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Home , Banski dvori, Battle of Grobnik Field, Betina, Bracera, Dramalj, Dvigrad

Dear friends,

I am pleased to confirm that Croatian tourism achieved its strategic and tactical goals in 2008. We finished the year 2008 with over 11 million tourist arrivals and 57 million tourist overnights. The financial result is even more remarkable. At the moment, we expect to earn over 7.1 billion euros in tourism in 2008 This year, Croatian tourism made its new qualitative shift in the increase of quality accommodation capacities, service quality and new facilities. Country Brand Index, the world’s leading brand monitoring organization, has recognized this and proclaimed a Rising Star – a destination that would become more important and demanded in the world over the next five years. Namely, within all the segments of Croatian tourism there is consciousness about the possible negative influence of the world economic crisis, but also a certain level of optimism for 2009, the year which, under the condition of active partnership and careful politics in tourism, can bring Croatia the preservation of its relative share in the world tourist environment and in relation to the rivals from the European Mediterranean Sustainable development of tourism relying on natural resources and historical & cultural heritage is the basis for the future national tourism strategy that will determine the development of Croatian tourism. Our response to the demanding year 2009 will surely include excellence in each segment at affordable prices. In addition to raising the quality, the key is also in the opening of new markets and contribution of local self- government in destination promotion because guests do not merely come to the hotel – they primarily come to the town! We will therefore certainly ensure substantial increase in the funds for promotion of Croatian tourism on foreign markets where consequences of the economic crisis are already felt. Value for money is what will mark Croatian tourism in 2009. A balance between the price and quality is what Croatia will play with on the market.

Minister of Tourism and President of the Croatian National Tourist Board

Damir Bajs

1

CONTENTS

Why come to Croatia 3

Portrait of Croatia 5

The country of a thousand islands 7

UNESCO 9

National Parks 11

Croatia in numbers 13

How to reach Croatia 16

Announcing for 2009 19 - Hotels 19 - Camps 21 - Small family hotels 22

A holiday for everyone’s taste 24 - nautical tourism 24 - diving tourism 26 - congress tourism 27 - rural tourism 28 - cultural tourism 29 - adventure tourism 31 - golf 33 - wellness and health tourism 34 - religious tourism 36

Gastro & Wine Corner 37

Croatia – the home of the famous 39

Presenting Croatia by region 41 City of 41 Central Croatia 49 59 - Karlovac 67 Kvarner 75 85 - 97 Dalmatia - Šibenik 106 Dalmatia - Split 113 Dalmatia - 122

Statistics – January-December 2007/2008 130

2 WHY COME TO CROATIA

A destination always rediscovered Attracting a wide range of guests, Croatian has developed and maintained an infrastructure suitable for both adventurers and guests seeking a certain level of comfort. We systematically and permanently strive to raise the price/quality ratio to a higher level, at the same time complying with the postulates of sustainable development and producing a harmonious satisfaction for both the guest/service user and the host/service provider. We therefore wish to create a win-win situation for both of them. Such development, tailored to the needs of Croatian citizens and foreign guests, aims for the domicile population to participate in improvement of their own living standard and preservation of the national identity. In our case, this means we first used the potentials utilizing our original comparative advantages. We are now turning to potentials that could be valued in terms of tourism, but start the race without an explicit comparative advantage. We are therefore not static but dynamic, creative and proactive. Because traveling trends, needs, expectations and motives change. Permanently improving the quality of its facilities on the one hand and the transport infrastructure on the other hand, Croatia still tries to offer satisfaction and experiences even for the most demanding ones. This is confirmed by what have become traditional arrivals of royal and princely families, musicians, painters and members of powerful business dynasties on the Adriatic coast in summer months. Croatia is also a great natural and historical stage for many unique festivals, exhibitions, concerts and events such as the Dubrovnik Summer Games, Split Summer, Fjera, and Motovun Film Festivals, or the Špancirfest in Varaždin.

A quality offer with sustainable development In the upcoming development period, we wish to retain the status and identity of a peaceful, attractive, safe and comfortable destination, attending equally to celebrities and those who want to enjoy their anonymity. By permanently encouraging reconstruction and renovation of the existing facilities and green field investments, especially in hotel resorts under prestigious global brands, golf courses, nautical tourism ports and multipurpose sports as well a series of small family hotels, a new accommodation and related offer is created, while the existing offer is enriched at the same time. In addition, emphasis is put on providing conditions to meet the increasingly sophisticated demand in camping tourism and the enthusiasm of the tourist centers in the interior. Through its “Tourism Without Obstacles” bidding, the Ministry of Tourism will finance projects resolving the infrastructural problems of the disabled in tourism (access to facilities, sea access elevators, access ramps, etc.). To encourage and develop selective forms of tourism in the continent, the Adriatic coast hinterland and islands’ interiors (hunting/fishing tourism, mountain tourism, etc.), projects within the ‘Green Wake’ bidding will be financed. Nonrefundable funds within the ‘Tourism Through Regions’ bidding will be allocated to tourism development projects (improvement of the tourist infrastructure, enrichment of facilities, thematic tours, etc.).

3 Special government loans also stimulate programs for protection and renovation of national heritage and its inclusion in tourism, such as ‘Heritage in Tourism’, ‘Theme Routes’ and ‘Original Souvenir’. The government incentives and independent initiatives taken by entrepreneurs and regional tourist institutions provided a very attractive offer of autochthonous facilities in the coastal region and the interior. Thanks to the preserved environment, quiet and modern comfort, they are becoming a true hit among guests seeking nature and quiet.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2008. record shows that 11.260.807 tourists came to Croatia which is one percent more than 2007. Croatia recorded 57.103.494 overnights, or two percent over 2007. With 9.415.105 arrivals, foreign tourists recorded a growth of one percent as compared to the year 2007, and their 50.625.522 overnights are two percent more then year 2007.

Strategic goals The main goal for the Croatian National Tourist Board is to take part in long-term development of the tourism sector by establishing its country as a quality destination offering its guests experiences filing them with satisfaction. To achieve the desired goal, we plan to prepare the Croatian Tourism Strategic & Marketing Plan for 2010-2014 with the following missions:

• Sustainable development of tourism based on natural resources and historical & cultural heritage. • Croatia as a lifestyle destination with high added value, rather than mass tourism. • Improvement and extension of the season and increase in profitability of tourist activities. • Limitations of dependence on specific markets. • Improvement of service quality by investing in the infrastructure and HR development. • Creation of a distinctive position making Croatia recognizable among its competing destinations. • Ensure a balance between the national, regional and local developments. • Reconstruction, protection and more complete valuation of Croatian tourist potentials.

4 PORTRAIT OF CROATIA www.croatia.hr

Unique in its diversity As one of the most significant travel destinations in the Mediterranean, Croatia has a longstanding tourist tradition and great development potentials. The advantages of the tourist product are its preserved natural wealth and environment, cultural and historical heritage, mild Mediterranean climate, close proximity of European markets, and the availability of active holidays in environmentally protected destinations. In terms of climate, the country combines elements of the Mediterranean and Central Europe. Geographically, it stretches from the Pannonian Plain, the region, and woody and hilly areas to real peaks and mountains chains descending to and protecting the unique and unforgettable Adriatic coast. Such diversity is perhaps best reflected in the natural wealth comprising as many as eight fully independent national parks. They are (www.kornati.hr), Risnjak (www.risnjak.hr), (www.npkrka.hr), (www.paklenica.hr), (www.brijuni.hr), North (www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr), Plitvice Lakes (www.np- plitvicka-jezera.hr) and (www.np-mljet.hr). Plitivce Lakes are also on the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. The national parks are accompanied by the nature parks of Kopački rit (www.kopacki-rit.com), (www.pp-medvednica.hr), Field (www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr), Velebit (www.pp-velebit.hr), (www.biokovo.com), Telašćica (www.telascica.hr), Učka (www.pp-ucka.hr), (www.pp-papuk.hr), Vrana Lake (www.vransko-jezero.hr), Žumberak (www.zumberak-samoborsko-gorje.hr) and Islands (www.lastovo.org). Many people of sophisticated taste can sense the abundance of Croatian diversity. They sense it while sitting at a table offering dishes named after Croatian regions: cheese, Slavonian kulen, Drniš prosciutto, Istrian soup, lamb, belly, Kvarner shrimp, Zagorje štrukli, Ston oysters, and Komiža bread, Međimurje … The tastes of these dishes are all different, yet have a clear link – they are Croatian and they are excellent. All this combined in a natural harmony of distinctive wines, quality olive oil, nostalgic harmony songs and vivacious folklore.

The fact that intermingling of Croatian diversities can be very artistically stimulating is confirmed by man-made masterpieces. The UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List refers to the unique and universal value of the Old Town of Dubrovnik, Diocletian Palace in Split, St. Jacob’s Cathedral in Šibenik, the medieval core of , the Euphrasius complex in Poreč and the Starigrad Plain on the island of . Did you know the Croatian karst has become a global generic term for rock-bound areas? Did you know Croatia was one of the richest countries in Europe in drinking water? When you come to Croatia, you will find yourself in the country where the first European calendar was found. It was drawn on a ceramic container from Vučedol near made between the year 3000 and the year 2400 B.C., at the time cuneiform writing appeared in Mesopotamia and hieroglyphs appeared in . Croatia’s tourist offer is diverse and rich, including nautical tourism, diving, congress, environmental, rural, cultural, religious, adventure, hunting and fishing tourism, as well as health and wellness tourism, cruises on motor sailing ships and excursion boats.

5 Each Croatian tourist region develops its distinctive offer in line with the global trends and its own tradition: Istria, Kvarner, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Dubrovnik, Zagreb as the capital city, Lika and Karlovac, Central Croatia and Slavonia.

Croatia is a country of contrasts, both natural and historical/cultural. This is another reason for you to visit and spend an unforgettable holiday in the Mediterranean as it once was.

6 THE COUNTRY OF A THOUSAND ISLANDS www.croatia.hr

Croatia is the country of a thousand islands, namely 1,185, so it makes a heaven for navigators. Along 1,777 km of the Adriatic coastline, there are 47 inhabited and 652 uninhabited islands, 78 reefs and 389 rocks. Each island is different than the other and each one has its own story and fate. The first visit to the Adriatic coast and islands is a trip to the unknown. Each subsequent trip will be a return to the familiar beauty of this country, always different, yet equally fascinating. We will begin the story of the islands with Brijuni. These 14 islands are situated on a 7-km stretch between Pula and Rovinj. Nature has created quite a little paradise here – a true harmony of flora and fauna, historical monuments and comfortable hotels. The golden or green is an island and yet it is not one. Its idyllic nature and quiet far from the daily routine make it an island, but considering the transport connection, it practically is not one. Cres and Lošinj. One island or two? Once upon a time they were separated by a channel dug by the Romans, but they are now connected by a bridge. Among the 1,185 islands and reefs spread along the entire Adriatic coast, made of solid and sharp rock and some soil, is one of the few islands nature has created out of sand. The 20 million cubic meters of sand provide the wine made on Susak with a special flavor. Next on the list is the Kvarner island od Rab. Abundant in Mediterranean vegetation and sandy beaches, the local council pronounced it a bathing and health resort way back in 1889. Pag is an island covered by mythical olive groves, rich in saltwater and famous for its lace and cheese, a world-renowned delicacy. , an island of shipowners and captains, is a true shelter for navigators against wild winds with its piers. The island of is a ‘suburb’ and garden of Zadar, named after extensive production of oil. The nearby island of Pašman has become one with Ugljan. They seem like twins, and the only difference is that Pašman is somewhat quieter. Iž is known for its abundant Mediterranean vegetation. On the island of , you can rest in a natural reserve covering an area of 114 km². According to a legend, Kornati, a maze of sea passages and islets, were created from a number of rocks God had left over after creating the world. He tossed them into the sea, looked at them, and decided nothing else needed to be corrected. Another picturesque island is , having a surface area of 18 square kilometers. Murter is an island of fishermen, olive groves and shipbuilders. The island of Prvić is near the tourist pearl of Vodice, an oasis of Mediterranean flora and fauna. The island of is situated southwest of Šibenik. In the 15th century, it was famous for coral and sea sponge extraction. Žirje is the remotest inhabited island of the Šibenik Archipelago with great fishing areas and numerous bays for navigators. The island of Brač is the highest and third largest island in the . The island is well known for its quality stone used to build many palaces. This is the island with the only stone mason school in Croatia.

7 South of Brač lies Hvar, the longest island in the Adriatic. This is an island of vineyards, olive groves and lavender. Hvar is without a doubt an exceptional island. It is characterized by pleasant winter and summer resorts, mild climate and abundant subtropical vegetation. Pakleni otoci is a particularly interesting group of islands with gravelly and sandy beaches, mostly for nudists, and a rocky sea bottom perfect for underwater fishing. Far from the mainland and its problems is the island of Vis, rich in citrus fruits, palm trees and fishing areas. The island of Biševo stretches over 6 square kilometers and has many caves carved into a steep coastline. Although officially a peninsula, Pelješac actually seems to be an island. It is separated from Korčula by a narrow channel. They say no island has more legends or monuments than Korčula, and it is also the woodiest island in Croatia along with Lokrum and Mljet. Far out in the open sea is the island of Lastovo, having a surface area of 50 square kilometers, gravelly beaches and several islands on its west and east sides. Next to Pelješac is the green Mljet, stretching over 100 square kilometers. Thanks to its thick pine forests, karstic caves and two picturesque lakes connected with the sea, gravelly and sandy beaches and a fishing area abundant with fish and lobster, the west part of the island has a national park status.

8 UNESCO www.unesco.org Registered sites of the Republic of Croatia on the UNESCO World Heritage List are: Diocletian Palace and Medieval Split (1979) – The Emperor’s Palace is one of the most significant works of late-ancient architecture, not just for the preservation of original parts and the whole, but also for a series of original architectural forms announcing the new early-Christian, Byzantine and early-medieval art. The cathedral was built in the Middle Ages by using materials from an ancient mausoleum. Roman churches from the 12th and 13th centuries, medieval forts and gothic, renaissance and baroque palaces are contained within the Roman walls, thus creating a harmonious whole. Dubrovnik Old Town (1979) – The Pearl of the Adriatic became a major Mediterranean power after the 13th century. This late-medieval planned city in the south part of the east Adriatic Croatian coast with its historical core situated at the foot of Mount Srđ has preserved the character of a unique urban whole throughout the centuries, defined by the city walls. It has a significant place in the history of city planning. Although severely devastated by the 1667 earthquake, Dubrovnik has managed to preserve its gothic, renaissance and baroque churches, monasteries and fountains. National Park Plitvice Lakes (1979) – The beauty of Plitvice and its unsurpassable attractiveness are a result of gypsum and gypsum-depositing plants. Creation of gypsum and rearrangement of the river bed created a string of 16 Plitvice Lakes representing a magnificent natural architectural phenomenon, surrounded by thick forests inhabited by bears, wolves and many other rare animal and plant species. Early-Christian Euphrasius Basilica Complex in Poreč (1997) – The cathedral complex in Poreč was named Euphrasius Basilica after Bishop Euphrasius who thoroughly renovated the cathedral in mid-6th century and decorated it with famous mosaics. Before Euphrasius’ renovation, there were at least two phases of early- Christian buildings in the same place. In Poreč, Christianity was established as early as the 4th century – the basilica, the atrium, the baptistery and the Episcopal palace are remarkable examples of religious architecture, while the basilica itself combines elements of classicism and Byzantine Empire in an exceptional way. The apse is luxuriously decorated with figurative mosaics that are among the most significant examples of its kind in Europe. Historical Core of Trogir (1997) - Trogir is an excellent example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement originates from the Hellenic era – consecutive rulers continued to decorate it with exceptional public and residential buildings and forts. Its beautiful roman churches are supplemented with exceptional renaissance and baroque buildings. The most significant building is the Trogir Cathedral with its west portal, a masterpiece of Radovan and the most significant example of roman and gothic art in Croatia. St. Jacob’s Cathedral in Šibenik (2000) – Built between 1431 and 1535, St. Jacob’s Cathedral witnessed important exchanges in the area of monumental art between North , Dalmatia and Tuscany in the 15th and 16th centuries. Three architects - Francesco di Giacomo, George of Dalmatia and Nicholas of Florence – developed a structure fully made of stone, by using a unique technique for the cathedral’s dome. The result is a

9 harmonious stone whole, arrangement methods and absolute harmony within the cathedral. Starigrad Plain (2008) - In July of 2008, Starigrad Plain was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The explanation provided by the World Organization states that the vineyards and olive groves in the Plain have remained practically intact since it was first colonized by the ancient Greeks and that they are a unique example of the geometric land division used in the ancient times. In the summer of 385 B.C., a group of around a hundred families was sent from the town of Paros on the island of the same name in the Aegean Sea toward the Ionian Bay, as the Greeks referred to the Adriatic Sea, to establish a colony there. Their destination was the island of Hvar, formerly named Fiteja, and they were led by Okist who was, among other things, in charge of proper land division to the settlers in the new settlements. Amidst the plain, in a place from where you can see almost the entire plain, is a marked starting point - omphalos. By using groma, a simple surveying instrument, the plain was surveyed and divided into parcels of 1 x 5 stadia, which is approximately 180 x 900 meters. They also carved boundary stones bearing the names of the parcel owners, but the island and coastal Illyrians did not like such division so they attacked the town in 384 B.C. However, the Greeks defeated the Illyrians, which enabled them to gain control of the entire Starigrad Plain, the largest fertile plain on the Adriatic islands. The settlers soon began to erect ancillary buildings and lodgings in the plain, on their own estates. The luxurious ones date back to the Roman era – so far, they have discovered remains of around sixty of them. Today, Starigrad Plain represents the best preserved ancient Greek landscape in the Mediterranean. In September of 2007 at the congress in the Scottish town of Ullapool, the Coordination Committee of European decided to accept Papuk in the European family protected by UNESCO, comprising 31 European and 51 world geoparks. Papuk thus became the first protected area in Croatia having such status. Although it is difficult to list all the geological features and diversities making Papuk different than the other mountains in continental Croatia, the most valuable among them is the Rupnica site near Voćin with its 70 million years old cascading volcanic rocks that can only be seen at three other locations in the world: in New Zealand, in Yellowstone, USA, and in . New, previously undiscovered natural beauties of the mountains built from rocks with an age range of 350 million years are discovered every day. Sites on the Accession List The Republic of Croatia has also sent the accession list of cultural and natural sites to the World Heritage Center (WHC). The cultural sites include the Episcopal complex in Zadar, the Croatian Limes in Varaždin, the Fort in Osijek, the extension to Diocletian Palace and the historical core of Split, Lubenice on Cres, the Burg Castle of Veliki Tabor, the historical urban whole of Ston including Mali Ston, Motovun, Blaca Desert, Primošten vineyards and the Town of Korčula. The natural sites include North Velebit, National Park Kornati and Telaščica, while the cultural and natural site category includes Lonja Field. The Lace Making in Croatia project was nominated for UNESCO’s proclamation of the masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of mankind, as well as the Annual Carnival Procession of Bell Ringers in the Area of .

10 NATIONAL PARKS

Croatia has eight national parks, namely: Brijuni, Kornati, Krka, Mljet, Paklenica, Plitvice Lakes, Risnjak and North Velebit. The largest number of visits is registered in the most popular Croatian National Park, Plitvice Lakes, followed by Krka, Brijuni and Paklenica.

From Brijuni to Mljet Brijuni (www.brijuni.hr) consists of 14 islands and islets having a total surface area of 36.3 km². Thanks to its indented coastline, diverse flora and fauna, Brijuni is sometimes referred to as Heaven on Earth. National Park Kornati (www.kornati.hr) has a total surface area of 220 km², comprising 89 islands, islets and reefs. Land accounts for only around 1/4 of the park’s area – the rest is a marine ecosystem. National Park Mljet (www.np-mljet.hr) in the far south of Croatia is often referred to as the most beautiful Adriatic island because it has some truly rare sites – a lake in the middle of the island and an island in the lake with a castle on the island, a Benedictine monastery from the 12th century. This almost surreal image seems to have been extracted from the most beautiful stories. According to one of them, Mljet was part of Odysseus’ route and nymph Calypso kept him in captivity there. National Park Krka (www.npkrka.hr) was named after Krka River within the park. The national park is located in Central Dalmatia, only a few kilometers northeast of the City of Šibenik. Paklenica (www.paklenica.hr) is an area of unusual contact between the sea and the mountain, rich in natural forests of beech, black pine and mountain pine. National Park Plitvice Lakes (www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr) is a woody mountainous region with a string of 16 smaller and larger lakes of a crystal blue and green color. They are supplied by water from numerous small rivers and streams and are interconnected with foamy cascades and forest falls. National Park Risnjak (www.risnjak.hr) is situated in Gorski Kotar, the Mount Risnjak massif and its 1528 meter peak being the basis of the park. To enjoy the beauties of Risnjak, you need to have a special sense for the thrills of natural phenomena. National Park North Velebit (www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr) has a diversity of karstic phenomena, flora and fauna, which is just a part of this natural whole.

Nature Parks

From Biokovo to Kopački rit The nature parks in Croatia are: Nature Park Biokovo, Nature Park Kopački rit, Nature Park Lonja Field, Nature Park Medvednica, Nature Park Papuk, Nature Park Telašćica, Nature Park Velebit, Nature Park Vrana Lake, Nature Park Učka, Nature Park Žumberak- Samobor Mountains, and Nature Park Lastovo Islands. Biokovo (www.biokovo.com) was proclaimed a nature park for its exceptional flora and fauna values, geo-morphological forms and natural beauty covering an area of 19,550 hectares. Kopački rit (www.kopacki-rit.com) is an area significantly changing its appearance over the year, depending on the intensity of flooding, predominantly from the Danube and much less from . Nature Park Lonja Field (www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr) is the largest protected marsh area, not only in Croatia, but in the entire Danube area.

11 The forests of Medvednica (www.pp-medvednica.hr) descend almost to the very center of Zagreb. In addition to its peace and greenery, the mountain is abundant in a rich and diverse wildlife. The special features of Papuk (www.pp-papuk.hr) represent an important segment of the biological and landscape value of Slavonia. The diversity of geological phenomena, preserved flora and vegetation and habitats for a number of animal species represent a true treasury. Nature Park Telašćica (www.telascica.hr) features three basic phenomena – Telašćica Bay as the largest and safest natural port in the Adriatic, the vertical cliffs rising up to 200 m above the sea and descending to a depth of 90 m, and the saltwater lake of Mir with healing properties. Nature Park Velebit (www.pp-velebit.hr) is the most significant endemic center of flora and mainland fauna in Croatia. Nature Park Vrana Lake (www.vransko-jezero.hr) is a park containing the largest lake in Croatia. Nature Park Učka (www.pp-ucka.hr) is primarily characterized by an exceptional diversity of features in a relatively small area. Nature Park Žumberak (www.zumberak-samoborsko-gorje.hr) covers around 350 km², and its basic goal is to protect and promote the natural beauties of the region. Lastovo Islands (www.lastovo.org) includes all 44 islands, islets, rocks and reefs within the Municipality of Lastovo. The largest in the group are Lastovo and Sušac. This area is one of the most preserved marine areas in the Adriatic.

12 CROATIA IN NUMBERS

Official name: Republic of Croatia

Geographic position: Croatia stretches from the easternmost edges of the Alps in the northwest to the Pannonian Plain and the banks of the Danube in the east, its central part is covered by the mountain massif, and its south part finishes on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It has a sea border with Italy and land border with , , , and . System of government: Croatia is a multi-party parliamentary republic

Population: 4,437,460

Area: the land part covers 56,594 km2, and the territorial sea area is 31,067 km2

Number of islands, rocks and reefs: 1,185, the largest islands are Krk and Cres

Coastline length: 5,835 km, island, rock and reef coast accounting for 4,058 km

Capital city: Zagreb (population 779,145, 2001)- economic, transport, cultural and academic center of the country

Money: the official currency in Croatia is kuna (1 kuna = 100 lipas)

Climate: There are three climatic zones in Croatia: a moderately warm rain climate prevails in the interior, snow forest climate on the highest peaks and a pleasant Mediterranean climate with many sunny days prevails along the Adriatic coast; the summers are dry and hot, the winters are mild and humid. Average temperature in the interior: January - 2 to 0 ˚C or lower at higher altitudes; August – around 20 ˚C and around 12 ˚C on the highest peaks. Average temperature in the littoral: January - 5 to 9 ˚C; August - 22 to 25 ˚C; sea temperature in winter is 12 ˚C and around 25 ˚C in summer

National Parks: Croatia has eight national parks, 4 in the mainland area (Paklenica, Plitvice Lakes, Risnjak and North Velebit) and 4 in the coastal area (Brijuni, Kornati, Krka and Mljet)

Economy: GDP per capita – 8,452 EUR (2007)

Gastronomy: Gourmets will have a field day in the continental part of Croatia, surrendering to the gastro magic of the cuisines of

13 Slavonia, Međimurje, Zagorje, Lika or Gorski Kotar. Hardly anyone could resists specialties such as Slavonian kulen, Zagorje turkey with mlinci, Baranja spicy fish stew, Lika potatoes, Gorski Kotar belly, frogs or various game dishes. The Mediterranean part of Croatia is an empire of light, healthy food. The area offers the flavors of olive oil, Cres and Pag lamb, Drniš and Istrian prosciutto, Kvarner shrimp, Ston oysters, Viš and Komiža bread, Dalmatian fish and crabs, Istrian truffles and specialties made under a baking lid. Wine lovers can choose among a wide range of continental wines like Traminac, Riesling, Graševina and Burgundy, as well as the Adriatic Dingač, Postup, Malvasia, Žlahtina, Teran and Vugava.

Mean annual temperatures °C Average daily temperatures in August °C Zagreb 11.1 21.4 Pula 14.4 24.9 14.1 24.7 Rab 15.5 25.7 Zadar 15.2 24.9 Split 16.4 27.4 Hvar 16.6 26.1 Dubrovnik 16.6 26.3

Croatia – A Value for Money destination * Coffee 1.1 - 1.6 euros Mineral water 0.5 1.1 - 1.6 euros Juice 1.3 – 2 euros Beer 0.33 l 1.6 – 2.9 euros Wine 0.75 l (quality wine with geographic origin) 13.8 - 25.0 euros Passenger vehicle fuel: Eurosuper 1 l 1.1 euros Eurodiesel 1 l 1.1 euros Ferry ticket for a vehicle and a passenger (mainland-islands, one way) 21.1 – 63.8 euros Average tourist menu 9.0 – 15.0 euros * the above prices are for reference only

14 Capacities Total number of beds: 563 Total number of beds in hotels: 100,907 Total number of private accommodation beds: around 404,561 Total number of small family hotels: 225 Total number of camps: 226 Total number of small private camps (up to 7 accommodation units): 278 Total accommodation capacity in camps: 223,900 (9,991 in small private camps) Total number of tourist village estates: 357 Total number of marinas: 50 Total number of moorings: 13,917 sea moorings and 4,320 dry moorings Total number of charter fleet vessels stationed in Croatian marinas: 3,500

15 HOW TO REACH CROATIA

Excellent bus connections Croatia is connected by regular international bus routes with Slovenia, , , Italy, Hungary, , Slovakia and other European countries. A very widespread network of domestic bus routes enables the passengers to easily reach Croatia, Zagreb and Split, and all other travel destinations.

Expansion of the motorway network www.hac.hr, www.arz.hr, www.azm.hr, www.bina-istra.hr Intensive work on expanding the existing network of modern motorways continues. The Kikovica-Oštrovica section (7.4 km) of the Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway near Rijeka has been opened in its full profile. This is one of the most difficult road sections in Croatia, with 20 percent of its length in motorway structures – five viaducts and two underpasses. The Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway was put to service in its full profile in late October of 2008. The voyage now takes around one hour and 15 minutes, and toll for a passenger vehicle from Rijeka to Zagreb costs 60 HRK (8.36 €). The Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway is part of the European E65 route and part of the Vb pan- European transport corridor, essential to development of tourism and economy, and the most cost-effective Croatian motorway considering the traffic volume. On 22 October 2008, the motorway section between Goričan and the border with Hungary and the new Mura Bridge (216 meters in length, consisting of two 15-meters- wide bridges) between Croatia and Hungary were put to service. In the extension of Mura Bridge on the Hungarian side is a kilometer of new road connecting together with the newly built 1.4 kilometers on the Croatian side the Budapest-Letenye and Zagreb-Goričan motorways. By completion of construction of full profile on sections of the Rijeka-Zagreb Motorway, the last section of the A4 Zagreb-Goričan Motorway and the M7 Budapest- Letenye Motorway, construction of the Rijeka-Zagreb-Budapest Motorway on the Vb pan-European corridor of 496.2 kilometers in length was completed. 232.5 kilometers of the motorway is in Hungary and 263.7 kilometers in Croatia. The duration of the voyage was reduced to 5 hours. The respective second tubes of the Mala Kapela and Sv. Rok tunnels will be put to service in June of 2009. The Split-Ploče section of the Dalmatina (A1) will be put to service by the end of 2009. This is where the Dalmatina will meet the motorway from Bosnia and Herzegovina (5C corridor) and the fast road to Ploče under construction. Work is also done on the Split Bypass worth 200 million euros. Its construction will provide a solution for the Trogir-Split-Omiš stretch, the busiest road section in Croatia, with average daily transit of 40,000 vehicles.

Direct railway routes www.hznet.hr Croatia’s direct railway routes are networked with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro and . They are indirectly connected with the other European countries. Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s., in cooperation with Českými dráhami, is preparing the possibility of traveling from Bratislava to Split by train. The train operates

16 on a daily basis, and tourists are allowed to transport their bikes. The fast train operates on a daily basis from June to September. www.slovakrail.sk

Airports and low-cost airlines International airports in Croatia are available in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Osijek, Zadar, Rijeka and Pula, and those on Brač and Lošinj are only open during the summer season. Sport airports in Croatia are available in Zagreb, Čakovec, Slavonski Brod, Rijeka, Vrsar, Mali Lošinj, Sinj, Otočac, Čepin, Ivanić Grad, Koprivnica, Brač, Pula and Varaždin. Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.com), the Croatian national airline, connects Croatia with numerous European cities. In addition to Croatia Airlines, 35 other airlines maintain flights to and from Croatia, such as British Airways (www.britishairways.com), Germanwings (www.germanwings.com), Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com), SkyService Airline (www.skyserviceairlines.com), SAS, Delta, TAP Portugal and Austrian Airlines (www.aua.com). The first airport from Madrid landed in Dubrovnik Airport in June of 2008, whereby the Spanish airline 'Iberia' established regular flights between Madrid and Dubrovnik. Croatia is connected with around 30 European cities by low-cost airlines such as Germanwings, Happag Lloyd Express, Sky Europe, Norwegian Air Shutlle, Wizz Air, Flyglobespan, Flybe, Thomsonfly, Easyjet, Ryanair and EstonianAir. Germanwings has the largest number of flights to Croatia, followed by the German TUIfly, Slovakian SkyEurope, Hungarian Wizz Air, Norwegian NorwegianAir and EasyJet of the UK. In summer months, Croatia is connected with many countries by charter flights. During the summer, Lithuania and Latvia are connected with Air Baltic’s charter flights. Outside the summer season, Air Baltic flies from European cities to Zagreb, and to Split and Dubrovnik from Riga and Vilnius. In 2009, Blue 1 will connect Helsinki with Split and Dubrovnik, while the Swiss Helvetic Airways (www.helvetic.com) will fly on the Zürich- Pula-Rijeka-Zürich route. The Spanish low-cost airline Clickair (www.clickair.com), which has connected Dubrovnik and Barcelona since 2007, will introduce Dubrovnik-Valencia and Valencia- Dubrovnik flights this year.

Smart Connect for flights from Croatia Germanwings is the leading low-cost airline in Croatia, the first of all low-cost airlines to introduce regular flights to Zagreb and Split back in June of 2004, later including Dubrovnik in their flight schedule, as well as Zadar in 2007. Croatia is one of the few European countries to which Germanwings flies from all their major airports in Germany, with an average occupancy rate of 90%. In 2008, they introduced a new service called Smart Connect for flights from Croatia that no other low-cost airline in Europe offers. Germanwings thus introduced 141 more routes and 500 additional stopover options a week. The service is very user-friendly. Passengers can book a flight with a stopover the same way they booked flights before, and the stopovers are now available in Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Berlin.

17 As many as 47 inhabited islands connected by boat Croatia is a maritime country. Its coastal towns are interconnected by boats and ferries. As many as 47 inhabited islands are connected with the mainland by boat or ferry. In summer months, ferries and boats transport passengers more frequently. The local ferry routes connect the mainland with the islands of Cres, Lošinj, Pag, Rab, Ugljan, Pašman, Dugi otok, Iž, , , Silba, , , , Brač, Šolta, Hvar, Vis, Pelješac, Korčula, Lastovo and Mljet. The length of voyages on fast boats has been increased by 30,000 nautical miles and 20,000 nautical miles on ferry routes. This says enough about introduction of new routes and a higher frequency of the existing ones. The regular passenger and ferry lines operate between Italian (, , Ancona, Pescara and Bari) and Croatian ports. Ferries connect Rijeka, Split and Dubrovnik twice a week throughout the year. Ferries departing from Rijeka for the south part of the coast are a good solution for drivers looking to avoid the beautiful, yet exhausting ride along the coast. Piers and ports are also essential to good connection of the islands – over the past four years, 54 were built and reconstructed, 37 of which serve for transport to and from the islands. In 2008, contracts were signed for modernization of 21 more ports. Over the past three years, the Government granted subsidies for reconstruction of private shippers’ passenger and excursion fleets with around a million euros with grants for 24 new constructions and reconstructions of 13 ships. In the past four years, 6 ferries were built in local shipyards for , the national shipper, they procured the Zadar Ferry, and their fleet includes three practically new ferries Jadrolinija purchased in Greece. To reduce the average age of the fleet, a new program was adopted for construction of 11 ships for Croatian shippers in domestic shipyards, worth around 2.6 billion HRK (361,100,000.00 €), which the Croatian Government will subsidize with around 200 million HRK (28,000,000.00 €). 12 contracts were signed with small shippers for support of construction of 10 and reconstruction of 2 passenger and excursion vessels worth around 4.6 million HRK (640,000.00 €).

Vukovar is the only Croatian port on the Danube receiving not just cargo but thousands of tourists every year. Passenger boat lines have expressed great interest in the port - during the season that goes on from March to October, such boats come to Vukovar several times a week. These are luxury vessels owned by foreign shippers, carrying mostly tourists from the USA, Germany and other European countries, most often operating between Hungary and and back. www.jadrolinija.hr,www.rapska-plovidba.hr,www.losinjska-plovidba.hr, www.medplov.hr, www.splittours, www.adriatica.it/en/adriatica.asp, www.snav.it, www.miatours.hr, www.ivante.hr, www.krilo.hr, www.gv-line.hr, www.port-authority- vukovar.hr

18 ANNOUNCING FOR 2009

HOTELS www.croatia.hr, www.huh.hr

Croatia – a destination of quality accommodation The year 2008 will be remembered for the highest increase in the number of four-star and five-star hotels – there are presently more new ones than the past six years combined. Croatia currently has 122 four-star hotels or 67 more than last year, and 16 five-star hotels, or 7 more. In addition, 18 hotels are undergoing the four-star procedure and 7 expect to be classified as five stars. Between September of 2007 and September of 2008, the accommodation capacities in four-star hotels doubled, while the number of five-star hotels increased by 78 percent. Huge investments in accommodation facilities and infrastructure of almost a billion euros resulted in the highest growth of bed quality to date.

In its July edition, Hotels, a specialized global hotel industry magazine, included Dubrovnik’s Hotel Excelsior (www.hotel-excelsior.hr) among five most desirable recently opened hotels in the world. After a thorough reconstruction worth 22 million euros, Excelsior reopened in June of 2008. It is situated right next to Dubrovnik Old Town included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and offers a view of the Adriatic. Special attention was paid to details like the autochthonous handmade bed linen, embroidered specially for Excelsior by embroiderers from Konavle. Since August, Adriatic Luxury Hotels (www.alh.hr) has had another facility - Villa Agava, its opening further expanding the offer for elite clients visiting Dubrovnik. On 270 square meters of interior space, it offers four exclusive accommodation units with specially designed unique furniture and a VIP lounge, five terraces overlooking the Old Town or Lokrum, and a Jacuzzi. Split-Dalmatia County made the largest progress, confirmed by several awards presented to Split’s Hotel Le Meridien Lav (www.grandhotellav.com), proclaimed the Leading European Conference Hotel, the Leading Croatian Hotel and the Leading Croatian Spa Hotel. The City of Split will have its first globally branded hotel – after a thorough reconstruction that is under way, the present Hotel Split will be named 'Radisson Resort Split' and will carry four+ stars. Hotel Marjan is also being reconstructed and will open before the 2009 season. It will have five stars and will contain 320 rooms, 27 suites, a presidential suite, restaurants, a pub, a piano bar, a wellness center, casino pools, conference halls and other amenities. Istria has 20 high-category facilities, has 11, while the Dubrovnik region has only eight four-star hotels. With Punta Skala in Petrčane, Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences (www.hoteliborik.hr) will open the leading hotel complex in Croatia in the summer of 2009, right next to the sea, designed by top international architects. The complex offers two first-class hotels: a five-star SPA complex on eight thousand square meters and the Diadora family hotel with four stars. The complex will also contain various restaurants and shops, exclusive apartments and a number of sporting facilities. In the spring of 2009, Kempinski Hotel Adriatic (www.kempinski-adriatic.com) will open the first five-star luxury seaside resort in Croatia, situated in Savudrija on the northwest coast of Istria, only 5 hours by car from Milan, Munich and Vienna. It is situated right on the shore with its own private beach among luscious greenery and

19 offering a wonderful view of Slovenia, Italy and Austrian Alps. This active modern hotel offers 186 luxury rooms and suites, 3,000 square meters, Corolea SPA, one indoor and two outdoor heated pools. There are a number of indoor and outdoor bars and night clubs. Golfing is available at the 18-hole Golf Championship course at Kempinski Golf Adriatic. With its 25 moorings, Kempinski Marina Adriatic provides a combination of sailing with a luxury trip to Central Europe. Brijuni Rivijera Ltd. (www.brijunirivijera.hr) has two members: the Republic of Croatia with 67% of capital investment and with 33% of capital investment. The company is a leader in change process and a synonym for high quality of Istrian tourism. Namely, it is a project of special significance for Croatia, whose declaration mission consists of achieving the following goals: - preparation, evaluation, leading and controlling of the management programme of real estate owned by the state in the area of Istria County on Brijuni islands and coast; - coordination of the construction of tourist resorts of high category (with Brijuni islands as an oasis for elite tourism) on the principles of sustainable development; - creation of preconditions for opening new jobs in economic subjects which will be founded in the areas included in the programme; - efficient use of state property in the area included in the programme through quality valorisation of resources. Brijuni rivijera project includes four locations in the southwestern part of Istrian coast, in the area of Fazana municipality in the north and the city of Pula in the south. The locations are: Pineta, Hidrobaza, Sv. Katarina Island and Mulimenti and Muzil. The project enables that “Brijuni rivijera,” after Croatia gives it the right to construct, transfer the right to construct to the best bidder for a term of 66 years. This project represents a unique project of transforming military objects which had lost their function into prestige, elite tourist resorts on the western coast of Istrian peninsula. It is a first project of such kind in Croatia which will bring considerable economic development, including real estate owned by the state and local governments with which a synergic impact is achieved. The business activities plan of Brijuni rivijera Ltd. for 2009 includes publishing a second round of bidding for the selection of qualified bidders for greenfield tourist projects in four locations of the Brijuni rivijera project according to the BOT model as well as the process for choosing the best bidder in each of the locations according to the criteria determined in the bidding documentation and reaching an agreement on the transfer of the right to construct with the selected bidder. In late 2008, Novi SPA Hotels & Resorts (www.novi.hr) in opened its new five-star hotel The View, one of the largest spa & wellness centers in this part of Europe. The entire resort stretches over 311 thousand square meters of land situated on a mild slope along 1.5 kilometers of coast. The offer is supplemented by a congress hall (2,500m2) and several smaller conference halls, a polyclinic for cosmetic surgery, dental services and physical examinations, a 500-vehicle garage, high fashion shops, a perfumery, animation programs for children and adults, and many other amenities. The Šibenik region has six four-star hotels, while the City of Zagreb has 11. 18 other hotels are waiting for the Tourism Ministry’s committee to inspect them so that they could obtain the requested four stars - the total by the year’s end should come to 140.

