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This season, restaurants and hotels in the tourist centers of Crikvenica, Selce, Dramalj and Jadranovo will offer tourists some thirty autochthonous Crikvenica dishes. Their originality is confirmed by a certificate issued by the Gastronomy Committee comprising experienced chefs and restaurant operators. The project is entitled Autochthonous Cuisine of Crikvenica – Our Intangible Heritage, and it certified the autochthonous cuisine and restaurants in the town of Crikvenica.

The project was organized by the Town of Crikvenica, the Town Tourist Board, and the Gastronomy Committee that decided to refresh the gastronomic offer of Crikvenica by food from the past. Unique in Croatia, this project is a contribution to the celebration of 120 years of tourism in Crikvenica. It is important to say that the chefs who wanted the certificate were required to pass a gastronomic course. 25 chefs, eight hotels and ten restaurants they work in were awarded the certificate. To maintain
the quality of the facilities and offerings, the certificate is issued for only a year, and the course for preparation of certified
Crikvenica dishes will be held every year for new interested chefs and restaurant operators. The presentation of the project dealing with the autochthonous cuisine of Crikvenica is number twenty in a series of quality cultural tourism projects organized by the Cultural Tourism Business Club, established in 2004 by the Association for Cultural Tourism attached to the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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• crikvenica24.com
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As of this year, the International Blue Flag for beaches and marinas flies in 146 places in Croatia – 125 beaches and 21 marinas deserved it for environmental protection and equipment. There are ten new beaches and one marina among its holders this year. In addition to sea beaches, seven of them are in the continental part of the country - Aquacity Beach near Varazdin and six beaches within the Jarun Sport & Recreation Center in Zagreb.

The International Blue Flag for beaches and marinas is a program for protection of the environment and coastal areas that has been successfully implemented in Europe for 17 years, as well as some countries outside Europe since two years ago. The leader and international manager is the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), while the Lijepa Naša Friends of Nature Movement coordinates the campaigns in Croatia. Environmental education and public informing, water quality, environmental management, safety and services are the factors rated for the Blue Flag. Blue Flags for marinas are awarded for environmental education and informing, environmental management, safety, services and water quality.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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Rural tourism is becoming an increasingly strong magnet for tourists arriving in Croatia. Living in autochthonous houses, enjoying food prepared in the traditional way and staying away from crowds are the advantages attracting more and more people for whom the Zadar County Rural Tourism Catalog is intended. In the catalog, the Development Agency presented 17 rural estates in the region, divided into three thematic segments – the Sub-Velebit Region, Ravni Kotari and Bukovica. In addition, they designed a website that will be constantly updated in line with the expansion the offer. The catalog contains all information on the offer on rural estates in Zadar hinterland. The highlights of the offer are estates having a gastro offer with food prepared from homegrown ingredients – vegetables, bread, cheese, prosciutto, fruit, meat, homemade wine and brandy.

The development of rural tourism, which has been attracting more and more interest among guests, is becoming increasingly rapid– considering the potential in this region and local population’s interest, it is expected to become a real hit in Zadar County’s tourist offer.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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• Zadar24.com
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Until 28 September, Art Gallery Dubrovnik will have an exhibition of graphics produced by one of the greatest painters of the 20th century – Pablo Picasso. The exhibition includes a total of 135 graphics from three Picasso’s graphic series – Suite Wollard, La Tauromaquia and Suite 156. All graphics are owned by the Kunstmuseum Mülheim am der Ruhr not far from Düsseldorf, representing its greatest graphic treasure. Art critics consider the Suite Wollard series to be one of the most significant graphic series of the 20th century, which Picasso painted between 1930 and 1937.

It comprises a hundred graphic sheets, 89 of which are displayed in Dubrovnik and owned by the German museum. Scenes of life, death and love, with which the painter was preoccupied, prevail in the graphics. The German museum is also in possession of the La Tauromaquia series from 1957 comprising 26 graphics presenting bull fights, while the twenty pieces on display from the Suite 156 collection are owned by an anonymous collector from Switzerland. All tourists and modern art fans who decide to spend their holiday in September in Dubrovnik will have the opportunity to see exceptionally valuable graphic collections produced by one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Of course, Dubrovnik has prepared a rich cultural & music program for its guests, featuring many renowned musicians from Croatia and abroad, as well as various other events taking place within the walls of the most beautiful city in the world throughout the year.
 

Source: press.croatia.hr

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The new four-star Hotel Marmont has recently been opened in the historical core of the city of Split, in Diocletian Palace. This is a luxury hotel having a total area of 750 square meters. The value of the overall investment is around 10 million euros. The hotel has 21 rooms arranged on three floors and a luxury 150- square-meter suite in the attic.

The investor is SEM 1986. The hotel is located in a reconstructed building of a former shopping mall. A story was added during the reconstruction and a 15th century defensive wall was reconstructed as instructed by conservators, and has thus become an integral part of the interior. In addition to Hotel Peristil and Hotel Vestibul, Marmont is the third hotel in the strictest center of Split, in the historical Diocletian Palace.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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Hotel Aurora, operating within Jadranka Hoteli, a member of Jadranka concern of Mali Losinj, was provided with four stars and new facilities following its reconstruction. The hotel has almost 400 accommodation units, including those adapted to the disabled. In addition to thorough renovations of all areas within the reconstruction process, the hotel was also provided with a wellness center on two levels and a multipurpose congress hall seating 400 people, as well as a conference hall.

