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There is good news for all those to whom the south Dalmatian island of Korcula, and particularly the city of Vela Luka, is their favourite tourist destination. The hotel Korkyra is in the midst of a revamp, after 12 years of not working, waiting for new owners and a more than necessary renovation. When, before the next tourist season, it opens its doors, it will be a four-star hotel with an accommodation capacity of 59 rooms and 120 beds. It will also feature an inside pool of 80 square metres and other facilities. The owners plan for the hotel to be open for the most part of the year. Vela Luka is located on the western coast of the island of Korcula, at the end of a very long bay. The city is the subject matter of one of the most beautiful traditional Croatian a capella songs, and attracts many with its tranquillity, mild climate and its site of medicinal mud, thanks to which health tourism is developed here as well.
Source: Croatia.hr

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The City of Dubrovik, the destination of numerous visitors in the summer as well as year-round, has decided on one more way of saying welcome to its visitors: by introducing the tourist card for the price of EUR 15. The card enables visitors to take a tour of the remarkable city walls, three museums, the fortress Revelin, the Dubrovnik art gallery, the home of Marin Drzi and the Dulci ­ Masle ­ Pulitika gallery with a 50% discount compared to regular ticket prices, making cultural monuments of the city more accessible to all.The daily tourist card was introduced at the beginning of August of this year, and in 2010 a weekly card will be introduced. The cards are sold at info centres of the City of Dubrovnik Tourist Board at the following locations: Siroka ulica, Gruz, Lapad, Lopud, Sipan and the Dubrovnik Airport. Dubrovnik, whose old city centre is on the UNESCO world heritage list, is visited by more than a million tourists every year, half of which stay more than one day in this city known for its high quality accommodation facilities. The rest visit the city as part of Mediterranean cruises, which always necessarily include Dubrovnik as one of their destinations.
Source: Croatia.hr