20 Hotel Antunović (www.centar-antunovic.com) in Zagreb is being reorganized into a congress center with 20 halls and lounges, on an area of 2,500 square meters. The largest hall will receive 1,000 people, and there will also be a hall seating 500 within the center. The largest congress hotel in Dubrovnik, Valamar Lacroma Resort (www.valamar.com), situated on the green peninsula of Babin Kuk, will open in 2009 and will be classified as four stars. It will have 385 comfortable, spacious and modernly equipped double rooms and 16 suites – 13 of them will have two levels, two are standard hotel suites, while the top of the offer is the presidential suite on 143 square meters and access to a private wellness zone on 72 square meters. All rooms in the hotel will be decorated in the Mediterranean style and fully adapted to the needs of a modern guest. The modern congress facilities within Valamar Lacroma Resort consist of a large multifunctional congress hall on 890 square meters, seating up to a thousand people (dividable into four sections), seven smaller conference halls, a large lobby and an exhibition area of 532 square meters. Sveti Martin na Muri (www.svetimartin.hr), proclaimed a European Destination of Excellence, will have the four-star Golf Hotel worth 25.3 million euros. Hotel Kralj worth 5.1 million euros is being built in Donji Kraljevec, Varaždin has new hotels, while and Prelog also have new hotel beds to offer.

Total direct investments in tourism in the year of 2008 amounted to one billion euros. Investments in the private hotel sector accounted for most of it – 5.5 billion HRK (764,000,000.00 €). A new investment cycle in Croatian tourism worth 2 billion HRK (280,000,000.00 €) began in 2008 and will be completed in 2010. New capacities and new selective forms of tourism are expected as early as next year. The trend continues with construction of new hotels and thorough reconstructions of existing ones, which are generally enriched by wellness centers and congress halls.

CAMPS www.croatia.hr, www.camping.hr

Croatia is a country where camps are incorporated in the preserved and exceptionally beautiful nature and most of them are situated right by the sea. Croatia has 226 camps and 278 small private camps. The total accommodation capacity of the camps is 223,900 persons, 9.991 in small private camps with up to 7 accommodation camping units. The camps account for 23.7% of the overall accommodation capacities in Croatia. In the year 2008, the camps had 13,721,359 overnights, which is 3.39% more as compared to the year 2007. Croatia is also the European nursery of naturist camps. There are 12 of them altogether, 6 in Istria, 4 in Kvarner and 2 in Dalmatia.

Emphasis on offer quality and safety German auto-club ADAC rated the Croatian camps as 5.3 percent better than last year in its 2008 Camping Guide, in which Croatian camping was generally presented in a positive way. Among 17 countries, Croatia was represented with 102 camps that ADAC inspectors personally tested last year. During their visit, they registered ‘significant improvements’ in 22 camps. They gave the highest ratings to the gastro offer and supply, while they rated the other segments, such as bathroom facilities, camping sites, beaches, sport & animation as better.

21 The Lanterna and Solaris camps in Poreč, operated by Valamar Hotels and Resorts, received the highest ratings (8.6) among all camps in Croatia in the new camping guide published by the Dutch auto-club ANWB for 2008. In addition to Lanterna and Solaris, two more camps operated by Valamar were among the top five according to ANWB – Orsera in Vrsar (8.6), the naturist camps of Politin in Krk (8.5) and Istra in Poreč (8.2). The rating criteria were based on the overall camp quality (bathroom facilities, site, supply, animation, sporting activities).

Camp Slatina has won a valuable award for the introduction of the camping cum cane service. Camp Slatina won the award at the specialized camping fair for innovative environmental protection ideas in Lyon.

Further camping development trends in Croatia are reflected in the increased and constant investments in camp quality, including camp parceling, new bathroom facilities according to the European criteria and construction of swimming pools (as many as 23 camps built swimming pools over the past few years). The accommodation rental offer in camps has intensified, especially for mobile homes, bungalows, apartments and villas, with a remarkable increase in the quality of the catering and retail service within the camps and guest safety. Almost every major camp has organized animation and children’s facilities. In Croatia, camps are becoming true outdoor hotels, providing their guests with high-quality accommodation in a preserved and attractive environment. In addition to accommodation on a spacious, developed and equipped parcel, the guests are provided with an increasing number of quality catering and retail facilities, animation, various sporting and entertainment options, while wellness facilities and swimming pools are not so rare either anymore. As camping outside camping sites is prohibited in Croatia, the sector has taken the latest camping trends into account and made great efforts to enable opening of camping destinations for all campers, especially those with camping trailers, providing them with quality and legal accommodation year-round. This involves accommodation facilities next to public roads where camping services are provided for 1 night or shorter stays.

SMALL FAMILY HOTELS www.croatia.hr, www.omh.hr

Small family hotels – a part of Croatian tourism’s new face Small and family hotels represent the best part of Croatian tourism, significantly contributing to extension of the tourist season to 240 days a year and employing almost four thousand people. Almost 90 percent of the two hundred family hotels opened over the past ten years, and 70 percent over the past five years thanks to the Incentive for Success program of the Ministry of Tourism. Family hotels are gradually becoming one of the most demanded tourist products in Croatia. As much as 70 percent of the family hotels are open year-round.

As many as a thousand new hotels in the next seven years A total of 1000 hotels are expected in the next seven years, offering 70 thousand beds. Most of the new facilities will be classified as four stars and will have online booking options. This clearly shows that Croatia has managed to keep pace in this niche,

22 especially because the so-called humane tourism requires that the guest be in the center of host’s attention and that the host be fully dedicated to the guest, in addition to first-class food and accommodation. The investment is estimated at no less than a billion euros.

Based on the trends in the modern hotel and tourist environment, features of the Croatian tourism and competitive advantages of family and small hotels in Croatia, the following six product groups were chosen for specialization: hotels for families with children, hotels for active holidays, wellness hotels, heritage hotels, wine & gastro hotels and business hotels. Members of the Association of Family and Small Hotels foster authentic Croatian gastronomy. Recipes and preparation methods are passed from generation to generation. Naturally produced ingredients (meat, fish, etc.) and autochthonous varieties of vegetables and crops are specific and unique to every region where such hotels are located: Istria, Kvarner, Dalmatia, Slavonia and Northwest Croatia. The authentic gastro offer in restaurants within small family hotels is presently at a high level, as well as the wine offer and service and interior quality.

23 A HOLIDAY FOR EVERYONE’S TASTE

NAUTICAL TOURISM www.croatia.hr, www.hgk.hr, www.aci-club.hr, www.croprodive.info

Croatian nautical tourism ports Croatia has 21,020 moorings in 70 nautical tourism ports. Nautical tourism ports include anchorages, piers, dry marinas and marinas. If we add the number of moorings in public transport ports and sport ports, the total number of moorings rises to 35 thousand.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, in the year 2008, Croatian nautical tourism ports were visited by 807.206 tourists who had 1.434.601 overnights. The record shows 750.524 foreign registered navigators and 1.357.836 of their overnights. In the next ten years, the development strategy for nautical will be based on the 3 x 15 model, providing for construction of no more than 15 thousand new moorings in at least 15 new top locations to achieve total revenue of 15 billion HRK in 2018.

Significant increase in charter fleets’ capacities Over the past two years, the Croatian charter fleet grew 40 percent as compared to 2006 – from 2,500 to 3,500 vessels.

Recognition of foreign authorizations for operation of boats and yachts www.mmpi.hr To facilitate sailing for foreign navigators in the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure is preparing amendments to the Rules for Boats and Yachts that will ensure recognition of authorizations for operation of boats and yachts issued by foreign competent authorities. This way, foreign nationals will be allowed to operate Croatian boats and yachts provided they hold authorizations issued by the competent authorities of their countries. The Ministry will recognize foreign authorizations to the extent they are equal to the conditions for obtainment of the appropriate authorization according to the Croatian regulations. The Ministry will publish a list of foreign authorizations recognized in the Republic of Croatia. This will significantly facilitate the chartering activities in Croatia without compromising the safety of sailing.

Cruises In 2008. foreign ships made 820 cruises in the Croatian Adriatic, which is 192 or 30.6 percent more than the same period in 2007, while the number of days they stayed grew 58.3 percent, to 1,567 days. During the year 2008. in total 936,424 passengers came to Croatia (34.9 percent more than the year 2007) on all these foreign ships’ cruises combined. August was the best month in 2008, with 141 cruises, which is 48 more than the same month in 2007. These ships brought 171.7 thousand passengers in the month of August, 55 thousand more than in 2007.

24 While cruising on the Croatian sea, foreign ships visited 22 ports. Dubrovnik Port registered the most visits These cruisers sailed to Croatia under 19 different flags. The total cruiser revenue in Croatia is estimated at 32 million euros, while direct and indirect revenue from international cruising could reach 200 million euros in ten years.

Blue Flags www.blueflag.org In 2008, 125 Blue Flags were awarded for beaches and 21 for marinas. The sea and coast environmental protection program called the Blue Flag for beaches and marinas has been successfully implemented in Europe for 21 years. The Blue Flag Program is owned and run by the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe (FEEE), established in 1981 within the European Council. The program now includes over thirty European countries and a dozen countries on other continents where tourism is one of the strategic goals. The first Blue Flag in Croatia was raised eleven years ago. Blue Flag symbolizes a preserved, safe and pleasant environment intended for rest, amusement and recreation, a well elaborated coast management system and sustainable development in tourism. Flying a Blue Flag means excellent tourist promotion for a beach or a marina, based on high service quality, cleanness of the sea and coast and maintenance of the beach.

Over 300 regattas on the Croatian side of the Adriatic In 2008, over 300 regattas were held on the Croatian side of the Adriatic, especially in Central Dalmatia, where the biggest and most popular regattas are held – they have eventually become prestigious sporting events, like Split Mrduja. In addition to the Mrduja, we have the Vodice Easter Regatta, Murter’s 'Kornati Cup' and 'Business cup', 'Fiumanka' in Rijeka, and the Latin Sail Association’s regatta in Murter promoting tradition, former lifestyle and sailing, and construction of traditional wooden boats (gajeta, leut, kajić and ). The regattas have become a true marine movement and a lifestyle stimulating construction of small boats and their overhauls, nautical & sailing fairs, sales of boat and related equipment, servicing and demand for human resources such as skippers and boat cooks.

Croatian marinas’ focus on the mega-yacht segment Around 2,000 vessels a year are chartered in the Croatian part of the Adriatic – over 70 percent are sailing boats and the rest are motor yachts. The price of a week’s charter ranges between 1,500.00 euros for the smallest boats to 60,000.00 euros for mega- yachts of around 30 meters in length. Considering the increasing number of mega-yachts sailing into their marinas, ACI, a Croatian nautical system, is gradually turning to this market segment. The term mega- yacht includes vessels between 30 and 150 meters in length, costing 10 to 300 million euros depending on the level of equipment. When most of our marinas were built 20 years ago or earlier, including ACI marinas, moorings were designed for an average vessel length of eight meters. Today, the average boat length in our marinas exceeds 12 meters. This is why ACI, according to its management, works on plans to extend the Marina in Ičići that currently has 290 moorings – the expansion and extension of the breakwater and introduction of floating breakwaters would enable acceptance of around

25 60 mega-yachts between 30 and 50 meters in length. The plan provides for reconstruction of the ACI marina in Split to enable it to accept yachts, and a few others later, where mega-yachts already arrive, such as Dubrovnik, Skradin, Korčula and Rovinj. A heliport should be built within the marina in Ičići, primarily for the close proximity of the airports in Grobničko polje and Krk. Further investments pertain to works on extension of breakwaters and reconstruction of piers in ACI Marina Pomer, and replacement of piers in ACI Marina Trogir. Substantial investment will also be made in ACI Marina Split where they plan to build a new reception building and business premises and redesign the environment. In ACI Marina Korčula, the project for reconstruction of the apartment building within the marina is almost finished. The reconstruction and redecoration of the building will provide ACI Marina Korčula with exclusive apartments and a multifunctional building in the center of Korčula.

Construction of the first mega-yacht marina announced Nautical Center Prgin (NCP) and the US company Island Global Yachting, one of the world’s largest luxury marina developers and operators, officially presented to the public the Hotel Šibenik and Mandalina Megayacht Marina project for the first marina in Croatia specializing in the needs of mega-yachts between 40 and 60 meters, as well as those between 80 and 100 meters, worth over 80 million euros. Next to this luxury marina, another marina for smaller boats will be built, offering 400 moorings. A shopping zone with stores and restaurants, a wellness center, several outdoor and indoor swimming pools, underground garages, sporting facilities and a pier for smaller cruisers will be developed on the peninsula where the project is to be located. Right next to it is a repair shipyard where NCP already services mega-yachts. The entire marina with 400 moorings (65 for mega-yachts between 30 and 100 meters) will be completed by the end of 2009.

DIVING TOURISM

Three new hyperbaric chambers in Zadar, Dubrovnik and In addition to Zagreb, Split and Pula, new hyperbaric chambers, essential for treatment of decompression disease, were provided to Zadar and Dubrovnik in late 2007 and Crikvenica in 2008. Around 70 thousand registered dives a year require thirty such interventions and the figure is expected grow year after year. The hyperbaric chamber in Zadar can treat six patients at a time and it benefits from an antechamber. In case of complications in a treated patient, a physician enters the antechamber where the pressure equalizes with that in the chamber and helps the patient. The hyperbaric chamber is situated in a special container on a trailer and may be dislocated as needed. Zadar has already established the International Center for Underwater Architecture and they are working on establishing diving technique study programs.

An interesting fact – 1,500 undiscovered caves and underwater pits and 15,000 wrecks Thanks to the exceptional clearness and wealth of the submarine world, underwater pits and reefs, diving tourism in the Adriatic is going through a major expansion. The Adriatic is among the richest seas in the world in the number of wrecks. At least 1,500

26 caves and underwater pits are assumed to be yet undiscovered in the Adriatic. Its bottom contains as many as 15,000 sunken ships – stranded ships, submarines, airplanes and torpedo ships. Encounters with such wrecks are a unique experience. Each ship has its own story, and each story is a monument to someone’s courage or tragedy. Over the past ten years, diving tourism recorded a growth of 15 to 20 percent. At the same time, professional diving centers have grown in number, organized next to the most attractive locations in the Adriatic. There are over a hundred registered and licensed diving centers, most of them in Istria, Kvarner and Central Dalmatia.

Legal regulations Regarding the legal regulations, the current legislation define that diving is permitted in Croatia subject to possession of valid approvals. A diving card costs 100.00 HRK (14.00 €) for 365 days, and an individual Approval for Independent Underwater Activities costs 2,400.00 HRK (335.00 €) for 365 days. A trip to a wreck costs between 25 and 40 euros. An annual license for diving to sunken ships granted by the Ministry of Culture costs 20,000.00 to 30,000.00 HRK (2,800.00 € to 4,200.00 €). Such individual approval is not required in case of tourist diving in registered diving centers. Diving in special zones is not permitted even with an individual approval. These are zones under special protection of the Ministry of Culture and diving is only possible with a guide from a certified diving center.

CONGRESS TOURISM www.croatia.hr/Hrvatski/TurizamPlus/KongresniCentri

The best congress and incentive destination Croatian congress tourism offers around 300 congress halls seating around forty thousand people. We have over 5 thousand professional conventions a year with 350 thousand participants. In the first half of 2008, almost 2,800 conventions were held in Croatia, which is 10 percent more than last year, with a 12-percent increase in . Half of the conventions included overnight accommodation. Most of the congresses took place in May, with 38,600 participants generating 26.4 million HRK in revenues. The average price of a congress day in Zagreb is estimated at 380.00 euros. Over 90 percent of business conventions in Croatia are held in hotels and the average duration is three days.

New investments Hotel Antunović (www.centar-antunovic.com) in Zagreb is being reorganized into a congress center with 20 halls and lounges, on a total surface area of 2,500 square meters. The largest hall will receive around 1,000 participants, and they will also have a hall seating 500 people. The largest congress hotel in Dubrovnik, Valamar Lacroma Resort (www.valamar.com), situated on the green peninsula of Babin Kuk, will open in 2009 and will be classified as four stars. The modern congress facilities within Valamar Lacroma Resort consist of a large multifunctional congress hall on 890 square meters, seating up to a thousand people (dividable into four sections), seven smaller conference halls, a large lobby and an exhibition area of 532 square meters.

27 The ten most popular and best Croatian congress facilities include the halls in Hotel Croatia - Cavtat, Hotels Westin and Sheraton - Zagreb, Hypo Center - Zagreb, The Regent Esplanade - Zagreb, Dubrovnik Palace - Dubrovnik, Neptun - Istria, Brijuni, Ambasador – Opatija, and Novi SPA Hotels & Resort - Novi Vinodolski. In 2008, Le Meridien Lav of Split was proclaimed the Leading European Conference Hotel. The Ministry of Tourism will award nonrefundable financial incentives for construction of four new congress centers in different parts of Croatia.

RURAL TOURISM www.hrvatski-farmer.hr; www.ruralis.hr

Over the past few years, Croatian rural areas have recorded notable development in specific forms of rural tourism, including production of autochthonous and traditional products, protection and preservation of natural and cultural heritage, traditional clothing, folk customs, distinctiveness of the Croatian rural area and formation of rural travel destinations. Today we have 359 registered tourist village estates with 875 beds. Most of them are registered in Dubrovnik- County (70), followed by Istria (64 estates and 253 beds).

The role of Istrian rural tourism The advantages of Croatian rural tourism are its most significant characteristics – a quiet environment, absence of noise, preserved environment, communication with hosts, homemade food and learning about the rural activities. Village estates are smaller business entities situated in regions attractive for tourists, providing original estate products or services, with all household member involved in the work. The average occupancy rate in all forms of rural tourism is 111 days. The average stay is 9 days. The highest occupancy rates are recorded in rural holiday houses with 134 days a year. So far, Istria has played an important role in Croatian rural tourism, naturally initiated by it geographic, transport and cultural benefits, as well as proactive initiative of the local community and certain financial institutions. The started process is carried out according to the plan and represents a milestone for development of tourism in other Croatian regions.

New Rules The Rules for Provision of Hospitality Services in Rural Estates, prepared by the Croatian Farmer, Ruralis (a consortium for agrotourism and rural tourism of Istrian County) and the ‘Selo’ national association for development of rural tourism, came into effect on 19 January 2008. They aim to help develop this tourism branch, which is expected to grow quickly considering the existing prerequisites and the pragmatic combination of tourism and agriculture. The Rules should introduce simple and easily executable standards in this increasingly intensive activity in Croatian tourism. The drafters believe that, in addition to simplifying the requirements for practicing tourism in village estates, one of the most important segments is continuous education of village estate owners so that they could provide a higher level of service.

28 Support to rural tourism www.mint.hr Damir Bajs, Minister of Tourism, announced three hundred new tourist village estates by the end of his term by providing an incentive line of credit for rural tourism in rural areas, with government-subsidized interest. 5.5 million HRK will be allocated for the purpose. Special government loans also stimulate programs for protection, reconstruction and inclusion of national heritage in tourism. In 2008, the Ministry of Tourism earmarked 15 million HRK of nonrefundable funds for projects such as 'Heritage in Tourism', 'Theme Routes' and 'Original Souvenir'. In addition, the Ministry of Tourism financially supported the ‘Napoleon Road – Pelješac Wine Road’ project in Putnikovići, which will thematically connect and make available the diversity of the tourist offer and the cultural and historical significance of the peninsula of Pelješac.

CULTURAL TOURISM www.kulturniturizam.croatia.hr; www.croatica.net/hr/portal/unesco/

Over 20 percent of tourists visiting European metropolises are primarily motivated by culture. Economically speaking, the new tourist segment is cultural tourism because it places Croatia on the cultural map of the world, whereby we shift from the classic concept of sun and sea for two summer months in a year. Croatia is unique, not just for its crystal clear and blue sea, but for the veritable treasure lying in the diversity of its rich cultural heritage. From prehistoric times to date, numerous types of monuments have arisen throughout the country, each one selflessly leaving its trace in history. If you choose the coast as your starting point, you will have the opportunity to see direct influences and legacy of Mediterranean culture, numerous ancient monuments, monuments from the Roman era or early Middle Ages, roman sacral heritage, and a series of preserved characteristic Mediterranean urban wholes. Some of them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List, such as Diocletian Palace in Split that Roman Emperor Diocletian had built near his birth place of Aspalathos in Dalmatia. The Town of Trogir represents the best preserved medieval urban whole, not just in the Adriatic, but the entire Central Europe. The City of Dubrovnik, the pearl of the Adriatic, a city of unique culture and political history, gained its independence after the 14th century when they developed the Dubrovnik Republic, widely known for the largest navy in the Mediterranean. At the time, Dubrovnik saved its freedom by commercial and diplomatic relations, as well as strong protective walls (25 in height and 2 km in length) and forts that are now the greatest attraction in the city. The Euphrasius Basilica in Poreč, its apse luxuriously decorated with figurative mosaics that are, in addition to the San Vitale mosaics in Ravena, among the most exceptional examples of mosaic art in Europe, and without a doubt represent and impressive example of sacral buildings from the 6th century. One should not miss the renaissance St. Jacob’s Cathedral in Šibenik, as well as the Arena in Pula, one of the most preserved Roman amphitheaters in Europe.

29 The UNESCO World Heritage pages are merely the beginning of a wonderfully inspired voyage through Croatia. The Church of St. Cross in the town of Nin is also interesting – it is widely known as the smallest cathedral in the world. The City of Zadar, also a historical jewel, which has been attacked and destroyed and attacked again throughout its turbulent history, offers architectural features of each era – according to the tourist guides: 'There are few places in the world where different influences intermingle in such small space'. The Sea Organ, an architectural wonder recently built in the submarine part of the city quay, has become a modern icon of the city. The currents of waves passing through the musical pipes mounted beneath the sea create an amazing sound, the so-called ‘sea music’. The Greeting to the Sun now shines at the very top of Zadar peninsula. The Greeting to the Sun consists of three hundred multilayer glass panels set at the same level as the paved quay, designed in the shape of a circle with a 22-meter diameter. It is conceived as a spatial installation in the form of an amphitheater, surrounded by stone blocks displaying all Solar System planets and their ways.

Turbulent history of continental Croatia As part of the Central European cultural circle, the widespread continental Croatia is surely an interesting destination to visit. It features numerous prehistoric finds of global significance, old towns, forts and late medieval castles, cultural monuments and baroque architecture, offering an interesting presentation of the time and life as they once were in the region. The most distinctive monumental features of Hrvatsko Zagorje are without a doubt its castles. Adventurers can follow the tracks of the forts that used to defend Western Europe from Turkish penetrations, with a unique experience of numerous events that helped preserve old customs from falling into oblivion and passed on the heritage for the upcoming generations. The Podravina town of Đurđevac and its legend of the Picoks have been included in the travel network of twenty European destinations of excellence cultivating intangible cultural heritage. The Legend of the Picoks speaks of the courage and wit of the locals who came up with the idea of how to outwit the Turkish Army after a long siege of the town.

A heaven for archeology enthusiasts Croatia is a true discovery for archeology enthusiasts for its three inevitable sites. The most important one is surely the rich fossil site near where they found the most extensive collection related to the Neanderthal, scientifically known as Homo sapiens discovered in 1899. We also have the Vučedol Neolithic Culture near Vukovar, and Salona, the largest complex of ancient monuments and metropolises of the Roman Province of Dalmatia.

From festival to festival Zagreb is currently among the top European cities in the number of concerts, exhibitions, cultural events and festivals. The ‘Saturdays in Zagreb’ combines promenade concerts, Saturday Folklore Scene and Uptown Music Panorama. Every Saturday from mid-April to early October, these three musical delicacies represent an overview of the rich culture and customs from the past of Zagreb and the surrounding area. The Autumn in Zagreb – International Multicultural Encounters from 20 September to 8 November 2008 combines the World Theater Festival,

30 Festival, Queer Zagreb, New Circus Festival, VIP Zagreb Jazz Festival, as well as major exhibition projects like the German expressionism project in Klovićevi Dvori, Zagreb Philharmonic concerts, and even some repeat performances of the Orfej opera at the Croatian National Theater. When art moves to the seaside, it is a sure sign of the summer season – everything is packed with drama festivals, theaters, classical and traditional music. Hardly a day goes by without an event on the seaside. The oldest and most proven event is the Dubrovnik Summer Games, having an international reputation and being a member of the European Festivals Association. The highlights on the coast are Split Summer, Musical Evenings at St. Donat, Pula Summer, Liburnia Jazz Festival in Opatija, Rijeka Summer Nights, Film Festivals in Motovun and Pula, Ulysses Theater on Brijuni, Dalmatian Harmony Singers Festival in Omiš, Dalmatian Chanson Festival in Šibenik, and many others. Zadar puts on a very attractive event called ‘The Night of the Full Moon’ when public lighting is turned off and people enjoy food, singing and dancing in the light of the Moon, torches and lanterns. Split has the ‘Diocletian Days’, ten-day events inspired by the ancient Split with a gastro, entertainment and cultural offer. Spring and autumn is the time when events are put on in continental Croatia. These include the Alternative Film Festival in the , Špancirfest and Baroque Evenings in Varaždin, and Vinkovci Autumns. If castles and forts are a cultural event, phenomena like Podravina naïve painting are in the category as well. Offering artistic insight to the former rural life, its name was made famous by Krsto Hegedušić, Ivan Generalić, Ivan Rabuzin and Ivan Lacković Croata. During the folklore season, Slavonia is also a first-class cultural experience featuring events like Đakovo Embroidery, Osijek Cultural Summer, etc.

Croatia has a rich maritime heritage and a long shipbuilding tradition. A fleet of 12 historical boats presented Croatia at the World Festival of Sea and Sailors in Brest, France. In addition to the gajeta falkuša named Molo, the Croatian fleet included the Lady of the Sea bracera, a Metković Boat, leut, a Betina gajeta, Zadar’s 'Condura Croatica', Rovinj batana 'Fiamita', Vis 'Guc', 'Liburnia', and Hvar’s 'Gajeta'.

ADVENTURE TOURISM www.croatia.hr; www.adventure-sport.net

Biking Enthusiasts on two wheels make a slower progress, but they experience the Croatian environment, especially the smells of meadows and freshness of falls, bird’s song or the wonderful taste of spring water, with all their senses. Country roads, forest paths and trails through fields and vineyards lead to places that cannot be found in regular tourist itineraries. National parks and nature parks offer marked and described circular biking tracks. National Park Plitvice Lakes has the most beautiful biking tracks you can find in Europe. All areas are open to biking trips. They do not require too much effort and provide amazing landscape diversity – valleys and hills of sunny Istria, tracks through woody Gorski Kotar, green hills of Hrvatsko Zagorje, plains of Slavonia and . You can also take your bike to the islands, which are less green in summertime, but surrounded with fascinating blue. The biking adventure should include the island

31 national parks of Mljet and Brijuni, as well as the major islands – Krk, Cres, Rab, Lošinj, Pag, Ugljan, Pašman, Dugi otok, Brač, Hvar, Vis and Korčula. Wherever in Croatia you get to a hill or a mountain, you will find great mountain bike tracks. For steep ascents and adrenaline downhill rides, we recommend Učka mountains of Gorski Kotar, Žumberak or the tracks through Vinodol to Velika Kapela, from Lika to Velebit, in the hilly areas between Dalmatian rivers, and on the mainland side of Biokovo. In Slavonia they organize the Drava Bike Tour, Danube Bike Route and Pannonian Road of Peace.

Kayaking Clear and warm, the green waters of Croatian rivers, interesting to all kayaking fans, spring at the foot of mountains and flow through canyons and down gypsum barriers in a spraying curtain of falls. They capture with their beauty, not danger. If you are not an expert, you can always bypass high falls and dangerous rapids on the shore. High water levels in springtime provide a first-class wild water delight, while the summer routes are ideal for beginners. Kayak excursions to , and are organized daily in all major tourist centers on the coast. Peddling in a kayak, you will discover what many natives have never seen. Although kayaking has a long tradition in Croatia and the rivers are magnificent, it is not a mass sport. Spring and early summer are ideal for kayaking adventures on , Mrežnica, , Kupa, , , and Zrmanja.

Rafting As a means of water transport, rafting has a long tradition in Croatia. The first modern form of rafting did not begin on the wild waters of Croatia until late 1980s, discovering the amazing beauties of Croatian rivers, until then only known to rare adventurers, kayaking enthusiasts and fishermen. Even the first pioneers of commercial river tours and experts on Croatian waters did not expect such popularity of rafting on rivers that rarely have strong rapids or big waves. Thanks to them, thousands of people were able to see up close the unforgettable magic of rivers, green banks, step canyons and clear depths. The continental rivers are surrounded with thick forests and mountains, while those near the sea have green banks and deep rocky canyons. What is common to them is that they are green and transparent all the way to the bottom.

Speleology As the entire length of the coast is on a karstic area, Croatia has over 8,500 caves and pits. Over fifty percent of them are unexplored and unknown. Some are illuminated and have developed tracks, so they are now available to visitors without any speleological experience. Speleological associations, clubs and speleological sections of mountaineering associations take amateurs on their expeditions. The more popular caves near the sea include Vranjača in Dugopolje near Split, Lukina jama on Velebit, one of the few places where you can see the human fish, Šandalji near Pula with the oldest finds of Homo erectus, Zmajeva špilja on Brač, cave altars near Blaca Desert, Lokvarka in Gorski Kotar and Grapčeva špilja near Jelsa on the island of Hvar, one of the oldest finding sites for Croatian culture and civilization in the Adriatic and Mediterranean in general, which opened for tourist visits in 2008.

32 Mountaineering and alpinism Although Croatian mountains are not very high (no peak is higher than 2,000 m), they are very interesting to mountaineers. The Dinara Chain, most of which is in Croatia, is known worldwide as a region of typical karst. The basic feature of karst, grounds equally rich above and beneath the surface, makes mountaineering and alpinism in Croatia special. Mountaineering in karst has a lot in common with staying in high mountains. Sharp karstic formations, domination of bare karst, lack of water, sparse vegetation, difficult climate and scarce population require of mountaineers and alpinists an almost equal effort as much higher mountains. However, Dinara mountains also offer many diversities. In the north, for example in Gorski Kotar, they are lower and tamer, while those in the south, primarily the Dalmatian mountains, are higher and barer. The mountains between and Drava are completely different. Their mass is older, their shapes are tamer, they are relatively low, abundant in water and vegetation, and thus ideal for strolling around the hills and easy mountaineering.

Parachuting, paragliding and flying in hot air balloons Flying by parachute, paraglider or balloon over diverse landscapes in favorable climatic conditions has attracted more and more fliers to Croatia. The sun and the mountains by the coast such as Učka, Dinara and Biokovo create first-class flying conditions and this applies to the islands as well. Those who come to enjoy flying will not be stuck at one location. The mountains following the shore are ideal for cross country flights – many hours in the air with a view of the coast, the sea and the islands is a true wind- driven adventure! Adventure races Every year, a dozen adventure races of different durations and difficulty levels (from short ones to very demanding multi-day ones) are organized in Croatia. Athletes and recreationists ready for extreme challenges discover the wilderness and beauty of the mountain and forest areas, rivers, islands and sea. The diversity and abundance of landscape and terrain provides the race planners with inexhaustible options in planning of adventure routes.

GOLF

Marlera Golf LD – A world-class golf resort Construction of the first Croatian full profile golf course with a luxury resort, Marlera Golf, is under way. Marlera will be built on 130 hectares in the south part of the Istrian peninsula between Ližnjan and Medulin. The vision for Marlera Golf LD is becoming the most beautiful golf course in Europe with 27 holes, a 5-star hotel and 160 rooms, wellness and spa facilities, a casino and additional accommodation capacities. Offering golf 350 days a year, Marlera Club will surely become an attractive destination in wintertime as well. The characteristics of the golf course will be equal to much more popular golf courses in Scotland, Ireland and England. A total of 27 holes will be arranged links-style according to GCA standards. With two and a half kilometers of intact coastline, low Mediterranean vegetation, a landscape slightly descending toward the sea and as many as eight seaside holes, Marlera Club will provide a spectacular view from each of the 27 holes.

33 Another golf course is planned on around 75 hectares in one of the most attractive parts of the Municipality of . It will be located opposite the Park Camp and the Ladin Gaj recreational zone, all the way to the Mala Punta resort and the Karigador residential & tourist resort. The plan provides for an 18-hole golf course and a driving range, villas with supporting facilities, a club house with parking areas, four lakes (one for irrigation) and other outdoor green areas. In 2009 and over the next few years, Jupiter Adria d.o.o. plans to complete two golf resorts in Istria and build a third one. The Makrocija Resort between Umag and Buje will be completed by 2011. A hotel with 80 rooms and several golf houses will be built next to the golf course. Two courses will be built within the golf academy near Novigrad, as well as a hotel with 600 beds and supporting facilities. The golf resort near Motovun would consist of a golf course with 18 holes and accommodation facilities with 498 beds, including hotels and cottages. Preparation of the Golf Act is in its final stage – in addition to regulating many issues of importance for construction of golf courses in Croatia, it would facilitate entry of investors, which will significantly affect the competitiveness of Croatian tourism.

WELLNESS AND HEALTH TOURISM Although wellness tourism has only recently begun to develop in Croatia, it now records rapid growth thanks to intensive investment ventures. Around 4.2% of the tourists visiting Croatia say health is one of the main motives for their arrival. A number of hotel facilities both in the Adriatic and the interior try to extend their offers with such options. The biggest wellness centers in Croatia include the one within the 'Solaris' (www.solaris.hr) hotel complex in Šibenik. It comprises six heated pools, two of them with seawater heated to 28 degrees Celsius. The indoor freshwater pools and underwater massages have a temperature of 30 degrees and provide, among other things, the possibility of massage by underwater geysers, counter-current swimming and falls. Novi SPA Hotels & Resorts in Novi Vinodolski opened its new 5-star The View Hotel and one of the largest spa/wellness centers in this part of Europe. The Terme Tuhelj (www.terme-tuhelj.hr) spa, one of the pearls of continental tourism, is situated around forty kilometers northwest of Zagreb, in a valley surrounded by green hills of Zagorje and wonderful landscapes. This spa facility has had a historical reputation since the Roman era. The benefits of thermal waters and peloid mud created at the very source are of priceless importance for the human organism. They have a healing effect on rheumatic diseases, bone and joint injuries, gynecological problems and work as a successful combination in battling cellulite. The Varaždinske Toplice spa is the oldest thermal spa in Croatia. The thousand-year tradition of using thermal sulfuric water and healing peloids from a natural source is the basis for the operation of the Special Medical Rehabilitation Hospital Varaždinske Toplice with 973 beds in four interconnected facilities – 'Spa', 'Constantine’s Home', 'Lovro’s Bath' and 'Minerva'. The offer includes wellness programs, health programs, retirees’ holidays, weekend programs for women and weekend programs for men. The customers of Varaždinske Toplice can also practice Nordic walking and Pilates, as well as isokinetic diagnostics and exercises on special Cybex devices used in the most renowned rehabilitation and sport centers in the world.

34 Opatija is back on the track Many investments in wellness were made in Opatija over the past few years, such tourist trends also affecting the Special Hospital for Heart and Lung Diseases and Rheumatism Thalassotherapia, combining the existing medical experience and activities with the modern wellness trend. The Wellness Center in Opatija offer its guests a 25- meter swimming pool with all water effects, two Jacuzzis, a fitness facility, several kinds of saunas, over 10 different massages and numerous beauty treatments all in one place. It also includes a SPA relax zone where you can enjoy a barrel hot bath, Kneipp baths, Roman or Finnish sauna, aromarium, or simply relax in the relax zone offering a view of Kvarner. The Thalasso Wellness in Opatija is special for the seawater in the pools heated to the optimal temperature – the cosmetic and other lines are also based on the benefits of seawater.

Investment The most important thing in the center’s offer is that, in addition to standards wellness programs, you can use medical programs closely related to the hospital’s specialty. In Hotel Ambasador in Opatija, Liburnia Riviera Hoteli opened Five Elements, a new wellness & spa center based on a combination of ancient Chinese fengshui philosophy and modern wellness programs.

Wellness Island – an island of unfulfilled wishes on the islet of St. Andrew, situated only a ten minutes’ ride from Rovinj by boat includes body formation, spa, massages and hydro-massages, Finnish and Turkish saunas and other options. The Mira Day Spa Center was opened not far from the popular Split’s bathing resort of Bačvice, its decoration, Mediterranean spirit and concept opposing the standard city wellness/spa centers. Starting from the idea of a balance between the spiritual and physical health, Mira Day Spa combines a pleasant ambience, individual approaches by professional therapists, quality treatments and products, individual exercises, and a health food program. Before season 2009 and after a thorough reconstruction that is under way, the present Hotel Split will bear the name of 'Radisson Resort Split' and will be classified as 4+ stars. The hotel will contain 231 rooms, 27 suites, a wellness center, three outdoor pools, a congress hall, two restaurants and a number of other facilities. In October of 2008, a new spa center for couples opened in Zagreb. Asia Spa is the only luxury center intended for couples in Croatia and one of the few such centers in the world.

Thanks to the mild climate and sources of thermo-mineral water with temperatures between 39 and 41 degrees, the Krapinske Toplice (www.krapinske-toplice.hr) spa has a long tradition in healing by therapeutic thermal sources of water. Hotel Aquae Vivae with its 245 beds offers comfortable accommodation. The medical programs are based on application of natural therapeutic agents (therapeutic hyper-thermal water and natural healing mud) and application of all modern procedures of physical medicine and rehabilitation. Private clinic Magdalena, the first special hospital for cardiovascular surgery and cardiology was established in Krapinske Toplice. A complex of indoor swimming pools and wellness facilities should open by the end of 2008, as well as numerous private apartments and a small family aparthotel. The wonderful

35 surroundings, the hills of Zagorje with traditional offerings, typical Zagorje houses, castles and preserved nature additionally contribute to this region’s offer.

