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CROATIA WORLDWIDE
Appointments
Dr. Ivan Mišetić chairman of AEA in 2009
As of the beginning of this year, Dr. Ivan Mišetić, CEO of Croatia Airlines,
has been the chairman of the Association of European Airlines (AEA).
Croatian Airline’s top man took over the chairman duty from the CEO of KLM.
According to AEA’s press release, Dr. Mišetić was elected leader of Croatia
Airlines in April of 1997 and has transformed Croatia Airlines into an
essential component of his country's infrastructure, a key factor in helping
an independent Croatia to create an international identity, a quality
airline which is a leader in promoting the integration of Southeast Europe
into the greater European aviation market. The release also states that Mr.
Mišetić has made an important personal contribution to the work of AEA as a
member of the Association's governing board since 2003 and was elected
Deputy Chairman of AEA in May of 2008.
Having assumed this responsible function in a year of financial and economic
turmoil, Ivan Mišetić said the main tasks were quick political agreement on
the package of measures pertaining to promotion of the “single European
sky”, promotion of the importance of further connections within Europe that
thrives on its diversities, and maintenance of global competitiveness of
European aviation, which is responsible in environmental protection and
flexible to the needs of the market.
AEA presently comprises 35 European airlines. All of them combined transport
380 million passengers and 7 million tons of cargo every year, operating
2660 airplanes to 615 destinations in 165 countries with 11,865 flights a
day. They directly provide 426,600 jobs and generate 79 billion euros in
revenue. Croatia Airlines has been a member of the Association since 1998.
www.aea.be
www.croatiaairlines.com
Pltivice Lakes
Candidate for a world wonder of nature
Plitvice Lakes, a Croatian national park with a beauty that delights
numerous visitors from the entire world, has entered the second round of the
competition for the new seven wonders of nature. It was among a competition
of 261 natural beauties from 222 countries and 77 natural attractions and
entered the semifinals based on the votes cast by visitors to the
www.new7wonders.com web portal.
The campaign has begun in 2007 and votes can be cast via the above website
until 7 July. After the vote counting, an expert jury will elect 21
finalists and leave the final decision to another round of Internet,
telephone and SMS voters who can make their final judgment on the seven
world wonders of nature until 2011.
Often referred to as the most beautiful European garden of preserved beauty,
Croatia has eight national parks, Plitvice Lakes being the most popular
among them. It consists of sixteen lakes connected by falls. Due to the
characteristic karstic base, the waters of Plitvice Lakes are rich in
calcium bicarbonate, which is decomposed into calcium carbonate due to water
breaking on the barriers.
Calcium carbonate is then deposited with the presence of algae, moss and
other organisms. All this enables growth of gypsum barriers with magnificent
falls splashing over them, their beauty leaving no one indifferent.
The national park, located in the interior of the country but easily
accessible from the coastal area thanks to the modern roads, stretches over
almost 30 thousand hectares, its prehistoric dense forests accounting for
over 22 thousand hectares.
The exceptional beauty of the lakes and falls, strolls around the forest
paths and over wooden bridges, comfortable hotels and restaurants offering
local delicacies attract visitors from across the world throughout the year.
Plitvice Lakes are on the UNESCO’s list of world heritage.
www.lickosenjska.com
www.np-plitvicka-jezera.hr
www.new7wonders.com
Mirror
Croatia is the coolest destination
The high-circulation British daily «Mirror» has put Croatia, Egypt, Turkey
and Hungary among the coolest destinations for British tourist in 2009.
According to the information about affordable holiday spots for this year
provided by the British journalists, tourists will get the best value for
money in these destinations. Due to the financial crisis that has weakened
the national currency, a pound is no longer enough for a caffee latte in
Paris or French fries in Spanish Benidorm. This is why Mirror recommended
its readers to visit destinations outside the European Union and presented
Croatia as the first destination among its four favorites. In a very
detailed presentation of the tourist offer, from Opatija in the north to the
southernmost part of the coast, Slavonia and the interior, British Mirror
says that the prices in Croatian hotels, restaurants and spas and ship
cruise prices are 20 percent lower compared to other European countries. The
presentation also underscores that Croatia offers something for everybody,
so its recommends British citizens to visit Dubrovnik where they can enjoy
themselves in one of the numerous restaurants arranged across the stone
street of the old town, especially in the evening. Mirror informs the
British readers that a romantic 5-star hotel will open in June on the island
of Korčula, not far from Dubrovnik, within the Lešić-Dimitri Palace. The
palace was built in the 18th century and offers six suites inspired by the
silk roads traveled by the great Croatian explorer Marco Polo, while the old
historical town of Lovran next to Opatija is recommended as one of the most
attractive health resorts.
