No, this is an awareness-changing project. Th e solutions that are on the posters are a bit more intellectual but I think that our people, especially the new generations, are not idiots and that they understand it as well as the fact they can’t do any-thing if this continues, with two parties with similar slogans; in that aspect we resent a unique case of idyll that is leading us slowly into abyss. Th e fl ag we have is the picture of Croa-tia we have. Th e concept of replacing the star with the coat of arms and its subsequent touch-ups is the fulfi lment of all those provincial desires of those who were responsible for the change, but also of the ones who wrote it into the Constitu-tion without a word. Th ose who deal with heraldry, historians and politicians used one artist they chose to design Croatia as a state, besides the fl ag. Th at of course followed the natural way of things and translated onto passports, registration tabs, IDs........and almost everybody is marked by visually coded by this identity, we have to be proud of it and to protect it according to law that is writt en in the Constitution. First of all, European republics don’t have coats of arms. We say it’s our history. It seems then that France, Italy, Germany or the Kingdom of Netherlands and the United Kingdom don’t have history. My concept is very simple and clear: how to preserve history in modern times. It’s a synthesis of tricolour and the historical coat of arms: entire surface is covered with squares in red, white and blue. Th eir size is the same in all 3 lines of colours so we have 3x6 or 18 squares, and we can also use a shorter version that fl ows bett er, 3x5 squares. Th e blue and red squares alternate when entering the second line and they give out a certain loose vibe that resembles our intended coastline. By using the concept known as 2 squares we can design sepa-rate logos and brands. You can fi nd it Croatian television logo (2 reds), Croatian Tourist Board (red and blue), Zagreb Fair (two white) and in some 50 or so other examples of mostly my design. Th e fact that they exist shows what the purpose of the fl ag is for, as a basic visual of one country. We are the only ones in the world who have a more recognizable football jersey than

the fl ag. Of course, we won’t change it. It’s funny that it was created for the fi rst game in 1990, meaning before the offi cial fl ag was created and that „mistake“ was fortunately perma-nent. My fl ag design form July 1990 was published in several newspapers at the time, with texts and interviews, but it didn’t have any eff ect. Now everybody follows some rule where we can’t change something we’ve absorbed and put into the Con-stitution when all the while we change a litt le something in that same Constitution. We can and we will, and it would be wise to do it before entering the EU.

You’re the author of the universally accepted two-inter-changeable-squares concept as the Croatian visual code, the popular „cubes“. What would you single out as the positive ex-amples of usage of that concept?

Th e fi rst usage was for Croatia Airlines logo, a blue and red square (1990-1992). It lasted only a short while but I provid-ed the same concept to restaurants CROATICA. Th ey were restaurants owned by Croats in Western Europe, mostly Ger-many. Th ere’s a saying: „Love goes through the stomach“. Th e application was on the cutlery (plates, cups, knives) because at the time nobody in Croatia was interested in that or in my idea about a visual identity of our new country. I tried by us-ing that concept to change the old one and to cover the key areas: media, economy, tourism, infrastructure, culture.....nobody commissioned anything from me, they were all pub-lic bids. Juries usually consisted of people who were against my famous two-square design but my professionalism forced them to recognize and award it. Croatian national television was certainly the strongest as far the media goes, with is easy access to every household and corner of Croatia and even fur-ther than that. Many of the iconic jingles I did for the Croatian national television they don’t even keep in their archive today, only the logo remains. Th ey occasionally enlarge it but it car-ries no ideas in it. In one of their latest jingles they visualised the logo as a dog that follows the TV hostess as she announces the new fall programme. Zagreb Fair is alive all year round be-cause they always host exhibitions and fairs. Th eir obligatory fl ags that adorn the city make the logo visible but their media materials, web pages and other have a very small logo that’s almost invisible. Th eir logo shows a group of business people who have come from all over the world; one has a briefcase, other a smaller briefcase (fi le holder or a laptop) and together they make two white squares. Croatian tourism is under the jurisdiction of the Croatian Tourist Board and it represents the most serious promotion of Croatia in the world. Th eir logo can be translated into any world language without changing its design. I made a complete alphabet in an originally writ-ten press but the most important detail is the fourth lett er A that symbolizes the Adriatic Sea as the basic motif of our tourism. Th e Croatian Auto Club (HAK) is the simplest one because of the traffi c speed that symbolizes it. Th e solution is simple dynamic lett ering and alterative fi elds that are located on the fi rst lett er H and their tops create a dynamic red square (rhomboid). Th e Miroslav Krleža Lexicographic Institute has a permutation of the lett er L into lett er Z and of course, two squares. CRO SKI has a red and blue dive in squares like let-ters R and S. Th e squares don’t have to always be in red-blue-white colours because they can stand as a separate graphic form. Danubiumtours has a green and blue square because Danube fl ows through fl at Pannonia. Th e square patt ern can be indicated with grid lines like with Documentation Centre Museum or the Institute IGH (Croatian civil engineering in-stitute). Th ere are over 50 of my Croatian logos.

