Time Out Croatia news

Cyclists, hikers and sightseers are flocking to an observation tower set atop Mađerkin Breg at the meeting point of Croatia, Slovenia and Hungary. Providing spectacular views over five countries on a fine day, 27-metre-high hilltop feature is integral to a cross-border green initiative, an eco-friendly visitor centre primarily involving the tourist office in Štrigova in Croatia and the City of Nagykanizsa in Hungary. The idea for the viewpoint was developed over the course of nearly 20 years, and was finally realised thanks to the arrival of European funds. Nearly 90,000 people have already scaled the tower, which lies on a picturesque cycle route and lights up for Advent celebrations. For more details, see here.

With Advent, Zagreb’s award-winning, month-long Christmas market, just around the corner, visitors will want to make sure to stay a while to experience the festivities to the fullest. From cosy and intimate to luxurious grandeur, here are ten of the best boutique hotels in the Croatian capital.  Amadria Park Hotel Capital This beautiful heritage hotel was constructed in the early 1920s. Once a bank, it has preserved not only the grandeur of its exterior but an original vault from its previous life, complete with an original security door. Hotel Capital’s art nouveau and art deco influences are paired with truly modern amenities and services, offering visitors a classy experience a stone’s throw away from Zagreb’s main square. Amadria Park Hotel Capital  art’otel Zagreb One could certainly rattle off a list of luxurious amenities and services offered by art’otel Zagreb – its spa, lounge bar, panoramic rooftop view – as well as its central location, and call it a day. Those who treasure their refined palates would surely be sold on its attached restaurant YEZI alone, serving up quality pan-Asian dishes and set to open before Christmas 2023. Yet the true selling point of art’otel is that the stunning works of Zagreb-born and MoMA-featured artist Boris Bućan adorn the walls and rooms throughout the hotel, making it a truly unique space in the Croatian capital. art'otel Zagreb   Casablanca Boutique Bed & Breakfast Casablanca Boutique Bed & Breakfast Of all hotels on this list,

Following on from the recent news that Istria has again been named the best region in the world for virgin olive oil by the most prestigious guide Flos Olei, the town of Vodnjan north of Pula is hosting its annual festival celebrating this liquid green gold. Now in its 17th edition, ISTRAVIRGIN dedicates three days to the growers and producers who have made olive oil such a successful local industry. From November 24 to 26, as well as showcasing the new harvest, ISTRAVIRGIN gathers gastronomic experts, writers and bloggers for culinary masterclasses, cooking shows in a real kitchen and demonstrations presenting the uses and versatility of this premium product, exalted by the Romans and revived over the last two decades or more. ISTRAVIRGIN, Istarska ulica 16, 52213 Vodnjan. November 24-26. Website (Croatian-Italian only).

Over two nights, November 15-16, the Močvara club in Zagreb will be hosting the Europavox festival, featuring eight up-and-coming European bands. The stage will welcome South London act Shame, to be joined by the French outfit MNNQNS, Serbian electro-rock group Vizelj and Austrian rockers DIVES on the first night. Local artists čuvarkuća and Berlin’s Lucy Kruger & the Lost Boys kick off proceedings on the second night, with Belgian post-punksters Ada Oda and Norwegian group Pom Poko rounding out the agenda. Every year, Europavox organises seven festivals in seven countries – Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Italy, Lithuania and Romania – to discover the best emerging talent in various musical genres. Local partners in Croatia’s capital are INMusic, Zagreb’s largest open-air music festival, and who have featured previous Europavox bands on their roster. Tickets are available here, while more information can be found on Europavox’s event page or website. Where: Klub Močvara, Trnjanska struga 34 When: November 15-16, both nights from 8pm Admission: 2-day pass €20, €15 1-day pass

Think of football in Croatia and you think of Boban, Šuker and Modrić, and clubs such as Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split. But the history of football in Pula is just as colourful and, given the city’s patchwork history, equally as fascinating – as a new exhibition at the Herman Potočnik Noordung Centre shows. Set in a former public water reservoir, a state-of-the-art visitor centre named after a notable Austro-Hungarian scientist born in Pula, Nostri (‘Ours’) portrays the complex development of the game in Istria’s major city. The various local clubs and leading players – FC Istra, Grion Pola, Tonči Vojak, who went on to win the Italian championship with Juventus – reflect the political changes in this ever-changing region, right through to present-day Istra 1961. The exhibition runs all winter until April 30, 2024. Nostri (‘Ours’), Herman Potočnik Noordung Centre, Gradinska uspon 6, Pula. Daily 9am-5pm.

