Hello, Istria! Break Time Rovinj Reopens June 1
You know that we’re creeping up to the start of summer when Break Time makes their mark. And on Saturday, June 1, the highly anticipated reopening of Croatia’s favorite nautical jewelry shop will officially mark the summer season in Rovinj.
After a long winter slumber, Break Time’s Rovinj shop is back and better than ever - and after a little rest and relaxation, they are more than ready to tackle another busy season with their faithful customers. From Saturday, June 1, Break Time is back in business with working hours from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
But in proper Break Time fashion, you know that’s not the only big news they have in store (literally).
Namely, in addition to Break Time’s fab selection of their best-selling nautical bracelets from the current collections (including the stainless steel anchors, boat and shackles), shoppers at the Rovinj location will be able to browse and buy a varied selection of their initial (2015/2016) collection of alloy anchor bracelets! Hello, Break Time’s first outlet shop!
Furthermore, you know Break Time couldn’t announce the start to the summer without a touch of something new. After introducing the all black Split by Break Time anchor bracelet in large (4cm) and medium (3cm) sizes, fans can now rock the mini (2cm) version, too!
They’ve even added a vibrant collection of new paracord colors as part of their Split collection, because who doesn’t love a pop of color? You can find Break Time's new arrivals here.
With so many exciting new things brewing at Break Time, shoppers in Rovinj are truly offered the best bracelets Croatia can offer.
If you’re visiting Istria this summer, be sure to add Break Time to your Rovinj itinerary. You can find Break Time at Via Arsenale 10 (on the corner with Zdenac 12) - and if those Rovinj alleyways are a bit too much, give Break Time Rovinj a call at +385-75-22-145, and they will guide you to nautical jewelry heaven.
Not in Rovinj and still want a piece of Break Time? Lucky for you, these nautical bracelets can be found in four other locations, including Zagreb, Split (Zadarska 1 and Trogirska 8 ) and Dubrovnik.
Break Time jewelry boasts over 300 models and color combinations, and they even offer custom engraving. Best yet, if you choose to engrave a marine animal (dolphin, sea turtle, shark, devil ray or whale) on your Break Time bracelet, the engraving price will be donated to the Blue World Institute, as part of Break Time's #SaveMarineLife campaign!
Break Time’s varied collections, from big anchor bracelets to rope necklaces and key rings, fit the mold of every human - regardless of gender, fashion sense (or lack of one), and status. And if you can’t make it into one of Break Time’s Croatian locations, don’t fret - their online shop is just one click away.
Break Time is a Croatian brand established in 2015 by Mirela Rus and Leonard Copoiu, two Romanian entrepreneurs that have chosen the sunny coastal city of Split as their home. Inspired by the Adriatic Sea, all the Break Time jewelry pieces are handmade by Leonard, and the use of high-quality materials, attention to detail and constant development of new collections are the ingredients that have made the brand so successful in less than four years.
To make sure you never miss a Break Time beat, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
To read more about Split, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Sea Star Festival Starting with Impressive Lineup in Rovinj this Weekend
Sea Star Festival in Stella Maris lagoon in Umag seems like a perfect invitation to kick start summer on a stunning location, with world-renowned artists and outstanding production. This is not the first time the festival will be held, and the first two editions have managed to charm the numerous audience, as well as the international and regional performers. Both the performers and the audience reported being impressed by the vibe at the festival, stunning Croatian coast, as well as the hospitality. The 2018 edition brought many improvements among which the new looks of Addiko Tesla Stage was certainly the most spectacular.
The Stella Maris lagoon complex in 2018 saw more than 80,000 visitors who witnessed numerous improvements to the festival, including the new look of the Addiko Tesla Stage - which has been described as spectacular (and will be returning again this year). It was the largest concert stage ever set in this part of Croatia, and it dominated the beautiful lagoon where the festival is taking place - on six stages total. Stella Maris lagoon is best known as a location where the Croatia Open ATP tennis tournament has been organized since 1990. The success of the 2018 edition resulted in the nomination for the Best Medium-Sized Festival (the best festival with up to 40,000 visitors) at the European Festival Awards!
