Orahovica is a town of tourism and wine. Located at the foot of Krndija and Papuk because of its untouched nature, mountain streams and clean air, it has been called the «Slavonian Switzerland». With its location, cultural-historical heritage and preserved nature, Orahovica is made for tourism. This was realized a long time ago by the people living in this area, who in 1905. founded an association for the beautification of Orahovica.

The city has a rich monumental heritage. It is dominated by a baroque church Discovery of the Holy Cross, from 1756. A few kilometers south of the city, hidden among hills is a monestary with the church of St. Nicholas, an exquisite example of sacral architecture from the 16th century. In the nearby village Crkvari is the unique church of St. Lawrence from the 13th century.

The most famous cultural-historical monument of the Orahovica area is Ružica grad, one of the best preserved medieval manor forts in Croatia. It was built at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, 5 kilometers southeast of the city. This is a monument of the highest category, with a particular sacral, urban and fortification value, to which many legends are connected to.

At the foot of Ružica grad, 1,5 km from the centre of Orahovica is an artificial lake with a surface of 1,7 ha. Surrounded by a tame forest, it was created in 1961. by an artificial dam that was built. During hot summer days it is an ideal place for cooling down.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Kopački rit is a nature park that stretches across 23.230 acres and is located only a few kilometers from Osijek. This is a unique area in Europe because in it is the biggest natural fish hatchery, habitat of roe deer, well know capital deers and does, beavers, otters, wild boars and feathered game, a real orinthological paradise. In Kopački rit there are 293 species of birds, that make up 78 percent of Croatia's orinthofauna. Here we also have 44 types of fish and more than 2000 different biological species of which many are rare and endangered at a world level. Especially interesting are the birds that nest in colonies and in the park a large number of endangered species such as the black stork or the White-tailed Eagle can be seen.

Kopački rit is a natural «laboratory» which is invaluable and which attracts year after year, more and more visitors, that can have long walks on miles long educational paths which have along them information stands with basic info on important plant and animal species. It is an extremely valuable, natural swamp area, one of the rarest in Europe that represents an extraordinary example of creation and evolution of swamp eco systems and flooded areas. Because of its preserved eco system , biological diversity and extraordinary scientific and biological value, Kopački rit was in 1967. protected with a status of a natural reserve. Nine years later a smaller area of the reserve, 7700 acres, got the status of a special zoo reserve, while the other part was proclaimed a nature park. The international value of Kopački rit was confirmed in 1989. by its inclusion in the ornithologically significant areas and in 1993. got the status of an internationally significant swamp area.

In the heart of the Park is the interesting castle Tikveš, where rooms can be rented.
Source: Croatia.hr

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The promotional film «Advent in Zagreb» made by the Tourist Board of Zagreb, has recieved its first award in the category for best tourism video, at the 46th International festival of tourism films in the Italian city Lecce, in the province Apulia.

300 films from 60 countries from every continent competed in ten categories. Croatia participated in every category with 14 films, and the prize was only won by Zagreb.

Tourfilm festival was founded in 1962., and its founder and president (now honorary) to this day is the respected journalist Antonio Conte from Rome. The festival is held in the organization of the European federation of tourism journalists and European tourism club of the province and city Lecce, under the sponsorship of ENIT, the National Tourist Organisation of Italy.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Varaždin has been famous throughout its history for being one of the central points of cultural life in Croatia. However, the 18th century was the turning point for the city's cultural life. In this period the city intensly progressed and from 1755-76. it was the capital city of Croatia, under the influence of all the richness of baroque and the aristocrat elite that were fascinated by it, it became the centre of unbridled balls and the luxury aristocrat life. To honor baroque and its richness, that has greatly marked this city and earned it the name «little Vienna», in Varaždin, every year there is a traditional festival of baroque music.

Varaždin baroque nights, every September and October turn back time to a period when in the rich city palaces you could hear indescribable musical creativity and witness the gracefull dances and cultural events.

The festival was founded in 1970., and through the years it has become a recognizable cultural manifestation, well known in Croatia and Europe. It has become an irreplacable part of the Varaždin tourist offer, promoting the city's history, not only through music but also through the unique architecture. The baroque churches and palaces and the Old Town are a part of Varaždin that give it its identity.

This festival of music brings every year many world famous artists, soloists, orchestra's and ansambles. It is an experience that cannot be described but has to be experienced first hand. The concerts take the audience a few centuries back in time, to a period when music was a highly aesthetic art. Many concerts of Croatian and foreign ansambles create a romantic atmosphere of a baroque town, but are also very important from a music point because in their program they sometimes preform just discovered or never before played pieces. Also, with the introduction of modern interpretations of already famous pieces , the Baroque festival achieves remarkable results in the professional approach to baroque music.
Source: Croatia.hr

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The people of Vinkovci often say : «Who experiences the atmosphere of Vinkovci in the autumn is sure to come back again!» And really, it is hard to describe all the events which take place in those ten autumn days that the people of Vinkovci, as tireless hosts, organize for their guests that come from all over the world. The whole town, along with its visitors is carried and lives in song and dance. The autumn days in Vinkovci represent folklore that does not only cherish the Slavonian traditions but also the traditions from all parts of Croatia, as to, in this way mark the coming of autumn, a season when nature awards the all year hard, unselfish work of peasants.

