Croatia Holidays :: Croatia-Net.com

Renewal of Tourist and Excursion Ships Continues

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:58:29 +0000

Representatives of the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure have recently signed contracts with 12 tourist and excursion ship owners. Together, they will receive payment of HRK 3.3 million of non-recurring state aid for the building and reconstruction of ships. Almost HRK 2.9 million of building grants will be given to the owners of 10 companies, where four of them are companies from Krilo Jesenice, two from Suhi Potok and one company from Babino Polje on Mljet, one from Biograd, one from Solin and one from Virovitica. Around HRK 340 000 will be paid to a company from Povlje and a tourist firm from Privlaka for the reconstruction of the ships. The tourist fleet development and renewal support project began five years ago and during this period, the state has participated with almost HRK 12 million for the construction of 33 ships and the renewal and reconstruction of 16 ships. The goal of the project is the improvement of sea safety, the protection of the Adriatic environment and the development of tourism and small-scale entrepreneurship on the coast and the islands. The Croatian Tourist Fleet has 405 registered ships, owned by 336 private ship owners – small entrepreneurs, which can carry around 5000 passengers.

Ethno-eco Villages for the Development of Rural Tourism

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:55:26 +0000

People on the island of Hvar have decided to improve rural tourism through the development of ethno-eco villages and all the towns and districts on the island have joined in the project. The County of Split-Dalmatia will suggest for this project to be financed within the European IPA program of Adriatic cross-border cooperation. Sućuraj is also involved in the program of renewing old stone villages and their integration into a unique island tourist offer. This also includes the town of Hvar, which is renewing Velo and Malo Grablje, Brusje and Zoraće, Stari Grad and its renewal of Mala Rudina and Jelsa which has made the most progress in the Humac area. It should be remembered that the island of Hvar hosted the first national conference on rural tourism in 2007 during which, at the County of Split-Dalmatia’s proposal, a declaration with a clause on the renewal of ethno-eco villages was adopted. It was signed by 16 Croatian counties and it is expected that the Croatian Parliament will also accept it.

Formation of the Largest Protected River Area in Europe

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:47:42 +0000

Croatia and Hungary have agreed on the establishment of a cross-border Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve within the UNESCO “Man and Biosphere” program. The biosphere reserve is a representative ecological area with three basic tasks: to protect natural assets, to encourage sustainable development and to stimulate scientific research related to the improvement of the quality of life and sustainable use of natural goods. With very rare but large flood forests, river islands, pebble and sand coasts and oxbow lakes, this protected area covers 500 kilometers of three river flows and around 630 000 hectares of unique natural and cultural landscape. The reserve is also the home of the most numerous nesting population of the white-tailed eagle in Europe and other endangered species, such as the little tern, black stork, otter or sterlet. It is also an extremely important area for more than 250 000 wading birds, which rest or spend their winters here every year. According to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) representative, the biological diversity of the species in this region is one of the richest in Europe. This river ecosystem is vital for the social and economic development of the cross-border region. It is the primary source of drinking water, it serves as an efficient flood defense system, offers sustainable forestry, includes agriculture and fishery management, and also has an important role in the development of continental ecotourism and raising awareness of the need to protect the natural surroundings and environment in the entire region. Due to the establishment of a Croatian and Hungarian cross-border biosphere reserve, a bilateral work group for the nomination preparation has been determined and a nomination plan for the Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve has also been prepared. As a result, Croatia must create the Mura-Drava Regional Park, ensuring efficient management of the future biosphere reserve’s central zone. According to expectations, the biosphere reserve will be declared in 2010 and this should additionally entice people and the competent authorities to develop in harmony with the natural surroundings and the environment. The issue of the protection of the River Drava is an extremely significant initiative within the European framework since it is the only remaining part of the River Drava’s natural flow. Great efforts concerning the retrieval of the river bed’s natural appearance and the renewal of biological diversity are being made in other countries, while in Croatia this area is still protected. Due to the specific natural assets of the River Drava area, Croatia has decided to engage in the active protection of this area with the establishment of the Mura-Drava Regional Park which would include the area of this ecosystem on Croatian territory. Besides this, the area has been enlisted into the National Ecological Network as a potential area of the European Union ecologically significant areas network – NATURA 2000. In addition to this and the cross-border cooperation with Hungary on the establishment of the Mura-Drava-Danube biosphere reserve, the entire area of the ecosystem between the two states would be included, which is of exceptional significance for the protection of the natural surroundings. The Croatian and Hungarian statement on the establishment of the cross-border reserve could become the foundation of an international biosphere reserve and countries such as Austria, Slovenia and Serbia might join it. The first reserve of this kind, which would cover five European countries, would be formed and also it would be the largest protected river area in Europe. The representatives of Croatian and foreign non-governmental ecological associations have, therefore, invited Austria, Slovenia and Serbia to join the idea of the proposed biosphere reserve and complete the process of protecting this green zone located in the heart of Europe.

