Press Croatian National Tourist Board

Transcription

1 Press 2011 Croatian National Tourist Board PREFERRED DESTINATION OF THE YEAR 2011/2012 Iblerov trg 10/IV Zagreb, Croatia Phone (1) Fax (1) info@htz.hr Web

2 are brought to us by boaters which is more than 10 percent of the total tourism revenue. We will therefore continue to strive, as much as possible, to meet their needs when it comes to infrastructure and the construction of a marina for mega-yachts, as well as raise the quality of service and safety at sea. Croatia is among the most desirable destinations for camping in Europe. As we are aware of the fact that camping is a lifestyle and a trend in tourism, next year we will strive to increase the number and quality of the campsites and their facilities. Indeed, campers are guests who are most concerned about preserving nature, which, in modern terms of climate change and pollution, is very important to maintain competitiveness. READY FOR NEW CHALLENGES Despite the crisis in the global market, Croatia s tourist season 2010 finished with impressive results, increasing the number of nights as well as the total number of guests who visited our country. We are aware that this trend can only continue with new investments in better quality of accommodation and additional facilities as well as friendly, professional people who are the key to success in tourism. Croatia will therefore in 2011 continue to be a contender for a high quality lifestyle destination with a special emphasis on environmental preservation. All of the above will help it retain its status as one of the leading tourist countries in the Mediterranean, which will almost certainly contribute to Croatia entering the European Union. Among the biggest benefits of Croatian tourist destinations is the fact that we are almost the last unharmed, beautiful part of the European Mediterranean, which has long been in the tourism industry, and has managed to preserve authenticity, ambience and lifestyle. In addition, among the main advantages are, without a doubt, a good enological and gastronomic offer and extremely valuable cultural and natural heritage. Visitors to Croatia are especially attracted to warmth, spontaneity and hospitality of their hosts and the fact that tourists in our country do not reside in specially designated areas, but together with the local population. Next year we plan to attract even more visitors eager for a rich cultural and natural heritage, which in Croatia is best illustrated by charming, urban centers and picturesque and authentic villages, great variety of landscapes and natural beauty. Moreover, there is still a large number of unknown places and attractions that have yet to be discovered in our country. Great advantage of Croatian tourism are its strategic position and good road infrastructure, which allow one to drive by car from most European countries up to Croatian destinations. This is supported by the size of Croatia which is ideal for a weeklong tour - the average length of stay of foreign tourists in our country. However, there are also a mild and pleasant climate and diverse cultural and eno-gastronomic program for touring throughout most of the year. Thanks to these advantages and with our innovative and creative approach we aim to get into the five top European destinations of cultural tourism. Another advantage of Croatia are its numerous islands, of which there are more than a thousand and which are widely recognized as nautical paradise. This confirms the fact that around 800 million Euros a year Although the Adriatic is a major media star, our country is so diverse that we can surprise the world with many more trumps. From season to season, the continental part of Croatia, the hinterland of the coastal regions and the interior of the islands enrich the tourist facilities with their original offer - from the cultural, historical and natural heritage to the indigenous foods and beverages that are the foundation of a successful eco-ethno tourism. Thanks to the abundance of thermal and medicinal springs and a long tradition of medical tourism, which are associated with the beginnings of tourism in Croatia, we continue to enrich the offer with various forms of medical, preventive and wellness programs in inland and coastal parts of the country.the potentials of Croatian wellness are aromatherapy, authentic essential oils, extracts of indigenous medicinal plants, mineral water and mud as well as the organic healthy food combined with unique wellness therapies, inspired by Mediterranean and exotic cultures. However, despite excellent results, we are ready to welcome the new tourism year and be competitive on the market as we are among the first countries that adopted the Action Plan for In addition to general advertising, in 2011 we will implement an even more extensive program of joint advertising, based on public-private partnership. The advertising of Croatian tourism will be implemented through 12 models of advertising through promotional campaigns, and /or through promotional sales channels of organisers of tours (tour operators and travel agencies) and air carriers, giving an advantage to advertising the programs which include organized air, coach and railway transport in the pre and postseason. Special advertising models are defined for domestic tourism, particularly the promotion of non-traditional tourism in touristically undeveloped continental and other areas. Also, among the plans are the establishing of a central online search engine for the Croatian tourist offer and the continued policy of liberalization of visa regimes with the countries which express the demand for travel to Croatia. Minister of Tourism and President of Croatian Tourist Board Damir Bajs 1

3 I. CROATIA IN THE TOURIST SEASON II. CROATIAN TREASURES...4 III. CROATIA ON THE MAP... 6 IV. PEOPLE, TRADITIONS AND ATTRIBUTES: What Others Say About Us V. GASTRONOMY AND ENOLOGY VI. NATURAL AND CULTURALLY-HISTORICAL SITES VII. TOURIST OFFER...25 SPORT, ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION (golf )...25 NAUTICAL TOURISM...26 CONGRESS TOURISM...28 CULTURAL TOURISM...28 ADVENTURE TOURISM...32 WELLNESS AND HEALTH TOURISM...38 NATURISM...39 RELIGIOUS TOURISM RURAL AND ECO TOURISM VIII. ACCOMMODATION CAPACITIES...44 HOTELS AND SMALL FAMILY HOTELS...44 PRIVATE ACCOMMODATION CAMPS IX. INVESTMENTS X. A MAGNET FOR CELEBRITIES...57 XI. INTRODUCING CROATIA THROUGH REGIONS THE MUST-SEE PLACES (a list of the best that each region has to offer)...58 ZAGREB...58 CENTRAL CROATIA SLAVONIJA...62 LIKA KARLOVAC KVARNER ISTRIA DALMATIA ZADAR...70 DALMATIA ŠIBENIK...72 DALMATIA SPLIT DALMATIA DUBROVNIK...76 XII. TOURISM STATISTICS...79 XIII. List of offices

4 I. CROATIA IN THE TOURIST SEASON 2010 Croatian tourist indicators of 2010, a year marked by the global recession, have surpassed all expectations and the good results are best described by the fact that every 50 th European tourist is a tourist of Croatia. Data of the World Economic Forum shows that in the past three years Croatia has moved up four places on the tourism competitiveness list, from 38 th to 34 th place out of 133 countries in total, surpassing two countries in the region Hungary and Slovakia, but also its competitors in the Mediterranean Israel, Tunisia. Furthermore, the latest information from the World Tourism Organisation, according to the results for the third quarter, shows that Europe has achieved a rate of growth of 2.6 percent, the Mediterranean of 2.1 percent and Croatia of 4.5 percent. By doing so, Croatia has achieved its goal for 2010 and kept an increased market share on the European market. Congruent to this, Croatian results are almost three quarters better than the European average and two times better than the results of other countries on the Mediterranean. For the third year running we have surpassed our competitor countries and achieved top results with total numbers of tourist arrivals and overnight stays. This year once again, the largest numbers of tourists on our coast were German, Slovenian, Italian, Austrian, Czech and Polish, from which a decrease in the number of arrivals was only noted in Italian tourists, which was to be expected considering the economic situation, while other markets noted increases in arrivals and overnight stays. Good results were achieved by almost all the coastal counties, especially the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, where 8 percent more arrivals and 12 percent more overnight stays were noted in the first ten months of Apart from this there was also an increase in the number of arrivals from cruise ships, but also of the so called avio guests. Along with that, there was also a 6 percent increase in organized tour trips to our country. An indicator that Croatia will carry on achieving good results is the fact that in 2011, million kunas from the country s budget will go towards the tourism industry, which is 5.7 percent more than in The largest part of this money will be aimed at promotion where 132 million kunas will be invested, which is 7 percent more than in In 2011, Croatia will work on keeping the aquired positions on the international market, with a special accent on promotion on the western markets and the strengthening of its position in the area of the so called New Europe, but also on positioning itself on some new European and outer European markets. The hard work of the Croatian Tourist Board s Tokyo office has paid off and this is proven by the fact that more Japanese tourists visited Croatia in 2010, than Portugal and Greece together. The mentioned office received an award for being the best foreign representative office in Japan. 3

