The Dubrovnik-Neretva County Tourist Board, the Dubrovnik City Tourist Board and the Ston Municipality Tourist Board hosted representatives of 37 Slovak tourist agencies on a tour of Dubrovnik and Ston on Sunday, June 28th.

The Slovak agency Aquamarin, owned by Eva Samoborska, a longtime journalist and fan of Croatia, organized with the help of Tourist Boards the arrival of a large number of representatives of Slovak agencies in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.

Most of the participants in the study trip have never been to Croatia, and in their programs they offer mainly Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. By taking them on tour, Tourist Boards have shown them that Croatia is a safe destination before July 1st, when the sale of tours to Croatia should start.

Danube Day is marked every year on June 29th. It all started the tenth anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Management of the Danube, when the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River at a Ministerial Meeting held on 29 June 2004 in Vienna initiated the celebration – the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy writes.

After the Volga, the Danube is the second longest (2,857 kilometers) and richest river in Europe and the longest river in the European Union.

The Danube springs in Schwarzwald, a wooded mountainous region in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany, continues to flow east and forms a delta on the Black Sea coast of Romania and Ukraine, and is at the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

The Republic of Croatia was one of the first countries to express support for the idea of protecting the Danube River. Together with nine other countries (Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine) and the European Union, it signed the Convention on Cooperation for the Protection and Sustainable Management of the Danube River on 29th of June 1994 in Sofia and ratified in 1996, and since then successfully participates in the work of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR).

The ICPDR has 14 member states and the European Union and is considered a world example of international cooperation in the field of river basins.

On this date, promotional and educational activities are organized in all cities and towns along the Danube under the auspices of the ICPDR, aimed at drawing the attention of the inhabitants of the Danube basin to the importance of rivers and encouraging their protection and sustainable use for future generations.

This year, a number of planned activities as part of the Danube Day celebrations have been postponed due to special circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the anniversary will be marked by virtual activities.

Croatia's contribution to this year's Danube Day was the presentation of educational activities in the Danube and Sava river basins that are organized throughout the year to EU water and sea directors at their joint video meeting held on June 16th, 2020 as part of the Croatian Presidency.

The President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, is the sponsor of the leading sports-educational project Active Croatia. The eighth season of training and education with citizens continues in Osijek, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Zagreb.

-I gladly accept the patronage of holding this already traditional public sports event, which aims to educate and promote physical activity as a way of life! - said the President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanovic and added that he believes that in this new season the proect will raise awareness of the need to adopt healthy living habits.

Active Croatia has so far activated more than 35 thousand citizens in numerous Croatian cities. During the coronavirus pandemic, experts from the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb, the Croatian Medical Chamber, Mental Training, the Croatian Academic Center for Applied Nutrition and Biotraining educated citizens online and through media partners. The project partners are the Croatian Olympic Committee and the Central State Office for Sports.

The next outdoor training is in Osijek. The main square of Ante Starcevic on Saturday, July 4th at 7 pm, will host exercisers who will send a message to Croatia about the importance of regular physical activity. The team of the Faculty of Kinesiology from Zagreb, led by Slavonians Ivan Antunovic and Luka Suker, as well as Lukrecija Dragic and Dominik Spoljaric, will make the people of Osijek move. The program is led by Renata Sopek.

After Osijek, the project continues in Dubrovnik at the fortress of Saint John on July 16th at 7.30 pm, and then in Petrcane near Zadar in the Falkensteiner resort Punta Skala on July 24th at 6 pm.

You can apply for trainings at www.aktivnahrvatska.hr.

Goran Ivanisevic has published a post on his official Instagram profile, confirming that he's infected with coronavirus.

-Unfortunately, after two negative tests in the last 10 days, I have just found out that I tested positive for Covid-19. I feel good and don't have any symptoms. I would like to inform everyone who has been in contact with me that I tested positive and ask them to take extra good care of themselves and their loved ones. I will continue to self-isolate as I have been doing already. I wish everyone who got infected a speedy recovery – Ivanisevic wrote.

Sadly, coronavirus spread happened at tennis tournament Adria Tour, which was an exhibition tennis tournament organized by Novak Djokovic during the ATP Tour's shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic planned in Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, after the virus spread in Zadar, the tournament was stopped.

Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena are also positive for Covid-19, so it's not strange that Goran Ivanisevic, who is Djokovic's coach, is infected too.

Ivanisevic's function in Zadar was such that he was in contact with all the players. He also participated in the basketball game against BC Zadar, Kids' day and in the exhibition match of couples at the opening of the tournament.

FlyDubai, a low-budget Emirates company, has confirmed a return of its seasonal line between Dubrovnik and Dubai. The company plans to introduce the line from mid-July – Croatian Aviation writes.

From Thursday, July 16th, FlyDubai will operate on the line Dubai - Dubrovnik - Dubai twice a week, every Thursday and Sunday, on a B737-800 aircraft.

Given that there is currently no direct connection between Dubrovnik Airport and any of the previously planned companies for this season by which tourists from Asia could come to Croatia to a greater extent (Qatar, Turkish), the start of traffic on the line to Dubai is certainly good and important news – Croatian Aviation explains.

After a long break and lots of concerts at various open locations, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra is finally returning to the Rector's Palace where it will perform on Friday, June 26th, at 9 pm. The String Chamber Ensemble of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra under the direction of violinist Dana Kahriman will perform, with a solo performance by cellist Vid Veljak.

On the program are Holst's St. Paul's Suite, op. 29; Haydn Concerto for Cello and Orchestra no. 2 in D major and Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48 by P. I. Tchaikovsky.