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The Dubrovnik hotel Uvala, operating under the Maestral Hotels company, has been proclaimed one of the best hotels in the world by Expedia, the world's leading online booking provider. Expedia awarded Uvala with the Expedia Insiders Select Hotel 2009 recognition, for its quality of service, dedication to making its visitors happy and an optimum cost to value ratio. The four-star hotel Uvala has already received much recognition. It features 51 rooms, an inside and an outside pool, and a wellness area on two floors that has also received many awards. The hotel also comprises business meeting halls and generally features a rich offering, on account of which it has repeatedly been ranked among the world's leading hotels.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Apart from its basic activity, the production of salt, the salt pans in Nin, near Zadar, are also devising tourism programs. A couple of years ago, the Nin salt pans became a sort of natural park with organized guided tours for visitors.The Nin salt pans, along with the ones in Ston, are the only ones of their kind on the Adriatic, where salt is manufactured in a traditional way, as was done thousands of years ago, with sea water perspiring from shallow pools. This is why a procedure has been launched to protect the entire area as a natural good, a protected landscape of flora and fauna, with the end goal being protecting the entire laguna area, partly through the UN project Natura 2000. The Nin salt pans are spread over 55 ha of the Nin Laguna, right next to the ancient Croatian city of Nin, in the Zadar County. The salt pans date back to the Roman era. Venice purchased the pans and closed it down in 1550 to maintain its monopoly in salt production and trade on the Adriatic. It was re-established four centuries later, in 1955.Numerous tourists visit the salt pans during the summer and buy interesting souvenirs made from salt. The salt is produced in an entirely natural way, with the sea water perspiring from the pools because of the sun and wind, and natural sea salt crystallising. Nin salt has a high concentration of Iodine because of the algae in the sea water, which gives it a special place on the market. It is also sold as scented bath salt, enriched with natural oils (lavender, rosemary, rose, lemon, sage), thus combining several characteristics of the Mediterranean.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Though it opened its doors at the beginning of June, hotel Valamar Lacroma Resort, a true conference centre judging by its facilities and offering, is already solidly booked for the autumn conference season. It already was host to the Libertas Film Festival, and by the end of the year, this hotel located on the Dubrovnik peninsula of Lapad will be host to a series of events, including the 39th annual congress of the European Association for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy and the general assembly of the European Association of Tourism and Hotel-Management Schools, each gathering around a 1,000 participants. Also taking place in the hotel is The European Conference of the International Society of Transport Aircraft trading (ISTAT), and the MICE Europe congress, gathering participants interested in making business in the MICE industry (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions). The four-star Valamar Lacroma Resort is the biggest conference and spa hotel in Dubrovnik. It features 400 rooms and suites, the wellness centre Ragusa Spa, spread over almost 400 square meters, and a rich hospitality offering. The biggest conference hall is "Elafiti", with the accommodation capacity of 1,110 people. There is also a separate business centre, with seven more halls and offices for rent. The first summer season of the hotel is dynamic. Apart from hosting the Libertas Film Festival, it has been host to the many visitors that have chosen to stay in it while vacationing in Dubrovnik.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Since July of this year, Croatian tourism can add one more luxury tourist resort to its offering, the Radisson Blu Resort, located in Orasac, around 10 km north of the City of Dubrovnik. The hotel features 201 hotel rooms and 207 residential suites and many different facilities. The resort was designed by architects Branimir Medi and Pero Puljiz. The interior design is the work of the London company Hirsch Bedner Associates, and the hospitality facilities are the design of Henry Chebanne of Blue Sky Hospitality, the world's leading company in this segment, with over 100 design projects realized in over 25 countries all over the world. Interestingly, the entire resort has been built out of domestic materials ­ stone from Dubrovnik and Brac and travertine, and the walls are decorated exclusively with works of Croatian artists. The horticultural development of the resort contributes greatly to its beauty, with the hundred year-old olives and rich Mediterranean greenery perfectly fitting into it. The entire area, including several restaurants, bars and traditional taverns, has been conceptualised as a little town in itself. Greatly contributing to this atmosphere is the market that is part of the resort, with its bakery, fishery, butcher's, wine-store and patisserie, where visitors can try, buy or prepare fresh products themselves. For those who can not imagine their vacation without sports, the resort features many sports facilities and a rich wellness offering. Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Dubrovnik Resort also features contemporarily equipped multifunctional areas ­ a large conference hall and several smaller business meeting halls.
Source: Croatia.hr

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In the Museum of the Town of Kastela, an exhibition was recently opened on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of organized tourism in this town. The exhibition is organized by the Town of Kastela Tourist Board, the Town of Kastela, the Split-Dalmatia County and the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board. The important anniversary has also been marked with the publication of the book "A Chronological Survey of Tourism in Kastela ­ 100 Years of the Soulavy Pension", by Sanja Acalija. The dawn of tourism in Kastela is considered to be the opening of the first tourist pension with a developed beach in Kastel Luksi. It was opened by the Czech physician Henrik Soulavy in 1909, who bought the castle Tartaglia there. 1909, therefore, is the year when the development of tourism officially begins on the Kastela Riviera. Almost two decades later, Petar Kamber opened the Hotel Palace in Kastel Stari, a representative tourist facility for the time. To raise the quality of the tourist offering even more, in 1936 a Municipal Bathing Committee was established for the "Lower Kastels" (Kastel Stafili, Kastel Novi, Kastel Stari and Kastel Luksi). Located to the northwest of Split, the town of Kastela is comprised of what used to be seven villages ­ Suurac, Gomilica, Kambelovac, Luksi, Stari, Novi and Stafili. Each one of these is specific in its own way. Though they are connected, they differ in the mentality and interests of its inhabitants, and all boast a rich cultural heritage and numerous monuments. The Kastela Riviera features many private accommodation facilities and a couple of hotels. Yachtsmen can use the marina located in Kastel Gomilica. Characteristic for the entire area is its rich park architecture. The most renowned park is the Park Vitturi in Kastel Luksi, the oldest park on the Riviera, built in the second half of the 18th century. It is spread over 7,450 square meters and was proclaimed a nature park in 1968. Also well known are the Botanical Garden of the Ostrog Elementary School and the Bibilical Garden, built in the honour of the second visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia and located in the Marian sanctuary Lady of Stomorija. The garden features numerous plant species mentioned in the Bible and sculptures of eminent Croatian sculptors Vasko Lipovac, Kazimir Hrasto and Matko Miji. The arrival of the Czech physician Soulavy to Kastel Luksi, which he never left, intrigued the great Czech director Jiij Menzel enough to put the story in his documentary filmed in Croatia. Menzel is shooting the film, entitled "My Croatia", in cooperation with the crew of the Croatian national television, and wants to show through it that it is precisely the Czech who were the very first tourists in Dalmatia.
Source: Croatia.hr

