• Welcome!
• How to get to Medulin and get around
• 5 things not to miss
• Where to stay?
• Where to eat?
• Top 5 day trips from Medulin
• 5 things you didn’t know about Medulin

Welcome!

A couple of decades ago, Medulin was a sleepy fishing village. In fact, it kind of still is during the winter months. Then the town turned to tourism, and by now became one of the most visited places in Croatia! In Istria, only Poreč and Rovinj attract more visitors yearly. Unlike those two, however, Medulin doesn’t have a rich cultural heritage and is known primarily as a resort place. This is the place to be if you want a simple, undemanding holiday. However, if you want more than that, you will find plenty to entertain yourself with.

How to get to Medulin and get around

Plane

Medulin is very easily accessible from Pula’s airport. It is only 15 minutes away from it by road, and getting a taxi from the airport is an option. Make sure to get licensed taxis, such as Cammeo or Bolt / Uber, as local taxi drivers are notorious for being prone to scamming gullible tourists. There is also a shuttle bus service, which will take you to Pula’s bus station. More info on how to get to Medulin from there follows.

Other flying options are Rijeka or Trieste’s airports. Keep in mind that it will take at least 2 hours of additional travel by road from either to Medulin. If you fly to Trieste, you will also need to pass two international borders.

Road

Medulin sits close to the southern end of Istria’s “Y” motorway. Once you exit it at the toll booths, just keep going straight along road 5119. Then, make a left turn on the roundabout on Medulinska street.

Looking for a fast, reliable and trouble-free transfer to or from Medulin? Contact TC transfer partner Adriatic Transfers for your one-stop solution.

Medulin is not served by intercity bus lines, so you will have to travel to Pula if coming by bus. There are good local bus connections from Pula, and the line’s starting point is, handily, Pula’s bus station. For info on the timetable, check the local public transport operator’s webpage.

Boat

If coming with boat or yacht, you can dock it at Medulin’s marina. Another marina is located in the nearby village of Pomer.

When in Medulin, it helps to have a car or a bike. Some of the places most worth a visit are not so easily accessible by foot. The town itself is a small place and easy to get around. There is also a tourist train connecting the two local campsites, and passing along the town’s hotels as well.

5 things not to miss in Medulin

The beaches

Perhaps the best thing about Medulin is the variety of landscapes it offers. Its most popular beach is Bijeca, located right next to the central part of the town. Bijeca beach is famous for being one of the few sand beaches in Istria.

Only a couple of hundred meters away from Bijeca, in Arena campsite, the beaches are much more like Dalmatian ones. You can enjoy the pebbles, rocks, and pines towering over the sea there.

Marlera peninsula, a bit outside of the town, is another story altogether. Its green fields bordering rocky beaches make it look more like Ireland than anything in Croatia. This is a place to be if you prefer a bit of solitude – and swimming naked. One special treat is Levan islet, close to Marlera, accessible by boat taxi, boasting a sand beach and one of the most spectacular sunsets in Istria.

Yet the most stunning place around Medulin deserves its own entry – right below!

Kamenjak

The southernmost point of Istria is cape Kamenjak. Still somewhat of a secret, it’s a place with flora and fauna so rich it is a protected area. It is located just across the bay of Medulin. However, it’s a deep bay, so it will take some 15 minutes by car to get there. The entry point to Kamenjak is in the Premantura village. Please note that an entry fee applies for motor vehicles, and watch out on the bumpy roads! Biking or hiking is also a good idea. Kamenjak is worth visiting for its scenery alone, as it offers not only the best view of Medulin and its archipelago, but also of Kvarner bay, the vastness of Adriatic Sea, and, on fair days, even of Velebit mountain.

It is also a popular place for swimmers – if your thing is pebbles, rocks, and jumping off cliffs into crystal clear waters, this is a place to be. Just keep an eye on possible strong currents and never go swimming on windy days accompanied by big waves! Guided educational tours are also available – more info on the official web page. For refreshments, check out the charming Safari bar, located almost at the very tip of the cape.

