Time Out Croatia news

Lošinj Hotels & Villas has announced an exciting new pop-up exhibition at the five-star Hotel Bellevue, a collaboration with leading galleries and curators Josip Konta Art Studio, Galerija Libar Gallery and Patrizio Contemporary Gallery. This autumn season, from September 28 to October 5 2019, guests at the luxurious hotel can experience the rejuvenating 'Art & Beauty' package which offers exclusive access to a curated collection by iconic artists including pop-art icon Andy Warhol and a visit to the Croatian Apoxyomenos, one of the world's best-preserved ancient Greek statues - plus art-inspired treatments at the Bellevue Spa Clinic. Launching on September 28 with an opening reception, the gallery open daily from 10am until 6pm for one week and offers guests the opportunity to meet with prominent curator Goran Margeta and international art dealer and historian Dr. Marco Antonio Patrizio. The pop-up exhibition is the collaboration between academic sculptor and painter Josip Konta, one of the most prominent names of the contemporary Croatian art scene; Croatian art gallery Galerija Libar and art advisor and collector Dr Marco Antonio Patrizio. Visitors can see works from domestic and international artists Julie Knifer, Getulio Alviani, Piero Gilardi, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Bernard Aubertin, Giorgio de Chirico, Andy Warhol, Edo Murtic, Ivan Picelj and many more. The hotel's award-winning Bellevue Spa Clinic will also feature a dedicated menu of pampering treatments inspired by fam

The flatlands of the Pannonian basin hold the most fertile soil for agriculture across Vojvodina in Serbia, in southern Hungary and in the easterly regions of Croatia known as Slavonija and Baranja. For thousands of years, the peoples of the region have worked the land, their efforts culminating in the busy but joyous time of harvest. Harvest celebrations have long been important in the region and in the Slavonian town of Vinkovci, those celebrations evolved into Vinkovci Autumn festival. The largest annual event in the town, it begins once again today, continuing until 22nd September. © Vinkovačke Jeseni Folklore societies and groups from all over the country take part in the festival, with contributors from Kvarner and Zagorje to Dalmatia and beyond displaying their culture. Some even come from other countries such as Germany, Hungary and Serbia. This is best seen on the last day of the festival, the event's highlight procession. Up to 2500 participants will gather in 73 groups and will take part in a giant costumed march through the town. While Slavonia, Croatia's most eastern region may remain mostly neglected by visitors, it actually offers a lot of things to experience, particularly its cuisine and culture. Spicy-red-meat sausage, Kulen, is a Slavonian treat loved all over Croatia and you can also try other delicacies such as Čobanac, a meaty stew containing multiple wild meats such as boar and venison, Fiš Paprikaš, a river fish and paprika stew or fresh carp gr

Started in 2017, Croatia's annual conference on year-round tourism gets its third outing this month. A forum to discuss ways of combating seasonality in Croatian tourism, the event attracts the industry's biggest players - from political figures to international tourism experts, culminating in a day of fascinating talks and seminars. The Croatian Tourism 365 event takes place on Tuesday 24 September. Tourism is one of Croatia's greatest success stories, with numbers of visitors rising each year. But this success is somewhat limited to 80 days in the summer season. For the rest of the year, some of Croatia's most popular destinations are unused and undervisited by tourists. In the coastal area of Croatia, 86 million overnight are registered, but only 4.8 percent of overnight stays occur in the entirety of continental Croatia - a vast swathe of the country, with two percent taking place in the inland capital of Zagreb. Presenting the insights and experiences of over 30 prominent regional and international experts, The Croatia Tourism 365 conference invited 300 participants to its last edition - from reps of large hotel groups to travel agencies, tourist boards and global leaders. Last year's event hosted four tourism ministers from Croatia who presented radical new ideas and practical solutions, each unveiling strategies to combat seasonality. The conference aims to explore opportunities and potential to advance year-round tourism in Croatia, learning from the success of ne

Calling all Thrones-heads! There's now a Game of Thrones ice cream parlour set in Dubrovnik's Old Town, the city that played King's Landing in the cult HBO series. Aptly named 'Game of Cones', the new parlour is inspired by the TV show and based right in the centre of town - so you can admire the capital of the Seven Kingdoms as you stuff your face full of ice-cream.   Fans can order from a menu that includes 'Jon Snow' - a giant cone stuffed with Oreos and a bloody-looking sauce, decorated with a black dragon flag. The daintier 'Queen Regent' is a strawberry, vanilla and cherry-yoghurt cone studded with gummy bears and a House of Lannister flag. 'The Imp' is a swirl of peanut butter, pistachio, Baileys and vanilla bourbon. Yum.    Find this glorious ice-cream parlour at Boshkoviceva 9, Dubrovnik and check out their Insta for some sweet inspiration.

A new gourmet food break on the island of Lošinj is offering visitors a fine dining experience coupled with an insight into traditional Adriatic cuisine. The olive odyssey, initiated by the five-star Boutique Hotel Alhambra & Villa Augusta, is a three-night stay in which you can trace the history of olive cultivation on the island as well as the chance to pick your own and follow them from the tree to the serving plate.The mild Mediterranean climate, many hours of sunshine and untouched nature of Lošinj island makes it the perfect place to cultivate some foods, not to mention an estimated 1200 varieties of aromatic and therapeutic herbs which grow there. Such properties have long been valued on the island and it can trace its olive production back to times long before the current Slavic inhabitants arrived, when descendants of modern-day Albanians, known as the Illyrian people, lived here. This heritage is explored in the tour as well as the influence of Ancient Greece. The tour is brought up-to-date with visits to contemporary producers and kitchens where visitors can try traditional delicacies such as olive pâtés and sheep's cheese in olive oil, peka (meat or octopus-based dishes cooked under an iron bell which is covered in hot embers) and brodetto, a classic tomato and seafood stew. With the scent of Lošinj's famous pine trees permeating the air, you'll also be taught to forage for the island's wild herbs and learn their flavours. The seafood and meat dishes created on t

