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Newsletter January 2008
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POINTS OF INTEREST

Zagreb Technical Museum
Nikola Tesla's demonstration studio Reconstructed

Following last year's celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the genius Nikola Tesla – inventor, electro
technician and physicist – his demonstration studio was recently reconstructed at the Zagreb Technical Museum,
home of replicas of the best-known of Tesla's inventions.
The studio, part of the effort to make Nikola Tesla a recognizable brand in his native Croatia, is based on the
reconstruction of the best-known inventions created by this great scientist following his original drawings and
patent submissions, using, for the most part, methods and materials available during Tesla's time.
The reconstructed studio, the fruit of a two-year labour, has received a more dynamic and modern appearance,
and various multimedia content bring the life and work of Nikola Tesla closer to the visitor. A ninety-seat
auditorium divides the visitors' area into three sections that depict the childhood, education, life and work in
America and the medals and recognitions received by the genius.
The studio exhibits are situated on mobile pedestals and are moved to the central section where experiments are
demonstrated for visitors every day.
Along with the Nikola Tesla Memorial Centre, opened in 2006 in Smiljan, the settlement Tesla was born in, the
Demonstration studio at the Zagreb Technical Museum is yet another sign that Croatians are very proud of Tesla
and his work and will not allow his homeland to forget the man who "invented the twentieth century."
The Technical Museum will join most museums in Croatia in the Night of the Museums event scheduled for late
January, an event that has been staged in many European cities and in which museums open their doors to late
into the night and stage elaborate programs.

www.mdc.hr/tehnicki/
www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

The spirit of times past in downtown Koprivnica
A horse-drawn carriage for all

Like many European cities Koprivnica, a town in the northeast of Croatia in the heart of the Podravina region, has
brought the old spirit back to life with the acquisition of horse-drawn carriages that will provide the locals and
tourists with a chance to get a different view of the town in fair weather conditions.
The initiators of the idea of introducing a horse-draw carriage are the Habek family, which has started developing
rural tourism on its family farmstead. As one of their priorities was the acquisition of Lipizzaner horses, they also
decided to launch a municipal horse carriage project that will feature two white Lipizzaner horses. Help in the
investment came from the City of Koprivnica and the County Tourist Board in the form of donations.
With the horse drawn carriage included in many municipal events the town of Koprivnica will expand its tourist
offer and secure itself a more recognizable image.
Snježana and Mario Habek, known for their love of the Podravina region and their desire to preserve traditions,
organize therapeutic and recreational horseback riding, raise eco-crops and restore old furniture on their 30
thousand square metre farm in the old mining community of Glogovac near Koprivnica. Soon they plan to open a
small restaurant offering ecologically grown dishes.

www.tz-koprivnicko-krizevacka.hr

Zagreb
Modern telescope installed at the Astronomic Observatory

Space buffs in Zagreb these days can now enjoy an even better view of the vastness of space from the Zagreb
Astronomical Observatory's modern new telescope.
The installation of a large apochromatic telescope, worth about 37 thousand euro, lasted almost five months so
that the news that the telescope in now functional will likely delight many space lovers and other citizens and
visitors to the city of Zagreb who will now have an opportunity to even more enjoy a view of the expanses of
space.
The entire structure of the old telescope has been replaced with a new column installed in its place mounting
three telescopes that together form the necessary integral parts of a modern telescope.
The main apochromatic telescope is used for visual observation of objects in space and the Sun in white light and
for intermittent photographing.
The old Zeiss 130/1950 mm telescope has been mounted in parallel and will, after the acquisition of the needed
equipment, be use to photograph the sun in the H-alpha line. The third telescope, a Coronado PST H-alpha 40/400
mm, is installed next to the main telescope and is used for visual observation of the sun in the H-alpha line.
Along with the cited equipment the observatory has also acquired a TeleVue Nagler type 5 eyepiece with a focal
depth of 26 mm, a Nagler type 6 with a focal depth of 13 mm and a Radian with a focal depth of 6 mm. Also here
is a 2 inch Herchel Solar prism for direct visual observation of the sun in white light and a 2 inch Baader UHC-S.
Besides the new telescope the Zagreb Astronomical Observatory, dating from the year 1903, is as of this autumn
also richer for a new cosmic radiation detector that came as a gift from Armenia.
And that's not all – with the aim of better informing the general public, students, professors and other astronomy
buffs, the people at the Zagreb Astronomical Observatory have restructured and revamped their Internet site.
Starting with a much better layout on the pages new content has been added on the history of the Observatory
(history, popularisation, education, science, publishing and more), a photo gallery, weather forecasts and
surveys. The new site should present visitors a better overview of the popularization and education work of the
Observatory and one of the important novelties is the publication of an Observatory newsletter with the help of
which all those interested will have an opportunity, via their e-mail, to follow all of the important ongoing data and
news on events at the Observatory (lectures, courses, observation and more).