When Slavonia started adapting the busy rythm of modern life and when there was a danger felt of losing the special ways of Slavonians, there appeared a need of preseravtion of traditional culture of that area. It was brought to life by an original, folklore festival, first of Slavonija and Baranja, after which this manifestation went over the regional borders and began connecting everyone who loves and respects traditional culture, language and customs. Vinkovci, the heart of Šokadija, became a gathering place of original, national culture and way of life, with this unique festival, which year after year becomes enriched with new manifestations; science, tourism, economy, sports and fun . And it has been like this for 40 years. This year Vinkovci will accommodate lovers of folklore culture from the 10th to the 19th September.
Source: Croatia.hr

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It is believed that a few centuries ago the Paulines brought lace to the Croatian area. Recognizing its beauty, village folk accapted the knitting of lace as their own tradition, cherished to this day. It was most accepted by the inhabitants of the town Lepoglava, where the Pauline monestary was located. Proud of their lacing skills, the people of Lepoglava, every year in September organize an International festival of lace, where they promote lace as part of their ethnographical treasure. At the festival, which will be held from the 16th to the 19th September this year, exibited will be rich lace works from other European countries but visitors often find most interesting the domestic lace works from Croatian lace centres, which are next to Lepoglava, Pag, Sv. Marija and Hvar. Lepoglava lace had its boom at the end of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century, when production was encouraged, courses, workshops and lacing schools were opened.

The skill of making lace became the source of extra income because lace was sold at fairs and exibitions in Zagreb, but also accross western Europe.

Lepoglava lace has won medals in many competitions. In Paris in1937. It was awarded a gold medal, and in Berlin in 1939. a bronze one. This period was the most flourishing for Lepoglava lace.

Lepoglava is a town located in the spectacular landscape of Zagorje, beneath Ivanščica, not far from two European motorways Zagreb – Vienna and Zagreb –Budapest. Here, after 1683. the first secondary school and the first university in Croatia was founded, with the right to give academic titles. The parish church, convent and chapel in the area were decorated with frescoes by the famous Pauline Ivan Ranger and are well known monuments of baroque artistry.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Lovers of the sea, boats and sailing will not regret it if they visit Šibenik from the 16th to the 19th September at the Adriatic Boat Show, an international nautical fair of new and used vessles. Everything there is to know about shipbuilding and nautica can be found in one place.

Adriatic Boat Show is a fair which on 160 000 m² promotes the small Croatian shipbuilding industry and a segment of mega yachts in the nautical tourism of Croatia, with a large number of foreign manufacturers and exibitors. At the fair are represented boats of all purposes and sizes; motor boats, rafts, sail boats, yachts and mega yachts..

A rich offer of shipping equipment, ship motors, navigation equipment and instruments, nautical and sports equipment, clothes and footware, diving equipment and underwater fishing equipment, are a guarantee that all nautical lovers, from «the average lover of the sea» to the buyer with a «deeper pocket», will be able to find the neccessary information and satisfy their professional curiosity and maybe make some profitable business arrangements.

Besides the rich offer of vessles and nautical equipment the fair offers to its exibitors and visitors an extremely rich program, from concerts, fashion shows and sporting competitions to culinary presentations in collaboration with the best caterers of the Šibenik area. Adriatic Boat Show has only in a few years proved to be an equisite nautical event and has put Šibenik on the nautical map of the world, making it an unavoidable destination in September of every year.

Šibenik is located in the central part of the Croatian coast on the mouth of the River Krka, between two National parks – Kornati and Krka, in one of the world's most attractive nautical locations. Apartments Sibenik

Source: Croatia.hr

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No gourmet in the world can be called one if they have never in their life tried truffles, the gourmet jewel of Istria. Truffles, mushrooms that grow underground are a trademark of Istria, and the people of Istria show their appreciation of it by jelaously guarding the recipes of dishes with truffles. The opportunity to get to know the real wealth of the truffle in every possible gastro combination is presented at Truffle days, which are held accross Istria during the autumn.

The truffle is an unusual, tuberous growth that grows underground, with an unsightly shape and an intensive odor. Tartuf je neobična, gomoljasta izraslina koja raste pod zemljom, neugledna oblika i intenzivnog mirisa. This rare and expensive tuber that grows in the fertile Istrian soil is a real culinary delight. The Istrian white truffle is one of the most respected in the world.

