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OFFERINGS
Vukovar-Srijem County
New 240 kilometers long continental tourism offer
Vukovar-Srijem County is completing a major project for connecting the
biking tracks in the area that will significantly contribute to the
continental tourism offer in Croatia. The project includes 240 kilometers of
biking tracks that should soon be ready for all biking recreationists,
adventurers and professionals.
In cooperation with the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Ministry of
Tourism, the Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board launched an ambitious
project for connecting the biking tracks in the county to conform to the
European tourist trends. 240 kilometers of tracks include a route that will
lead to the central square in Vinkovci, Trg bana Josipa Šokčevića, and then
to Županja and Cvelferija (12 villages within the Županja region) and
further to the town of Otok. The track will split into two directions there.
One track will return to Vinkovci via Privlaka, while the other will take
bikers to Komletinci and the Srijem part of the county. Both routes will
join the Danube biking track connecting the towns of Vukovar and Ilok.
According to the Tourist Board, the promotional materials for the route will
be completed by the end of the year, after which this respectable tourist
product will finally be ready to provide a more extensive offer to an
increasing number of tourists choosing continental tourism, and increase the
number of visitors to the county.
With strong support of sport & recreation tourism, Vukovar-Srijem County is
packed with cultural events confirming Slavonia’s status as a wine & gastro
giant and an area of preserved natural beauties and numerous landmarks.
Autumn is a time the county pays respect to the rich heritage of the region,
promotes the original culture & art folk creations, celebrates the fruits of
soil and brings people closer together through a series of events such as
the Ilok Grape Harvest, Ethno Weekend in the Ethno Town and Vinkovci
Autumns.
Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board
website: www.tzvsz.hr
A new tourist attraction near Dubrovnik
A cave opens beneath the airport
Since this summer, guests to Dubrovnik, one of the most beautiful cities in
the world,, have had the opportunity to see a new tourist and speleological
attraction near the city – the Đurović Cave.
The cave contains archeological remains dating back to the Bronze Age and
the Iron Age, located right beneath the strip and the station for airplanes
at Dubrovnik Airport in Ćilipi. The exploration and works in the cave took 7
years, and the overall investment amounted to 2.2 million HRK.
This prehistoric site is abundant in various underground forms, including
aesthetically valuable stalactites, stalagmites, covers, deposits and
curtains. The portable finds from the cave (ceramics, bones, etc.) are being
conserved and will be kept in the Museums and Galleries of Konavle.
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 and other geomorphological features of the
Croatian Adriatic coast will be presented in a multimedia room with
audiovisual effects and computer animation.
Đurović Cave is around 150 meters long and descends to 25 meters beneath the
very airport strip. This priceless natural pearl 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. At
the beginning of the Homeland War in 1991, the tunnel entrance served as
shelter.
This year, the cave will only be open to organized groups subject to prior
notice to the Museums and Galleries of Konavle, but it is soon expected to
be open full time.
Museums and Galleries of Konavle
tel. 020/478-646
Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board
www.visitdubrovnik.hr
Dubrovnik City Tourist Board
www.tzdubrovnik.hr
Konavle Municipality Tourist Board
www.tzcavtat-konavle.hr
Novi Vinodolski
The largest congress center in Croatia and the largest spa in Europe
The Novi Spa Hotels & Resorts located in Novi Vinodolski is a unique luxury
beach resort in Croatia. In addition to the largest and most sophisticated
spa center in Europe, the luxurious Novi Spa Hotels & Resort complex has an
excellent offer of facilities satisfying even the most demanding guests.
The resort represents a unique holiday spot in the Adriatic both for family
holiday guests and those seeking wellness facilities, a romantic ambience,
an active holiday filled with sporting options or business gatherings. It is
only 20 minutes from the international airport in Rijeka and 90 minutes from
Zagreb Airport, which makes the resort excellently connected with the entire
world.
The Novi Spa Hotels & Resort is situated on a mild slope along 1.5
kilometers of coastline, providing an unforgettable panoramic view from the
balconies, terraces or gardens of all 130 hotels rooms and suites and 366
luxury suites in villas.
The carefully designed interiors were harmonized with nature, supplementing
it with state-of-the-art equipment and details found in the best resorts of
the world.
The resort offers its guests the services of the largest wellness center in
Europe, the largest and best equipped congress center in Croatia, numerous
sporting options, a children’s club with special programs for the youngest
ones, a shopping gallery, as many as 12 different restaurants that will
delight even the most sophisticated gourmets, swimming pools, a sandy beach
and a gravelly beach, and a wide range of nighttime entertainment options.