In addition to numerous sandy beaches, crystal clear sea and a number of
good hotels ideal for families with children, Croatia is equally interesting
to young tourist and nature enthusiasts who can enjoy bird watching in
Kopački rit, photo-safaris on Velebit, wine tasting in Slavonia, rafting and
many other activities… They also say Croatia is accessible via low-cost
airlines such as Thomson Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and Jet2.com.
www.mirror.co.uk
PRESENTING
Čakovec
A town nice to live in
„Čakovec, a town nice to live in“ is the title of the recently published
trilingual (Croatian, English, German) brochure about this small town in
North Croatia, as well as an invitation to come: where it is nice to live,
it is even nicer to be a welcome guest!
This town is the center of Međimurje County with a population of 16 thousand
and double the number with its suburban areas. Thanks to its beauty and
tourist employees’ efforts on improving it, Čakovec was pronounced the most
organized town in continental Croatia in 2008 within the Green Flower
campaign launched by the Croatian National Tourist Board. In individual
elements, awards were also presented to Čakovec’s Katarina Zrinska Street
and the Zrinski Gardens in the category of the most beautifully landscaped
parks in continental Croatia.
The name of the town originates from the 13th century when Count Dmitar Čak
erected a wooden defensive fort (known as the Čak Tower). A more significant
economic and cultural rise began in mid-16th century when the town came into
possession of the Zrinski family. During that era, when the town defended
against the Turks, it was transformed into a modern renaissance fort with a
luxurious palace. The old town is presently the most valuable monument of
secular architecture that has been home to the Museum of Međimurje since
1954. The old town is also a symbol of Međimurje’s identity and tradition,
and the first point of the theme trail through the architectural heritage of
Čakovec. Important stations on the trail include the Royal Coffee House, the
secessionist building of the commercial casino and many other buildings
reflecting the history and lifestyle of the town. The theme trail including
more recent buildings will tell you more about the present lifestyle. The
guests will also find it very interesting to see the sculptures of Čakovec
consisting of a historical series of magnificent monuments of high artistic
value made by famous authors, which also wrote the history of important
figures to whom they are dedicated.
Visitors to Čakovec will be particularly drawn to the many interesting faces
of the town – both historical and marked by famous persons, attractive as a
town of culture, beautiful for its parks and flowers, and dynamic as a town
of sports, various events, business opportunities and a rich gastro offer.
The guests will find the entire region of Međimurje equally attractive. The
Međimurje Wine Road connects some thirty wine cellars and tasting
facilities. The gastro offer is marked by tradition so numerous restaurants
offer food based on autochthonous ingredients and recipes of the area. A
unique facility is available on Mura River – a wooden river mill where they
first milled flour in 1902. The Miller’s Educational Trail is organized
around the mill and dedicated to the natural and traditional heritage.
Another interesting feature is the Tradition Road, connecting a dozen
workshops for traditional crafts such as pottery, wicker, wood carving,
weaving, carnival mask carving, traditional cooking, river milling, etc. The
region is a paradise for bikers, hunters, fishermen, all lovers of beautiful
nature and those who enjoy relaxing in wellness facilities and thermal
springs, which make the basis for the Međimurje thermal riviera, including
the most popular and awarded Sveti Martin spa in the Municipality of Sv.
Martin na Muri.
www.tzm.hr
www.tourism-cakovec.hr
Ludbreg
There is only one center of the world
If you ever thought Paris, New York or London was the center of the world,
you were wrong – for many metropolises of the world, this flattering title
is just a subjective feeling, while for Ludbreg, a small town in Northwest
Croatia, it is fact. Having recognized the excellent transport position of
the town, the old Romans built Castrum Ioviu, a town with full
infrastructure, sewage, a forum and a spa, which became a commercial and
transport center. According to a legend dating back to the era, imaginative
earthly circles with large metropolises on their edges were located right
here. The legend has been confirmed by Dr. Erasmus Weddigen of Switzerland –
having selected Ludbreg that he literally adored as the center, he made
circles around the map and noticed that major cities were located on this
imaginative line. However, there are more arguments confirming that Ludbreg
actually is the center of the world, just like the legends associated with
it, so their studying will be an interesting part of the visit to the
region.
