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The city of Karlovac has recently introduced an interactive guide, available to visitors on their mobile phones. Touring around this city on four rivers, visitors can find out everything about its cultural and culinary offering, events, accommodation possibilities, entertainment and get around the city with the help of an interactive map. Thanks to the mobiExplore, you will literally have in the palm of your hand all information about the history of Karlovac, its eminent figures, and its cultural and historical monumentsKarlovac is located around 50 km from the capital Zagreb. It is situated on four rivers ­ Korana, Kupa, Mreznica and Dobra ­ which certainly contributes to its special atmosphere. The renaissance city core is formed like a six-pointed star and would later develop into a baroque city. Out of the many monuments ­ historical buildings, museums and cultural institutions, a special place belongs to the old city of Dubovac, ruled by the counts Frankopan and Zrinski in the 15th and 16th century, and later by Karlovac generals. The tallest tower of the old city, located above the river Kupa, functions as a lookout spot and harbours an exhibition. The four rivers and surrounding forests have contributed to the development of active vacationing: visitors can enjoy hunting, fishing, biking trails, rafting, canoeing or the educational hiking trail Kozjaca, along which visitors can get to know the rich flora of this region.In this, the mobiExplore application will certainly be useful, as it informs visitors to Karlovac about its beauties and monuments through their mobile phones. MobilExplore, for which the experts of the Split-based company Gideon have received many international awards, has already conquered many European and world cities. Visitors to destinations in Great Britain, Italy and many other countries are getting around with the help of mobilExplore now.
Source: Croatia.hr

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In the second half of August and beginning of September, the City of Varazdin will host two extremely interesting cultural events. Though extremely different in content, and most probably the audience, both traditional events will turn this beautiful baroque city, north-western of Zagreb, into a place of enjoyment for art enthusiasts: the 11th annual Spancirfest festival and the 39th annual Varazdin Baroque Evenings. Over the last ten years, the City of Varazdin Tourist Board has, with the help of the citizens of Varazdin, created the most important urban festival in the area. This year's Spancirfest will be held from August 21st to August 30th on the most beautiful open stage of them all: the streets and squares of the Varazdin historical city centre. During the festival, concerts will be held on a stage beneath the walls of the Stari grad (old part of the city), on the Stanci Square, the city boulevard, streets and other locations. The festival will also feature Vindiland, an entertainment park for the young, the Pan street festival with street performers from 16 countries from all over the world, children's plays from 10 am to 6 pm, plays for adults at 9pm, the Kreativfest festival with workshops on the Sloboda Square (Square of Freediom), traditional arts and crafts, a culinary square and many other events and surprises. You can find a detailed program of this year's Spancirfest at www.spancirfest.com, and in the official festival bulletin, to be published in August. The 39th annual Varazdin Baroque Evenings, to be held from September 18th to September 28th, are completely different in their artistic expression, representing another face of the city. This year's partner of this ten day festival of classical baroque music attracting increasingly more visitors each year is the Czech Republic. Concerts will be held in churches, music institutions, salons and facilities near the beautiful Castle Trakosan. Varazdin, a city ideally positioned with regard to Austria, Hungary and the Croatian Capital Zagreb, boasts an amazing historical and artistic heritage, with the most preserved and rich baroque urban centre.
Source: Croatia.hr