Croatia will be entering the EU soon. How do you plan on launching the Croatian brand in order to make it more market-able on the European market?

First, some information about the EU. In 2002 I started a project EUROPE 2020 in which I called upon all of my Eu-ropean colleagues, from and outside the EU, to give their vi-sion of the European future. In two public invitations (2003 and 2005) we received 240 posters in B1 format (70x100cm) that have been travelling, since then, through European capi-tals and politicians are in charge of offi cial openings. I opened one in Athens and Bruxelles and two in Zagreb. Th e mott o of my invitation was „Why? “and it said: „Europe is the cradle of Western civilization and it, as such, fostered the development of civilization in other parts of the world over the centuries. Its form is not homogeneous, neither is its identity. It does not have a single currency and many of its other features are also very diverse. Europe has its North and South, its East and West. Western European politicians try hard to unite Europe, while Eastern European politicians do their best to bring their countries closer to the European Union. Th ere are two main criteria on the basis of which the ultimate unifi cation of Eu-rope should be ‘measured’: time and the vision of what we wish Europe to be like in the future. Experience and numerous events that occurred in the past (particularly in the twentieth century) were by no means positive. Design is a new cultural, civilizational and economic achievement oriented towards the future, rather than the past. Europe needs visions of its future and its designers can and should provide such visions. Th ere-fore, let this exhibition be a stimulus for a project aimed at the creation of a vision of Europe in the future, that is, a project in which EVERYBODY (from Eastern and Western, Northern and Southern Europe) can participate. Th e amount of ideas and the competition among them will open new horizons and off er, perhaps, a glimpse into the visions which have been un-known so far. Th e twenty-fi rst century is a challenge for the entire world, particularly for Europe, because it is Europe that is still being constituted. Th e shaping of Europe is designers’ job in the widest sense of the word which is so frequently and extensively used, that is, of the medium which constantly changes the world. Th e large number of participants in this fi rst competition, as well as the high quality of their work proves that design can be a ‘synthesis of our continent.’“ Th e Croatian government and the Ministry of Foreign Aff airs have used this exhibition as a promotion tool for Croatian approach to EU although it was not intended for it. But, as we’re enter-ing the EU, completely unprepared in my opinion, we need to redesign the fl ag and other state features so that it naturally translates into the economy area, and if it doesn’t then we can tart with two squares on products and brands until we resolve this. But the question is who will force entrepreneurs to follow logic of design and to single out their product in huge Euro-pean market?

Last question: your plans for the future, new projects?

I have to say that almost all of my projects are borrowed from the future because they’re either not realized yet or they have yet to start living fully. Of course, I continue to create, with or without cause.