Sunce Hoteli Group, operating 12 hotels in the Adriatic, announced construction of the most luxurious and best equipped European health tourism center in Stubičke Toplice in cooperation with Krapina-Zagorje County, worth 109 million euros and offering 1180 beds, classified as five stars and partially as four stars. It aims to provide a very wide range of services in one place – from services for the truly ill who need a form of rehabilitation to those who enjoy sport or leisure. The Istarske Toplice (www.istarske-toplice.hr) spa is situated near Livade, at the foot of Motovun. The modern tourist & therapy complex located around the source of St. Stephen is widely known for the quality and healing properties of water successfully helping in treatment of chronic rheumatic diseases, degenerative spine diseases, dermatological diseases, upper respiratory tract diseases, various gynecological diseases and rehabilitation in the postoperative phase of treatment. Thanks to the unique composition of thermal water enriched with thirteen different minerals and sulfur, and the therapeutic effect of healing mud, the recovery time here is up to three times shorter than usual. They use sulfuric water for treatment of the upper respiratory tract, which puts them among the first three institutions of the kind in Europe. The St. Stephen Polyclinic offers various healthcare services and physicians of different specializations: orthopedists, ear, nose & throat specialists, neurologists, dermatologists and plastic surgeons. In addition to the healthcare services, Istarske Toplice offers a wide range of wellness programs and beauty treatments.

Equipped health resorts based on therapeutic mineral and thermal sources are also available in Ivanić Grad (Naftalan), Topusko, Daruvar, Lipik, Bizovac, Vela Luka, Šibenik, Duga Uvala, Hvar and Makarska. The health resorts in Opatija, Crikvenica and Veli Lošinj are among the oldest and most popular ones.

The first SPA Wellness Academy has opened in , providing training for employees in this segment of the tourist product.

RELIGIOUS TOURISM

The in Croatia has expressed its willingness to engage more actively in religious tourism, one of the oldest forms of tourism historically. The Poreč-Pula Bishop, in charge of religious tourism in the Croatian Bishops Conference, has already confirmed this, underlining that this is a big and still insufficiently used opportunity. The popular Croatian religious centers are , Vepric, Sinj, Solin, Ludbreg, Aljmaš, Voćin, , Karlovac and Biskupija near Knin. The holidays of guardian saints traditionally attract thousands of visitors to worship places and to other towns, like for example the Holiday of St. Vlaho to Dubrovnik and the Holiday of St. Dujam to Split.

36 GASTRO & WINE CORNER

The is diverse and known as a cuisine of different regions. Its modern form originates from the proto-Slavic and ancient times. The differences in the selection of ingredients and preparation methods are the most obvious if we compare the continental and coastal regions. The continental cuisine is typical for its early proto- Slavic roots and more recent contacts with established schools of gastronomy – Hungarian, Viennese, and Turkish. Meat products, freshwater fish and vegetables dominate. The coastal region is characterized by the influences of the Greeks, Romans, Illyrians and later Mediterranean cuisines – Italian and French. It features many seafood specialties (squid, cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, lobster...) prepared in various ways, olive oil, prosciutto, various vegetables, Dalmatian wines such as Babić, Malvasia, Prosecco and Žlahtina, and various liqueurs like the famous Maraschino. In 2008, the national culinary team participated for the first time in the world encounter of chefs and chefs, the Culinary Olympics held in Erfurt, Germany, and won the bronze medal. First Croatian cookbook The rich literary opus confirms the high level and tradition of gastronomic culture in Croatia, such as the records in the Croatian/Latin dictionary from 1740, preceded by a similar French dictionary, fictional works by famous Croatian renaissance writers as well as the book written by Ivan Bierling in 1813, containing recipes for preparation of 554 different dishes, which is considered to be the first Croatian cookbook. Many Croatian traditional festivities are directly associated with food, regardless of whether they pertain to hard labor (harvest or crop threshing, grape harvest or wine baptism, house completion), religion (solely Catholic holidays – Christmas, Easter, pilgrimage, celebrations of local guardian saints) or important moments in life of an individual (baptism, wedding, birthday, name-day, wake).

A special dish for each holiday Some festivities are public, like the Dionysian St. Martin’s Day celebrated on estates, in wine cellars and restaurants, while others are only celebrated within the family (weddings, baptisms, Christmas, New Year, Easter, etc.). Each holiday has one specific dish. Pork and potato stew are prepared for pilgrimages and fairs, cod is prepared on Christmas Eve and Good Friday, pork is prepared on New Year’s day, and donuts are inseparably connected with carnival events (in the south they prepare similar pastry called fritule). Ham and boiled eggs with green vegetables are served for Easter, with traditional for dessert (like pinca). Kulen is for harvest days, goose is for St. Martin’s Day, while turkey, other poultry and sarma are served for Christmas. At weddings they serve a series of dishes with pastries and cookies, such as little peaches, bear claws, pepper cakes and fritule. Many prefer lamb and suckling on a spit, grilled fish, calamari prepared in various ways, grilled meat, prosciutto and sheep cheese, smoked ham and cottage cheese with sour cream, fish stew and veal on any occasion.

37 A wide range of quality wines Croatia has every right to be proud of its wide range of quality wines (there are as many as 700 wine varieties with protected geographic origin), brandies, fruit juices, beers and mineral waters. In the south, people normally drink bevanda (heavy red wine of a rich flavor mixed with natural water), while those in the northwest regions drink gemišt (dry aromatic wines mixed with mineral water). The Croatian Danube area promotes its wines, primarily the Traminac, through the ‘Traminac Express – Three Railroad Cars – Three Stories’ program, as well as its gastronomy combined with cultural and historical activities. In Lučko near Zagreb they opened the House of Croatian Wines on 250 square meters, offering some 1,500 labels of quality and premium wines from all parts of Croatia.

38 CROATIA – THE HOME OF THE FAMOUS

One of them is Marco Polo from Korčula, the legendary explorer who discovered China for the West in the 13th century. Faust Vrančić from Šibenik was a man of wide scientific interest, engaging in lexicography, philosophy, theology and technology. In the 16th century, he invented the first modern parachute that he personally tested in Venice. Vrančić also designed a mill driven by sea tides, cable car, and a new structure for metal bridges (suspended on iron chains, the so-called suspended bridges), which he described in his famous book on mechanics Machinae novae (61 structures, Venice, 1595). Such bridges were not built before the late 18th century, two centuries later. Marko Marulić, often referred to as the father of Croatian literature, was born in Split in 1450. He was an educated humanist poet (poeta doctus), a Christian poet (poeta christianus) and a singing poet. He wrote in Croatian and Latin. His epic Judita is one of the most important Croatian literary works. Marin Držić, one of the greatest Croatian renaissance writers, was a man who incorporated the peak of his creative work in two comedies, Dundo Maroje and Skup, which are still applicable to the present day after 500 years. In addition to writing, he was active in many other social areas and created various controversies in his time. Among other things, he was a priest, a university rector and a political activist – in short, a man with a very interesting biography. Julije Klović from Grižane near Novi Vinodolski is the greatest European small-format painter, referred to as the Michelangelo of Miniature. In the 16th century, his student El Greco painted Klović together with Michelangelo, Rafael and Tizian. In the 4th century, stone mason Marin from Rab established the town/state of San Marino. Nikola Tesla from the village of Smiljani in Lika was an inventor whose discoveries in the area of electrical engineering and radio diffusion are essential to the modern civilization. Tesla’s brilliant mind enabled electrification of the world and powerful economic growth. Tesla’s inventions cover many areas, the most significant ones being electrical energy, radio technology, telecommunications, teleautomatics, lighting, etc. In 1888, he registered a number of patents concerning the rotating magnetic field and alternate current, which were purchased by George Westinghouse. In the late 19th century, Tesla was fully committed to working in laboratories and on inventions including production of high frequency currents (Tesla transformers), fluorescent lighting, foundations of radio technology, teleautomatics, X-rays and many others. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, he worked on wireless energy transmission. He patented a total of 112 inventions in America. In 1917, he was awarded the Edison Medal and discovered the basic principles of radar. Thanks to his progressive ideas and inventions, Tesla is referred to as the scientist who invented the 20th century. Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić from Slavonski Brod, a children’s writer from the early 20th century, was called the Croatian Andersen for good reason. In the 19th century, David Schwartz from Zagreb invented an aircraft, but he was unable to have it patented because death stopped him. Count von Zeppelin created the famous aircraft according to his drawings. Slavoljub Penkala, another man from Zagreb, put the world in his debt by inventing the ballpoint . In the 19th century, Giovanni Luppis from Rijeka invented the torpedo, which is why the first torpedo factory was established in Rijeka.

Croatia is the home of top athletes, including the best female Croatian athlete of all times, Janica Kostelić. With three Olympic gold medals and one silver medal from the

39 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Janica became the most successful alpine skier in the history of Winter Olympics. Ivano Balić is the best handball player in Croatian history, and is also considered to be one of the best players of all times. He was elected to the best team of the competition at several championships and was proclaimed the best handball player of the world in 2003, 2006 and 2007. The explanation of the decision stated: ‘He is simply a delight to watch'. He was elected the best European and Croatian player several times. In 2001, the famous tennis player Goran Ivanišević won the Wimbledon. Although not favored because he did not qualify for the tournament but received a wild card, Ivanišević managed to reach the finals and defeat Patrick Rafter. Ever since the bronze-winning national team from 1998 led by Davor Šuker and Zvonimir Boban, Croatian footballers have been respected by the competition and they have fans across the world. Many local and international sports writers wrote numerous praises for the current national football team coached by Slaven Bilić, a member of the glorious national team from 1998. Maksim Mrvica, a young Croatian pianist, won over the global audience primarily by his crossover performances, as well as classical piano performances. The mixture of modern sounds and classical tones, classical music with rock beats and electronic additions leave no one indifferent. The nice young man from Šibenik has successfully built his international career and achieved the greatest popularity in Asia where his fans literally fight for tickets to his concerts.

40 PRESENTING CROATIA BY REGION

CITY OF ZAGREB www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

What makes Zagreb completely different that the other European metropolises is its charm and directness, as well as an excellent geographic position at the junction of important roads between the Adriatic coast and Central Europe. Although it has all the characteristics of a Central European city, Zagreb’s charm comes from its coffee houses and outdoor garden patios typical of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Thanks to the modern motorways excellently connecting it with the coast, Zagreb is in a way a seaside city as well. The capital city of Croatia on the banks of Sava River, 170 kilometers from the Adriatic Sea, is situated at 122 meters above sea level. It has a continental climate with an average temperature of 20 degrees in summer and 1 degree Celsius in winter.

According to the last census (2001), 780 thousand people live in Zagreb, but it has a population of over a million with the ring around it that has absorbed many surrounding areas.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE Zagreb is a business and scientific hub, a university center, a city of culture, art and entertainment. Many reputable scientists, artists and athletes originate from and work in Zagreb. Zagreb offers its guests the baroque ambient of the Uptown, picturesque outdoor marketplaces, various shops and a wide range of craftsmen’s products, and a delicious domestic cuisine. Zagreb is a city of green parks and promenades, with numerous excursion spots in its beautiful surroundings. Despite the rapid development of the economy and transport, it has preserved is distinctive beauty and a relaxed feeling, making it a city truly tailored to man. The historical treasure is kept and exhibited in Zagreb’s museums. In addition to items associated with the city’s history, Zagreb’s museums and art collections feature exhibits from all over the world of a remarkable historical and artistic value. The Zagreb mummy with the longest Etruscan inscription in the world and the remains of the Krapina Neanderthal (homo Krapinensis) are special rarities. The Technical Museum holds the oldest preserved machine in the area, dating back to 1830, which still works. The keeps the Wiltrud and Ante Topić Mimara donations and the permanent layout features over 1,500 exhibits from the prehistoric times to the 20th century. HAZU’s (Croatian Academy of Science and Art) Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters has a permanent layout of European painting from the 14th century to the 19th century, while the Meštrović Studio holds sculptures, drawings, litographic maps and other items donated to Croatia by the great artist. The Klovićevi Dvori Gallery regularly puts on exhibitions of globally renowned artists. The significance of the gallery named after a renaissance master of miniatures is confirmed by the fact that it featured a retrospective of the greatest masters of German expressionism entitled “The Quiet Rebellion” in late 2008 and early 2009 ( www.galerijaklovic.hr).

41 ENTERTAINMENT & ART When the city turns on its lights and its daily hustle and bustle goes quiet, the luxurious world of Zagreb’s stages awakens. Famous masters of word, sound or motion will attract many enthusiasts with classical or modern works. Each theater has its own repertoire and they all together reveal the wealth of Zagreb’s theatrical life. Comedies or dramas, operas or musicals, classical or modern ballet, contemporary scene or the playful world of dolls… the choice is wide. Zagreb is rich in various events all year round. The theater and concert season goes on throughout the year and the city has numerous theater and concert stages and halls. In summer months, the residents and visitors to the city like to go to the Uptown. They listen to concerts within the Evenings on Grič cycle in the atrium of the Museum Premises on Jezuitski Square, the Church of St. Catherine and the Church of St. Mark or visit the for concerts under the name of The Organs of the Zagreb Cathedral. In winter months, the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall provides an attractive program. Two ensembles are inevitable when it comes to traditional music: the Zagreb Philharmonic, an internationally reputable orchestra, and the Zagreb Quartet of the same creative level. In summertime, as well as in other seasons, the streets of Zagreb are the venue for events and performances making it livelier and more interesting. The city also hosts several music and film festivals. “Autumn in Zagreb” combines several international multicultural encounters – World Theater Festival, , Queer Zagreb, New Circus Festival, as well as some major exhibition projects. In 2008, Zagreb was visited by many popular international musicians and actors such as 50 Cent, Orlando Bloom, Snoop Dog, Mark Knopfler, Chris Rea, Alicia Keys, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs, The Supremes, The Temptations, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Juliette & The Licks, Freemasons, Eric Prydz, Niki Beluci, La Di Da... According to Gareth Scurlock, a reputable journalist with The Times, Zagreb is among the most interesting destinations visited by the film hero James Bond (Bond stopped in Zagreb in “From with Love”).

ZAGREB’S NIGHT LIFE Entertainment is available in numerous discotheques, night bars, casinos, etc. Zagreb currently has five large discotheques, around fifteen clubs, 12 pubs, a dozen beer houses, the same number of lounge bars, night clubs and cocktail bars, several jazz clubs and many cafés and restaurants offering, among other things, good nighttime fun. Those who like to try their luck can have fun in one of the fifteen casinos. The strict city center is the liveliest and another fun place to go is the “Zagreb Sea” – Lake – where the nighttime atmosphere is comparable to that in the most popular destinations thanks to its numerous clubs and cafés. While everything takes place indoors in wintertime, summer is the time when Zagreb shows its Mediterranean spirit and ambience. The city’s special charm is without a doubt in its coffee houses and their contemporary version, the cafés. Chatting over a drink at a coffee house has a really long tradition in Zagreb. Guests who prefer music will relax in one of the numerous discotheques or clubs, some of which are very popular and offer extensive programs, in jazz or swing clubs or with candlelight to the rhythm of waltz, tango, rumba or samba in one of the restaurants.

42 GASTRO CORNER The numerous restaurants in Zagreb offer various domestic and international specialties. The domestic specialties to try include turkey, duck or goose with mlinci, štrukli, cottage cheese with cream and the walnut cake. Zagreb has it own Zagreb Steak – veal generously stuffed with cheese and Prague ham, and fried in breadcrumbs like the Viennese Steak. If you have the opportunity, don’t miss one of the traditional Zagreb’s lunches – wine stew or bacon and tripe. As Zagreb is close to the sea, the fish restaurants offer fresh seafood. The city has many fast food establishments and the fans will not be disappointed. The tradition of Zagreb’s coffee houses and pastry shops is long and rich, so it is certainly worth trying the Zagreb stuffed with cheese, apples and cherries, the slice and various cakes. In the center of the city or at one of the excursion spots, you will choose the menu and ambient according to the occasion, taste, mood and the time of day, with the distinctive sounds of tambourine or piano. Everyone will find their favorite place here, their table to which they will gladly return and always be welcome.

Pepper pastry – a traditional Croatian pastry This aromatic pastry dates back to the times of renaissance. It is distinctive for its rectangular shape and folklore motifs carved in it. The popularity of the pepper pastry among the first residents of Gradec is described in Šenoa’s novel 'Zlatarevo zlato'. Zagorje štrukli – protected cultural heritage The Ministry of Culture has proclaimed the traditional homemade štrukli intangible cultural heritage. 'The region of Zagorje is a veritable treasury of unusual delicacies that the witty local women were forced to prepare for their numerous families due to poverty'. The Ministry also explained its decision by the fact that the preparation of homemade štrukli requires special skill of the housewives of Hrvatsko zagorje and, with some slight differences, the entire Central Croatia. Many restaurants in Zagreb prepare štrukli, which many people love – after you try it, you will surely be one of them.

THE SURROUNDING AREA The area surrounding Zagreb is attractive and rich with its vineyards, wine roads and the highest concentration of castles after the Loire Valley. The most romantic and, according to many, the most beautiful castle in Croatia is Trakošćan, Maruševac is a nice example of a romantic, neo-gothic “fairytale castle”, while Veliki Tabor is an ancient fortification of the Ratkay Counts from the 15th century. The gothic- renaissance building exudes mystery due to the legend of the unfortunate fate of Veronika of Desinić who was punished by being built into the walls of the castle. The powerful Croatian governor, Count Herman II of Celje, convicted Veronika because she was having a love affair with his son Fridrih. Herman accused the poor girl of being a witch who had seduced his son. They put on a trial that went on for two entire days. Although the judges stated that the girl was not guilty of anything, Herman ordered that Veronika be captured and strangled. They built her dead body into the wall connecting the walls of the pentagonal tower with the entrance to the castle. During the cleaning of all the rooms in the castle in 1982, a female skull was found. It has not been determined whether it belonged to poor Veronika. According

43 to a legend, Veronika of Desinić can sometimes be heard sobbing in long stormy winter nights, along with the cries of the big owl. The Oršić Castle was reconstructed in 1973 as part of the monumental complex in Stubica Valley and it holds the Peasant Revolt Museum. Stubica also has one of the numerous healing spas that have been reconstructed and developed into thermal rivieras. The original ethno village in Kumrovec is also a special tourist attraction.

The small town of Samobor (www.tz-samobor.hr) is situated in the fertile lowlands of Sava River, at the foot of Samobor Mountains. This is truly a museum town. Every house, square and street has its historical story. The remains of a medieval burg above the present town and numerous exhibits in the Samobor Town Museum present the town’s rich history. Samobor is a favorite excursion spot for the people of Zagreb, especially popular for its gastro offer and attractive events, including as a highlight the carnival festivities.

The Medvednica Nature Park (www.pp-medvednica.hr), with its highest peak Sljeme (1033 m) is one of the favorite excursion spots for the locals. Sljeme can be reached by cable car and those who like to hike will find organized trails – the climb takes around two hours. In wintertime, Sljeme is a favorite destination for skiers and other winter sport fans. Janica Kostelić, one of the best female skiers of all times, and her brother Ivica, can sometimes be seen on the slopes here.

THE CITY’S SPORT SPIRIT Like any city adapting to trends and new lifestyles, Zagreb accepts facilities corresponding to its residents’ habits and sport spirit. Few European metropolises have a nature park like Medvednica in the immediate vicinity. The ancient , a medieval fort built in the 13th century and recently reconstructed, is a special attraction on Medvednica. It now features the Homeland Altar with an eternal flame, where Croatia pays homage to its heroes who have died for their Homeland through history. Ideal for excursions, recreation and rest at any time of the year, Medvednica and its highest peak Sljeme have hosted the (www.snowqueentrophy.com) FIS ski race since 2005. Zagreb also has the Jarun Sport & Recreation Center – a favorite excursion spot among the locals and their guests. Numerous professional and amateur sport clubs are active in Zagreb. The more popular professional clubs are the NK Dinamo and NK Zagreb football clubs, the KK Cibona and KK Zagreb basketball clubs, the RK Zagreb handball club, the Mladost and Medveščak water polo clubs, rowing clubs, athletic clubs, and many others. , a multipurpose sport hall seating 15,000 spectators, was built for the 2009 World Handball Championship.

SIGHTSEEING Zagreb’s daily tourist programs include standard guided sightseeing and costume sightseeing on foot or wheels. In addition to the regular bus tours, the offer includes four attractive Segway City Tour programs – a unique experience of sightseeing around Zagreb on a Segway personal transporter (www.SegwayCityTourZagreb.com).

44 The Zagreb Tourist Board dispatches walking tourist informers to squares and streets. Their task is to help tourists find their way around and inform them of anything they would like to know about Zagreb from May to October. They can be recognized for their distinctive blue outfits with a big letter I. They provide information in English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Hebrew.

Zagreb Card with a number of benefits By purchasing a daily (24 hours) or a 3-day (72 hours) Zagreb Card, visitors to Zagreb have been provided with various benefits and savings on various services of 10 to as much as 50 percent for the past nine years. In addition to free use of public transport, discounts are available in almost all city museums and in many theaters, concert halls, hotels, restaurants, shops and for various services. The list also includes providers of sporting, medical and rent-a-car services. The card is available at over 40 points in Zagreb – the Airport, , tourist info centers, hotels, travel agencies, and online at www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

ACCOMMODATION The accommodation offer in Zagreb is rich and diverse, and thus suitable for everyone’s price range. The hotels range between large premium hotels operating within renowned chains to small private inns. The accommodation categories are marked by stars and the prices of rooms and other services depend on the category. One of the advantages of Zagreb is the availability of accommodation in the very center of the city. This is where you will find the most luxurious hotels like the Sheraton and Esplanade, as well as much more affordable ones. Generally speaking, the hotel accommodation is at a high level, the rooms are neat and the service is good. Most hotels offer a parking lot and some have a garage. In 2009, Zagreb has 3 5-star hotels, 11 4-star hotels, 21 3-star hotels and 8 2-star hotels. 13 of them are small family hotels. Tourists can also choose between some seventy private rooms and apartments, while a dozen hostels, hotels and student homes are available for younger guests arriving in the Croatian capital while discovering Europe.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS Zagreb has very good transport connections with other countries and other parts of Croatia. The airport is only 17 kilometers from the city center. In addition to Croatia Airlines, the national airline, the capital city is connected with the rest of the world by international regular and charter airlines (www.croatiaairlines.com). Thanks to the modern motorway network, Zagreb also has excellent road and railway connections. After the Zagreb- motorway is completed, Zagreb will get a new south entrance with two junctions – Jakuševac and Sveta Klara.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF The Cathedral and Archbishop’s Court Complex (http://zagreb.hbk.hr) – The Cathedral is the most monumental Croatian sacral building, built in the neo-gothic style. Its exterior is 77 meters long and 48.20 wide. The height of the towers is 108 meters. The interior area is 1617 m2 and can accommodate 5000 people. The Cathedral is within a medieval fort. The west part has been demolished so the

45 Cathedral has Kaptol Square stretching in front of it. The south and east sides hold the Archbishop’s Court, while the north side has the remains of the fort, well preserved towers and walls. Priceless treasure is kept in the Cathedral’s treasury, including items dating back to the 11th to 19th centuries. This is also the burial place for important Croatian heroes and martyrs. The locals are especially proud of the fact that in 1994, during the celebration of the 900th anniversary of the Zagreb Archbishopric, Pope John Paul II conducted the holy mass at the Cathedral. Dolac (www.trznice-zg.hr) – Zagreb’s central marketplace is situated in the very center of the city. The marketplace is a colorful spot and a convincing proof that Zagreb and Croatia eat natural, fresh and tasty food. Quality tasty meat, fruits and vegetables from the Zagreb region and other parts of the country and the world, dairy products made by peasant women from the surrounding area and fresh Adriatic fish are available at colorful stands under distinctive red parasols. There is also a wide range of souvenirs, garments and special products made of wood, wicker, etc. Mirogoj Arcades with the domes (www.gradskagroblja.hr) – The Mirogoj Park Cemetery is among the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe. Mirogoj is not only the final resting place for the deceased, but also a wonderful park and an outdoor art gallery. It is also special for the fact that all religions are respected here, not just the Christian one. Famous architect Herman Bollé designed the cemetery with its monumental composition, a 500 meters long line of neo-renaissance arcades with 20 domes. This was one of the biggest projects in European historicism and a true gallery for works of Croatian painters, sculptors and craftsmen. Church of St. Mark (www.mvpei.hr/MVP.asp?pcpid=161) – It was built in the 18th century on a Roman basis and completed as a hall church. The south portal is the most expressive gothic sculptural creation in this part of Europe. Among other things, the Church of St. Mark is known for its multicolored roof tiles, creating the crest of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia on the left side, and the crest of the City of Zagreb on the right side, for the first time. The Church of St. Mark is located on Sv. Marko Square with the House on the east side, and , where Croatian governors once had their seat, on the west side. It is now the seat of the Croatian Government. Lotrščak Fort (www.monel.hr/povjest/kulaLotrscak.htm) – once the main city fort, it is now one of Zagreb’s trademarks. This is the best preserved building within the city’s defensive system, its belvedere providing a wonderful view of Zagreb and its immediate surroundings. The fort was erected in mid-18th century and was named Lotrščak for the bell within it, the 'campana latrunculorum' or 'the bell of thieves', which rang every night before the town gates closed. A cannon has been fired from Lotrščak Fort every day for over a century to mark noon. Croatian National Theater building (www.hnk.hr) – The monumental Croatian National Theater building in the middle of Maršal Tito Square was erected in 1895 according to the concept provided by Helmer and Fellner, well known theater builders. This is why it resembles the Viennese theater so much. The Croatian National Theater building is among the representative historical theaters in Central and Eastern European cities. Meštrović Pavillion – the rotund building was built in 1938 by the world famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Such avant-garde project in the first half of the 20th century was a predecessor to famous modern buildings in the world, even the

46 prestigious Guggenheim Museum in New York (1959). It is now the Home of Croatian Artists and a venue for cultural events. Park (www.park-maksimir.hr) – the largest park in Zagreb is one of the first public gardens in Europe organized according to drawings. Making an ideal combination of English landscape and a park forest, it was opened to public in the late 18th century. It was the first public promenade in Southeast Europe. The city was much smaller then and the perception of distance was different, so visitors began to arrive in greater numbers in 1892, when the first horse tram route was established! The park covers an area of 316 hectares, it has improved lakes, summer villas and sculptures, and has been systematically protected since 1940. The park area also includes the Zoo, established in 1925.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR The following Zagreb souvenirs are world-renowned: the fountain pen invented by Zagreb’s own Slavoljub Penkala over 80 years ago, and the necktie (cravat) named after the Croatian horsemen who fought in European battlefields wearing the distinctive scarves around their necks from the Thirty-Year War in the 17th century to the French Revolution. The pepper cake, described by novelist August Šenoa, descendant of Zagreb’s first pastry maker, has become one of the favorite Zagreb souvenirs. Many people still find gingerbread, most often in the shape of a heart, very tasty, especially with medica and gvirc, parish fair drinks made of fermented honey. There is a wide range of products one can take from Zagreb as a souvenir or a gift to a dear one, including articles of clothing, pillows, calendars, books, monographs, paintings, premium wines and pastries. The souvenirs with a touch of Zagreb are: the cast of Dora, a character from August Šenoa’s popular novel 'Zlatarevo zlato', gingerbread heart, wicker products, ceramics, casts of works of the great Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, plaster houses, paintings with motifs of Zagreb, the dove, crystal items, knitted items and handicrafts, the cast of the famous Baška Tablet, fruit brandies, Samobor’s aperitif Bermet and muštarda sauce books and monographs about the city, wine… All this and many other attractive items are available in numerous specialized or regular stores in the very center of the city, as well as in other parts of the city.

Šestine Umbrella – in addition to being a utility item, it has become a distinctive part of Zagreb’s identity. It is part of the Šestine costume typical of Zagreb’s suburban area and was used until the 1960s, when it began to disappear from daily life. It is made by hand by using an umbrella lathe and materials with the Šestine pattern. The pen was created in Zagreb – even as a boy, Slavoljub Penkala, a citizen of Zagreb, was thinking about why we had to sharpen pencils. It eventually led him to his greatest inventions – the mechanical pen and the fountain pen. In 1906, the famous inventor registered the first mechanical pen at the Patent Office in Budapest, only to register the fountain pen the following year. Slavoljub Eduard Penkala became one of the most significant inventors from the early 20th century, his opus including 70 to 80 inventions in the areas of mechanics, chemistry, physics and aeronautics (www.penkala.com.hr).

47 Zagreb Sweet Bunch (Croatian candied bunch) consists of sugar-glazed flowers, manually candied and arranged into a unique specimen. The packaging of the sweet bunch contains flowers, petals and leaves sugar-candied according to a registered procedure. It is classified as an original Zagreb souvenir.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS

Mando – zagrabi (Take it, Manda) The tradition of the Josip Jelačić Square (the central city square) dates back to the 17th century when it was created. The buildings presently surrounding it were made over a hundred years. This is why they are characterized by a mixture of styles – from classicism and secession to modernism. The encounter with the said square also brings legends about the name of the city. One of them says Zagreb got its name after an accidental meeting where one of the Croatian governors shouted to a girl standing next to a well: 'Mando, ZAGRABI' (Take it, Manda), so the well was named Manduševac and the city Zagreb. Cannon fires at noon The Lotrščak Fort, surely the best preserved fort in the city’s defensive system, was erected in mid-13th century. The legend of the shot at high noon is associated with the Turkish siege – the Turks advanced almost to Sava River in the late 16th century. As it happens, Zagreb had requested help from Vienna and they sent one cannon. Exactly at noon, when a servant was carrying turkey for lunch to a Turkish Pasha, the cannon on Lotrščak fired and hit his platter. Having seen what the cannon had done, the Turks were frightened and they never attacked Zagreb. Zagreb witches According to a legend, the dark streets around the Uptown and the nearby woods were a meeting point for witches or sorceresses. During the witch hunt, which was very late in Croatia compared to the rest of Europe, many stories emerged about the hellish acts of the accused women in the clearings on Medvednica. However, the most popular mythical resident of Medvednica is the Black Queen. Various legends of this powerful ruler stretch through many Croatian regions. For example, according to the stories she created Plitvice Lakes after the oppressive heat that had tormented the people. This mythical figure is believed to originate from the folk stories about the evil Barbara of Celje, sister of Fridrih, the main character in the story of Veronika of Desinić who unfortunately died in the Veliki Tabor castle. They say Barbara used to throw her lovers off towers in the towns where she lived, including Medvedgrad.

48 CENTRAL CROATIA www.tzzz.hr, www.tzbbz.hr, www.tz-koprivnicko-krizevacka.hr, www.tz- zagorje.hr, www.tzm.hr, www.turizam-smz.hr, www.turizam-vzz.hr

Although not perceived as a typical tourist region, Central Croatia is a very interesting area providing great options for recreation, cultural tourism, sightseeing around interesting towns, castles and natural landmarks. Central Croatia includes the area between Zagreb north to Krapina, Varaždin and Međimurje, Podravina around Koprivnica and the eastern regions around Sisak and Bjelovar. Administratively, it consists of the following counties: Bjelovar-, Koprivnica-Križevci, Krapina- Zagorje, Međimurje, Sisak-Moslavina, Varaždin and Zagreb. The hilly region rich in vineyards, covered with forests and crisscrossed with rivers, with many baroque churches, monasteries, castles, forts and museums, opens up to tourists who will find various options there year-round. This includes the thermal sources that have become an ideal place for rest and recreation and health and beauty programs by reconstruction and construction of thermal rivieras, in line with the current trends. Organized bike tracks, wine roads, tradition, old crafts and a rich gastro offer make an ideal combination for weekend packages or rest & recreation.

Zagreb County – the green oasis of Zagreb The green string or horseshoe, as they often refer to it, situated around the City of Zagreb, is part of Central Croatia and the Zagreb macro-region. It borders on the City of Zagreb, Republic of Slovenia and six Croatian counties: Karlovac, Krapina- Zagorje, Bjelovar-Bilogora and Sisak-Moslavina. It is abundant in cultural & historical heritage, customs, tradition and many different cultural & entertainment, folklore, sport & recreation and other options throughout the year. Close proximity, accessibility, diversity and richness of options, rest, greenery, homemade food, quality and high-quality wines and sparkling wines, return to the country and nature, excursion spots for families with children, a new form of active holidays, nature adventure and a new dimension of leisure time – is all this, and more. Natural characteristics: River lowlands – Sava and Krapina, Lonja and , and wetlands – the ponds of Vukšinac, Pisarovina and the biggest and most popular one, Crna mlaka (www.crna- mlaka.htnet.hr), a special ornithological reserve on the list of Ramsar sites. Mountainous regions – the slopes of Mevednica, the slopes of Žumberak and Samobor Mountains, and the remote mountainous areas of Vukomeričke gorice (255 m) and the Marija Gorica (312 m). Mountains - Medvednica (Sljeme 1033 m), Žumberačka gora (Sveta Gera 1178 m) and Samoborsko gorje (highest peak Japetić with 879 m and the impressive Plešivica with 778 m).

Hrvatsko zagorje – home of the Neanderthal, castles and spas North of Zagreb is the interesting Hrvatsko Zagorje (www.tz-zagorje.hr), a hilly region bordering on Slovenia in the west and crisscrossed with mountains and rivers, giving the area a special atmosphere. The cultural, political and administrative center of the region is Krapina, a town having a preserved urban core and known as the finding site for the “Krapina Neanderthal”. Krapina was made familiar to the world by Prof. Dragutin Gorjanović –

49 Krambergerin 1899, when he discovered the remains of the diluvial man on Hušnjakovo brdo, known to science as Homo Krapiniensis (www.krapina.hr). The area is rich in thermal sources, so the visitors can enjoy rest and recreation in the Tuhelj Spa (www.tuhelj.hr), Krapina Spa (www.krapinske-toplice.hr), Stubica Spa (www.stubicketoplice.hr) and Jezerčica Spa (www.terme-jezercica.hr). This picturesque hilly region, with many vineyards and forests, is a true delight for excursionists. Its picturesque sights are enhanced by the medieval fortified castles and country castles (Veliki tabor, Miljana). The region has an interesting history and the highest concentration of castles after Loire Valley, associated with many significant events, people and legends. The national shrine of Marija Bistrica is a religious tourism center and the tourist programs include the churches of Mary of Mountains in Lobor, Mary of Snow in Belec, and Mary of Jerusalem on Trški Vrh. Around 500 thousand Croatian and international believers a year have visited Marija Bistrica for over 300 years – in 1998, Pope John Paul II visited too. The pilgrimages begin April, on White Sunday, and go on until late October (www.info-marija- bistrica.hr). In the northernmost parts of the country, at the very tri-border between Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia, lies Međimurje (www.tzm.hr), its tourist trademark being the newly built St. Martin Spa (www.toplicesvetimartin.hr). This is a region of rich gastronomy and customs, premium wines, wine roads and bike tracks. Čakovec is the center of the area, offering numerous sport & recreation options and well designed tourist programs based on tradition, such as gold washing. East of the City of Zagreb is the interesting Podravina region bordered by Drava River and the mountains of Bilogora and Kalnik, with rich fishing and hunting areas. Organized bike tracks pass through magnificent landscapes near Lake Šoderica, Hlebine, the nursery of Croatian naïve art, and the rich hunting grounds along Drava River. The most significant events include the Podravina Motifs (held in the town of Koprivnica) and Picokijada, dedicated to preservation of autochthonous folk features and focusing on folklore, naïve art, original gastronomy and old crafts and customs.

The Varaždin region (www.turizam-vzz.hr), situated in the far northwest of Croatia, is a Central European urbanized area of baroque, music, art, crafts and trades, and diverse, preserved landmarks, with the town of Varaždin as the center. Known primarily for the cultural offer and health & recreation options (Varaždinske toplice, www.varazdinsketoplice.hr), this region is an inevitable spot in the itinerary for tourists who want to learn about Croatia in all its fullness. The area contains the famous Trakošćan Park Forest and Drava Park Forest, important to the town of Varaždin. It also includes three exceptionally important and valuable geological/paleontological natural monuments confirming the continuity of man’s presence in the area for millennia (Vindija Cave, Mačak Cave, Šincek Cave), and the only preserved fossil volcano and finding site for semi-precious stones in Croatia, protected as a geological monument of nature (Gaveznica - Kameni vrh). The region is abundant in park architecture monuments, most of them created in the early 18th century together with construction or reconstruction of castles (Maruševec, Križovljangrad, Bajnski dvori, Veliki Bukovec, Vidovec, Jalkovec, Šaulovec, Martijanec, Novi Marof, Varaždinske toplice). One should not miss the valuable Opeka Arboretum

50 and the famous Varaždin Cemetery. The entire area has 354 registered cultural monuments (castles, sacral buildings, museums, galleries). The tourist offer is based on the monumental heritage, unique attractions and significant events.

CULTURAL & HISTORICAL HERITAGE

Zagreb County Zagreb County is proud of its series of museums, galleries and other facilities serving as a nursery for different artistic layouts and events, significant representatives of Croatian and international art. The galleries and museums provide a cultural and historical overview of the life in the area. Many respectable gentlemen, members of high social levels in local and foreign nobility, stopped on one of their voyages in the luxurious natural landscape of the County and found a new place to call home. The castles and manors, silent witnesses of such times, still tell many forgotten stories to their visitors. Budinjak helmet – one of the two bronze helmets found in ducal graves (the necropolis finding site on Budinjak) is the only fully preserved specimen of one of the six different types from the Late Iron Age in Central Europe. The old Roman town of Andautonia was located in the present village of Ščitarjevo between Zagreb and , formerly a commercial, economic and cultural center on the Roman national road Siscia - Poetovio (Sisak – Ptuj). It was demolished in the 5th century during the Great Migration. Previous excavations have revealed the remains of streets, spas, an old mill, numerous coins, some jewelry, dishes, oil lamps, sculptures, frescoes, etc.

Varaždin – the most baroque town in Croatia www.turizam-vzz.hr The old urban core of a true Central European baroque town, which is often compared to Vienna, is exceptionally well preserved. The town fort, the central part of the town, numerous museums, galleries, collections and the Varaždin Cemetery (protected as a landscaping monument) are the main tourist targets. One of the town’s trademarks is the Varaždin Guard, the so-called purgars who are present at important festivities next to the Town Hall in their nice blue grenadier . Created in the early 20th century by planting of thuja, cut and formed into screens and arcades like the French park of Versailles, the famous Varaždin Cemetery is a magnificent monument of garden architecture. This is not just one of the most beautiful and oldest Croatian towns, but also one of the most distinctive ones, having a clearly profiled identity. Custom-built for the needs of its residents for over eight centuries, the town has preserved its uniqueness provides a rare harmony and a special atmosphere. Since 1755, Varaždin was the center of the administrative and political life of the Governor Croatia, but Zagreb once again became the Croatian capital after the 1776 fire that destroyed a large portion of the town.

The ancient town of Sisak www.turizam-smz.hr South of the capital city of Zagreb lies an interesting region with the old town of Sisak (www.sisakturist.com) as its center. It consists of wetlands around the

51 lowland flows of the rivers Sava, Kupa, Odra, Lonja, , Česma, and Una, surrounded by the tame woody slopes of Petrova, Zrinska and Moslavačka mountains. Due to its position at the point where Odra flows into Kupa and Kupa flows into Sava, Sisak is among the oldest settlements in Central Croatia as the traces of its urban inhabitation date back to the 4th century BC. However, even before the signs of urban inhabitation, the region had been populated by people – remains of tools and idol statuettes have been found during archeological explorations. In addition to the Siscia Archeological Park, remains of the walls of the Roman town of Siscia, the town is dominated by an old fort from the 16th century, under which the famous Sisak Battle took place – the turning point that marked the end of the Turkish penetration into Europe.