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If you want to leave this year, financially difficult for everyone, behind in an original way and before everyone else, it may be the perfect time to start thinking about it today. Just the idea of the Croatian interior and the forested region of Gorski kotar will cool you down immediately and could ensure you a reservation in the tourist destination Fuzine, in which New Years has traditionally been celebrated at noon for the past eight years, 12 hours before the rest of Europe celebrates it. Originally, this was done because of the freezing nights, but the practice has become generally accepted and has turned into a tradition. As many as 3,000 visitors celebrated New Year's in this beautiful mountain tourist destination, featuring three amazing lakes. For some dates, reservations need to be made very early, even several months in advance. The new tourist train, Fuzine express, greatly contributes to an enjoyable stay, enabling visitors to get to know the picturesque mountainous landscapes even better. Visitors can take a tour of the three accumulation lakes, Bajer, Lepenica and Potkosa, and the cave Vrelo, a natural attraction estimated to be 3.5 to 4 million years old. The cave is 300 m long, and is exceptionally beautiful and rich in ornamental cave structures. It is open for visitors since 1998. Due to the mild configuration of the terrain, there is not one single step in Vrelo, making it the only tourist cave in Europe that can be visited by children, the elderly and, even, the disabled in wheelchairs. The town of Fuzine is located in the south-western part of the Gorski kotar region, 730 m above sea-level. Seeing as the motorway Zagreb-Rijeka runs past it and the sea is only a half-hour drive away, increasingly more visitors decide to stay at the seaside during the day and in the pleasant mountain air in Fuzine at night.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Plitvice Lakes, a Croatian national park with a beauty that delights numerous visitors from the entire world, has entered the second round of the competition for the new seven wonders of nature. It was among a competition of 261 natural beauties from 222 countries and 77 natural attractions and entered the semifinals based on the votes cast by visitors to the www.new7wonders.com web portal. The campaign has begun in 2007 and votes can be cast via the above website until 7 July.

After the vote counting, an expert jury will elect 21 finalists and leave the final decision to another round of Internet, telephone and SMS voters who can make their final judgment on the seven world wonders of nature until 2011. Often referred to as the most beautiful European garden of preserved beauty, Croatia has eight national parks, Plitvice Lakes being the most popular among them. It consists of sixteen lakes connected by falls. Due to the characteristic karstic base, the waters of Plitvice Lakes are rich in calcium bicarbonate, which is decomposed into calcium carbonate due to water breaking on the barriers. Calcium carbonate is then deposited with the presence of algae, moss and other organisms. All this enables growth of gypsum barriers with magnificent falls splashing over them, their beauty leaving no one indifferent.
The national park, located in the interior of the country but easily accessible from the coastal area thanks to the modern roads, stretches over almost 30 thousand hectares, its prehistoric dense forests accounting for over 22 thousand hectares. The exceptional beauty of the lakes and falls, strolls around the forest paths and over wooden bridges, comfortable hotels and restaurants offering local delicacies attract visitors from across the world throughout the year. Plitvice Lakes are on the UNESCO’s list of world heritage.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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The baroque town of Varazdin, popular for its rich cultural facilities and a unique atmosphere, has supplemented its tourist assets with another one – the Varazdin Sea, a sport & recreation center including two lakes and the Aquacity Beach, which was awarded within the Croatian National Tourist Board’s campaign for the tidiest continental beach.

The Sport & Recreation Center Aquacity has facilities for divers and yachtsmen on the big lake, while fishermen can enjoy themselves on the small lake. The center also includes six tennis courts and three courts under a balloon for tennis in wintertime. In addition to tennis courts, the center has courts for other sports such as football, handball, beach volley, etc. The level of development and facilities of the beach are confirmed by the fact that it has flown the International Blue Flag for six consecutive years. The beach is adapted to disabled persons and offers many facilities. A separate part of the swimming area is intended for non-swimmers and there are also special playgrounds for children. The catering facilities are also a common reason for visitors to come thanks to a rich gastro offer and the magnificent nature and landscaping, making Aquacity a popular excursion destination for both the residents of Varaždin and anyyone passing through the region.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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16 January to 1 February, Croatia will host the 21st Men’s World Handball Championship Croatia 2009 to be held in several cities: Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Osijek, Varaždin, Porec and Pula. Sport halls, most of them multipurpose, are built for the occasion and will be opened during December, ready to receive the best handball players from the entire world.