In 2019, the Sea Star Festival will take place on May 24th and 25th, with a welcome party on the 23rd, and a closing party on the 26th. Those 4 days will be filled with an impressive performer lineup: the hip-hop phenomenon Wu-Tang Clan, one of techno’s “founding fathers”, Sven Väth, the absolute powerhouse of the electronic music scene of today Nina Kraviz! In addition to those superstars, the festival welcomes Ilario Alicante, Enrico Sangiuliano, talented local support such as Croatia’s techno mainstay Petar Dundov, and rising stars DJ Jock, Lawrence Klein and Unique. The festival also presents the second wave of stars – the rapidly rising star IAMDDB, Vojko V – the most sought-after hip-hop performer in the region, Krankšvester and a guest from Novi Sad - Fox.
Sea Star festival is part of unique EXIT festival family, comprised of the award-winning EXIT festival in Novi Sad, Serbia (one of the biggest festivals in Europe), as well three other festivals: Sea Dance in Buljarica, Montenegro, Revolution in Timisoara, Romania and Festival 84 at Olympic mountain Jahorina in Bosnia and Hercegovina.
SightRun App Enhanced by Three New Destinations - Rovinj, Omiš and Hvar
As Goran Rihelj writes for HRTurizam on May 19, 2019, if we want to extend the tourist season, then we have to rely on diverse, authentic and quality content and offers, which do not depend solely on the sun, sea or swimming.
This is only logical, because if we leave the sun and the sea as the primary motive for arrivals, what else remains?
Thus, we must ask the following questions: Why would someone come to Croatia when they cannot swim? What other content is there? What will work outside of the season? Why should tourists visit Croatia?
Most importantly, to inspire and motivate travelers, we have to think about new tourist products that can be offered to our guests; products that will be available throughout the year.
Running is just one of the active products Croatia can offer.
Namely, over 50 million people are regularly involved in running in the EU, and their annual consumption is estimated at 9.6 billion euros. Some see this as the potential for growth and development, while others may not, but one thing is for sure - running is just one of the rapidly growing trends, both in Europe and the world.
Thus, this specific segment was targeted by the team from SightRun, who points out that after cycling, running could become a new trademark of Croatia if it is done right.
Promoting running in Croatia seems like a logical and natural conclusion because of its potential. Croatia boasts different types of terrain across a small area, a long coastline and islands, numerous racing events and outdoor festivals, superb and authentic gastronomy, top accommodation, good traffic connections, and a mostly pleasant climate all year long on the Adriatic.
Thus, the SightRun mobile application for running tourists enters a new tourist season with new destinations and exciting tours. The SightRun application combines running and sightseeing for tourists and is intended for those who do not give up their running habit when they are on the road or vacation, especially when they have less time for sightseeing tours. By using the SighRun app, runners can discover a city and visit its many attractions.
After Zagreb, Šibenik, Split, Pula, Opatija, Munich and Graz, the SightRun applications this season is enhanced by three new destinations - Rovinj, Omiš, and Hvar.
The SightRun App includes audio running tours that give navigational instructions and interesting location information while running. All the user has to do is pick their desired pace on the app, get to the starting point, puts on their headset, and hit play. The app uses GPS and follows the runner’s movements. The SightRun application is entirely free for the user and is available on Google Play and the App Store.
SightRun is an excellent tourist story, but it is just the beginning of branding destinations as ‘Runner Friendly’.
To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
The Guardian: Croatian Lighthouse Among Best ''Off-Grid'' Places in Europe
One Croatian island has caught the attention of The Guardian, and if you're a lover of not only peace and quiet but total isolation and disconnection from the world, it should catch yours, too...
Croatia boasts plenty of truly incredible destinations from coast to continent. Dalmatia of course makes all the headlines and has done for years now, but as more and more tourists discover Croatia away from Dalmatia, venturing into Istria, the continental part of the country and even as far as the otherwise very overlooked Eastern part of Croatia, more specifically Slavonia, Croatia's amazing diversity as a country is becoming highlighted.
But what of the 1,000+ Croatian islands dotted along the rugged coastline? It's not as if they're never mentioned. In fact, as nautical tourism takes off more and more in Croatia, even the furthest-flung islands are being visited by those wanting to discover them for themselves. As the coast becomes busier with each and every passing summer season, many tourists are looking for something ''off the beaten path'' and secluded, their own private island, as it were.
While the former Agrokor boss Ivica Todorić had no problem having a Croatian island (Smokvica) all to himself and his family for many years, for the vast majority of us mere mortals, that's nothing but a pipe dream, a fantasy. We fantasise about having a slice of paradise all to ourselves so much amid our stressful and busy lives that we watch Tom Hanks in the classic Castaway film and feel envious, despite his isolation and having to cure his toothache with the aid of a rock, of course.