Various family, spa & wellness, sporting and team building packages,
makeover treatments, and congress, wedding and reception arrangements are
just a part of the resort’s extensive program offer.
Primorje-Gorski Kotar Tourist Board
www.kvarner.hr
Novi Spa Hotels & Resorts
www.novi.hr
Međimurje
Mill Road – enjoying nature and returning to tradition
Tourists who wish enjoy nature and go back to the past in a time machine now
have the opportunity for this in Međimurje County, in the Mura River basin.
This is where the Croatian part of the Mill Road is situated, its natural
beauty and cultural heritage connecting Gornje Međimurje with Slovenska
Prlekija into an integral tourist whole. The 60-kilometers long road offers
a beautiful landscape and an interesting ethnological heritage. However, the
main link is the floating river mills in Žabnik near Sveti Martin na Muri
(Croatia) and Ižakovci (Slovenia). The road revived some old crafts such as
milling, knitting utility items from wicker, production of traditional Mura
boats, production of bricks, flax growing and processing, etc. Most of the
crafts are an integral part of the Mill Road, while others are presented in
the exhibition areas within tourist & info centers in Sveti Martin na Muri,
Raskrižje and Ižakovci.
The Mill Road project is part of the Interreg IIIa cross border cooperation
project between Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia, and the money was provided by
the European Union fund as well as the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Tourism
and Transport and the project partners – the Municipality of Sveti Martin na
Muri, the Sveti Martin na Muri Municipality Tourist Board, the Štrigova
Municipality Tourist Board, and the Ecological Organization Lipa (EOL).
Međimurje County Tourist Board
www.tzm.hr
Pelješac
Napoleon Road and wine museum soon to become new tourist attractions
New projects are being prepared on Pelješac Peninsula in South Dalmatia that
will significantly enrich the tourist offer of both the region and the
entire Croatia – the reconstruction and tourist validation of the historical
Napoleon Road and opening of a wine museum. Both projects were supported by
the Croatian Ministry of Tourism.
Although it is still not quite certain whether the tourists will be able to
see them next year, the projects will certainly save this region’s past and
tradition from falling into oblivion. The wine museum is merely one of the
attractions that should bring tourists here. In addition to an oil mill, a
winery and former wine and oil production methods, the tourist complex would
present a collection of written materials and items from the ancient times,
so this museum would enable the guests to see the life and some customs of
Pelješac over several centuries, even millennia.
Built two centuries ago, the Napoleon Road goes through the most beautiful
parts of Pelješac with several zero-category monuments alongside, which
certainly increases its tourist value. In the section of the route to Ston,
which many refer to as Small Dubrovnik, Ponikve, the mountain of Sveti Ilija
(961 meters), and further along the peninsula, the road is mostly well
preserved, which enables its tourist validation. The project should continue
toward Dubrovnik, Neretva and Split.
Situated in the Croatian south, Pelješac Peninsula is the second biggest
Croatian peninsula, right after Istria in North Adriatic. Covered with
evergreen vegetation and Mediterranean plants, the region has been known for
winegrowing, olive growing and vegetable and fruit growing for centuries.
Thanks to the exceptionally beautiful nature and close proximity of
Dubrovnik and the island of Korčula, Pelješac Peninsula is very attractive
for tourists. The most important tourist center is Orebić, well known for
its extensive tourist offer and as a ferry port providing the shortest
connection between the mainland and the nearby island of Korčula.
Orebić Municipality Tourist Board
www.tz-orebic.com
Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board
www.visitdubrovnik.hr
INVESTMENTS
Municipality of Nijemci
Tourist boat rides available from spring
In the spring of next year, a tourist boat will begin to sail down the
rivers of Spačva and Bosut in the far southeast of Croatia, in the
Municipality of Nijemci in Vukovar-Srijem County, bringing the Spačva Basin
closer to tourists. The region contains penduculate oak forests, the largest
oak forests in Europe, and the project should reveal the insufficiently
available beauties of Slavonia and Srijem.
In cooperation with Vukovar-Srijem County, the Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist
Board and the Italian partners from the Ferrara region, the Municipality of
Nijemci implements the Eco River Spačva and Po Region project financed by
funds from the EU pre-accession program Phare 2006 – Adriatic Cross Border
Cooperation. The purpose of the project is to promote the river tourism
offer on the rivers of Spačva and Bosut by building a tourist infrastructure
and creating the required tourist services.
