The Mediterannean as it once was
Contents:
Istraturist
- Noteworthy Recognition For The Park Umag Camp
Opatija And Skradinski
buk: Europe 2006 Silver And Bronze Flowers
Split:
Le Meridien Grand Hotel Lav Ready To Open
Hotel
Dubrovnik Palace -Winner Again This Year Of The World Tourism Oscar
Dubrovnik -New Quality
At Lapad Bay
Tršće – Čabar Board And Lodgings For Lovers Of Nature
And A Good Bite To Eat
Maistra
-Crveni otok Island As A Wellness Oasis
Velebit Nature Park -
Excursion Train For The Cerovac Caves
Blanje
- Slavonia's New Tourist Gem
Safer Adventurism -
Every "Goat's Trail" On The New Alpine Maps
Croatia
Airlines: Best Regional Member Of The Star Alliance
Hvar
- New Hotel Boosts Tourist Offer
German
Magazine Focus - Croatian Hotels Among The World's Top 550
Istraturist
- Noteworthy Recognition For The Park Umag Camp
The Italian
Federcampeggio association recently awarded the Umag camp Park Umag, a part
of the Istraturist Company, a top merit award for "quality and amiability".
The award comes after a vote by members of the association that were in
Croatia during the summer season of 2006 staying in 150 Croatian camps and
taking part in the "Campeggi Croatia: Simpatia ed ospitalita 2006" action
with the aim of discovering the qualities of these camps. During the award
presentation ceremony at which the leaders of the Istraturist Company and
the Federcampeggio association were present, the Italian colleagues spoke of
the overall camping offer in Croatia, saying that Croatian camps were
significant competitors that were, as a result of improvements and
all-encompassing investments, becoming increasingly attractive to the entire
camping population.
The awards ceremony and the accompanying thematic workshops was held during
the 13th International Motorhome, Caravan, Camping and Outdoor Vacation Show
– "Mondo Natura", held in Rimini from the 9th to 17th of September of this
year, the top camping event in southern Europe, that this year pooled as
many as 400 exhibitors.
Istraturist has invested 11 million euros during 2005 in its 5 camps, which
has raised the overall camping offer to a 4 star category. More than half of
the investment was directed to the Park Umag camp, that opened the 2005
season with revamped parcels and sanitary facilities, mobile homes, special
horticultural landscaping, a pool complex and a series of attractive new
facilities for guests. This is also the first Croatian camp that has had a
membrane bioreactor installed for filtering wastewaters. The feasibility of
the investment was proven already in the first year as the camp in 2006
recorded a 25% increase in the number of guests and also won numerous awards
both from guests and from professionals.
Istraturist
e-mail: info@istraturist.hr
web site:
www.istraturist.hr
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Opatija
And Skradinski buk - Europe 2006 Silver And Bronze Flowers 
A well-known coastal
tourist destination – the city of Opatija, is the recipient of a silver
award, while the Skradinski buk ethno-village in the Krka National Park is
the winner of a bronze award. The award in question is the prestigious "Entante
Florale – Golden Flower of Europe 2006" that the European association for flowers and the environment awards every year under the patronage of the
European Union.
The fact that Opatija and the Skradinski buk ethno-village were selected
from among 5,800 candidates from 12 European countries speaks volumes of the
great value of this recognition.
The grand lady of Croatian tourism, as Opatija is often referred to, takes
great pride in the stunning parks and attractive "Lungo mare" seaside
promenade that make up only a part of the appealing picture of this city.
Along with the classic vacation tourism that has drawn tourists to Opatija
for over a century, this is a city in which congress tourism is also
developed. Opatija is the seat of a Riviera with the longest tradition of
tourism in Croatia. Nurtured parks, seaside promenades, well-maintained
swimming areas and fountains are only a part of its appeal.
The Skradinski buk ethno-village draws attention with its exclusively
natural phenomenon. The Skradinski buk itself is the longest and most
beautiful waterfall on the Krka River and one of the best-known natural
beauties in Croatia. The waterfall is made of travertine cascades, islands
and lakes, while the small mills and baskets on the waterfalls are simple
works in which the energy of the waterway turns a grinding stone through a
system of wooden wheels and cogwheels to mill grains. The ethno-village is
closely connected to this tradition, which has existed in the area since the
Roman era. It got its present appearance in the 19th century. It was
recently again renovated and has become, because of its traditional heritage,
an important monument to the economic history of Šibenik and the Šibenik
area.