As major sporting events like this always have a tourist angle, it is quite clear Croatia will present itself as an excellent host in this segment as well. The event was preceded by the Croatian Handball & Tourism Days in November, during which the Croatian tourist offer was presented in 13 countries participating in the championship, namely in the cities such as Budapest, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Bucharest, Moscow, Warsaw, Belgrade, Madrid, Skopje, Paris, Frankfurt and Seoul. The presentation included press conferences, presenting the Croatian tourist offer to the invited guests and business partners with emphasis on the cities where matches will be played. This was also an opportunity to try the Croatian wine & gastro offer and see an entertainment program featuring prominent Croatian artists. The presentations were aimed to send a special invitation to business partners and guests and express a welcome to be felt by the athletes and guests in both the host cities and across the country.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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A live crèche will be set up in Aljmaš, a well known Marian Shrine, for the second year in a row. The program is scheduled for Christmas Eve, 24 December, 26 December, and for Epiphany, 6 January 2009. The crèche, symbolizing the actual crib in which Baby Jesus was laid after being born in the Bethlehem Cave, is one of the most common Christmas decorations. Although the custom of staging a live crèche is around two millennia old, and several centuries in some European countries, it is relatively new in Croatia due to the historical circumstances. The first live crèche was set up in front of the Zagreb Cathedral a few years ago, followed by Osijek, and then the Aljmaš Shrine of Virgin Mary of the Sanctuary as of last year. The Aljmaš region is distinctive for the Marian Shrine, so the live crèche project aims to emphasize the spiritual side of
Christmas holidays.

The first live crèche was arranged last year with the help of some 50 volunteers and donors under the slogan Follow the Shooting Star to Aljmaš. In addition to the live crèche scene on Bra?e Radi? Square, the area in front of the shrine will offer other events, including an exhibition area for handicrafts, holiday sweets, a workshop for straw Christmas decorations, old customs, etc. The atmosphere is completed by concerts in the church. In addition to emphasizing the spiritual side of this holiday, the goal is to create an offer of events that will attract tourists to the region, not just seasonally but any time of the year. The Local Democracy Agency, Erdut Municipality Tourist Board, Municipality of Erdut and Aljmaš Parish Office work together on the preparation of this event. Three churches in the Aljmaš region have been known through history – the first one dating back to 1697, the second one dating back to 1708, and the third one dating back to 1846. Aljmaš became a parish fair site in 1704. The Jesuits established the Shrine of Virgin Mary that year, bringing a statue of Virgin Mary from Lug (Luško), Baranja. Aljmaš was pronounced a parish in 1807. In 1857, Bishop Strossmayer donated a new statue of Virgin Mary (the present one) to the Aljmaš Shrine, made in Vienna. During the Homeland War, the statue of Virgin Mary was moved to Osijek. In 1998, the statue was returned to Aljmaš, and the preparations for construction of a new church, the fourth one in the three centuries of the Aljmaš Shrine, began the following year. It was completed and consecrated in 2004, in the year of the 300th anniversary of the Shrine. The Way of the Cross, 480 meters long and paved with concrete plates, was built and blessed in 2006 on a hill above Aljmaš within the Calvary that was erected by the Jesuits in 1726, but has been demolished and devastated throughout the history. They set up 14 large oak crosses and marble plates with the appropriate texts at each station. The construction of the Aljmaš Shrine was completed in 2007 when they built the pilgrims’ plateau, numerous confessionals, a pilgrims’ area, a chapel, a hall, a souvenir shop and bathroom facilities. They also improved and paved the entire area around the shrine and planted decorative bushes and flowers. This shrine is a common destination among pilgrims and one of the most important Croatian shrines, visited by around 100,000 believers a year, most of them coming for the holiday of the Assumption of Virgin Mary on 15 August. The village of Aljmaš was first mentioned in the first half of the 14th century and its name is derived from the Hungarian word alma, which means
apple. It is popular for its rural, hunting and fishing tourism.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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The Podravina town of Durdevac and its legend of the Picoks have been included in the tourist network of 20 European destinations of excellence cultivating intangible cultural heritage, for which the delegation from Durdevac received a plaque and an Eden crystal statue at the European Tourism Forum. As they said at the ceremony, this award is presented to leading tourist destinations and will be a basis for mutual exchange of good practice examples.

