Press release - Croatian National Tourist Office

Destination Updates

Unplug yourself in Croatia
If your BB keeps bleeping and you’ve started to think in 140 characters or less, perhaps it’s time for a no-communication vacation. Croatia’s beautifully wild mountains and isolated islands offer the perfect antidote to our 21st century social-media malaise; no signal, no stress. With remote islands facing nothing but the open sea or mountain areas such as Risnjak National Park or Velebit, it’s easy to find a signal-free haven and make yourself unavailable.
For more information on places not to take your phone, contact us teamcroatiarooster [dot] co [dot] uk (here).

Veliki Tabor castle reopens to visitors
Following a four-year, £5½ million restoration project, the Renaissance castle of Veliki Tabor has reopened to the public. Perched on a picturesque hill in Desinić, the fairytale castle is one of the Zagorje region’s most significant cultural monuments. Today, Veliki Tabor is an exciting, must-see tourist destination with a variety of organised events taking place throughout the year.
For more information click here.

Zagreb’s first healthy fast-food restaurant
Zagreb has opened its first healthy fast-food restaurant, under the guidance of top Croatian chef, Branko Ognjenović. Green Point uses fresh, seasonal ingredients to create tasty, vegetarian cuisine such as soy burgers and hemp steak.
For more information click here.

Accolades & Awards

Croatian cheese among best in the world
Žigljen, a hard and slightly spicy cheese from the famous Gligora Dairy, has been named one of the 50 best cheeses in the world at the 2011 World Cheese Awards. The Oscars of the cheese world, this year’s competition saw over 2,500 cheese producers from more than 30 countries compete. The Gligora Dairy was also awarded gold and bronze medals for its Pag cheese, a sharp and salty cheese produced on the island of Pag.
For more information click here

Croatian olive oil better than Greek
This year’s edition of Flos Olei, the specialist guide to the world’s best extra virgin olive oils, includes 43 olive oil producers from Istria and four Dalmatian producers. The guide, edited by journalist and food critic Marco Orregia, is considered the bible of high-end olive oils. Only Tuscany has more quality olive oil producers than Istria, whilst Greece, one of the largest mainstream producers, only has four listed.
For more information click here.

Oz Clarke in praise of Istrian Malvazija
Wine connoisseur Oz Clarke has visited Croatia twice in the past two years and has been won over by the country’s wines. Writing in Decanter Magazine, Clarke praises Dalmatian and Istrian wines, singling out Malvazija as a particular favourite. The wine expert claims the zesty white is every bit as good as Italy’s Pinot Grigio or New Zealand’s Sauvignon.

Exhibitions & Events

2-3 February 2012 - Festival of St Blaise, Dubrovnik
The Festival of Saint Blaise, patron saint of Dubrovnik, is a thousand-year tradition that includes a festive procession through the city’s ancient streets as well as a series of concerts, exhibitions and theatre performances dedicated to the saint.

19 February - Rijeka Carnival
Rijeka’s carnival season is as colourful as any other, with concerts, exhibitions, shows and parties filling the streets for weeks. This year it culminates on 19 February, with the hugely popular carnival parade and the burning of the pust, or a satirical puppet.

24 February to 4 March 2012 – Zagreb Restaurant Week
Tjedan restorana in Croatian, this festival is actually a little longer than a week and is a great excuse to eat at some of Zagreb’s best restaurants; special menus at special prices will be available across the city.