5 II. CROATIAN TREASURES Croatia is a country of rich cultural and historical heritage and natural beauty, whose national and natural treasures are not only shown through numerous museums, galleries, churches, national and nature parks, which are monuments of the highest category and examples of exceptional beauty that make an important chapter in the UNESCO list of world heritage, but our historical and natural goods are visible almost every step of the way. If you follow the entangled white stone streets and kaletas (tiny, narrow streets), sail through the exceptional sea archipelago and lively ports of the coastal towns of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia or climb the green hairpin-bends of Central Croatia to the fairytail forts and castles, every step of the way is guaranteed to bring another new experience. The uniqueness of our country is the fact that its teritory is a gracious intersection of as many as four cultural circles which complement each other the spirit of Eastern and Western Europe, Central Europe and the Mediterranean. Croatia is a country of urban culture that counts more towns than any other part of the Mediterranean. Speaking of the centuries old history are hundreds of medieval churches with characteristic frescos and fascinating wattle reliefs. With nine of its cultural phenomena Croatia has become the country with the most protected non-material herritage in Europe, while in the world, the only countires with a longer list are China, Japan and Korea. Listed on the UNESCO list of non-material heritage are: lace making in Croatia; the two-part narrow interval singing of Istria and the Croatian coastal area; Festa of St. Vlaho, the patron saint of Dubrovnik; the annual spring procession of the queen Ljelja from Gorjani; the annual procession of the bell ringers from the area of Kastavština; the procession of the cross on the island of Hvar; the skill of making traditional wooden children s toys from the area of Croatian Zagorje; Sinjska Alka the knight s tournament in Sinj; the skill of making licitars (decorative souvenirs) form the area of northern Croatia. New Tendencies and the Preserved Cultural Tradition Besides nurturing and preserving its traditional culture, Croatia keeps pace with new trends in music, film, theater and other arts through many events and festivals. Year after year, hundreds of festivals throughout the Croatian coast and inland attract more and more fans from home and abroad with their extensive and imaginative programs which take place in beautiful natural surroundings or in the centuries-old, historical palaces. Reviewers of reputable global media and tourist guides have in recent years printed much praise of the open-air culture in Croatia, starting with the Dubrovnik Summer Festival within the walls of the Old Town and Split Summer Festival in Diocletian s Palace which have both been taking place for the last fifty years, through to the Motovun Film Festival set on the hill of this Medieval town and the Pula Film Festival in the beautiful Arena, as well as the critically acclaimed festivals of electronic and pop-rock music. Numerous other cultural events that take place before or after the summer season have also recieved praise and international recognition. Because of its high cultural potential and in order to succeed in its quest to become one of the top 5 cultural destinations in Europe, Croatia has compiled an Ordinance granting quality labels in cultural tourism called Doživi Hrvatsku - Experience Croatia. The mentioned grade will be awarded in four categories: cultural destinations, cultural facilities, cultural events and cultural itineraries. The offer of cultural tourism is enriched and highly contributed to our valuable gastronomic and ethnological offer. The Croatian village, as a keeper of tradition, plays an important role here. Croatian rural areas have noted visible development in special forms of tourism the production of indigenous and traditional products, 4

6 the protection and preservation of natural and cultural heritage, traditional costumes and folk traditions as well as gastronomic specialities made from organic ingredients and wine cellars with indigenous wine sorts. In the past few years rural tourism has raised the quality and comfort of accommodation in traditional houses and came up with numerous content: from museums with ethno collections through to the possibility of recreation and relaxation. Bio-diversity and Sustainable Development Because it is located on the crossroads of several bio-geographic regions, Croatia is an area of above average diversity of land, sea and underground habitats; this is a rare European landscape, which on such a small space boasts as many as 8 national parks and 11 nature parks. The untouched natural landcape and the rich flora and fauna represent a great itinerary for ecologic tourism. Along with the rich cultural history, the diversity of landscape from plains to high mountains and sea, Croatia represents an ideal place for adventure lovers. Unique landscape of the sea side, beautiful well-indented coast, bays, pine wood beaches, picturesque towns scattered along the coast and a thousand islands simply mesmerize with their uniqueness. The Croatian coast and the depths of the blue sea rich with flora and fauna uncover the miraculous world of centuries gone by, from ancient amphorae to sunken gallies and ships wrecked in the winds of the two world wars. This makes it a true haven for sailors and divers. Rest and Relaxation: Something for Everybody Because of the beautiful beaches, where everyone can find a bathing spot to suit their taste whether looking for good time, romance or a quiet family vacation the Croatian coast has been listed as a top destination in the past few years by the world s media. Naturism is a way of life that nurtures the body, and sport and a healthy lifestyle play an important role in taday s life. Croatia had already recognized the imporatance of naturism in 1953, when this was a brave step to take considering the moral norms of that time. It is estimated that 15 percent of all visitors to Croatia are naturists. Croatia is the third nation in Europe by its capacities in naturist camps, while the Istrian Koversada is the first commercial naturist camp in Europe. Around ten Croatian camps are distinguished by their attractive and exceptionally preserved natural locations, usually on the sea front itself. Besides the beautiful and peaceful ambience, the thing that all Croatian naturist camps have in common is security and high standards. They boast a rich gastronomic and shopping offer and have many different sports and recreation facilities. Modern day Robinson Crusoes can, in Croatia, enjoy the pleasant solitude or company of friends, surrounded by the blue sea. Many of some fifty lighthouses perched on rocky outcrops and dangerous promontories have been abandoned, but some have been granted new life when they were converted into unique places for vacation. Twelve of them are currently on offer, ranging from those conventional ones situated in tourist centres to the Robinson ones found on the most remote islands and inaccessible locations. The lighthouses erected in hard to reach places are in direct contact with elementary nature: deep sea, hard rock, sparse vegetation. All are finely carved and monumentally designed so that they appear like temples to ancient gods. Altough Croatia is foremost mentioned as the country of a thousand islands, it is also a country of a thousand castles. Among them we can count the medieval feudal fortified castles, castles and manors of northern Croatia which were built after the Turkish wars, from the beginning of the 17 th century, and Renaissance summer houses and castles in southern Dalmatia, especially in the area of Dubrovnik. Croatian Zagorje is often attributed the biggest concentration of castles and manor houses in Europe. A large number of Zagorje castles date from the Baroque period and are reminiscent of the high level of architectural art in this area over the past centuries. 5

7 III. CROATIA ON THE MAP Croatia is located in south-east Europe, between Central Europe and the Mediterranean. By its geographic position it is a Central European and Mediterranean or a Pannonian-Adriatic country. Croatia stretches in the shape of an arch from the river Danube in the north-east to Boka Kotarska in the far south and is divided into three large geographic regions: coastal, mountain and pannonian. The coastal region is made up of islands, coast and plain hinterland. The mountain area is the least inhabited and is made up of Lika and Gorski Kotar and characterized by a high karst belt with karst fields and river valleys. The Pannonian region is the largest and most densly inhabited, making it the most important agricultural part of Croatia. How to Reach Croatia? Croatia borders with Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, while the Adtiatic Sea separates it from Italy. Thanks to its favourable geographic position Croatia is a very popular destination for many European tourists. Croatia by Car When travelling to Croatia by car, during the summer months it is not unusual to come across traffic jams on borders, especially at weekends when tourists enter and leave our country in large numbers, so this has to be taken into consideration while planning a trip. To avoid the prolonged travelling and waiting in line it is advisable to get information about the situation on the roads and ferry traffic from the Croatian Auto Club (HAK), the information centre of HAK can be reached on: ; or through Croatian radio 2 on the frequency 98.5 FM. Croatia has intensively worked on road development in the past ten years and the main Croatian cities are now connected with a network of motorways. At pay tolls it is possible to use the domestic currency kunas, euros or credit cards as a means of paying. The two main traffic directions which connect the inland to the coast are Zagreb Rijeka (A6) and Zagreb Split (A1). The newley built motorway network enables visitors to travel easily and comfortably throughout Croatia and experience the beauty of its diversity. The motorway Zagreb Split is 380 kilometers long and represents the main artery of Croatia because it connects the south of Croatia to the continent and vica-versa. After the two new tunnel pipes of the tunnels Mala Kapela and Sv. Rok were made available for traffic in June 2009, a car ride from Zagreb to Split should not take more than 4 hours and 15 minutes, even during the summer months. Mala Kapela is the longest tunnel on the Zagreb-Split motorway, the right tunnel being 5780 and the left tunnel 5821 meters long. The left tunnel of Sv. Rok is 5679 meters in length and the right one measures 5670 meters. In 2010, as part of the international program of tunnel safety testing EuroTAP (European Tunnel Assesment Program), the tunnel Sv. Rok came in at excellent third place among strong competition of 26 tested tunnels from 13 European countries. Contributing to the high grade of the tunnel Sv. Rok, whose other pipe was open in 2009, was the well trained tunnel staff, on call 24 hours a day. We can point out that the tunnel Brinje, which is also on the A1 motorway, was proclaimed the best tunnel in Europe in

