January 9, 2021 – From this year, full-time Osijek and Baranja students can get free train travel any time throughout their own county and for travel to educational centres anywhere in Croatia, in a new deal struck by the county and the national train operator

Once a sea bed, the vast flatlands of Slavonia are perfect for farming. At one time, this area was the breadbasket for much of Yugoslavia. It really wasn't so long ago that many folks left dry and dusty Dalmatia in search of employment and new lives on this fertile ground. Now, it's the other way round - Slavonian youth travel to the coast each summer in search of seasonal work. Others move to Ireland, Germany, Austria. Slavonia is losing many skilled younger people at an alarming rate. Increased mechanisation has reduced the need for labour in the area's agriculture. And, besides, most Slavonian youths are these days educated to a degree where their ambitions are greater than joining local agricultural endeavours.

In an area with limited possibilities, limited opportunities, education lies at the heart of survival in Slavonia. Local authorities know this and try to facilitate education as best they can. It is to that end that those in the Slavonian county of Osijek and Baranja have struck a deal with Croatia's national train operator to offer free train travel to all full-time Osijek and Baranja students.

Agreed upon at the end of last year, the scheme was implemented on 1 January 2021. Osijek and Baranja County has agreed to co-finance journeys for full-time Osijek and Baranja students who study not only within the county itself but across the whole of Croatia.

Osijek train station © Romulić & Stojčić

Monthly tickets for travel within the county already held a discount of up to 65 percent given to full-time students by the train operator, depending on the route. The County has now agreed to pay the remainder of the monthly ticket for all full-time Osijek and Baranja students. To meet the requirements of this deal, the departing and destination stations must both be in Osijek-Baranja County. The free monthly ticket allows an unlimited number of trips on the route, meaning that Osijek and Baranja students can also use the train for free on recreational journeys within the county.

The second deal sees the County co-finance 50% of journey costs for full-time Osijek and Baranja students who study elsewhere in Croatia, with the train operator HŽ agreeing to grant a discount to cover the other 50 %.

In order to obtain a free (monthly or individual) ticket, it is necessary to first obtain a certificate from their Administrative Department for the Economy. To get the certificate, Osijek and Baranja students must submit a copy of their identity card, a certificate of full-time study and two completed application forms (these can be found on the county's website www.obz.hr). Requests can be made in person or by mail (Osijek-Baranja County, Administrative Department for Economy, Županijska 4, Osijek or on the e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Free tickets can thereafter be bought by Osijek and Baranja students at the box office, prior to travel, or on the train itself, upon producing the relevant and needed documentation.

ZAGREB, October 25, 2020 - Local travel will stay at the top of the list for 55% of Croatian people, Vecernji List daily said on Sunday, citing a survey by the Booking.com platform according to which a destination's safety will be important to tourists in post-pandemic times.

Tourism was the pandemic's first victim, but COVID did not kill off the will to travel, according to the Booking.com platform's survey conducted on 20,000 people from 28 countries.

The restrictions have increased the will to get away, so 63% of the respondents said that in the future they would appreciate the freedom to travel even more..

Fifty-three percent of foreign travellers and 41% of our citizens think that travel will not be carefree and pleasant. Once the pandemic finishes, however, 41% of Croatian citizens will treat themselves to a trip, while 31% will go on a trip that they had to cancel because of coronavirus.

As many as 67% travellers from Croatia say that in the future they will pay more attention to the price, and nearly as many are planning to look for promotional offers and other ways to save on travel.

Local travel, which is currently in the forefront, will remain at the top of the list for 55% of the Croatian participants in the survey.

About 53% of them will avoid travel during peak season. Working outside the office, which has become widespread due to coronavirus, will result in long trips where work and holiday can be combined. Twenty-eight percent of travellers from Croatia have already thought about that, Vecernji List daily said.

