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Like elsewhere in Europe, a network of modern roads in Croatia has provided its citizens and tourists with speed of travel, but also deprived them of the pleasure of observing the environment, an interesting and eventful pause and a kind of an insight to the local lifestyle while approaching the destination. Since the Zagreb-Rijeka motorway has been built, the former main road that passed through areas of exceptional natural beauty has been neglected until someone came up with the idea for a project to include it in the network of European cultural and tourist routes, which was supported by the Ministry of Tourism.

The project concerns two roads of great historical significance. The Carolina Road was built in the first half of the 18th century and was named after Emperor Carl. However, due to the small capacity and great inclines, it was replaced in the early 19th century by the Louisiana Road, one of the most modern roads in the former monarchy. Now that the motorway has been built, both roads have lost their original function, but they are faced with an interesting tourist future, preceded by  the Summer on Louisiana and Carolina event. The project was launched by the Louisiana Association of Delnice, and its members’ effort is focused on revitalization of undeveloped and abandoned rural parts within the broader area surrounding
the roads and inclusion of traditional and natural heritage in the tourist offer. This year’s Summer on Louisiana and Carolina event was held in late June and featured folklore and ethno troupes, presentations of old crafts and customs, etc. This was an opportunity for promotion of an occasional stamp marking the bicentennial of the construction of the Louisiana Road. The promotion was accompanied with the staging of a postal carriage and its crew dressed in historical uniforms. This event in June marks the beginning of the project that will restore the former importance of Carolina and Louisiana and enable the tourists to enjoy themselves while traveling.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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Over the past few years, the town of Knin and its surrounding area have become an increasingly distinctive tourist destination. In both Croatia and Europe, Knin is promoted as an attractive tourist destination, largely thanks to Krka River springing above Kr?i? Fall near Knin, but also because of Dinara, a mountain having the highest peak in Croatia, and the rich cultural and historical heritage of the Knin region. The preserved nature, the close proximity of the mountains of Dinara and Svilaja, and Krka River provide the visitors with numerous adventure options such as biking, mountaineering, horseback riding, jeep and quad (ATV) rides, fishing, kayaking, rafting… In addition to the sport & recreation offer, the greater Knin areahas a number of attractive tourist features.

The most important and frequented cultural monument complex in the region is the Knin Fort. The construction of the fort began way back in the 9th century, in the times of Croatian national rulers. Over the past few years, new information boards, a fence, benches and a telescope were provided next to the fort. The Knin area also contains one of the most significant old-Croatian archeological sites called Biskupija, and remains of the former large military settlement of Burnum discovered five years ago. Even though Knin is very near the coast, the town tourist board foresees great tourist activity in Knin not just during the summer months but year-round. While summer mostly brings bathers to the Knin region, autumn and spring show all the wealth of the region’s natural beauties, making it ideal for team building and paintball excursions. November and December are reserved for hunters, especially those coming from Italy. The town of Knin announced the upcoming construction of a hotel in the town, while some families announce agrotourism and equestrian facilities on their estates.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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Tourists who wish enjoy nature and go back to the past in a time machine now have the opportunity for this in Međimurje County, in the Mura River basin. This is where the Croatian part of the Mill Road is situated, its natural beauty and cultural heritage connecting Gornje Međmurje with Slovenska Prlekija into an integral tourist whole. The 60-kilometers long road offers a beautiful landscape and an interesting ethnological heritage.

However, the main link is the floating river mills in Žabnik near Sveti Martin na Muri (Croatia) and Ižakovci (Slovenia). The road revived some old crafts such as milling, knitting utility items from wicker, production of traditional Mura boats, production of bricks, flax growing and processing, etc. Most of the crafts are an integral part of the Mill Road, while others are presented in the exhibition areas within tourist & info centers in Sveti Martin na Muri, Raskrižje and Ižakovci. The Mill Road project is part of the Interreg IIIa cross border cooperation project between Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia, and the money was provided by the European Union fund as well as the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Tourism and Transport and the project partners – the Municipality of Sveti Martin na Muri, the Sveti Martin na Muri Municipality Tourist Board, the Štrigova Municipality Tourist Board, and the Ecological Organization Lipa (EOL).

Source: press.croatia.hr

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As early as the next season, Dubrovnik could have a virtual museum situated in the historical quarantine of Lazareti. A building permit for renovation of the premises has already been obtained, and the project implementation begins this autumn. The first among the ten boat-halls within Lazareti was designated to be home to the museum at this historical City entrance spot. The impressive complex of Lazareti is located at the east entrance to the city, an ideal place for a new-type City reception. The new virtual museum would make Lazareti an entrance station for most visitors to Dubrovnik, something like the walls.