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To everyone who has already visited Sibenik and taken a tour of its cultural and historical sights, as well as those visiting it for the very first time, this northern Dalmatian city always has a new face to discover, as well as numerous natural sights, attracting visitors. Though, after its renovation, the medieval monastery garden Sv Lovre (St Lawrence), located in the city centre, has been open for visitors for the past two years, it still attracts tourists with the same intensity. The renovation of the medieval Mediterranean garden was completed at the end of 2007, after an entire century of neglect. It was led by the renowned landscape architect Dragutin Kis, who received the millennium Flora award in Japan in 2000. The garden is a rare monument, the only one of its kind in Croatia and one of very few in this part of Europe. It is conceptualized in line with a medieval layout, comprising a cross path with a small well at its centre. The entire garden is enclosed by bushes and old scented roses. At the centre of the rich Mediterranean greenery is the collection of decorative thyme. Another special feature of the garden are its capers, which, according to legend, were brought to Sibenik by the well-known architect Juraj Dalmatinac. The entire garden is open to the public, and features educational programs for both schools and visitors. As it is part of a monastery, visitors can also visit the Gospina Spilja ("Cave of the Lady") and the St Lawrence Church, both part of the St Lawrence monastery. Visitors can also enjoy a café, restaurant and souvenir shop. In the summer, the garden is open from 8am to 11pm, and in the winter, until Easter, from 9am to 4pm. Sibenik also attracts visitors on account of its proximity to the national parks Kornati and Krka and its many cultural and historical monuments, the most important being the St Jacob cathedral, under the protection of UNESCO. Interestingly, the cathedral was built for longer than a hundred years, and is a testimony to the perseverance and faith of several generations of Sibenik's citizens. The cathedral is unique in many ways, not only in Croatian, but European architecture, as it is entirely made out of stone, without the use of any other material. According to experts, it is also unique on account of its bold construction: stone plates and frames have been put together without the use of bond. Other singularities, when compared to other renaissance churches, include its trefoil-shaped front and the harmony of the architecture and the series of 74 realist portraits on the apses.
Source: Croatia.hr

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Hotel Le Meridien Lav, situated eight kilometers south of Split, won three World Travel Resort awards as the leading European conference hotel, the leading Croatian hotel and the leading Croatian spa hotel. The awards are even more appreciated seeing as Hotel Le Meridien Lav won them among a very strong global competition, in all three categories for which it was nominated. The Lav hotel resort, including Hotel Le Meridien Lav (5 stars), was opened in late 2006 and has 381 accommodation units.

The surface area of the facilities within the hotel resort is around 60,000 square meters, while the green areas, promenades, beaches and a large luxurious marina stretch over 40,000 square meters. The hotel resort offers rich facilities including congress facilities, an entertainment center with a casino, a marina with up to 80 moorings, health and recreation facilities, etc. The hotel contains the Diocletian Spa covering an area of 3000 square meters and offering numerous amenities. The leaders of Hotel Le Meridien Lav were presented with the World Travel Awards at a formal ceremony held in Poprad Aquacity Resort, Slovakia.

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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