City of Opatija Tourist Board
e-mail: info@opatija-tourism.hr
web site:
www.opatija-tourism.hr
Skradinski buk – Krka National Park
e-mail: turizam.npk@npkrka.hr
web site: www.npkrka.hr
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Split - Le Meridien
Grand Hotel Lav Ready To Open
The Le Meridien Grand Hotel
Lav will this autumn finally open its doors to its guests. This is a large
hotel complex, formerly the Hotel Lav, situated in the settlement of
Podstrana, not far from Split, that has been completely renovated and will
in the future operate as a part of the globally-known Le Meridien chain of
hotels.
The hotel bears a five-star standard with some 65 million euros invested in
its renovation and expansion. The hotel will be position on the market as a
high-quality facility with numerous attractions and will as such be open
year-round. The people at Le Meridien are already prepared for their first
reservations.
The Grand Hotel Lav is located in a very attractive area – about eight
kilometres south of Split with the surrounding beaches and hotel rooms
offering a vista of the city and the surrounding islands.
Guests will have a total of 382 rooms and suites at their disposal, of which
the top management of Le Meridien say that they will be among the largest
hotel rooms in all of Dalmatia. The interior design of is the work of
well-known Italian designer Lorenzo Bellini who has breathed a warm ambient
into the rooms.
The hotel has as many as eight different restaurants and bars and guests
will be able to enjoy diverse cuisine and specific ambiences.
The hotel's congress area covers about 2,900 square metres and includes one
of the largest banquet halls on the Adriatic seaboard, with a total of eight
newly outfitted halls offered for smaller meetings. The hotel also offers a
large wellness centre with all the possible facilities – from the classic
ones right up to a tepidarium, caldarium and others.
The hotel offers a series of facilities for athletes, recreationists and
children and is also adapted to boaters given that it has a large marina
with about 60 berths for small boats and yachts.
Le Meridien Grand Hotel Lav
tel: + 385 21 334 050
web site:
www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien
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Hotel
Dubrovnik Palace -Winner Again This Year Of The World Tourism Oscar
For the second year in
a row the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace is the recipient of two top awards: for
best hotel in Croatia and for best SPA resort in Croatia. The recognition
came at the prestigious awards ceremony of the "world tourist Oscar" – the
World Travel Awards 2006.
The Hotel Dubrovnik Palace is also the first Croatian hotel to be this year
nominated in the category for best resort hotel in Europe among stiff
competition from 19 luxurious hotels in Spain, Italy, France, Greece and
other countries. The nomination of the Hotel Dubrovnik Palace in a European
category is in itself an exceptional recognition from the global tourist
experts who operate in the frame of the World Travel Awards.
The thirteenth gala awards ceremony for achievements in the travel and
tourist industry, the World Travel Awards 2006, was held in the luxurious
Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & SPA hotel on the Turks & Caicos islands
located southeast of Miami.
The tourist industry's World Travel Awards was established in 1993 with the
aim of paying tribute and granting recognition for achievements in all
segments of the global tourist sector. After more than a decade of the
award's existence, tourist professionals and their clients today consider it
to be the best recommendation any tourist product could have.
Voting kicked off on April 18th of 2006 and the decision on the best in each
of the categories was made by over 150,000 travel agents, tour operators and
buyers from around the world.
Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
e-mail: sales@dubrovnikpalace.hr
web site:
www.dubrovnikpalace.hr
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Dubrovnik
-New Quality At Lapad Bay
Dubrovnik will in January of
next year get another high-quality accommodation facility at the level of
the already well-established Villa Šeherezada. This is the word from the
Hotel Neptun, a company that is, as of recently, sporting a new name, the
Importanne Resort, and besides the Villa Elite a series of other ambitious
plans are in the works for the coming months. With their help the entire
Lapad Bay in which this complex is located will get a new image and a
significantly higher level of quality.
The Villa Elita as the most luxurious facility in the company will have only
two suites and four rooms but will offer a high quality of service making it
appealing to elite tourists.
Other planned works are to be launched in this year – the building currently
housing the Hotel Neptun's reception will be renovated and the new Hotel
Ariston will be opened there offering a total of about a hundred
accommodation units. The completion of the Hotel Ariston is expected for the
next peak tourist season and it will be known then whether it will operate
at first as a four-star facility or whether it will open with a five-star
rating, this depending on the intensity of construction work and the
investments in the hotel facilities.
The Hotel Neptun, i.e. now the Importanne Resort was last year almost
entirely renovated, and tourists are now offered an abundance of sports,
entertainment and congress facilities within the complex. When construction
is completed the Hotel Ariston complex will get not only a new image, but
also new facilities that will significantly upgrade its offer.