Ludbreg is also a well known 500 years old religious center. It is a
Eucharist shrine unique to Croatia and one of the few ones in the Christian
world established by a written decree of the Holy Father. The Bulla issued
by Pope Leon X on 14 April 1513 recognized and acknowledged the miraculous
appearance of the Holy Blood of Christ in the chapel of the former medieval
Ludbreg fort. Every year in late August and early September, they
traditionally hold one of the biggest parish fairs in Croatia, the Ludbreg
Holy Sunday.
While taking a break from studying the numerous cultural and historical
monuments and tradition in Ludbreg, you can engage in various other
activities in the region, such as hiking, recreation, fishing and enjoying
the autochthonous food and wine that have made this region popular.
www.turizam-vzz.hr
ww.tz-ludbreg.hr
Croatian Island Products
Tradition and originality incorporated in quality
Among other things, Croatia is known to tourists around the world for its
numerous islands, their beauty and preserved nature putting them among the
most attractive destinations in the world. However, what is perhaps a little
less known is that each of them is a “world unto itself”, with its
autochthonous culture, customs and production making the exploring
particularly interesting. This is why the Croatian Island Product project
combines all products deserving special attention in terms of originality
and quality. The list is getting longer and longer …
According to the project launched in 2007 by the Croatian Ministry of Sea,
Transport and Infrastructure, the Croatian Island Product label is awarded
to products from the following label groups: Eco Product, Original Croatian,
Croatian Quality, Traditional Reputation, Originality and Geographic Origin.
As of the end of last year, the Croatian Island Product label can be found
on 57 island products along the entire Croatian coast, including but not
limited to the famous Pag lace and cheese from the island of Pag, Rab cake
from the island of Rab, lavender oil, the famous Vrbnička Žlahtina wine from
the island of Krk, stone souvenirs and aromatic soaps from the island of
Brač, jams from the island of Vis, traditional pastries from the island of
Korčula, and widely popular wines and quality oils from several different
islands. As it is impossible to list each product, it is enough to say they
have exceptional quality and specificities caused by the climate, tradition
and production methods.
www.croatia.hr
Slavonski Brod
First Croatian eco-ethno wellness to open soon
Although the wellness offer, a reaction to stress as a widely present
disease of the times we live, is very extensive and based on a longstanding
therapeutic tradition and natural prerequisites, the Wellness Garten that
will soon open in Hotel Garten in Slavonski Brod in the east of the country
will be different. Namely, this wellness facility is based on a range of old
relaxing and enjoying methods and will be the only one in Croatia to offer
treatments and rejuvenation in beer.
Returning to the past and becoming one with nature is certainly easier and
different in the autochthonous ethno-interior, based on new scientific
knowledge. Bathing in beer in old oak barrels is a special highlight of the
wellness center that is scheduled to open in mid-April. According to
research, vitamins B1 and B12 contained in beer regenerate and nourish the
skin and slow down its ageing, which is why this hotel in Slavonski Brod was
the first one in Croatia to offer such treatments. Equally relaxing
treatments include bathing in apples, rose petals, chocolate, hay, aromatic
herbs…
The pleasure provided in the Garten Ethno Wellness is supplemented by
nutritional therapies based on healthy and organic food.
Hotel Garten is a family hotel with a 20-year tradition and offers 16 rooms,
creative team building programs and options for business guests and family
celebrations.
www.tzbpz.hr
www.tzgsb.hr EL GASTRO
www.garten.hr
EVENTS
Baška on the island of krk
Speak With Your Heart
If you visit Baška, a popular tourist center on the island of Krk, in 2009,
you will be able to enjoy the diverse cultural project called Sarcen
glagoljaj or Speak With Your Heart, in addition to the beautiful nature,
sea, gastronomy and the rich offer. As it happens, this year in Baška will
be marked by the Glagolitic script, an old Slavic script created in the 9th
century and originating from the island of Krk, which also has the most
famous Croatian monument to the Glagolitic script.