www.zvjezdarnica.hr
www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

PRESENTING

Varaždin County
Tradition and customs in the service of tourism

Varaždin County is situated in the northwest of Croatia and has its administrative seat in Varaždin, a town
situated on the right banks of the Drava River, some 80 kilometres from Zagreb.
It is a town with a long history and a wealth of tradition. The wider Varaždin area was inhabited as far back as the
Palaeolithic period, and in 1209 the settlement of Varaždin was conferred the status of a free royal township. In
the mid 16th century Varaždin was a cultural, political and commercial hub, and from 1595 the seat of the
Slavonian Marches
As a seat of the nobility, opulence and wealth, Varaždin in 1756 became the capital of Croatia, but the greatest
fire in its history, in 1776, took from it the throne as the Ban (vicegerent) and his court moved to Zagreb.
Known as a city of the baroque period, music and flowers, Varaždin is a town with an exceptionally rich history
now home to 50,000 inhabitants and is the cultural, society, education, textile and IT centre of that part of
Croatia. Varaždin is a town of rich culture, social and architectural tradition with numerous baroque period and later more and more classicist style edifices.
Along with the Old Town, many palaces, buildings, houses, sacral buildings and one of the most beautiful
cemeteries in Europe, Varaždin is an impressive town on which many prominent individuals left their mark: famed
Croatian scientists, writers, lexicographers, poets, painters, sculptors and musicians.
There are many events held in Varaždin the whole year round. Fashion and film festivals, sports and recreation
events, theatre, exhibitions and music events. One of the best known of Varaždin's events is certainly the
Varaždin baroque Evenings, a festival that has for almost 40 years every September and October celebrated the
baroque period, the great musical virtuosos of the time and all of the grandeur of the baroque period that has left
a significant imprint on the town and earned it the title of "Little Vienna".
The Špancirfest is held in Varaždin every year in the last week of August, a busker festival that draws about two
hundred thousand people and in which the old town core becomes a large stage for various street events,
comedy theatre, children's plays, concerts by renowned local and foreign musicians and host to tradition crafts,
artists and many other exhibitors.
Along with the lavish program offered by Summer in Varaždin, which runs from late June to the start of August,
the International Floral Exhibition in September, the International Dance Competition in early December, the
International Trade Fair and Hunting, Fishing and Tourism Fair, Varaždin is also home to a 6 kilometre New Year's
race run through the town in which athletes and recreational joggers usher in the New Year on the run.
The accommodation offered in the town and its environs is growing and tourists can lodge at one of the town's
four hotels, several guesthouses, hostels and in private houses offering rooms.
Besides Varaždin, Varaždin County is also home to five other towns: Lepoglava, Ludbreg, Varaždinske toplice,
Ivanec and Novi Marof. Lepoglava is called by some the cradle of Croatian culture and is known for its traditional
Lepoglava lace. Ludbreg is known for miracles and legends. Varaždinske toplice is well known for its abundant
source of thermal spring water around which a thermal spa existed as far back as in the Roman period, and which
is now a renowned health resort. Ivanec is a small town at the feet of the most prominent highlands in northern
Croatia - Ivanščica, while Novi Marof is a town that grew out of the Grebengrad aristocratic estate that was owned
in the 12th century by Croatian rulers and nobles. Among the cultural and historical monuments in the town are
the ruins of the medieval Templar burg. Trakošćan is also found in Varaždin County, one of the most magnificent
medieval Croatian castles (municipality of Bednja).