8 Due to the unfavourable conditions of the financial crisis the construction of Dalmatina (A1) on the section Vrgorac-Ploče was slown down. It is expected that the A1 motorway will be connected to the town and port of Ploče by the end of The motorway Rijeka-Zagreb is part of the European direction E65 and part of the pan-european traffic corridor 5b. It is extremely important for the development of tourism and economy, and based on the frequency of traffic, the most profitable Croatian motorway. In March 2010, the Hungarian part of the 5c corridor almost reached the Hungarian-Croatian border, with only around 20 kilometers missing.this has significantly shortened the travel time for a part of Hungarian tourists, so thanks to the excellent road infrastructure Rijeka can be reached from Budapest by car in less than five hours. The last section of the motorway Ljubljana-Bregana was made available for traffic from 30 June After many years of planning, this will finally put an end to jams and queues on the border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia. It is important to remember that Slovenia has implemented seven day vignettes at a price of 15 euros. The Istrian Y The construction works of the connecting road on the Istrian Y from Peličetij to Pomer, which is to be 8 kilometres in length, with an investment value of around 170 million kunas, have started in September The estimated time of construction is 13 months. To establish a better traffic flow towards the entrance to Pula, before the tourist season, the first, 5 km long section, from Pula to the crossing with the road to Medulin, will be opened before 1 June 2011.The road has three functions: it serves as an access road towards the south part of Istria; as a circulating road around the town of Pula which is frequently jammed with traffic and finally it serves as a privileged itinerary for tourist traffic moving towards Premantura, Medulin and Ližnjan. There is no doubt that this road will disencumber the entrance to Pula and significantly lessen traffic jams that occur during the season at entrances to the city. A part of the full profile of the 2A section of the Istrian Y phase was opened on 20 June 2010, 19 months before schedule. This is the motorway from Pula to Kanfanar, 28 kilometers in length. It is a section that has three intersections: Vodnjan-north, Vodnjan-south and Pula and 27 underpasses or overpasses. The investment value of this Istrian Y section is 86 million euros, while the whole Second A phase, which along with the sections Pula-Kanfanar and Umag- Kanfanar (49.2 km) and Kanfanar-Rogovići (18 km) amounts to 320 million euros. The contractor has announced that another 50km of the Istrian Y motorway will be put into traffic by 2011 tourist season and by the end of the year, another 18km of motorway. A new rating system will be implemented after the full construction of the motorway a closed system of charging. The user will in this case pay only for the length of the motorway he has travelled on. Croatia by Coach A very large network of bus lines connects all parts of the country. There are regular international bus lines that connect Croatia with all the neighbouring countries as well as Switzerland, France, Germany and Slovakia. From the bus terminal in Trieste there are daily bus lines for Croatia throughout the year (Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Šibenik, Split, Dubrovnik). There is also a year round weekly bus line from Prag to Zagreb and the line Prag- Zadar-Šibenik-Split every 14 days. Bus connections between larger cities are pretty frequent, as are the regional lines.the most frequent bus terminal in Croatia in the Bus Station in Zagreb. Air Transport Croatia can be reached by air from almost every part of the world. International airports in Croatia are in Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Osijek, Zadar, Rijeka, and Pula, and in Brač and Lošinj only during the summer season. Sport airports in Croatia are in Zagreb, Čakovec, Slavonski Brod, Rijeka, Vrsar, Mali Lošinj, Sinj, Otočac, Čepin, Ivanić Grad, Koprivnica, Brač, Pula and Varaždin. Croatia Airlines, the Croatian national airline connects Croatia with numerous European cities. Along with Croatia Airlines, air connection to Croatia is maintained by over thirty airliners such as British Airways, Lufthansa, SkyService Airline, Iberia, STERLING, SAS, Delta, TAP Portugal, Austrian Airlines, Spain Air, Alitalia, Turkish Airlines, Malev, Air France, Aeroflot and CZA. During the spring, summer and autumn there are 16 low budget airlines flying towards Croatia, which connect Croatian cities with around eighty European destinations. Some of them that stand out are: Germanwings, Happag Lloyd Express, Clickair, Norwegian Air Shutlle, Wizz Air, Flyglobespan, Flybe, Thomsonfly, Easyjet, Ryanair and EstonianAir. Germanwings has the largest number of flights to 7

9 Croatia, followed by the German TUIfly, the Hungarian Wizz Air, NorwegianAir, the British easyjet and the Irish Ryanair. Apart from this, Croatia is connectd to many cities of the world by numerous charter flights. The Ministry of Tourism and the Croatian Tourist Board are placing special emphasis on a program intended for airliners Wings of Croatia, which is designed to encourage the inclusion of Croatian destinations in organized air transport during the main season as well as off season. All Croatian airports have noted an increased trade, some as much as percent. Split Airport had the most flights in the summer season of 2010, when it was connected to 35 European cities. It was followed by Dubrovnik Airport where the airlines connected 29 destinations. The airport in Zadar does not fall behind Split and Dubrovnik and has been achieving better results from year to year after its post war renovation. When we talk about low budget ailines, we have to mention Ryanair, which has been the number one airliner at Zadar airport with its 11 destinations in The announcments of airliners for the season of 2011 are good: Thomas Cook UK is returning to Istria and Dalmatia with flights to Pula and Split respectively. EasyJet will start flying to Zagreb from February, and British Airways flies daily to Dubrovnik from April. From the summer of 2011 Blue1 will have flights to Pula. The first guests from Finland will be arriving to Pula with this airliner from the 28 May, and regular flights will be connecting Pula and Helsinki until the 3 September Europe s leading low fares airline easyjet has added Zagreb to its network of destinations in November Since early November flights have been scheduled four times a week from the capital of Croatia to Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, and it has been announced that there will be five flights a week connecting Zagreb to London Gatwick airport starting in mid February EasyJet has been flying to Split and Dubrovnik for some time now. Osijek airport has recently announced that the Irish low budget airline Ryanair will continue to connect Osijek and Frankfurt in Germany from the beginning of the summer season in May Last year, around 7000 passengers arrived on 50 Ryanair flights to the airport in Osijek, between the beginning of May and the end of October. A somewhat larger number of passengers flew in the opposite direction, making an increase of around nine percent in comparison to the previous year. From summer 2011, Dubrovnik, one of the most attractive Croatian tourist destinations, should be linked to Venice and Athens by Croatia Airlines flights. Two flights per week are planned for Venice and as many as three flights per week for Athens. Croatia by Train A railway connects all the larger Croatian cities, apart from Dubrovnik. There are direct lines for Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. There are also lines to most other European countries but they are not direct. A train trip from Munish to Rijeka will, for example, last 9 hours while Vienna to Rijeka will take about 5 hours. The types of trains operating in Croatia are: Eurocity (EC), InterCity (IC), express (Ex), fast (B) and local trains. In August of 2010 Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia signed a declaration in Belgrade, in which they support the founding of a joint railway company which will enable competitiveness on the market for the railways of the three countries. On the relation Ljubljana - Zagreb - Belgrade - Dimitrovgrad Istanbul there are currently 700 trains, while on the corridor number 4, which runs through Hungary, there are seven thousand trains. The joint railway company aims to improve the organization of transport. In August of 2010 Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia signed a declaration in Belgrade, in which they support the founding of a joint railway 8

