After the old tourist complex was reconstructed, the latest Crvenka Luka will be upgraded from 2 star to 4 star but with limited beds than earlier building. Crvena luka Bay Falkensteiner Hotel & Resort is inclusive of 2 parts which includes the residential and hotel section. In the hotel complex, there will be forty two rooms in main hotel and additional portion of hotel “dependsa” with fifteen superior rooms and an apartment hotel with 31 double rooms. There are three hundred and twenty six beds together in this portion and apart from that there are two hundred and eighty beds in residential section. There are forty six apartments in residential sections with gardens or balconies, sixteen terraced villas and 4 detached villas.

This is one of the luxury holiday resorts that is associated with family tourism, a good wellness zone along with gym, an indoor pool is also planned to be constructed along with spa and beauty salon. The main restaurant, shops and bars, a basketball and football field, a beautiful volley ball court across the sandy beach and 2 tennis courts. In the beach zone along with diving pool and sports pool, there is a separate pool for children. Crvena Luka is always popular as pearl of Biograd Riviera and that certain portion of Adriatic. It is situated five kilometers from Biograd na Moru. Biograd na Moru is city of northern Dalmatia in Croatia and is popular for being the formal capital of medieval Croatian kingdom. It is administratively a portion of Zadar County and is situated in Adriatic Sea coast which overlooks the Pasman island. The City of Biograd na Moru is very popular tourist resort and has rich history. The first tourists reached the place during the early 1920s from Czechoslovakia and the 1^st hotel was constructed in the year 1935. Holiday accommodation in Croatia is very easy to get if you make your reservations online prior to your travel.

Read more:

• Biograd na moru – The Opening of Hotel In
• Korcula – Renovation of Vela Luka Hotel Korkyra
• Hotel Villa Radin Opens its Doors in Vodice

Sinjska Alka is a knights’ tournament in Sinj which is annually held every year since its inception in Cetinska Krajina during the year 1717.  During the competition, the knights ride on their gallop of horses across Main Street along with spears in their hand which are aimed towards iron ring that hangs on a rope. The name of tournament arises from word alka-ring which belongs to Turkish origin and reflects the chronological co-existence of cultural combination of two civilizations.

The skill of preparing products from honey came to existence in some European monasteries at time of Middle Ages and when it reached the region of northern Croatia, it was developed as a craft. The musical expression of “ojkanje” is performed by female or male single with various techniques of voice shaking with special mechanism of singing from throat. Each song will last as long as breath of main singer. The melodies are based on restricted tonal spans, generally chromatic with different intervals that do not match present day’s frequencies, while lyrics are based on various themes from love to present political and social themes.

The Licitar, is a edible souvenir which is prepared with dough and is baked, shaped and dried and finally colored with myriad edible colors. The Licitar is decorated in various ways by different craftsman usually with small mirrors, pictures, messages or verses and most common shape is that of heart. Along with Sinjksa Alka, ojkanje and honey making trade were also added to the representative list of UNESCO. Apart from that Beijing opera, Iranian rugs, Azerbajian and acupuncture are also very popular. Croatia has 10 non-material goods on UNESCO list which is very popular in Europe.

As many as 7 Croatian items of intangible cultural heritage were added on representative list of UNESCO during the conference in Abu Dhabi held during 2009. The list included the annual spring procession of Queen Ljelja from Gorjani, the making of traditional wooden toys from Croatian Zagorje, the procession of cross on Hvar islands, 2 part singing in narrow intervals in coast of northern Croatia and Hrvatsko Primorje, an annual carnival of bell ringers from lacemaking and Kastav in Croatia ( Pag leopgrava, Hvar).

There are two hundred and twenty nine representatives in UNESCO’s list of immaterial cultural heritage from eighty seven countries. The list includes arts and skills that promote the diversity of expressions of immaterial cultural heritage and stress the importance of rare skills to general public. There are many Croatia holiday apartments which you can book for cheap rates.

