Kroatië als wijnland op de kaart gezet

Tijdens het Wereldkampioenschap ‘Decanter World Wine Awards 2009' sleepten 8 Kroatische wijnen gouden medailles in de wacht. Maarliefst 10.285 wijnen hebben deelgenomen aan deze competitie, een verdubbeling ten opzichte van de eerste World Wine Awards in 2004. Dit succes heeft Kroatië en haar wijnboeren definitief op de ‘wijnkaart' gezet.

Ook werden er nog eens 5 zilveren en 11 bronzen medailles toegekend aan overige Kroatische wijnen. De jury van de meest invloedrijke wijncompetitie was vol lof over de kwaliteit van de wijnen. De zoete witte wijnen waren absolute favorieten. De grijze Pinot, Bodren Pinot Sivi, bekroond met een gouden medaille werd zelfs vergeleken met Sauternes, één van de beste dessertwijnen wereldwijd.

Europe´s first rotating hotel to be built on Solta Island

Richard Hywel Evans from Studio RHE, a specialist in holiday-resort design, has a project for Europe's first rotating hotel on the central Adriatic island of Solta.

Split businessman Vicenco Blagaic will build the hotel, which will be a three-storey building 61 metres in diameter on a turntable rotating 1.3 times per day. The building will be entered from below on its lower ground level, which will not rotate.

The complex will include a marina with 170 berths, a yacht club, guest pavilions, villas, and a stage for various kinds of performances.

Blagaic told the daily Jutarnji list that it was a project they had been working on for five years and were in the phase of getting necessary licences and looking for a potential partner.

Blagaic claimed investors were already interested in the project and construction might start next year. He estimated its cost would be 90 million Euros.

Split to host Powerboat P1 race next April

Croatian Times
A Powerboat P1 World Championship race will be held from 15 to 19 April 2010 in Split.

The world powerboat race’s opening round called the "Croatian Grand Prix of the Sea" will be held during the 12th Croatia Boat Show in Split.

Powerboat P1 Chairman and CEO Asif Rangoonwala signed an agreement on cooperation with Split show organizers yesterday (Tues) in Split.

Rangoonwala said: "We believe Split is a great place for us, for it is a city with a rich sporting tradition. We connect tourism and sport, we create fun, and we will bring you money and tourists. You can be assured of that."

Split will be the first host of a Powerboat P1 race next year, followed by Ukraine, Turkey, Portugal, Sweden and Italy.

The Championship winner will receive 50,000 Euros.

Croatia only one more year 'up-coming'

Zagreb, september 2009 -

Last Friday Croatia came to an agreement, after a longstanding maritime border dispute with neighboring Slovenia. With the dispute, that largely stalled entry negotiations into the European Union, out of the way, Croatia could enter the EU already in the second half of 2010, according to statements made by European Commission and Croatian officials.


Accession is subject to conditions set for Croatia by the EU, such as reforming its dockyards, improving its judiciaryand cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Croatian Chief Negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak said in an interview that the final stage has been entered: “With the agreement of last Friday we can envisage completing negotiations in less than a year”.


Nick van den Bichelaer of real estate company Middelland Croatia in Split, is both happy and concerned. “Many EU companies and banks are ready to kick-off their investments in Croatia, awaiting the date of official accession. We expect that land- and real estate prices, today still highly under pressure due to the financial crisis, will explode after that date. Our clients have only one half year to benefit from the current situation.


Most Croats regard the juridical- and economical reforms that come with EU entry equally important as accession it self. “They give hope and and are very necessary for Croatia”.