In addition to construction of the tourist boat seating around 30 people,
the rides will cover two rivers: Bosut, which, according to the old Romans,
flows in one direction in the morning and in the other direction in the
afternoon; and the completely clean and fish-abundant Spačva. The project
also provides for tourist signage and construction of a bird-watching post.
The Municipality of Nijemci is designing additional tourist offerings,
defining the services, training local tour operators, and considering
opening new rural tourist estates.
The municipality of Nijemci is located in West Srijem, bordering with
Vojvodina. It includes the Bajakovo border crossing and Lubanj camp and
motel by the motorway.
The municipality is popular for its Fancy Srijem Is Beautiful event held
every year in June – the event includes fishing contests, fish stew
contests, moving target archery contests, a folk writer convention, tambura
player encounters, a culture, tourism & economy fair, etc.
Municipality of Nijemci
www.opcina-nijemci.com
Vukovar-Srijem County Tourist Board
www.tzvsz.hr
Šibenik-Knin County
Extended offer in recreational, cultural and rural tourism
This year, Šibenik-Knin County co-funds 30 projects in tourism with 300
thousand HRK, which will significantly enrich the offer of recreational,
cultural and rural tourism in the area.
A large number of biking and hiking tracks, quality enhancement by numerous
events and investments in rural estates will enable Šibenik-Knin County to
have an increasing number of satisfied tourists of all profiles.
Among others, Šibenik-Knin County supports projects that will provide
Vodice, Knin and the Municipality of Tisno with newly developed biking
tracks, and the Municipality of Tribunj will get a network of biking tracks.
The county also provides financial support for development of biking and
hiking tracks in Pirovac and the local event called On Foot to the Beauties
of Pirovac.
Newly developed hiking and biking tracks in the municipalities of Primošten
and Kistanje will also enrich the future recreational tourist offer, while
the increase in the cultural offer level will be reflected in the co-funding
of harmony singing evenings in Šibenik and other events and festivals held
mostly in summertime, in addition to the event in Pirovac.
The county allocated smaller amounts of money to numerous rural estates that
have been turning to rural tourism for renovation and expansion of the
existing capacities. In addition to the most popular tourist destinations –
Jurlinovi dvori in the village of Drage in Primošten hinterland and the
rural estates in Kalpići and Dubrava in Tisno hinterland – the tourists will
be able to enjoy an improved offer of numerous other estates in the area.
A family estate in Skradin will provide a tasting facility for their sweet
delicacies prepared from almonds, dates, figs, carobs and other kinds of
fruits and vegetables.
A family estate in Miljevci Bogatički has a meat curing plant and plans to
improve the surrounding area to provide the guests with a visual pleasure in
addition to the gastronomic one. An estate in Ružić will begin to build
swimming pools and bathroom facilities.
Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board
www.sibenikregion.com
PRESENTING
Knin region
Extensive tourist offer in Knin
Over the past few years, the town of Knin and its surrounding area have
become an increasingly distinctive tourist destination. In both Croatia and
Europe, Knin is promoted as an attractive tourist destination, largely
thanks to Krka River springing above Krčić Fall near Knin, but also because
of Dinara, a mountain having the highest peak in Croatia, and the rich
cultural and historical heritage of the Knin region.
The preserved nature, the close proximity of the mountains of Dinara and
Svilaja, and Krka River provide the visitors with numerous adventure options
such as biking, mountaineering, horseback riding, jeep and quad (ATV) rides,
fishing, kayaking, rafting…
In addition to the sport & recreation offer, the greater Knin area has a
number of attractive tourist features. The most important and frequented
cultural monument complex in the region is the Knin Fort. The construction
of the fort began way back in the 9th century, in the times of Croatian
national rulers. Over the past few years, new information boards, a fence,
benches and a telescope were provided next to the fort.
The Knin area also contains one of the most significant old-Croatian
archeological sites called Biskupija, and remains of the former large
military settlement of Burnum discovered five years ago.
Even though Knin is very near the coast, the town tourist board foresees
great tourist activity in Knin not just during the summer months but
year-round. While summer mostly brings bathers to the Knin region, autumn
and spring show all the wealth of the region’s natural beauties, making it
ideal for team building and paintball excursions. November and December are
reserved for hunters, especially those coming from Italy.
The town of Knin announced the upcoming construction of a hotel in the town,
while some families announce agrotourism and equestrian facilities on their
estates.