Archeological park Vižula

This peninsula, located a bit outside of the town centre and easily reachable by foot, would be a nice place for a walk on its own. The thing that makes it really special are the Roman ruins found there! Seems like Medulin used to be a tourist spot back in ancient times as well. The most important finding on the site is the luxurious Roman villa. It used to be a part of a bigger settlement – so far the biggest structure unearthed is a 30-meters long pier. The area has been turned into a park, which offers VR tours of the site. For more info, check the park’s website.

Outdoor activities

If you get bored with lazying on a beach, Medulin will have plenty to offer. Consider boat trips – a sea trip with a view of Medulin bay and the archipelago will make for a memorable experience. Medulin Excursions and Tajana & Zlatni Rat are the most renowned providers. Stand-up paddling is also a popular option. Check Metta Float SUP Tours, which offer programs such as SUP yoga and night-glow tour. The area around Medulin is also known for windsurfing – Tsunami Windsurfing can help with that. As much as Kamenjak is rich in flora and fauna, so is the underwater world around it, so you might want to try snorkeling – check out diving centre Shark for that.

Much like the rest of Istria, Medulin has many marked bike trails. A big thing in Medulin is horseback riding – check out Istria Star Ranch, Libora equestrian club, or Samy’s Ranch for that. The last one also offers activities such as quad safari and paintball. For more of that, go to Adrenalin Park Medulin.

Medulin even has a small airport so panoramic flights are also available.

EatIstria

Istria’s most renowned cooking classes and wine&food tours provider, run by the author of this article and his partner, is located close to Medulin. Wine tours happen around the peninsula, as Medulin itself is not a winemaking area.

The cooking classes we do in Scuola, our cooking studio located in an olive grove in the countryside outside of Medulin. We teach Istrian dishes, traditional and modern, from pasta, through fish, up to truffles. If you want to experience how locals eat and bring home some culinary knowledge, Scuola is a place to be.

Where to stay in Medulin

As the town’s economy relies mostly on tourism, plenty of apartments and private houses are readily available. There are also two big hotels, Park Plaza Belvedere and Arena Holiday. Both built during the socialist times, but have recently beennicely refurbished and modernized. Each has their own beach, and a nice view of Kamenjak. If you love camping, Medulin has two big campsites, Arena and Kažela. Arena is the smaller one and located on a peninsula right next to the town, inside another protected nature area, park-forest Kašteja. Kažela is located on the aforementioned Marlera peninsula and has a naturist part too. Both campsites offer mobile homes for rent.

Where to eat in Medulin

For a long time, there wasn’t much to recommend for dining in Medulin – and you still have to watch out for the tourist traps! This changed with the opening of restaurant Malin, surely the best place in town. It offers elaborate cuisine, preparing local ingredients with a modern touch, and has a nice view of the marina.

Other decent places are Salt & Pepper, Casa Nostra, pizzeria Kantun, and Financa in Arena campsite, easily on the best location in the town. Also worth checking out is Mižerija, located on the waterfront, which is a bar where the locals go in winter, but offers the simplest local food in tourist months.

If visiting Kamenjak, a good option is Ancora in Premantura. One of the most creative restaurants in Istria is also not far. You can get to Banjole in 10 minutes, and that’s where fish restaurant Batelina is. It’s run by Croatian star chef David Skoko, he of the Anthony Bourdain fame.

Top 3 day trips from Medulin

Brijuni

Istria’s only national park is among its main attractions. A seaside resort for the Austrian elite over a century ago, later the summer residence of Yugoslavia’s president-for-life, Tito, the islands are now open to all visitors. They are most famous for their parks, boasting rich flora and fauna, with about 600 autochthonous species, and some imported ones, such as deer, ostriches, or llamas, who wander around freely. There are also archaeological sites and Tito’s museum, with memorabilia from his famous guests, from Elizabeth Taylor to Jawaharlal Nehru. To visit it from Medulin, you will have to get to the town of Fažana, which will take some 30 minutes by car, and take a boat to Brijuni. Fažana is also reachable by public transport (see the cited Pula Promet for timetables).