The popular British daily newspaper The Guardian, which has sung the praises of numerous Croatian destinations several times, has published an interesting list of fifteen of the best ''off-grid'' places to stay in Europe. From lakeside cabins in Finland and organic farms in Italy to timber houses in Bulgaria and bubbles in France (yes, bubbles), the list highlights some of the continent's best destinations for total isolation, peace and quiet, and a break from it all in the most authentic of senses.
Among the likes of Ireland, Portgual, Norway and France, Croatia's Sveti Ivan lighthouse near Rovinj has made the cut. Here's what The Guardian has to say:
''Sveti Ivan lighthouse stands on a tiny islet at the southernmost point of the Rovinj archipelago. There are two two-bedroom apartments in the lighthouse building, and fantastic sea views from the 23-metre tower. The lighthouse has a water tank and solar power, but no wifi. Two beaches with shallow water on opposite sides of the islet are best for swimming, plus there are rock slabs for sunbathing, and good spots for fishing, diving and dolphin-spotting. Provisions must be bought in Rovinj, which is 30-45 minutes away by boat, depending on the weather.''
Fancy paying it a visit yourself and well and truly disconnecting with the hustle and bustle of the modern world for a while on a quiet Croatian lighthouse island? We wouldn't blame you.
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle and travel pages for much more.
New ACI Marina Rovinj Opens with Quite a Party, Prime Minister Attends
The biggest investment in ACI history, the new ACI Marina Rovinj, which was built after a 150 million kuna investment and categorized with 5 anchors, was opened this Friday at a ceremony attended by the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and several other ministers from his cabinet.
The new ACI Marina in Rovinj is one of the biggest marinas in Croatia, located right next to the recently opened Grand Hotel Park, the most luxurious hotel in that part of the Adriatic Sea. The marina consists of two separate parts: one for the vessels in transit, and the other one for the vessels staying there throughout the year. It has 196 berths and can accommodate boats of an average length of 17 meters. It can accept boats up to 35 meters for a yearly stay, and much longer boats in transit.
Tourism Minister Gari Cappelli, Construction Minister and deputy Prime Minister Predrag Štromar and Sea, Traffic and Infrastructure Minister Oleg Butković were present for the opening as well. Plenković pointed out that this is one of the ways to show how important Istria is to the Croatian government, as it is one of the biggest tourist destinations in Croatia.
Minister Butković complimented the combination of ACI Marina Rovinj and Monte Mulini Zone, as an example of a well-thought-out strategy for co-operation between two separate, independent companies who understand that working together brings added value to the destination.
ACI Marina Rovinj now has 1400 square meters of commercial surface area, exclusive restaurants, bars, lounge bars and similar, general stores, shops by the world famous brands, representatives selling luxurious yachts, charter agencies, service center for the boats and a lot of other things the guests coming to a destination on their boats might need. There will be 100 parking spaces in the marina's garage and 50 more in the marina itself.
Hotel Adriatic is First Hotel in Croatia to Stop Using Disposable Plastic
All too often we hear about the dangerous levels of disposable plastic causing harm to the world's seas and oceans. With the EU and the EC finally taking a stronger stance against this wanton destruction of the environment by passing various laws on the use and disposal of plastic, as well as putting its foot down in regard to member states and their respective recycling policies, including Croatia, it seems we are (albeit slowly) finally getting somewhere.
Of course, Croatia is a lot slower than others, but some are making an excellent example of themselves through their own practices.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of April, 2019, the implementation of this initiative has actively involved the hotel's employees, suppliers, partners, as well as its guests and local residents who enjoy the hotel's numerous services on a daily basis.
Hotel Adriatic, which is part of the Maistra family, has decided to replace all disposable plastic items with alternatives, leading it to become the very first hotel in the Republic of Croatia to actively advocate for a cleaner working environment and a holiday without the use of disposable plastic waste, as was announced on Monday by this respected Rovinj hotel company.
"As the first hotel in Croatia with no disposable plastic, Hotel Adriatic aims to be the leader in innovation and sustainability and invites all of its employees to work responsibly in a way that will enable our guests to actively participate in this ecological action and a unique experience of the Adriatic sea," said Maistra's Tomislav Popović.
Last year, Hotel Adriatic started using substitute paper straws instead of the classic plastic ones, and by June this year, the hotel will cease using as much as eighty percent of disposable plastic products. By the end of the year, it aims to have completely removed it from use in all of its accommodation units, including its bars and restaurants.