Read more:

• Croatia UNESCO – 7 sites and 7 cultural traditions
• The Republic Of Croatia – UNESCO World Non-Material Cultural Heritage
• The fortification of Ston Walls took the longest in Europe’s history

Dolina Neretve - Neretva river valley

Dolina Neretve (Neretva Valley, valley of river Neretva), which is also called ‘mandarin valley’ is the best place to enjoy your holidays in Croatia and you will receive a warm welcome from hospitable locals of Komin, Opuzen, Metkovic and other areas.
In whole region of Neretva, there are approximately 1.3 million mandarin seedlings that yield around sixty tons of fruit every year. The locals came up with a creative idea to let tourists enjoy their Croatia holidays by joining with them in mandarin harvest. It got lot of attractions from tourists all over the world and soon mandarin harvest becomes a lovable event for tourists visiting Croatia. There are various options like 1, 2 or 3 day trips on offer and tourists who take part in mandarin harvest not only enjoy working in pleasant climate of Croatia but get rich amounts of Vitamin C which is essential to strengthen the immune system during winter time.
The fruit pickets are offered instructions and equipment by the harvesters who are educated and experienced on tradition and history of breeding citrus fruits. Along with jolly music which follows them through fields, clean and great company, and bags are filled with treasures of orange and you can finish your day with delicious and sumptuous meal under the pleasant atmosphere in the restaurants of Neretva.
The photo safari in traditional boats of Neretva region are very good and chances of visiting Village Vid which is adjacent to Metkovic where the archeological museum of Naron is situated. It is the only museum in Croatia that has been constructed in archeological site of ancient Roman Empire.
In Metkovic, the ornithological bird community is very rich and inhabits the Neretva delta located in Opuzen after a walk along promenade town where you could enjoy visiting the wonderful square of King Tomislav, where the church of St. Stjepan belonging to nineteenth century dominates the place. The valley of Neretva is also considered to be the best place for retreat and healthcare of patients who suffer from Leprosy and became an institution for isolation for such patients during the year 1905. The weather in Croatia is always pleasant and you can enjoy a mind blowing vacation along with your family and friends in this exotic tourist center with plenty of natural attractions.

Read more:

• Drava Valley Pearls
• Dubrovnik region: New hotels and facilities
• One Hundred Years of the Stone masonry School – An Educational Institution Attractive for Tourists

Festa Sveti Vlaho Dubrovnik Croatia

CROATIA has 7 UNESCO protected world cultural heritage sites and 7 UNESCO protected world cultural heritage traditions, making it first in Europe and fourth in the world. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The music in the video are traditional and unique Croatian “klapa” songs. First is “Vilo Moja” and second song is “Croatio iz duše te ljubim”.

Croatia UNESCO Sites:

1. Dubrovnik – The old city
2. Diocletian’s Palace in Split
3. Plitvice Lakes
4. Euphrasian Basilica in Porec
5. Trogir – The old city
6. St James Cathedral in Sibenik
7. Island Hvar Stari Grad plain

Croatian UNESCO Cultural traditions (intangible heritage) all from 2009:

1. Lace making in Croatia
2. Spring procession of Ljelje queens in Gorjani
3. Festival of St Blaise – patron of city of Dubrovnik
4. Annual carnival Bell Ringers from Kastav region
5. Traditional manufacturing of wooden toys in Zagorje
6. Two-part singing and paying in Istrian scale
7. Procession of the Kross on island Hvar (Holy Thursday)

Read more:

• The Republic Of Croatia – UNESCO World Non-Material Cultural Heritage
• Stari Grad on Island Hvar
• Island Hvar – “Following the Cross”