In the city of Varaždin, located in northern Croatia, residents and authorities are preparing for the biggest annual social and cultural event of the year, Špancirfest. Now 20 years old, Špancirfest sees the streets, squares, palaces, parks, gardens and courtyards of historic Varaždin turned into temporary stages, theatres, restaurants, bars, clubs and workshop spaces in order to accommodate one of the largest and most diverse public celebrations in the country. The event calendar is so full that the duration of Špancirfest is a full ten days. For the duration of the event, the life of the city is brought out onto the streets with kućice (small wooden houses) offering a varied menu of gastronomic delights alongside craftsmen who display their wares and traditional working methods to the public. Street performers, dancers, clowns, acrobats and other entertainers walk the streets capturing the attention of the many children who visit. Workshops at this year's event will include masterclasses for several different musical instruments including drums, keys, vocals and guitars plus workshops on yoga technique, acrobatic dance and capoeira plus a graffiti art masterclass. In addition to the percussionists and brass bands which will perform regularly in the streets and public squares, the event's rich music programme contains concerts almost every night by stars of the regional music scene. On the line-up, pop acts like Tony Cetinski, Božo Vrećo and Detour rub shoulders with alte

A new luxury hotel on the island of Hvar has received its official designation as a 5-star. The Palace Elisabeth Hvar Heritage Hotel is the first 5-star hotel on the island and will open its doors to guests, following two years of work on the premises, at the end of August. Photos released of the hotel's interior show the extensive refurb to have totally transformed the premises. The building was formerly the Palace Hotel, one of Hvar's most famous landmarks due to its central position in the heart of Hvar town and because of its rich architectural details, a combination of grandiose Austro-Hungarian building styles and well preserved, far older features, which have been carefully retained within the building's use. What was formerly a 2-star hotel with 78 rooms has been completely reshaped. The hotel now contains 45 much larger luxury rooms and suites. In peak season, it is anticipated that rooms will cost between 500 Euros and 1500 Euros per night, the latter being for the top end suites. The building's history as a hotel stems back to the late 1800s, when it was constructed in order to accommodate the first wave of international guests of what became the modern-day tourist industry. Back then, such guests came from the upper echelons of European society and as well as restoring the hotel's original name, the new Palace Elisabeth Hvar Heritage Hotel will also position the venue once again as the most luxurious hotel accommodation on the island. However, some parts of th

Lošinj Hotels & Villas’ flagship Hotel Bellevue has launched a hands-on aromatherapy workshop retreat, teaching guests about the therapeutic benefits of Lošinj’s fragrant plants. The retreat offers a rare glimpse into the art of essential oil distillation to the extraction of oils to create beautifully scented aromatherapy products to take home. Guests also enjoy detox treatments at the Bellevue Spa Clinic; prepare gourmet delicacies using the finest Mediterranean ingredients; go on hiking expeditions around the island and visit Lošinj’s Garden of Fine Scents.  The island of Lošinj has long been recognised for its restorative properties. For over 120 years, visitors have enjoyed its Mediterranean microclimate and abundant nature. This reputation owes much to the vision of Croatian Professor and Botanist Ambroz Haračić, who planted over 80,000 Aleppo pines and 500 Avenue trees in the first year of a major afforestation programme in 1886, and 300,000 seedlings every year to follow.   The islands are home to over 1,200 herb species; 939 of these are indigenous, while about 80 were introduced by the islands’ famous globetrotting sailors - including Mexican cacti and agave, Indian figs, Japanese medlar and eucalyptus. 230 of the plant species are noted for their medicinal benefits. The new four-day retreat encourages guests to harness the therapeutic properties of the island’s natural bounty. The journey begins at local pine forests of Čikat Bay. Back in the gardens of the B

The Camellia Hotel in Opatija has unveiled the first results of a huge renovation undertaken at the complex. Famous designers HBA London have been employed to redesign each of the hotels 140 rooms and public areas. The designers have previously worked on high-profile projects like The Address in Istanbul, The Orient in Jerusalem, St Regis hotels in Dubai and Marrakech, a Luxury Collection hotel in Doha, Hilton Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Hotel Atlantis by Giardino, Zurich, a new InterContinental in Munich and Amadria Park's luxurious Capital Hotel in Zagreb. Opatija was the first Croatian destination of the modern tourist era. Over one hundred years ago, the elite of the Austro-Hungarian empire would vacation in the town, travelling there on Croatia’s first international rail route, which ran from Slovenia into Rijeka. In the town, such visitors were treated to the opulence they expected and the town’s architecture, pretty public gardens, service industry and accommodation offers reflect this even today.  80 of the new-look hotel rooms have so far been revealed with another 60 due to be completed before the start of the 2020 season. The grand public areas of the hotel complex will be completed by summer 2021.

Croatia is set to experience its hottest days of the summer today and tomorrow. Temperatures will reach 40 degrees in Dalmatia, with both the coastal areas and inland Dalmatia being affected. The hottest place will be Knin, one of the largest cities of inland Dalmatia, which is located some 50 kilometres inland from Šibenik. The high temperatures will not be the heatwave's sole facet. Accompanying the spike in temperatures will be humid air conditions and a distinct absence of wind, with no breeze offering respite from the heat. While still hot, continental areas of Croatia such as Zagorje, Slavonia and inland Istria will experience less stifling conditions over these days. Visitors to the coast should remember to use sunscreen during these two days and would be advised to not remain in the sun continuously between the hours of 12 midday and 4pm.