I N T E R V I E W

LTGB c o r n e r

LGTBLGTBTourismTourismRab - Top gay destinationRab - Top gay destinationin Croatiain Croatia


It is known that the sun, sea and beautiful beaches are no lon-ger a suffi cient att raction itself and much more is needed in order to att ract domestic and foreign tour-ists to visit any destination on the Croatian coast. In particular, if we want to get the att ention of the LGBT population, custom-

ized travel, cultural and hospital-ity services should be developed and created methodically for the target population. For gay destina-tions, cordiality and understand-ing of the local population and hosts is a very important segment, and tourist community support is a necessity.

An interesting fact is that Croa-tia is on a yearly basis visited by 200,000 gay tourists.

Destinations such as Du-brovnik, Hvar, Rab, Krk, Rovinj, Rijeka and Zagreb over the years have proven themselves as gay friendly. LGBT tourists are usu-ally very grateful guests and cus-

Author: Nika Čabrić, Photo: Tourist Board Kvarner

tomers of a deeper pocket. Th ey know what they want and expect a high level of service. Th ey also ex-pect professionalism from the staff to the extent that, for example it is quite normal to hug or kiss in the lobby of the hotel. Most gay tour-ists prefer destinations with con-tents for LGBT populations, such as clubs, bars and entertainment just for them, while on the other hand, many travel regardless of whether the destination have specialized contents, but would have certainly chosen a gay-friendly hotel instead of a regular hotel. Apart from en-tertainment, gay tourists like to eat well, taste local specialties and are generally hedonists. In one word gay population loves to travel, and according to some surveys to them it is more important than buying clothes or cars.

Rab as the most att ractive gay-friendly destinations in Croatia

Island of Love, also known as Rab, is a famous destination among the LGBT population since the eighties of the 20th century. With the support of tourist board, local residents and caterers, the island of Rab is slowly becoming not only the top LGBT destination in Croatia, but even beyond. Th is is corrobo-rated by the fact that CNN named it “Shangri-La” of all naturist desti-nations.

In summer 2011 with the project ‘Rab Gay Summer’, which includes a variety of activities and special-ized products, Rab became the fi rst exclusive gay - friendly destination in Croatia. Considering the history of the island, its openness from the early days, Rab has emerged as a truly ideal destination. On the is-land of Rab there is a series of gay-friendly accommodations, a gay bar, and a new gay club is opening soon. A special gay week, named Adriatic Gay Week, was organized this year in June and late August, with various cultural and tourist at-tractions. Th e main actuators of the destination this year were famous

musicians from all over the world. Th e organization and the branding of the fi rst circuit party that could draw thousands of LGBT people seeking entertainment will start this fall. Th e organizers have made a Rab Gay Guide, a fl yer that will bring the beauty of this island to all LGBT visitors, and on which they indicated an important gay-friendly places. Flyers are located in both, the Tourist Board offi ce in the city and the gay-friendly bars. Tourists who come to the island indepen-dently can go to the Tourist Board and learn about locations that have been proposed as a gay-friendly.

Th e fi rst offi cial nudist beach in Europe is one of the main gay beach-es on the island of Rab today. It is Kandalora, also called the English beach, and all due to interesting fact that the English king Edward VIII and Lady Simpson received offi cial permission for nude bathing back in 1936th and thus started the trend of the naturist bathing. Kandalora is not packed with nudists, but is even more visited by those who prefer calmer bays and holidays.

Rab slowly, but surely moves to-ward becoming LGBT destination like many similar world-famous LGBT destinations, and to help Croatia open its eyes wide to the west.

LTGB turizam

Th e unique chain of the ACI ma-rinas is a part of a successful nautical story on the Croatian part of the Adri-atic. An important part of this story are hundred thousands of boaters that have entrusted us with their confi dence. Th e same has happened with a large num-ber of world-class sailers who have taken part in the world most famous match races organized by ACI and who have become the best ambassadors of Croatia to the world. Th erefore, do trust us, we are off ering you a unique sailing project along the Adriatic based on our thirty-year-long experience, an impeccable logistics, a fl eet of twelve top sailing boats and a professional team who are going to bring you closer to the fascinating world of sailing with programmes made especially to fi t your desire.