Having just been named Tourist Destination of the Year by the Croatian National Tourism Board, the City of Dubrovnik is staging a gala event on the main street of Stradun on Tuesday, November 14. From 7pm, top local bartenders will be mixing special cocktails outside the Church of St Blaise, before singer Goran Karan, known for his Dalmatian repertoire, gives a free live performance on Stradun. All lines on the city’s Libertas buses will run free of charge from 6pm until midnight, so wherever you are in town, and wherever you need to get back to after the show, won’t cost you a penny.

Dubrovnik’s Dubina club in the heart of the TUP factory complex in Gruž is hosting top Serbian DJ Tijana T this Saturday night, November 11. Known for her acid-dominant techno style with traces of house, electro, breakbeat and trance, this Belgrade mixmaster has given more than 400 shows in 50 countries across six continents in the last few years, including prestigious slots at Berlin’s Berghain, The Bunker NY and the EXIT Festival in Novi Sad. Resident DJs Ivana and Zookey will also play a session. Dubina, Dubrovnik Dubina (‘Depth’) centrepieces the former industrial hub of Dubrovnik, recently revived thanks also to the unique Red History Museum showcasing Croatia's Socialist heritage and the lively Dubrovnik Beer Company bar and music spot. During the summer season, a TUP pass (€25) allows you to visit all three venues, sampling up to four domestic craft brews at the DBC and entering Dubina before midnight. Given the relative lack of good nightlife venues in Dubrovnik, Dubina aims to restore a sense of community to the local scene, providing a podium for local and regional DJs, and a stage for local bands. These key venues have successfully been shifting focus away from Dubrovnik’s oversubscribed Old Town to a bustling part of the city a few bus stops or 15 minutes’ walk away, where you find the main port and the best produce market in town. Tijana T, Dubina, ulica Svetog Križa 3, 20000 Dubrovnik. Saturday, November 11, 11pm-5am. Admission after midnight €13.    

All across Istria this weekend, towns and villages will be marking the Feast of St Martin, a celebration of the new wine and the end of work on the vineyards. Martinje, as it’s known in Croatia, also involves plenty of music and dancing. In Pula, eight local winemakers will present their wares at Giardini, at the foot of Kaštel, from November 9-11. Festivities start at 5pm every day and run until midnight. A different DJ spins each evening. In Momjan, Martinje is presented by the Tu I Tamo band, and runs between November 10-12 inclusive. Vrsar, meanwhile, is putting on a whole weekend of entertainment, from cycling tours to Nordic walking, rallying to soup-making, with a whole day of choirs singing in the main square on Saturday, November 11. For more background on the history and tradition of this annual event, see here.

Taking place at the Zagreb Fair, Interliber offers visitors thousands of books at discounted rates. It spans three pavilions with four exhibition halls, all containing hundreds of vendors selling titles that include anything from recent releases to history, philosophy, poetry, chemistry and classics, to name just a few. Though most are in Croatian, there are extensive foreign-language collections available.  Alongside the vendors, Interliber will host a number of discussions, panels and workshops throughout its run. The full programme, as well as a floor plan, can be found on the Zagreb Fair website.The staggering scale of Interliber is worth experiencing in its own right. The event, now in its 45th year, consistently draws huge crowds of all ages around an excitement for books and literature in general. All of the country's major publishers attend and set up stands, but a huge number of smaller ones with niche portfolios are present too, providing an enticing range of options for visitors. There are plenty of cafés and dining options available at the venue, including food trucks outside of the exhibition halls. Be sure to bring a bag – it’s rare to see a visitor leaving without new books for their collections.  The event runs until Sunday, November 12. Where: Avenija Dubrovnik 15, Zagreb When: Until November 12. Wed-Thur & Sun 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat 10am-9pm Admission: FREE

Currently being showcased at the World Travel Market at the ExCeL centre in London’s Docklands, Croatia’s tourist industry is reflecting on a record year so far in 2023. With two months still to be counted, and cities such as Zagreb, Dubrovnik and Rijeka gearing up for their family-friendly Christmas markets due to open about a month from now, the figures show 19.8 million arrivals between January 1 and October 31. The compares favourably to the previous pre-pandemic record year of 2019, and an increase of 9% on 2022. This year started, of course, with the news that Croatia had adopted the euro and had joined the border-free Schengen zone, facilitating travel across the board.