Although the last weekend in August is behind us there is no sign that the sunshine is leaving. The weather forecast for this week is for unbroken blue skies and plenty of sunshine with highs all week to be in the low thirties. The forecast for September also looks promising with every chance of an Indian Summer.

According to the specialised metrological website AccuWeather.com the Dubrovnik region could have a long and warm autumn. They have forecast a “Surges of warmth from Africa and the Mediterranean will be frequent throughout the season, leading to above-normal temperatures across southern Spain, southern and central Italy and the southern Balkans.”

This week’s weather forecast shows constant sunshine and temperatures in the low thirties. The current sea temperature in Dubrovnik is 24 degrees.

The popular swimwear brand “Lemonaki” from Chile has chosen Dubrovnik as the ideal background for their latest photo shoot. The iconic Banje Beach, the Dubrovnik Old City Walls and the five-star Radisson Blu resort all feature as locations for this South American brand.

And not only does Croatia feature in the background, it also features in the foreground. The gorgeous Croatian model Helena Ivancic was chosen as the face and body of “Lemonaki” for their 2017 Summer Collection.

In fact even the swimwear brand has a Croatian touch as the Chilean based company is owned by Andrea and Milena Bakulic, sisters of Croatian descent. Since the company was launched it has grown to be one of the leading swimwear companies in Chile and Brazil.

Helena Ivancic poses on the Dubrovnik City Walls - Photo Instagram 

The Mayor of Dubrovnik, Andro Vlahusic, received the Dubrovnik water polo players who played in the Croatian water polo team and won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Rio.

With the inevitable celebratory glass of champagne and congratulations on winning the silver medal the Mayor handed out gifts to the players.

He thanked them all once again for being such great ambassadors for their city and for their club. Five players from the Dubrovnik water polo club “Jug” were included in the Croatian national team.

With the new Dubrovnik bikini law coming into effect yesterday The Dubrovnik Times took to the streets to discover what tourists to our city think about the new regulations.

If you are now caught “wearing swimwear or inappropriately uncovered” on the public streets of the city you will have to pay a fine of 1,000 Kunas, or around 134 Euros. This so called “bikini ban” will mean all visitors to the city centre will have to cover up or pay up. Bare-chested men and bikini clad women are a thing of the past as a total of fifteen security guards will patrol the streets looking for flesh-baring law breakers.

Firstly had tourists even heard about this law and secondly what were their opinions?

We even managed to “catch” a young tourist, or maybe we should say offender, from Spain in her bikini top. When she found out from us about the new law her first reaction was “I can take it off if you want me to!” However after our short interview was finished the Spanish tourist did in fact choose to cover up with a T-shirt.

Check out the reactions to the “bikini law”

The signs are up, the uniformed security guards are ready for action, the new dress-code law in Dubrovnik is up and running. The Deputy Mayor of Dubrovnik, Zeljko Raguz, held a press conference yesterday as the new signs were installed on the entrances into the historic Old City of Dubrovnik.

Photo - Zeljko Tutnjevic 

If you are now caught “wearing swimwear or inappropriately uncovered” on the public streets of the city you will have to pay a fine of 1,000 Kunas, or around 134 Euros. This so called “bikini ban” will mean all visitors to the city centre will have to cover up or pay up. Bare-chested men and bikini clad women are a thing of the past as a total of fifteen security guards will patrol the streets looking for flesh-baring law breakers.

The new set of regulations also includes a ban on riding bikes, throwing cigarette butts, walking dogs without a leash and the use of sound amplifiers for music and entertainment programs. When asked at the press conference whether the new security guards had received any special training for spotting and fining offenders the guards replied that “no specific training was required.” The 1,000 Kuna fine will be reduced to 500 Kuna if paid on the spot. And in addition to the signs on the three main land entrances into the Old City signs have also been placed on the sea entrances.

And it seems that this new law will have plenty of “business” as our cameras caught potential offenders on the streets of Dubrovnik a few days ago. In only a few minutes at least ten dress-code violators were spotted.

It’s Italian Week in Dubrovnik with a celebration of top Italian cuisine. Italia Fest Dubrovnik 2016 opened today in the Lazareti complex by the east gate to the Old City. Every day from 9.00am to 9.00pm until the 28th of August food lovers will be able to purchase Italian favourites such as prosciutto, Mortadella, wild boar salami, salami with truffles, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, goat’s cheese, anchovies, olives, dried tomatoes, spices, pasta, pastries, and many other delicacies that are normally only available at Italian markets.

The organisers of the event have just held an Italia Fest in Split and now they have moved south down the Croatian coastline to Dubrovnik. More than a hundred different products are on sale at the market and the organisers stated that it will “bring the atmosphere of an Italian market to Dubrovnik.” They added that all the market traders will be happy to explain the products that are on offer.

Six large stands have been installed in the Lazareti complex and among the many Italian delicacies you can find sausages from Montepulciano which are aged and preserved in a cave, a giant Mortadella produced in Bologna, Tuscan ham flavoured with hot peppers, garlic and basil aged in wheat flour, selected boar steaks, salamis and cheeses flavoured with truffles and high quality Parmesan which has been aged for 36 months.

Many towns in the world have the same tradition: ''locking'' your love with a lock at the public place, putting your names on it with a date and throwing the key away to show that your love will last forever. Even Dubrovnik has a special spot for lovers! At Boninovo, few minutes away from Dubrovnik, there is a fence that became a romantic place quite late. Somebody has put a first lock on it just a couple of years ago and now it's covered with those little signs of affection.
But, of course, there are always unique ways to say 'I love you' and to be special. We bumped at one just walking by the fence. There they were, screaming to be seen: two bras, brassieres, however you want to call them.
- Look at this sweetheart! – yelled one tourist to her loved one laughing. He seemed to be more interested in the bras than all the other locks out there.
- Lesbians – he concluded and they went straight ahead without putting a lock. Well, that really could be a sign of love of the same sex couple. Or it was a challenge or a way to remember a great night out. Or... Who knows. We would love to hear the story!
We found some interesting locks too, because not all of them are just names and numbers. Sadly, we couldn’t find the one that was there a year ago. It just said, shortly: ‘’Die of cholera’’. And they say the romance is dead...

In spite of the thunder and lightning today in Dubrovnik with the occasional downpour the weather forecast for the rest of the week is for sunshine and temperatures in the low thirties.

The early morning and rain and thunderstorms in Dubrovnik today will be the last rain we will see in the region for the next seven days. According to the mid-term weather forecast Dubrovnik can expect a stabilisation of weather and clear blue skies.

Temperatures tomorrow will again be in the low thirties with 31 degrees predicted and that pattern will continue until at least Saturday.

And according to the specialised website AccuWeather.com Dubrovnik could well be in for an Indian Summer. “Surges of warmth from Africa and the Mediterranean will be frequent throughout the autumn season, leading to above-normal temperatures across southern Spain, southern and central Italy and the southern Balkans,” states the website. They add that northern Europe will be wet and windy in autumn.

Temperatures in Dubrovnik are expected to remain stable, at around 30 degrees, until the middle of September.