www.turizam-vzz.hr

Šibenik
Medieval monastery garden opened to tourists

Downtown Šibenik recently saw the first tourist visit to the attractive medieval gardens of the monastery of St.
Lawrence (Sveti Lovro), in the area of the monastery closed to the public. This has revived an important part of
Šibenik's history and given it a new dimension in both education and tourism.
The gardens were recently completely revamped, with the pupils of Šibenik's First Private Secondary School
taking part in its renewal. The renovation project, following the well known scheme of medieval monastery
gardens, is the work of well-known Croatian landscape architect Dragutin Kiš, a man with the highest references
in the field and the recipient of the top award and the millennial Flora 2000 Exhibition held in Japan.
The monastery gardens at St. Lawrence's cover an area of 600 square metres with a cruciform path having a well
at its hub, a field hedged with boxwood, and cypress trees at the edges of the fields, old rose varieties, citrus
fruits and figs on the edges with spices and medicinal herbs in the fields and capers on the surrounding rocks.
With the Mediterranean monastery gardens Šibenik is richer for a rare tourism and cultural point of interest, all
the more as this is the town in which Robert Visiani, one of the best known 19th century botanists in Europe was
born, himself a renovator of one of the best known botanical gardens in Europe.

www.sibenik-tourism.hr
www.summernet.hr/sibenik-knin

The Crikvenica area
Catalogue of guesthouse providers published

The first catalogue of guesthouse accommodation has been released by the Crikvenica Association of Guesthouse
Accommodation Providers. It aims to facilitate tourist searches for accommodation in private homes on the entire
Crikvenica area. The publication does not provide an overview of all of the capacity available in private
guesthouses, only those whose owners are members of the Association.
The fifty-page catalogue showcases a total of 78 guesthouse providers, and along with the listing and photos that
illustrate each house, the catalogue details the overall offer and the standard of accommodation provided.
Printed along with the catalogue is an integral listing of all key services and telephone numbers, and a list of
tourist agencies and tourist boards in the area.
Besides this very much-needed information, the brochure describes in detail the history of Crikvenica, also
illustrated with many interesting photos.
The publication has been printed with the intention, above all, of promoting tourism in Crikvenica and the
accompanying guesthouse infrastructure and is to be distributed at many fairs in Croatia and abroad and at Info
points.
Besides the catalogue the member so of the Crikvenica Association of Guesthouse Accommodation Providers has
created and launched an Internet site of similar content, as many of the guests now coming to Crikvenica are
seeking accommodation on the Internet.
Also announced as in the works is the creation of a kind of virtual database of all Crikvenica area accommodation
providers providing guests who would like to vacation in the area with an overview of all of the available tourist
accommodation.

www.app-crikvenica.com
www.tzg-crikvenice.com
www.kvarner.hr

Branding Požega-Slavonian County
A student study to develop the Golden Vale

Four Požega youths, students of the Faculty of Economics in Osijek, have taken first prize in the Croatian
Association for Marketing's prestigious CROMAR competition hosted in Rijeka. Their "Strategic Marketing Plan for
the Development of Tourism in Požega-Slavonia County" was judged most successful in branding
Požega-Slavonia County via its natural beauty, historical and cultural legacy, the ecological oasis of the Papuk
nature reserve, the production of health food and select wines.
Their work is based in the preserved natural environment and unique landscapes in which flatland and highland
beauty meets in the Slavonian plain, surrounded by numerous waterways. The have opted to brand the county
above all as the Požega valley, long known as the Golden Vale, because of its recognisable character. They have
not forgotten the Pakrac – Lipik area, focusing on its thermal water resources, and have proposed characteristic
souvenirs such as a Slavonian skier, referring to the unique ski trail on the Papuk highlands, a figure of a Roman
soldier, reminiscent of the wealth of archaeological finds from the Roman period Vallis Aureae, a new visual
identity of the vineyard hills and much more.
With their pinpointing of the current weaknesses of the local tourist offer, the young team has caught the attention
of the County Development Agency, which has decided to back their project.
The visionary work has been recognised by the entire county, which has decided to include these ideas in the
county's Economic & Tourism Development Strategy and the study will also form a part of the joint Tourism
Development Masterplan of Požega-Slavonia and Brod-Posavina Counties.