What are we off ering? Considering our long experience in

organizing the world greatest regatt as, business to business events and promo-tional sailings, we are off ering you the

following three main programmes:SPORT We are really experts and specially

enthusiastic in the organization of top-rate sailing regatt as. A fl eet of twelve equal type high performance Jeanneau One Design 35 sailing boats, equipped with a high-tech equipment and a suit of sails can guarantee an exciting and top-quality sailing, a sport event of-fering so much fun both on sea and ashore.

BUSINESS Sailing represents today one of the

activities becoming more and more popular and appreciated within the business world. Th e most famous out-put where experience in sailing, imbued with adrenaline, and business contacts are connected together into a unity is the America’s Cup. We are off ering you a unique opportunity to take part at the B2B (Business to Business) and experi-ence events that you and your business partners as well will remember for ever. Furthermore, altough team building on

sea appears as something that you have already seen, do try our „specialities“, since we are off ering an unforgett able experience closely linked to competi-tion, learning and cooperation of all team members.

PLEASUREIf a romantic escape, a one-day sail-

ing adventure or a wonderful holiday based on the ACI Marina Cres im-peccable organization and logistics is aimed at, we are off ering you a number of opportunities that will make your leisure time a very special one.

Our resourcesTh e infrastructure assuring that your

stay at the ACI Marina Cres will be both qualitative and pleasant, is at your disposal

Jeanneau One Design 35 ( JOD 35)

A fl eet of twelve sailing boats is the only fl eet of this type along the Croa-tian coast of the Adriatic. It was com-pletly renewed in 2010, and is equipped with more suit of sails, the Dacronic and the most sophisticated Carbon-

ACISAILING CENTRE CRES

S A I L I N GT O U R I S M


cevlar ones, as well as with the newest Harken sailing equipment. Th ere is ac-commodation for a crew of six.

ACI Marina CresTh e ACI Marina Cres, one of the

most beautiful and best equipped ma-rinas along the Adriatic, is located at the bott om of the Cres bay. Th e hearti-ness and kindness of the inhabitants of this island as well as its wonderful and magic environment are undoubt-edly one of the reasons why guests of the ACI Marina Cres feel comfortable and relaxed and are coming back over and over again. Among them are also skippers and crew members who took part at a number of regatt as, world and European championships regularly or-ganized in the ACI Marina Cres.

ApartmentsWithin the ACI Marina Cres, there

are eight modern and newly refur-bished apartments at the disposal of their guests. Twenty persons can be well accommodated in a two- or four-bed apartments that, with their loca-

tion and surrounded by olive trees, represent an ideal accommodation for sailers aimed at sailing on board the ACI Marina Cres sailing boats, thus off ering an opportunity for a comfort-able and pleasant stay on the island of Cres.

Th e Mediterranean to your own standardsOnce you have reached the ACI

Sailing Centre Cres, you have a plain view of all those valuable things that make many of our guests come back to the island of Cres for many years. Th e island of Cres is the largest island on the Adriatic, but at the same time one of the most peculiar islands due to its unique fl ora and fauna as well as to the well preserved ecological balance and an untouched nature. It is an island of a mystic peace, of an Arcadian landscape and of real monuments of the human eff orts refl ecting themselves in the in-fi nitive chains of huge stone blocks and dry stone walls that cover the whole is-land as a precious lace. Cres is also the

home of the griff on vulture. Apart from its natural att ractions, the island of Cres off ers delicious food originating from the island – the best lamb’s meat and the famous scampi from the Kvarner Bay. But that is not all we are off ering you – let us add to this seaborne story the taste of the Mediterranean as it used to be combined with the impeccable organization made by our team and the updated standards of the off er to meet your requirements. Besides, the region of Istria, with its rich and varied off er, is within easy reach and, if necessary, our sailing boats can be located in Istria off ering you a new story under sails, ol-ive trees and truffl es. And if you prefer the colours and charms of Dalmatia, our fl eet can be at your disposal in the south, and our unique chain of marinas will bid you a warm welcome. It is from the town walls of Dubrovnik, over the Pakleni Islands, the Krka Falls or the untouched wilderness of the Kornati Archipelgo that we are off ering you a particular story that can be brought un-der the common name of sailing.