10 company which will enable competitiveness on the market for the railways of the three countries. On the relation Ljubljana - Zagreb - Belgrade - Dimitrovgrad Istanbul there are currently 700 trains, while on the corridor number 4, which runs through Hungary, there are seven thousand trains. The joint railway company aims to improve the organization of transport. All information about train time tables can be obtained by contacting the free number or via the Internet site of the Croatian Railways: Eurocity, Intercity and Euronight trains: EC Mimara : Zagreb Villach Frankfurt Zagreb EC Croatia : Zagreb Vienna Zagreb (through Slovenia) EN Venezia : Venice Zagreb Budapest (Moscow, Kiev, Bukurest) Venice IC Zagreb : Zagreb Vienna (through Hungary) Zagreb IC Sava : Belgrade Zagreb Villach München Belgrade IC Kvarner : Zagreb - Budapest Zagreb IC Drava : Budapest Osijek Sarajevo Budapest Fast trains: Lisinski : Zagreb München Zagreb (night train) Maestral : Zagreb Budapest Zagreb (Moscow, Kiev, St. Petersburg) Zagreb Villach - Zagreb Belgrade Zagreb Zürich Belgrade Nikola Tesla : Zagreb Belgrade Zagreb Vinkovci Banja Luka - Vinkovci Zagreb Sarajevo Ploče Zagreb Zagreb Sarajevo Zagreb (night train) Ploče Sarajevo Ploče Villach Zagreb Belgrade Villach (night train) Opatija : Rijeka Ljubljana Rijeka (München, Vienna) Ljubljana : Rijeka - Ljubljana (Vienna) Rijeka Seasonal trains: Ljubljana Pula Ljubljana Budapest Zagreb Split Budapest (night train) Special trains: Belgrade Rijeka Belgrade (June-September, week-ends, night train) Belgrade Knin Split Belgrade (June-September, week-ends, night train) Prague Split Prague Tel: +385 (0) posebni.vlakovi@hznet.hr Information: By Boat or Ferry Periodic travel and ferry lines operate between Italian (Venice, Trieste, Ancona, Oescara and Bari) and Croatian ports. From late May to late September the coastal ferry line connects Rijeka and Dubrovnik to the docks in Split, Stari Grad on the island of Hvar and Sobra on Mljet. From 2011 instead of Jadrolinija s ferry Marco Polo will be replaced by Liburnija feribot. The cruise from Rijeka to the southern part of the coast is a good solution for drivers who wish to avoid a beautiful but tiring drive along the coast. If you have driven from afar, the ferry is the ideal place to relax before reaching your destination. All the ports, including the ones on the fifty inhabited islands, are reachable by regular ferry and boat connections. The frequency of all ferry connectiond increases during the summer season. The main Croatian shipping company, Jadrolinija, operates all the ferry and boat lines in Croatia and throughout the year sails from Zadar and Split to Ancona as well as from Dubrovnik to Bari. The ferries sail from three to seven days a week depending on the season. Blue Line agency holds concessions for some ferry crossings in Croatia. From 2010 the Blue Line fleet is richer for Regina Della Pace, a ferry which sails throughout the year, minimum three times a week between Split and Ancona and maintains the seasonal lines between Ancona and Hvar. Sailing into Croatian harbours in the summer period are Italian ship owners such as SNAV, Venezia Lines, Emilia Romagna Lines and Azzurra Lines. All the information about seasonal shipping lines can be found on the website of the Agency for coastal line sea traffic: 9

11 IV. PEOPLE, TRADITIONS AND ATRIBUTTES: What others say about us Ever since the prestige world tourist guide Lonely Planet proclaimed Croatia the most popular destination a few years ago, it has become a favourite tourist site of all the world media which portray it as an untouched natural pearl and top lifestyle destination of rich cultural heritage. Different to the first articles and promotions which only praised the most famous coastal destinations, in the past few years the beautiful Croatian inland has been mentioned more and more. It is especially gratifying that the documentary with the most beautiful shots of the whole of Croatia, under the title Wow Croatia was awarded with the prestigious American Emmy award. During 2010, three Croatian national parks found themselves on the list of the 100 most beautiful in the world, according to the website TimelessEarth.net. Along Plitvice Lakes, whose beauty and value was recognized by UNESCO which incuded them on the list of protected world heritage in 1979, we also have Brijuni and Mljet. Plitvice lakes found themselves on the list of the top ten most beautiful lakes in the world according to the magazine Budget Travel, which thinks that the 16 blue-green lakes of Plitvice, with hundreds of waterfalls and dense vegetation, could serve as a shooting location of the sequal of the Hollywood hit Jurassic Park. Even the Croatian capital Zagreb was characerized as an ideal weekend destination and an artistic centre of the region in the reports of the daily French newspaper Le Figaro, primarily thanks to its new Museum of Modern Art. Zagreb is described as a perfectly preserved city which balances skilfully between Slavic and Mediterranean influences. Zagreb was described as a city of good vibrations, hospitality, warm atmpsphere and Mediterranean feel by EuropeanCityCards. com, the website of the well known European association European City Marketing. The Australian Sun-Herald has also praised Zagreb, especially the luxury hotel Esplanade which it called the triumph of art deco. Top Hotels The British Sunday Times has included four Croatian hotels among the top one hundred European hotels. On the list of the most desirable small hotels in Europe, which stand out with charm, style and an unusual character, the individual approach to their guests and beautifully designed interiors, were four Dalmatian pearls Vestibul Palace in Split, Riva in Hvar, Lešić Dimitri Palace in Korčula and Bellevue in Dubrovnik. On their list of the most beautiful and desirable villas on the Mediterranean, the same newspaper included five Croatian holiday houses. These are the Dubrovnik Poet s House, the villas Maruka and Dol on Brač, Kapetanova Kuća in Viganj on Pelješac and Kamena villa above Podgora. Furthermore, the Poreč all-inclusive hotels Valamar Club Tamaris and Valamar Tamaris Residence are this year s laureates of TUI Holly 2010, the most prestige prize awarded by one of the world s largest tour operators TUI. The members of the world s largest travel portal Trip Advisor (10 Best Travel Secrets) included the Poreč Valamar Club Tamaris among the ten best hotels in the world that are not yet familiar to world travellers and that should certainly be visited and experienced. 10

