Fabrizio Romano, the most trusted football insider, confirmed the transfer of Luka Modrić with his signature "here we go" announcement, meaning the deal is done. Modrić has signed a one-year contract, and will be playing for AC Milan even after turning 40 in September.

He leaves Real Madrid as one of the club’s all-time greats. Over 13 seasons, he won 28 trophies, making him the most decorated player in the club’s history. Among those are six Champions League titles, four La Liga titles, and five European Super Cups and Club World Cups each. In the royal white shirt, he played 597 matches, scored 43 goals, and delivered 95 assists.

His farewell came after Real Madrid's 4–0 defeat to PSG in the semi-final of the Club World Cup, where Modrić made an emotional appearance in the 65th minute.

Now, Milan gains not only a football legend, but also a globally recognised name that will strengthen their midfield and add invaluable experience for the upcoming season.

With the raising of the Libertas flag accompanied by the verses of the “Hymn to Freedom” in front of St. Blaise’s Church, the 76th Dubrovnik Summer Festival was officially opened. The direction and script of the opening ceremony were created by Krešimir Dolenčić and Paolo Tišljarić, with Roza Jurić as assistant director.

Following the performance of “Lijepa naša” (Croatia’s national anthem) and the ceremonial opening segment, Mayor of Dubrovnik Mato Franković gave a speech officially declaring the 76th Dubrovnik Summer Festival open.

“Tonight, beneath the vault of our unique City, in the silence that echoes with the strength of stone, under the stars that have witnessed centuries of art and spirit – we open the 76th Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

The Festival is not just a series of plays and concerts. The Festival is the soulprint of the City. It is a mirror of its values, a reflection of the balance and harmony that have shaped our everyday life for centuries.

In a world that rushes, in a time that demands everything—instantly and now—our City teaches us something different. It teaches us to pause. To listen. To distinguish the lasting from the fleeting, the genuine from the superficial, beauty from mere appearance.

Because Dubrovnik is not a marketplace of impressions. Dubrovnik is a city of measure.”

After the ceremony, the evening continued in traditional fashion with a spectacular fireworks display, which once again drew enormous interest from both locals and visitors alike.

From 10 July to 25 August, over the 47-day festival season, audiences will enjoy more than 60 performances, including drama, music, folklore, and various other productions, held at numerous stage and ambient locations throughout the city.

Ryanair is celebrating a major milestone at Dubrovnik Airport: the one-year anniversary of its base launch and the remarkable achievement of one million passengers carried to and from the city.

Since establishing its base in Dubrovnik last summer, Ryanair has expanded rapidly, now operating a total of 22 routes, including 3 exciting new destinations for Summer 2025: Gothenburg, Katowice, and Marseille.

The airline’s Summer 2025 schedule at Dubrovnik Airport includes:

• 2 aircraft based in Dubrovnik – representing a $200 million investment

• 22 total routes

• 3 new summer routes to Gothenburg, Katowice, and Marseille

• Over 120 weekly flights

• 60 direct jobs supported

This milestone underlines Ryanair’s ongoing commitment to Dubrovnik and Croatia, boosting connectivity, supporting local tourism, and creating employment opportunities.

To mark the occasion, Ryanair has launched a limited-time seat sale, with fares starting from just €24.99. These discounted tickets are available to book exclusively on www.ryanair.com until 11 July.

Deirdre Macklin, Ryanair’s Director of Brand, Marketing and International Communications, said:

“As Europe’s number one airline, we’re thrilled to celebrate our one-year base anniversary in Dubrovnik and our one-millionth passenger milestone. With a record-breaking summer schedule offering over 120 weekly flights across 22 routes—including three exciting new connections—we’re giving both locals and tourists more choice than ever at the lowest fares.

Our celebratory seat sale is now live, but these fares won’t last long—so book by 11 July on ryanair.com before they’re gone!”

Ryanair’s growing presence in Dubrovnik ensures the city remains a top destination for European travellers and continues to provide locals with more affordable travel options than ever before.

It’s official – Germany’s spice lovers have fallen head over heels for a Balkan classic. Croatian kitchen staple Vegeta has just been named Top-Marke 2025, beating out more than 5,000 rival brands in the world’s toughest consumer market.

The flavour bomb, first whipped up in 1959 by Professor Zlata Bartl and her team at Podravka, has come a long way from its humble roots in a Croatian lab. With its secret mix of salt, spices and dried veggies, Vegeta has now conquered over 60 countries—and Germany just can’t get enough.

The prestigious award, handed out by Lebensmittel Zeitung, was based on real-life buying habits from over 30,000 German households—and it’s left the spice world reeling.

“Recognition in Germany, where quality standards are sky-high, means the world to us,” said Podravka bigwig Krunoslav Bešvir, no doubt popping a bottle of bubbly.