Situated in Northwest Croatia in the region of Podravina, Durdevac happens to be a winner of the European Destination of Tourist Excellence award. This town in Koprivnica-Križevci County has a whole series of tourist attractions and events, the most popular among them being the Picokijada that was held for the 40th time this June. The event that includes a number cultural/ entertainment, gastro and other events, is based on the Legend of the Picoks. The legend tells of the bravery and with of the residents of Durdevac who came to the idea of how to outwit the Turkish army after a long siege of the town. As the army of Ulam Beg failed to conquer the Durdevac Fort with its fierce attacks, he decided to siege the town patiently and drive the surrounded residents to hunger. When the Turkish commander started to believe he was close to success, along came a surprise. As advised by an old lady, the residents fired a rooster out of a cannon at the Turkish army, the last one they had. The army of Ulam Beg thought such splurging meant that the residents of the surrounded town had enough food and decided to retreat, putting a curse on the locals and calling them the Picoks. Thanks to the residents of Durdevac, the legend lives on…

Source: press.croatia.hr

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The village tourist estate Srce prirode (The Heart of Nature) has been opened in Gorica Lipnicka, around twenty kilometers from the town of Karlovac. This family village estate spreads over 12 thousand square meters and contains three autochthonous renovated houses. The accommodation part of the estate offers nine rooms (18 beds), and the guests can also use a restaurant seating 80 people, a wine tasting facility, a gazebo and a tavern seating 50 people.

The family estate offers eco food such as different kinds of honey, juices, wines, cured meats, etc. The meals in the restaurant are prepared according to old recipes. Two conference halls are equipped with modern technology. In addition, visitors to the estate can engage in the following activities: paintball, Village Olympics, culinary workshop, speleo-adventure, football, archery, volleyball, badminton, boccie and berry picking. The owner of the estate also happens to own the 4-star family hotel Korana in Karlovac, a historic and attractive town located around fifty kilometers from Zagreb, with the old town of Dubovac as its trademark. The hotel is located on Korana River, one of the four rivers in Karlovac, offering 15 double rooms and 3 business suites, as well as gastro, recreation and other offers.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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The eco/ethno village of Stara Kapela is situated at the foot of Dilj gora, at the border between Brod-Posavina and Požega Slavonia County. Unique for its traditional architecture and the quiet of the old rural lifestyle, the village leaves each guest with the impression of returning a hundred year back to the past. Without cars and mobile phone signal, Stara Kapela offers a different story, free of any rush and stress, in coexistence with nature and traditional values. The village was fully reconstructed in the traditional style and with local materials, elaborated to the tiniest detail. Each house was provided with its former appearance, and the entire road is illuminated with lanterns on wooden poles with wooden plates presenting the words of the greatest Croatian poets.

Thanks to the Eco/Ethno Village Association that initiated the reconstruction of Stara Kapela, most of the old furniture, old tools and various household aids have been purchased, so everyone can evoke the former lifestyle. The village was also provided with 13 kilometers of hiking/biking tracks with six rest stops, while replicas of old ?ardaks are available in four locations. As the area has 120 registered plant species and over 80 bird species, plates with the relevant Croatian and Latin names were mounted across the entire track. The village presently has only 19 residents, but they will soon be accompanied with some new ones because a certain number of abandoned estates have been purchased by artists who will present some of their work in Stara Kapela. The plans for further development of the village provide for an old trade park and a traditional village garden with autochthonous flowers. Stara Kapela strives to become a model hotel village with only eight tourist beds by 2009. 14 beds are currently available for guests in Stara Kapela, and the number should rise to around forty by the end of the year. A souvenir shop has recently been opened, and they will soon start mounting wooden fences around the houses. Such reconstruction requires plenty of time and effort because the aim is to fully restore the village’s appearance of over a hundred years ago, which makes Stara Kapela a true tourist pearl, only 170 kilometers from Zagreb.

Source: press.croatia.hr

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