Knin Tourist Board
www.tz-knin.hr
Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board
www.sibenikregion.com
Virovitica-Podravina County
Excursions to intact nature and a unique ambience
Continental Croatia now has an exclusive tourist center not far from
Slatina, in the lowland municipality of Sopje. The large and nicely designed
complex of Višnjica contains a stable of Arabian horses and a revitalized
estate making an ideal place for a pleasant holiday.
Višnjica is a recently revitalized estate over 200 years old, surrounded by
a centuries-old lime and chestnut garden and a centuries-old pine, maple and
mulberry garden situated between Papuk and Drava River.
The central part of the estate contains a hotel with 14 rooms, 4 of which
are adapted to the disabled, and a large restaurant with a terrace, offering
its guests authentic Slavonian food. The hotel also contains two halls
seating 20 and 60 people, respectively, complete with audiovisual devices
required for working meetings, congresses, professional conventions,
seminars, courses and presentations.
Višnjica has always been known for Arabian horse breeding. Today, they breed
purebred and traditional Arabian horses for the purpose of renewing the
entire stable and breeding sport and recreational horses. In addition to
horses, in Višnjica they breed game, fallow deer and mouflon, keeping them
in a restricted breeding facility covering 40 hectares of meadows and
forest. In 2006, Višnjica launched the first commercial production of batata
in Croatia. The newly built stables designed in the former style contain
horses the visitors are free to watch. While ponies and donkeys freely roam
around the estate, the visitors can see the game breeding facility or engage
in off-road riding. The youngest ones can have some fun in an unusually
designed straw maze.
In Višnjica they arrange nature classes, horseback riding classes, horse
exhibitions and equestrian competitions, horse keeping, paintball, team
building, hunting, biking, etc.
Višnjica is only a few kilometers from the Podravina intercity road and
represents a unique example of how to create an attractive rural-tourism
site with lots of facilities out of a dilapidated estate.
Ergela Višnjica
www.visnjica.hr
Virovitica-Podravina County Tourist Board
www.zupanija.info
US IN THE WORLD
Awards for Croatian wines
Two gold medals for wines of Hrvatsko Zagorje
The quality of Croatian wines has once again been confirmed in an
international competition. Boris Drenški, a Croatian winemaker from Hrvatsko
Zagorje (in the continental, northwest part of the country) received two
gold medals for two of his wines - Chardonnay and Rhine Riesling. The fact
that the medals were won in an extremely strong international competition of
as many as 9400 wines from across the world makes the award even greater.
The presentation of the awards to this winegrower from Hum na Sutli was
preceded by a several months’ evaluation procedure, including evaluations of
different types of experts – enologists, hoteliers, restaurant owners,
vendors and consumers themselves. The awards are presented to wines of the
world by the international wine magazine Decanter.
These exceptional awards put the dessert wines of Hrvatsko Zagorje among a
close circle of 12 best wines in the world.
Boris Drenški’s vineyards are situated at an average altitude of 300 meters
and they are more exposed to sunlight, which is why the grapes have a higher
sugar content. The annual production is 8000 liters of premium-origin wines
(Grey Pinot, Chardonnay and Rhine Riesling).
Croatia happens to be known for quality wines and is divided into two wine
regions, continental and littoral, which have 12 sub-regions. The
continental region has almost 300 winemakers, while 130 are registered in
the littoral part. Known for their quality, these wines are available to
tourists in catering facilities, wine cellars, and wine roads that have
attracted increasing numbers of tourists with their beauty, nicely designed
cellars and wine quality. Wine roads are situated both in the littoral and
the continental part of the country and they are lively any time of the
year.
Of course, autumn is the most dynamic season because of the harvest, as well
St. Martin’s on 11 September – this is the last and the most significant
holiday of the year for a winemaker, a time when the christening of must and
its transformation into wine are celebrated. Many local customs are
associated with St. Martin’s. This year, the every-merry wine lover
festivals will attract numerous tourists who will receive a warm and
delicious welcome from the hosts. We guarantee no one will leave hungry or
thirsty!
Udruga Vino Zagorje Krapinsko-zagorske županije
www.vino-zagorje.hr
Krapina-Zagorje County Tourist Board
www.tz-zagorje.hr
INTERESTING FEATURES
City of Dubrovnik
Virtual encounter with the city expected soon
As early as the next season, Dubrovnik could have a virtual museum situated
in the historical quarantine of Lazareti. A building permit for renovation
of the premises has already been obtained, and the project implementation
begins this autumn.