www.tzzps.hr

mobiEXPLORE Tourist guide for cell phones
Everything about Croatia on your cell phone

Ever since the Split-based IT company Gideon Multimedia presented its new version of the mobiEXPLORE cell
phone based tourist guide in July of 2007 over three hundred thousand tourists have accessed the guide to inform
themselves of the tourist offer, local customs and points of interest, to reserve a table at a restaurant, a room in
a hotel or any of the many other contents the guide offers.
Although targeted above all to tourists, before coming to Croatia or upon arrival, mobiEXPLORE has shown itself
to be very interesting to local users looking for information of daily culture and entertainment events, and the
hospitality and recreation offer.
A tourist guide on the screen of your cell phone provides almost 160 destinations in Croatia and offers
information on various aspects of the tourist offer by way of text, photos and interactive maps of cities and
regions: culture, history, points of interest, active vacationing, accommodation, cuisine on offer, entertainment,
news, useful tips, a mini dictionary for quick access, local customs, events and more.
The project is unique on the global market, is entirely free of charge to users and is also available at the Internet
address www.mobiexplore.com.
The project grew out of the independent production of Gideon Multimedia, the only Croatian member of the Nokia
PRO Forum, a program backed by Finnish Nokia pooling advanced cell phone program solution developers.
MobiEXPLORE won the gold medal at the ARCA 2007 international innovation exhibition, and has been included
among the prominent applications on the Nokia web site as an "application that sets entirely new levels of
expression, efficiency and interactivity for mobile tourist guides."
The success of the first mobiEXPLORE Croatia project is confirmation of the feasibility of the announcement of an
entire series of cell phone tourist guides for all of the key destinations in Europe that the Gideon Company has
already started in collaboration with its strategic foreign partners.

www.gideon.hr

INVESTMENT

Dubrovnik
Hotel Excelsior under renovation

December of last year saw the launch of a complete renovation and revamping of the existing facilities and
accommodation at Dubrovnik's Hotel Excelsior, operating within the Adriatic Luxury Hotels group (ALH).
The 14 million euro reconstruction is the second one in a short period. Early last year, namely, an older part of
the hotel was renovated, the Villa Odak, with six million euro going into the reconstruction that completely
overhauled 62 rooms.
The latest reconstruction of the Hotel Excelsior, closed while the construction is under way, will run through to
spring, and, says its management, should be open for guests in late May.
The renovation of the hotel will see the renewal of the remaining rooms, and all of those on the fifth and sixth
floors will get a large floor space. According to the owners and management of the hotel, these rooms will be
significantly larger after the reconstruction, and an exclusive 150 square metre suite will be added on this floor
along with the existing presidential suite.
When the reconstruction is completed, along with the already renovated Villa Odak, the Hotel Excelsior will
feature 95 rooms and suites instead of the current 108.
Also getting a complete facelift besides the rooms are the reception area, bar, restaurant and indoor swimming
pool, with the spa and wellness facilities to be upgraded.
Also new is that the existing Rustica restaurant will be re-adapted into a luxury villa to be rented to interested
clients.

www.hotel-excelsior.hr
www.visitdubrovnik.hr

Župa Dubrovačka
Five-star hotel under construction

Župa Dubrovačka, an area situated between Čilipi Airport and the city of Dubrovnik, is the site of a new hotel,
whose construction has just been launched at that when completed should offer a high five star level of service.
Some 35 million euros are to be invested into the facility being built by Nautica Hotels & Resorts.
The hotel, scheduled for opening in late 2008 will have eight floors, one of which will be under ground level. The
hotel will feature 135 luxury rooms and 11 suites with a view of the sea, swimming pools, conference rooms,
restaurants and other hotel facilities and will keep its doors open year-round.
Construction kicked off with the demolition of the existing resort that is to be followed by the construction of a
completely new facility stretching over a total floor space of 23,500 square metres.