They decided to proclaim the Year of the Glagolitic Script after the Baška
Road of the Glagolitic Script was completed by mounting of the letter B at
the very entrance to Baška. This is the 34th stone Glagolitic monument,
which is the cause for the major celebration with participation of the
students from Croatian, Slovenian, Austrian and Czech academies who took
part in the mounting of the stone monuments. In addition to them, they
expect representatives of numerous local, regional and national institutions
and corporations that enabled the creation of the Road by their
sponsorships.
Starting from Easter, the Year of the Glagolitic Script will be marked by
numerous professional, musical, artistic, sporting and other events. The
logo of the Year of the Glagolitic Script will also be found on all newly
printed promotional materials of the Baška Municipality Tourist Board, local
hotels, travel agencies, restaurant menus, etc. The Glagolitic heritage will
thus mark this year in both Baška and on the entire island of Krk.
The most famous Croatian monument in the Glagolitic script is the Baška
Tablet, a national cultural monument of the Croatian people. It is a
Glagolitic inscription, a document carved in 13 lines of text, referring to
a donation made by the Croatian King Zvonimir (1075–1089) to St. Lucy’s
Church in Jurandvor where the Baška Tablet was found.
www.kvarner.hr
www.tz-baska.hr
INVESTMENTS
Stubičke Toplice
The most luxurious thermal riviera in Europe
Sunce Concern, in partnership with Krapina-Zagorje County, is building the
most luxurious spa in Europe in Stubičke Toplice, located 40 kilometers
north of Zagreb. This is an investment worth as much as 109.7 million euros,
providing for construction of three 4-star and 5-star hotels, a thermal
wellness and spa complex, a retail & office center, a polyclinic & medical
center, a multipurpose sports hall and a number of eco & ethno facilities.
The hotels will have 1,180 beds and will employ staff trained at the Blue
Sun Academy, sharing the name with the new distinctive hotel brand in
Croatia developed by Sunce Concern. In addition to high-quality hotel
facilities, the project includes construction of a thermal riviera covering
an area of ten thousand square meters and a congress center with several
large halls, the largest among them seating 400 people. The second phase of
construction provides for a polyclinic with several specialist branches,
including plastic and reconstructive surgery, dermatology, dentistry and a
healthy living and natural medicine center.
Stubičke Toplice is located at the foot of Zagrebačka gora in the heart of
Hrvatsko zagorje. It was first mentioned in historical documents in 1567,
although it is presumed to originate from the Roman era. Due to the healing
properties of the thermal well, the first baths were erected in 1776 by the
Vojkffy family; Maksimilijan Vrhovec, the bishop of Zagreb, purchased the
spa in the early 19th century. During his era, the spa became an important
health and tourist center where they built a bath building with a pool,
known as the Maksimilijan’s Baths, the Diana Baths pavilion building and the
Chapel of St. Catherine in the classicist style in 1811. The construction of
the entire bath complex was completed in 1814.
The water temperature in the well ranges between 43 and 69.5 degrees
Celsius, while the exceptionally rich chemical composition (sodium,
potassium, strontium, barium, manganese, zinc, led, tin, copper, iodine,
brome, sulfates, carbonates, silicates, etc.) makes it suitable for
treatment of joint and muscle rheumatism, sciatica, discopathy and various
posttraumatic conditions.
www.www.tz-zagorje.hr
www.stubicketoplice.hr
Ilok
Accommodation with a view of vineyards
As of this spring, tourists who choose to visit the easternmost Croatian
town of Ilok and its surrounding area, enjoy the many vineyards and taste
excellent wine will be able to use five 4-star apartments and a presidential
apartment in Principovac near Ilok.
Immediately after completion of this phase, Iločki podrumi will continue
with the second stage of the investment that will result in 20 apartments,
tennis courts and other sporting facilities and the plan also provides for a
multipurpose sports hall. The total value of the investment is 40 million
HRK and the investor is Iločki podrumi, a company known for winegrowing and
winemaking, which has now extended its activities to the hotel industry.