The hotel will, namely, be connected to the main building in the complex,
while the connection with the restaurant located in a separate building will
be secured with the construction of an elevator.
Hotel Importanne Resort
web site:
www.hotel-neptun.hr
e-mail: info@hotel-neptun.hr
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Tršće – Čabar Board And Lodgings For Lovers Of Nature
And A Good Bite To Eat 
Natural beauty is drawing more
and more admirers to the settlement of Tršće, located in the Čabar
countryside in the northern part of the Gorski kotar highlands and right off
the border with neighbouring Slovenia. It is a region that has left a
lasting impression on all those who have already visited it and it offers an
opportunity for a quality vacation for all those who intend to come,
especially those who would like to spent a weekend at least surrounded by
almost untouched nature, sightseeing and enjoying the cultural heritage of
this peaceful landscape.
Tršće and its environs offer numerous trails for a comfortable walk or bike
ride, while in the surrounding woods everyone can pick the fruits of nature,
hike, rest or enjoy the recreation of a school in and about nature. Tršće
also boasts a large sports hall and four tennis courts while guests can also
try their hand at rafting. The only drawback of this gentle countryside so
far is the lack of accommodation facilities; a problem that it appears will
soon be at least partly alleviated. A new three-star category accommodation
facility was opened recently in the centre of the settlement offering eight
suites and a total of 30 beds. Also on offer is a restaurant with local
cuisine, a pizzeria and a café bar that seats about 60. This facility will
greatly improve the tourist offer of the Tršće area that has, on account of
the proximity of the sea and ski resorts, already been picked out as a
popular and attractive destination. With the growing number of tourists it
was felt that there was a need to further develop the area and to evaluate
the existing resources.
Every season is, namely, special in Tršće – there is no oppressive heat in
the summer, the spring and autumn are abundant with the fruits of nature,
and when snow covers the entire countryside in winter, guests can enjoy
themselves in the nearby Rudnik ski centre.
Municipality of Čabar Tourist Board
e-mail: tz-cabar@gorskikotar.hr
web site: www.cabar.hr
Settlement of Tršće Tourist Board
Tel./Fax: + 385 51 824 110
GSM: + 385 98 461406
Hotel Petrus
Tel: + 385 51 824 400
web site: www.petrus.hr
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Maistra -Crveni otok Island As A Wellness Oasis
Rovinj has
a new wellness centre as of the start of September, opened in the Maistra
Company's Hotel Istra. The centre stretches over about 1350 square metres
indoors and about 250 square metres of Mediterranean garden. What makes it
more appealing than all other wellness centres in Croatia and around the
world is the fact that it is situated on an island that does not have many
other facilities, which is why it has been dubbed Wellness Island. The
island of Crveni otok, on which the hotel is situated, is situated only
fifteen minutes by boat from Rovinj, which makes it especially attractive
for all those visitors looking to get some real rest in peace and quiet.
The wellness centre itself is outfitted in the typical Mediterranean style.
Comfortable relax rooms, swimming pools, various kinds of saunas,
aromatherapy programs, athletic and relax massages and numerous other
treatments are a part of the exceptional wellness experience offered on the
island of Crveni otok.
The employees of the centre and of the Hotel Istra have created a range of
attractive programs like the Get to know Wellness Island complete relax
program, the Queen of the Island weight loss program, the Sweet Island slim
program with anti-cellulite treatment based on chocolate and algae for
weight loss, the Manager De-Stress program, Teen's wellness, mini-packages
for men and women and much more.
Thanks to investments of over 21 million euros the Hotel Istra has been
awarded a four-star rating. The Hotel Eden in Rovinj has also been raised to
the same category following investments to the tune of 7.2 million euros,
and both hotels have because of the exceptional quality of services and
facilities they offer become new members of an esteemed international
association, the Special Hotels of the World. The leaders of this
association have recognised in the Eden and Istra hotels the kind of
outstanding quality that sets them apart from the competition, and these are
precisely the criteria that meet the stringent demands of this global
association.
Maistra
e-mail: info@maistra.hr
web site: www.maistra.hr
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Velebit
Nature Park - Excursion Train For The Cerovac Caves
At the Velebit Nature Park,
located in the heart of the Lika region, a new kind of organised visit has
been launched recently. In collaboration with the national railway company,
Hrvatske željeznice, excursion trains are now bringing tourists to the
Cerovac Caves, the most attractive locality in the park.
The national railway company has already set up excursion trips like these
to, for example, Ogulin, Mount Klek, and the Lonjsko polje and Kopački rit
wetlands…
The Cerovac Caves consist of three cave systems – the Upper, Central and
Lower Caves, the latter, about 700 metres in legnth, being to only one
currently open to visitors.