12 The Beautiful Coast and Islands Korea Times proclaimed Dubrovnik as A jewel of the Adriatic Sea and the whole of Croatia - the Mediterranean Miss World and one of the safest countries in Europe where tourists can freely walk around, without any danger at any time of night and day. The editor of the prestige Financial Times, Alec Russell, compared today s Dubrovnik to its hardest moments during war occupation and concluded that its beauties have not been destroyed by the aggressor or the large numbers of tourists who visit. The British monthly travel and lifestyle magazine Conde Nast Traveller published a five page report about Dubrovnik under the title Croatian treasure: Visit the beautiful Dubrovnik a city by the sea with the conclusion that Dubrovnik is once again a chic destination. The British Guardian has, on its internet edition, positioned Dubrovnik at the fourth place among the top ten destinations for a holiday in September, in the first days of the post season period of The beauties of Dubrovnik but also its top accommodation and facilities have been praised by the Belgian magazine Travel 2, while the British Daily Telegraph, in its magazine Ultra Travel especially praises Dubrovnik s architecture, which it describes as inspiration for the soul. The magazine CIT (Conference & Incentive Travel) presents Dubrovnik as a hot spot for congresses and business meetings and gives an overview of a string of hotels that successfully organize all types of business meetings and gatherings. The Spanish Hispanic Meeting & Travel published a postcard of Dubrovnik on its cover with the title Going Global. According to this magazine Croatia is one of the most beautiful destinations of Central Europe with over a thousand islands. Dubrovnik has also found itself on the list of the respectable tourist guide Frommer s among the top ten best cities for strolling. In 2010, The Mirror, one of the most popular British tabloids, dedicated a whole article to the Croatian coast in its Travel section, which reads enthusiastically about the warm sea, the beautiful towns of Split, Zadar and Trogir, and all this less than three hours from Gatwick, one of London s airports. The list created by world travellers and published on the website travelandleisure.com points out Hvar as the favourite destination of the British jet-setters. This island was simoultaneously listed at fifth place among the ten best islands of the world, while the American magazine Islands included the Croatian island Brač among the top ten most desirable islands to live on in the world. The Central Dalmatian island Vis, was included by Yahoo Traveller on the list of ten undiscovered dream islands. With its medieval villages, virgin bays, old ruins, olive groves and finest vineyards in Dalmatia, Vis is predetermined to become the next hot spot for fun and entertainment on the Adriatic, says Yahoo Traveller. In the British magazine Travel Weekly, Zadar was described as a place for sailing enthusiasts as well as everyone in search of a good holiday, especially lovers of good music. At the same time, according to the European on-line magazine for electronic music Resident Advisor, Zadar hosts the best summer festivals among which the most famous one is the Garden Festival. Under the title Croatia A Water Heaven, the most famous and biggest weekley magazine in Taiwan Yi Zhou Kan Magazine (English transl. Next Magazine ) has recently published a report about Croatia with the largest part dedicated to Šibenik, spread over five richly illustrated pages. The epitaph of a prestige destination was recently awarded to the island of Rab in the Spanish Gijon. Rab is the only coastal destination in Croatia and this part of Europe that has received this award for excellence. Several important segments of the destinations quality were graded. At the prestige international competition Rebrand 2010 Global Awards the branding of the city of Pula was pointed out as one of the best world transformations of an existing brand, while the island of Rab was given the international QualityCoast award for best coastal destination. Top Sailing In its sailing programme called Mansail the American TV station CNN described the Dalmatian coast as Cote d Azur of the east and the hidden jewel of the Mediterranean, whilst recommending sailing lovers to visit it in the autumn, when tourist crowds subside and the weather is still warm. Hollywood stars Sean Connery, Gwyneth Paltrow and Pierce Brosnan have publically expressed their love of the Dalmatian coast, while Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone searched for an island to buy, states CNN. The Spanish specialized Cruises News Media Group has proclaimed Croatia along with Turkey the best cruise ship destinations in 2009 and awarded them an Excellence Cruise Award. On Frommer s website Dubrovnik is recommended as one of the five most beautiful Mediterranean cruiser harbours. Beaches The beach Zlatni Rat on the island of Brač is one of the top five European beaches according to the British Daily Teleraph which 11

13 points out this sandy beach as one of the pearls of the Adriatic Sea. Along with Zlatni Rat, British reporters were impressed by several other Croatian beaches such as Usamljena Plaža (the Lonely Beach) in the vicinity of Rovinj, beach Medveja in Lovran, described as an ideal modern gathering place for a family with style and Kraljičina Plaža (the Queen s Beach) next to Nin with an almost three kilometre long sandy beach, which they recommended to their readers. Also on the list is Šunj Beach (on the island of Lopud) which makes an ideal hideout for all those who want to enjoy the sun and the sea without any disturbances. Zlatni Rat and the beach in Rovinj were praised by the inernet magazine Wild Junket, while the Bonj Beach in Hvar found itself in the elite company of the 20 most beautiful European beaches, according to the British intenet portal Timesonline.co.uk. This beauty of Hvar was described as a supercool beach club on the trendiest Croatian island from which a beautiful view stretches onto the nearby Pakleni Otoci. The respected Irish magazine The Irish Times included the sandy beach in Porat bay in Buševo, among the top seven most beautiful beaches in the world, in a centrefold report. Good Forecasts for the Future Proving that the world media will not get bored of Croatia any time soon are the claims of the Loney Planet, which emphasises that Croatia is more popular than ever with numerous show business personalities coming to visit. This leading tourist brochure publisher mentioned Croatia in its first recommendations for 2011, pointing out Istria as a romantic region which has to be visited. The British Times included Croatia on the list of top ten world destinations for a getaway from everyday life in the new decade and the low budget airline Jet2.com among its top destinations as a country that offers a combination of sun, sea and cultural events. Gastro American global TV station CNN has included Croatia among the four most exciting world gastronomy destinations. Here, Dalmatia founf itself in the company of the most interesting tourist destinations which also offer top quality culinary specialties together with Andalusia in Spain, Burgundy in France and Patagonia in Chile. The Marunada (Chestnut festival) held in Lovran was recently included by the British Guardian among the best European gastro festivals for autumn 2010, while Croatian gastronomy was celebrated at the world s professional chef competition Istanbul Gastronomy Festival, where the Croats won 12 medals. 12

14 V. GASTRONOMY AND ENOLOGY A rich diversity of Croatia is guessed at by many who are guided by sophisticated flavours of its multitude of specialities. Indeed, while sitting at a table that serves dishes which contain the names of certain Croatian regions: Paški sir (Pag cheese), Slavonski kulen (Slavonian dry pork sausage), Drniški pršut (Drniš dry ham), Istarska supa (spiced, warm wine with baked torn bread), Cres lamb, Goranski želudac (stuffing made of bread, ham, bacon, onion and eggs), Kvarner scampi, Zagorje strudel, Ston oysters, Viška or Komiška pogača (pie stuffed with tomatoes, onions and salty sardines), međimurska gibanica (Medimurje pie)... The flavors of these dishes are very different but with a clear link they are all Croatian and all perfection. Croatian cuisine is heterogeneous, and is known as the cuisine of the many regions. Its modern roots date back to Proto-Slavic and ancient times. Differences in the choice of foods and ways of cooking are most notable when we compare the mainland and coastal regions. The continental cuisine was influenced by the earlier, Proto-Slavic roots and recent contacts with the well-known culinary schools - Hungarian, Viennese and Turkish. Meat products, freshwater fish and vegetables dominate this cuisine. Coastal region is characterized by the influence of the Greeks, Romans and Illyrians, and more recently Italian and French Mediterranean cuisine. It is characterized by a multitude of sea food prepared in various ways (fish, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, shrimp, lobster...), olive oil, ham, various vegetables and well-known wines. A Wide Palette of Quality Wines As grape-vine breeding has been nurtured in this area since the ancient times, Croatia is rightly proud of its wide palette of wines. More than a thousand different wine labels are on offer, from which 900 are with the protection and control of geographical origin. There are five viticulture zones in the world determined by the number of hours of sunshine and temperature. Croatia has each of them and the world s first vine-growing nation France has four. The result of this diversity is a sumptuous wine mosaic from fresh, airy, fragrant and aromatic wines in the north, to strong, sweet and full boddied wines in the south. Viticulturally Croatia is separated into the continental and coastal regions, which are then separated into 12 sub-regions. The area of the coastal region stretches through Istria, along the Adriatic coast and the Dalmatian hinterland. The whole region is separated into four wine growing sub-regions: Istria and Croatian Primorje, Northern, Central and Southern Dalmatia and Dalmatian Zagora. There are a number of sub-regions in continental Croatia: in the northwest part there is Zagorje-Međimurje, Prigorje Bilogora, Plešivica, Pokuplje and Moslavina, and in the northeast there is Slavonija and Podunavlje. Most widespread white variety in continental Croatia is Graševina (most similar to Reisling), largely grown indigenous varieties are Škrlet (Scarlett) and Kraljevina, and excellent wines are produced from various world-wide varieties such as Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Traminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon. 13