The reconstruction of Hotel Aurora is the first stage of the comprehensive project for reconstruction of accommodation facilities within Jadranka Hoteli. Reconstruction of Hotel Vespera will begin in October of this year and reconstruction of Hotel Punta will begin in the autumn of 2009, which will be followed by demolition of the present Hotel Helios and construction of a new one under the same name. The plan also provides for reconstruction of Hotel Alhambra. The entire project should be completed by 2012, and the total value of the investment, including substantial investment in HR training and scholarships, will amount to 80 million euros, 24.4 million euros of which will be invested by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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• Losinj24.com
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As of early July of this year, Croatia has yet another site on the World Heritage List. The decision was made at the 32nd session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Quebec (Canada) based on the candidacy coordinated and managed by experts from the Croatian Ministry of Culture. Star Grad Plain on the island of Hvar is the largest and most fertile plain on all of Adriatic islands and the best preserved ancient cadastre in the Mediterranean and Europe.

In the 4th century B.C., the plain was linearly divided into 75 parcels in the shape of an elongated 900 X 180 meter rectangle. It is also important to say that the local community has recognized the value of the project and established a special institution to ensure future development of Stari Grad Plain. Stari Grad Plain on Hvar is the seventh site Croatia has added to the World Heritage List, in addition to five cultural ones – Diocletian Palace, Dubrovnik Old Town, Euphrasius Basilica in Porec, the historical core of Trogir, and St. Jacob’s Cathedral in Sibenik – and a natural site – Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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• Hvar24.com
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After a voyage through many cities in Croatia, the famous statue of Apoxiomen will be on display in the Ethnographic Museum in Split until the end of September. The magnificent ancient statue of a young athlete dating back to the 2nd century B.C. has not ceased to attract the attention of domestic and international public ever since its discovery. In 1996, a Belgian tourist spotted the statue underwater next to the islet of Vela Orjula not far from Mali Losinj, after which it was extracted from the sea and restored by experts from the Croatian Conservation Institute with support of experts from Florence. The statute has so far been exhibited in Zagreb, Osijek and Rijeka, and it has also taken a trip to Florence where around eighty thousand visitors saw it.

The statue is considered to be a true masterpiece of ancient art, it is fully preserved, and was most probably made by Lysippus, a famous ancient sculptor. It is one of the few large preserved Greek bronze statues in the world – a similar one was found in Ephesus in the 19th century and is currently in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, while a head without the body is kept in Texas. There are several more replicas of Apoxiomen in the world, but they are made of different materials. After it completes its voyage across Croatia, the unique statue of Apoxiomen will be permanently exhibited in Mali Losinj, in the area where it was found.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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An increasingly great number of tourists visiting the city of Rijeka have as of recently been able to visit historical landmarks after obtaining information on them in a new way – on backlight boards detailing everything to know about each landmark in five languages. Ten backlight info boards have been set up so far, explaining the history, interesting facts, traditions, analyses and archive pictures of sites and monuments in Croatian, English, German, Italian and French.

The backlight info board project was implemented by the Rijeka Tourist Board in cooperation with the City of Rijeka; the Tourist Board takes credit for the entire project preparation, including the conception of the info board design, their content and implementation. Rijeka has thus joined the numerous tourist destinations informing their guests on important historical locales this way. It is now easier for tourist to sightsee and understand the history of this city rich in cultural and historical monuments, cultural events and loads of entertainment for all generations. The backlight info board project continues – thanks to it, the city of Rijeka and the popular religious destination Trsat in Rijeka are expected to become even more interesting.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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• rijeka24.com
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Visitors to the town of Krk on the island of Krk in the region of  Kvarner have conceived a boat excursion called the Treasure Hunt, based on this region’s history. The legend of the pirates dates back to the times when Krk was a target to tradesmen from all continents. As it happens, a horrible robbery took place at sea in front of Krk in 1524, during which the Pirates of Plavnik intercepted a commercial galley carrying valuable cargo in the strait between the two islands. The smoke from the burnt ship alarmed the duke’s guard who sank the pirate ship, while the only surviving pirate managed to save himself by swimming to the island of Plavnik where he buried the most valuable things from the robbed ship. All track of the pirate was lost, and years later he sought a guide to take him to Plavnik. His intention was frustrated by an unsuccessful hunt for him, which only resulted in a mysterious map containing instructions on how to get to the buried treasure. Despite the fact that the duke put a high price on his head, the search for the treasure continues. The staging of the event, from the maritime battle in Krk Port to the pirate attack, is a two-day introduction to a daylong excursion to the island of Plavnik – in addition to pirate bandannas, the participants will also be provided with a map containing the position of the mysterious treasure.

Even if they fail to find the buried valuables, the excursionists will surely benefit from the trip. The Treasure Hunt excursion, conceived by the Krk Tourist Board and the Tourist Shipper Subsection of the Sole Traders Association of Krk, will be arranged on a weekly basis or as requested by closed groups.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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• krk24.com
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