The caves were discovered during the construction of the Zagreb – Split
railway line at the start of the past century and, on account of its wealth
of cave "decorations" by far surpasses all other speleological structures in
Croatia. Because of their unique beauty the caves were in 1961 given legal
protection as a protected geological natural monument and were in 1981 made
a part of the Velebit Nature Park. Besides this, the caves are also one of
the largest cave bear sites in Croatia. Along with the numerous
archaeological remnants from the Bronze and Iron Ages, to which collected
pottery, bone points and bronze clasps bear witness, fossilized human bones
have also been found in them and a bronze axe that clearly belonged to the
so-called cave bear hunter people.
The “Nature Park Velebit” Public Enterprise
e-mail: velebit@gs.t-com.hr
web site:
www.pp-velebit.hr
Upp
Blanje
- Slavonia's New Tourist Gem
Rest and recreation, fishing, horseback riding,
cycling, cuisine, peace and untouched nature – these are some of the many
possibilities offer on one spot by the recently promoted Association of
Blanje Fans and Nature Conservationists.
The village of Blanje is situated in the municipality of Viljevo, not far
from Osijek and Donji Miholjac and the proprietor of the Branimir – Blanje
village farmstead has found in it a place that can be outfitted as an
appealing place for tourists.
The farmstead stretches over about five hectares of land on which there is a
300 square metre building adapted to the needs of the members of the
association including rooms and eight beds. There are two artificial ponds
surrounding the building with their own spring water from which the Karašica
River flows into the surrounding greenery.
As a part of the offer of village tourism there is a horse stable on the
farmstead with two horses that should be joined soon by a further two, and
there is a real old-time carriage.
For those who do not like that kind of pastime or recreation, there is the
opportunity to take a bike ride along the nearby cycling route that will
take them on a tour of Blanje and its environs, and everything is ready for
a photo-safari on the Drava river, archery, volleyball and foot-tennis – a
new sport conceived as a kind of combination of soccer and tennis. The
proprietor has already arranged a series of additional activities in which
the surrounding municipalities will take part – Kopačevo, Orahovica,
Ladimirevci and Vukovar, so that tourists could tour all of these places and
experience the real Slavonia.
Visitors can enjoy original Slavonian culinary specialities at the
farmsteads and tour an ethno-collection featuring some 2000 antique exhibits.
Municipality of Viljevo
e-mail:
opcina-viljevo@os.t-com.hr
web site: www.viljevo.hr
Donji Miholjac Tourist Board
e-mail: tzdm@tz-donjimiholjac.hr
web site:
www.tz-donjimiholjac.hr
Branimir Smoljan, proprietor
GSM: + 385 91 506 46 52
Association of Blanje Fans and Nature
Conservationists
+ 385 31 624 258
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Safer Adventurism:
Every "Goat's Trail" On The New Alpine Maps
Since existing maps of
the Dinaric Alps, a mountain chain that stretches along the length of
Dalmatia, and that is every year visited by more and more people, are no
longer accurate and to a large extent deviate from the situation on the
terrain, the cause of which is entirely in natural change, the Dinaridi
Adventure Team association in collaboration with the Alpine Rescue Service
have launched an extensive project of the precise mapping of the entire
area. The team, made up for the most part of experienced alpinists has so
far covered the area of Mount Mosor and the Omiš part of the Dinaric Alps,
is currently covering and mapping the Kozjak area after which Pelješac is to
be covered.
All alpine routes – horse trails, macadamized trails, dirt roads, hiking and
cycling trails, have been plotted on their maps, while caves, springs, wells
and shelters have been precisely indicated as have places where chance
travellers can seek medical and other assistance.
Two of the planned 60 maps have been completed so far that will, besides the
Dinaric Alps, also cover inhabited parts of the islands. All key historic
localities have also been plotted onto the completed maps, which will also
be the case with all of the remaining maps.
The old maps of the entire area are nowadays quite unusable as the
temperament of nature is such that it is in a constant state of flux. Some
trails or springs can move up to a kilometres over a period of ten years,
which makes going difficult for both hikers and the people of the Alpine
Rescue Service. Considering that there are a growing number of hikers and
tourists coming to Croatia every year who wish to explore the endemic rocky
country and Karst phenomenon, these maps will help them all. Besides that,
all significant localities will be plotted on the maps along with loads of
expert advice in English and Croatian making them also useful as tourist
maps.