www.visitdubrovnik.hr

EVENTS

Zagreb
Marc Chagall at the Klovićevi dvori Gallery

After a series of successful exhibitions held last year at the many museums and galleries in Zagreb, the city can
now be proud to host an exhibition of one of the greatest painters of the 20th century - Marc Chagall.
The exhibition of the works of this master of painting, open from December 13th, 2007 to March 16th, 2008,
covers twelve of the Gallery rooms and features some 250 top oils, graphic sheets, illustrations, sketches,
lithographs, collages, sculptures and tapestries.
Featured in Zagreb will be the key themes of his work – religion, love, the characters from the circus he so loved,
his surrealist work and illustrations, prominent among which are the stunning hand-coloured graphics for La
Fontaine's fairy tales.
This, perhaps the greatest dreamer among painters is known for his melancholy portrayals of a longing for a
native country he had departed from, by floating lovers, dreamy portrayals of animals, musicians, clowns and the
floating beings of the surrealist world. His paintings are done in a fashion that makes it appear to us as if there is
no demarcation between the artist and the canvas, and the painting appears like a mind map with name places of
love, the scent of white flowers and the music of musicians.
He has written his almost century old history in a hand only his own, and has melded in his work his Jewish
origins, the landscapes of Vitebska in which he was born, and the Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Berlin, Paris and
New York he lived in. He assimilated but also initiated the avant-garde currents of the metropolises of the time,
but never belonged only to one movement, remaining forever a unique phenomenon of 20th century painting. It
is no wonder then that his canvases stand apart to this day as a dreamy depiction of love, desire, patriotism and
all that art often sacrificed in the twentieth century in the service of war, politics and a harsh daily reality.
The Klovićevi dvori Gallery has also prepared numerous accompanying events, art workshops for children,
lectures, thematic evenings and socializing, and has stocked its museum shop with Chagall souvenirs for the
occasion.

www.galerijaklovic.hr
www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

Snow Queen Trophy 2008
FIS World Ski Cup event on Mount Sljeme

To inaugurate Sljeme as a desirable destination for ski competitions, the Croatian Ski Federation organized in
2005 the Golden Bear World Ski Cup women's slalom race. The event was later renamed Snow Queen in honour
of Janic Kostelić, the all time greatest Croatian women's skier.
This year the world's top women skiers will be joined at the Audi World Cup Snow Queen Trophy event by the
world's top men's skiers.
The women's event will be held Friday, 15 February 2008, while the men's event is slate for Sunday, 17 February
2008. Along with these two official races, Sunday will also see the Zagreb Ski Legends humanitarian race. The
parallel giant slalom will pool sixteen ski legends including Alberto Tomba, Marco Girardello, Franz Klammer,
Janica Kostelić, Vreni Schneider and Michael Dorfmeister.
Donations from the humanitarian race will be presented to the Special Hospital for Chronic Children's Illnesses in
Gornja Bistra.
And like last year, when the event drew over fifteen thousand viewers, the organizers will provide, along with an
excellent ski race, entertainment and free transportation, food and drink, concerts and a raffle for ticket holders.
A diverse entertainment program kicks of Thursday, February 14th and runs through to the 17th on Zagreb's Ban
Jelačić Square featuring DJ's and raffles and will also have a giant video wall with live action from the three races
on Sljeme.

www.croski.hr

CONTENT ON OFFER

Primošten
The first Mediterranean arboretum in Croatia

The staff of the Landscaping Institute of the Zagreb Faculty of Agronomics have conceived a complete project for
the creation of the first Mediterranean arboretum in Croatia, which is to be located on the Primošten area islet of
Smokvica, once a nudist area now owned by the Split-based Nesos Olyntha Company.
The Primošten Arboretum will feature the significant and fascinating traditional flora of Dalmatia – about 20 old
species of grape vine, olives, fields of lavender, conifers and other varied Mediterranean flora, but also plants
from other parts of the world that are climatically adaptable to our clime such as plants from Australia, South and
Central America, Africa and Asia.
Especially attractive for visitors will be the range of summer fruits, citrus fruits in particular and various types of
bamboo.
In the midst of this islet there are still the remains of old stone houses and bunja (simple, elementary structures)
and an arboretum, unlike parks and botanical gardens, always includes the construction of accompanying
buildings, but there will be no other structures on the island, especially not for accommodation as that is not
foreseen by the Šibenik-Knin County zoning plan. That means that the islet will remain uninhabited and the only
structures it will have is the arboretum that is to be created on true Dalmatian karst.