Drava Valley Pearls

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:41:21 +0000

The 720-kilometres-long River Drava connects the countries and cultures from the Italian Alps in South Tyrol, Austrian Pustertal valley and the Slovenian Alps all the way to the middle European Pannonian valley. After it passes through Croatia and the southern Hungarian border, and is strengthened by the waters of River Mura, it joins the great Danube near the town of Osijek. Along this route, the River Drava also passes through the area from Donji Miholjac to Belišće, which has encouraged the Donji Miholjac Tourist Board to put together a project called “Drava Valley Pearls”. The project’s aim is to learn about the cultural and tourist heritage of the Drava valley, the protection of the coastline, the improvement of the conditions regarding the quality of tourist accommodation and the social community, the presentation of eno-gastronomy to tourists, as well as the promotion and presentation of local, indigenous products that can be found along the Drava valley. It is foreseen that the entire project will be carried out on the right bank of the River Drava, along the border with Hungary, Donji Miholjac and the towns of Sveti Đurađ, Podgajci Podravski, Rakitovica and Miholjački Poreč. An adventurous trip for tourists along the River Drava is planned in the program, as well as scout excursions and camping. Local family households will offer the possibility to taste blackberry wine, to go on a tour of the hazelnut plantation, to taste goat cheese etc. In terms of cultural, sacral and natural heritage, the castles Prandau-Mailath will be made available to tourists, as well as the monument of Franz Joseph I, six churches, and a sheltered park etc.

Liburnia – Following the Path of Frankopans

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:38:21 +0000

Liburnia is an area of rich history, which provided Croatia with the first script, code and presses, as well as the story of the Frankopans, a noble family who have left a deep mark on Croatian history during their centuries-long rule. The effects of their rule are still visible today through the remains of their forts, castles, towers and other buildings they ruled from. Ten out of the 19 castles and fortresses have been renewed and decorated as a part of the “Following the Path of Frankopans” project and they have been made available to those tourists who want to learn about the past and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Croatian coast and hinterland. The purpose of the project is to preserve the rich cultural heritage and show it to both the Republic of Croatia and the world. It is the most complex project of cultural heritage preservation, initiated by the County of Primorje-Gorski kotar in 2005. A well-preserved monument on this path and a witness of the past is the town of Grobnik and the beautiful castle built in a shape of a triangle, and is fortified and strengthened with towers and semi-towers and additionally fortified by another set of walls. The town of Grobnik has been a part of Croatia since the 10th century. It was owned by the Frankopans since 1225 and in 1671, after an agreement was made, it became the property of the Frankopans’ cousins, the Zrinski. However, after Petar Zrinski and Fran Krsto Frankopan were executed in the same year in Wiener Neustadt, the castle was plundered. For those who want to follow the map of the “Following the Path of Frankopans” project, the next destination is the castle in Bakar, located on an elevated plateau on the northwest side of the settlement, on the foundations of a prehistoric and Roman fortification. The castle owes its current appearance to renovations that were carried out in the 18th century after two earthquakes had taken place. The castle at Hreljin was built in an extremely favorable strategic position which dominated the communications linking the Croatian hinterland with the sea and Bakarac via Gorski kotar. The beautiful view that one can appreciate there clearly shows why it was a significant obstacle for the Turkish hordes during their raids towards Istria and Slovenia. The walls of the castle, which was abandoned in 1790, are poorly preserved. For those tourists who like historical buildings, Kraljevica offers the Frankopan castle in Nova Kraljevica and Zrinski Stari grad, a complex of buildings of the lower and upper castle. The Frankopan castle is one of the most attractive buildings within this project. It is located on a hilltop, on a cape above the sea, and it dominates the surrounding area and the entrance into the bay and the port of Kraljevica. Petar Zrinski started building the castle in the middle of the 17th century as a court for his family, i.e. his wife Katarina Frankopan’s family who used to own the property, which is the reason why it is called Frankopan castle. All the way up to the execution of Zrinski and Frankopan, the castle was a residency and later on it served as a hospital, barracks and a monastery. It was built as a Late Renaissance fort with many Baroque details. Stari grad in Drvenik is an impressive fort that was built in the Middle Ages for the protection and control of the traffic route through Vinodol. The fort consists of a quadrangle basis with round towers on the corners, one semi-tower and a Roman defense tower which is the oldest part of the fort. The castle gained its final appearance in the 15th century and, in the middle of the 18th century, the people who lived next to it went down to the valley and built the settlement that we know today along the Bakar – Novi Vinodolski road. The small settlement of Grižane is located not far away from Drivenik, and it is here where you can find the remains of the building located above Grižane, on a cliff under the rocks. Only a small part of the castle, built in the Middle Ages in order to protect the traffic route, has been preserved to this day: a part of the walls with the remains of three round towers. The Frankopan tower in Bribir, the only remaining part of that town’s castle, is in much better condition. Originally, the castle consisted of double walls, a narrow courtyard, residential and administration buildings and two towers. However, at the end of the 19th century the castle was demolished in order to build a school and a municipal building so only the quadrangle tower and a part of the walls on the north and west side of the former castle have been preserved to this day. The story of the ten Frankopan towers ends in Novi Vinodolski and Ledenice where the remains of the former fort are located above the sea and the Vinodol valley. You can reach the fort’s remains, where St. Stephen the Martyr’s Roman and Gothic church is the best preserved part, by a narrow mountain trail which leads you around the walls as well as into the inner part of the fort. The Kvadrac fort, a part of the once powerful fort around which Novi Vinodolski was built, stands out in the very center of the town of Novi. It is the only part that is left of the original architecture since it was modified to a significant extent at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20^th century. The former Novi Vinodolski castle was one of the most powerful and long-lasting Frankopan forts where the Vinodol Code, the most significant legal text written in the Croatian language and in the Glagolitic script about Medieval life on the Frankopan estate in Vinodol, was drawn up and adopted in 1288. The content of the code is one of the best and most advanced legal acts in feudal Europe and the protection of the serfs and women, who are described in it, is particularly interesting.