In 2019, the Croatian Ministry of Tourism categorised ten new campsites with a total of 3,252 camping spaces in them, of which four new campsites are of 4 and 5 star categories, providing an additional, welcome boost for Croatian tourism.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 19th of January, 2020, during 2019, a total of 56 new hotels, camps and marinas were categorised across the Republic of Croatia. The largest number of new buildings, as many as 30 of them, were categorised as being of a high category, ie, boasting four and five stars.

The Ministry of Tourism, which categorises hospitality and tourist facilities from the groups: hotels, campsites and nautical tourism ports, also categorised 36 hotels, camps and marinas that increased their capacities and/or increased their categories, ie, their number of stars/anchors.

"The Government of the Republic of Croatia has recognised the importance that Croatian tourism holds for further advancement, demographic sustainability and increasing the standard of living in our local communities. That is why, since the beginning of our term of office, we've been placing emphasis on enhancing the quality of the tourist offer and extending activities throughout the year. In the past few years, we have achieved remarkable results in the form of tourist traffic, but more importantly, we're constantly increasing our tourism revenues and attracting more and more investments.

The opening of new hotels, camps and marinas in 2019, most of which are categorised with the highest quality standards of 4 and 5 stars, is proof that we've set up a quality framework for the sustainable development of Croatian tourism, which will give impetus to attracting visitors who have different interests and increasing consumption through most of the tourist year,'' said Croatian Tourism Minister Gary Cappelli.

In 2019, the Ministry of Tourism categorised 43 new hotels boasting 3,948 beds in total, while 26 hotels increased their capacities and/or categories. 26 new hotels were categorised as high-quality four and five star hotels.

Most of the new hotels are categorised in Split-Dalmatia County (13), Primorje-Gorski kotar County (6), the City of Zagreb (6) and Istria County (5). In continental counties, a total of 5 new hotels were categorised in 2019, which is excellent news for Croatian tourism spreading inland too, further away from the coast.

In 2019, the Ministry of Tourism also categorised 10 new campsites with a total of 3,252 camping spaces, of which four are 4 and 5 star category campsites. The largest number of new campsites was categorised in Zadar County (4 campsites with 485 spaces) and Istria County (2 campsites with 280 spaces), and 2 new campsites were opened in continental Croatia in 2019 (in Krapinske Toplice and in beautiful Vrhovine in Lika).

Last year, three new marinas were opened with a total of 774 berths, of which two marinas received the 5 anchors quality category. One new marina was categorised in Primorje-Gorski kotar County (Cres), in Dubrovnik-Neretva County (Dubrovnik) and Istria County (Medulin), while the marina in Rovinj, which boasts 192 berths, increased its quality standard to an impressive 5 anchors.

The positive trend of investing in Croatian tourism is expected to continue throughout 2020, especially due to the plan of passing two laws that will contribute to the improvement of the investment climate.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel page for much more on Croatian tourism.

You know the saying "life is a journey, not a destination"? Some people take that quite literally.

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July 10, 2013 - Loud and clear states Rough Guides: Bacvice in top 10 beaches in Croatia. Fantastic recognition for Split and its most iconic beach.

Some nice recognition for Split's most popular beach, as Bacvice is named in Croatia's top ten beaches by travel guide site Rough Guides. Here's what they had to say:

BAČVICE, SPLIT

For many of its inhabitants Split is not so much a city as a religion, centred around a collection of semi-mystic locations. Among the holiest of holies is undoubtedly Bačvice beach, a shallow bay of sand and shingle that has played an important role in the early childhood and teenage years of virtually anyone who has ever called the city home. Immensely popular as a family beach, it’s also a buzzing social hub, with a café-packed pleasure pavilion rising immediately to the east. Bačvice is also famous for being the spiritual home of picigin, a uniquely Dalmatian sport that involves a lot of acrobatic leaping around as players try to prevent a small ball from hitting the water.

© dronepicr 

Learn more about beaches in Croatia on our TC page.

For more about beaches in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

July 15, 2015 - Ever wondered what are the best beached in Pula? Here are top 10 beaches of Pula chosen by locals.