The first among the ten boat-halls within Lazareti was designated to be home
to the museum at this historical City entrance spot. The impressive complex
of Lazareti is located at the east entrance to the city, an ideal place for
a new-type City reception.
The new virtual museum would make Lazareti an entrance station for most
visitors to Dubrovnik, something like the walls. The virtual museum will
rely on the use of several IT technologies, the solutions of which will be
used in the making of the exhibits. In the museum, the visitors would be
briefly acquainted with the rich heritage and history of the City, as well
as the spiritual strength it has had since the 9th century to date.
In addition to standard tourists and visitors to Dubrovnik, this virtual
museum will be an excellent place for a different way of learning about the
City for guests coming from luxury yachts and smaller cruisers. While
anchoring will be prohibited for megacruisers between the City and Lokrum,
smaller yachts and boats will be allowed to anchor in front of Lokrum and
the guests will disembark in front of Lazareti.
Beside the cultural tourism that will make its offer larger and more
attractive by this virtual museum, Dubrovnik announces the possibility of
opening a big congress center in Babin Kuk soon.
Dubrovnik City Tourist Board
www.tzdubrovnik.hr
Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board
www.visitdubrovnik.hr
Istrian wine roads
Enological combination of pleasure and preserved tradition
Wine is an inevitable part of Istria’s identity, and the wine roads are an
organic part of the tourist offer. They are the first selective tourist
project and the first one that does not relate to the sea and beaches.
Representing a dynamically developing process of a traditional, cultural,
economic and tourist nature, they receive over 130 thousand visitors a year.
There are presently six wine roads in the Istrian region: in the areas of
Buje, Poreč, Buzet, Pazin, Rovinj, Vodnjan and Labin, including 88
itineraries/stations.
Renowned winemakers are involved in the wine road project, striving to
present their wines in an appropriate manner. The visitors first see the
vineyards, then take a tour of the cellars where they are told about grape
processing and wine keeping, and finally taste the products. Many winemakers
grow their own olives and make prosciutto, pickled mushrooms and other
products, including them in their offer. Numerous visitors choose to buy
wine because it is much cheaper in the cellars than restaurants or stores.
Both winemakers and their guests agree that a wine itinerary can be just as
exciting as visiting a museum, a basilica or an important sporting event.
Wine roads were a predecessor of agrotourism in Istria’s interior. Today,
the county and the county tourist board support wine roads, especially their
promotion. Wine roads contribute to human engagement in the preservation and
reconstruction of the original ambient and traditional legacies, thus
enriching the tourist product. In addition, the people of Istria have
realized they generate loyal guests who come back not just during the season
but in preseason and postseason, providing each winemaker with the
opportunity to promote their wine and other products.
Istrian County Tourist Board
www.istra.hr
Dalmatia in Texas
Entrepreneurial proof of love for Supetar
After five years of careful planning and obtaining the necessary permits,
construction of the Adriatica project, a replica of the small tourist town
of Supetar on the island of Brač, has recently begun in North Texas. This is
a result of the emotional devotion of Jeffory Blackard, president of
Blackard Group Inc., who has remained fascinated by Supetar after investing
in a hotel and other facilities, and wanted to build a replica of the town
nearby, in Texas.
After a lengthy search, he found the ideal place in Stonebridge, an
18-hectare piece of land having the additional benefit of a lake that should
play the role of the Supetar port.
Construction of the Texas Supetar began in September and will go on in
several phases. The first one is to build a castle with around 2800 square
meters of office space that will hold a real estate agency and several other
lessees, a café, a wine bar and a spa, as well as a five-story bell tower
where the investor company’s will have its head office.
The rest of this year will be used to build the infrastructure and paved
streets, while the building of the residential units will begin in the early
2009. The project also includes 13 lakeside villas having surface areas of
230 to 600 square meters, and 62 row houses having surface areas of 130 to
320 square meters. Despite the high prices, the villas have already been
sold and the houses are selling very well, which makes the entrepreneurial
love for Supetar a very lucrative business. In addition to the design, what
makes the Adriatica project different than others is the promised lifestyle,
the overall atmosphere and offer of which will, according to Mr. Blackard,
remind people of the increasingly appreciated Mediterranean lifestyle. To
those who find Texas too far, we recommend enjoying the authenticity of the
original Supetar on the island of Brač, as well as many other small towns in
Dalmatia and the entire Croatian coastal area and the islands.
Adriatica
nfo@blackard.net
www.dalmatia.hr
www.supetar.hr
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