15 Red continental varieties are Pinot Noir, Portugizac and Frankovka, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The two latter varieties are more appreciated in coastal wine growing regions where the most famous indigenous variety is Dalmatian Plavac Mali. The most famous Croatian wine variety is indeed Plavac and its different types are named after the places where they grow like Dingač, Postup, Ivan Dolac and the like. Interestingly, recent research has shown that the Californian Zinfandel and Italian Primitivo have come from an old sort of Dalmatian Plavac, also known as Crljenak. The noticed white coastal sorts are Istrian Malvazija, Žlahtina, Pošip, Rukatac and Vugava from Vis. Every Croatian tourist region has its wine aces, offered through the project Wine roads as a special form of selling of agricultural products of each wine growing area on which agricultural estates and other participants offer their products and other original specialities, especially wine. Apart from the tourist and hospitality offer, a major part of the wine roads tour are the beautiful natural surroundings through which the roads pass, as well as the historical and cultural sites. One of the most famous Croatian olive groves is located in the area of Luna on the island of Pag, where about indigenous wild olive trees, separated into allotments by old stone walls, are grown on 400 acres of land. The oldest olive trees there are over a thousand years old. Lovers of this area are working on a proposal for inclusion of this site in the register of UNESCO cultural heritage sites. To present our rich gastronomy and enology at its best on the world market, the Ministry of Tourism, The Croatian Culinary Association and the Croatian Chamber of Commerce have launched a project of branding the Croatian eno-gastronomy offer. Their first assignment in realizing this intention is gathering recipes for a cook book with indigenous Croatian dishes, which have their own culinary story and visual identity. Croatian Olive Oil Croatian olive growers have preserved their grandparents olive groves as they strive to preserve the tradition of olive cultivation and respect for nature and organic production. Along with the superior flavor and taste they aim to offer a guarantee of safety of the product. The processing of oil takes place in Croatian oil refineries, where modern equipment for cold processing is used, thus preserving the original flavor and aroma as well as the richness of antioxidants and vitamins. 14

16 VI. NATURAL AND CULTURALLY-HISTORICAL SITES Rich Cultural and Natural Heritage Croatia is a country which holds many monuments of culture and natural beauties and whichever place you visit or choose for your vacation you will always find yourself close to some of the numerous natural beauties or architectural sites of world importance, cathedrals, historical squares and many forts and castles which are scattered on Croatian soil. Croatia is full of historical cities, cities of centuries old traditions, many of which hold historical legends about their originating, such as Zagreb, Rovinj, Pula, Zadar, Nin, Šibenik, Trogir, Split, Hvar, Korčula, Dubrovnik and many others. Ancient traces are visible from the grand monuments of Roman Pula and the largest forum on the eastern side of the Adriatic in Zadar, all the way to the divine Palace of Dioklecian in Split. A historical stroll will bring us to Zadar s pre-romanesque St. Donat from the 9 th century and further into the world of the miraculous Romanesque monument town Trogir or the islands of Krk and Rab. After a gothic chapter in Zagreb, Pazin or Ston on Pelješac, we come to the Renaissance town of Osor on the island of Cres, the Šibenik cathedral, the islands Hvar and Korčula and in the end to the amazing and unique Dubrovnik. The spirit of Baroque is felt in Varaždin, Bjelovar and Vukovar, while 19 th century heritage is felt in Rijeka, Osijek and unforgettable Zagreb. Holding an important place in culturally-historical inheritance are the medieval towns of Istria located on hilltops which provide natural protection. From the outside they look like a fort, while on the inside the medieval town is netted with narrow, curvey streets. The centre of city life is the church on the central square. Croatia can be proud of seven culturally-historical and natural beauties included on the UNESCO list of world monumental heritage. These are: the Palace of Dioklecian in Split, the Basilica of Eufrazije in Poreč, Plitvice Lakes, the Romanesque town of Trogir, the Old Town of Dubrovnik, the Šibenik Cathedral and Starogradsko Polje on Hvar. At the same time Festa of St. Vlaho, lacemaking of Lepoglava, Hvar and Pag, the bell ringers of Kastav, the procession of the cross, twopart singing and playing of the Istrian scale, the spring procession of the queen Ljelja, the traditional production of wooden toys from Croatian zagorje, the knight s game Sinjska Alka and the craft of licitar making of cakes and souvenirs among which the most famous is the licitar heart, are the nine cultural phenomena on the UNESCO list of protected non-material heritage. Thanks to them we have become a country with the most protected non-material goods in Europe, while in the world the only countries that have a longer list are China, Japan and Korea. Sinjska Alka and the licitar craft were included on the UNESCO list on the 16 October Also, on the same day, put on the list was ojkanje, the remnant of ancient Ilirian and pre Ilirian singing from the area of ancient Dalmatia (today s Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro), which the Croats adopted and nurtured. The Republic of Croatia has also sent an application list of cultural and natural goods to the World Heritage Centre. From cultural goods we have the Episcopal complex in Zadar, the Croatian limes in Varaždin (border defence system of Ancient Rome), the Fort in Osijek, widening of the Palace of Dioklecian and the historical core of Split, the town of Lubenice on Cres, castle Veliki Tabor, the historically-urbanistic Ston with Mali Ston, the town of Motovun, the desert Blaca, the vineyards of Primošten and the town of Korčula. From natural goods also inlisted are North Velebit, the national parks Kornati and Telaščica, while in the category of cultural and natural goods we have Lonjsko polje. 15

17 Culturally-Entertaining Manifestations Making the Croatian cultural offer epecially attractive are the numerous cultural and entertainment open-air manifestations, whether they are theatre, film and music festivals or traditional knight games events such as Sinjska Alka and Korčula s Moreška. A unique street festival is Špancirfest in Varaždin. The town Đurđevac in Podravina and its legend about Picoki (chickens) have been included in the tourist net of twenty European destinations of excellence that nurture non-material cultural heritage. The legend of Picoki speaks of the bravery and quick wit of the people of Đurđevac, who after a long siege of the city outsmarted the Turkish army by throwning their last cockrel at them, to make them think they have more than enough food. The town of Nin, in the Zadar County has been proclaimed a European destination of excellence in 2010 because it has the most potential for the development of eco and cultural tourism. With the national parks Risnjak, Paklenica, Plitivce Lakes and North Velebit in the mountain area and the islands Kornati, Mljet, Brijuni and the waterfalls of the river Krka in the coastal area, Croatia is a real pearl of natural beauty. With two arboretums in Trsteno near Dubrovnik, and Opeka near Vinice, numerous historical parks and protected nature parks, this country is full of endless greenery with 4300 plant, and as many animal species. From the 11 nature parks, some like Kopački Rit near Osijek, Lonjsko Polje in Posavina and Vransko Lake near Pakoštane are carefully preserved and watched over zoological and botanical reserves. Croatia has many protected species of animals such as the bear in Kutarevo, dolphins and Mediterranean she-bears in the waters of Kvarner, the griffon vulture on the cliffs of Cres, the white storks in the village Čigoć in Posavina, as well as the herds of wild horses who all find their last free European refuge on the mentioned locations. By the number of diverse species Croatia is among the countries richest in flora in Europe. For example, at specific locations on Velebit and the Kvarner islands there were counted almost 3000 species of plants. The untouched green areas of Gorski kotar, Lika and Southern Istria, represent a real treasury of numerous endemic species by their ecological value and concentration of protected nature parks. Recreation in Preserved Nature Preserved nature is an ideal destination for everyone who likes walking, hiking, camping and looking forward to relaxation and the return to true nature. The inland is perfect for mountain biking, climbing, hiking, adventure races, camping, riding, hunting, fishing, rafting and caving. Caves and pits are one of the outstanding natural phenomena of Croatia. Our country is famous in the world for its deep pits. From the 53 Croatian pits deeper than 250 meters, more than half of them (53 percent) are on the Velebit Mountain, while the other significant area is Biokovo Mountain with 19 pits. From the 52 caves that are deeper than 1000 meters most of them have been researched in Kordun, Lika, Velebit and Dalmatia. Istria, Medvednica, Gorski Kotar and Žumberak are also famous for their deep caves. Lovers of adrenalin activities such as rafting, parachuting or paragliding, will discover Croatia as a country of extreme challenges whether they find themselves on the continental of coastal part. For lovers of archeology, Croatia is a real discovery because of three compulsory locations. The most important is definitely the rich fossil site near Krapina in which the largest and richest collection of the Neanderthal man, scientifically known as Homo Sapiens Neanderthalensis, was discovered in Following that are the Vučedol Neolitic culture near Vukovar as well as Salon, the biggest complex of ancient monuments and the metropolis of the Roman province of Dalmatia. It is valuble to know that the first European calendar was found in Croatia. It was drawn on a ceramic pot from Vučedol near Vukovar, made between 3000 and 2400 BC, at the same time as the first cuneate scripts appeared in Mesopotamia and the first hieroglyphics in Egypt. The Croatian blue depths of the sea with rich flora and fauna and traces of times gone by, from ancient amphoras to sunken galleys and ships wrecked in the world wars are a real haven for sailing lovers and divers. Those in search of relaxation in an authentic and unique ambience wil be able to rest in one of the 12 attractive lighthouses located in conventional tourist centres or at unreachable robinson locations on the furthest islands. True lovers of the sea, nature and silence will certainly find their place under the sun here. All the lighthouses are architecturally monumental, raised in their solitude as the most faithfull guardians of sailors and the sea. Monuments Under UNESCO Protection The extreme value of natural and cultural beauty on Croatian soil was recognized by UNESCO in 1979 when it included the Old Town of Dubrovnik and Plitvice Lakes, which remain the most famous tourist symbols of Croatia today, on the list of world heritage. The walls of Old Dubrovnik encircle the exquisitely preserved complex of sacral and secular buildings from each period since the founding of the town in the 7 th century. Along with the protective walls and towers are the main street of the Old Town Stradun, the headquarters of the rulers of the Dubrovnik Republic -Knežev Dvor, the church of the patron saint St. Vlaho, the Cathedral, three large monasteries, the customs building and the Town hall. The Republic of Dubrovnik represented a special political and territorial unit, proud of its culture, successful 16