Kumrovec Ethno Village www.mhz.hr/kumrovec/ In the west part of Krapina-Zagorje County, in the village of Kumrovec, you will find the Old Village Museum (Kumrovec Ethno Village), a unique outdoor museum with preserved original village houses from the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The history of the Old Village began by the mounting of the monument in front of the birth house of Josip Broz Tito in 1948. The place where the former president of Yugoslavia, a war hero and one of the most popular leaders on the global political scene in the second half of the 20th century now offers a museum with a historical and ethnological collection. Around 40 more residential, farming and ancillary buildings were subsequently renovated in the village. The visitors can se the permanent ethnological collections of the traditional lifestyle from the late 19th century, such as: Zagorje Wedding, The Life of a Young Married Couple, From Hemp to Canvass, The Blacksmith’s Trade, Wagon-Maker’s Trade, Pottery, From Grain to Bread …

Krapina www.mhz.hr This is the most popular finding site for the Neanderthal in this part of Europe, discovered by Dragutin Gorjanović – Kramberger in 1899 in a semi-cave on the Hušnjakovo hill. They mounted life-size reconstructions of prehistoric men and animals and they also have a permanent layout – the Evolution Museum. The age of the Krapina Neanderthal is estimated at 100,000 years. During the excavations in 1905, they collected over 5,000 items (Neanderthal and animal bones, artifacts), 874 of which were remains of human origin. The artifacts belonged to Musterian culture. They also found remains of fireplaces on Hušnjakovo, which leads to the conclusion that the Krapina Neanderthal knew fire. The Krapina Neanderthal engaged in hunting and collecting berries, he was short and robustly built. The most preserved skull is the C skull, which is now in many textbooks across the world. Dragutin Gorjanović - Kramberger was the first paleontologist and paleoanthropologist to use X-rays to study fossil remains of bones. On Easter 2009, a new museum complex dedicated to the Krapina Neanderthal will open, modernly designed in the form of a seashell.

52 NATURAL BEAUTIES

Medvednica Nature Park (protected since 1981, www.pp-medvednica.hr) and Žumberak-Samoborsko gorje Nature Park (protected since 1999, www.pp-zumberak- samoborsko-gorje.hr; as many as 30 species of orchid found their habitat in the park!). Turopoljski lug, covering an area of 3348 ha, has been proclaimed a protected are on 12 May 2003 for its plant and animal diversity and huge oak forests. It is important to mention that the county also has special botanical, ornithological and zoological reserves and forest vegetation reserves, as well as areas of particular protected landscapes. It also includes seven park architecture monuments, mostly next to castles and manors, as well as a few more park forests.

Lonjsko polje www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr This kingdom of oak forests and wetland meadows is known for its distinctive wooden architecture and valuable churches. Its tourist attractions include top gastronomy and a wine range with organized wine roads and bike tracks. is a protected habitat for plant and animal species such as storks, herons, white-tailed eagles, otters, beavers and wild cats (www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr). In the nearby villages with their distinctive wood architecture, they breed the unique Posavina horses. Organized bus and boat trips are available to Trebež, Čeperlin, Kostrnja, and Krapja Ethno Village, proclaimed the Village of Architectural Heritage in 1995 and registered as an A category European cultural heritage monument, as well as to the world famous Čigoć – The European Strok Village. The folk architecture and valuable churches are particularly interesting in the area. The visitors can also use the Topusko Spa with its outdoor and indoor pools and other holiday & recreation facilities (www.ljeciliste-topusko.com). The complex consisting of two hotels, Toplica i Petrova Gora, offers accommodation on 360 beds in single and double rooms and four suites. The thermal water of Topusko springs from a depth of 1500 m, it is of volcanic origin, the temperature is between 56 and 72 °C, while the composition and quality of the water have remained unchanged over the past 200 years.

ENTERTAINMENT & ART

Varaždin – baroque and strolling Thanks to its preserved baroque town core, museums, landscaped parks and numerous events such as the traditional international baroque music festival (Varaždin Baroque Evenings, www.vbv.hr), Varaždin is a favorite destination for numerous tourists. Over the past years, the number of visitors increased thanks to the street strolling festival called Špancirfest (www.spancirfest.com). This is a town festival in late August, which the organizers refer to as a “whirl of music, dancing and laughter, and an exciting stroll that is a purpose unto itself. This festival is an encounter with the forgotten, where people give to the town, and the town gives to the people”. During the Špancirfest, Varaždin offers around 250 first-class programs, hundreds of artists from across the world, presentations of old crafts, world music, numerous performers and shows, and daylong children’s programs. Six stages in the

53 town are venue for ethno, rock and classical concerts. The area also has several exceptionally valuable museum layouts, such as the “World of Insects” exhibition at the Varaždin Town Museum, unique to this region and Europe. The Trakošćan Castle is a special museum value – it has been completely converted into a museum with preserved original premises from the 15th-19th century (www.trakoscan.hr).

Đurđevac, the town of the Picoks – a European Destination of Excellence www.tz-djurdjevac.hr The Podravina town of Đurđevac and its legend of the Picoks have been included in the tourist network of 20 European Destinations of Excellence cultivating intangible cultural heritage. In 2008, the Picokijada was held for the 40th time, reminding us of the legend about the bravery and wit of the residents of Đurđevac who came up with the idea of how to outwit the Turkish Army after a long siege. The show becomes more and more glorious every year. It is put on at the authentic location where the legend was created, and includes hundreds of extras, cultural amateurs, horsemen and professional actors. The entire staging is intended to present the glorious event as authentically as possible – the cannons and rifle actually fire and swords flash with a great deal of fireworks and light effects. However, the staging of the Legend of the Picoks is only a part of a three-day event called the Picokijada, containing around thirty more cultural and sporting events. The Legend of the Picoks speaks of the bravery and with of the residents of Đurđevac, who used their wisdom to defend the town from the Turkish invasion. In the 16th century, Turkish ruler Ulama Beg intended to surround the town and thus starve and defeat its defenders. After a long-term siege, the defenders had only one cock left – a picok, which they fired from a cannon at the Turks, as advised by an old lady. The mighty Ulama Beg thought the locals had plenty of food, so he withdrew from further siege of the town and admitted defeat. Ever since, the people of Đurđevac have been proud of their name – the Picoks.

Bjelovar www.tzbbz.hr IPEW - International Percussion Ensembles Week presents the highest achievements and the most important percussion names and ensembles. In addition to the excellently visited evening concerts, the musicians exchange knowledge and experience by spending time together and attending music workshops for students. It is held every year in January. BOK Fest – The Bjelovar Theater Echoes is a festival of the most significant theatrical achievements for professional theaters of Croatia. In addition to a dozen plays for adults, just as many plays are intended for children. Besides, children are able to meet popular actors and adopt some of their knowledge, skill and experience through different drama workshops. It is held every year in springtime in Bjelovar. Terezijana is a multi-day cultural, entertainment and tourist show presented by a series of musical, scenic, artistic and sporting events featuring performers from across Croatia. The event is visited by over 30,000 people from the country and from abroad. The central event is the staging of the arrival of Empress Mary Theresa in the town that she established by a decree in 1756.

54 Koprivnica – Renaissance Festival www.koprivnicatourism.com A historical spectacle takes place in September on the remains of Koprivnica’s town walls, vividly depicting the past in the original ambient, while the visitors feel as if they were taken back to some ancient times. The medieval (renaissance) fair is packed with old crafts, traders, folk, nobility, peasants, jesters, entertainers, musicians, vagabonds, thieves and conmen. There are also the cooks who prepare the food in line with the medieval recipes and use ingredients from ancient history. The catering offer is supplemented with a range of local drinks such as honey brandy, beer and wine. The knight camps with authentic replicas of tools and weapons from the time leave no one indifferent. Knights fighting for their maidens, occasional attacks at the fort, hawks and wild animals that were once used as food are just fragments of this rich, attractive, and above all interactive event.

GASTRO CORNER The entire Central Croatian gastronomy is generally based on meat dishes and some river fish specialties. Roast turkey, scallops, stuffed breast of veal, duck or goose with mlinci, smoked and boiled pork shank or blood pudding with sour cabbage and sarma. The special pastries include salty and sweet štrukli, Zagorje pumpkin pie, Croatian pancakes and corn zlevka. Turkey with mlinci, various and pumpkin pie with poppy seed have spread throughout Croatia. Varaždin rolls are the most common and simplest town specialty. To make the experience complete, the meal should be enriched with some of the region’s numerous wines that are now able to satisfy even the most demanding gourmets thanks to the quality enhancement. The numerous major enological ventures undertaken over the past years are reflected in the numerous wine medals won at exhibitions across Croatia and Europe. The most popular Zagorje specialties include turkey with mlinci, Zagorje štrukli and 'zlevanka od rucleva brašna sa sirom' (corn flour pudding with cheese). The former dish made of cheese, eggs and corn flour is now appreciated as a healthy homemade meal made of domestic ingredients according to the traditional recipe. U Moslavina offers dishes made of carp that should be accompanied by the Graševina or Škrlet wines. The wines roads are an important part of the tourist gastro offer – they have been opening in all parts of Central Croatia over the past ten years, most of them in the northwest areas and Moslavina. They are lively at any time of the year. Of course, the harvest time in autumn is the most dynamic, as well 11 November – St. Martin’s Day, the last and most significant winegrowers’ holiday of the year, when they mark the christening of young musk and its transformation into wine. St. Martin’s Day is associated with many local customs, so this year, the merry festival of wine lovers will once again attract numerous tourists who will have a pleasant and palate-friendly time with their hosts.

THE CHEESE DAYS IN THE TOWN OF CHEESE are held In Bjelovar every year in October. In addition to small cheese producers and family farms, the Cheese Festival will feature the leading Croatian dairies. Besides cheese, the fair offers other eco domestic products made according to traditional recipes, you can see interesting handicrafts usually decorating the stands, as well as some interesting souvenirs based on traditional items made in the traditional fashion.

55 ACCOMMODATION The accommodation offer in Varaždin and the surrounding area, Međumurje, Zagorje, Podravina, Bjelovar, Sisak and Moslavina is diverse and tailored to the guests’ financial abilities. You can choose between hotels, motels, inns, mountain and hunting lodges and private accommodation. In 2009, Varaždin County has three 4-star hotels, four 3-star hotels and three 2-star hotels. In addition to several apartment establishments and inns, five hotels operate year-round in Međimurje, one of them with four stars. Zagorje has six hotels, most of them within spas, while new apartments and rooms are opening in the agro-tourism sector, which has been recognized as a future foundation of tourism in the area.

NEWS In 2008, new accommodation capacities opened in Varaždinske toplice, Sveti Križ Začretje, Donja Stubica and Zagorska sela, Tuheljske toplice and Klanjec. Bjelovar-Bilogora County has six hotels. A new 3-star hotel opened in Daruvar in 2008, while Hotel Picok in Đurđevac was classified as four stars instead of three. Six hotels also operate in Sisak Moslavina County and new capacities are opening in the private accommodation and village tourism sector.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR The gingerbread heart is a colorfully decorated pastry made of gingerbread. Its secret recipe has been kept within the circle of family gingerbread producers of Central and lowland Croatia for ages. It is traditionally in bold red and is produced in different shapes and sizes. The custom of giving a gingerbread heart, by which a young man shows his devotion and love to a girl, is deeply rooted in the Croatian traditional culture. The gingerbread tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. Lepoglava lace – Miraculous Lace – the beauty and magic believed to have been brought to Croatia by the Paulists several centuries ago are a special feature of Lepoglava and the surrounding area. The art of lace making has gradually been accepted among the village folks and remained a tradition that was never completely abolished. Lepoglava lace flourished in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century thanks to Zlata pl. Šufflay who was the first one to organize making of laces and their decoration with folk ornaments, and her exceptionally successful work was continued by Danica Brossler after World War 1. Cooperation with government institutions, she stimulated the production and launched the appropriate courses, workshops and a lace making school. During the period, the lace making skill became a permanent source of additional income because the lace was sold throughout Western Europe. Lately, lace making has once again been economically designed, organized and offered as a unique, original, Croatian product on the local and international markets. The international lace making festivals that have been held since 1997 are an additional stimulus – they include regular scientific conventions and publication of collected works from Croatian and European lace making centers. The Secondary Lace making School once again operates in Lepoglava after over 70 years. Srabljivec Cup – The so-called Krapina Rock is a souvenir intended for drinking of local wines and bearing the inscription: ’May everyone drink healthy and find the hole.’

56 The brim of the cup is full of holes connected by a hollow round handle where the liquid passes into the brim pipe. The unnecessary holes should be closed with fingers to be able to drink out of the right one. Sisak Jewelry Museum – Sisak jewelry is a special, unique product. The Best Croatian Souvenir in 2005 was designed from replicas of Roman coins found in Siscia. Petrinja stucka – The pottery craft has been widespread in the town of Petrinja for a long time. Stucka was once used to carry water and milk to the field because it kept the desired temperature of the drink for a long time. It s made from reddish baked pottery clay, decorated with white and brown clay paint spread by a paintbrush and glazed with transparent colorless glaze. The shallow handle has a small cone-shaped outlet for drinking. It was a symbol of Petrinja pottery, representing a unique souvenir of the town of Petrinja as a traditional product.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS

Ludbreg – the legend of Ludberga (www.tz-ludbreg.hr): In addition to being a beautiful woman and a keen winegrower, Ludberga was a woman of supernatural abilities who takes credit for chasing one other than Satan from Ludbreg, which is why she was pronounced the town guardian. The legend says Ludberga put the devil into the ground with such force that ground exploded on the opposite side of the globe, leaving only the islet of Antipodes behind. Water still springs in this place in Ludbreg and “burns” (smokes) because it comes from the very center of the Earth. Varaždinske toplice – Aqua Iasae (www.toplice-vz.hr): A natural gift – an abundant source of thermal water – determined the position of Varaždinske toplice (Varaždin Spa), named it and provided a continuity of accommodating and treating people through all cultural era, ever since the Romans named it Aqua Iasae. Varaždinske toplice is the oldest thermal spa in Croatia, keeping one of the most significant continental archeological complexes in its center – an excavated Roman thermal bath that has served its purpose for four centuries. A pagan temple dedicated to the God of Sun is in the same place. The shrine is older than the Roman Empire itself. The legend of Veronika of Desinić: Once upon a time, the mighty governor Count Herman II of Celje ruled this land. While riding around his father’s estates, his younger son Fridrih saw a gentle golden-haired beauty named Veronika. Veronika and Fridrih fell in love with each other and the old Count Herman objected. Despite his objections, Fridrih and Veronika eloped to the town of Fridrihštajn near Kočevje where they got married secretly. The old Count Herman soon found out about the wedding and sent his army with the order to capture the lovers. Fridrih managed to get Veronika out of the town and instructed her to escape to the village of Sveta Margita through Gorski kotar, Moslavina and Kalnik. However, Fridrih could not escape his father’s army and the soldiers brought him to Veliki Tabor in captivity. The outraged father commanded the army to take him to Celje and confine him in a tower – narrow and around 23 meters high, with no roof. As soon as they put young Fridrih in the tower, they closed off all the openings except one, which they used to give Fridrih food. He spent four years there. When his father decided to release him from the tower, the young man was mentally broken. Since that time, the tower has

57 been called the Fridrih Tower. Veronika had no luck either. Herman’s soldiers brought her to Veliki Tabor and confined her in a small prison with no windows, next to the castle entrance. Herman accused the poor girl of being a witch who had seduced his son. They put on a trial that went on for two entire days. Although the judges stated that the girl was not guilty of anything, Herman ordered that Veronika be captured and strangled. They built her dead body into the wall connecting the walls of the pentagonal tower with the entrance to the castle. Even today, poor Veronika of Desinić can sometimes be heard sobbing in Veliki Tabor, especially in long winter nights, along with the howling of the wind. The legend of the Picoks (www.tz-djurdjevac.hr): The legend speaks of the bravery and with of the residents of Đurđevac, who used their wisdom to defend the town from the Turkish invasion. According to the legend, in the 16th century the Turkish ruler Ulama Beg intended to surround the town and thus starve and defeat its defenders. After a long-term siege, the defenders had only one cock left – a picok, which they fired from a cannon at the Turks, as advised by an old lady. The mighty Ulama Beg thought the locals had plenty of food, so he withdrew from further siege of the town and admitted defeat. Ever since, the people of Đurđevac have been proud of their name – the Picoks. The legend of the plum men – The legend dates back to 1242 when King Bela IV took shelter from the Turkish invasion in the town of Kalnik on the slopes of Mount Kalnik. The Tartars surrounded Kalnik to starve the defenders and force them to surrender. However, the Kalnik peasants fed the town soldiers and Bela IV with plums and thus forced the Tartars to give up the siege. As a token of appreciation, King Bela IV awarded noble titles to the defenders of Kalnik, which made the townspeople of Križevci very mad. The long-term intolerance and disputes ended with the marriage between a Kalnik plum man and a town girl.

58 SLAVONIA www.tzbpz.hr, www.tzosbarzup.hr, www.tzzps.hr, www.tzvsz.hr

Slavonia, the lowland part of East Croatia, surrounded by the rivers Drava, Danube, Sava and Ilova, is a true oasis for tourists who want to replace the city hustle and bustle with the quiet of greenery and a relaxed stay in intact nature at least for a while. Administratively, it consists of the following counties: Vukovar–Srijem; –Podravina; Požega-Slavonia; Osijek-Baranja; and Brod-Posavina. Of course, Slavonia is also abundant in cultural and historical heritage, unique continental architecture, churches, forts, castles and spas based on thermo-mineral waters. Over the past few years, this eastern Croatian region, which made tourism its priority within its economic development strategy (in addition to agriculture), has invested substantial funds in reconstruction of the existing and construction of new small family hotels, health and recreation resorts, transport infrastructure and environmental protection.

OSIJEK – the Slavonian metropolis www.tzosijek.hr Osijek lies twenty-five kilometers upstream from the place where Drava flows into Danube in East Slavonia – a city and a port, the economic, transport and cultural center of Slavonia. The lowland of East Croatia, surrounded by rivers, is a true oasis for tourists who want to replace the city hustle and bustle with the quiet of greenery and a relaxed stay in intact nature at least for a while. It consists of the Uptown, the Fort (Tvrđa), the Downtown and New Town (19th century), and Retfala. The important city institutions include the University, the Croatian National Theater, the Museum of Slavonia, the printery dating back to 1735, the gymnasium dating back to 1729, the drawing school, the zoo, the Cattle Breeding Promotion Center, the Sugar Beet Institute, etc.. A multipurpose sport hall called the City Garden was built for the World Handball Championship and opened in late 2008, with five main halls and ancillary and supporting facilities – its exterior and interior designs will be a new urban trademark for Osijek.

Kopački rit – the most attractive destination www.kopacki-rit.com The popular Kopački rit Nature Park is an attractive tourist destination in Slavonia. This is a great flooded area along the right bank of Danube, in a large corner formed by Drava and Danube. Over 2,000 biological species live there, many of which are rare and endangered species at the global and European levels, such as 291 bird species and 44 fish species. In 1993, Kopački rit was included in the list of internationally significant wetlands. Tourists can see the rit on specially built tourist boats with professional guides. We also recommend you visit the Tikveš castles located within the Nature Park in a beautiful centuries-old oak forest, a favorite meeting point for many statesmen and celebrities from some past times.

59 The best prize deer in Europe Deer and boar hunting is organized in the forests of Kopački rit and the entire area. Five to seven thousand deer live in Kopački rit – this is where the best prize deer in Europe were shot. Slavonia has another Nature park - Papuk (www.pp-papuk.hr), a mountain with numerous natural pearls, centuries-old forests and mountain lakes and springs.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE Plenty of castles Slavonia has a particularly rich architectural heritage – castles and forts. A special place is reserved for the castle with a wine cellar in Kutjevo (www.tzzps.hr), which used to be part of a former Jesuit estate. Built in the early 20th century, the castle in Donji Miholjac (www.tz-donjimiholjac.hr) represents a unique building of the kind in Croatia and this part of Europe. The same goes for the hunting castle in Bilje (www.tzo-bilje.hr), built in the Viennese architectural fashion. The Pejačević Counts left their castles in Virovitica, Našice (www.tznasice.hr) and Osijek (www.tzosijek.hr). There is also the baroque castle that once belonged to the Noraman-Prandau Counts with a park in Valpovo (www.tz- valpovo.com). The family castle in Vukovar (www.tzvsz.hr) holds museum treasure of the region, especially the remains of the Vučedol culture with the famous Vučedol Dove. You must not miss the Odescalchi family castle in and its wine cellars (www.ilocki-podrumi.hr). The area around it contains the most preserved remains of the Turkish era – Turkish mausoleums and a Turkish bath.

Exceptionally valuable baroque forts The heritage of Slavonia includes two exceptionally valuable forts in Osijek (www.tzosijek.hr) and Slavonski Brod (www.tzgsb.hr). Osijek’s Tvrđa represents a successful combination of military, urban/administrative and sacral architectures. Its central square is dominated by the General Barracks building from 1726 with the most luxurious stone baroque portal in Croatia, and Kužni pil (a monument to Holy Trinity), the only one of its kind in Croatia in addition to the one in Požega. Built during the Habsburg Empire era, the Brod Fort still lives in its original form. This is the largest fort from its era with the largest central building. Its fortification system used to ensure permanent peace for Slavonia for two and a half centuries.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART Osijek holds many events throughout the year. They include the Croatian Tamboura Music Festival featuring tamboura orchestras from across Croatia, and Osijek Summer Nights – a series of outdoor culture & entertainment events with a rich commercial and catering offer. The Osijek City Day includes a rich culture & art program with thematic exhibitions. Numerous archeological finds and items of natural, historical and artistic value are kept at Osijek’s Museum of Slavonia established in 1877. The other parts of Slavonia also have numerous cultural events. In late July or early August, Đakovo, a bishop center of the Đakovo and Srijem Bishopric, has traditionally organized the Đakovo Embroidery (www.tz-djakovo.hr) for over four

60 decades, where hundreds of culture & art associations from across Croatia and abroad show their creative achievements. A particularly interesting feature is the procession of all participants, dressed in folk costumes and followed by horse-drawn carriages through the town center, inevitably attracting tens of thousands of visitors. In early September, Vinkovci holds a folk festival – the traditional Vinkovci Autumns (www.vk-jeseni.com). Every year, the town of Valpovo holds the Valpovo Summer, Donji Miholjac has its Miholjac Festival, while Našice celebrates the Days of Croatian Forests in summertime. Požega traditionally organizes the Golden Strings of Slavonia music festival (celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2009) and the Kulenijada – a competition for private kulen producers. Other Slavonian towns and villages also have similar creative folk events. The Old Sports Olympics is particularly interesting – it is held every year in late August in Brođinci near Osijek and the participants compete in forgotten old games of Slavonian shepherds and peasants. (www.tzosbarzup.hr).

SPAS Slavonia is rich in thermal and mineral waters. Especially in Bizovac (www.tzobizovac.hr), where they found hyper-thermal water of a temperature of as much as 96 ºC in oil wells in the early 1970s. Bizovačke toplice (www.bizovacke.toplice.hr) is now the most modern and best equipped spa in Croatia, its multipurpose bathing complex and the modern health resort providing a unique experience – a trip to the geological past and an encounter with the long gone Pannonian Sea. The Bizovačke toplice complex has around 250 hotel beds, offering its guests a number of options and an attractive surrounding area full of ethno heritage, such as the globally recognized colorful Bizovac .

ACTIVE TOURISM, HUNTING AND FISHING Adventure tourists can use increasingly diverse forms of active tourism. There are numerous organized marked bike tracks, and they also designed an adventure tourism offer. Horseback riding is available at the Đakovo Stables with over four hundred horse of the Lipizzaner breed (www.ergela-djakovo.hr). Baranja organizes jeep tourism and fishing in the backwaters of Danube where you can catch a hundred-kilo catfish and a gargantuan pike (www.tzosbarzup.hr). The fishing options in Slavonia are available along Drava, Danube and other Slavonian rivers with their respective affluents, flooded areas, natural and artificial lakes, marshes and pools, artificial flows, channels and accumulations, and other waters permanently or occasionally connected with the main flows. Hunting has a rich tradition in Slavonia, especially big game hunting. It still offers high-prize game in open hunting grounds (deer, boar, roebuck) and in confined hunting grounds (fallow deer, mouflon). Small game includes: pheasant, snipe, quail, wild duck, wild goose and hare. Beautifully decorated hunting lodges offer quality accommodation and homemade cooking. Boar is present in most of the county’s hunting grounds. Pheasant is widely present in the entire county and represents the main hunting game specie in common hunting grounds.

61 RELIGIOUS TOURISM The Shrine of the Lady of Sanctuary in Aljmaš www.svetiste-aljmas.com The Shrine of the Lady of Sanctuary in Aljmaš represents the most important pilgrimage center in the entire East Croatia. Aljmaš is a well equipped tourist spot with several catering facilities, equipped parking lots, as well as some interpretation options relating to the shrine. Aljmaš also offers other attractive tourist options both in the town and its immediate surroundings. This primarily includes the bank of Danube in one of the most accessible locations in the region and the lose proximity of Kopački rit Nature Park, as well as the Erdut Vineyards and Erdut itself. Tourist signage and tourist information for the shrine and the supporting religious facilities have been made available through cooperation between the County, the Municipality of Erdut and the local tourist boards.

The Shrine of the Lady on Water in Ilača is the most frequented shrine in Vukovar-Srijem County. The shrine was created in 1865 when a well of water burst out on the way from Nijemci to Ilača. That same night, a resident of Ilača saw the Blessed Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus in her arms in his sleep – she told him the well was hers and that he should fence it and not let anyone have their cattle drink there. The young man fenced the well, and the first pilgrims to Ilača named it the Lady’s Water. Water still flows from the well. They put a statue of Virgin Mary next to the well and unusual events became more and more frequent. Therefore, in 1870 they blessed the church next to the well with a public garden and stations of the Way of the Cross. A roofed area with an altar has been provided for outdoor festivities and in 1981 they built a stone chapel with a statue of the Lady of Ilača. The shrine is visited by pilgrims from across Croatia throughout the year.

Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Đakovo and Strossmayer Museum Although Đakovo is not the county center and is only the sixth biggest town in East Croatia, it is the clerical center of Slavonia and was the administrator of the Catholic Church in Bosnia for a substantial part of the Croatian history. This is why Đakovo has the most impressive and important sacral building in the entire Slavonia and Baranja – the Đakovo Cathedral of St. Peter. Right next to the cathedral is a museum dedicated to the man who takes most of the credit for its construction and one of the greatest Croatian historical figures – Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, which only contributes to the importance of this locality. Due to the foregoing, the significance of the Đakovo Cathedral of St. Peter by far exceeds the size of Đakovo as a town.

GASTRO CORNER Few of our regions are so rich in recipes. The famous Slavonian cuisine has a touch of Dalmatia, Zagorje, Lika and some European cuisines. Many occasions in the lives of the Slavonians have called for great celebrations. So they came up with specific dishes for harvests, births, engagements, weddings, sacral holidays (Christmas, Easter, Shrove) or the popular Slavonian pig-slaughter days. Diishes prepared according to traditional recipes are particularly popular: čobanac, fish stew, chicken stew and many others. They normally prepare vegetables in the form of stew with paprika. Every true Slavonian will treat you to some homemade kulen, homemade ham, smoked sausages and other typical delicacies in their home.

62 Fish stew has a special place among the numerous Slavonian specialties. River fish is particularly in demand in Slavonia. Especially carp on a spit, roasted over open fire, or catfish in corn flour served with bean salad with fresh onions and pumpkinseed oil. These dishes are perfectly accompanied by one of the Graševina wines from Slavonian cellars. Famous Slavonian wines and wines made by small producers are equally represented in the offer.

SLAVONIAN WINES Slavonia has excellent conditions for winegrowing and winemaking. In the past, the wines of Slavonia were often found on the tables of emperors and noblemen and it is this tradition that the present Slavonian vineyards derive from: Srijem, Baranja and Đakovo in the east and Kutjevo in the west of Slavonia. Slavonia has truly excellent capacities for production of large amounts of premium wine, especially white wine. It is hard to say which Slavonian vineyards are better and more tempting: those in Srijem and Baranja in the Danube region, those in Đakovo in East Slavonia or those in Kutjevo in Central Slavonia. The center of development of Slavonian winemaking is the area around Kutjevo. Enjingi, Krauthaker and PPK Kutjevo are the most important Slavonian winemakers. Eninjgi, and especially Krauthaker, keep experimenting with new varieties, which definitely erases Slavonia’s Graševina monoculture image as it was six or seven years ago.

Tourist development organized on wine roads The vineyards of Baranja and Erdut are the first two vineyard areas to become part of the Vintour – the wine roads of the European Union. This project is associated with the tourist development of rural regions organized on wine roads. Hungary, Italy, and Croatia are the members and the project is financed by the European Union. So far, the project includes seven wine roads from Hungary, Spain and Italy, and Croatia partnered with the neighboring Hungary with which Osijek- Baranja County signed the General Convention for Connection of Wine Roads. Once the necessary conditions have been fulfilled, Vintour should also include the vineyards of Đakovo, Feričanci and Našice. Each vineyard region will thus have its starting point. For Baranja, it will be the Prince Eugene of Savoy in Bilje and Kopački rit Nature Park. Aljmaš and its shrine should be the starting point in the Erdut vineyards. Đakovo will start with the cathedral and the National Lipizzaner Stables. Bizovačke toplice with its castles and gardens in Donji Miholjac, Valpovo and Našice will complete the offer of the Feričanci-Našice vineyards.

ACCOMMODATION As of recently, tourist accommodation has become very good in Osijek and Bizovac. After the reconstruction of some 4-star hotels in Osijek, a dozen more small family hotels have opened. They also reconstructed hotels in the nearby Našice, Požega, Vinkovci and Vukovar. In addition to Osijek, 4-star hotels are available in Valpovo and Beli Manastir, while Đakovo and Našice have 3-star hotels. Having reconstructed and redesigned a number of dedicated premises in the city’s educational and social facilities, Osijek has also become a distinctive congress center. Agro-tourism is also becoming deeply rooted in the Slavonian plains – several dozens of estates provide accommodation services (www.tzosbarzup.hr).

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The small Slavonian village of Mala Kapela (www.stara-kapela) is situated on the south slopes of Mount Požega in the Municipality of Nova Kapela where only 17 old people reside. It is unique for its traditional architecture and the quiet of the traditional village lifestyle. The visitors have the impression they travelled back in time a hundred years. With no cars or mobile service, Stara Kapela offers coexistence in harmony with nature and traditional values. The estate has a large with farm buildings, a gazebo for a pleasant afternoon rest or chatting over coffee or tea, a outdoor baking furnace and grill, an orchard with tables and benches, and a built-in barbecue available to the guests. The offer also includes ecologically grown vegetables from the garden. Couples can ride together on a tandem bike. A 13-km biking & hiking track passes through the hills. The track has 6 resting spots, some of them replicas of the old Turkish camps from the Military Border era, serving as belvederes. Alongside the track are interpretation signs with pictures and names of the local birds and photographs of edible and inedible mushrooms and game.

NOVELTIES Another 4-star hotel is to open in Vinkovci – in addition to the modernly equipped rooms, it will have a congress hall and the first wellness center in Vukovar-Srijem County. The new 3-star Central Hotel was opened in the center of Slavonski Brod. It offers 17 air conditioned and comfortably furnished rooms and a deluxe suite. Three new family hotels will open in Ilok in 2009, with a combined range of accommodation, wine & gastro and ethno options. The Ilok Cellars will also be fully operational: 3-star accommodation for 50 persons and luxury suites in Principovac including a wine boutique, a restaurant and a belvedere. The 3-star Hotel Višnjica opened in Stalina and Vinkovci will have its first hostel with 84 beds. The Golf Country Club will open in Zmajevci, Baranja.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS Although located 200 to 300 kilometers from the capital city of Zagreb, Slavonia, and especially Osijek, have good connections with the metropolis. Several dozen comfortable trains and buses operate between Zagreb and Osijek on a daily basis – the ride takes around four hours. If you use the modern motorway from Zagreb, you will reach Slavonski Brod in 1.5 hours and Osijek in 2.5 hours. Osijek also has an international airport accepting even the biggest of airplanes. In summertime, regular flights to Adriatic airports are available, while winter is reserved for charter flights. Receptive port facilities for large tourist cruisers operating on Danube between Vienna and the Black Sea are being built in Vukovar, Ilok and Batina. Vukovar is the only Croatian port on Danube receiving not only cargo but thousands of tourists arriving in Croatia every year. Cruiser operators have expressed great interest in the ports – during the season that goes on from March to October, they stop in Vukovar several times a week. These are luxury ships owned by foreign shippers, normally carrying tourists from the United States, Germany and other European countries and operating between Hungary and Romania.

64 WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF Tamboura music – They say Osijek is a nursery of tamboura music. The first tamboura choir in Osijek was formed in 1847 by Pajo Kolarić, making tamboura the most popular folk instrument. Osijek thus became the tamboura center, not only of Croatia but the entire Slavic south. Golden embroidery – one of the highest achievements of our folk art and probably the highest achievement in the activities of rural women of Slavonia and Baranja. The technique has produced the most luxurious Slavonian costumes that are still made in their original form, as well as items decorating our homes and enriching our tourist offer. www.zlatovez.com Lipizzaner Stallion Stables in Đakovo – Đakovo’s horse breeding tradition can be experienced at the stallion stables situated on the east edge of Đakovo. In addition to passionate horse enthusiasts, the facility is visited by regular tourists and its exceptional significance makes it a special attraction. In addition to its breeding and selective tasks the National Lipizzaner Stables initiates a number of activities focused on the tourist market, the most important among them being the construction of the riding range and the overall renovation of the Ivan dvor area. Bela IV in Virovitica – In 1242, the Croatian-Hungarian King Bela IV issued the Golden Bulla – a document by which the present Zagreb acquired its free royal town status. The first sparkling wine in Croatia – in 1896, they produced the first Croatian sparkling wine in Slatina. Rupnica – the first geological natural monument in Croatia. It was pronounced protected in 1948 for the exceptionally rare morphological volcanic rock phenomenon. It is located within Papuk Nature Park. Thanks to this and other geological phenomena, in 2007 it has become the only Croatian member of the European Geoparks Network and UNESCO’s Geoparks Association. The biggest barrel – the winery within the former Adamović-Cseh manor in Erdut is known for an oak barrel having a volume of 75,000 liters, which is why it has been included in the Guinness Book of Records. The old medieval fort in Erdut, considered to be the key sightseeing point, provides a view of Danube. Brod Wheel is a folklore festival that has been held in Slavonski Brod for over 40 years. It was established in 1963 and is the oldest folklore festival in Croatia. Through a series of various folklore shows, the Brod Wheel presents the folklore heritage of Brodsko Posavlje: from the Original Brod-Posavina County Folklore Festival 'Šokadijo sve ti je na glasu', the County Folklore Singing ensembles Festival 'Kad zapjevam i malo zagudim', the Children’s Folklore Festival 'Igra kolo maleno', the Sacral Folk Singing Festival, Choreographed Folklore Festival, Croatian Single Tamboura Players Festival, Culture & Art Associations procession and performance to ethnographic exhibitions. Supporting shows: horse carriage shows, hurdle and two-horse team races and pastry fair. The Brod Wheel is a form of permanent cultivation of the traditional culture and live folk creation, a powerful incentive to conscientious preservation and development of the inherited cultural wealth. www.brodsko-kolo.com

65 AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR From traditional embroidery to universal wooden dishes – weaving patterns and traditional embroidery of the rich Slavonian folklore applied on decorative and utility items from various materials are attractive as souvenirs. The traditional wooden dish 'struganka' - a universal dish made by chiseling of willow or alder wood has been an inevitable item in Slavonian houses for ages. They differ in shape, size and purpose. They used to eat and drink out of them… they washed in them… they kneaded dough in them… filled with fruits of hardworking hands, they were an inevitable part of everyday and holiday tables. The Traces and Memories souvenir series - weaving patterns and traditional embroidery of the rich Podravina and Slavonian folklore applied on decorative and utility glass coasters on which they float as a slight trace or a wonderful memory … Rarity – Croatia’s ethno haircut – when girls in Slavonia were combed, there was a very complex method of making braids from many tiny tufts. Their braiding created a flat stripe that rose from the back of the head to the top of the head or was laid as far as the forehead. The haircut was supplemented by real or artificial flowers, a ribbon or a series of coins laid across the top of the head. The combing style was observed in women’s portraits dating back to the late Roman Empire – mid 3rd century to late 5th century. The preservation of this hairstyle to the present day proves that the encountered the Roman inhabitants, from whom they adopted this hairstyle. Series of ceramic souvenirs presenting the Mikeš – the natives of Virovitica. Mikeš is the name denoting the natives of Virovitica. In the text accompanying the souvenir, Mikeš is presented as a person that received and fed King Bela IV when he signed the Golden Bulla in 1242, by which Zagreb became a free royal town.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS The summer residence of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, Brodsko Vinogorje – A legend says that the world renowned children’s writer Ivana Brlić- Mažuranić saw a little boy chasing a cat by the red rain barrel in her summer residence (the barrel is still there), and a gloomy shoemaker standing behind him. This is how she got the idea for the favorite children’s novel “Čudnovate zgode šegrta Hlapića” – according to the writer, he was “as good as the Sun and as wise as a book” and became a role model to all children. Access to the Brlićevac summer residence is only allowed to organized tourist groups of children and adults, subject to prior notice to the Tourist Board. Wine cellar of the Brod Fort commander – while his father Ivan was commander of the Brod Fort in the 1820s, the legendary Franjo Trenk often stayed in Brod. He demonstrated his restless military spirit and particular interest in weapons even in his early youth. In addition to begin described as a good soldier, a good strategist, commander and duelist, Franjo Trenk was also known as a gambler, adventurer and lover of beautiful women and a good drink. Live historical programs are performed for organized tourist groups in the wine cellar of the Brod Fort commander, featuring, in addition to Franjo Trenk, other Fort characters in costumes, while the tourist can try the old Brod wine, the so-called bermet.

66 LIKA – KARLOVAC www.tzkz.hr, www.lickosenjska.com

The very heart of Croatia, where the lowland and mountainous regions meet, is an area of preserved nature, clean rivers and the most valuable karstic national parks in Europe a little farther to the south in Lika. Karlovac County and Lika- County are destinations for true lovers of natural beauties and almost intact wilderness – the great transport connections now brings this region closer to them than ever. In addition to the motorway connecting Zagreb with Dalmatia, there is an older road going through Karlovac and Lika, ideal for visiting small towns with rich historical heritage. The offer of healthy homemade food has also become an asset attracting more and more tourists to the area. The national parks in Lika, the beauties of the rivers Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra, the woody mountains of Velika Kapela and Mala Kapela, and the greenery of Lika and karst have determined the tourist offer of the region with activities such as mountaineering, swimming in clean waters, rowing, fishing on lakes, rivers and their mountain affluents, rafting and canoeing. There is also hunting in forests from Draganić to Klek and Modruš, various winter sports and skiing on the slopes of Bjelolasica (www.bjelolasica.hr). Mountain trails and paths, bike tracks, carstic caves, a thermal spa and many other natural values of the region provide endless rest & recreation options.

Karlovac – the town on four rivers www.karlovac-touristinfo.hr Its ideal position on four rivers and a junction of major routes makes the town of Karlovac suitable for a short stop-by, but it is also an attractive holiday and entertainment destination. Make sure you visit Old Town Dubovac from the 13th century where they have a permanent exhibition and the belvedere provides a view of the entire town and the surrounding area. You should also see the Karlovac Star – this is a familiar name for the renaissance urban core in the place of the former fort surrounded by moats in the shape of a regular six-pointed star. The town was erected in the 16th century for defense against the Turkish conquerors. Only two other towns in Europe have such six-pointed star layout – Palmanova, Italy and Novy Zamky, Slovakia. Karlovac later developed into a baroque town with numerous examples of “folk baroque” that still gives this part of the town a unique atmosphere. A full view of Karlovac is provided from Old Town Dubovac where the Frankopan and Zrniski Dukes rules in the 15th and the 16th centuries, and Karlovac generals after them.

