Time Out Croatia news

This week, tickets go on sale for the FIH Indoor Hockey World Cup, being staged at the Žatika Arena, Poreč, in February 2025. A fast-paced, all-action sport with plenty of goals, indoor hockey is played with six members on each team. Men and women will be competing for separate prizes. As the best exponents are from Central Europe – including Germany, Czechia and champions Austria – there should be plenty of atmosphere at the Zatika Arena with so many travelling fans coming to Istria. With a capacity of 3,700, the hall on the outskirts of Poreč has already staged the Men's World Handball Championships. Tickets can be purchased here. The schedule can be found here. 

Italian music legend Zucchero Fornacieri, known by all as simply Zucchero, will be the star name performing at this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dubrovnik. Appearing on an open-air stage on the main street of Stradun, Zucchero will be sharing the bill with award-winning Croatian heartthrob, Tony Cetinski. ‘The father of Italian blues’, Zucchero has played with some of the biggest names in the business, including Eric Clapton, Ray Charles and his English counterpart, Joe Cocker. A massive star in the 1990s, Zucchero still plays to huge arenas, a world tour this summer taking him across South America and Central Europe. Watch this space for more details on times and tickets.

Deep in truffle country, the historic hilltop town of Motovun is hosting its annual celebration of Istria’s most lucrative product, combining it with its fellow regional speciality, deep-red Teran wine. This weekend, October 19-20, the 13th edition of the Teran and Truffle Festival fills the charming main square of Motovun, which surveys the autumnal forests where the prized truffles are hunted. Producers of robust, ruby Teran and truffle traders gather in numbers, with other key Istrian products on display. Local restaurants will be preparing dishes concocted with truffles involved. The event usually attracts plenty of visitors from Italy, some here in a professional capacity. Teran and Truffle Festival, Motovun, October 19-20

House plants seem to be having something of a moment, particularly among younger aficionados. So it’s no surprise to see Hortiart’s Plant Market returning to the Croatian capital for the fourth time, allowing ten suppliers to showcase their wares. From 3pm to 11pm at Britanski trg this Friday, October 18, alongside a selection of examples, visitors can also find exotic fruit, hand-crafted and decorated ceramic pots, and even plant sculptures on display. Guests can also apply to participate in four free workshops – crafting items out of recycled plastic, making a terrarium, creating ceramic plant pots or learning how to properly repot plants. For the musical line-up, Osijek musician Aklea Neon will be performing her show ‘Freqs of Nature’ in which she uses plants to make music, with the Zagreb Salon Quartet also performing before DJ Agregat takes over in the evening. There should be plenty of room to mingle, sip and relax. Workshop application and more general information can be found on the Plant Market Facebook page.Where: Britanski trgWhen: Friday October 18, 3-11pm.Admission: FREE

After the intense heat of the Croatian summer, the arrival of autumn in Zagreb has been a welcome one. Breezy temperatures and only occasional rain make for lovely and comfortable walks through one of Europe's greenest capitals. Time Out Croatia has compiled a list of five light and attractive strolls to make the most of the inviting autumnal vibe. Maksimir park As Zagreb’s oldest city park, there is no more obvious place to start this list than with Maksimir. Its expansive paths can lead to both lighter strolls and slightly more serious hikes deeper into the wooded areas, as well as a fair number of café break options. Time Out Croatia particularly recommends Mirna Koliba, a relatively new self-service coffee spot with a smattering of tables right on the lakefront on the way to the Zagreb Zoo. Easily accessible via a short tram ride from the main square, Maksimir requires little commitment to reach and yet feels completely isolated from the higher tempo of the city around it. Patrik Macek/PIXSELLRibnjak Ribnjak Just behind the main square, Ribnjak park is perfect for a quick little break while traversing the city centre. It makes for a great picnic spot, but is just as fitting for a slow stroll while keeping close to the heart of the city. Protruding from the trees are the two towers of the Zagreb Cathedral, a view that can be enjoyed by walking the park’s winding paths or seated on one of its many benches. It also has a great children’s park making it a solid choice for a

Taking place this weekend, between Thursday October 17 and Sunday 20, the annual Dubrovnik Film Festival is being screened at two major cinemas in town. The criteria for participation is quite strict – entrants must be aged between ten and 20, and come from a Mediterranean country – but those who make the cut can attend workshops and receive expert technical support to help further their potential careers in the industry. Known by its acronym, DUFF programmes both animation and features, mainly at the Sloboda and Visia cinemas, with other events hosted at the Lazareti complex. The opening ceremony starts at 7.30pm on Thursday, the awards presentations on Sunday morning at 10am. For full details and a complete schedule, see the DUFF website.