18 trading and especially the freedom and independance they managed to keep during turbulent centuries. The natural pearl Plitvice Lakes, which are made up of 20 emerald green lakes and pools that gradually flow over separated by dolomite barriers composed of sedimented limestone made by the river Korana. Water overflowing between the lakes at different levels creates a magnificent architectural phenomenon of nature in motion. The lakes are surrounded by dense beech, fir and juniper forests where there are bears, wolves and rare birds such as the hazel-hen and the long-eared owl. Along with these two jewels, in 1979 UNESCO also protected the palace of the Roman emperor Diokletian around which Medieval Split was created. The Palace of Diokletian is one of the most significant works of late classicist architecture, not just because it has preserved some original parts as well as the whole complex, but also by a number of original architectural forms which represent new, early Christian, Byzantium and early medieval art. As part of the palace and later the medieval town, is also the Romanesque cathedral of St. Duje that was created on the territory of the former emperial mausoleum and so stands for the oldest ecclesiastic building in the world. After the independence of Croatia in 1997, also included on the UNESCO list was the Romanesque historical core of Trogir built on the foundations of a Greek village from the 3rd century BC. The midevial core of Trogir, surrounded by walls, encircles a well preserved castle and tower, as well as numerous buildings and palaces from the Romanesque, Gothic, Rainesscance and Baroque periods. The most important building is the cathedral of Trogir with a portal of the west gate, a masterpiece of the craftsman Radovan, the most important example of Romanesque-Gothic art in Croatia. Also in 1997, UNESCO protected the complex of Eufazije s Basilica in Poreč, one of the oldest and most beautiful early Christian monuments from the 6 th century, whose early Byzantine mosaics can compare only to those in Italian Ravenna. The complex with the tripartite basilica got its final shape in the 13 th and 15 th century, is made up from the bishop residence, baptistery, atrium and a number of Romanesque and Rainesscance buildings. It is possible to follow all phases of building, adaptation and renovation through floor mosaics and signs as well as reconstruct the life of the Christian community in Poreč. From the year 2000, the cathedral of St. Jakov in Šibenik is also on the UNECSO list. It was the most important construction project on Croatian soil in the 15 th and 16 th century. This three part basilica has a 32 metre dome on the inside part. The construction of the cathedral was began in the Venetian Gothic style but completed in the style of Toscan Rainessance. Almost 15 decades had passed from when the decision to build it was made in 1402 to its completion in It is the only building in Europe in which the walls, arches and domes are constructed by a unique method used in carpentery. The technique of building that was first introduced by Juraj Dalmatinac and carried on by Nikola Firentinac is best recognized in the gable of the main fascade. The result is the harmony of the stoney unit, the method of stone lying and the absolute harmony of the inside and outside volume of the cathedral. Starigradsko Polje (Starigrad field), whose plantations of grapevines and olives have stayed practically unchanged from the first colonization of anciet Greeks, making them a unique testimony of geometrical division of land system used in ancient times has been on the UNESCO s list since 2008.The largest agricultural land on the Adriatic islands was colonized in 385 BC by about a hundred families from the Grek town Paros. They started creating outbuildings and living quarters on their estates. The luxurious ones date from the Roman times and up until today, the remains of around 60 of them have been recovered. Today Starigradsko Polje represents the best preserved ancient Greek landscape on the Mediterranean. Non-material Heritage on the UNESCO list Croatian heritage recived valuable recognition in 2009 when UNECSO included seven of the 16 worldly cultural goods for which Croatia had applied. A year later, Sinjska Alka and the craft of licitar were included on the list of non-material heritage. These are religious manifestations, traditional crafts, folk music and traditions that have been nurtured and unchanged in this area for centuries. Throughout history many traditions intertwined so their purpose and meaning changed, which often gave the prehistoric or pagan traditions the character of Christian religious celebrations. For example, the pre-christian custom of Zvončari iz Kastva (bell ringers from Kastav) found its new, modern role during the carnival time, particularly in the hinterland of Rijeka where groups of masked men, dressed in sheepskin, horns and masks, visit different villages on their kilometers long treck. Some wear masks, and others, various headgear, while chanting for good harvest and fertility. All are dressed in sheep skin turned inside out and carry bells which ring in different ways as they move a skill which requires specific physical endurance. Specific foods are related to this custom as are the handicrafts of mask, head gear and bell making as well as traditional dances. Similar is the annual spring procession Ljelja iz Gorjana which, it is believed, sources its tradition from the earliest Slavic customs. Although ethnologists associate Ljelja with the supreme Slavic god Perun, today it is linked to the Catholic feast of Pentecost. Girls from Gorjani walk around the village in a procession and perform a ritual made up of particular songs and dances with swords. They are divided into queens and kings - kings carry swords and wear man s hats decorated with flowers, while queens, like brides, wear white wreaths on their heads. They select songs from a broad repertoire which are appropriate for families they visit; songs are usually sung 17