Pula

Makes sense to visit Istria’s biggest city if staying in Medulin, given that it’s so close. Car ride will take some 15 minutes, and a bus ride is about half an hour. Once in Pula, do not miss its main attraction, the Arena, but make sure to check out other Roman ruins, scattered around the city. For a great view of the area, climb to Pula’s Kaštel, for an even better view, climb the abandoned Austro-Hungarian fortress on Musil peninsula outside the city. Also, check out the programmes in the Arena – Pula’s renowned film festival is held there, along with occasional big-name concerts and gladiator fights (staged, mind you!).

Labin

East Istria’s biggest town is 45-minute car ride away from Medulin, and is worth visiting not only for its art, architecture, walking trails, views, and food, but also for the ride. If you are not scared of rough roads and trails, you might wanna choose the road Ližnjan – Šišan – Valtura – Kavran – Krnica, as you’ll be in for some surprising views on Kvarner Bay, and places like Rakalj make for nice stops if you want to swim alone. A very special treat in that area is Blaz bay, with abandoned mills and creeks bursting from the hills and running straight into the sea, worth a visit on its own.

5 things you didn’t know about Medulin

Surfing

We did mention windsurfing, but there is more – a beach close to Medulin is one of the few places in Croatia where surfing is possible. True, California-style surfing! The most popular spot is located in Kažela campsite, facing south, where, in days of strong jugo, coastal Croatia’s southeastern wind, shallow waters provide for waves big enough to ride the board.

Old town’s ladonja

Ladonja is a tree species, found throughout the Mediterranean area, and very common in Istria, where it was once planted on the town or village squares, with its shade serving as a gathering point. The one found in the centre of Medulin’s old town (a very different place than the touristic coastline!) is considered one of the most beautiful trees not only in Croatia but also in Europe. In 2020, it was named the winner of the Croatian Tree of the Year competition, and ran for the title of European Tree of the Year title, finishing in 10th place.

The Windmill

Easily the most recognizable symbol of Medulin is the old malin (local word for “mill”), a windmill located near the entrance to the Arena campsite. It was built in 1870s when an old tower was turned into a windmill, unique in Istria. In its prime, it served farmers from the area, outperforming even local steam mills. A long time closed, it was preserved; recently it underwent a renovation, and is now open to visitors.

Dinosaurs

Seems like Kamenjak could pride itself on rich fauna hundreds of millions of years ago already, as dinosaurs left their footprints on the cape, still visible today. One dinosaur trail is found on the cape itself, on the smaller cape Grakalovac, and can be easily visited if coming to Kamenjak. Yet one of the richest dinosaur trails in Europe is found on islet Fenoliga, next to Kamenjak’s coast, with over 150 footprints of various species of dinosaurs, providing valuable info on the size and behaviour of the dinos. Although located close to Kamenjak, Fenoliga is accessible by boat only – swimming there might be dangerous.

Paul Kupelwieser

Medulin could have been a very different place had one entrepreneur managed to realize his vision. Paul Kupelwieser was a Viennese industrialist (1843 – 1919) known in Croatia as the man who bought the unkempt Brijuni islands in 1894 and turned them into a resort place, pioneering Istrian tourism. In the process, he brought Robert Koch in to successfully eradicate malaria, then rampant on the islands, and also established the world’s first diesel boat line from Brijuni to Pula.

With Pula being Austria-Hungary’s main military harbour at the time, Kupelwieser wanted to build a merchant and passenger harbour too, and choose Medulin bay for its location. He bought the land around it, including Kašteja peninsula, where nowadays the Arena campsite is located and even planned a railway link to Medulin. The aforementioned military, however, wasn’t sympathetic to his ideas, so Kupelwieser proposed building an – oil refinery in Medulin. With that idea also (perhaps luckily!) refused, Kupelweiser finally decided to use his estate for – tourism, preceding Medulin’s tourist boom by more than half of a century. His legacy is the aforementioned park-forest Kašteja.

More information

Medulin Riviera tourist board website

To follow the latest news from Medulin, check out the dedicated TCN page.

The post Medulin in a Page: Dinosaurs, Relaxation, Amazing Views, Surfing appeared first on Total Croatia.

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For more info and to arrange a viewing, click here. 

The post Property of the Week: Want to Live in Bacvice? appeared first on Total Croatia.