www.tz-primosten.hr

Decoding Zagreb
A new municipal adventure tourism game

The latest Zagreb tourism product, the Decode Zagreb program, is an attractive way to view the city. The
program is conceived as an entertaining adventure around the city in which participants independently discover
the points of interest in the city. This is a tourism program currently targeted above all to organized groups, but is
adaptable to the needs and goals of various types of users, and has already show itself to be an excellent tourist
product for numerous segments – from team building programs and incentive travel to entertainment and
educational school programs. Several of these city tours have been staged and the participants, both tourists and
Zagreb locals, have been very satisfied.
The discovery tour of the city is organized so that participants read and follow the instructions contained in the
Decode Zagreb package, uncovering secret codes and symbols around the city in an interesting and unusual way
to explore the city. The participants become the heroes unravelling this unusual tourist Da Vinci code.
The program offers most of the information that users would otherwise get through a classic tour of the city, but
this time the visitor can see Zagreb in a completely new way. Every participant has to follow the instructions
which includes interacting with the people of Zagreb, wandering and exploring the city streets, squares, entries,
reading graffiti and visiting selected city locations such as certain cafés, museums, stores featuring local products
and the like. All this serves to further intensify the experience and perception of the city, making the participants
of the program an active part of the city's life.
The creation of a special thematic enigmatic exploration tourist guide, also under the name of Decode Zagreb is
in the works, targeted to individuals, families and small groups of tourists for whom the classic way of touring a
city just is not enough.

www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

Primorje-Gorski kotar County
Winter fun on the Gorski kotar highlands!

The possibility of enjoying a truly idyllic winter setting is offered by the stunning highland region of Gorski kotar,
the hinterland of the Kvarner tourism region. The area features five attractive winter sport centres that offer
skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities. Along with all this visitors can partake in the traditional Gorski
kotar culinary favourites and in exploring on foot a landscape that is characterised by many stunning natural
phenomenon and attractive cultural and historical heritage.
With the first snow, which in Gorski kotar first falls in the autumn and remains throughout the winter period, five
settlements become attractive winter destinations that, especially on weekends, are visited by many people
looking for recreation and fun.
There is skiing on the hills of Begovo Razdolje, settlement nestled 1078 metres above sea level. There are 400
metres ski tows and a children's ski lift. The following organized activities are available as a part of your stay:
turno skiing, ski school, equipment rental, sports animation, snowboarding, sledding, and cross-country skiing.
There are three hospitality locations near the ski runs.
The ski centre in Tršće has two downhill ski runs of 800 and 1200 metres and 3 and 5 kilometres for Nordic
skiing, a ski tow and the Brvnara hospitality location with 90-seat restaurant. There is also a children's ski lift and
the Tršće Ski Club organizes beginner ski lessons.
The Platak ski resort is the favoured ski destination of the inhabitants of the nearby seaport of Rijeka with 9
kilometres of ski trails. There are a total of five ski lifts able to handle 2000 skiers an hour, one two-seat ski lift
that can transport 900 persons an hour and a children's ski lift. The ski resort is equipped with snow making
machines making skiing possible even when there is no natural snowfall. Activities on offer include: skiing and
snowboarding lessons, sled rentals, ski and snowboard equipment, skidoos, night time and daytime safaris in the
woods, cross country skiing and hiking on a 10 kilometre trail.
The Čelimbaše ski area near the settlement of Mrkopalj, situated at 1074 metres above sea level, has a
720-metre ski tow that takes skiers to three ski trails of a total length of about three kilometres. Nearby is a
cross-country ski area and the Zagmajna biathlon centre with about four kilometres of trails.
The largest ski resort in Croatia is the Bjelolasica Olympic Centre, situated on the southeast foot of Mount
Bjelolasica, the highest peak in Gorski kotar (1534 metres above sea level). The difference in altitude of 800
metres and a total length of the ski runs of 6 kilometres is a guarantee of an excellent time on the snow. A ski lift
system with three two-seaters and three ski tows link all of the trails. This is only a part of the overall sports and
recreation offer at Bjelolasica as the resort offers, besides accommodation infrastructure and the mentioned
winter sports facilities, a large number of other sports facilities.