The town of Ilok and Iločki podrumi will offer tourists kilometers of bike
tracks running through the winegrowing region, which those having no
sporting proclivities will be able to see from eco-vehicles. This is an
increasingly big step into tourism for Iločki podrumi. In 2008, Iločki
podrumi processed 7 million kilos of grapes and produced four million liters
of wine from 300 hectares of their own vineyards and 400 more hectares of
vineyards held by their subcontractors. Last year, they launched a new
quality brand of Cabernet Sauvignon and announced the launching of their
first sparkling wine, obtained from the frakovka variety and produced in the
autumn of 2007, by the middle of this year.
Iločki podrumi is well known for its production tradition, which is
confirmed by the Old Cellar built in the 15th century. This is a unique
facility for traditional production, care and storage of wine in barrels
receiving a total of one million liters. The Old Cellar was built on three
levels to adjust the temperature for keeping and maturing of young wines,
older wines, care for predicate wines and storage of archive wines. The Old
Cellar of Iločki podrumi is a special tourist attraction, not just to wine
connoisseurs but other tourists as well – every year, it is visited by over
20 thousand guests who have a particularly pleasant duty of tasting the wine
and enjoying the food, in addition to sightseeing.
www.tzvsz.hr
www.turizamilok.hr
www.ilocki-podrumi.hr
NEWS
EasyJet: Four new flight options to Dubrovnik
As of 1 May of this year, EasyJet will carry passengers between London and
Dubrovnik four times a week. Airplanes will fly between Liverpool and
Dubrovnik three times a week from 2 June, while flights between Geneva and
Dubrovnik will be available from 6 July, twice a week. As of 12 July,
EasyJet will also carry passengers between Berlin and Dubrovnik, while
Norwegian Air will introduce new flights between Warsaw and Dubrovnik at the
beginning of this year’s season. According to Dubrovnik Airport, 27 airlines
will offer flights to one of the most beautiful tourist pearls in the
Croatian Adriatic this year, 12 of them being low-cost airlines. According
to the statistical data, they already account for 27 percent of the overall
traffic in Dubrovnik Airport and the share will continue to grow.
Last year, Dubrovnik registered 512,000 tourists and over 1.7 million
overnights, while Dubrovnik-Neretva County registered around a million
tourists with 4.6 million overnights. Most of the foreign guests came from
France, UK and Germany. High growth rates were also recorded in arrivals
from Russia, Spain, Scandinavia and Japan.
Info:
www.easyjet.com
Zadar
The Outdoor Museum is created by light
Many tourists and international media have recently discovered Zadar as a
must-see destination and its tourist reputation will surely be enhanced by
the plans for its new functional and decorative illumination.
Professionals from Philips who have been entrusted with the task of
illuminating this Dalmatian city will find a special challenge in historical
and architectural eras intermingled in the same area, so they offered the
client a unique concept of an outdoor museum. Their idea is to mark
buildings from the respective eras with different lights, so that the lights
could clearly show the historical period of a building. In addition to the
functional effects, this would provide visual effects that would certainly
contribute to the attractiveness of this historical city and provide
additional marketing and tourist effects. The conceptual design for the
illumination also includes public areas, squares and parks that will become
closer, more accessible and more attractive.
Zadar has a history of almost three millennia, its traces making it
particularly interesting. The Church of St. Donat, dating back to the early
Middle Ages (9th century, is the main symbol of the city. In addition to
many other valuable historical buildings, monuments and interesting events,
the visitors are attracted by two contemporary artistic attractions: the Sea
Organ and the Greeting to the Sun. They connect natural phenomena and human
artistic activity, thus becoming inevitable tourist spots in Zadar.
www.zadar.hr
www.tzzadar.hr
Cruises
Huge growth in interest
We have been aware Croatia is an attractive destination for passengers on
cruises for some time. However, the recently published statistics for the
first eleven months of last year surprised many people. During the said
period, as many as 820 cruise ships came to Croatian ports (Dubrovnik being
number one), which is 31.2 more than the same period in 2007. They brought
over 937,000 passengers to visit the landmarks of Croatia, which is 35.2
more than the year before. Not only that – their combined stay in Croatia
came to 1567 days, which is 61.7 percent more than last year. This clearly
shows Croatia is an exceptionally attractive destination for cruise
passengers.
www.croatia.hr
www.dzs.hr
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