Situated on Dobra River at the foot of Mount Klek within the Velika kapela massif, the small town of Ogulin (www.tz-grada-ogulina.hr) is also interesting. The shape of Klek has always been an inspiration for the folk imagination, so it is associated with many stories and legends. One of them is the legend of the Klek witches. According to the legend, witches and fairies from the entire world gather on Klek around midnight on stormy nights, their dancing and screaming resounding all the way to Ogulin. It is a special experience for tourists when they ride the eco-tourist train Karlek and encounter the Klek witches in costumes.

67 Lika – the beauty of intact nature www.lickosenjska.com There are few places where man is so connected with the mountain and the sea and they are so deeply embedded in him as the case is in Lika-Senj County. How else could it be in an area where the sea and Velebit, the largest and most beautiful Croatian mountain, intermingle dynamically along 150 kilometers. In addition to the huge attractive power of Velebit and the sea, the traditional connection between the locals and nature is a result of the special natural energy circulating between the mountainous and Mediterranean ecological systems in a mixture of karts, sun and bora. Areas of preserved natural sources, like Lika-Senj County, are becoming increasingly attractive travel destinations. The natural characteristics of West Lika place it in mountainous Croatia. The entire area has the characteristics of covered karts, its landscape consisting of darker and lighter shades of forests and meadows, beautifully supplemented with the blue of the surface waters, while the karstic underground is abundant in speleological objects. Central Lika has numerous speleological objects. This is where a quarter of the total number of caves protected as geo-morphological natural monuments in Croatia is located. More specific areas of speleological wealth include the Grabovača Cave Park with Samogradska Cave near Perušić. Before you start a real journey on Gacka, through its landmarks and history, we should mention that Gacka is currently restoring its identity, both physically and historically, as one of the oldest Croatian regions. It is very interesting to see Gacka because of the wealth it offers. The roots date back to the times of the Lapyds. The turbulent history confirmed by the remains from the Roman and Turkish eras provides Gacka with a respectable place in the Croatian heritage. The healthy climate and intact nature, quality water and rich hunting grounds, provide excellent options for a pleasant holiday away from the urban hustle and bustle and are a reason to revisit. Separated from the sea with the impressive Velebit massif, it fascinates with its karstic plain, the river valley, the karts valleys and caves. Gacka River is a unique natural phenomenon, with other interesting features and rarities of the plant and animal world alongside it. The idyll next to the sea, unforgettable for the intensity of the experience and nature, is also a place of the most beautiful artwork created by nature through a game played between water an rock four thousand years ago.

Podgorje – where the sea and the mountains meet The term Podgorje refers to the littoral slope of Velebit, between Senj and Zrmanja. This is the place where the mountain and the sea meet, which has always been one of the most fascinating natural elements to man. The Velebit slope is intermingled with numerous coves, their bottom parts transformed by sinking into sea bays with shallow pebble beaches. The most illustrative example of this is the kilometer-long and up to 150-meters wide bay of near Jablanac. Senj has always been the most significant settlement of Podgorje, connecting the Kvarner islands and the West Pannonian area. Thanks to the intermediary function between them, Senj developed into on of the most prominent national cultural centers as early as the Middle Ages. Hidden beneath Velebit by the sea, there are quiet towns, ideal for holidays and particularly attracting tourists from big noisy cities who can take a real

68 break from their daily routines here. They include Sveti Juraj, Lukovo, Klada, Starigrad, Stinica, Jablanac and Prizna.

Karlobag is the second significant settlement in Podgorje, situated beneath the central Velebit pass connecting the Lika hinterland and the island of Pag. It developed as the ancient Vegium and the medieval Scrissa or Bag. In addition to Karlobag, which is also the municipal center, the biggest towns on the Riviera are: Ribarica, Cesarica, Lukovo Šugarje, Barić Draga, Sv. Marija Magdalena, and Baške Oštarije on Velebit. The northwest part of the island of Pag is also within Lika-Senj County.

Novalja www.tz-novalja.hr Situated in a warm bay between pinewoods, Novalja has retained its traditional Mediterranean ambient adorned by the magnificent beaches Zrće, Caska, Straško and Trinčel. Novalja has become an important tourist center. Its offer includes hotels, camps, modern houses, the Gajac residential and tourist resort, sport & recreation facilities (the sport center in Camp Straško), gastro delicacies (Pag cheese, lamb, local wine), cultural events (attractive local dance), valuable heritage, and boat excursions. The very attractive beaches Zrće and Straško feature many sport & recreation options. They include an aquagan, tennis courts and courts for the increasingly popular volley ball. In summertime, they have football, bowling, beach volley and underwater fishing competitions, and they organize mini marathons, as well as other sporting activities.

NATIONAL PARKS National Park Plitvice Lakes (www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr) is a special geological and hydro-geological karstic phenomenon. The lake complex was proclaimed a national park in 1949 – this is a woody mountainous region with a string of 16 smaller and larger lakes of a crystal blue and green color. They are supplied with water from numerous rivulets and streams and interconnected with foamy cascades and forest falls. They are separated by gypsum barriers, for which the past ten thousand years was the critical period. The spacious forest complexes, the exceptional beauty of the lakes and falls, the wealth of flora and fauna, the mountain air, the contrasts of autumn colors, the forest paths and little wooden bridges and many other things are part of the unique whole UNESCO proclaimed world natural heritage. National Park North Velebit (www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr) is a part of the mountain UNESCO proclaimed a World Biosphere Reserve. The diversity of karstic phenomena, flora and fauna are just a part of this natural unit’s special image. The park contains the strict reserve Hajdučki kukovi and Rožanski kukovi, Luka’s Pit (one of the deepest pits discovered in 1999), the Visibaba botanical reserve with a finding site for the endemic Croatian sibirea (Sibiraea altaiensis ssp. croatica), botanical reserve Zavižan-Balinovac-Velika kosa, and the famous Velebit Botanical Garden. The park is crisscrossed with numerous mountain trails, the Premužić Trail being the most popular one.

69 CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE When in Karlovac, visit the Town Museum, the Church of Holy Trinity and the Franciscan Monastery with its gallery, Zorin dom Town Theater or one of the art galleries. The Žunac Ethno Gallery is in Rečica near Karlovac. Situated in a house over 200 years old, it offers plenty of ethnological items from the folk tradition, old crafts and customs. The Seljan Brothers Center for Expeditions, Explorations and Culture was established on 19 August 1997, on Stjepan Seljan’s birthday. This is the first Croatian exploration club inspired by brothers Mirko and Stjepan Seljan of Karlovac, world travelers and explorers. The Center for Expeditions in Villa Anzić brings together enthusiasts who follow in the footsteps of the Seljan brothers.

The broader area of Gospić contains two park forests (Jasikovac and Vujnovića brdo) and the Lika Museum with the most complete collection of exhibits from the traditional Dinara culture in Croatia. The birth house of Nikola Tesla is situated in the picturesque sub-Velebit village of Smiljan, around 3 kilometers from the town. Only 4 kilometers away is the village of Veliki Žitnik where Dr. Ante Starčević, the Father of the Homeland, was born. The attractiveness of West Lika’s landscapes is enhanced by numerous other significant sites and cultural & historical monuments. Perušić has the only remaining Turkish fort from the 16th century. Not far from there is the picturesque Kosinje Valley with a cult medieval printery. Most of the history and monumental heritage of the town of Otočac is associated with the late 15th century and the destiny of the Military Border, when the Otočac Regiment was formed in the area. Many forts and fortified towns date back to the era.

If you come to Senj, you will not be able to miss its past when you walk through the old town core, its squares and streets representing a live museum. The Town Museum situated in the Vukasović noble family’s palace has a heritage layout revealing all secrets from the past, from the Stone Age to recent history. Senj became the center of Glagolitic literracy very early. The Senj Tablet found from the 12th century found in the Nehaj Fort is one of the dozen oldest Glagolitic inscriptions in the old Slavic language. In 1494 in Senj, they printed the important Glagolitic Missal, the first edition of the Senj Glagolitic Printery. The town is distinctive from afar for the Nehaj Fort – Senj’s captain Ivan Lenković had it built in 1558 during the Turkish invasion and Venetian power.

Novalja has a long, turbulent and interesting history, confirmed by the numerous archeological finds at different sites in the town and its surrounding area. They include 3 early-Christian from the 4th and 5th centuries and the remains of a floor mosaic in one of them can be seen in the gothic Church of Virgin Mary of Rosary in the town center.

70 ENTERTAINMENT AND ART In June, the Karlovac Tourist Board organizes the Ethno Jazz Festival, and in July the International Folklore Festival. From mid-June to early July, they have the Dubovac Estate Fair with a rich cultural & educational program associated with the Middle Ages and presentations of old crafts, knightly games and food. The young ones can visit the Four River Film Festival, a festival of Croatian youth’s film and video creations.

Richard Gere made a film in Karlovac based on a true story of the American journalist Scott Anderson who wrote about his journalistic experiences from the war in Bosnia in the article entitled “Holiday in Bosnia”. The film was not made in Bosnia but in Karlovac because of the exceptional landscape and the magnificent rivers surrounding it.

OGULIN FAIRYTALE FESTIVAL – This is a cultural event where the artistic and cultural production intended for children, young people and adults is demonstrated through celebration of fairytales and fairytale creation. The heritage left by the most translated, favorite Croatian children’s writer Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, born in Ogulin, stimulated the launching of the festival. The natural beauties of the Ogulin region, the unique cultural potential of Ivana’s stories full of old Slavic legends and the deep wisdom of verbal folk tradition embedded in the fairytales make an ideal basis for stimulation of cultural cooperation and artistic and especially theatrical amateurism. The festival is held every year in early June and receives respectable representatives of the literary, theatrical, puppet, musical and acting domains. The Ogulin Fairytale Festival has featured many popular Croatian actors and children’s theaters from Zagreb, Osijek, Samobor, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and Germany.

Croatian Ibiza – The long pebble beach Zrće on the island of Pag is a synonym for wild summer entertainment so they refer to it as the Croatian Ibiza. During the high season, Zrće can receive several thousand bathers. The beach offers various sport & recreation and entertainment facilities, as well as quality catering establishments. The young ones have fun day and night at the Aquarius, Calypso and Papaya discotheques and numerous smaller bars. Zrće flies the Blue Flag, which means that the bathers have clean sea, showers, toilets and a lifeguard services.

FISHING If you come to Karlovac, its surrounding area or Lika with the intention of going for some nice fishing, make sure you take your full fishing gear and you will not be disappointed. This region really has something to offer. Regardless of whether you prefer carp, pike, catfish or just white fish perhaps, everyone will find something to their liking. The nature around Karlovac and its rivers can charm you even more and bind you to come back. If you decide on one of the four Karlovac rivers (Kupa, Korana, Mrežnica and Dobra), their green seductive waters providing tremendous fishing delights, choose the Šumbar Complex. The largest carp caught in these waters weighed 25 kg, and the largest grass carp weighed 25.5 kg.

71 The beauty of Gacka River is impassable and that is why even those who only se it once fall in love with it. A special pleasure is provided by the intact nature of the European Beauty, at the same time offering active, quiet and healthy holiday in nature, with clean mountain air, strolling, hunting and fishing for the autochthonous stream trout. The stream trout in Gacka grows around five times faster than in other karstic rivers thanks to the optimal water temperature with very little oscillations over the year, plenty of oxygen and the mild alkaline chemical structure of the water.

GASTRO CORNER The natural beauties and cultural & historical monuments are certainly supplemented by the delicacies of the region. The health food production trend has found its fans here. The biodynamic production cottage cheese curdled with natural salt is very tasty, as well as the popular cheese served to visitors to the old shrine of Krasno on Velebit with the famous Lika brandy. Just imagine how domestic corn smells while it is milled in a water mill among stone mill wheels. Or freshly baked polenta made of such flour and supplemented with fresh cow milk or sour milk, or even with some cold boiled sour cabbage. The Ogulin region is known for the Ogulin masnica and mošnje, smisan bread and Ogulin sour cabbage. Masnica is leavened dough filled with a stuffing of stewed onion, eggs and cream. Smisan bread is aromatic homemade bread of the kind our grandmothers used to make, baked from five sorts of flour wheat, millet, maize, barley and rye. Ogulin sour cabbage is widely popular – this is an autochthonous variety of cabbage that is very suitable for pickling and has a special taste. The wide range of products the region has to offer includes honey and honey products, pine brandy, apple vinegar, etc. The dominant gastro specialties of the Lika cuisine, known for their mild tastes, include lamb, cabbage, potatoes and dairy products, as well as the old and still very popular lamb baked under a lid. The coastal area cultivates the traditional Mediterranean cuisine, including the quality white fish and shrimp from Velebit Channel. The special quality of the seafood is provided by the rocky sea bottom, underwater springs and wells, Velebit bora and strong sea currents.

ACCOMMODATION In Karlovac, Ogulin, Gospić and Otočac in Lika, Novalja on Pag, Senj and Karlobag, tourists can choose between hotels of various categories and a number of rooms, tourist resorts, camps and apartments. Plitvice Lakes are the tourist center of the region, also offering a wide range of private accommodation options. Most of the inns have recently been opened or renovated and the offer also includes motor- camps and motels. More and more rural estates have turned to tourism, especially in Gacka Valley and areas focused on hunting, fishing and mountaineering.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS On the way from the north to the south, this area is an inevitable Croatian transport corridor. Close to Zagreb and continental Croatia, as well as the Adriatic coast, it has great transport connection, especially since the southbound motorway, the so-called Dalmatina, has been put into service. The main railway route also runs through Lika and the entire region has excellent bus connections.

72 WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF Kuterevo – the home of abandoned bear cubs Due to its geographic position next to an area of North Velebit densely populated with bears, Kuterevo has established the first Shelter for Bear Cubs in Croatia. The Velebitski medo shelter employs a team of nature’s friends comprising experts in biology and ecology, as well as volunteers, motivated by their great love for bears. They all look after the bears of Kuterevo selflessly and with plenty of effort, in order to provide the bear cubs not only with a safer future, but with living conditions closest to the natural ones. The Velebit shelter for bear cubs in Kuterevo will also be used as part of the visitor center and as an attractive spot for promotion of Velebit Nature Park. Nikola Tesla Memorial Center – in the village of Smiljan, six kilometers from Gospić, they renovated the birth house of one of the most famous scientists and inventors of the 20th century. The Memorial Center should combine science, art and tourism, and present Tesla’s inventions that changed the course of world history. They plan to exhibit Tesla’s testing station from Colorado Springs, turbines, a remotely controlled boat and establish a multimedia educational center. Gacka still keeps some of its special features that have been slightly forgotten because few people known they still mill wheat in mills situated at the very river spring and that fabric is still rolled in mortar. Also, few people know that this area has several temples dedicated to the god Mitra and that this area was populated as early as the late Bronze Age.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR Wool socks – almost all parts of the Lika costume were made from wool or fur. The Lika Sock has become a distinctive souvenir – it is still made from natural materials in the same way they made it several hundred years ago. Lika – This is an integral part of the Lika folk costume and its traditional symbol of identity. The red cap is hemmed with a black stripe and decorated with a bunch of silver threads on the back or the side of the cap.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS Klek witches - The shape of Klek has always been an inspiration for the folk imagination, so it is associated with many horror stories and legends. One of them is the legend of the Klek witches. According to the legend, witches and fairies from the entire world gather on Klek around midnight on stormy nights, their dancing and screaming resounding all the way to Ogulin. To provide tourists with a special experience, they can encounter Klek witches in costumes in Ogulin while the Karlek eco-train operates. Creation of Klek - Klek was one of the old Slavic gods. The supreme god Perum resented him and began to haunt him. Poor Klek ran and ran but eventually grew tired in the Ogulin region and was petrified with fear before Perun. That is how the amazing Klek was created – when you look at it from afar, it looks like a sleeping giant. The highest vertical rock on Klek is two hundred meters high. According to a legend, a beautiful princess turned into a snake lies in the interior of the rock on a big pile of gold coins. The rock opens once in a hundred years. If a brave young

73 comes at that time and kisses the snake, it will immediately turn into a beautiful girl willing to marry the brave young man. The pile of gold coins will serve as dowry. Prošćansko Lake (Plitvice Lakes) – A legend says Prošćansko Lake was after stakes (prošće) or it was named after the legend of the Black Queen that people used to beg (prositi) to send rain and water the thirsty soil during great droughts. The Queen took mercy on them, put black clouds and rain fell for as long as enough water has fallen to form the lakes. This lake is the second biggest and darker than the other lakes because of the great depth. Đula’s Pit – The pit on Dobra River was named after a young girl called Đula or Zulejka, who had chosen this spot to be her final resting place because of unfortunate love. The legend originates from the 16th century. Zulejka was of a noble origin and her parents promised her to an older nobleman, as this was customary at the time. However, after a battle with the Turks, the young border captain Milan Juraić came to Ogulin to defend the Frankopan fort in Tounj. When Zulejka saw him, she fell in love at first sight, but Milan was killed in the battle against the Turks. Having heard that, Zulejka or Đula plummeted into the pit.

Blue Flag beaches in Lika-Senj County • "Trincel-Planjka" Beach • "Zrće" Beach • A/C "Straško" Beach

KVARNER www.kvarner.hr

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Thanks to its close proximity by land, sea and air, Kvarner is a tourist destination with a very favorable geo-transport position. The littoral, the islands and the mountains, three naturally different areas relatively close to each other, make the Kvarner tourist offer exceptionally diverse. This is reflected in numerous quality tourist products relying on rich hotel & tourism, historical and cultural tradition and heritage. The diversity and wealth of the natural resources and cultural & historical heritage, combined with numerous options and tourist segments adapted to guests, always encourage new tourist explorations, knowledge and discoveries. The new Tourism Development Master Plan for Primorje-Gorski Kotar County physically divided Kvarner into the islands of Rab, Krk, Cres and Lošinj, two rivieras (Opatija and Crikvenica-Vinodol), Rijeka and Rijeka Ring, and Gorski Kotar.

Rijeka – the biggest Croatian port www.tz-rijeka.hr Rijeka is a center of Central European culture and tradition, the biggest Croatian port and the capital city of the region, where 51 percent of Kvarner’s population lives. As of recently, they have begun to foster industrial heritage as a great tourist potential. This is a city of luxurious architecture (baroque palaces, monumental buildings from the eras of historicism and secession to modern urban architecture) art galleries, museums, theaters, restaurants, cafés and beer houses. All this creates an atmosphere of fascinating tradition combined with urban hustle and bustle. Rijeka is known for one of the oldest shrines in the world, the famous Franciscan monastery in Trsat with its precious treasury and art gallery with a chapel of votive presents. (The pilgrimage season begins on 10 May with the main holiday of the Lady of Mercy of the Holy Nazareth Cottage and goes on until the holiday of the Christ the King.)

Rijeka Carnival – one of the biggest ones in Europe www.ri-karneval.com.hr One of the biggest and most distinctive European carnivals is a special combination of European urban carnivals, relying primarily on Venetian and Austrian folklore elements and old Slavic mythology. Starting with only three local carnival groups and a hundred participants in 1982, Rijeka Carnival has developed into an international event that now attracts over ten thousand participants from a dozen countries. Plunged into a centuries-old tradition, the International Rijeka Carnival has recently provided Rijeka, the region and Croatia with a distinctive event and an impressive happening frequented by many maskers, organized carnival groups, participants, spectators, media, and numerous invited guests from the country and abroad.

Littoral and island small towns The towns of Kvarner make a unique string of urban jewels. Aristocratic spirit is immediately felt in some of them, while others reflect their medieval roots and folk lifestyles. Some of them are dominated by elegant villas and gardens bringing a touch of Central Europe to the Mediterranean, such as Opatija, Crikvenica, Lovran and Mali Lošinj, while others show they have developed around old fishing ports or climbed to the nearby elevations - Volosko, Moćenička Draga, Mošćenice, Veprinac, Valun, Baška, Kastav and Vrbnik. These places are the essence of the Mediterranean.

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NATURAL HERITAGE The diversity and wealth of flora and fauna are Kvarner’s well-known and recognized assets. With around 2,700 plant species, including numerous rare and endemic ones, Kvarner is one of the richest Croatian regions in terms of flora. The island of Krk has around 1,500 registered plant species, with the islands of Cres and Lošinj having approximately the same numbers. All this enables the guests and accidental travelers to enjoy the wealth of pine forests, especially the aromatic effects of pines, the scents of sage, rosemary, basil, laurel and myrtle, as well as delicacies prepared from maroons, figs, olives, berries and numerous edible mushrooms. 73 percent of the entire Croatia’s amphibians and around 87 percent of reptiles live in Kvarner. With 30 percent of autochthonous amphibian and reptile species, the island of Krk has the largest number of these animal species in the Mediterranean. Out of the 114 bird species considered to be endangered at the European level, as many as 83 come to Kvarner. The ‘Caput Insulae’ Eco center established on the island of Cres in the town of Beli in 1993 ensures the long-term protection of Eurasian griffons, one of the four species of flying vultures still living in Europe. Brown bears live in the forests of Gorski Kotar. The special marine attractions include the monk seal and the famous Kvarner shrimp. The sea around the islands of Cres and Lošinj is a protected dolphin habitat – guests and visitors can adopt them, thus directly contributing to their protection that has been systematically applied since 1987. At that time, they started a campaign for research and monitoring of dolphins and the sea in general to protect all endangered species (www.blue-world.org).

NATIONAL PARKS, NATURE PARKS, RESERVES National Park Risnjak (www.risnjak.hr) based in Crni Lug near has 6,400 hectares of forest areas. With over thirty specific plant communities, a 4.2-kilometers long trail, a mountain lodge, a restaurant and accommodation capacities, it represents a special attraction and value of Kvarner. The Učka mountain massif (www.pp-ucka.hr) stretching over Istria and Kvarner and dominating the region with the highest peak in Istria (Vojak, 1,396 meters), hides a real treasure in protected plant and animal species. It has been proclaimed a nature park. With alpine and sub- Mediterranean plants, including herbs, the peaks of Učka are a true flora Mecca. The Učka Ridge is the only habitat for the Učka Bellflower in the world. Colorful butterflies, various insects and amphibians, eagles, chamois, deer, roe, fox, hare and an occasional bear are just some of the animals inhabiting the mountain. Učka also has over a hundred speleological objects – most of them pits and caverns. The natural reserves include Bijele stijene and Samarske stijene, , the geo- morphological reserves Vražji prolaz and Zeleni , , Debela Lipa-Veliki Rebar, Lokve, the holm oak forest in Glavotok on the island of Krk and the Dundo, while ornithological reserves have been provided on the islands of Cres, Krk and Prvić.

CULTURAL OFFER

76 The cultural & historical heritage of Kvarner is very interesting and substantial, especially in the areas of ethno-tourism, sacral and cultural tourism. Kvarner has 278 registered protected cultural sites, 117 of which are historical wholes and 161 are historical buildings and complexes. The highlight among them is the Baška Tablet, a stone-carved monument to the dating back to circa 1100 and written in a transitional script from round to angular . In addition to sacral ceremonious manuscripts and texts, the Glagolitic script was used to record events from daily social life, as well as legal documents such as the Vinodol, Vrbnik and Krk Laws. The offer also includes the Marian shrines – the Shrine of Virgin Mary on Trsat above Rijeka is one of the oldest shrines in the world where the holy cottage of Nazareth was kept between 1291 and 1294 (http://www.rijeka- nadbiskupija.com/).

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART Kvarner has a series of events enhancing the tourist offer and extending the season. These include events relating to culture (music festivals, concerts, exhibitions, contests) sport (regattas, rallies, motorcycle races, water skiing, parachuting), tradition (carnivals, folklore, crossbow, gastro), and events relating to fruits of nature such as the Maroon Festival, Cherry Days, Asparagus Days and Mountain Fruit Days. The towns of Rijeka, Opatija and the Municipality of are members of the International Association of Carnival Cities, which clearly demonstrates the tourist significance of these events based on tradition and including a number of supporting events such as the bell festivities in the Kastav area, Matulji, Mune, Žejane, Opatija’s Balinjerada, International Carnival Day and Children’s Carnival Promenade. They are followed by other entertainment & music, gastro and sporting events, growing in number as Easter, preseason and especially the high season approach, turning into fireworks of attractive tourist events during the summer months. In addition to folk fishermen’s nights, most tourist spots have events and festivals such as the Osor Music Evenings, Summer Shows, Krk Festival, Rab Music Evenings, Rijeka Summer Nights, Lubenice Music Evenings, Frankopan Summers in , International Summer Carnival in Novi Vinodolski, Liburnia Jazz Festival in Opatija, Kastav Cultural Summer, Rab Knightly Games, Mountain Fruits in Gorski Kotar, and Music Days in Mali Lošinj. During the last four days of every year, Mali Lošinj has traditionally organized international underwater fishing competitions. Kvarner lives at night throughout the year. From urban entertainment in Rijeka and Opatija like concerts or clubbing to summer fun in coastal tourist spots with musicians and entertainers visiting the Adriatic in summertime.

GASTRO CORNER The diversity of the Kvarner region and the tourist tradition have significantly affected the development and quality of gastronomy, including a mixture of dishes and specialties from the littoral, islands and mountains – the best fish, seashells and crabs, mountain and hunter-style delicacies. The folk gastro offer is particularly represented, highlighting the dishes from a specific area. In addition to seafood like oily fish and calamari, they include meat dishes like žgvacet, whether from beef or venison from Kvarner’s forests. Žgvacet goes well with macaroni or šurle, while popular dishes also include cheese bread and prisnac. They also have popular gastro events relying on harvests and days of maroons, cherries and asparagus in Lovran or

77 olives in on the island of Krk. Local taverns, inns and restaurants have increasingly focused the local cuisine. Famous wines In Kvarner, they still grow certain varieties that you cannot find elsewhere and they are claimed to be autochthonous, self-grown in the region. The highlights among the local wines of Kvarner are: Vrbnička žlahtina, Trojišćina and Istrian Malvasia.

NAUTICAL TOURISM Twenty-nine nautical tourism ports (16 marinas with 3,134 sea moorings and 1,821 dry moorings) represent the infrastructure of Kvarner’s nautical tourism offer based on fun and education. The fun part pertains to charter services, organized cruises, nautical tourist regattas and competitions, while the education part relies on well- organized sailing and vessel operating schools. Marinas are available along the north coastal part of Kvarner (Ičići, Opatija) and on every island (Punat, Cres, Mali Lošinj, Supetarska Draga and Rab). These are modern, well-equipped marinas. When it comes to equipment, services and diversity of facilities, Marina Punat (the oldest and one of the largest in Croatia) and ACI Marina Ičići specializing in larger and more luxurious vessels are the leaders. The nautical offer of Kvarner is at the very top of Kvarner’s overall tourist offer, so it is no wonder they refer to this region as the “gate to the Adriatic nautical paradise” considering all the beauties and diversities of the Kvarner littoral, islands and their landscapes.

WELLNESS AND HEALTH TOURISM Thanks to the exceptionally favorable climatic characteristics, ideal geographic position and discovery of the healing effect of the sea, Kvarner made its first tourist steps (late 19th century and early 20th century) by building health resorts. Opatija (Abbazia ate the time) soon transformed from a quiet fishermen’s settlement into a European health resort of global significance. It was followed by the health & tourist development of Crikvenica, Veli Lošinj and Mali Lošinj, Rab and Gorski Kotar (Skrad and Delnice). Building on its tradition in line with the tourist demand trends, the wellness offer had the biggest investment boom over the past two years. That is why Kvaner now offers various wellness facilities including indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, bio-saunas, steam baths, numerous massage and beauty parlors, and healing mud sites. What makes the entire range more serious are the two medical rehabilitation hospitals – the one in Crikvenica and Thalassotherapia in Opatija. Opatija’s Thalassotherapia contains the newly opened Wellness Center – one of the main elements of the wellness offer in Opatija and the entire Kvarner. Last year, Hotel Chorintia in Baška on the island of Krk joined the family of new hotels with numerous wellness facilities. In Lovran, they opened the first Spa Wellness Academy in Croatia where they train staff for this special segment of the tourist offer. Anti- stress programs, vital programs, massages, natural aromatherapies, herb picking and strolls through nature are good for every guest’s body and soul, so the Olympic and world champions, Croatian sport stars (Davor Šuker, Vladimir Šola) and skiers Janica Kostelić, Ivica Kostelić and Kalle Palander found their place for rehabilitation after sport efforts in the «Terme Selce» Polyclinic in Selce, well known for its prevention programs, treatments of sport injuries and many other health and wellness programs.

78 Hotel Aurora and Hotel Punta, Mali Lošinj – Spa & Wellness Center - unique facilities in ample areas with a sea view and carefully selected wellness options rely on autochthonous herbs and essential oils of Lošinj. The island of Lošinj also has the Veli Lošinj Health Resort specializing in healthcare services and allergic and respiratory disease diagnostics. Family Hotel Vespera, Mali Lošinj – An outdoor swimming pool complex covering over 3,000 m2 and cascading toward the sea on three levels. The large pool is 25 m long and 1.35 m deep and has massages and falls, counter-current swimming and a Jacuzzi with a sea view. The deck-shaped sunbathing areas provide a sea view. There are also two children’s swimming pools with a water falls and a slide. FIVE ELEMENTS Wellness & Spa AMBASADOR, Opatija – the first one within the new wellness & spa concept of Liburnia Riviera Hoteli based on 5 elements: water, ground, wood, fire and metal. Its 1,300 square meters are arranged on two levels. This wellness & spa center carries the element of water and the rich aquatic facilities are available on the first floor of the hotel: a large indoor pool with heated seawater, whirlpool and a view of nature. This section also contains saunas and a large modern bar. The sophisticated treatment and massage rooms are on the upper level. The interior is designed in a very modern fashion, thus creating unforgettable impressions. Grand Hotel 4 Opatijska cvijeta, Opatija – the spacious and rich wellness oasis enables you to keep your vitality, achieve a harmony of body and spirit, relieve yourself of stress and restore your energy through a range of therapeutic and cosmetic body and face treatments. Hotel Mozart, Opatija – they opened the Cosmetic Studio Mozart wellness center. In addition to Finnish and Turkish saunas, this state-of-the-art wellness center is the only one in Croatia offering Japanese sauna, as well as a Jacuzzi and a beauty parlor.

BIKE TOURS AND PROMENADES The bike tour segment has intensively developed since the implementation of the “Bavarian Radio and Television Spring Bike Tour of the Kvarner Islands” mega- project in Kvarner in 2000. Since then, the number of bike tracks and tours has been on a constant rise and included more and more areas in Kvarner. This is reflected in the names of the bike tracks – Old Towns of Liburnia, Bell Ringers Tracks, Opatija Riviera Hill Tour, Around the Kastav Region, Around the Spring of Riječina, Around the Hinterland of Crikvenica Riviera, Around the Vinodol Region, Around the Frankopan Castles, Around Lošinj and Cres, In the Empireof the Eurasian Griffon, Following the Trails of Krk Shepherds and Farmers, Around Kalifront and Lopar on Rab, Great Tour of Gorski Kotar, Lakes of Gorski Kotar and the Intimate Track. As the Kvarner region has around thirty protected areas and over a hundred areas intended for a protection category, the tracks and promenades are a special tourist value and attraction because of the rich habitats for rare and endemic animal and plant life. Running through the forests, they often touch the underground world. The seaside promenades such as the famous Lungomare on Opatija Riviera are particularly popular.

WINTER PROGRAMS

79 The proximity of the sea, coast and islands on one side and mountains on the other side, Kvarner is able to provide its guests with a typical winter offer. Hotel pools with heated seawater on the coast and snow in Gorski Kotar 20-30 kilometers away are a special feature of the offer, including the Platak skiing resort situated 26 kilometers from Rijeka and the sea, with 9,000 meters long organized ski tracks, 4 T-bar lifts and one double chairlift (http://76.163.23.87/ - skijalište Platak). The Mrkopalj region and its slopes on Begovo Razdolje offer a 400 meters long T-bar lift and a 1,000 meters long track. Skiers can also use the Čelimbaša skiing resort with a 2,850 meters long track and a 720 meters long T-bar lift. The Zagmajna Biathlon Center is currently improving an additional 4 kilometers of tracks. The Rudnik Ski Center in Tršće has two tracks (800 and 1,300 meters), Nordic skiing options and areas for sleds and children. Delnice, located on the mountain plain of Polane, has organized Nordic skiing tracks, while the Petehovac Moutain Center has a 400 meters long T-bar lift and an alpine skiing tracks, as well as night skiing and skiing lessons options. Ravna Gora has Nordic skiing tracks. On Bjelolasica, 800 meters below the highest peak of Gorski Kotar, is the Croatian Olympic Center, the largest winter sport center in Croatia. It offers 6,000 of ski tracks and a system of lifts consisting of three double chairlifts and three T-bar lifts (www.gorskikotar.hr).

RELIGIOUS TOURISM Areas of faith and inspiration are the basis of the offer and promotion of religious tourism in Kvarner – the pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to the Lady of Trsat during his third visit to Croatia has a special place. Trsat, with its votive presents of many generations of our sailors and their families to the Shrine of Virgin Mary on Trsat, is a mythical place for the residents of Kvarner and visitors. Mary’s Trsat, Virgin Mary of Holy Mountain, Sad Lady, Mary’s churches across Kvarner, cathedrals in Rijeka, Krk, Osor and Rab and other religious facilities serve the purpose of religious and cultural tourism.

CONGRESS TOURISM Kvarner is certainly one of the leading congress destinations in Croatia with over 15,000 seats in 140 halls located in 50 facilities. The congress halls of Kvarner are very close to almost all significant European business, professional, educational and scientific centers and offer the necessary technical equipment and the possibility of organizing congresses, conventions and conferences.

ACCOMMODATION Every town in Kvarner will offer you clean sea, magnificent beaches, numerous apartments and rooms in family houses and villas, hotels and camps. Kvarner focuses on improvement of the capacities and the quality is confirmed by the fact that it has the largest number of 4-star hotels in Croatia. It is also number one in the number of premium hotels, thanks primarily to Opatija, the pearl of Kvarner’s tourism.

NOVELTIES

80 Liburnia Riviera Hoteli opened the Five Elements in Opatija’s Hotel Ambasador - a new wellness & spa center based on the element of water. In Novi Vinodolski, a new 5-star hotel and one of the largest spa & wellness centers in this part of Europe will open by the end of the year. The entire resort stretches over 311 thousand square meters of land situated on a mild elevation along 1.5 kilometers of coastline. Camp Slatina (www.jadranka.hr) on Cres is the winner of a valuable award at the specialized camping fair in Lyon for innovative environmental protection ideas. This camp is located in Martinšćica on the island of Cres. Both Croatian and international circles appreciate it for its unique solutions, the Camping Cum Cane project being the most interesting among them. It is available thanks to the rules – all registered dogs must wear an id tag, there is an area reserved for them to relieve themselves and there are rules to be complied with by the dog owners with respect to hygiene maintenance in the camp area. They also have showers and promenades for dogs.

According to its management’s announcements, ACI plans to extend the Opatija Marina in Ičići that currently has 290 moorings – the extension of the breakwater and setting up of floating wave breakers would enable acceptance of around 60 megayachts between 30 and 50 meters in length.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS As most of Kvarner is situated on the coast, the transport system relies on maritime transport with Rijeka and its terminals for cargo and passenger reloading as the center. The Mali Lošinj Port also has international significance, while the other ports are mostly local. In terms of tourism, the ferry ports such as Brestova - Porozina and Valbiska - Merag, connecting the mainland and the island of Krk with the islands of Cres and Lošinj are the most important ones, as well as the busiest one, Jablanac - Mišnjak by which you can reach the island of Rab via Jadranska magistrala. The daily government-subsidized ferry route Lopar (Rab) – Valbiska (Krk) connects Lopar on the island of Rab with the island of Krk and vice versa, twice a day in winter and five times a day in summer. The railway transport is based on two international railways toward and Zagreb. The Zagreb – Rijeka railway is part of the international transport corridor Budapest - Zagreb - Rijeka. The air transport relies on two international airports (one on the island of Krk and the other on Lošinj), the sport airport in Grobnik and the airport on .

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF Torpedo was invented in Rijeka – The torpedo as we known it was invented in 1860 by the retired Croatian officer of the Austro-Hungarian military navy, Rijeka’s own Ivan Lupis. It was presented to the public that same year in Rijeka, while the operating demonstration took place in 1866. The first factory to manufacture torpedoes was built in Rijeka and established by the English industrialist Robert Whitehead for the requirements of the Austro-Hungarian military navy. Baška Tablet – the old Croatian monument was written in the Glagolitic script in circa 1100 and originates from the Church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor near Baška on the island of Krk. One of the oldest stone-carved monuments of the Croatian language contains information about the construction of the Church of St. Lucy and a record of

81 Croatian King Zvonimir’s donation. It represents a significant source for the history of the Croatian people, language and development of the Croatian Glagolitic script. It shows the sovereignty of Croatian King Zvonimir as the donor of land on the island; in addition to its linguistic and literary significance, the tablet is historically significant because of the first mention of the ruler’s name in the folk language. Eurasian griffon – one of the four different types of vulture still living in Europe has retained its habitat on the island of Cres. It nests on steep cliffs overlooking the sea, sometimes at a height of juts 10 meters where they can easily be observed. As this is an endangered species, scientists from the eco center mark the young birds to be able to identify them later. The eco center has a special role in the rescue of young griffons that fall into the sea or that they find sick or wounded. That is why they built a rehabilitation facility where injured griffons recover until they are released into nature again. The eco center is frequented by many visitors as a specially cultivated part of the north section of the island of Cres.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR Morčići earrings – In memory of the escape of the Turkish Army on Grobnik Plain above Rijeka, they make Morčići earrings - at first the made them as folk jewelry and later as a stats symbol that even adorned Austrian Empress Mary Anna. To this day, Morčić has been a symbol of protection against evil for fishermen and sailors and it has eventually become the guardian of ’s identity as a unique and favorite piece of jewelry. Rab cake – the recipe for this centuries-old and unique delicacy made of almonds, lemon, sugar, eggs and Maraschino has been preserved as precious heritage in the art of making gentle fluffy dough with an aromatic center. The secret recipe dates back to 1177 when it was first served to Pope Alexander III when he blessed the Cathedral of the Assumption of Virgin Mary on the island of Rab. It used to serve as a delicacy way back during the Venetian era and over 300 years ago in the houses of Rab’s wealthy patricians.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS

The legend of Morčići The legends of Morčići derive from the need to explain how an unusual character of a black man with a found its place on valuable jewelry of the Rijeka region. One of the legends explaining the creation of Morčići dates back to the 16th century when the Turks fled from Grobnik Plain after their Pasha was suddenly killed and left white all around. Rijeka’s men had Morčići earrings with white turbans made for their wives in memory of the victory. Caroline of Rijeka The most famous character in Rijeka’s history is Caroline of Rijeka who saved the City of Rijeka from devastation during the Napoleon Wars by negotiating with the English Admiral John Leard. Caroline’s historical role began in 1813 thanks to the difficult situation at the entrance to Rijeka Port. As it happens, English ships were preparing to bomb Rijeka and thus prevent the survival of napoleon’s army (the exterior wall of St. Vittus cathedral has a cannonball incorporated in the façade as a testimony of the event). Determined to help the city, young Caroline went to the

82 admiral’s ship and convinced the British fleet commander to stop the cannon fire, using her feminine charms in the negotiations with the English admiral.