“Traditional Food Path” Project

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:25:41 +0000

The County of Varaždin has decided to present its rich gastronomic offer and heritage to tourists in a new way – through the “Traditional Food Path”. It is a project that will allow tourists not only to enjoy the traditional delicacies of the Varaždin region but to participate in their preparation as well, in 11 family agricultural farms. This project will strengthen the tourist offer but also connect the producers of traditional products, among which some are protected, such as Varaždin cabbage, corn, honey and honey brandy, pumpkin oil, etc. By the end of the year, the farms included in the project will receive an info table containing their information, position on a map but also an interesting story of their products. Brown (tourist) signs have been set up within the project as well as a traditional products and manufacturers catalogue written in Croatian and English with a map of all producers. A development of the www. put-tradicionalne-hrane.com website is underway, and a web-shop is also a part of the plan since it will enable people interested in the traditional products of the County of Varaždin area, who live in remote areas, to purchase them. In addition to the promotion of traditional dishes and products of special quality, one of the project’s goals is to encourage agricultural farms, which still don’t have protected products, to participate in the certification process and the promotion of the chosen agricultural products. The “Traditional Food Path” should, in due course, be connected to the existing County of Varaždin wine roads.

Daruvar Vineyards Wine Road

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:20:19 +0000

Wine experts know that the Daruvar area is famous for its excellent vine varieties and good wine. The winegrowing tradition in this area is hundreds of years old and its history is, therefore, also very rich since the gentle and sunny Papuk hills provide excellent winegrowing conditions. The founders of the town of Daruvar, Iassi, whom ancient authors mentioned as being excellent winemakers, knew this as well. The Romans, apart from using the thermal spa, also enjoyed the wine which is evident by the diatreton wine cup made of out glass, the imperial cup known as “Vas diatretum Daruvarense”. Two Benedictine abbeys cultivated vines in the Middle Ages, but with the arrival of the Turks both the production and the use of wine were forbidden. After they left and the Janković family arrived in the Daruvar region, the cultivation of vines was renewed and winegrowing flourished. An interesting point is that wine was fermented for the very last time in the count’s centuries-old oak barrels in 1990, and in 1995 the Daruvar vineyard renovated the count’s cellar in the center of the town and turned it into a wine boutique and a place where one can taste selected wine varieties. In this historical location, high quality and excellent wine varieties such as graševina, rajnski rizling, sauvignon and chardonnay are kept and every wine fan can try them. The wine road stretches along the long route of vineyards with decorated wine cottages where you can try the wine and learn about the way it is cultivated. The road is almost 12 kilometers long and is special since it starts from almost the very center of the town, and leads through the Daruvar vineyards and passes the forests toward Petrov vrh, 615 meters above sea level, where the wine road ends. A mountain lodge and a ski resort with a ski lift are located at the top.