And this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. With food trends changing faster than you can say ‘gourmet’, Vegeta’s staying power proves Central Europe’s culinary classics are hotter than ever.

At 65 years old, this Croatian legend is still spicing up dinner tables around the globe—and shows no sign of slowing down.

The City of Dubrovnik has announced that, for the first time ever, no children are on the waiting list for enrolment in kindergartens for the upcoming school year.

Following the June enrolment period, a few spots remained open—four in nursery groups and fifteen in kindergarten groups—confirming that the City’s systematic investment in early childhood education over the past eight years has produced tangible and measurable results. During this period, a total of eight kindergarten facilities have been built, renovated, or reconstructed, and 21 new nursery or kindergarten groups have been opened, creating 380 additional places for children.

The City subsidizes between 77% and 100% of kindergarten fees, and parents of a third child enrolled in kindergarten pay nothing extra.

The City continues to invest in the preschool system, with preparations underway for the construction of new kindergartens in Biskupski dvor, Komolac, and Mokošica. The reconstruction and equipment project for the Biskupski dvor kindergarten, valued at €802,711, is funded by non-refundable grants from the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, and upon completion will provide an additional 122 spots for children.

Croatians on average have 25 days of annual leave, and every third person will spend two to three weeks on summer vacation, mostly in Croatian destinations, spending an average of €1,330, according to a survey by the MojPosao portal.

The most popular time for taking annual leave is during the summer months, and the survey showed that 79 percent of respondents plan to go on holiday this summer.

Every third resident of Croatia will spend two to three weeks on holiday (33 percent of respondents in each case), which psychologists also recommend as the optimal amount of time to rest from work and recharge.

Only 12 percent of respondents will spend more than three weeks on vacation.

When it comes to destinations, most people still plan to holiday within Croatia (71 percent), while a smaller number plan to travel abroad (20 percent). A small portion, 9 percent, will go on holiday both in Croatia and abroad.

Those who do not plan to take a summer holiday cite reasons such as not having time off during the summer, already living on the coast, so a holiday isn’t necessary, or—most commonly—not having the financial means for such a luxury.

Despite media headlines claiming Croatia has become too expensive for domestic tourists, the survey shows the opposite, according to the portal’s press release.

Those planning to travel abroad expect to spend more, an average of €1,898. In comparison, those holidaying within Croatia plan to spend around €1,330. However, the more expensive foreign trips tend to be shorter.

Those traveling abroad usually take trips up to seven days, while domestic holidays are less often that short.

The survey included over 600 respondents, of whom 90 percent were women. Most participants were aged 41 to 50 (53 percent) and 31 to 40 (41 percent).

The tourism intensity measure published on Thursday by the German Federal Statistical Office revealed that in Greece’s South Aegean region, 117 overnight stays per inhabitant were recorded in 2023. This administrative area includes well-known islands such as Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes.

The Ionian Islands in western Greece, including Corfu, ranked second with 98 overnight stays per inhabitant, followed by Italy’s mountainous province of South Tyrol with 68.

Croatia’s Adriatic coast recorded 67 overnight stays per inhabitant, the same as Spain’s Balearic Islands, followed by Crete in Greece and Austria’s state of Tyrol, each with 55.

On the other hand, parts of Poland and Romania showed low tourist activity, with just under one overnight stay per inhabitant in 2023.

The German region with the highest ratio of tourist overnight stays to residents was the northeastern federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which had 18 overnight stays per inhabitant, placing it 17th out of 237 administrative regions in the European Union.

In absolute terms, the most visited administrative region in Europe was Spain’s Canary Islands, with 95.6 million overnight stays in 2023.

However, since that region has over two million residents, the islands ranked only 10th in terms of tourism intensity. The most visited German destination was Upper Bavaria, which includes the city of Munich, with a total of 41.6 million overnight stays.

Party lovers, rejoice! Dubrovnik’s mayor Mato Franković has just given the go-ahead for bars, cafes, and restaurants across the city to keep the good times rolling until 4 a.m. on the night of July 11th, as the city gears up for the grand opening of the 76th Dubrovnik Summer Festival.

The one-night-only extension is set to turn the city into a buzzing celebration zone, as locals and visitors alike mark the official start of one of Croatia’s most iconic cultural events.

But while the drinks may keep flowing and the music pumping, there are some ground rules.

Bar owners have been warned to maintain public order and avoid any behaviour that could put themselves or others at risk. If things get too rowdy, they're expected to call the Dubrovnik police straight away.

And there’s more: if a municipal warden tells you the music’s too loud, you’d better turn it down—immediately. No excuses.

With the city set to come alive in a big way, it looks like Dubrovnik is ready to party… responsibly.