The legend of the creation of the islands of Cres and Lošinj In ancient times, the islands of Cres and Lošinj had the common name Apsyrtides. According to a legend, they were named after the Greek hero Apsyrtes, known from the treasury of stories about the Argonaut navigators on our islands. Apsyrtes, son of King Aetes, was killed by Jason who stole the Golden Fleece from King Aetes because sorceress Medea, King’s daughter who was in love with Jason tricked him. Although Apsyrtes caught up with Jason on his ship Argo, Medea tricked him into negotiations where Jason killed him. Medea then cut up Apsyrtes’ dead body and tossed his limbs into the sea. The Apsyrtes islands (Apsyrtides) were created from Apsyrtes’s cut up body.

BLUE FLAGS • ACI MARINA CRES • ACI MARINA OPATIJA • MARINA PUNAT • «Peharovo» Beach, Lovran • «Kvarner» Beach, Lovran • «Slatina» Beach, Opatija • «Lido» Beach, Opatija • «Tomaševac» Beach, Opatija • «Ičići» Beach, Ičići • «Pesja» Beach, Omišalj • «Jadran» Beach, Njivice • «Rupa» Beach, Malinska • «Porporela – Ježevac» Beach, Krk • «Dražica» Beach, Krk • «Dunat» Beach, Kornić • «Jert» Beach, Pinezići • «Camping Ježevac» Beach, Krk • Naturist Camp «Politin» Beach, Krk • Naturist Camp «Konobe» Beach, Punat • «Punta Debij» Beach, Punat • «Vela plaža» Beach, Baška • «Zgribnica» Beach, Vrbnik • «Pećine» Beach, Šilo • Camp «Kovačine» Beach, Cres • Camp «Slatina» Beach, Martinšćica, Cres • «Poljana» Beach, Mali Lošinj • «Veli žal – Sunčana uvala» Beach, Mali Lošinj • «Punta» Beach, Veli Lošinj • «Rajska plaža – Črnika» Beach, Lopar • «Suha Punta – Karolina» Beach, Rab • «Svežanj» Beach, • «Omorika» Beach, Dramalj • «Gradsko kupalište» Beach, Crikevnica

83 • «Balustrada» Beach, Crikvenica • Hotela «Varaždin» Beach, Selce • «Rokan» Beach, Selce • «Poli mora» Beach, Selce • Central Town Beach «Lišanj», Novi Vinodolski

ISTRIA www.istra.hr

84 Istria – tame and unobtrusive, warm and hospitable, green and blue, always on the crossroads of historical European and regional events. This is a region of dinosaurs and legends of legionnaires, gladiators, sailors, admirals, writers and charismatic world leaders who often determined the destiny of mankind in this ambient. Aware of the differences and the intensive development, the Istrians pay special attention to sustainable development. Staying in Istria is pleasant throughout the year. The bathing season goes on for five months and the sunbathing season even longer. Spring in Istria is ideal for recreation like biking, hiking, horseback riding, mountaineering, free climbing or paragliding, while autumn in Istria invites you to pick mushrooms, maroons and grapes. The major towns in Istria are Pula, Poreč, Rovinj, Pazin, Buzet, Umag and Novigrad. Poreč is a town of entertainment and night life, while Pula is a town of concerts, film and culture. Rovinj is known as a town of romance. The main characteristic of the Istrian interior’s landscape are the settlements on plateaus on hills populated a long time ago: Sv. Lovreč, Oprtalj, Završje, Hum, Roč and Grožnjan. Numerous vineyards in the interior of Istria and towns like Motovun, Pazin, Buzet, Vodnjan, Žminj or Svetvinčenat and their famous winegrowers will not leave indifferent. Livade and Buzet are the places to try the truffles, supposedly the best aphrodisiac. The inevitable National Park Brijuni in the south of Istria is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the Mediterranean. In addition to quality accommodation and hospitality, Istria has developed nautical tourism, congress tourism, excursion tourism, hunting tourism, fishing tourism, agro- tourism, cultural tourism, sport & recreation tourism, diving tourism and equestrian tourism.

NATURAL HERITAGE The largest Croatian peninsula is abundant in green oases and romantic bays, but it also has numerous unexplored corners. Along the sea you will find grass, pebble, rocky and paved beaches, while the shade of the pines is often available right on the shore. The interior fascinates with its river affluents, lakes, falls, rich forests full of fruits, hills and mountains. The animal world is also colorful, both beneath the sea and ashore. Brijuni Islands and the surrounding submarine world enjoy the status of the only Istrian national park (www.brijuni.hr). Thanks to the abundant flora and fauna and the cultural & historical heritage, it is among the most beautiful archipelagos in the Mediterranean. Brijuni consists of two big and 12 smaller islands. The mild climate, many sunny days and a pleasant air temperature have stimulated the growth of several hundred plant species. A hundred years back, they began to populate the botanical gardens on Brijuni with animals from different parts of the world and formed the zoo in 1912. Brijuni is presently a habitat for many bird species, deer, mouflon and other game. The island of is adorned by a millennium-old olive tree, Roman excavations, a safari park and tracks of dinosaur feet.

An abundant plant cover, a diverse animal world, speleological objects, mountain trails, a lodge, an inn and catering facilities can be found in Učka Nature Park stretching between Istria and Kvarner (www.pp-ucka.hr).

85 The protected landscape of Cape Kamenjak (www.kamenjak.hr), the unusually indented, southernmost Istrian cape, is interesting not only for the 500 plant species but also for the beautiful bays, natural beaches, clean sea and an attractive submarine world. Palud Swamp is an ornithological reserve next to Rovinj where over 200 bird species live, making it an ideal place for bird-watching lovers. Thanks to its attractive 11 kilometers long canyon going into the mainland, Fjord is one of the most beautiful protected landscapes in Istria. Its submarine part was proclaimed a special marine reserve because of its rich marine fauna. They also have the well-known seashell and fish farm in Istria. The Pazin Pit is also impressive with its caves, lakes and rocks rising a hundred meters up, which the great Jules Verne described in one of his novels.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE Istria is full of archeological and cultural & historic monuments, confirmed by the evidence of Paleolithic prehistoric people in Istrian caves, over 400 forts from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, fascinating urban monuments built by the Romans, and the Euphrasius Basilica, one of the most beautiful early-Byzantine churches in Europe as a prominent mark of the Byzantine reign in Istria. Istria’s tame interior is spotted with medieval towns and first on hilltops, and numerous chapels with old medieval frescoes.

History wherever you go The Pula Amphitheater or Arena is one of the six largest Roman amphitheaters in the world. Erected in the 1st century during the reign of Emperor Vespasian, it was primarily used for gladiator fights in front of 20,000 spectators. Elliptic in shape (132 x 105 meters and 32 meters in height), the largest ancient building in Istria is open for sightseeing during the day and becomes a perfect place for pop rock concerts, operas and ballets in nighttime, as well as the film festival with a 50-year tradition. Its underground premises offer the Ancient Olive Growing and Winegrowing in Istria exhibition, including tools for production of oil and wine and a number of amphorae. The Euphrasius Basilica bears the name of the Poreč bishop who had it built in the 6th century. Although older floor mosaics have been preserved, its most valuable part are the mosaics in the apse. The entire complex (3-nave church, baptistery, atrium and the former bishop palace) was included in the UNESCO list of protected world cultural heritage. Situated on an elevation within Limska draga not far from Kanfanar, is the largest town/ruin. Although there used to be two castles nearby (hence the name), only the remains of one of them have been preserved. Abandoned in the 17th century due to the plague epidemic, it is now an impressive cultural monument covering 16,000 square meters. Nezakcij, an ancient town four kilometers from Pula, used to be the metropolis of the Istrians who were defeated by the Romans in 177 B.C. The Church of St. Blaž in Vodnjan is the largest Istrian church with a 60-meter bell tower, the highest one in Istria. It holds mummified bodies of three saints and the richest Istrian collection of sacral art with 730 works and objects of art. You should not miss the Glagolitic Alley or the series of monuments mounted along the road from Roč to Hum in memory of the oldest Slavic script (Glagolitic script), the ancient residential complex Verige Bay on Brijuni, the Sergian Arch,

86 the Augustus Temple, the Little Roman Theater and the Castle in Pula, the Church of St. Euphemia in Rovinj, the largest Istrian Paulist Monastery in Sv. Petar u Šumi, the frescoes in the Church of St. Mary in Beram and the Chruch of St. Jacob in Vižinada or the kažuns – small field shelters made of dry stone walls, the most familiar symbol of Istria.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART The historically rich ambient is ideal for a series of entertainment, culture & art and folklore events throughout the year. Every July, they have the Pula Film Festival in the Pula Amphitheater, which will celebrate its 56th anniversary this year (www.pulafilmfestival.hr). Pula Arena has hosted famous musician for years, including Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, James Brown, Joe Cocker, Norah Jones and Jamiroquai. During the 2009 season, the international Histria Festival (www.histriafestival.com) will feature world famous musicians like Eric Clapton and Placido Domingo, while Nelly Furtado will perform in the Kaštel. In mid-July, Monumenti in Pula is the venue for the 7th Seasplash Festival (www.seasplash.net), cultivating musical styles such as roots, dub, reggae, ska, jungle, drum’n’bass… The historical walls of Motovun make perfect scenery for the charming Motovun Film Festival (www.motovunfilmfestival.com), particularly attractive to young people. In early summer, several towns hold the Dvigrad Medieval Music Festival. The middle of July is reserved for the organ festival Organum Histriae (www.organum- histriae.org) in several Istrian towns. In Grožnjan, a charming and famous town of artists, they offer classical music concerts, as well as the Jazz Is Back (www.hgm.hr) festival. Blues and jazz are also available at the Music Nights festival in Novigrad (www.nc-musicnights.com.hr), punkers like Pula’s Monte Paradiso festival, while those who prefer electronic music will enjoy parties across Istria. Svetvinčenat is known for its Dance and Nonverbal Theater Festival (www.svetvincenatfestival.com), Umag for its chamber theater festival Zlatni lav (www.zlatni-lav.hr), and Pula for the international theater festivals PUF and MKFM (www.ink.hr). The Ulysses Theater puts on its avant-garde and intriguing summer plays in Brijuni. Dubrova Nature Park in Labin brings together world’s sculptors at the International Sculptors Symposium, while the end of the summer in Vrsar with the Dušan Džamonja Sculpture Park at it entrance is marked by the Montraker Sculptor School. In December, the Book Fair in Istria brings together a wide range of publishers and authors from across the world. The carnival season starts in February. The Buzet Maskers are the most popular. Mask parties are arranged on squares, in hotels and clubs in most Istrian towns. The April Pivajući sva smo blaga stekli festival in Buzet hosts women’s and men’s harmony singers from Istria and Kvarner. In May, the small town of Roč has the Z armoniku v Roč festival gathering harmonica trieština players. June in Pazin is marked by the increasingly popular Jules Verne Days.

87 Batana – a mirror of Rovinj’s maritime and littoral heritage Rovinj’s House on Batana eco museum is dedicated to the fishing boat of the same name and the local community that has recognized it as its symbol. (www.batana.org) The permanent 'Our Austro-Hungarian Navy' exhibition is available in Novigrad’s 'Gallerionu', the core of the future museum dedicated to studies of local and international maritime history and tradition within Novigrad’s MUSEUM TOWN program (www.kuk-marine-museum.com).

ACTIVE TOURISM Istria’s mild climate and relaxing landscapes provide numerous sporting options throughout the year, both in fresh air and indoors. The hotels normally include sport courts, while the beaches offer water sport centers. The wilderness of Central Istria is an ideal place for adventure and extreme sports.

Tennis and biking – two dominant Istrian sport elements Tennis, once a dominant sport trademark of Istria, is still the favorite sport to many people. 430 clay courts are available year-round. The popular ATP Tour – Croatia Open (www.croatiaopen.hr) tournament is one of the most famous Istrian sport brands – it is held at a stadium right by the sea and has brought the greatest tennis players to Umag for years. The peninsula has around 60 organized bike tracks stretching for almost 2,600 kilometers. As most of the tracks go through picturesque and non-asphalted parts of Istria, it would be a shame to miss this adventure. As for hiking, they have numerous trails all across Istria, most of them by the sea or in forest areas. Hiking in the region is also recommended for rehabilitation purposes.

The rise of golf Although Brijuni had one of the largest golf courses in the early 20th century, golf develops slowly in Istria. According to the Istrian tourism development plan, a dozen new courses should soon appear here (two by mid-2009), which would make Istria a recognized golf destination, particularly interesting to players from Central and North Europe. They are also preparing the Marlera Golf LD project for construction of a future 27-hole golf course, a hotel and wellness & spa facilities. A number of equestrian centers and ranches provide horse lovers with horseback riding through intact nature and they also organize riding schools for beginners.

Adrenaline activities Diving has a longstanding tradition in Istria. Diving centers and clubs across Istria organize courses, while experienced divers are taken to attractive submarine locations. Istria has 11 hydro-archeological sites. The most popular one includes the 85-meters long wreck of 'Baron Gautsch', a passenger ship that sunk from a mine way back in 1914. Water skiing is a unique attraction for both beginners and experts. Lovers of windsurfing are attracted by the strong currents and winds of South Istria.

88 Caving in Istria for adventurers, made world-famous by Jules Verne especially when it comes to the Pazin Pit with its underground galleries and lakes, is available both in Ćićarija and other parts of Istria, abundant in caves and pits. Baredine and Feštinsko kraljevstvo are the two caves that are certainly worth visiting. The free climbing options in Istria include nine attractive climbing sites, most of them near Lim Fjord and in North Istria. Paragliding is practiced year-round thanks to the favorable weather conditions – there are five organized starts. Paintball, as first-class adrenaline fun, is played in almost all coastal towns.

GASTRO CORNER

Istrian cuisine, as a combination of various intermingled traditions of the Mediterranean and continental gastronomies, is distinctive, healthy and ecologically based. You can start your meal with some homemade prosciutto and sheep cheese, continue with a plate of homemade jota or maneštra, and finish with fuži in a game or chicken sauce or roast ombolo (loin of pork) and homemade sausages with boiled sour cabbage. The seafood specialties include shrimp, roast gilthead, boiled Dory, mixed seashells a la buzara, Coquille St. Jacques in cheese and olive oil, grilled calamari or calamari risotto, cod a la Istria or blue crab and octopus salads. The Istrian truffles represent the top of the local gastronomy – they go excellently with pasta, meat and fish fillets or just some scrambled eggs. The Istrian white truffle is one of the most appreciated truffle varieties in the world. The black truffle and other sub-varieties of the white truffle can be found nearby, on the hills along River. The Truffle Days begin as early as September in North Istria and thy have various truffle fairs, festivals and exhibitions almost every week for the next three months. The Sole Days run parallel with the truffle days in the area of the Umag cluster. They are dedicated to the sole fish presented in numerous ways in October in the selected restaurants available at the Istrian County website www.istra.hr Traditional Brandy Festival Every year on the last Sunday in October, Hum, the smallest town in the world, holds a festival of homemade Istrian brandies under the slogan “Homemade Brandy is Our Medicine”. The election of the best brandies like biska, medenica, , plain homemade brandies with local herbs and berries, plum brandy (krekovica, brnjevača), smrička and fruits in brandy is followed by the tasting of all brandies for a wider audience, including an entertainment and music program with a gastro offer. The night before is reserved for a poetic evening entitled “The Brandy Verses”. Recognized Istrian poets read their poetry on the subject of brandy. Istrian towns organize many gastro events such as the Istrian Maneštra Festival in Gračišće, Maneštra Festival and Sardine Salting School in Fažana, Poreč’s festival of the best wines Vinistra (www.vinistra.hr) including an oil and brandy festival, and the International Prosciutto Fair in Tinjan in October.

Excellent wines and extra virgin olive oil Istrian olive oil normally has the extra virgin quality. All meals are accompanied with excellent Istrian wines. Poreč Malvasia is recommended with seafood,

89 Motovun Teran goes well with meat and pasta, while Momjan Mušakt is ideal for dessert. Istrian soup is a special delicacy. In November, they hold the International Olive Oil Days in Vodnjan and Tar is another popular olive oil destination.

The wine roads, included in the map of Istria (www.istria-gourmet.com), with wine cellars and small taverns, combine the offer of 86 winemakers. They have separate identifications for cellars with larger selections of wine, modern technology and awards and for village taverns with traditional winemaking.

QUALITY ACCOMMODATION AND EXCLUSIVE SERVICE Reduction of accommodation capacities with improvement of quality has been a real trend in Istria over the past few years. There are more and more premium hotels, the luxury stone villas with swimming pools and agro-tourism facilities in the interior of Istria are raising the quality level, and even the camps and private accommodation facilities have significantly enhanced the service level. The wellness centers – various therapies, baths, solariums, saunas and beauty treatments – have become a part of Istrian tourist daily routine. According to the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Hotel San Rocco in Brtonigla was the best small hotel in the Adriatic in 2008.

WELLNESS The famous Istarske toplice spa (www.istarske-toplice.hr), situated in the middle of the Motovun Forest, was a predecessor of health tourism in Istria and they have been known as thermal health resort with healing water ever since the Roman era. They treat respiratory and locomotor diseases here, post-surgery conditions in bones and joints and some chronic throat and skin diseases, as well as gynecological diseases. Over the past few years, the region has experienced a true boom in well equipped wellness center offering a wide range of services – anti-stress therapies with music, colors or aromatherapy, various baths, ice pools, solariums, saunas and medical and beauty treatments. Istrian wellness centers are available in Umag’s hotels Sol Umag, Sol Coral and Sol Garden Istra, Poreč’s hotel Valmar Diamant, Hotel Croatia in Duga Uvala and Hotel Valsabbion in Pješčana Uvala near Pula. In the wellness polyclinic Peharec in Pula, you can often see famous Croatian and European athletes. Hotel Park on Rovinj’s island of Sv. Andrija has the luxury Otok Wellness Center.

CAMPING Istria is a camping destination with a longstanding tradition, recognized by many lovers of this type of tourism. Istrian camps have won numerous Croatian and international awards for quality. For example, Poreč’s camps Lanterna and Solaris, operated by Valamar hoteli i ljetovališta, received the highest rating (8.6) among all camps in Croatia in the new camping guide published by the Dutch auto-club ANWB for 2008. According to ANWB, the top 5 also include Orsera (8.6) in Vrsar and Naturist Camp Istra in Poreč (8.2). The rating criteria were based on the overall camp quality (bathroom facilities, location, supplies, animation, sporting activities). Adriatic, Vira and Park Umag were pronounced the best camps in Croatia for 2008.

CONGRESS TOURISM

90 The Istrian hotels in Umag, Poreč, Rovinj, Pula and Brijuni have provided top service for business conventions, congresses, seminars workshops and encounters for many years. Umag’s Hotel 'Sol Koralj' will soon have a new congress center.

NAUTICAL TOURISM The 445 kilometers long Istrian coastline offers 15 marinas with a total of 3,400 moorings. Umag has one marina, Novigrad has two, Poreč has three, Funtana and Vrsar have one each, Rovinj has two, Pula has three and Medulin has two. They are open year-round. Most of them have organized fuel distribution and services.

The increasingly popular rural tourism We currently have around 300 estates with a total of 3,100 beds, which makes around two percent of Istria’s overall accommodation capacities. The estate offer is divided into agro-tourism facilities, rural B&Bs, rural family hotels and accommodation facilities on wine roads. The guests have the opportunity to work in a vineyard on production of musk and they may even try to milk a cow or learn how to knead Istrian fuži.

Villas with swimming pools and lighthouses Every year, there are more and more premium villas designed after old Istrian stone houses, with luxury interiors and a gardens with swimming pools. Accommodation in lighthouses, like the one on Porer, a cliff southwest of Cape Kamenjak, has become a true hit.

NOVELTIES According to the Tourism Development Master Plan for Istria, 1.4 billion euros will be invested in Istrian tourism between 2007 and 2009.

Kempinski Hotel Adriatic in Savudrija www.kempinski-adriatic.com In Savudrija near Umag, they are building a new exclusive luxury 5-star hotel – Kempinski Hotel Adriatic. The complex has 186 rooms and suites, a dance hall for 300 people and a conference center with a sea view. The guests will also be able to use an 18-hole golf course with a golf club, restaurants, lounge bars, cafés, a private beach, a marina and a luxurious spa center. The hotel chapel will arrange weddings. Hotel Valamar Sanfior in Rabac will spend seven million HRK in reconstruction of the roofed swimming pool, construction of a wellness center and renovation of five suites. The hotel has four stars and will be reconstructed in the 2009 season. Pula Arenaturist has announced investments in reconstruction of all hotels, apartments, villas, restaurants, camps and environment in phases to raise the classification to four stars, and five stars for Hotel Brioni.

Exclusive Monte Mulini Zone Resort Construction of the new Monte Mulini Zone (www.maistra.hr) tourist resort near Rovinj and the centuries-old Zlatni Rt Park Forest is under way. The Monte Mulini Zone will consists of three completely new premium hotels - Hotel Park, Hotel Monte Mulini and Hotel Lone, as well as Hotel Eden, reconstructed in 2006. Hotel Monte

91 Mulini, the most luxurious one among them, should receive its first guests in late 2008. The opening of Hotel Lone is planned for 2010. We are pleased to mention that the Thomson Holidays tour operator, a part of one of TUI Group, one of the leading travel companies in the world presenting Gold Medals every year, awarded three Maistra’s hotels in 2008 – Park, Istra and Eden – based on the results of a guest survey. The Plava Laguna hotel company of Poreč invested 12.5 million HRK in the former Hotel Galeb (presently Laguna Molindrio****), and they also redesigned Hotel Delfin, which cost them around 6.2 million HRK. Both hotels are located within the Zelena Laguna resort and operate within the Plava Laguna hotel chain. The renovation and branding of Valamar’s Hotel Luna as a family hotel will cost 8.3 million euros. In Poreč, they are also working on renovation of the old Hotel Riviera in the very center of the town. The hotel will be renamed into Hotel Palazzo and will offer 74 luxury suites and several exclusive shops. The small Hotel Empirej in Poreč has 22 newly designed suites situated 300 m from the sea, not far from the Zelena Laguna resort. The hotel is adapted to the disabled.

Brijuni Rivijera Ltd. (www.brijunirivijera.hr) has two members: the Republic of Croatia with 67% of capital investment and Istria County with 33% of capital investment. The company is a leader in change process and a synonym for high quality of Istrian tourism. Namely, it is a project of special significance for Croatia, whose declaration mission consists of achieving the following goals: - preparation, evaluation, leading and controlling of the management programme of real estate owned by the state in the area of Istria County on Brijuni islands and coast; - coordination of the construction of tourist resorts of high category (with Brijuni islands as an oasis for elite tourism) on the principles of sustainable development; - creation of preconditions for opening new jobs in economic subjects which will be founded in the areas included in the programme; - efficient use of state property in the area included in the programme through quality valorisation of resources.

Brijuni rivijera project includes four locations in the southwestern part of Istrian coast, in the area of Fazana municipality in the north and the city of Pula in the south. The locations are: Pineta, Hidrobaza, Sv. Katarina Island and Mulimenti and Muzil. The project enables that “Brijuni rivijera,” after Croatia gives it the right to construct, transfer the right to construct to the best bidder for a term of 66 years. This project represents a unique project of transforming military objects which had lost their function into prestige, elite tourist resorts on the western coast of Istrian peninsula. It is a first project of such kind in Croatia which will bring considerable economic development, including real estate owned by the state and local governments with which a synergic impact is achieved. The business activities plan of Brijuni rivijera Ltd. for 2009 includes publishing a second round of bidding for the selection of qualified bidders for greenfield tourist projects in four locations of the Brijuni rivijera project according to the BOT model as well as the process for choosing the best bidder in each of the locations according to

92 the criteria determined in the bidding documentation and reaching an agreement on the transfer of the right to construct with the selected bidder.

The town of Poreč was provided with the beautiful Žatika Sport Center where they will play the World Handball Championship to be held in January of 2009 in several Croatian towns and cities.

The town of Labin and the independent underground cultural organization Labin Art Express are negotiating the implementation of the Underground Town of the 21st Century project in the former coalmine in Labin. It involves construction of an underground futuristic town in the deserted tunnels and hall of the Labin coalmine, 150 meters below ground, with streets, bars, restaurants, concert halls, swimming pools, shops, casinos, the Istrian Museum of Mining and Industry and all other facilities a town should have.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS If Croatia is the heart of Europe, the heart-shaped Istria opens the gate to the Mediterranean for the Europeans. Trieste and Ljubljana are practically next door and even Graz is not far away. It is around 500 kilometers from Milan and Vienna and less than 600 kilometers from Munich. Thanks to the Istrian Epsilon, it only takes 90 minutes by car to get from the northernmost to the southernmost point of Istria. After completion of the last section of the Epsilon, Pula, the largest and southernmost Istrian town is now connected with the Croatian-Slovenian border on and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County. The national airline Croatia Airlines provides regular flights from the Pula Airport, connecting Istria with most of Europe, as well as some low-cost airlines. Significant charter traffic is present at the Pula Airport in summertime. There is a smaller airport in Vrsar, which is also open to international flights in summertime, while Medulin has a tourist airport.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF

Famous guests Istria has been frequented and adored by world-famous persons. Italian writer Dante Alighieri mentioned Pula in his Divine Comedy, so he had presumably stayed there. Giacomo Casanova, the famous Venetian lover, took nice memories of women and wine from Vrsar. Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser purchased Brijuni in 1893 and converted them into a high-society and imperial family resort, famous bacteriologist Robert Koch battled malaria there in the early 20th century, and German writer Thomas Mann also visited Brijuni. Irish writer James Joyce lived in Pula for a while. Josip Broz Tito, who managed to keep Istria within the new Yugoslavia after World War 2, liked to come here on vacation. He usually stayed in Brijuni where he received various statesmen and members of the jet set, and he also regularly visited the Pula Film Festival. Over the past few years, Brijuni was visited by the Princess of Monaco Carolina Ranieri with her family, as well as Naomi Campbell, Flavio Briattore, Placido Domingo, John Malkovich, Ottavio Missoni Slavica and Bernie Ecclestone. Brothers Ralf and Michael Schumacher purchase villas worth several million euros

93 not far from Buje and Umag. Austrian Baron Friedrich Mayer Meinhof of Salzburg settled down near Tinjan, Scottish Lord Alexandar McEwen vacations in Oprtalj, while Andreas von Bismarck of Germany bought a villa near Poreč.

Symbols of Istria: boškarin and goat In Kanfanar, not far from Žminj they hold a boškarin (Istrian bovine) festival every year. During the 1960s, Istria had over 60 thousand boškarins. There are only a few hundred left. Boškarin was very valued for its resistance, economy and adaptability to the conditions of the Istrian region. Svetvinčenat arranges the Top Goat pageant on the Municipality Day, where they elect the most Istrian, the most beautiful and the most congenial goats.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR

Stylized golden jewelry The golden jewelry with stylized Istrian symbols and Glagolitic letters is protected with the State Intellectual Property Office and available in the town of Svetvinčenat. This exceptionally elegant detail attracts attention and represents a unique value. Range of truffle products In addition to white and black truffles, canned truffle products, truffle-flavored olive oil, sheep cheese with truffles and Istrian boletes are very appreciated and in great demand. Olive oil The extra virgin olive oil and olive oil roads you can visit while staying in Istria have become more and more significant in Istrian tourism. The Istrian olive varieties are: Buža, Buža Minuda, Buža Puntoža, Črnica, Drobnica, Istarska bjelica, Karbonaca, Moražola, Oblica, Rošinjola and Žižolera. Wine The Istrians are proud of their quality wines: autochthonous Istrian Malvasia, White and Grey Pinot, Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The red wines include Red Teran, Burgundy, Merlot, Refoška, Cabernet and Hrvatica Rosé. The sweet Malvasia and red and white Muškat are among the most popular dessert wines. The entire peninsula has rich wine boutiques where you can both taste and buy wine as a nice souvenir from Istria. Bukaleta In small Istrian taverns and restaurants, you can try Istrian soup made of red wine and drunk directly from a ceramic jug called the bukaleta. The soup is drunk from bukaleta in the way that it is handed from one person to another. The Istrians like to print their names on such jug („Drink Mate!“, „Drink Tone!“). Istrian brandies Biska is an autochthonous Istrian brandy. It is produced from grape brandy, mistletoe and several kinds of herbs. In addition to biska, Istria offers brandy with rue, honey (medica), cherries, figs, Chinese dates… as it is packed in small bottles, you can take it home as a nice souvenir. STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS

Istria – the land of giants

94 According to an old legend, once upon a time, before people populated Istria, giants used to live in Mirna Valley. The main giant was Dragonja (that is the name of the northernmost Istrian river), also called the Plowman Giant because he furrowed the ground from Ćićarija to the sea. Water began to flow through the furrow and giant Dragonja named it Mirna River. After that, the giants built a series of towns in Istria, such as Motovun, Vrh, Sovinjak, Oprtalj, Završje, Roč and Grožnjan. They were so big they passed each other tools from one hill to another. The legend says they had few rocks left after they built all the towns and that’s how they created Hum – the smallest town in the world. Another one of the Istrian legends says that giant Gorazd, son of Dragonja, still lives, hiding in the forests of Istria. Legend-Festom against the bishop curse In the town of Pićan, not far from Pazin, the Legend-Fest event abolishes the old curse of falling behind in development put on Pićan by a bishop after the locals had wrongly accused him and ran him out of the town. The legend festival in Pićan consists of performances, shows, sketches, workshops and lectures at five different locations within the town. Discussions are held outdoors.

BLUE FLAGS

ISTRATURIST UMAG d.d. 1. Kanegra 2. Savudrija 3. Polynesia 4. Katoro 5. Hotel Aurora 6. Laguna – Stella maris 7. Punta 8. Kanova SAVUDRIJA 9. Skiper LAGUNA NOVIGRAD d.d. 10. A/C Mareda 11. A/C Sirena 12. Hotel Maestral PLAVA LAGUNA d.d. POREČ 13. A/C Ulika Naturist Centre 14. Hotel Laguna, Materada 15. Bellevue 16. Hotel Galijot 17. Hotel Parentium 18. Hotel Lotosi 19. Hotel Delfin 20. A/C Zelena laguna 21. A/C Bijela uvala TOWN OF POREČ 22. Špadići, Materada 23. Donji Špadići 24. Gradsko kupalište Poreč

95 RIVIERA POREČ d.d. 25. Valeta, A/C Lanterna 26. Crnika, A/C Lanterna 27. Galeb A/C Solaris 28. Borik 29. Oliva 30. Brulo 31. A/C Istra, Vrsar - Funtana 32. Vala, Vrsar MAISTRA d.d. ROVINJ 33. A/C Valkanela, Vrsar 34. Belvedere, Vrsar 35. A/C Porto Sole, Vrsar 36. Koversada Naturist Centre, Vrsar 37. St. Andrea, Crveni otok Island, Rovinj 38. Zabavni centar T.N. Villas Rubin, Rovinj 39. A/C Polari, Rovinj 40. TN Amarin, Rovinj 41. A/C Veštar, Rovinj INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS d.o.o. 42. Bival KOMUNALAC FAŽANA 43. Children’s playground ARENATURIST d.d. 44. Ambrela 45. Hotel Brioni 46. Hotel Histria GRAD LABIN 47. Maslinica RABAC d.d. RABAC 48. Lanterna 49. St. Andrea 50. Girandella

DALMATIA - ZADAR www.zadar.hr

96 NATURAL HERITAGE The Zadar region, situated in the north part of the Dalmatian coast, and the three- millennia old City of Zadar as its urban center are referred to as the “gate to national parks”. Its unique geographic position literally opens the door to five national parks - Paklenica, Krka Falls, Plitvice Lakes, North Velebit and Kornati – you can see all of them in just one day and each one of them reveals breathtaking beauties. Let’s start at the beginning. The canyons of Velika Paklenica and Mala Paklenica, with their series of falls and cliffs ideal for free climbing, represent a challenge for all nature enthusiasts and excursionists. The area’s flora and fauna include many endemic species like the Eurasian griffon that has one of its two habitats here (www.paklenica.hr). It also includes a number of caves and interesting karstic phenomena found in the highest part of the mountain, National Park North Velebit, which UNESCO proclaimed a World Biosphere Reserve (www.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr)

Kornati – a phenomenon that goes on www.kornati.hr The intact nature of the protected area, plant and animal species, caves and pits on the woody mountain and its slopes is in complete contrast with the view from the heights reaching the lacy network of islands within National Park Kornati, stretching through Zadar and Šibenik Counties. The has a total of 365 islands. Around 150 smaller and larger islands and reefs form National Park Kornati, consisting mostly of bare rock, special blue sea and vertical cliffs plunging into its depths. This true nautical paradise full of bays, tame little ports and hidden beaches is an inevitable part of the itinerary for every navigator that comes to the Adriatic, as well as modern Robinson Crusoes looking for solitude and wanting to enjoy the intact coast and crystal clear sea. NP Paklenica (www.paklenica.hr) is an area of unusual contact between the sea and the mountain, rich in natural forests of beech, black pine and mountain pine. This is a habitat for the endemic plant called pljeskarica in Croatian (Arenaria orbicularis) and other plant and animal rarities, filled with karstic forms. It is famous for some parts of Mala Paklenica and Velika Paklenica. NP Paklenica covers an area of 96 km2. The highest peaks are (1757 m) and Sveto brdo (1753 m). The area was proclaimed a national park in 1949. Nature Park Telašćica (www.telascica.hr) is the woody part of Kornati and one of the safest natural bays for navigators in the Adriatic. The salt lake of Mir, having a temperature higher than that of the sea, is an intriguing natural phenomenon. The Mediterranean vegetation in the tame karstic plains is a habitat for mouflon and has been a place for rest and hunting since the Roman era. Vrana Lake (www.vransko-jezero.hr), only 800 meters from the sea in some places and including an ornithological reserve, is the largest natural lake in Croatia, abundant with freshwater fish and, thanks to the mixing with the sea, with eels as well. This is the only egret habitat in the coastal part of Croatia. Visitors to the reserve can obtain a license for fishing on Vrana Lake and rent a rowboat for the purpose. There are few such landscapes, including mountain peaks and island bays, providing active holiday options organized by agencies or individually through numerous bike tracks by the sea or in the mountains, trekking, paragliding, free climbing and speleological activities.

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CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE Just like nature, the culture and history have been generous in the Zadar tourist region that has been populated for three millennia.

ZADAR www.tzzadar.hr Capital of Dalmatia for centuries and presently the center of the region, Zadar is a city with rich monumental heritage of global significance that is still present everywhere you go. Zadar’s attractiveness is a result of its natural position right in the middle of the Dalmatian coast, surrounded by four national parks. Zadar is the urban center of North Dalmatia as the region’s administrative, economic, university, cultural and political center having a population of around 90,000. Thanks to its geographic position, it has a mild Mediterranean climate – the average air temperature is 25°C in summer and 7°C in winter, while the mean sea temperature in summer is 23°C. Zadar became the capital of Dalmatia in the 7th century and retained the status until 1918. In addition to the stone streets of the peninsula, the center of the old part of the city, Zadar is adorned by the stone Church of St. Donat from the 9th century, the largest explored Roman forum on this side of the Adriatic, the Church of St. Stošija from the 13th century and the Church of St. Krševan from the 12th century. The Sea Organ has become a modern icon of the city – this is a unique architectural miracle recently built in the underwater part of the city quay. The currents of waves and their passage through musical pipes installed beneath the surface of the sea create an amazing sound, the so-called sea music, filling the large space of the seaside promenade. The same architect, Nikola Bašić, takes credit for the Greeting to the Sun, situated right at the top of Zadar peninsula. The Greeting to the Sun consists of three hundred multilayer glass plates installed at the same level as the stone paving of the quay in the shape of a circle 22 meters in diameter. It is conceived as a spatial installation in the shape of an amphitheater surrounded by stone blocks with a presentation of all Solar System planets and their orbits. According to the famous Alfred Hitchcock, this part of the Zadar quay provides a view of the most beautiful sunset in the world. The town of Nin (www.nin.hr), the oldest Croatian royal town where the Croatian state was born, located 18 kilometers from Zadar, has preserved the old Church of St. Cross, the smallest cathedral in the world, for 12 centuries. Only 36 steps long, the small church in Nin was built according to the positions of the Sun throughout the year, so it serves both as a clock and calendar and as a place for prayer. Biograd na moru (www.tzg-biograd.hr), was a prominent Croatian town between the 10th and the 12th centuries when the first Croatian king Koloman was crowned there. Today, it is a typical small tourist town that has developed into a significant nautical center attracting navigators from across Europe thanks its excellent position in the middle of Pašman Channel.

Cultural offer The historical part of Zadar is irresistible to all lovers of historical monuments and cultural heritage. The sights to see include the Church of St. Donat, the city’s symbol, and Zadar’s museums: the Archeological Museum (established in 1830) as one of the

98 most significant museums in Croatia, with some 80,000 thousand items from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, the Native Museum with its Art Gallery and Natural History Section, as well as the Maritime Museum presenting the maritime development in North Dalmatia through history.

The treasury of the Parish Church “Gold and Silver of the Town of Nin” is located on a historical islet next to the Parish Church of St. Anselm. It holds the oldest and most valuable relics from the Croatian sacral history. Museum of Nin’s Antiques – the present layout arranged in seven different rooms includes all important historical eras relating to development of Nin and each of the eras is divided into several thematic units, supported by numerous archeological materials, thematic legends, reconstructions, models, photographs and layouts. The museums contains a reconstruction of two old Croatian ships - Condura Croatica found in Nin and Serilia Liburnica, a Liburnian ship found in the port of old Aenona (Nin) where the Zaton Tourist Resort is currently located. The numerous islands around Zadar also have a valuable historical heritage. The entire area is very indented, which is why it is particularly popular among navigators. The island of Pašman has a special place among them with its two valuable monasteries – the Franciscan one from the 14th-18th century and the Benedictine one from the 12th-15th century. The latter is important as the only active Benedictine monastery in Croatia and has a valuable collection of old painting and an attractive position. There is another beautiful Franciscan monastery on the islet of Galevac next to the island of Ugljan. The islands around Zadar also have old forts such as Kaštelina on Vir and Sveti Mihovil on Ugljan, towers like Toreta on Silba and one of the most beautiful Croatian lighthouses in Veli rat on Dugi otok. However, the most valuable cultural heritage of Zadar’s islands is found on the largest island of Pag, the island of salt, cheese and lace, connected with the mainland by a bridge with another old tower next to it. The town core of Pag from the 15th century is known for its regular streets planned by the famous Croatian architect George the Dalmatian. The center features the Church of Assumption of Virgin Mary from the same period. The regions of Ravni kotari and Bukovica in Zadar’s hinterland are also abundant in valuable cultural and historic monuments. The monuments associated with the Templar knights and Ivanovci in Croatia. Their center was in the town of Vrana and the famous Vrana Priors played a key role in the governance of the medieval Croatian state until the town fell in Turkish hands in the 16th century.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART Numerous festivals, including the Zadar Cultural Summer, Pag Summer, Zadar of Dreams, Music Evenings in St. Donat, Mitra Zonata – Festival of the Sea Organ, Kalelargart - Street Artist Festival, Garden (electronic music festival), Millennium Jump (an event containing activities related to the sea and Zadar with a collective head dive from Zadar Quay), and other cultural events complement each other in summer months, filling the streets with Dalmatian song and traditional customs. One of the most attractive events is the Night of the Full Moon, a festival of traditional, fishermen’s and gastro customs of the Zadar region, islands and hinterland. The public lighting in the center of Zadar is turned off and people rejoice, sing and dance under the light of the Moon, torches and lanterns.