Educational Trail on Virovitička Bilogora

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:08:18 +0000

One of the most visited Virovitica excursion destinations is the educational trail (Poučna staza) on Virovitička Bilogora. The trail is four kilometers long, shaped in the form of a heart, and passes through the sessile oak and silver lime tree forest almost in its entirety. One can walk the whole trail in two hours at a gentle pace and with occasional stops,. Information tables have been placed along the trail on which one can read information about the history of the Bilogora region and the natural and cultural sites that are visible on the trail such as the sessile oak forest complex and one of the most beautiful forest complexes of the silver lime tree in Europe, the protected species the otter and black stork, the source that Baron Trenk drank from, the place where a Roman soldier’s grave from the first half of the 4th century was found, etc. There are around twenty top quality water springs on Virovitička Bilogora and the educational trail passes near one of these springs through which more than 10 000 liters of water come out every day. The trail was opened four years ago on World Environment Day and tens of thousands of tourist, scouts, pupils, mushroom gatherers and hikers from all around Croatia and the world have visited it so far. There are almost 12 kilometers of marked recreational mountain and hiking paths found along this trail.

The Center for the Indigenous Species of Fish and Crawfish in Karstic Waters as an Interesting Tourist Offer

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:10:22 +0000

The Croatian Center for the indigenous species of fish and crawfish in karstic waters located at the Kostelka source in Ličko Lešće was founded for the purpose of scientific research and expert indigenous species farming, but in less than a year, it was discovered by tourists and travel agencies as an interesting tourist destination. Representatives from the town of Otočac and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have recently signed an agreement according to which they will jointly finance its upgrade. The aim is to provide the center with an adequate presentation area in order to present the story of indigenous species of fish and crawfish in karstic waters, especially in the River Gacka, to the increasing number of visitors in the best and the most attractive way. The local authorities see the project as the first step in the creation of a story that focuses on the importance of preserving the waters and which would, in the future, lead to the construction of the Waters Center on the area of the abandoned hydroelectric power plant in Švica. They are convinced that the center will show that tourism and biodiversity protection can go hand in hand, and prove that it is possible to both protect the natural surroundings and live from them. The Croatian Center for the indigenous species of fish and crawfish in karstic waters, whose construction was funded by the European Union as one of the first projects within the PHARE 2005 Programme, was officially opened in November last year, and the founders were the town of Otočac, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the Ruđer Bošković Institute and Gacka d.o.o. Two American journalists Ashley Colburn and John Needden recently witnessed the beauties of Gacka and recorded authentic scenes for the purpose of two TV shows, “Vicarious Escapes” and “Wow Croatia” on this very river. UNDP also financially supports the “Every Drop Matters – River Gacka” project within which a map with two new cycling maps was recently published. The map is titled “The Path of Water and Karst – Discover Gacka and Velebit on a Bike” since it contains a map of the cycling trails which lead along River Gacka and the bottom of Velebit Mountain. It is a redesigned map of the Barkan trails, almost 43 kilometers long, which follows the River Gacka flow from Otočac to the source and back, and a map of the new trail titled “The Three Lakes Trail”.

“Baranjski godišnjak”(Baranja yearbook)

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:14 +0000

“Baranjski godišnjak” (Baranja yearbook) is a new publication in which the local community tries to portray all the possibilities and potentials of tourism in the Baranja area. The purpose of the publication is mostly promotional, with many photographs and maps and a calendar of all significant events. The book is divided into four parts. The first part titled “Moja Baranja” (My Baranja) gives a short insight into the history of the area, the present situation and organization with an address book and telephone numbers of all important institutions, as well as plans for the future and the direction in which the development is headed. The second part, “Baranjski kalendar” (Baranja Calendar) in which all districts and Beli Manastir have an overview of the important cultural events and tourist events, as well as the contacts of the organizers, the days of the saints and similar gatherings in the year 2010. “Baranjski sveznadar” (Baranja Know-It-All) is the third part of the publication, a dictionary of traditional terms of the Baranja area which is related to the parts of folk costumes, tools, accessories, equipment and furniture. The fourth part of the book titled “Baranja u tanjuru” (Baranja on a plate) offers a menu with the dishes of the area made according to old recipes with descriptions of the eating habits of the local people that lived in past times. Since it has always been populated by numerous nationalities, the unique traditional flavors and scents related to the culinary specialties of this area and its diversity have always been attractive to both passers-by and chance travelers. Several thousand copies of the “Baranjski godišnjak” will be available at the end of November.