Another great recognition has come to Konavle – Cavtat has been named the most exclusive destination in Europe. According to the portal European Best Destinations, Cavtat is described as a "charming town with an old city center that hides numerous lovely cafes and restaurants... It has a stunning coastline lined with palm trees, reminiscent of Saint-Tropez," reported the Municipality of Konavle.

Describing Cavtat, the portal noted that it is located in Konavle, which it compared to the Italian region of Tuscany.

They also emphasized that this is not a place for those seeking clubs, but rather for those looking to relax amidst beautiful scenery, food, and wine.

"Life in this part of the world flows slowly, making it a desirable destination for a truly relaxed holiday," adds EBD.

Mayor Božo Lasić emphasized that this recognition is the result of the hard work and efforts of all employees of the Municipality, the Tourist Board, Museums and Galleries, as well as all our communal companies, firefighters, and everyone else who ensures that Cavtat looks and offers everything it does today.

Along with Cavtat, Opatija also made the list of the most exclusive destinations, joined by Marbella (Spain), Positano (Italy), Capri (Italy), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Gstaad (Switzerland), Saint Barthelemy (France), Megève (France), and Montreux (Switzerland).

The Croatian National Tourist Board has launched a promotional campaign titled "Experience Croatia... your memories are on us!" with the aim of promoting the post-season and positioning Croatia as an attractive year-round destination. The campaign will run until the end of October and includes activities in six European markets: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Italy, Sweden, and Hungary.

These promotional activities aim to strengthen Croatia's competitiveness on a global level and further enhance our country's position as an interesting, safe, and attractive destination.

"Through intensive promotion of our rich tourist offerings, we encourage guests to visit our country outside of the summer months and experience the content and quality of Croatian tourist products. Our goal is to stimulate excellent tourist traffic in the post-season, similar to what we achieved in the pre-season. Indeed, this is the only time we have room to grow tourist traffic. Additionally, our intention is to position ourselves as a sustainable and desirable year-round destination in the Mediterranean," said Kristjan Staničić, Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board.

Given the wide range of Croatian tourist products and services, the campaign focuses on nautical tourism, active holidays, natural beauty, and eno-gastronomy.

The promotion activities are being carried out through offline and online media, including native articles, social media, print media, outdoor and display advertising channels, YouTube, etc.

There is pizza and then there is Neapolitan pizza! I have to admit to being a pizza lover, somewhat of an aficionado, and by far my favourite type of pizza is the one from the far south of Italy. You maybe would have thought that finding a Neapolitan pizza in Dubrovnik would be easy, you would be wrong, there are literally only a handful. You see the absolute key to making this pizza is the oven, it isn’t just any normal pizza oven, it is one that can reach extremely high temperatures. This week I discovered one of these “unicorn” Neapolitan pizza restaurants, and it was right before my eyes.

Located in the very heart of the historic Old City of Dubrovnik is a gem of a restaurant and it is named after the chilly northerly wind that rushes down over the mountains - Bura Bistro. You as far as the actual location is concerned you probably couldn’t find a more central one. To make it easy for you to find, it is behind one of the most iconic landmarks in Dubrovnik, the cathedral. There you will find a bustling and vibrant hub of cafés and restaurants, and in the prime position is Bura Bistro.

There are several advantages of the location a) it is really easy to find b) you are pretty most always away from the heat in the shade and c) you are surrounded by centuries-old stone façades. Throw into the mix that Bura Bistro has a spacious outside terrace seating area and you are onto a winner.

But the absolute gem is the Neapolitan pizzas on offer. But a pizza wouldn’t be a pizza without creativity of toppings, and Bura has this in spades.

“This is a very special type of pizza, which only has four ingredients – flour, yeast, water and salt – of course you need experience to know how much of each ingredient goes into making the perfect Neapolitan pizza,” explained to us the head chef of Bura Bistro, Ante Jonjić. “There are many factors that go into making this type of pizza, we brought our pizza oven from Italy and it can reach temperatures of 520 degrees. And the perfect Neapolitan pizza is only baked for around 70 to 90 seconds, of course at extremely high temperatures,” added Ante. The pizzas very much carry the name and imagination of chef, from smoked tuna to slow-cooked rump steak.

So where did he get the ideas for the toppings? I have a preference for the sweet and sour flavours, like the exotic Hawaii pizza with pineapple. And it would seem that I am not alone. Bura Bistro has a topping, a sweet and sour topping, that I haven’t come across before, a pizza with Mango, and it was excellent. Of course, I tried it. I can’t recommend Bura Bistro highly enough, yes it isn’t a pizzeria, it is a bistro, but the Neapolitan pizza is a “must try” whilst in Dubrovnik.

Find more info here

Website – https://www.burabistro-dubrovnik.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/burabistrodubrovnik

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/burabistrodubrovnik

The Croatian Bureau of Statistics has released the latest data on average net and gross salaries across the country’s counties, with figures being published on a quarterly basis. The recent report provides insights into the average monthly salaries paid per employee in legal entities for the second quarter of 2024.

According to the data, the average monthly net salary increased in all counties compared to the same period in 2023. The most significant growth was observed in Vukovar-Srijem County, where net salaries rose by 19.8%. In contrast, the smallest increases in net salaries were recorded in Istria and Međimurje counties, both seeing a rise of 14.7%.