99 During the winter carnival, summer carnival and the season, Pag offers a rich culture, entertainment and art program. Zrće is a long pebble beach near Novalja on the island of Pag, a synonym for wild summer fun, often referred to as the Croatian Ibiza. During the high season, Zrće can receive several thousand bathers. The beach offers various sport& recreation and entertainment facilities, as well as quality catering establishments. The young ones have fun day and night at the Aquarius, Calypso and Papaya discotheques and numerous smaller bars. Zrće flies the Blue Flag, which means that the bathers have clean sea, showers, toilets and a lifeguard services. In Kali on the island of Ugljan, they hold the traditional event called the Kali Fishermen’s Nights – Tunuara in summertime when the Moon in full, where guests are told about the lives and customs of the people in this small island town, which has also been the biggest fishing center on this side of the Adriatic for over 50 years.

GASTRO CORNER Pag cheese – a trademark of the island of Pag Pag cheese is one of the trademarks of the island of Pag, well known outside the Croatian borders. What makes Pag cheese special and different than any other cheese is its firmness and saltiness, rather than the production technology. Pag sheep are bred on hills and the grass there is exposed to salt due to frequent bora winds and full of essential oils. Such sheep food gives Pag cheese a distinctive aroma. The young cheese is much softer and lighter in taste and is available during the winter months and the first months of spring. The mature cheese is very suitable for grating. Pag lamb – a rare delicacy One of the true traditional delicacies found on tables in the Zadar region are dishes made of lamb, especially lamb from the island of Pag where sheep graze on herbs covered with salt brought by bora winds and full of essential oils, providing the meat and milk with a special taste. If you supplement this symbol of top gastronomy with an appetizer like Pag sheep cheese, the winner of many awards at European contests, and some Posedarje prosciutto, the gastro experience will be complete. All this should be accompanied with some fruits of the fields of Ravni kotari, fertile thanks to the tame hinterland and four rows of islands, protecting the coast from strong winds. The centuries-old tradition of Posedarje Dalmatian prosciutto Posedarje prosciutto is made in the Posedarje Prosciutto Plant, relying on centuries of tradition in production of Dalmatian cured- meat products. The traditional production, and especially the drying on Velebit bora carrying a herbal aroma, give the prosciutto unique taste and aroma. Homemade olive oil – a production tradition of 2 thousand years The Zadar region has hundreds of thousands of olive trees used for production of homemade oil of exceptional quality and aroma. The olive growing tradition in the region is over 2000 years long, which is confirmed by the remains of processing devices in the town of Muline on the island of Ugljan. Olive oil is primarily used a condiment for seafood delicacies and boiled vegetables.

The secret of the liqueur for emperors and kings

100 The dessert liqueur Maraschino has been produced in Zadar from the autochthonous sour cherry variety called maraska for centuries and exported to all imperial and royal courts since the 18th century – it was drunk and toasted with by the most powerful rulers in the world. It is produced according to the original and yet unrevealed recipe at the Zadar Beverage Factory. Its archives hold interesting stories of the drink’s history. Šokol is an original product that has been prepared in Nin and the surrounding area since ancient times. The preparation method is a secret of each family preparing it. The beginnings of šokol date back to the 17th century. Šokol is a cured-meat product obtained from pork neck. It is prepared in a similar way as prosciutto – it lies in sea salt for three to seven days, put in red wine and covered and stuffed with condiments – pepper, cloves and nutmegs. Such meat is put in a special cover and tied with a string in a special way, then left in smoke for a few days, and then exposed to bora wind. After a few months of drying in an airy room, šokol is ready to be tasted. It is interesting to know that each šokol is different, depending on the meat processing secrets, while the winter bora is the most critical factor for šokol quality.

QUALITY AND DIVERSE ACCOMMODATION The area around Zadar (Borik, Puntamika, Diklo) has numerous hotels and recreation centers. The hotels in Zadar are superbly equipped and each of them offers amenities including swimming pools, tennis courts and beach volley courts. Hotel Bastion is the first hotel to open in the historical core of the City of Zadar and Zadar peninsula after twenty years. The 4-star hotel has an exclusive interior, a restaurant, a conference hall and 28 modernly equipped rooms. The location is exclusive – within the walls of the city fort of Kaštel, right next to the picturesque Tri Bunara Square, the Arsenal and The Garden lounge bar owned by Nick Colgan, drummer with the UB 40. Zadar is a large tourist center with numerous accommodation facilities: villas, apartments, rooms, inns and camps. Zadar has eight well-equipped marinas, each of them providing a safe shelter and top service. Zadar is the only city on the Adriatic coast providing land mooring for big cruisers in the very center of the city. 17 tourist destinations in the rural area of Zadar County, namely Primorje, Ravni kotari and Lika, offer the accidental traveler homemade food and accommodation in an ambient of family estates, stone houses and a countryside idyll.

Congress tourism in the Zadar region provides excellent possibilities in Hotel 'Kolovare', 'Pinija' in Petrčane and the Hotel Borik complex that has 3-star and 4-star facilities and receives over 2 thousand visitors, completely renovated over the past years and transformed into one of the most beautiful hotel resorts in Dalmatia.

NOVELTIES In the summer of 2009, Falkensteiner Hotels & Residences (www.hoteliborik.hr) will open Punta Skala in Petrčane, the leading hotel complex in Croatia situated right by the sea and designed by top international architects. The Punta Scala Resort will offer its guests two first-class hotels, various restaurants and shops, exclusive suites

101 and many sporting facilities. The 5-star Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Iadera will have 210 rooms and suites. Its special design, first-class equipment and excellent service will make it a true holiday oasis setting new standards in Croatia in terms of lifestyle ambient and wellness. The hotel is adorned by its spa complex covering eight thousand square meters and offering various pools, a large sauna, 25 treatment cabins and an authentically designed Turkish Hamam. The second hotel is the 4-star Falkensteiner Family Hotel Diadora, a true paradise for families. The 252 carefully designed family apartments, numerous activities for children with educated supervision and a luxurious pool area guarantee a perfect holiday with children.

Novigrad’s Aparthotel Agava has been renamed into Castrum Novum***. The hotel has its standard offer of visits and sightseeing in national parks and nature parks, photo safari and jeep safari. This year, the Zaton Holiday Village camp was once again awarded by the German auto club ADAC and pronounced the ADAC Superplatz 2008. The beach of the Zaton Holiday Village flied a Blue Flag, an international award for safety and sea quality standards. The Ancient Glass Museum situated in the beautiful Cosmacenda Palace on Muraj in Zadar will probably open by May of 2009. It will exhibit glass materials from the early Roman Empire period to the late ancient era and late Christian exhibits produced between the 1st and the 5th centuries. In addition to exhibits originating from Zadar, the museum will offer ancient glass from the entire Croatia. Zadar will thus become a center for studies of ancient glass. The 'Ways of Petar Zoranić Ninanjin' project dedicated to the first Croatian renaissance poet and author of the first Croatian novel ('Planine', 1536) provides for functional renovation of the Nin Park in memory of the great author, including informative signage, children’s playgrounds, etc. The ultimate goal of project is to design and organize a thematic journey covering the area of three counties, where tourists would be taken to see all the places described in Planine. This thematic journey is supposed to offer tourists a new interesting experience of learning about the natural, cultural and historical attraction of Zadar County, Lika-Senj County and Šibenik-Knin County. The idea is to enrich this journey with actors who will tell stories from the novel at important sites.

Winnetou tourism in Starigrad Paklenica www.rivijera-paklenica.hr In Crna Punta near Kruševo, they opened an Indian village offering ceremonies and competitions in Indian skills such as lasso and horseshoe throwing and archery. The Year of Winnetou – The Year of Dreams of Freedom has begun here and will go on until August of 2009. The residents of the Indian village will visit a dozen cities in Croatia on horses. An area of around 150,000 square meters in Crna Punta will be venue for numerous events: the Fire Water Days, a fair of domestic drinks made in the Indian fashion, projections of Winnetou films, tournaments in different skills, folklore and dancing festivals, Valentine’s Day the Indian way, etc. They plan to build a theater with a 150 meters long stage and a cowboy town. The Winnetou films were made at over 600 locations in Croatia, including Velebit, Zrmanja River Roški Fall on Krka and Kornati.

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The capacity of Zadar’s Gaženica Port grows The new Gaženica Port in Zadar will be completed by 2013 and will receive three million passengers. The investment is worth 220 million euros. It will be financed by EIB (European Investment Bank) and KfW (German Development Bank). Its construction, including all internal roads, terminal buildings and car waiting areas, will provide the conditions for loading and unloading of a substantial number of passengers and cars, including 6 local ferries between 50 and 150 meters in length, 3 international ships between 150 and 200 meters in length, and 3 cruisers between 250 and 300 meters in length. The New Gaženica Port is expected to become the homeport to many cruiser companies. The Novigrad Port has eleven yacht cabinets (220 V and 380 V power and drinking water). Novigrad offers archery, biking, canoeing, rafting, beach volley, grass volleyball, handball, basketball, small court and regular football, boccie and chess.

ECO TOURISM Nin Salt Plant Park In addition to discovering history, Nin enables you to see the traditional and natural sea salt production method. There is an info center at the entrance to the Salt Plant and professional guides will tell you all about the history and methods of sea salt production, as well as salt processing. You will also learn more about the wetland habitats in Nin Lagoon and the wealth of the bird species living there. The Nin Salt Plant also produces special flower salt, which is a natural source of magnesium and calcium. Flower salt is obtained naturally and represents an ideal therapy for stress situations as it refreshes and revitalizes the organism. Donkey Farm The farm is situated in Poljice, 9.7 km from the sea and the old town Nin. The visitors, especially children, will be delighted with the tour and donkey riding, while the adults will surely be interested in donkey milk – according to folk tales, it has various healing and aphrodisiac properties.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS The new Zagreb-Zadar motorway connects Zadar (2 hours) with the entire Croatia and further. Zemunik has an international airport offering daily flights between Zadar and Zagreb, as well as a number of European cities with regular and charter options. International ship routes connect Zadar with Ancona, Italy, on a daily basis. The coastal route will take you from Zadar to Pula and all the surrounding islands. Trains will get you to Zagreb and further to Europe. The bus routes connect Zadar with almost all major European cities on a daily basis.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF Maraschino liqueur was a favorite at the English court. King George IV used to send his war ships for hundreds of crates of Maraschino for the royal court in London and for the governors of Malta and Corfu. In 1871, ships carrying Maraschino for Queen Victoria sailed from Zadar Port and in 1887, the Prince of Galles (who later became

103 King George V), accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the liqueur factory in Zadar and ordered large amounts of liqueur. Maraschino seduced Napoleon and his military leaders (for example, Marshall Marmonte) and it was inevitable at the Russian, French, Viennese and Italian courts. Zadar is the first Croatian city to have a university, way back in 1396. It was established by the Dominicans within the Monastery of St. Dominic.

The island of Ugljan has 200,000 olive trees.

In July of 2008, the New Destination within the Travel Section of The New York Times recommended Zadar to the American audience, highlighting its millennia-old cultural heritage, the close proximity of islands and five national parks, as well as its accessibility from numerous European airports.

Games within the World Handball Championship will be played in the new built sport center in Višnjik in January of 2009. The sport center was named after Krešimir Ćosić, a basketball legend, and will be the center of Zadar’s sports in the near future. It is situated in the northeast part of Zadar, around 20 minutes on foot from the Peninsula and all other parts of the city.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR Pag lace – the white gold of the town of Pag Pag lace is the white gold of the town of Pag, the most beautiful souvenir you can take with you and an original Croatian item. Created in ancient Mycenae, it was commercially transported to Pag and remained there to date. This is beautiful embroidery, a handicraft suitable as a souvenir or gift. We recommend you put the lace on a dark background and frame it. There are several forms and types of Pag lace. It is different than other types of lace for being sewn with a narrow thread and for being firm. Empress Mary Theresa kept a Pag lace maker at her court, who sewed lace for court requirements. Pag lace was first exhibited in 1880 and was also presented at the World Exhibition in New York in 1939.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS The foundations of the Croatian state in Nin Croatia was first recognized as a state in 879 in Nin. Encouraged by Croats’ loyalty to the Catholic Church and Rome, Pope John VIII sent three letters to the new Croatian ruler Branimir on 7 June 879, blessing the Croatian state and people. The first letter was addressed to Duke Branimir, the second to Nin Bishop Theodosius, and the third to the clergy and all people of Croatia. The appearance of the Lady of Zečevo Every year on 5 May and 5 August, pilgrims traditionally visit the islet of Zečevo – the place of appearance of the Lady of Zečevo. The perimeter of the islet is only 6 km. It is separated from the mainland by a gully that you can walk over when the tide is low. Hermit monks populated the island and built a chapel in honor of the Lady of Zečevo. Holiday in a lighthouse made of egg whites One of the special offers of the Zadar archipelago includes holidays in the Veli Rat lighthouse on Dugi Otok. Surrounded by pinewoods and pebble beaches, it

104 accommodated up to seven persons. An interesting legend says that thousands of egg whites are incorporated in the thick walls of the 40 meters high lighthouse to make the walls more resistant to the sea and winds. The paved yard of the lighthouse is adorned by an old chapel under a centuries-old pine tree.

Blue Flags Marina ‘Dalmacija’ Marina ‘Kornati’ Marina ‘Olive Island’ ‘Borik’ - Zadar Beach ‘Dražica’ Beach - Biograd na Moru ‘Dubrovnik’ Beach ‘Iza banja’ Beach ‘Jaz’ Beach ‘Mala Mandra’ Beach ‘Mali Dubrovnik’ Beach ‘Perilo’ Beach ‘Prosika’ Beach A/C ‘Šimuni’ Beach T.N. Zaton Beach Zrće Beach, Novalja (a part of the island of Pag, including Novalja, is administratively within Lika-Senj County) Tankerkomerc d.d. Marina Zadar

DALMATIA - ŠIBENIK www.sibenikregion.com

Šibenik, the most protected natural port in Central Adriatic not far from the place where Krka River flows into the sea, is the center of the tourist region with two

105 national parks and the green hinterland naturally joined with the coastal area, a rich cultural & historical heritage and an archipelago with as many as 240 islands, islets and reefs. Only Žirje, Zlarin, Prvić, , and Murter are populated. According to ADAC’s sea cleanness analysis, the Adriatic has been one of the cleanest seas in the Mediterranean, especially the island and remote parts of Dalmatia, unaffected by civilizational pollution and representing a true heaven for navigators.

NATURAL HERITAGE Kornati – tears, stars and breath www.kornati.hr National Park Kornati, partially belonging to the Zadar region, combines the wild beauty of sheer rock with the blue of the incredibly clear sea and silence that cannot be found anywhere else. The charm of the hidden coves will leave every sea enthusiast breathless. It was named after the biggest island, . Fascinated by the beauty of the densest group of islands in the European part of the Mediterranean, George Bernard Shaw wrote: “A legend says that, on the last days of the creation, God wanted to crown his work and made Kornati out tears, stars and breath”.

National Park Krka (www.npkrka.hr), the empire of Krka River, the magnificent karstic beauty traveling two thirds of its way to the sea through canyons, is a complete opposite of Kornati. On its green path, it has seven falls, the last one being Skradinski buk with an average flow of 55 cubic meters of water per second. National Park Krka is rich in flora and fauna. 222 bird species live there, making it one of the most valuable ornithological areas in Europe. You can visit it by boat, car or on foot. Make sure you visit the ethno museum on one of the old mills. National Park Krka also has the only hawk training center in Croatia where you can se presentations of hunting with hawks and hawk trainers’ skills (www.npkrka.hr).

Each of the islands within the Šibenik archipelago, arranged across the vast area of the open sea, hides an interesting feature. Zlarin has the most famous coral divers, while Krapanja, a small town on the smallest island in the region of the same name, is known for its sea sponge divers.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE The cultural & historical monuments still demonstrate the long-term human presence and the wealth of the local architectural skill. This particularly includes the ancient sites like Bribirska glavica and the Roman Skardona, Šibenik’s fortifications of St. Michael, St. John Šubićevac, and St. Nicholas – the Kinin Fort. Šibenik Fort was created in the 9th century. The city itself was first mentioned in 1066 in the deed of donation of the Croatian King Petar Krešimir. Established by the Croats over a millennium ago, the city keeps some of the most valuable works of Dalmatian art on its streets and squares, such as the city hall, a masterpiece of Croatian architecture, or the Cathedral of St. Jacob, a magnificent world of George the Dalmatian from the 15th century. The cathedral is on the list of World Historical

106 Heritage protected by the UNESCO. It was built for 105 and they only used stone from the islands of Brač and Korčula. Šibenik was the first Croatian town that made its own money under the Venetians. The Šibenik Museum was established on 20 December 1925 at the thousandth anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom and is situated in the former Ducal Palace right next to the Cathedral. It consists of an archeological and cultural & historical section dealing with more recent history and an ethnographic section. A restoration and conservation workshop operates within the Museum. They engage in collection, keeping, treatment and presentation of the cultural & historical heritage of the Šibenik region. National Park Krka hides two special historical and cultural pearls – the Monastery of St. Archangel of Krka and the fairytale-like Visovac Monastery. The Franciscan Monastery of Visovac is located on an islet in the middle of a green lake formed by Krka River. Since 1400, it has been populated by hospitable keeping precious items, old paintings and artwork. The area around Krka has many remains of old settlements, prehistoric sites and remains of Roman waterworks, which are protected as a cultural monument. The town of Skradin, which was first mentioned way back in 339 B.C., still keeps traces of the old Illyric settlement. Primošten, a picturesque town built on a small island during the Turkish threat, used to be protected by a wall, towers and a drawbridge connecting it with the mainland. The channel between the island and the mainland was later filled up and the Primošten Island became a peninsula. Situated at a crossroads, Knin has always been very important strategically. The Croatian Kings Trpimir, Držislav, Zvonimir and Petar occasionally had their seats there and it was also the seat of the archbishopric stretching all the way to Drava River. Bribirska glavica, an attractive archeological site, is referred to as the Croatian Troy for its mystical combination of nature and wooden buildings. Because of its strategic position, it was the central settlement of the entire region for six thousand years. An old Liburnian settlement, Roman Municipality of Varvaria or mythical Bribir under the reign of the powerful Croatian feudal ruler, Governor Pavle Šubić of Bribir – all civilizations recognized the importance of this seemingly unimportant hill. Stroll around and find ancient sarcophagi, tanks and “ceramic refrigerators” (two meters thick Liburnian and ancient walls), remains of sacral buildings, and a rich collection of of exhibits from the prehistoric era to the late Middle Ages. The Tureta Forrt on Kornat dates back to the late ancient or early medieval era. It was within the fortification system controlling navigation through the Adriatic. It is assumed to have been created as part of a Templar monastery from the Illyric era.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART The International Children’s Festival, the only one of its kind in the world, takes place every summer on countless stages such as Šibenik’s streets, steps and squares, the coast, the park, the cathedral and the theater. They put on children’s shows from across the world in city’s outdoor areas and only the youngest ones are allowed to rule the city’s areas at the time (www.mdf-si.org).

107 The Dalmatian Chanson Festival, a music event presenting authentic and warm Dalmatian songs, has become one of the trademarks and a special summer event in Šibenik. Music lives in every corner of Šibenik, which now has 6 historical organs and 4 modern ones, making it the leader in the number of the instrument in Croatia. This is the reason why organ lovers come together in Šibenik every year and research sacral music. The Medieval Fair in Šibenik, an event that takes place every year in late July, is aimed to preserve the folklore and ethno heritage of the region, especially handicrafts, souvenirs and original products made of wood and metal. Hacienda in Vodice and Aurora in Primošten are two most popular discotheques in Dalmatia. In summertime, thousands of young people from Zadar to Makarska come together in the open air every night. Vodice has the first open private Maritime Museum and Aquarium. The museum contains old fishing tools, ship models and items found in submarine archeological sites and dating back to periods between the 3rd century B.C. to the Middle Ages. The exhibits include ancient ships, German warships and historical Croatian ships including falkuša, kondura, strijela and galleys from Dubrovnik and Hvar. The aquariums offer 150 kinds of seashells, crabs and fishes, including some rare species like the green wrasse and lake char that have not been caught in the past forty years.

GASTRO CORNER The cuisine of the Šibenik region is a typical Dalmatian cuisine with plenty of fish and seashells. The specialties include Šibenik mussels, well known for their taste and size, especially those picked in the area where Krka River flows into the sea not far from Šibenik Bridge. The Šibenik region is known for its first-class prosciutto, especially those from Miljevci, Drniš and Pakovo. Brodetto is one of the oldest and favorite Dalmatian dishes. They also often prepare simple and tasty homemade dishes – cured sardines in olive oil and lamb baked under a lid. The wines of Šibenik’s coastal area and the islands are widely known, especially the autochthonous Babić variety from the vineyards of Primošten – thanks to their beauty, the unusual geographic position and the barren land on which they grow, they have become a true monument to hardworking peasants. It is no wonder their painting adorns the lobby of the United Nations building in New York.

Rural tourism Etnoland Dalmati is the first theme park of its kind in Croatia, which opened its doors to visitors in mid-May of 2007. It is situated in Central Dalmatia, only 10 minutes from National Park Krka in Pakovo Selo (15 km from Šibenik). With an area of 15,000 square meters and a capacity for 500 people, it acquaints the visitors with the life of the as it once was. The complex consists of an old Dalmatian house, a coral for the animals, a wheat thrashing facility, an old crafts workshop, a wagon-making area (a unique venue for shows), a roofed restaurant and a small Dalmatian marketplace as a souvenir shop. The workshops presenting old, somewhat forgotten crafts, the visitors can meet a stone carver, a seamstress or woodworker and learn about how they lived and worked in the barren rocky land.

108 The highlights among them are the Dinner and Dancing, including a guided tour of the ETNOLAND, wine and Drniš prosciutto tasting, a traditional dinner with guitars and mandolins, and an authentic folklore show. Jurlinovi dvori, a place of preserved and restored autochthonous stone architecture of rural estates where guests can stay and see the ethno heritage, hear some traditional and historical stories and try the local delicacies, is situated in Primošten Burna, only eight kilometers from Primošten. Dubrava Hawk Training Center is a must-see for those who want to experience of touch of wilderness and adventure in the heart of the Mediterranean. They have bred various species of birds of prey for many years. The visitors can enjoy watching the hawks fly or close proximity of these skillful hunters. Numerous professionals will tend to injured or otherwise endangered birds at the bird clinic to enable them further flying. A network of hiking and biking tracks intensifies the systematic and permanent enriching of the rural estate offer in the Šibenik & Knin region, as well as the implementation of the wine road and olive road projects.

ACTIVE TOURISM The Šibenik region has organized bike tracks around Šibenik, Vodice and Primošten. Bungee jumping and parasailing are available on Šibenik Bridge. On Murter, they hold underwater fishing competitions ever year. Jadrija in Šibenik has many winds ideal for windsurfing – bora and moderate south wind in spring and autumn, and north wind and mistral in summertime. Several islands off the coast enable safe windsurfing regardless of skill. Safari tours (Vrana, Krka, Dinara) are very interesting if you want to explore the interior of Dalmatia because the sheer rock and dirt roads (ideal for off-road driving) will take you to picturesque and hidden places in a seal of grey rock and karst. The Mattiazzi Arboretum in Mučići in Morinje Bay is home to the Therapy Riding Association and the Pegasus Equestrian Club organizing therapeutic and recreational horseback riding in a wonderful green surrounding stretching all the way to the sea. The lakes have become a destination for international Big Game Fishing competitions. Lovers of this sport will enable the guests to take part in exciting tuna hunts on specially equipped boats. Paintball is available in Vodice hinterland. The Solaris hotel complexes offer clay tennis courts and volleyball courts. Hotel Punta and Hotel Olimpija in Vodice have diving options within a scuba diving club, tennis courts and biking. Thanks to the many islands, bays and tame coves providing safe moorings for navigators – the nautical tourism possibilities are endless.

A QUALITY AND DIVERSE OFFER The largest wellness center in Croatia can be found within the Solaris hotel complex in Šibenik. It consists of six pools (two of them with seawater) heated to a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. The indoor freshwater pools and underwater massages are heated to 30 degrees and provide, among other things, massages by underwater geysers, counter-current swimming and falls. The hotel also has the Dalmatian Village, a replica of a typical Dalmatian hinterland village with an offer of

109 autochthonous Dalmatian food and beverage and an extensive daily folklore and harmony singing program. Hotel Punta is located in a pinewood on the Punta peninsula, 100 m from the beach. The complex is a separate entity, situated only 10 minutes on foot from the center of Vodice. The sea is crystal clear and the beach is protected from the open sea by several islands. Only a few hundred meters farther is a sandy beach suitable for children and non-swimmers. The complex comprises Hotel Punta and the Arausa, Arausana and Antonina annexes. Hotel Punta is classified as four stars and has quality rooms, suites and a state-of-the-art wellness center on 150 m2. The islet of Prišnjak, only 300 meters from Murter, has had a lighthouse since 1886, surrounded by pinewood and offering an apartment for rent. Those who prefer absolute quiet, peace and privacy are recommended to spend their holidays here. The newly built Hotel Spongiola on the very shore of the picturesque little island of Krapanj is surrounded by magnificent pinewoods. Built in the place of the former sponge diving cooperative, it fits perfectly into the town with its autochthonous architecture. Hotel Spongiola is the only hotel in Krapanj, which has traditionally been populated with sponge divers, and its location is in the very center of the town. Diving is an integral part of the hotel’s offer and the owners, diving enthusiasts, prefer to call it a diving center for its structure and top diving equipment.

NOVELTIES The implementation of Obonjan Riviera, one of the most important projects in Šibenik’s tourism, has begun – Obonjan is expected to become a new desirable destination on the tourist map of Croatia. The project provides for construction of an integrated tourist complex of a high category and nautical mooring facilities. The construction on the island will be in compliance with the elements of autochthonous urbanism and the highest environmental protection standards. The 3-star hotels Niko with 56 beds and Vrata Krke opened in Vodice and Lozovac, respectively. The Knin Fort is interpretatively conceived and represents a tourist attraction.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS The Šibenik region is reachable by the modern motorway coming from Rijeka, Zagreb and Zadar and going further to Split and Dubrovnik, as well as by train from Zagreb. Airplanes land in Split and Zadar airports, which are both 45 away from Šibenik. Ferry routes run to all islands of the archipelago.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF Latin Sail Every year on the Holiday of St. Michael, guardian of the Murter Parish, they hold the Latin Sail regatta. It always starts in Hramina Bay and the contestants only use Latin sails on traditional boats classified into three categories: leut, gajeta and kaić. This is an opportunity to revive memories of the time when the residents of Murter only had one of the traditional types of boats and oars to reach their estates on Kornati and Modrave. If the wind was good, they also used Latin sails. Thanks to their numerous estates on the mainland (Modrave) and the neighboring islands (Kornat, Žut, ),

110 the ancient trademark of the Mediterranean – the Latin sail - has survived longer on Murter and is more deeply rooted than on other islands of the Adriatic. The Murter Latin sail is different than others for its sharp top part. This made it easier to navigate around the little islands near Murter. In terms of the number of vessels and contestants, the regatta has eventually developed to such extent that it required its own organizational body, so they established the Murter-Betina Latin Sail Association. The Latin Sail event always includes a rich culture/entertainment/education program. They demonstrate maritime skills and have lectures, exhibitions, evenings of the native language in the authentic ambient of a Kornati house, and a traditional grilled sardine brunch on the Old Quay. The regatta concludes the week and they always sail on the peasant routes of the old resident of Murter. The awards for the best contestants must be original and serve the basic purposes of Latin Sail – originality, youth, experience and honor. The awards include the sail, , oar, rudder and ropes.

Lady of Tarac The area around the Tarac plain is without a doubt the first colonized place on the islands of Kornati. In Željkovci, a neighboring plain, they found a Neolithic axe and both plains are surrounded by numerous Liburnian tumuli. Apparently, the Tureta Fort was built in the 6th century on a hill above Tarac, its military crew ensuring safe sailing through the Kornati Channel. Tureta is the only fort in the Adriatic from the era that has not been destroyed. At the same time, they built the Church of St. Mary at the foot of the hill, between a small cove and the plain – it served as a shelter for sailors waiting for more favorable sailing conditions in the protected coves of Šipnat, or Telaščica. In the late Middle Ages, they built a chapel dedicated to the Lady of Visitation in the main nave of the church, which the locals refer to as the Lady of Tarac. On the first Sunday of July, they hold a mass there to bless the plain and the sea. Hundreds of boats participate in the votive procession. This is one of the most beautiful and most interesting religious events in Croatia. Wells – the secrets of Šibenik In the very center of Šibenik, only 50 meters from the Cathedral of St. Jacob, hides a plateau with an old water supply facility referred to as the 4 Wells, its entrance opposite the entrance to the Cathedral, behind high stone walls. It was used until the middle of the 20th century. After a few decades during which it was forgotten and abandoned, conservators reconstructed all four stone well crowns, renovated the floor and gave it its former appearance. The area can receive several hundred people and is ideal as a summer stage for small concerts, shows, etc. The well crowns on the terrace were carved by Juraj Mihajlov of Zadar and Marko Petrov of Apulia. Squeezed between the stone fronts of the surrounding palaces, the crowns and the area around them have been out of tourists’ reach for a long time, although this is one of the most beautiful areas in the historical part of the city. The reservoir complex now offers an interactive multimedia exhibition telling the story of Šibenik through 7 pictures.

111 AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR Šibenik buttons once adorned the local folk costumes. They are now available in jewelry shops. Combined with red corals from Zlarin, they make beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Once representing the main line of business, the red corals from Zlarin are now available as jewelry in the ethno museum and the Zlarin Coral Shop where they present the traditional jewelry-making methods. The people of Krapanj have extracted the Krapanj sponge, well known and appreciated on the European market, since the 17th century. The people of Krapanj adopted the sponge diving skill from the Greeks and the tradition has survived to date.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS How Šibenik was created – in the year 1066, Croatian King Petar Krešimir IV mentioned a fort in one of his documents. It was situated in the most indented part of the Adriatic coast, hidden between islands and channels, right next to the estuary of Krka. In addition to the fort, the document mentions a settlement under its walls. Unlike other towns in the Adriatic that were created by the Illyrians, Romans or Greeks, this was the first settlement on the coast established by the Croats. The fort mentioned by the King has eventually become as the Fort of St. Michael, while the settlement was later named Šibenik. George the Dalmatian – His era represents the golden age of the Croatian medieval art and his most beautiful creation is the Cathedral of St. Jacob in Šibenik, reflecting the urban life of the time and being a masterpiece of sculpture. The entire building consists of stone elements only (with no wood or brick) and features 74 surprisingly realistic portraits of his fellow citizens carved in stone.

Blue Flags

ACI MARINA JEZERA ACI MARINA VODICE ‘Plava plaža’ Bijela Plaža - Solaris Danuvius Marina Tribunj Marina ‘Betina’ Marina ‘Frapa’ Marina ‘Kremik’ ‘Lolic’ Beach

DALMATIA – SPLIT www.dalmatia.hr

Central Dalmatia with its culture, heritage and lifestyle is an inevitable place to visit, have fun, relax and enjoy a tradition of 1,700 years!

112 Way back in the year 305, Roman Emperor Diocletian, who literally had the entire world under his feet, chose the center of Dalmatia to build his villa in and enjoy the last ten years of his life. The former imperial Diocletian Palace is now the populated historical core of Split, the second largest city in Croatia, the permanently young, noisy and hectic tourist and economic center of the region, surrounded by smaller tourist towns and islands and providing them with its sea gate.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE No other place has two cities with monumental heritage under UNESCO’s protection registered in the World Cultural Heritage within just 30 km like Central Dalmatia does. They are the Diocletian Palace in Split and the historical core of the town of Trogir. Salona, the former center of the Roman province of Dalmatia, is situated between them. Works of stone, marble and wood, created by inspired artists in Central Dalmatia from ancient times to modern days, have not been confined to churches and museums – they can be found on houses, facades and in historical urban wholes, most of them true urban masterpieces of Romanic and gothic styles. These small towns and urban wholes provide their guests with peace and solitude, as well and wild nights with a touch of the Mediterranean south. Artistic creations in stone like the portal of the Trogir Cathedral made by Master Radovan in 1240 are truly spectacular, while Bonino of Milan, George the Dalmatian, Andrija Aleši and Nicholas of Florence created their best works here. The walnut tree doors to the Split Cathedral, the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world, a part of which was build on the Emperor Diocletian’s mausoleum, were made by Andrija Buvina in 1214 and recorded in the history of the European Romanic wood sculpture. The inspired region rich in tradition has produced great painters like Emanuel Vidović, one of the most famous Croatian painters from the late 19th century and the early 20th century, and Ivan Meštrović, originally from Otavice near Drniš, whose works adorn museums and galleries across the world. In addition to the series of his artworks exhibited in the Meštrović Gallery, his monument to Bishop Grgur Ninski situated next to the north entrance to the Diocletian Palace is particularly impressive. According to a legend, if you touch his big toe, your wishes will come true. Several theaters are active in Split, including the Croatian National Theater built in 1893 and organizing the Split Summer and Marulić Days theater festivals. They also have the Youth Theater and the Split Puppet Theater. The Museum of Croatian Archeological Monuments, a capital Croatian cultural project, was established in 1893 in Knin, while the Archeological Museum from 1820 is one of the oldest museums in Croatia. Split also has the Split Cathedral Treasury containing a valuable collection of sacral art, the Ethnographic Museum established in 1910, the Historical & Maritime Museum and the Museum of Natural History.

'THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD' www.visitsplit.com Split is a city living a slowly paced life, which you will soon get used to. The feeling that every day is a holiday here, the squares, restaurants and cafés full of people and the inevitable quay refreshed by mistral in summertime and protected from the

113 cold by the Mediterranean sun and the palace in wintertime – to put it in a nutshell, you will feel right at home. Many of the 200 thousand residents refer to the largest Croatian coastal city as the most beautiful city in the world. Its mild climate with 2,700 sunny hours a year makes it an oasis where you can enjoy the sun even in wintertime. The ancient city that has lived in the warmest part of the north coast of the Mediterranean for 1,700 years is the industrial, university and economic center of Dalmatia. In addition to many archeological, historical and cultural monuments, it has the attractiveness and warmth of a contemporary Mediterranean city. Within the former imperial palace, Split has the smallest and narrowest street in the world called Let Me Through because two people cannot pass each other by on it.

A museum town of 750 steps It is a special experience to visit the museum town of Trogir that has throbbed with life here since the 3rd century. Its central part is only 750 steps long! In the millennia-old Monastery of St. Nicholas, they keep a relief of the Kairos god, the god of the fleeting moment dating back to the 4th century B.C. Only fifteen kilometers away is Salona, the largest complex of ancient monuments in Croatia that used to be a true cosmopolitan metropolis of Dalmatia in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, having a population of 62 thousand. The area was later the seat of the first Croatian kings. The Klis Fort was built on a cliff. The Uskoks prevented Turks from passing to Split from there – the Turkish Army never got past the Klis Fort.

Brač stone in buildings around the world www.otok-brac.info Brač, the biggest island of the Split archipelago, is slowly becoming a suburb of Split. It is very well connected with the center of the region by boat. This is the place of the most glorious white stone carving tradition – the stone is still collected in the local quarries. Brač stone was used to make the Parliament and the New Court in Vienna, the Parliament in Budapest, the Diocletian Palace and the cathedrals in Trogir and Šibenik. Brač also has the fascinating hermit monastery Pustinja Blaca, built by Glagolitic monks fleeing from the Turks in 1550. With its telescope and a concert piano shipped in from Vienna, the monastery still tells stories of the culturally rich medieval life on the island.

Hvar on the list of the most beautiful islands in the world www.tzhvar.hr The sunny island of Hvar is proud to be one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It is hard to tell whether it captures more with the harmony of history, art and natural beauties or the luring aroma of lavender. It is worth taking a stroll down the stone streets worn out by centuries and the largest island square on both sides of the Adriatic, see the Arsenal and visit the first municipal theater in Europe, built way back in 1612.

NATURAL HERITAGE Central Dalmatia represents a harmony of urban areas in an exceptionally well preserved environment of the populated coast with the longest natural pebble

114 beaches, Dalmatian pine trees on the mainland and a series of green islands. This particularly applies to Makarska Riviera and Brela – many people agree this is an area of the most beautiful natural beaches in the Adriatic and crystal clear sea. The Biokovo Nature Park massif is directly above these beaches and they say its feet are in the sea and its head is in lightning. On sunny days, it speak Sveti Jure at 1762 meters above the sea provides a view reaching even the remotest islands in the Adriatic. Biokovo is a habitat for many endemic plant and animal species. You can still see chamois roaming around its meager pastures. It is also known for the spectacular sunrise in summertime (www.biokovo.com). Bol on Brač is marked by the popular Zlatni Rat Beach, its appearance changing depending on the direction of the wind and waves. The Blue Cave, one of the most attractive natural phenomena in the Adriatic, is located on the small island of Biševo near Vis. It is only 17 meters wide and 31 meters long. The cave is accessible through a narrow sea passage between the rocks. Sunlight comes in through an underwater opening, flooding the sea and the visitors with silver and blue colors. The only known habitat for the monk seal is right next to it. The Red Lake and the Blue Lake near Imotski are the best examples of the special hydrography and morphology of Dalmatian karst. Both lakes are characterized by a special shape. These are cave lakes, which means they were created by collapsing of large caves. The Kokorići Ethno Eco Village is situated in a valley southwest of Vrgorac, at the foot of Rilić and an altitude of just 85 meters. The village is only 5 kilometers from the center of Vrgorac. This is a typical Dalmatian settlement, both for the interesting living options and the natural landmarks and architecture dominated by stone. There is an organized ethnographic collection in Kokorići. It reflects the rural lifestyle and the special combination of man and his tools and equipment he used throughout his history. 250 exhibits are available.

ENTERTAINMENT AND ART The tradition of cultural events in the region is centuries-old. Don’t miss the Split Summer – a festival of opera, drama, music and ballet on city squares, streets and ancient area, featuring world famous opera artists and conductors. They also have a pop music festival, a street performers festival, the Flower Holiday (an attractive contest between florists held in the attractive cellars of the Diocletian Palace, the Art Summer and harmony singing and folklore events. The Marulić Days and the Book of the Mediterranean are held outside the season, while the traditional events include the Holiday of St. Cross, the Flower Fair, the Split Ball, the wine fair, etc. The City Day is celebrated on 7 May, on the Holiday of St. Duje, the city’s guardian. The pop music festival in Split is one of the central regional entertainment events in Central Dalmatia, known for its noisy nights filled with music. The cellars in the Diocletian Palace have recently become a venue for Dalmatian chanson evening concerts. Trogir has the unique Trogir Cultural Summer. The First House of Dalmatian Music is situated in the Fort of St. Mark from the 15th century – a venue for all those who want to learn about the musical heritage of Dalmatia. Sinj’s knightly game called Alka originates from the historical victory of the people of Cetinska Krajina over the Turks on 15 August 1715 and is held every year in early

115 August. Sinj’s Alka men compete in hitting the Alka (ring) riding horses decorated with silver and wearing original costumes preserved in memory of the victory (www.alka.hr). Omiš is known as a traditional venue for lovers of authentic Dalmatian harmony singing and the organizer of the Dalmatian Harmony Singing Festival that has been held in early July for forty years, while the town of Kaštela and its Evenings of Dalmatian Song has been a place where harmony singers have met and presented their modern harmony singing achievements for ten years.