The culinary value of the truffle was discovered by old Romans; during the five centuries long rule of Venice, Motovun forrest carried the name St. Mark's forrest and only individuals were allowed to remove truffles from its soil. With tha changing of rulers and the arrival od Austro-Hungary, the truffle could only reach one destination – the Viennesse court. However, even up until today it has been considered an exclusive delicacy – a peak of gastromomy. It is not visible above ground and can only be found by specially trained dogs or pigs.

Istria has two types of soil; intensive dark red on the coast and grey, greasy, clay-like in the central part. Truffles grow in this grey land and the epicentre is in the damp Motovun forrest, through which runs the River Mirna. The truffle zone extends northeast to the towns Buzet and Lupoglava and southeast along the River Raša on Labinština and south to Pazinština. Apartments Istria
Source: Croatia.hr

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Poreč is famous as a tourist town but is also known for its rich cultural and historical heritage, as evidenced by the historical festival Giostra which takes visitors back to the distant history of Poreč in1745. when, according to archives the Poreč street festival took place. Its participants competed in crossbow shooting, various dances and folk games and the main attraction was the race of knights on horseback – Giostra.

Giostra is a festival which brings back a part of history to the streets of Poreč, and it is enriched with supporting concerts, palys, and a rich cuisine with chosen delicacies. Noble men and women, jugglers, drummers and street entertainers, entertain visitors in colorful costumes roaming the town.

Giostra is a project of protection of intagible cultural heritage and is throughout the year prepared by around 200 enthusiasts. This year's fourth in a row festival, will be held from the 5th to the 12th September.

This manifestation is also proof that the tourim of Poreč is not only the sun, sea and an impeccable tourist image. Indelible traces of the past are clearly visible in the historical centre of Poreč and on its streets, which were, in a large number, built in Roman times. Located in the most important city palaces are galleries and museums. Recommendations for hotels Porec.
Source: Croatia.hr

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In Sisak, every year in the first days of September at the time of the new moon on the promenade of the River Kupa the tourist-historical spectacle Celtic night is held. It is one of the most important and most impressive tourist manifestations in the Sisak-Moslavina county. On the rafts, Sisak legends are played out, and druids and priestesses hand out a magical potion to the audience. With the light of torches and spotlights images from mysterious Sisak legends come out from the night. On the 4th September visitors will see fairies and warriors dancing to the rythm of drums, Celts sailing their rafts on Kupa, tasting the magical druid potion and participating in the mystical rites of conjuring ancient warriors, beauties, bishops and their persecutors, warrior conquerors and defenders of life and freedom. On the rafts in front of visitors, scenes from the lives of Celts and Romans will be played out. This is a night where these rafts, moved only by the river, will show scenes from the history of Sisak and tell a three thousand year old story of wars, rebellion, magnificent moments from the past, successes and battles won and the rises and falls of mighty empires. The people of Sisak, in this one hour show, remember how their city used to look like once. Celtic night was last year proclaimed the best tourist manifestation in continental Croatia.

The Celts came to the Sisak area in the 4th century B.C. and conquered the old Ilyrian tribes with whom they etnically and culturally mixed and later formed the settlement Segestica. Ilyrian – Celtic tribes managed to resist the pressures of the Romans up until 35. B.C., when Octavian conquered and tore apart Segestica with 12.000 soldiers, after a thirty day siege. From the initial military camp, the Roman Siscia soon rose and got the status of a city with extremely strong military, transport and administration functions, developed trading and crafts and a famous mint that was used throughout the Roman empire.

The town Sisak is located in the southeast of Zagreb on the mouths of the Rivers Odra into Kupa and Kupa into Sava. Its geographical location and natural advantages influenced the development of the city, which beside the rich cultural-history offers its visitors many other interesting landmarks in its surroundings.

Downstream from Sisak, along the left bank of Sava, stretches the nature park Lonjsko polje. In most part it is a flood area of the River Sava, with an extremely preserved plant and animal world and picturesque villages located along the river. Lonjsko polje is well known for its indigenous breed of horses and pigs and also one of the biggest hatcheries of fish.

The unique architecture of the wooden houses with many stork nests on them represent an extra attraction, while the village Čigoč has been named the European village of Storks.

Here also is the archeological park Siscia. Protective archeological research resulted in the discovery of the urban complex of the Roman Siscija where visitors can see the city walls with the inner tower, a defensive moat and a part of the late Roman monumental building.

Sisak experienced its glory days in the times of battles with the Turks and the highlight was a magnificent victory of the Christian army over the Turks in 1593. The news of the first big Turkish defeat after hundreds of years of military dominance, spread fast and Sisak became the centre of attention for a short period of time, throught the whole of Europe.
Source: Croatia.hr

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