Dinaridi Adventure Team
web site: www.dinaridi.com
Croatia
Airlines: Best Regional Member Of The Star Alliance
According to the results of an
analysis carried out by the Star Alliance association on passenger service
satisfaction on European flights, travellers selected the Croatian national
air carrier Croatia Airlines as the best regional member of this; the most
highly regarded global airline association. The analysis, which covered the
second quarter of 2006, besides Croatia Airlines, also covered Finland's
Blue1, Spain's Spanair and Slovenia's Adria Airways.
The results of the analysis show that passengers evaluated Croatia Airlines
as best in four of five service segments – in-flight service, transfer
service, departure punctuality and overall flight evaluation.
In the pre-flight service segment, that evaluates the quality of airport
services, Zagreb airport shares second place with Madrid airport.
Besides the Star Alliance, Croatia Airlines itself has for two years running
carried out its own continuous passenger service satisfaction analysis on
international flights, and the results show that passengers flying with
Croatia Airlines consider it a company that provides a high level of
service, both in relation to their expectations and in relation to other
companies present on the Croatian market.
Croatia Airlines
e-mail: pr@croatiaairlines.hr
web site:
www.croatiaairlines.hr
Hvar - New Hotel Boosts
Tourist Offer
Hvar's first private hotel,
the Hotel Park, was recently opened in the city core, situated in what most
of the people of Hvar consider to be one of the most beautiful buildings in
the city. A full seven years was spent on the renovation and restoration of
the building so that the new Hotel Park can truly boast of a flawless
appearance that should see that hotel, as the owner points out, return to
its former status.
The Park, namely, once called the Villa Maca after the proprietors of the
time, the Mazza family, was at the start of the last century reputed as one
of the most popular summer residences. It was one of Hvar's first hotels
and, at the time, the favoured destination of foreign guests. But, a great
deal of time has passed since then and the building suffered the wear and
tear of time, so quite a lot of effort was needed to return it to its former
splendour. The result of this complete renovation is a hotel of traditional
Dalmatian appearance decked out in a combination of wood and stone.
The hotel features 13 luxuriously appointed suite-rooms each one of which
offers a view of the Hvar city port and the Paklene islands. The rooms, that
remind one more of suites, are of varying sizes, and most of them have a
large antechamber. There are two double-floor rooms on the hotel's second
floor with large balconies, while the attic houses the largest apartment.
What is sure to catch the eye is that all of the rooms are luxuriously
outfitted and that each of them has a massage tub or Jacuzzi in a large
bathroom.
Although the emphasis was put on tradition during the entire renovation of
the hotel, especially in the restoration of the outside of the building, all
of the rooms are equipped only with the latest technology – plasma
televisions, a stereo sound system and DVD player.
The hotel will be open year-round and as it does not for the moment have its
own restaurant, the construction of one will kick off soon so it will be
ready for the next season – with a restaurant and small gallery in which
guests will be able to purchase works by local artists.
Hotel Park
Tel: + 385 21 718 355
Fax: + 385 21 741 520
City of Hvar Tourist Board
e-mail: tzg-hvar@st.htnet.hr
web site: www.tzhvar.hr
German Magazine Focus
Croatian Hotels Among The World's Top 550
In a selection made by
Germany's most influential news magazine, Focus, the Hotel Katarina in
Rovinj and the Hotel Astoria in Opatija have been proclaimed one of the top
550 hotels in the world. This is the first time that this German magazine
has published a list like this and only 13 hotels were chosen from Eastern
Europe, including these two Croatian hotels.
Over 400 German journalists, hotel managers and other professionals from the
tourist industry took part in the selection.
The Hotel Katarina was listed among the 100 best hotels for a family
vacation in the world four years ago by the British magazine The Times. Both
nominations are thanks to the quality of the hotel itself and everything
that surrounds it.
The Hotel Katarina, namely, is located on the island of the same name just
off the coast of Rovinj. There is no traffic on the entire island, and the
vista shoots out to a stunning view of the old town of Rovinj, which all
together leaves a special impression on the vacation. It was opened in the
year 2000, has some 130 rooms and offers its guests excellent service, to
which this nomination bears witness.
Unlike it, the Design Hotel Astoria is one of the best designer hotels in
Croatia. It is a top category hotel and offers 51 superbly appointed rooms
and an entire range of additional facilities, and as they are located in the
very centre of Opatija it is the right choice for guests who love to enjoy a
stylised ambience.
Hotel Katarina
e-mail:
info@hotelinsel-katarina.com
web site:
www.hotelinsel-katarina.com
Design Hotel Astoria
e-mail: info@hotel-astoria.hr
web site: www.hotel-astoria.hr
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