GASTRO CORNER On Brač, they will offer you Brač lamb of a distinctive taste, the Vitalac, an island specialty made of lamb offal, and Brač sheep cheese in oil. The Cetina region is known for rive crabs and frog delicacies, including frog legs in prosciutto. The range of delicacies includes the Sinj arambašiči made in wintertime from thin slices of meat wrapped in sour cabbage leaves and boiled with pieces of smoked meat. In summertime, the same meat is wrapped in vine leaves! The popular desserts include the Kaštela cake, the Makarana cake, Vis kroštule, Dalmatian fritule and Hvar pepper cake. Grape and wine are integral parts of the Dalmatian gastro offer. It has recently been discovered that the most appreciated American grape variety Zinfandel originates from Kaštela near Split. It has been a trademark of California’s vineyards for over a century and was brought their by Croatian immigrants from Kaštela, where they still grow it under the name of kaštelanski crljenak. Due to the abundance of grape varieties grown in Central Dalmatia through history and brought by the local voyagers from across the world, they still hold the Wine Roads here within the tourist offer. This wine event includes winemakers both from the mainland and the islands, offering their guests the opportunity to taste the wine in their wine cellars. The popular wine varieties of the region include maraština, pošip, vugava, kujundžuša, žilavka and plavac mali. In Central Dalmatia, you can take an organized tour of forty olive growers on the so- called Olive Roads, taste and purchase oil and visit the Olive Growing Museum in Mirca on the island of Brač.

RELIGIOUS TOURISM Central Dalmatia has several major shrines, including the Shrine of the Lady of Sinj in Sinj, Vepric near Makarska and the Shrine of the Lady of Otok in Solin. Međugorje, the famous place of appearance of Virgin Mary is around a hundred kilometers southeast of Makarska, in the neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. Another thing that makes Central Dalmatia special is the tradition of preserving old folk and religious customs through processions, wakes and vows, most often associated with Catholic holidays and town guardians. They include the spectacular nighttime processions on Great Friday on Hvar and the 34-km nighttime votive hikes from Split to the center of the Lady of Sinj in Sinj with tens of thousands people from all over Dalmatia joining in a few days before 15 August. All tourist spots, even the smallest ones, have outdoor huge celebrations of their guardian saints for both the locals and their guests. On 7 May of every year, they have a festival dedicated to St. Duje, the guardian of Split, a priest whom Emperor

116 Diocletian had killed, defending the expansion of Christianity in his empire. Many years later, the believers of Split laid the bones of their saint in the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.

ACTIVE TOURISM Central Dalmatia is an ideal place to enjoy active tourism and the sporting options. Bol on Brač has its internationally popular windsurfing destination and the most beautiful windsurfing spot in the Adriatic. Mistral wind blows in the channel between the islands of Brač and Hvar every afternoon, making the place ideal for windsurfing. Mild wind, suitable for beginners, blows in the morning and makes Bol ideal for those who are just starting to practice windsurfing. Parachuting is available in Baška Voda and Brela and paragliding is available on the mountains of Dinara, Biokovo and Vidova Gora on Brač. The Pegaz training center for paragliders within the Pegaz free flying club in Hrvace near Sinj was registered by the Ministry of Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development in 2004. The entire mainland part of the region and all islands have organized bike tracks. Adventure tourism has a great potential here thanks to the close proximity of the Dalmatian hinterland, the green heart of Dalmatia 30 km from the sea, with the rivers Cetina, and Žrnovnica running through it. The tame parts and rapids of these mighty rivers attract many lovers of canyoning, canoe-safaris, rafting and climbing on cliffs above the rivers every day. The area is also known for its long and tame horseback riding tracks. The equestrian sport, practiced in numerous clubs in Sinj, and the surrounding area, provides pleasure to both experts and complete beginners, riding purebred horses in private schools and agro-tourism estates.

QUALITY AND DIVERSE ACCOMMODATION Split-Dalmatia County made the highest investments in accommodation capacities, which is confirmed by several awards presented to Hotel Le Meridien Lav in Split, which has been pronounced the Leading European Conference Hotel, the Leading Croatian Hotel and the Leading Croatian Spa Hotel. The City of Split will have its first globally branded hotel – the present Hotel Split will be named Radisson Resort Split after a thorough reconstruction that is under way, and will be classified as four stars. Hotel Marjan, which will open ahead of the 2009 season, is also being reconstructed. It will be classified as five stars and will contain: 320 rooms, 27 suites, a presidential suite, restaurants, a pub, a piano bar, a wellness center, casino pools, congress halls and other facilities. Agro-tourism has intensively developed in the interior of Central Dalmatian islands that used to be abandoned places on mountain slopes, and in the hinterland of Dalmatia. In addition to the exceptional nature and the autochthonous ambient of stone houses as they were several centuries ago in Gornja Brela, Gornji Tučepi, Podstrana, Slime, Gati, Tugari, Vrgorac, Brnaze, Vis and Pražnice, the guests will be able to try the fruits and vegetables freshly picked from the garden and the local delicacies. Central Dalmatia also offers accommodation in three lighthouses – on in Makarska, on Sušac and Palagruža, the remotest island. The lighthouse on this island was built 130 years ago on a 90 meters high cliff. Sacral sources recorded that Pope Alexander III stayed on Palagruža in 1177 while traveling with his fleet of ten

117 galleys. Impressed by the beauty of the island and the archipelago, he wanted to stop here and have dinner, so they have called the area the Pope’s Field ever since. Biokovka in Makarska is one of the most popular health resorts in Central Dalmatia with its professional physical therapy and the possibility of bathing in the sea in summer months, while the Split Spa has a natural source of hot sulfuric water.

NOVELTIES The 2009 World Handball Championship is the greatest handball event in the Croatian sport history – it will have its premiere at the newly built Spaladium Arena in Split with the match between Croatia and South Korea, which will also make excellent promotion of this multipurpose hall. The Spaladium Arena is a multipurpose and technologically advanced hall seating up to 12,000 people. In addition to sporting events, it will be used for cultural events like fairs, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, etc.

The Dalmatian hinterland and rural tourism have a special place in the Tourism Development Master Plan for Split-Dalmatia County. The strategic document foresees 20 million overnights in the next 10 years, increase of daily spending from the present 45 euros to 75 euros, total value of tourist spending of 1.5 billion euros and increase of employment in tourism by 20,000 people, with 2 billion euros in investments.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS Split is the largest travel center on both sides of the Adriatic Sea and the third biggest port in the Mediterranean in terms of passenger and vehicle traffic. It is equally well connected with the world by sea, land and air. Boats connecting the Split region with the nearby islands and Rijeka, Korčula and Dubrovnik operate on a daily basis. Overseas connections with Ancona and Pescara connect the two coasts throughout the year by ferries and fast catamarans, getting you from Italy to Split in only 3.5 hours. Split has the biggest international airport in the Adriatic and is directly connected with dozens of European cities. During the summer, over 40 international airlines land on its runway. Since 2005, the low-cost Germanwings has connected it with several German cities. Since March of 2006, the low-cost Wizz Air has offered direct flights to London and Budapest four times a week and to Geneva since 2008. Brač Airport It is a railroad center with daily connections with Zagreb and further toward Europe. After the completion of the motorway, Zagreb is only 3.5 hours away. The Split-Ploče section of the Dalmatina (A1) will be put into service by the end of 2009. This is where Dalmatina will join the motorway from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 5C corridor and the fast road to Ploče that is under construction. They are also working on the Split bypass worth 200 million euros. Its construction will provide a solution for traffic between Trogir, Split and Omiš, the busiest road section in Croatia with an average daily transit of 40,000 vehicles.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF As the center of the region, Split has received kings and rulers from the entire world for centuries. Because of its openness and simplicity, it has been visited by film,

118 theater, music and entertainment stars. However, Split itself has produced world famous names, primarily in sports, the most famous among them being Goran Ivanišević, a Wimbledon champion, and Nikola Pilić, coach for the Croatian national tennis team that won the Davis Cup in 2005 and also featured Mario Ančić. Split has 66 participants in the Olympics. It has produced Dino Rađa and Toni Kukoč, world famous basketball stars of the NBA. Split is also the hometown of Ivano Balić, the best European and world handball player. Split’s sport spirit is confirmed by the members of the Croatian national bobsled team – although they come from a seaside city with no snow, they were an important part of the team that competed at the Winter Olympics in Turin. The young hope of Split’s sport is Blanka Vlašić, the best Croatian athlete and the current high jump world champion. Raised in an athletic family, she was named after the Moroccan city of Casablanca where her father had won a gold medal in 1983 at the Mediterranean Games. She began to practice athletics with her father who worked as a coach for an athletic club at the age of seven. Her above-average height and leanness were critical for her decision to specialize in high jump. Over the past year, Blanka became the outdoor world champion (Osaka, 2 September 2007 - 205 cm), the indoor world champion (Valencia, 9 March 2008 - 203 cm), and the Olympic vice champion (Beijing, 23 August 2008 - 205 cm). In 2007, she jumped 2007 cm in Stockholm, which was the second best result of all times and the Croatian record. After the sculpture of Orson Welles was uncovered in the part of the city called Brodarica in the early 2008, Citizen Kane has become a new citizen of Split. As it happens, Orson Welles enjoyed spending time in the city and other Dalmatian towns during the last two decades of his life. In the late 1960s, Orson Welles met Oja Kodar, Croatian actress and sculptress, with whom he spent 20 years before he died in 1985. Welles made the Process in Croatia and starred in several Croatian films like the Secret of Nikola Tesla and Battle on Neretva. He launched several projects in Split and the nearby island of Hvar, but never completed them. The Old Olive Tree in Kaštel Štafilić is a protected natural monument. It has a very attractive habitat and its age is estimated at 1500 years. It probably originates from Italy or Greece because this variety does not exist in this region, which makes it particularly interesting. AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR Hvar agave lace The Benedictine Convent on Hvar, established in 1664, is now well known across the world for the agave lace – the tradition has been exclusively cultivated here since 100 to 120 years ago and passed on from generation to generation. The work regarding the preparation of the threads is very grueling. They take threads from fresh agave leaves, process them and prepare them for further use in a special way. Brač fine olive oil soaps Brač fine olive oil soaps are made exclusively from virgin olive oil from the island of Brač. The soap foam is made of special plants. Naturally obtained essential oils provide each piece of soap with specific therapeutic properties. All this makes the skin soft and there is no need to additionally treat it with body milk after showering. The soaps, which can also be used in aromatherapy, are all handmade and hand-cut and each piece of soap is unique. Croatian lavender – the highest quality

119 Croatia is one of the biggest lavender producers – thanks to the ideal climatic conditions and soil, it grows mostly on hills and rocky slopes of the Central Dalmatian island of Hvar. The production is ecological and the plants are harvested manually. Distilling of lavender flower provides essential oil used for warm baths, aromatic candles and as oil for face or body massage. It has always been appreciated for its therapeutic properties and the intoxicating aroma. It is recommended for immunity boosting, stress, headache, high blood pressure, flu, rheumatic diseases, some skin diseases, burns and insect stings. Seeing it in bloom in late June and early July, when the lavender fields fascinate with their aroma and the intensive purple and blue color, is a special experience for visitors. Compared to the other European countries where lavender is grown, Hvar’s lavender has the highest quality. Colorful aromatic bags containing leaves of Hvar lavender are available in souvenir shops, stores, hotels, pharmacies and perfume shops across Croatia. Six years ago, Croatian lavender was pronounced one of the main original Croatian souvenirs.

STORIES, LEGENDS, MYTHS Diocletian – The Roman emperor, a glorious military leader, but also a haunter of Christians, retreated from his throne in 305 and moved to his residence on the Dalmatian coast – a palace that later developed into a city. In his villa of around 30 thousand square meters, Diocletian mostly practiced gardening. However, the turbulent centuries following his death turned the villa into a shelter for the residents of nearby Salona. Legend of Miljenko and Dobrila – In the second half of the 17th century, the noble family Vitturi of Kaštel Lukšić had a daughter named Dobrila, while the nobleman Adalberto Rušinić had a son named Miljenko. The handsome young man and the gentle girl fell madly in love, but a feud between their families stood between them, so they were forced to keep their love a secret. Their parents tried to keep them apart and the lovers went through many troubles in their attempt to finally be happy together. Eventually, when it seemed the parents would accept their relationship and allowed them to get married, Dobrila’s father killed his son-in-law Miljenko. He could not face the fact that Miljenko would be the ultimate winner and take his daughter Dobrila to their new home as his wife. A few months later, Dobrila lost her senses from the great grief, fell ill and killed herself. Her last wish was that she be buried in the same grave as Miljenko in St. John Chapel on Rušinac from the 16th century and the tombstone still stands their with the inscription: Peace for the Lovers. Solin: the shrine of Croatian kings – the Church of the Lady of Otok in Solin contains the sarcophagus of the Croatian Queen Jelena, wife of King Mihajlo Krešimir and mother of Stjepan Držislav, over a thousand years old. Queen Jelena comes from a Patrician family, she was raised in the Christian spirit at the turn of the millennium and was remembered as a great spiritual and moral figurehead of the time. Croatian King Zvonimir, who had good relations with the great Pope Gregory VII, was crowned in the same town. There is a popular legend about the death of King Zvonimir and the 900-year curse on those who killed him because they did not want to go to war to liberate Jerusalem.

BLUE FLAGS

120 ‘Vela plaža Amfore’ Beach ACI MARINA MILNA ACI MARINA SPLIT ACI MARINA VRBOSKA Bačvice Beach ‘Gospa gusarica’ Beach ‘Prirovo’ Beach ‘Apartmani Medena’ Beach ‘Donja luka’ Beach ‘Nikolina’ Beach ‘Punta’ Omiš Beach ‘Slatina’ Beach Berulia Beach Hotel ‘Le Meridien-Lav’ Beach Punta Rata Beach Stomarica Beach

DALMATIA - DUBROVNIK www.visitdubrovnik.hr

Dubrovnik, the center of the Dubrovnik region in the southernmost part of the Croatian coast, deserves to be called the Pearl of the Adriatic. The harmony of its centuries-old buildings and the walls surrounding it seems to come from a fairytale. Anyone who fails to visit this piece of heaven on Earth will be deprived of enjoying

121 the second most beautiful place in the world. Because one’s birthplace is always number one. It is hard to express what makes Dubrovnik interesting in one word – its history with the word Libertas (liberty) proudly standing on its flag for centuries or its present as a modern tourist riviera composed of a number of picturesque places on the coast and islands, with plenty of legends and myths. History still lives in this fascinating area – the beauty of the buildings and luxurious works of art left behind by famous sculptors, painters and architects, equally in the smallest towns like Ston on Pelješac, Korčula, Župa dubrovačka, Konavle and Trsteno and in Dubrovnik itself. Building villas and summer residences, man and nature went hand in hand, intermingling with each other. This fortunate relationship resulted in one of the most impressive areas in the Mediterranean today.

NATURAL HERITAGE The natural characteristics of the area are marked by a mild and warm Mediterranean climate of the south. This is why it is abundant in Mediterranean and subtropical vegetation and attractive plantations of lemons, oranges, palm trees and agave. The coastal part of the relatively narrow area is very diverse – from the steep rocky coastline and deep bays to sandy beaches, fertile plains and high hills descending all the way down to the sea. The submarine part reveals a wonderful world of the most beautiful red corals. National Park Mljet (www.np-mljet.hr) in the far south of Croatia is often referred to as the most beautiful Adriatic island because it has some truly rare sites – a lake in the middle of the island and an island in the lake with a castle on the island, a Benedictine monastery from the 12th century. This almost surreal image seems to have been extracted from the most beautiful stories. According to one of them, Mljet was part of Odysseus’ route and nymph Calypso kept him in captivity there. The island of Lastovo (www.lastovo.org) belongs to the South Dalmatian island group. It looks lonely because of its distance from the coast, so it seems to be plunging into the blue sky and sea. The Romans called it the Imperial Island because of its many plains, thick forests, the beautiful string of islets and reefs surrounding it, countless hidden bays and plenty of fish. In 2006, Lastovo has become the eleventh nature park in Croatia. The Elaphite Islands are a group of three islands situated west of Dubrovnik. Šipan is the largest one and the group also includes and Koločep. They attract numerous tourists with their beautiful landscapes and sandy beaches. Daily boat connections with Dubrovnik are available. Trsteno is the oldest organized public garden in Dalmatia (1502) and presently the only arboretum in the entire coastal part of Croatia. It is rich in exotic plants like eucalyptus and camphor. Two giant plane trees over 400 years old are unique specimens of the plant in Europe. The garden is adorned by a quaint baroque fountain with figures of Neptune and nymphs. The mighty Neretva River, coming from nearby Bosnia and Herzegovina, flows into the sea in a fertile delta near the towns of Ploče, Opuzen and Metković, creating an area of very fertile agricultural land covered with tangerine trees and fields of watermelon. The river is a habitat for excellent eels and mullet because freshwater mixes with the sea here. Neretva Safari will take you through the backwaters of Neretva overgrown with rush on traditional Neretva boats they call trupice. The

122 special quiet of the area is occasionally interrupted by the sound of the birds above the wetlands. The areas around the towns of Vid, Prud and Orepak have ornithological reserves where birds spend winters, while the southeast part of is a hatching place for many fish species. Mali Ston Bay, and inevitable place presented to the Dubrovnik littoral by nature, is a well known seashell farm thanks to the natural nutritive salts flowing in from the mainland. Ston oysters, served in the nearby restaurants and shipped to major urban centers, are world famous.

CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE Dubrovnik is referred to as the Pearl of the Adriatic mostly because of its cultural and historical heritage. Even the famous George Bernard Shaw wrote that ‘those who are looking for heaven on Earth should come to Dubrovnik’. Every historical story and legend has left its mark on the stone facades of the historical core and the stone block of Stradun, the surrounding streets, the Church of St. Vlaho the patron, and the forts including on a steep 37 meters high cliff that caused troubles for the Venetians who posed a threat to the liberty of the Dubrovnik Republic, the monuments, Dubrovnik’s knights, dukes and nobility.

One of the most beautiful fortification systems in the Mediterranean The most distinctive element of the historical city protected by the UNESCO are its walls, surrounding the city in an uninterrupted chain of 1940 meters. Full of forts, bastions, towers and separate fortifications, the are one of the most beautiful and most solid fortification systems in the Mediterranean. A stroll around them provides a true picture of all stone beauties of the city dominated by the most popular street in Dubrovnik called Stradun, the shortest route from the east city gate to the west city gate. The pure stone blocks of the largest street in the historical part of the city are a venue for major city events, including the famous Dubrovnik Summer Games, as well as a place for entertainment and fun events, like the spectacular out door New Year’s Eve parties. Over the past few years, newly built Dubrovnik karakas, replicas of wooden passenger and commercial ships from the times of glory and entrepreneurial sprit of the Dubrovnik Republic, have begun to sail around the city. In the late 16th century, the Dubrovnik karaka was among the biggest ships in the world. It now takes tourists to se hidden bays and islets around Dubrovnik and on the Pirate Tour of the Adriatic. The peninsula of Pelješac, an inevitable place for rest and pleasure, is the second largest peninsula in Croatia and was once part of the former Dubrovnik Republic. It still has the walls of Ston stretching for 5.5 kilometers and supported with forts that used to defend to the way to Dubrovnik. The town of Orebić, a maritime center in the 18th century, is particularly interesting. That is why the facades of the local family houses reflect the wealth of the navigators who sailed the entire world and invested their earnings in their stone villas and palaces.

Korčula – the birthplace of Marco Polo www.visitkorcula.com Ever since the time the great explorer Marco Polo sailed away from his hometown of Korčula (the house where he was born is available to visitors), an island in the

123 Dubrovnik archipelago, the knightly town of Korčula, fully preserved and rich in history, has developed into a sort of an urban sculpture of regular lines. What makes it special is the architecture, the architects wanted to have the fishbone-designed streets bathe in the sun in the morning and in the afternoon, but not during the noon heat.

From Moreška to the Neretva Boat Marathon to Narona Korčula is also the venue for the Knightly Games Festival presenting the traditional swordsmen’s dances moreška, kumpanija and moštra, featuring original costumes from the 16th century. Moreška presents a battle between the white king and the black king over a princess captivated by the black king. The battle is accompanied by music played by a brass orchestra. Only 3 km from Metković in the town of Vid, you will find the remains of the ancient town of Narona, a Roman colony and an emporium that based its wealth on trade. This is the most precious historical heritage of the Croatian south and the most significant archeological site outside Rome with over 30 Roman monuments. Every year in early August they have a boat marathon on Neretva not far from this historical place, a sporting competition on traditional autochthonous vessels of the region, on a 22.5-kilometer stretch.

Entertainment and art Numerous culture & entertainment events that are found in every tourist town, preserving the tradition of folklore, knightly competitions, processions, singing and dancing, were created on the basis of this region’s rich and turbulent history. The Dubrovnik Summer Games are the cultural event of the year, not just in Dubrovnik, but in the entire Croatia. The long tradition, the unique stone setting of Dubrovnik’s old town, numerous premieres and previews and world’s most famous directors, actors and musicians make this cultural festival unique in Croatia and the world (www.dubrovnik-festival.hr). The Adriatic Luxury Hotels Group has presented the exclusive summer event program entitled Stars under Stars for the past four years.

In summertime, the spectacular locations of the Excelsior, Dubrovnik Palace and Bellevue hotels will become a beautiful stage presenting the best Croatian and international musicians. Unusual duets, tribute nights and attractive dancers bringing the atmosphere of popular Hollywood parties and Las Vegas shows. Various musical directions like gospel, pop, world music, Latin jazz, art rock, chansons and operas are the best invitation to take part in the special summer nights under a starry sky, bathing in the moonlight with the murmur of the sea as if you were playing a scene in the most romantic film set. In Metković, they have a folklore festival every year.

GASTRO CORNER The most beautiful summer residences and villas of the Dubrovnik region have had the most skillful chefs in their kitchens for centuries, discovering the best of the gastro offer and providing wealthy people and their guests from across the world with delights.

124 Mali Ston Bay provides the unique pleasure of picking oysters grown practically in front of every house. The peninsula of Pelješac is a kingdom of Dingač, the most esteemed Croatian wine. The wine roads of the peninsula of Pelješac are appreciated in Croatia for the quality of wine produced and tasted here. In addition to seafood specialties, eels and frogs from Neretva Rover are special delicacies, as well as the sweets from the Neretva, Korčula and Dubrovnik regions - arancini (sugar-coated orange, grapefruit and lemon peel), kontonjata (quince pastry), rožata, etc. Every year, Neretva Valley is the venue for organized tangerine harvests, involving tourists as well.

ACTIVE HOLIDAYS The Dubrovnik littoral and islands are an ideal place for active holidays. There are marked bike tracks in the entire coastal area and the islands of Korčula, Mljet and Lastovo. Hiking trails are marked in Konavle, Korčula and Orebić. In addition to Bol on Brač, Viganj on Pelješac is a favorite summer destination for windsurfers, with daily mistral and south wind. Because of the moderate waves, Viganj is ideal for windsurfing beginners. Sea kayaking is available beneath the walls of Dubrovnik, providing a unique opportunity to see the city from the sea and farther toward the Elaphite Islands. The green hinterland of Dubrovnik in the hills of Konavle near the city provides special pleasures on daylong jeep safaris.

Quality accommodation and exclusive service Dubrovnik has always been well known for excellent accommodation infrastructure, especially the hotels. This is confirmed by the fact that the July editions of the specialized global hotel industry magazine Hotels put Hotel Excelsior on the list of five most desirable recently opened hotels in the world. After a thorough reconstruction worth 22 million euros, Excelsior reopened in June of 2008. It is situated right next to Dubrovnik Old Town included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and offers a view of the Adriatic. Special attention was paid to details like the autochthonous handmade bed linen, embroidered specially for Excelsior by embroiderers from Konavle. Since August, Adriatic Luxury Hotels (www.alh.hr) has had another facility - Villa Agava, its opening further expanding the offer for elite clients visiting Dubrovnik. On 270 square meters of interior space, it offers four exclusive accommodation units with specially designed unique furniture and a VIP lounge, five terraces overlooking the Old Town or Lokrum, and a Jacuzzi. Hotel Croatia in Cavtat has 480 newly reconstructed and modernly designed rooms and 7 luxuriously equipped suites. One of the greatest benefits provided in the rooms of Hotel Croatia are the balconies with glass fences – the guests can enjoy either the beautiful view of the open sea, Cavtat Bay or the park even while they are lying in bed. The congress capacities of Hotel Croatia include 8 conference halls seating between 30 and 850 people, and exhibition area of 600m2, a business center, an internet corner, and a free wireless internet service in all conference areas.

125 NOVELTIES The largest congress hotel in Dubrovnik, Valamar Lacroma Resort (www.valamar.com), situated on the green peninsula of Babin Kuk, will open in 2009 and will be classified as four stars. It will have 385 comfortable, spacious and modernly equipped double rooms and 16 suites – 13 of them will have two levels, two are standard hotel suites, while the top of the offer is the presidential suite on 143 square meters and access to a private wellness zone on 72 square meters. All rooms in the hotel will be decorated in the Mediterranean style and fully adapted to the needs of a modern guest. The modern congress facilities within Valamar Lacroma Resort consist of a large multifunctional congress hall on 890 square meters, seating up to a thousand people (dividable into four sections), seven smaller conference halls, a large lobby and an exhibition area of 532 square meters. Đurović Cave – a speleological attraction within Dubrovnik Airport Đurović Cave was formally opened in early August of 2008. The exploration and works in the cave took 7 years, and the overall investment amounted to 2.2 million HRK. The unique tourist and speleological attraction is 15g meters long and descends to 25 meters beneath the very airport strip. The archeological remains (bones and ceramics) found during the exploration date back to the Bronze and Iron Ages. The cave used to be visited and used by the locals as a source of water and shelter during the war until 1962 when the entrance to the cave was closed for construction of the airport. The first phase of renovation that included completion of the interior design has been completed, while the second phase that has yet to begin provides for construction of the area in front of the cave where the chronology of the cave’s creation from the beginning of the Universe to the present geology will be presented in a multimedia room with audiovisual effects and computer animation.

VIP offer Dubrovnik Airport provided a lounge within the renovated Terminal A in cooperation with the Adriatic Luxury Hotels. This exclusive lounge is intended for important guests, national delegations and all users of the airport who prefer a more sophisticated airport treatment and all VIP guests of the Adriatic Luxury Hotels Group. In addition, the Adriatic Luxury Hotels and the Adriatic Luxury Services travel agency offer a shuttle like other luxury hotels around the world, which transports the guests from the hotel to the old town core of Dubrovnik from 15 April to the end of October.

Truffles on another Croatian peninsula Black truffle has been found in the small village of Bilopolje above Orebić on the peninsula of Pelješac, which created quite a sensation among mushroom experts. Dr. Roman Božac, the best Croatian mycologist, was particularly delighted because the discovery confirmed his thesis that truffles grow all over Croatia.

TRANSPORT CONNECTIONS Dubrovnik is reachable by air as it has an international airport in Čilipi, connecting with all major European cities through 40 airlines. The German low-cost airline Germanwings announced new flights from Berlin-Schönefeld, Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart. Like Pula, Dubrovnik will receive numerous guests from Berlin in the

126 summer of 2009, who will be able to fly to Dubrovnik once a week and to Pula three times a week. Boats from Dubrovnik sail directly to Bari, Italy, Korčula has direct connections with Ancona, while the local shippers connect all islands within the Dubrovnik archipelago with the region’s center. Korčula is reachable by ferry from Split to Vela Luka and from Dubrovnik, Orebić and Drvenik near Makarska, while the ferry to Lastovo departs from Split. Metković Port, the closest sea port to Međugorje, is equipped for receiving navigators. The port in the Neretva Delta has changed its position throughout history. During the Illyric, Greek and Roman eras, it was located in the place of the present settlement Vid and Norin Rover that now features an archeological site and the Narona Museum. During the Turkish and Venetian reign, the port was relocated to the place where Neretva River now flows into Gabela. It was established in 1715 and its present appearance was provided to it in mid-19th century when its golden age began and it became economically significant. Austria built a modern port, roads and supporting facilities in Metković. At the time, the port in Metković was the first Dalmatian port connected by railroad with its natural hinterland and the second biggest port in the Adriatic in terms of traffic. It lost its economic significance in the late 1960s when traffic was rerouted to the newly established port in Ploče.

WHAT WE ARE PROUD OF Dubrovnik is the birth city of many great Croatian figures. They include Ruđer Bošković (Dubrovnik, 18 May 1711 - Milan, 13 February 1787), a physician, mathematician, astronomer, philosopher and diplomat. His most important work called Theoria philosophiae (1758) built the original theory of forces that affected British chemists and physicians until the early 20th century. He represented relativity of human knowledge and developed a special study of space and time. He has achieved remarkable results in synthetic geometry and mathematics. He has built various optical, astronomic and geodetic instruments. He was also successful in astronomy, geophysics, music, neurology and archeology. He wrote poems and travelogues and helped with the diplomatic affairs of his native Dubrovnik Republic. The story of famous persons who have visited Dubrovnik goes way back in history and includes Richard the Lion Heart, Wallise Simpson and Prince Edward, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Micheal Douglas and Catharine Zete Jones, Richard Gere and Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise, as well as kings, sport stars and musical virtuosos. In 2007, John Malkovich, Masimo D'Alema, Tara Reid, Misha Maisky, Roman Abramovich, Julian Rachlin, Jordan King Abdulah II, Slavica and Bernie Ecclestone, and Goran Višnjić spent their holiday in Dubrovnik. In 2008, Dubrovnik received the Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey, the famous model Nina Morić and the fashion king Valentino. The Norwegian royal couple, King Harald V and Queen Sonja, sailed around the South Adriatic on a yacht. Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes, violinist Philip Dukes, Hollywood actors Sir Roger Moore and John Malkovich, composers Krzysztof Penderecki and Alberto Iglesias, as well as musicians Mischa Mayski, pianist Itamar Golan, violinist Janine Jansen, and horn player Radovan Vlatković are the world celebrities who participated in the 8th Chamber Music Festival 'Julian Rachlin and Friends' held in the Ducal Palace in September.

127 British 'The Sunday Times' published a list of fifty most beautiful hiking tours in the world in September of 2008 (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/active/article4740590.ece) – after Glencoe in Scotland, the Dubrovnik Walls took the second place, leaving some world famous attractions far behind. The Dubrovnik Walls are a daily attraction throughout the year and strolling around them will fascinate anyone. They provide a view of the entire old town core, as well as the magnificent blue sea surrounding the city. By October of 2008, 743,196 tourists visited the Dubrovnik Walls.

AN ORIGINAL GIFT AND A NICE SOUVENIR Konavle embroidery (www.tzcavtat-konavle.hr) – it represents the fundamental decorative element of the women’s costume from Konavle. It is made by a background dyeing technique where the strictly symmetrical decoration follows the base of the canvass on which it is embroidered and becomes a geometrical ornament with countless decorative motifs repeating. It was originally made by domestic silk thread dyed with natural dye and featuring prominent red, black or dark green motifs, separated by white transitions and decorated with golden flower bunches. The motifs depend on the material used, the sophistication of production and possibilities of application. This is why the original Konavle embroidery is easily and frequently applied on tablecloths, coasters, curtains, house decorations or suits. Konavle embroidery is known for its prominent colors and a sophisticated effect provided by the silk thread, as well as the perfect finish that leaves no room for error. It has carried and preserved all layers of cultural and artistic handicraft of the region it originates from to date.

STORIES, LEGENDS AND MYTHS Legend of the creation of Dubrovnik The creation of Dubrovnik is wrapped in a mystery of ancient legends. Historically, the most authentic theory associates the creation of the new city with the destruction and decline of the Roman town of Epidaur in the place of the present Cavtat in the 7th century. Epidaur, a very old settlement, was a developed urban center during the Roman era and an important maritime/commercial emporium. In 614, Epidaur was conquered and destroyed by the Avars and Slavs and the surviving residents found shelter in the nearby wooded area and on the small rocky island of Laus. The island was separated from the mainland by a narrow channel, so the settlement on it was protected both from the sea and the mainland. In the meantime, a Croatian settlement developed on the mainland across from Ragusa, which they named Dubrovnik, probably after to the Mediterranean oak (dubrava) forest. The relations between the two neighboring settlements eventually began to grow stronger and the Croatian and Roman populations began to mix. During the 10th and 11th centuries, the strait between the island and the mainland became increasingly shallow, so they filled it up in the late 11th century. Stradun, the broadest and most famous street in Dubrovnik is now in the place where the island connected with the mainland. In the 12th century, the two settlements were completely integrated and protected by a common fortification wall system that covered the north suburb in the 13th century, while the regulation of the streets integrated Dubrovnik in its present scope.

128 The Dubrovnik Republic, a state in the area of the City of Dubrovnik and its immediate mainland and island surroundings, developed from a medieval Dubrovnik commune. Since the early 15th century to the 19th century, it had its internationally recognized name Dubrovnik Republic. It covered 1092 square kilometers and had a population of 35000-45000. Dubrovnik was an independent state for 450 years and managed to become an important economic factor in the and a maritime power of the Mediterranean. Although territorially small, the Dubrovnik Republic had a strong merchant navy and an extensive network of consular and diplomatic representatives, especially in Mediterranean countries. Their number ranges between 30 and 50, depending on the economic power of the Republic. In the late 18th century, the Republic had 50 consuls in Mediterranean and Atlantic countries. During the period of great economic development, it was also a great maritime power. It had 280 ships. The Dubrovnik Republic participated in the battle near Lepant with 50 of its ships. The basic idea behind the Dubrovnik Republic is best reflected in the slogan at the entrance to the Lovrijenac Fort: Liberty is not sold for any amount of gold. Public interest and welfare of the community were above any individual interest. The skillful foreign policy management was focused on preservation of freedom and territorial integrity. Under Turkish protection (paid by an annual contribution of 12,500 ducats), the entrepreneurs of Dubrovnik traded freely across the Balkans, all the way to areas around Sava and Danube and some Central European countries. The Republic finally ended in 1806 when Napoleon’s troops seized the city. It continued to exist until formal abolition carried out by the French administrators on 31 January 1808.

BLUE FLAGS

ACI MARINA DUBROVNIK ACI MARINA KORČULA Hotel ‘Dubrovnik - President’ Beach Hotel ‘Neptun’ Beach Hotel ‘Osmine’ Beach Hotel Croatia-North Beach

129 OVERNIGHTS AND ARRIVALS OF REGISTERED TOURISTS PER COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE I-XII 2007 / I-XII 2008

Arrivals Overnights Index Index I.-XII.2008 I.-XII.2008 I. – XII. 2008.

Average I.-XII.2007 I.-XII.2007 Structure of number of overnights, % overnights I.-XII.2007 I.-XII.2008 I.-XII.2007 I.-XII.2008 upon arrival Total 11 162 406 11 260 807 101 56 005 492 57 103 494 102 100 5,1 Domestic 1 855 715 1 845 702 99 6 430 862 6 477 972 101 11,3 3,5 tourists Foreign 9 306 691 9 415 105 101 49 574 630 50 625 522 102 88,7 5,4 tourists Austria 839 717 813 728 97 4 244 607 4 164 793 98 8,2 5,1 99 181 97 765 99 509 013 513 743 101 1 5,3 Belarus 3 888 3 879 100 20 252 23 701 117 0 6,1 Bosnia and 222 135 239 539 108 1 146 799 1 198 560 105 2,4 5 Herzegovina 24 946 30 879 124 50 445 60 376 120 0,1 2 Cyprus 3 057 2 082 68 11 711 5 570 48 0 2,7 Montenegro 7 403 10 231 138 27 796 41 987 151 0,1 4,1 669 132 622 620 93 4 394 711 4 122 460 94 8,1 6,6 77 152 81 979 106 561 791 594 785 106 1,2 7,3 Estonia 11 870 9 654 81 36 372 30 602 84 0,1 3,2 26 435 25 541 97 109 789 109 080 99 0,2 4,3 France 473 806 439 095 93 1 664 973 1 635 494 98 3,2 3,7 Greece 10 290 13 061 127 27 023 29 179 108 0,1 2,2 Ireland 41 940 36 598 87 193 491 168 534 87 0,3 4,6 Iceland 3 628 2 620 72 21 800 14 805 68 0 5,7 Italy 1 249 343 1 167 646 93 5 451 968 5 069 287 93 10 4,3 Latvia 16 058 13 440 84 45 830 40 444 88 0,1 3 Lithuania 31 787 35 145 111 106 683 110 895 104 0,2 3,2 Luxembourg 3 779 3 437 91 16 062 13 897 87 0 4 Hungary 381 202 370 392 97 1 984 644 1 933 978 97 3,8 5,2 Macedonia 26 002 30 087 116 114 036 148 521 130 0,3 4,9 Malta 1 233 1 359 110 5 648 4 483 79 0 3,3 The 264 664 297 318 112 2 030 442 2 334 993 115 4,6 7,9 Netherlands 74 735 77 824 104 405 569 428 837 106 0,8 5,5 Germany 1 554 794 1 545 735 99 10 848 939 10 982 654 101 21,7 7,1 322 890 417 211 129 1 833 961 2 511 568 137 5 6 Portugal 29 532 32 454 110 62 315 76 400 123 0,2 2,4 Romania 47 054 67 643 144 216 837 310 968 143 0,6 4,6 Russia 157 259 175 135 111 1 288 828 1 446 776 112 2,9 8,3 Slovakia 280 586 299 318 107 1 831 655 1 927 093 105 3,8 6,4 Slovenia 1 015 379 1 042 666 103 5 689 746 5 802 277 102 11,5 5,6 Serbia 76 929 87 633 114 314 468 385 093 122 0,8 4,4 Spain 153 826 168 249 109 305 210 340 550 112 0,7 2 127 531 134 409 105 663 821 722 392 109 1,4 5,4 Switzerland 134 312 132 736 99 563 905 557 968 99 1,1 4,2 Turkey 15 208 18 334 121 52 116 51 144 98 0,1 2,8 United Kingdom 267 159 261 070 98 1 275 609 1 223 226 96 2,4 4,7

130 29 043 31 603 109 203 324 226 987 112 0,4 7,2 Other European 23 678 24 549 104 67 457 65 545 97 0,1 2,7 countries

South Africa 7 198 6 679 93 16 242 14 957 92 0 2,2

Other African 5 296 5 226 99 22 071 21 050 95 0 4 countries Canada 36 474 38 282 105 103 657 104 943 101 0,2 2,7 USA 181 381 158 140 87 453 106 397 433 88 0,8 2,5 Other North 2 477 3 510 142 7 124 9 187 129 0 2,6 American countries 6 036 8 105 134 16 160 20 771 129 0 2,6 Other South and 15 658 15 430 99 41 285 40 698 99 0,1 2,6 Central American countries Israel 41 126 34 788 85 91 030 73 358 81 0,1 2,1 Japan 86 404 143 704 166 131 129 201 299 154 0,4 1,4 China 6 416 6 375 99 15 365 12 018 78 0 1,9 Korea, Republic 13 792 12 076 88 18 939 17 260 91 0 1,4 Other Asian 17 953 20 530 114 50 040 54 790 109 0,1 2,7 countries Australia 70 489 80 277 114 167 529 189 106 113 0,4 2,4 New Zealand 13 443 14 432 107 31 988 32 200 101 0,1 2,2 Other Oceania 3 985 2 887 72 9 319 6 807 73 0 2,4 countries

Source: Central Bureau of Statistics

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