By the end of 2019, Hotel Adriatic will only use biological cleansing agents and support cooperation with suppliers whose products are produced from natural, biological, ecologically acceptable and/or recycled materials.
Make sure to follow our dedicated lifestyle page for much more. If you're interested in how Croatia takes care of its beautiful environment, give Total Eco Croatia a follow, or see what initiatives, laws and movements there are in place in Croatia here.
Salma Hayek and Hollywood Co-stars Reveling in Rovinj (PHOTOS)
April 13, 2019 - As you may already know, “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” which is the sequel to the 2017 action comedy “The Hitman's Bodyguard,” began filming in Rovinj at the beginning of the month. The film, which is directed by Patrick Hughes, features Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, and Samuel L. Jackson to name a few. Set to debut in 2020, it is one of the largest film projects Croatia has seen, reported Jutarni List at the beginning of April.
“The filming in Croatia, which is planned for 49 days, will last until the end of May. In addition to Rovinj, locations in Zagreb, Rijeka and the surrounding area of Karlovac will be used for the film,” said the producer of the film, Igor A. Nola, from MP Film Productions.
Our locations, Nola adds, play Italy, the Mediterranean, as well as Croatia. More than 220 Croatian film professionals are part of the production, and more than 760 extras will be engaged.
As the Croatian Audiovisual Center (HAVC) points out, the project was reported as an incentives program to encourage investment in the production of audiovisual works, which was carried out by HAVC in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture.
The famous cast hasn’t been shy about sharing the beauty of Croatia on their Instagram pages. Notably, Hayek has managed to share a photo every day from the Rovinj film set to her 9.7 million followers.
Hayek called Rovinj a “magical location”, and was even seen grocery shopping on Friday. Namely, one of the scenes was filmed at a market located at the entrance to Rovinj’s old town center.
Some of the local products even caught the actor’s attention. You can see the photos on T.portal.
Hayek also shared a new friend she made in Croatia, which you can see below.
Samuel L. Jackson also couldn’t help but share the beauty of Rovinj with his 5 million Instagram followers.
“This new location looks promising! Croatia is lovely at first glance,” Jackson wrote.
The crew is excepted to visit Croatia’s capital on May 1.
"The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" should hit cinemas in the first half of 2020.
To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
ACI Achieves Massive Revenue, Biggest Investment in History Completed
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 10th of April, 2019, Croatia's ACI has published its revised annual financial statements for 2018. The company's revenue growth trend thankfully continued in 2018, its total revenue grew by seven percent when compared to 2017, amounting to 216 million kuna, while the company's operating income increased by eleven percent to 211 million kuna.
Revenues have been growing in almost all of ACI's marinas, and the company's profit also grew by 54 percent to a massive 38.4 million kuna, while its EBITDA increased by 22 percent to 93.9 million kuna.
The largest single investment project in ACI's history was also completed. In March, a new license was issued for the new ACI marina in Rovinj. This is a project that in which over 150 million kuna has been invested and can be briefly described in just four words: beauty, luxury, innovative solutions and security. The new marina's categorisation is now underway.
The new ACI marina has 1,400 m2 of commercial space available, and special attention has been paid to providing high level services on the premises, including catering facilities, restaurants and café-lounge bars, grocery stores, wellness centres, world-renowned brands, reputable sales offices for luxury yachts, charter agencies, a service centre for boats, etc.
The Rovinj ACI marina is equipped with the latest generation of WiFi systems, and luxury boats are provided with the most advanced video surveillance and access control system available. Particular care was taken to protect the surrounding environment and maintain the purity of the marine environment, construction materials and energy systems that provide maximum energy efficiency were used during construction, and all the benefits of LED lighting technology and lighting management were properly and readily applied. The official opening of the marina will be at the end of April this year.
The modernisation of the business that ACI has been intensively pursuing over the last few years is primarily focused on raising the quality of its services, attracting new clients and exploring the market potential of the Adriatic region as a whole.
Back in 2018, the company first published its own ACI No1 magazine, both in print and in digital format. It is a magazine which combines an ACI marina catalog, information for boaters, exclusive reportages and lifestyle themes, and a 2019 issue is just been made available.