Ston Walls

After many years of restoration, the Ston walls which are the Europe’s longest fortress system and the also the second largest in the whole world have recently been opened for public viewing. This is the most complete activity in Croatia’s cultural heritage renovations. Fifty years ago the renovation of the walls had begun by the Dubrovnik historian and conservationist Lukša Beritić, and the long term renovations caught speed in 2003. The renovation was carried the same way as the walls were built and this is why they have a long time. The walls have been made by stone sculpting. The Friends of Dubrovnik’s Ancient Sights association has maintained the walls from 1952, and also invested for the renovation project where they have put in around three to five million HRK annually. When the renovations are complete, visitors will have to pay an entrance fee to visit this excellent attraction, which will help the authorities sustain and carry on the renovations and also encourage the tourist and cultural development of Ston. The Ston walls were made in the 14th century, after Pelješac was taken over by the Republic of Dubrovnik in 1334. For protection on the walls a vast defence system was built and it is the biggest urban reinforcement project in Europe of that time. The walls for defence were first constructed on both sides of the Peninsula. The plans were equipped by two towns, northern Mali Ston and southern Ston. Pelješac was detached from the mainland by the Great wall, which has a length of 5.5 km. Now only 5 km of the wall is left as the rest disappeared in the earthquakes of 17th and 20th century.

The walls were supported with 5 fortresses and 40 towers. They started and finished with two large fortresses: Veliki kaštio in Ston Korun in Mali Ston. The most well-known and major fortress is Bartolomeo on the hill. As per the ancient Dubrovnik chronicles, it took one and half year to build the great wall. Within the walls of the town of Ston there are residential houses and palaces in four blocks, a public building, a Bishop’s palace, the church of St. Blaise and a Franciscan monastery. Mali Ston is the oldest preserved plans in Europe. The major buildings in Mali Ston are the salt warehouse, the harbour with the harbour wall, arsenal, parish castle, parish church, Luža bell tower, and also the huge Korun fortress. The Ministry of Culture made an announcement that the Ston walls, Ston and Mali Ston and also the Ston saltpan will be entirely offered as contenders for the UNESCO world cultural heritage list in which recently Croatian cultural heritage phenomena was listed.

Read more:

• Dubrovnik introduces tourist cards
• The Republic Of Croatia – UNESCO World Non-Material Cultural Heritage
• Dubrovnik region: New hotels and facilities

Hotel Olympia Vodice

Around 12 million Euros have been invested in the last four years, on the renovation of Vodice’s four star hotels Olympia, and the planning is for another 5 million Euros. This should ensure that the forty year hotel, in the future will be able to receive guests for 11 months of the year, unlike the existing seasonal work. Lately the hotel got a new wellness area “Olympia life” for comforting the body and soul with a wide range of spa facilities and a polyvalent hall. The new halls’ centre is designed in a manner whereby the congress hall for 500 participants, can be swiftly turned into a sports hall with just a few small changes. The hall has a translators’ cabin and audiovisual equipment. There were earlier investments in the renovation of the reception area, a hundred rooms, the cleaning up of the beaches and the horticulture. During the tourist season of this year, the hotel is expected to offer a complete range of attractive and interesting beach facilities such as the “Kouha” bar where all through the day many different entertainment programs will be on offer, and there is also a new restaurant and souvenirs. The final phase of renovation will start at the end of this year and around 5 million Euros will be invested in the redecoration of the remaining accommodation units, and the other hotel buildings. In 2010, this hotel will offer the same quality in all 26 apartments, 215 rooms and other hotel areas. This investment is even more important considering that when the world is hit by recession; the majority of investors in tourism have considerably slowed down or even ceased larger investments. Formerly Olympia focused itself on classical or family or classical type of tourism, but it has now planned to become a hotel which will attract rich tourists with its quality and numerous faculties. In order to get ready for this new type of business, the hotel management has started with the additional training of waiters, cooks, sommeliers, receptionists and ice cream makers. With the renovated hotel Olympia, Vodice has been given an impetus to more development.