www.kvarner.hr

A new hotel in Osijek
ZOO hotel opens at the Fortalice

A new ZOO-hotel recently opened its doors in the city of Osijek, capital of Osijek-Baranja County, yet another
step forward in the effort of the people of Osijek to make their city, the largest in eastern Croatia, one of the
most attractive in the tourist offer of inland Croatia.
The reconstruction, widening and adaptation of the old structure in the fortalice near the Osijek zoo was launched
three years ago with Unikom, the municipal utility company, and the City of Osijek, appearing as investors, and
the new ZOO-hotel was opened in late November of last year.
Over ten million kuna has been invested into the project to date, and as much remains to be spent. In selecting
and installing the material, equipping and outfitting the interior, the Unikom management was led by the aim that
the hotel receive a four-star rating.
With the aim of expanding and upgrading the existing hotel offer, as future projects, the investors have
announced they will build an indoor swimming pool and a wellness facility. Also in the works is the expansion of
the building with a further six storeys that should increase the number of rooms from the current nineteen to forty
or fifty.
The spring will see the launch of work on another parking lot with 220 parking spaces, and 2008 should also see
the development of the left bank of the Drava River where there is a plan to build a golf course, a dog hotel in the
frame of hunting tourism, two tennis courts and one artificial turf 5-a-side soccer pitch.
Along with the hunting offer, the people of Osijek intend to expand the sports & recreation offer to fishing and to
purchase a boat on which children would be educated on environmental preservation. A village courtyard is to be
developed, a veterinary service needed for the zoo and an education area for the youngest visitors of the zoo, for
whom a small train would be set up in which to tour the zoo.

www.tzosbarzup.hr

Tourism awakes in Knin
Best desKnination

Although a tourist board was only opened in Knin a short three years ago, it has through its work changed the
stereotype image of Knin, a town located in south-central Croatia, nestled in the Karst highland Dalmatian
hinterland. Knin has been promoted as the most touristic destination of 2007. Destinacija.com, Croatia's largest
portal, visited each month by about three hundred thousand people, proclaimed Knin the best tourist destination,
one that surprises and delights tourists with its natural beauty and offer.
Knin recorded about five thousand overnight stays in 2006, while in this year that number will hit nine thousand.
Knin currently offers about 170 beds, most of which are available in guesthouses, one small motel, an inn and the
alpine house on the Mount Dinara.
The fortress of Knin is a not-to-be-missed destination for every visitor, as is the Krka River, its tributaries and its
source above Krčić Falls. A growing number of tourists are touring the many archaeological sites in the area and
the sacral buildings in the settlement of Biskupija. Besides fishing, visitors have the option of hiking on Mounts
Svilaja and Dinara, the tallest peak in Croatia.
Knin also organises team-building events, and the many large companies that have held team-building session
there, have been delighted and said they would be back.
Tourists can lodge overnight at the alpine houses, ride horseback along mountain and field trails, kayak on the
rapids of the Krka River and will soon be able to paraglide from Mount Dinara.
Knin has announced it will mend the trails to sacral buildings in the near future, print new brochures and open the
option of congress tourism at the fortress and its independent appearance on the markets of Vienna and Milan.

www.tz-knin.hr
www.summernet.hr/sibenik-knin

CROATIA IN THE WORLD

Novi Vinodolski
Top contender for 2008 Golden Flower of Europe

Primošten, a town located in Šibenik-Knin County, was last year proclaimed Europe's most attractive settlement
while the settlement of Biograd na moru, in Zadar County, took silver. Now the nominations have been made for
the next award – the 2008 Golden Flower of Europe. The latest Croatian nominee for the award is the well-known
Kvarner area tourist destination of Novi Vinodolski, currently the only official nominee for the 2008 Golden Flower
of Europe, putting it in the company of twelve of the most attractive settlements in Europe.
The prestigious Golden Flower of Europe award is granted by the Brussels-based European Association for
Flowers and Landscape. Over 20,000 European cities and towns bid for a spot in the competition every year and
the decision to include Novi Vinodolski in the official nominations for the Golden Flower of Europe – Entente Florale
Europa 2008 was made by the members of the Directorate of the European Landscape Association of Croatia.
The Golden Flower of Europe is an award that includes high marks based on many criteria – from the best works
of horticulture in tourist destinations to an integral image of the sustainable development of each individual town
running in the competition.
In late June of 2008 Novi Vinodolski will be visited by a special commission that will make its assessment based
on the set criteria, top among which are ecological awareness, cleanliness, horticulture and the happiness of the
local population with the quality of life in their town.
Including Novi Vinodolski in the elite club of the 12 most attractive places in Europe is already in this phase an
exceptional recognition and will further contribute to the gala atmosphere in the town, especially as this
well-known Kvarner area destination will in 2008 celebrate its 130th anniversary of organized tourism.
The final results of the selection will be released in Split on 19 September 2008 as that city is hosting awards
ceremony of the selection of Europe's most attractive towns and cities.