Some 50 distillers, distributors and manufacturers from around the region will be descending on Rovinj this month for the third edition of Ginistra, Croatia’s largest international festival dedicated to gin. Representatives from Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and Serbia will be joining their Croatian counterparts to showcase their wares over the two-day event, taking place over the last weekend in October, Friday 25 and Saturday 26. Host venue, the Old Tobacco Factory on the Rovinj waterfront, also welcomes manufacturers of cask barrels, bottles and glasses. Friends of the Festival this year are producers of local Istrian products such as olive oil and other gastronomic specialities. Live music will be another feature. GinIstra, Bivsa tvornica duhana, Obala Vladimira Nazora, Rovinj. October 25-26. Admission includes the sampling of two types of gin, your own glass to take home and admission to the live shows.

Formally completed earlier this month, with some special early access granted to a lucky few, the newly renovated Croatian Natural History Museum will open its doors to the public this weekend, October 12-13. Awaiting visitors is an entirely new permanent installation making use of state-of-the-art technology. The museum also now contains a variety of interactive features and multimedia content, as well as open lab spaces for all to see. Rounding out the experience, a beautifully curated and presented temporary exhibition on bugs flexes the potential of this newly improved space. The three-year, €31.6m undertaking was financed by the EU, the City of Zagreb and the Republic of Croatia. What was once an old-school institution is now a contemporary complex with modern facilities, including space for hosting lectures and workshops alongside its usual duties. Like all good modern museums, it is complete with a new café and gift shop. Where: Croatian Natural History Museum, Demetrova 1, ZagrebWhen: October 12 (2pm-7pm) & October 13 (11am-7pm)Admission: FREE on October 12-13

A major transport hub and the most significant project currently ongoing in Croatia, Rijeka Gateway has managed to secure electricity from renewable sources to operate its container terminal. Following their 2021 agreement to design, construct and operate the most advanced terminal in the Adriatic region, APM Terminals and ENNA Logic are putting sustainability at the forefront of their project.   According to Rijeka Gateway CEO, Peter Corfitsen: “As a large consumer of electricity, we believe that using sustainable energy sources is a vital step in achieving the terminal’s long-term sustainability”. Now comes from confirmation from electricity supplier ENNA Next that it has secured enough energy from renewable sources to power the terminal. The terminal will also be equipped with a water-management and drainage system to eliminate marine pollution, and its operating network will help reduce light and noise pollution. Rijeka Gateway will be developed in two phases, the first due for completion in the second quarter of 2025. Total investment is expected to be close to €400 million over the two stages.  

A highlight event for the alternative crowd in Zagreb, the ZEZ Festival (Zavod za Eksperimentalni Zvuk, 'Institute of Experimental Sound') returns slightly later than usual with a four-night programme. ZEZ is the experimental music section of KSET, which has played a key role in Zagreb’s live scene since 1976. Though organisers are temporarily homeless while their venue is being renovated, they haven’t let it stop them, this year taking the festival to four different venues. The opening salvo tonight, Wednesday October 9, is at Močvara, doors opening at 8pm. Headline act Deli Girls are a New York queer electronic punk outfit known for aggressive and high energy live shows, taking their inspiration from a whole host of genres, from metal to hyperpop – just as long as it’s loud and makes people move. They’ll be supported by SsmKOSK, a Slovenian glitch multi-instrumentalist. © Klub MočvaraMočvara On Thursday, ZEZ moves to PriMarius Craft Pivovara, where Zagreb’s noise-math rockers Naum Toga will support a headlining combined-set performance between US-based The Body and Berliner Dis Fig, who are putting on a show of abrasive and angry noise music. Friday sees Austro-Serbian Jelena Popržan, a classically-trained instrumentalist who collaborates extensively with the wider experimental scene, take the spotlight for a more tender headlining show at Žarište in Klub Kontesa. She’ll be followed by fellow Vienna-based experimental jazz group /kry, who blend electronic sounds into the