Read more:

• Hotel Villa Radin Opens its Doors in Vodice
• Biograd na moru – The Opening of Hotel In
• Largest Croatian Marian Sanctuary soon to have a hotel

Following the Cross on island Hvar

For more than 400 years on Hvar, parishioners from the central part of the island have participated in the great ‘Following the Cross’ procession. Beginning on Good Thursday, mass is simultaneously held in the six parishes of Jelsa, Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanj and Vrboska. The procession then begins, following a 25-kilometer course into the early morning hours of Good Friday. Because each of the six groups starts from their respective churches and follows the course in a clockwise direction, the groups never meet. Each group is lead by a specially chosen cross-bearer who walks the course either barefoot or in socks. Other official members of the procession are dressed in white tunics.

The origins of this unique procession are linked to a period of peasant revolt against Venetian governance when, according to legend, a small cross began to bleed before a conflict. It is also interesting to note that in nearly five centuries of celebration, the tradition has never been interrupted. Even in 1944, when the procession was forbidden by the German authorities, refugees from the island Hvar conducted the procession between their tents in the refugee camp of El Shatt in Africa. This was the only time the annual procession was not conducted on the island.

Different Easter processions are also held in other places on the Island of Hvar. One of the more interesting examples is the procession held on the afternoon of Good Friday in the City of Hvar, called ‘Through God’s Graves’. Fraternities from St. Cross and St. Nicolas, one dressed in black tunics, the other in white, begin their procession in different churches. They later come together in the old Venetian square or Piazza to sing the ancient melody ‘Popule Meus’ in front the St. Stephens Cathedral.

Read more:

• Hvar – Hotel Adriana in the prestigious Virtuoso organization
• Island Hvar
• Stari Grad on Island Hvar

Dubrovnik Port Cruiser Ship

According to the autumn edition of the dream world cruise destination magazine, Dubrovnik is in the tenth place amongst the top 50 most visited world ports. It has been recorded that Dubrovnik is in tenth place according to the number of transit passengers on cruise. When we talk about Mediterranean ports only Naples and livomo have more visitors than Dubrovnik. One of the main reasons why most of the tourists like to visit this area is that the top ten world’s most visited embarkation ports are from the Mediterranean including Barcelona, Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Piraeus, Venice and Palma. The best part of all is that an increase of 38.2% was recorded among the passengers on the ships with more than 890,000 passengers within the ten months.

It was also recorded that including the area of Dubrovnik-neretva most of the foreign cruise ships visited the place and spent an average of two days in Croatia. These ports have recorded the highest number of visits but Dubrovnik is a place in which 642 ships arrived which is truly worth. Well, all these reports have been made by the central bureau of statistics including that the foreign cruise ships and their passengers have spent total 1527 days on Adriatic Sea within a time period of ten months which makes 63.5% more than during the same period of the previous year. Oceanic the first ship was launched in 1945 and was basically built for cruises only around the North America for the home lines company. After the launch of this cruise it was claimed that it would be the beginning of modern cruise but on the other hand, some disagreed to this statement and considered that the beginning of new modern cruise began on 19th December 1966 when the Norwegian Caribbean line became the first company to offer a year round schedule of cruise trips on the sunward ships that were intended for the wider market.

Well, you might be thinking that why a cruise is given such importance and consideration but it is due to the reason that some people are not completely aware of the benefits and use of cruise. A cruiser is actually a floating hotel that helps to transfer passengers from one place to another. This is one the main reasons why these types of ships are given consideration as a primary tourist destination. Usually, the passengers on the ships travel for one day when noticed from destination point of view. Croatia is one the best place to visit; therefore, it has been honored and included on the international cruise destinations list with around twenty destinations along the coast and on the islands. Croatia not only recorded with the highest number of visitors but also recorded a significant increase of foreign cruise ships. The first ports on the list of the cruise are Dubrovnik, Split, Korčula and Zadar because these are the main attraction of visitors and offer conditions necessary for them to dock.