The virtual museum will rely on the use of several IT technologies, the solutions of which will be used in the making of the exhibits. In the museum, the visitors would be briefly acquainted with the rich heritage and history of the City, as well as the spiritual strength it has had since the 9th century to date. In addition to standard tourists and visitors to Dubrovnik, this virtual museum will be an excellent place for a different way of learning about the City for guests coming from luxury yachts and smaller cruisers. While anchoring will be prohibited for megacruisers between the City and Lokrum, smaller yachts and boats will be allowed to anchor in front of Lokrum and the guests will disembark in front of Lazareti. Beside the cultural tourism that will make its offer larger and more attractive by this virtual museum, Dubrovnik announces the possibility of opening a big congress center in Babin Kuk soon.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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Since this summer, guests to Dubrovnik, one of the most beautiful cities in the world,, have had the opportunity to see a new tourist and speleological attraction near the city – the ?urovi? Cave. The cave contains archeological remains dating back to the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, located right beneath the strip and the station for airplanes at Dubrovnik Airport in ?ilipi. The exploration and works in the cave took 7 years, and the overall investment amounted to 2.2 million HRK. This prehistoric site is abundant in various underground forms, including aesthetically valuable stalactites, stalagmites, covers, deposits and curtains. The portable finds from the cave (ceramics, bones, etc.) are being conserved and will be kept in the Museums
and Galleries of Konavle. The first phase of renovation that included completion of the interior design has been completed, while the second phase that has yet to begin provides for construction of the area in front of the cave where the chronology of the cave’s creation and other geomorphological features of the Croatian Adriatic coast will be presented in a multimedia room with audiovisual effects and computer animation. ?urovi? Cave is around 150 meters long and descends to 25 meters
beneath the very airport strip. This priceless natural pearl used to be visited and used by the locals as a source of water and shelter during the war until 1962 when the entrance to the cave was closed for construction of the airport. At the beginning of the Homeland War in 1991, the tunnel entrance served as shelter. This year, the cave will only be open to organized groups subject
to prior notice to the Museums and Galleries of Konavle, but it is soon expected to be open full time.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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The quality of Croatian wines has once again been confirmed in an international competition. Boris Drenški, a Croatian winemaker from Hrvatsko Zagorje (in the continental, northwest part of the country) received two gold medals for two of his wines – Chardonnay and Rhine Riesling. The fact that the medals were won in an extremely strong international competition of as many as 9400 wines from across the world makes the award even greater. The presentation of the awards to this winegrower from Hum na Sutli was preceded by a several months’ evaluation procedure, including evaluations of different types of experts – enologists, hoteliers, restaurant owners, vendors and consumers themselves. The awards are presented
to wines of the world by the international wine magazine Decanter. These exceptional awards put the dessert wines of Hrvatsko Zagorje among a close circle of 12 best wines in the world. Boris Drenški’s vineyards are situated at an average altitude of 300 meters and they are more exposed to sunlight, which is why the grapes have a higher sugar content. The annual production is 8000 liters of premium- origin wines (Grey Pinot, Chardonnay and Rhine Riesling). Croatia happens to be known for quality wines and is divided into two wine regions, continental and littoral, which have 12 sub-regions. The continental region has almost 300 winemakers, while 130 are registered in the littoral part. Known for their quality, these wines are available to tourists in catering facilities, wine cellars, and wine roads that have attracted increasing numbers of tourists with their beauty, nicely designed cellars and wine quality. Wine roads are situated both in the littoral and the continental part of the country and they are lively any time of the year. Of course, autumn is the most dynamic season because of the harvest, as well St. Martin’s on 11 September – this is the last and the most significant holiday of the year for a winemaker, a time when the christening of must and its transformation into wine are celebrated. Many local customs are associated with St. Martin’s. This year, the every-merry wine lover festivals will attract numerous tourists who will receive a warm and delicious welcome from the hosts. We guarantee no one will leave hungry or thirsty!