Vid Veljak started learning the cello from the age of three, and noticing his talent at a very early age, professor Valter Despalj invited him to his class at the Music Academy in Zagreb, where he successfully passed the entrance exam as a fourteen-year-old. He is the winner of numerous competitions, including the international competitions Antonio Janigro in Porec and Daleki akordi in Split, and in 2015 he was a finalist in the prestigious cello competition "Guilhermina Suggia" in Portugal. Veljak has performed as a soloist with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, the Zagreb Philharmonic, the Zagreb Soloists, the Rijeka Chamber Orchestra, the HRT Symphony Orchestra and the Cantus Ensemble. A few months ago he released a new album "Resonance(s)".

Concert tickets are 100 and 150 kuna.

The auditorium will be set up in accordance with the recommendations, but the audience is asked to keep distance in accordance with epidemiological measures, also before entering the Rector's Palace, as well as when leaving the concert.

The European Commission together with 14 EU Member States (Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Sweden) signed a Memorandum of Understanding Implementing the Valetta Political Decleration On Clean Energy for Euoropean Union Islands (Memorandum of Split), prepared by the Republic of Croatia during its presidency of the Council of the European Union.

During the process of preparing the Memorandum, various requirements were followed, that would be useful for the inhabitants of European islands, such as the one for more stable cooperation for the transition to clean energy. European islands, home to more than 15 million citizens, can lead the transition to clean energy by using new technologies and applying innovative solutions.

Given that Croatia has more than 1244 islands, many of which face various challenges, the Presidency Program places special emphasis on the potential that islands can have in the transition to clean energy.

The "Clean Energy for EU Islands" initiative was launched in 2017 during the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, when the European Commission, together with the Member States, signed a political declaration (the Valletta Declaration). The initiative aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy on European islands to help islands reduce their dependence on energy imports by making better use of the potential of renewable energy sources. In order to facilitate the process of transition to clean energy on European islands, in 2018 the European Commission established the "Clean Energy Secretariat for the EU Islands", which provides support and assistance in the preparation of projects for European islands.

This Memorandum represents an important step in promoting projects to accelerate the transition to clean energy on EU islands. This Memorandum will provide further support to islands in preparing their strategies for the transition to clean energy process, while promoting participation, engagement and empowerment of citizens. In addition, structured cooperation will facilitate the roles of energy communities on the islands.

The memorandum also recognizes the importance of implementing projects aimed at increasing the use of renewable energy sources through the use of innovative technologies, development of clean and sustainable transport, integration of the power system with other sectors such as heating, cooling, island water system, all according to demand on islands.

Special emphasis in the Memorandum is placed on cooperation between islands when it comes to sharing knowledge and best practices, because only in this way can we create a unique opportunity for future generations that will, among other things, lay the foundations of a climate-neutral Europe.
You can download the Memorandum on the right.

The areas of Medvednica and Biokovo were declared nature parks on this date in 1981. Apart from being mountainous, these two protected areas are also similar because their foothills are densely populated, the connection between the population and the mountains has been present for centuries, and in modern times these areas are extremely visited and marked by tourist activities and influences – the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy.

Medvednica Nature Park is located north of Zagreb. For the capital of Croatia, this mountain range, with the highest peak Sljeme at an altitude of 1035 meters, has exceptional value - not only from an ecological point of view (protection of soil from erosion, prevention of torrents, impact on climate, air and water quality), but also aesthetic , symbolic, recreational, health and tourist aspects. Apart from the area of the City of Zagreb, this protected area of 179 square kilometers covers part of the area of Zagreb and Krapina-Zagorje counties.

Public institution "Nature Park Medvednica" will mark the 39th birthday of the Park on Sunday, June 28th, with educational and entertainment events on the meadow next to the Tourist Apartments "Snow Queen" from 11 am to 2 pm. The SINCERE project (Encouraging Innovation in Forest Ecosystem Services), which is currently being implemented, will be presented there, and its goal is to valorize the recreational and health function of Medvednica forest ecosystem services and raise awareness of forest ecosystem services.

Mount Biokovo is part of the Dinarides mountain massif, it forms the natural hinterland of the Makarska Riviera, and the area of 193 square kilometeres, 30 kilometers long has been put in the category of nature park. Apart from its location, Biokovo is unique because of its geomorphology and biological diversity, which were the main reasons for declaring the mountain Biokovo a nature park in 1981.

The highest peak of the mountain is Sveti Jure at 1762 meters above sea level, making Biokovo the second highest mountain in Croatia. In addition to hiking trails, a 23 kilometer long road leads to the top, which is also the highest paved road in Croatia.
In the Biokovo Nature Park, visitors can hike on more than 20 hiking trails, visit the botanical garden "Kotisina", as well as numerous educational trails, Info Center Ravna Vlaska with a lookout and visit the presentation centers "Brela Gornja" and "Adrion - the heart of the mountain" in Makarska.

Public institution "Biokovo Nature Park" is currently implementing the project "New Adrion - Promoting the sustainable use of natural heritage PP Biokovo" funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020. The most impressive part of the project is certainly Skywalk in the area of Ravna Vlaska - the construction of a horseshoe-shaped belvedere outside the cliff with a glass surface for walking.

In addition, the project plans to set up a geological pillar, arrange a visitor center in Zupa and arrange Rodiceva street, which will convert the existing macadam road into a pedestrian and bicycle path about 7 kilometers long.

Also, in cooperation with the association "Geopark Imotska jezera" it is planned to apply Geopark Biokovo - Imotska jezera in the UNESCO world program of geoparks. This would enable the launch of various production and service activities that contribute to the socio-economic development of the local community.