Read more:

• Dubrovnik Airport receives award
• Dubrovnik will be more accessible soon
• Croatia State continues to renew tourist and excursion ships

Pakovo Selo - Ethno Village - Sibenik Croatia

Agro tourism in Miljevci was truly unthinkable as tourism in the Šibenik hinterland was unknown at that place. Since time changed, several family farms, two large factories for production of smoked ham on Miljevci including number of other honey, olive oil and cheese producing firms were opened in the Pakovo Selo area and after the these production firms, the place became quite famous when compared to the previous time and this ultimately led to the development of agro tourism on this area. It was reported that in one of the Miljevci, in Brištani, the family of Ante and Danica Bačić had recently opened a country household “Peace” located in the vicinity of River Krka, on the National Park’s very edge.

Some of the speciality features that have been designed in the family house in Brištani are truly amazing and luxury. What makes the house so special is its three rooms and a guest apartment for all such people who are interested in traditional and original values and top quality homemade dishes, homemade wine, therapeutic brandies, figs, almonds, walnuts and many more things. So people go ahead and check out this family house for all these items and comfort that is provided in the house. The main specialty of the house is its meat roasted under an iron bell (peka), cheese and smoked ham because they are offered as appetizers and guests can choose their own salad from the garden. The owners of the agro tourist estate have cultivated 2000 vines and plenty of olive trees so that their guests can relax and take a walk along the vineyards. In addition, you also get an opportunity to have a look at the view of the attractive river krka basin which is also present in the vicinity.

Many other beautiful scenes can also be seen from this place like on the small island of visovac, there is a Franciscan monastery located there which can also be seen with beautiful Roški waterfall that is located nearby. The best part of all is the theme park which is a best place for kids as well as for youngsters. The first theme park of the area is also not very far and can be easily viewed in Croatia, Etnoland Dalmati in Pakovo Selo near Drniš. The park covers an area of 15,000 square meters and provides an opportunity to see and determine what life was in the Dalmatian hinterland during the past periods and this will help you learn about the customs, traditions, lifestyle of that particular area. The complex located nearby consists of an old Dalmatian house, is a fenced area for animals, a threshing floor, Old crafts workshops, a unique area for performances. With all this, you will get to see and visit the garden at Etnoland which is enriched with indigenous herbs and vegetables as a part of its offer and an area reserved only for animals: a pen for sheep and goats, chicken and donkeys. One of the greatest opportunities that should not be missed is that visitors are allowed to meet a stone-mason, a weaver and a woodworker in the workshops of these old, nearly forgotten trades. Etno land offers unique entertainment area (kolarište), in which the visitors will feel the Dalmatian magic. Singing and dancing are some of the other ways to help people enjoy the place and have fun.

Read more:

• Brijuni National Park – How olive oil is made
• Kastela – One Hundred Years of Tourism
• Medical tourism in Croatia

The county has two very beautiful ethno villages, namely, Kokoriki and, Veliki Godinj. The two tiny villages are located at Vrgorac, the place turns out to be more beautiful as the both the villages leans on the mountains. You can spend your day out and enjoy the aroma of the place.

There’s another beautiful tourist destination in the vicinity of Dalmatia County, located right below the Kamesnica Mountains, in the Sinj valley. The place is called Grab, some 20 minutes from split, a very favorite excursion spot for the Croatians, and as well for the outsiders.

The place has plenty to offer in terms of traditional architecture, and beautiful landscapes. It also has a beautiful mill, right on the river, with traditional architecture all over the place.

The place is a perfect excursion spot for the school children, very close to some of the other tourist destination, such as Trilj and Sinj. You could find good roads all over the place.

The most remarkable feature of Grab is its cuisine, a dash of traditional meals, along with river crayfish is a ripper. You could also choose to have aromatic home bread, fritters with cheese and the local wine.

Don’t miss out on the hospitality that the place provides. It is considered as one of the better places in Dalmatia.

Read more:

• Kastela – One Hundred Years of Tourism
• Lonjsko Polje Nature Park – A Unique Bird Reserve
• Sibenik – A Unique Park in the Historical City Centre