Source: press.croatia.hr

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This year, Sibenik-Knin County co-funds 30 projects in tourism with 300 thousand HRK, which will significantly enrich the offer of recreational, cultural and rural tourism in the area. A large number of biking and hiking tracks, quality enhancement
by numerous events and investments in rural estates will enable Šibenik-Knin County to have an increasing number of satisfied tourists of all profiles. Among others, Šibenik-Knin County supports projects that will provide Vodice, Knin and the Municipality of Tisno with newly developed biking tracks, and the Municipality of Tribunj will get a network of biking tracks. The county also provides financial support for development of biking and hiking tracks in Pirovac and the local event called On Foot to the Beauties of Pirovac. Newly developed hiking and biking tracks in the municipalities of Primošten and Kistanje will also enrich the future recreational tourist offer, while the increase in the cultural offer level will be reflected in the co-funding of harmony singing evenings in Sibenik and other events and festivals held mostly in summertime, in addition to the event in Pirovac. The county allocated smaller amounts of money to numerous rural estates that have been turning to rural tourism for renovation and expansion of the existing capacities. In addition to the most popular tourist destinations – Jurlinovi dvori in the village of Drage in Primošten hinterland and the rural estates in Kalpi?i and Dubrava in Tisno hinterland – the tourists will be able to enjoy an improved offer of numerous other estates in the area. A family estate in Skradin will provide a tasting facility for their sweet delicacies prepared from almonds, dates, figs, carobs and other kinds of fruits and vegetables. A family estate in Miljevci Bogaticki has a meat curing plant and plans to improve the surrounding area to provide the guests with a visual pleasure in addition to the gastronomic one. An estate in Ružic will begin to build swimming pools and bathroom facilities.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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Wine is an inevitable part of Istria’s identity, and the wine roads are an organic part of the tourist offer. They are the first selective tourist project and the first one that does not relate to the sea and beaches. Representing a dynamically developing process of a traditional, cultural, economic and tourist nature, they receive over 130 thousand visitors a year. There are presently six wine roads in the Istrian region: in the areas of Buje, Porec, Buzet, Pazin, Rovinj, Vodnjan and Labin, including 88 itineraries/stations. Renowned winemakers are involved in the wine road project, striving to present their wines in an appropriate manner. The visitors first see the vineyards, then take a tour of the cellars where they are told about grape processing and wine keeping, and finally taste the products. Many winemakers grow their own olives and make prosciutto, pickled mushrooms and other products, including them in their offer. Numerous visitors choose to buy wine because it is much cheaper in the cellars than restaurants or stores. Both winemakers and their guests agree that a wine itinerary can be just as exciting as visiting a museum, a basilica or an important sporting event. Wine roads were a predecessor of agrotourism in Istria’s interior. Today, the county and the county tourist board support wine roads, especially their promotion. Wine roads contribute to human engagement in the preservation and reconstruction of the original ambient and traditional legacies, thus enriching the tourist product. In addition, the people of Istria have realized they generate loyal guests who come back not just during the season but in preseason and postseason, providing each winemaker with the opportunity to promote their wine and other products.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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After five years of careful planning and obtaining the necessary permits, construction of the Adriatica project, a replica of the small tourist town of Supetar on the island of Brac, has recently begun in North Texas. This is a result of the emotional devotion of Jeffory Blackard, president of Blackard Group Inc., who has remained fascinated by Supetar after investing in a hotel and other facilities, and wanted to build a replica of the town nearby, in Texas. After a lengthy search, he found the ideal place in Stonebridge, an 18-hectare piece of land having the additional benefit of a lake that should play the role of the Supetar port. Construction of the Texas Supetar began in September and will go on in several phases. The first one is to build a castle with around 2800 square meters of office space that will hold a real estate agency and several other lessees, a café, a wine bar and a spa, as well as a five-story bell tower where the investor company’s will have its head office. The rest of this year will be used to build the infrastructure and paved streets, while the building of the residential units will begin in the early 2009. The project also includes 13 lakeside villas having surface areas of 230 to 600 square meters, and 62 row houses having surface areas of 130 to 320 square meters. Despite the high prices, the villas have already been sold and the houses are selling very well, which makes the entrepreneurial love for Supetar a very lucrative business. In addition to the design, what makes the Adriatica project different than others is the promised lifestyle, the overall atmosphere and offer of which will, according to Mr. Blackard, remind people of the increasingly appreciated Mediterranean lifestyle. To those who find Texas too far, we recommend enjoying the authenticity of the original Supetar on the island of Brac, as well as many other small towns in Dalmatia and the entire Croatian coastal area and the islands. Apartments Brac

Source: press.croatia.hr

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New projects are being prepared on Pelješac Peninsula in South Dalmatia that will significantly enrich the tourist offer of both the region and the entire Croatia – the reconstruction and tourist validation of the historical Napoleon Road and opening of a wine museum. Both projects were supported by the Croatian Ministry of Tourism. Although it is still not quite certain whether the tourists will be able to see them next year, the projects will certainly save this region’s past and tradition from falling into oblivion. The wine museum is merely one of the attractions that should bring tourists here. In addition to an oil mill, a winery and former wine and oil production methods, the tourist complex would present a collection of written
materials and items from the ancient times, so this museum would enable the guests to see the life and some customs of Pelješac over several centuries, even millennia. Built two centuries ago, the Napoleon Road goes through the most beautiful parts of Pelješac with several zero-category monuments alongside, which certainly increases its tourist value. In the section of the route to Ston, which many refer to as Small Dubrovnik, Ponikve, the mountain of Sveti Ilija (961 meters), and further along the peninsula, the road is mostly well preserved, which enables its tourist validation. The project should continue toward Dubrovnik, Neretva and Split. Situated in the Croatian south, Pelješac Peninsula is the second biggest Croatian peninsula, right after Istria in North Adriatic. Covered with evergreen vegetation and Mediterranean plants, the region has been known for winegrowing, olive growing and vegetable and fruit growing for centuries. Thanks to the exceptionally beautiful nature and close proximity of Dubrovnik and the island of Kor?ula, Pelješac Peninsula is very attractive for tourists. The most important tourist center is Orebi?, well known for its extensive tourist offer and as a ferry port providing the shortest connection between the mainland and the nearby island of Kor?ula.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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