Sailing tourism

Twenty nine years of a successful tradition and long experience as one of the best known nautical systems on the Mediterranean and, undoubtedly, in the world as well, an innovative ap-proach and uncovering the most beau-tiful natural resources to boaters for their permanent stay, not diminishing their natural beauty or the spots eco-logical harmony, makes ACI fully satis-fi ed and extremely proud.

Th e “ACI’s Day” that we tradition-ally celebrate on July 1st in all marinas oft en reminds us of the time twenty nine years ago when the fi rst marinas opened their doors and berthed the fi rst boats and are remembered with joy. And it was a real visionary feat. Since then, nautical Croatia prints its exceptionally rich nautical-tourist story. Today, it is impossible to speak about nautical tourism along the Adri-atic coast without mentioning the ACI, a chain of marinas off ering a high standard service with 6000 mooring and dry berths to the boaters from all around the world.

One of the greatest advantages of the ACI marinas is their traffi c accessibil-ity to European centres. By a system of modern motorways in Croatia as well as an increased number of fl ights of domes-tic airlines and those of foreign and low-cost, the whole Adriatic coast has good and fast connections to the Europe. New, more oft en catamaran and ferry lines have been introduced in high season, thus enabling even bett er connection with the ACI marinas on the islands.

Beside this traffi c accessibility, the chain of 21 ACI marinas, with its ideal geographic indentedness from Umag in the north, to Dubrovnik in the south, att ract boaters by off ering them a safe berth, and modern and impec-cable high-quality services. Along with this, the marinas are real gastronomic centres with the top selection of dishes of the Mediterranean and international cuisine, and of quality wines.

Year aft er year, the ACI has been af-fi rmed for the care that it is taking in the environmental protection, so that ten of our marinas proudly display the “European Blue Flag” – an eco-award for the safety and the cleanliness of the sea. And recently we have put into op-eration new wash-up waste water treat-ment plants in several ACI marinas.

Sailing and organization of regat-tas is also the ACI trademark. Th e world’s famous skippers will with great joy mention the memories that tie them to the ACI Match Race Cup, which was held over the years in Rovinj, Dubrovnik, Umag and Split. At this year’s, the 25th jubilee ACI Match Race Cup, a prestigious match racing event, the best Croa-tian skippers and crews have gath-ered. During all these years, the ACI Match Race Cup, organized by ACI and the Yacht Club Croatia, has been and remains a true sports and cultur-al event with a variety of additional programs held aft er the splendid all-day races and the magic of white sails on the race fi eld.

And for all those who yearn for events on the sea, and who like many other world known sailors want to try out the passion and pleasure of sailing, the ACI, by opening a Sailing center within the ACI Marina Cres, off ered a number of diff erent sailing programmes on Cres, one of the most beautiful island in the Adriatic Sea. Th e off ered programmes include pro-fessionally organized regatt as, training and team building programs on 12 equal JOD 35 type sailing boats.

To many lovers of boating and nau-tical fashion, in the ACI marina Opatija in Ičići, the ACI Blue Marine Boutique is opened, off ering exclusive nautical clothes and accessories in colours of the sun and the sea representing the new ACI brand in always att ractive and readily worn maritime style. Part of the collection is also available in shopping points at the receptions of several ACI marinas.

ACI mott o is “Understanding the boaters” so the ACI team strives to recognize the boaters’ needs and tries hard to provide them with maximal and timely service. Th e fact that, year aft er year, we have great results and growing number of loyal guests in our nautical family tells us that we are suc-cessful in doing our job. Th erefore, we invite you – if you want to enjoy exploring the Adriatic in its entirety – to sail with us as your reliable partner along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. …. Navigare necesse est!

ACI A chain of 21 charming marinas along the picturesque Croatian coast

S A I L I N GT O U R I S M


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