The highest average monthly net salary in the second quarter of 2024 was reported in the City of Zagreb, where employees in legal entities earned an average of 1,537 euros. Meanwhile, Virovitica-Podravina County had the lowest average net salary, at 1,168 euros. The average net salary in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County was 1,230 euros during this period.

The historic core is the most visited part of Dubrovnik. During the summer season, at least 10,000 tourists stroll through its streets every day. The city’s sanitation workers certainly have their hands full throughout the tourist season. They work mainly though the night to ensure the city is clean and tidy at the start of every new day.

The first truck arrives in the city at 5 a.m. By then, the sanitation workers have already prepared the bins that need to be emptied, reports HRT.

"We start at 3:30 a.m. due to the number of bins. You’ve seen how many there are. Every day, I pull out 30 to 40 bins. Later, after they are emptied, we return them to the restaurants. Then, from 6 to 8 a.m., we bring out the city bins for residents to dispose of their trash. After that, we tidy up the area," said Dario Turkalj.

This is just part of their duties. The number of delivery vehicles indicates they will have plenty of work the next day as well.

"On Stradun, we have four sites with 50 bins each. They’re all pulled out by 7 a.m., which means 200 bins are removed from Stradun. Behind the cathedral, we have 70-80 bins, so close to 300 bins are removed from Stradun every day," says Denis Raos, manager of the sanitation service for the historic core.

"We can enter Stradun, Ulica od Puča, and a few side streets. We clean and scrub behind the truck to make sure nothing is left behind," says Ante Beljo.

In total, 16 tons of garbage are removed from the historic core every 24 hours. All of this is handled by around 20 people working in two shifts.

"I have to commend my colleagues; these are guys who work whether it’s raining, windy, or hot, as it is now," Raos continues.

By the time the first coffee is served on Stradun, everything is clean and orderly.

Dubrovnik, September 2, 2024 — According to the latest data from the eVisitor system, the Dubrovnik-Neretva County has experienced a solid increase in tourism activity during August 2024. The region saw 426,489 tourist arrivals and 2,096,505 overnight stays, marking a 3% rise in arrivals compared to August 2023, with nearly the same number of overnight stays as last year.

Guests from the United Kingdom, Croatia, Poland, Germany, and Bosnia and Herzegovina were among the top contributors to the record-breaking number of overnight stays. The most popular accommodation types were private accommodations, which accounted for 1,039,507 nights (50% of the total), followed by hotels with 610,240 nights (29% of the total).

Nautical tourism also showed impressive growth, with 9,137 arrivals, representing a 17% increase from the previous August. Additionally, there were 61,934 overnight stays in the nautical sector, a 3% rise compared to last year.

Year-to-date statistics reveal a strong overall performance, with 1,650,078 arrivals and 6,852,052 overnight stays recorded from the beginning of the year through the end of August. This reflects a 7% increase in arrivals and a 6% increase in overnight stays compared to the same period in 2023.

Currently, approximately 45,000 tourists are enjoying their stay in Dubrovnik-Neretva County, highlighting the region’s ongoing appeal and robust tourism sector.

During the past weekend, from August 30 to September 1, traffic on all motorways managed by Croatian Motorways totalled 922,871 vehicles, with a toll revenue of €6.76 million excluding VAT. This represents a ten percent increase in vehicle traffic compared to the same weekend last year and a 21 percent increase in toll revenue, reports Poslovni dnevnik.

In comparison, during the same weekend last year, traffic was recorded at 839,410 vehicles and toll revenue amounted to €5.59 million excluding VAT. Vehicle traffic increased by ten percent, while toll revenue rose by 21 percent compared to the same weekend the previous year.

Since the beginning of this year, traffic on the sections of motorways managed by HAC has reached 53,261,255 vehicles. The increase in traffic compared to the same period last year is nine percent, according to HAC.

The new director of the Dubrovnik Museums is Doctor of Science Marija Šiša-Vivek, a graduate archaeologist. She was appointed on the proposal of the Governing Council by the Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, for a term of four years, from September 1, 2024, to September 1, 2028.

Marija Šiša-Vivek was born in 1970 in Dubrovnik. In 1988, she enrolled in the Teacher’s Academy, and in 1989, she began a single-subject study in archaeology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, where she graduated in 2003. She earned her academic degree as a Doctor of Science in 2012 in the Postgraduate Doctoral Study of Archaeology (specializing in Medieval Archaeology) at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb.

From January 10 to December 31, 2005, she was employed as a conservator trainee at the Ministry of Culture, Conservation Department in Varaždin, and from January 2006 to September 2016, she worked at the Department of Archaeology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb as a research assistant and senior assistant. She was promoted to the position of Research Associate in September 2013. She has participated in several scientific research projects and numerous archaeological excavations. She is the author and co-author of several professional and scientific papers.

From March to December 2017, she was employed as a curator at the Museums and Galleries of Konavle, and from December 2021 to August 2024, she was a member of the Governing Council of the Dubrovnik Museums.

Congratulations to Dr. Marija Šiša-Vivek on her appointment, and thanks to Senior Curator Ana Kaznačić Skurić for her dedicated service as Acting Director of the Dubrovnik Museums.