www.tz-novi-vinodolski.hr

Thomson Holidays
Gold medals for Valamar hotels

British tour operator Thomson Holidays recently awarded gold medals to the European hotels their clients judged
to be the best in the 2007 season. Gold medals went to the Valamar Diamant and the Neptun hotels in the town of
Poreč, owned by the Riviere Poreč Company, a part of the Valamar Hotels & Resorts group.
The prestigious commendations were awarded on the basis of a customer satisfaction survey carried out among
Thomson travellers who judged the Hotel Diamant to be the "best four-star summer accommodation in Croatia",
while the Hotel Neptun was for the sixth time running proclaimed the "best small and friendly hotel in Croatia". At
the Valamar Company they underline that the number of British visitors to the Poreč facilities has grown from
2004 to 2006 by a whopping 87 percent, and when it comes to the number of British guests to all of their
destinations that figure has gone up from 2004 to 2006 by 67%.
A novelty in the operations of the Valamar hotels is the systematic introduction of the HACCP system in their
kitchen facilities. Five hotels operating within the Valamar group recently received certificates confirming they
have implemented the HACCP system. These are the hotels Valamar Club Crystal, Valamar Club Tamaris and the
Valamar Rubin in Poreč and the Valamar Bellevue and Valamar Albona in Rabac.
In order to ensure a high level of the quality and safety in the preparation and serving of food in their facilities
Valamar has announced it will continue over the coming years to continue making significant investments in this
direction and in 2008 they plan to certify a further six hotels, two camps and two apartment resorts operating with
in the Valamar group.

www.valamar.com
www.istra.hr

Maistra
More awards from European tour operators

Maistra, an Istrian hotel and tourism company, has added a further three prestigious awards conferred by leading
European tour operators Thomson Holidays and Neckerman to its rich collection of recognitions.
The greatest confirmation of the hotel's quality is certainly satisfied guests, and besides their praise the
recognition coming from business partners also holds an important place. Maistra was again this year prominent
among many competitors and confirmed its quality and recognizable profile by winning as many as three
prestigious awards from leading European tour operators Thomson Holidays and Neckerman.

British tour operator Thomson Holidays, a part of one of the leading tourism companies in the world, the TUI
Group, has again this year awarded the Maistra facilities in Rovinj Gold Medal Awards based on customer
satisfaction, in two categories for 2007. The award in the 4T Best Thomson Summer Accommodation category
went to the Hotel Eden for the 9th time running, while the Hotel Park won the award in the 3T Best Thomson
Summer Accommodation for the 4th time in a row.
Maistra's Belvedere tourist resort is the only facility in Croatia to win the Neckermann Primo Award 2007, which
also puts it among the TOP 100 best and most popular facilities in the opinion of guests. This award is particularly
significant as it shows the success of last year's 13 million euro investment into the reconstruction of the resort.
All three awards are granted on the basis of surveys carried out among guests that stayed at Maistra hotels by
way of these tour operators. The evaluation itself covered several key factors such as location, quality of service,
cleanliness, room comfort, food quality, activities on offer, the price to quality ratio, the guests overall vacation
satisfaction and other similar criteria.

www.maistra.com
www.istra.hr

FutureBrand
Croatia a leading global tourism power

A study carried out by respected New York consulter FutureBrand has put Croatia, China and the United Arab
Emirates in the role of countries that will over the coming five years become leading global tourism destinations,
and that US consultancy firm is calling them "true rising stars".
The results of their study have been presented at London's World Travel Market fair where, besides the three
countries mentioned, Libya and Algiers were underlined as new tourist destinations still awaiting their true tourist
industry boom.

www.croatia.hr