19 to a young girl or man or a young bride. The Kings will then perform a dance with swards, and Queens will comment dance movements through their song. Finally, a folk dance accompanied by musicians is performed and everyone can join in. The Christian tradition of Dubrovnik has been preserved through a procession in the honour of the patron saint St. Vlaho, who according to the legend defended Dubrovnik from the Venetians in 971. The oldest written document testifies that the Fiest of St. Vlaho has been celebrated since the year Every year, on the 3 rd of February, bishops and priests carry the relics of St. Vlaho in the procession, while worshipers in awe kiss their palms and gently touch this relic in prayers for themselves and the city. After the procession the flagbearers leave with their flags and go back to their villages where thay pass on the blessings of their saint to the people who could not go into town that day. The unique rite of Christian piety is preserved in the central part of the island of Hvar through the procession Za Križen (Procession of the Cross) which has been taking place on the night of Good Friday for the last five centuries. The procession links six of the island s villages: Jelsa, Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanj and Vrboska. Processions start at the same time from the six parish churches (10pm) led by the cross bearer who carries a cross (weighing up to 18 kilograms) as a sign of petition or thanksgiving for his own or his familly s covenant. He is followed by a selected group (singers and candelstick bearers) wearing white brotherhood tunics, as well as many worshipers and pilgrims, stopping at churches, chapels and other places where they are welcomed by the priests and then in the morning they return to their parish church. The backbone of the procession is Gospin plač (weeping of Our Lady) an octosyllabic Passion text from the 15 th century, which is sung in the form of musical dialogue by selected singers called kantaduri. Musical heritage of Istria and the Croatian coast has been preserved in the so-called two-part narrow intervals singing. This type of two part singing is based on untempered tonal relationships and the characteristic color of the tone which is in vocal music achieved by powerful singing partly through the nose. Improvisation and variation are common in both parts during the performance and most of the tone sequences are assembled from four to six tones. Metro-rhythmic formal structure and the structure of the text range from simple to very complex forms, displaying a specific relationship between music and text. From traditional crafts UNESCO has recognized the value of Croatian lace and the art of making traditional wooden toys in the Croatian Zagorje. There are three main centers of lace making marking a continued long tradition. These are Lepoglava in Hrvatsko Zagorje where lace is made using small sticks bobbins, Pag where lace is made using needles and the town of Hvar with its agava lace. Making wooden toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje developed in the 19t th century. The toys are specifically hand made by men and painted by women. About fifty different types of toys are still produced ranging from various instruments, tamburas, toys in the shape of animals to functional objects. Sinjska Alka is a Croatian knights game that is held every year on the first Sunday of August in Sinj, on the anniversary of the thriumph over Turkish conquerers on the 14 August On this day 700 Croatian soldiers from Sinj managed to fight off the attack of Mehmed-pasha Čolić s Turkish army, which counted soldiers. In the alka competition, the horse rider has to pass the 160 meter racetrack in full gallop the time tolerated is up to 12 seconds- and try to hit the centre of the small iron ring which is called alka, with his spear. The alka is located 3.2 meters above the ground. The alka is made up of two concentric rings, where the smaller ring in 3.54 cm and the bigger one is 13.3 cm. The rings are connected by three shanks that separate the outer ring into three equal fields. The aim of the game is to collect as many points possible during three tries. The value of each field is different the top field above the small ring is worth two, while the lower left and right field each bring one point. A direct hit into the small ring ( u sridu ) is worth three points. Every direct hit is celebrated by the sounds of brass music and shots from mačkul - old cannon. If the 18

20 contestant just touches the alka with his spear, it is said he has shot at nothing ( uništa ) but if the alka stays untouched it is said that he has missed ( promašio ). During the alkar horse gallop none of the knights equipment is allowed to fall off. If this happens and the knight does not notice, he might get another chance to race but only with the permission of the Alkar duke. If the knight does notice that he has lost a part of his equipment he must race the track without shooting at the alka and with his spear lowered. The skill of making licitars (honey dough decorations) - a colourful cake made from honey dough has from a long time ago been preserved in the circles of families who are into honey making crafts from central and lowland Croatia. The licitar is made from completely edible ingredients, it is bright red in colour and produced in various shapes and sizes. The smaller licitars are in the shapes of hearts, cherries, babies, birds, mushrooms, horseshoes, small wreaths and small horses and are all favourites in Croatian homes for the decoration of Christmas trees. The larger ones are used mostly as gifts for special occasions like Valentine s day. The tradition of expressing love by a licitar heart has been eternalized in the ballet of the same name, by Krešimir Baranović, which has been preformed on stages across the world. The tradition of licitar making started in the middle ages, indeed, in 16 th and 17 th century, when in numerous European monestaries cakes were made with the help of richly decorated wooden moulds. In the 18 th and 19 th century in Zagreb, Karlovac, Koprivnica, Samobor, Varaždin and other towns, licitar makers were respected craftsmen and their products were a favourite among all the classes. Along with Sinjska alka and the skill of licitar making, in 2010 UNESCO recognized the value of ojkanje, which it included on the list of nonmaterial cultural heritage. Ojkanje is the remnant of the ancient Ilirian and pre Ilirian singing from the area of ancient Dalmatia (today s Dalmatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro) which the Croats adopted and nurtured. It is characterized by voice shaking and still preformed from the area of Karlovac all the way to Konavli. Ojkanje is still present and often referred to as old fashioned singing. In Dalmatian zagora it is called treskanje, in the hinterland of Zadar it is called orzenje while in the Karlovac area they call it rozganje. Ojkanje from Zagora is much older that the ganga or rera (Imotski, Sinj, Herzegovina). Ojkanje is much older than the medieval dijafonija, form which the classical polifony later developed. Ojkanje also has characteristic texts and experts point out how this is a case of perfect music forms. Ojkanje is preformed by two or more singers using a unique voice shaking technique. The song lasts for as long as the lead vocal can hold his breath. The list of protected and endangered Croatian goods is quite long and counts more than 80 of them, so the Ministry of Culture will aim to put more of them, such as the Slavonian bećarac dance and the silent dance from Dinara on the UNESCO list. Architectural Pearls of all Epochs info.hazu.hr Croatia holds valuable artwork and architecture from every cultural epoch from pre-history up until today but we are most proud of the valuable heritage from the time of ancient Greek colonalization and the later Roman urbanization that Croatian immigrants came upon in the 7 th century. However, the periods in which Croatian artistic accomplishments became a part of the European cultural circle are pre- Romanesque, Rainessance and the 20 th century. Croatian heritage is a totally unique appearance in Europe because intertwined in history of this area were all four points of the compass the European east and west, the central European north and the Mediterranean south. This compound and mingling of cultures has resulted in numerous and varied historical monuments. Roman antiquity of the classical period left an indelible mark on the city of Pula, where we continue to marvel at the magnificent Arena, whose architectural shell is one of the best preserved in Europe. Moreover there is Slavoluk Sergijevaca (the Triumphal Arch of Sergius), or as the people of Pula call it the Golden Gate, and Augustov Hram (Augustus Temple), dating from the first century. In the area of Split, near Diocletian s Palace of Late Antiquity (UNESCO heritage), lie the remains of Salona, which was briefly the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. The early Christian era has left huge archaeological treasures in Salona without which the history of Christianity and Europe would be unthinkable. Pre-Romanesque period has left the Rotonda Svetog Trojstva (Rotunda of Holy Trinity) in Church of Sv. Donat in Zadar, which is comparable with the Chapel of Charlemagne in Aachen, from the same period - 9 th century. Rotonda is a unique building from the heritage of the early Middle Ages, the temple in which the elements of the Byzantine and Carolingian architecture intertwine. Romanesque period left large churches and monasteries as well as magnificent palaces in Krk, Rab and Trogir, difficult to find elsewhere in Europe. Ston and Mali Ston were built during the Gothic period as two towns connected by walls and towers that stretch several miles in length. The result is one of the most extensive preserved 14 th century fortifications, used by the Dubrovnik Republic in order to defend the entire peninsula of Pelješac. Also during the Gothic period, but this time in the north of the country, the easternmost Catholic cathedral in Europe was built in the 13 th century Zagreb. Fort Medvedgrad with its octagonal chapel situated on the mountain Medvednica also dates from this period. The Renaissance period shaped the character of coastal and island towns such as Osor, Pag, Šibenik, Hvar and Dubrovnik, while Baroque left the deepest traces in the northern cities of Varaždin, Bjelovar, Požega, Slavonski Brod and Vukovar. Impact of 19 th century architecture contributed to the development of Rijeka and Osijek into larger cities with beautiful examples of Art Nouveau architecture. Art Nouveau 19