ACI also achieves excellent results in the area of digital business with its own reservation system. From last season, boaters have also had ACI's mobile application that provides easy and quick access to information and booking links available to them. For the third year in a row, ACI has also been using a digital sailing system with the help of special applications and devices used by sailors.
Given ACI's steady growth, 2018 was also marked by market research and a look into the development potential of the company, following which, a decision was made to embark on the development of new products and services, which will contribute to the diversification of the company's business.
Business cooperation includes the purchase of six ClubSwan36 sailing boats, and a range of marketing activities aimed at creating a recognisable image, regatta organisation, promotion and the creation of a tourism product aimed at raising the quality of ACI's services and the overall image of the Republic of Croatia as the world's leading nautical destination.
Make sure to follow our business, lifestyle and travel pages for much more.
"The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard" Filming Started in Rovinj
The Hitman's' Bodyguard, a movie released in 2017 starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson was a sleeper hit, making well over a hundred million dollars worldwide, despite mixed reviews. And, as we know is the case in today's Hollywood, any movie even remotely resembling a hit will get a sequel sooner or later. So, here comes The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard!
The key figures in the production of the sequel are more or less the same: two of the biggest stars are here, so is Salma Hayek (probably with the even bigger role in the sequel, based solely on the title of the movie) and directing again is a talented young director Patrick Hughes. After several complications and delays, the filming of the sequel finally started last week, and the reason we're reporting on that is that one of the locations where the scenes of the movie will be shot is the Istrian town of Rovinj!
Rovinj will, reportedly, double for a town in Italy. Some scenes will be shot in Italy as well, in Bulgaria, the UK and in early May the production is supposed to move to Rijeka and Zagreb, as some scenes will also be shot in those towns! So far there have not been any reports of the stars' sightings in Rovinj, where they are supposed to arrive this weekend. Jutarnji list reports that they have arrived on Saturday afternoon, but they've not yet been seen. They are expected to be staying in Hotel Lone or Grand Park Hotel Rovinj, the newest and the most luxurious hotel in the town.
Croatia is still, obviously, doing some good work that is continually bringing several big TV or movie productions to get filmed here. One of the first big shows to be filmed in Croatia in recent years was the Game of Thrones, whose final season is just about to be premiered, and even after that production has wrapped-up, we still see big stars filming in Croatia! The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard is just the latest in the long list.
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj Ready for Guests
Adris Group announced on Sunday that the successful construction of the Grand Park Hotel had completed its 1.5 billion kuna investment cycle in the Monte Mulini area. The Rovinj company has raised the quality of the tourist offer of the town that has been on the list of the most successful tourist destinations in Croatia for years. Grand Park was the most significant investment in tourism in 2018; the investment reached 700 million kuna, reports Večernji List on April 1, 2019.
“We believed in this project, in the strength of our company, in the knowledge and diligence of our employees, but also in the potentials and comparative advantages of our country. We were not discouraged by an unfavourable socioeconomic situation, anti-entrepreneurial mentality, bureaucratic-administrative neglect. We do not allow mediocrity. We follow the principles of business excellence, and we will persevere in this,” said Ante Vlahović, CEO of Adris Group.
Adris has invested 5.5 billion kuna in the tourism part of its business, the Maistra company, and it will invest an additional 2.3 billion kuna during the next investment period. They recently bought HUP Zagreb, the leader in the hotel industry in Zagreb, and they own hotels in Dubrovnik. Interestingly, in its statement, Adris announced future investments in Split, where they have been preparing for a long time to take over Marjan Hotel.
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj has five stars and six floors, and it can accommodate up to 500 guests. The architectural design was developed by 3LHD, a studio that designed hotels Lone, Adriatic and Mulini Beach. Along with architects and designers, all contractors were also from Croatia. The Bruketa & Žinić & Grey agency developed the visual identity.
The hotel has six restaurants and will offer the largest selection of sparkling wines in Croatia, as well as a rich selection of local delicacies. The hotel also includes the largest wellness centre in Istria, extending to 3,800 square metres of indoor and outdoor space on two floors, including the three outdoor pools at the hotel roof.
The new hotel has created nearly 300 new jobs. Given the highly personalised offer at the highest level, all employees spent months in intensive training, in co-operation with the Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, one of the best hotel management schools in the world.
Grand Park Hotel Rovinj will receive its first guests very soon, and the room rate will be 4,700 kuna at peak tourist season, which is almost double the price of accommodation at Hotel Lone.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Marina Šunjerga).
More news on Rovinj can be found in the Travel section.