Algebra LAB, as one of the oldest startup incubators in Croatia, has had an uninterrupted series of incubator generations since 2012, thanks to the systematic support available to them in the innovation ecosystem that combines higher education with entrepreneurship: 

“At Algebra LAB, we try to ensure that both sides profit symbiotically in development – our students from the fact that their incubator is located in the building where they study and listen to lectures every day, and that they can find themselves in the world of entrepreneurship in a short period of time, and our start-ups from the fact that some of their mentors and lecturers work in the higher education system, which means that they are constantly at the source of new knowledge and information. In such a collaborative system that combines cutting-edge innovation and science with entrepreneurship, we see the key to getting out of every crisis, of which there has been no shortage in the last ten years. Algebra LAB has spawned many successful entrepreneurial stories today – Farseer, Velebit AI, Sport React. We invite all those who are thinking about starting their own business and need support on the way to the realization of an innovative idea to join the new incubator generation for which the enrollment cycle starts at the end of the year,” said Maja Brkljačić, head of Algebra LAB.

Startup Report magazine was also presented at the event. “The appearance of unicorns, Infobip and Rimac, as well as big exits such as Nanobit and Gamepires, and now Photomath, encourage the growth of investors’ interest in Croatian startups, so last year a record number of startups received investments. However, due to the war in Ukraine and the hectic exit from the pandemic, investments are less than before, although the situation in Croatia is still very good. It was the second best year so far,” said Bernard Ivezić, editor of the magazine.

Four new venture capital funds are coming to the Croatian market. In the next five years, the amount of money that will be available for start-ups will be 10 times higher than it was in the past period – about 300 million euros. A lot of money also means big problems for funds that have to start competing for start-ups, which makes the entire ecosystem quite dynamic and competitive, especially in an environment of crisis and economic uncertainty.

The impact of the economic crisis and the crisis caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on the investment climate is not negligible, which was discussed at the panel discussion, along with Maja Brkljačić, by Matija Nakić, the founder of the Croatian fintech Farseer, which flourished in Algebra LAB, Miryana Joksović, co-founder of Arcion Labs and member of the ACAP Board, and veteran of the Croatian startup investment community Vedran Blagus, principal of the oldest Croatian VC fund, South Central Ventures. Representatives of the start-up scene had the opportunity to hear first-hand useful tips for surviving a turbulent social and economic environment, as well as the importance of leadership from experienced start-up founders:

„In a crisis, it is important to always lead by example, and this is what the leaders of every start-up should focus on. Investors expect this period to last 24 to 36 months. It is the most difficult for seed stage startups that are not in the portfolio, because for them the risks are the greatest, as well as the dependence on investors. This is precisely why good networking with potential investors is most important – my advice is not only to look at them, but also at their portfolio companies and the companies they are connected to, because building that network of acquaintances is the key to future success,” said Miryana Joksović from Arcion Labs and referred to the recent layoffs in the tech community: “Most of those who were previously employed in large companies can hardly adapt to the start-up culture, so the question is how to connect these talents to the start-up ecosystem because they are used to different work standards atypical for the dynamics of small entrepreneurs who are just starting to build their companies.

 The fact that every crisis, including this one, can be an opportunity was seen by Matija Nakić, the founder of Farseer, on her own example: “Our process of getting the investment was not dramatic and we managed quickly. Investments have slowed down if we look at the environment, while in the last two years there has been a lot of capital and there has been a significant jump in employment and funding in IT companies. I love crises and I think they are a good opportunity to rethink yourself and your business model. People who left large IT companies like Google will surely find a job quickly because they have excellent knowledge and will return to the ecosystem and bring this new knowledge to young companies. I believe that we have an interesting couple of years ahead of us, especially with the growing influence of AI.”

“In 2021 and 2022, capital was cheap not only for start-ups but also for funds. In the last quarter of 2022, there was a significant drop in investment. There is money, the investments have been shaken, but they have not stopped” – emphasized Vedran Blagus from South Central Ventures.

Despite the data on the reduced investment wave as a result of global economic events, the panelists agreed that the challenging period facing the domestic and global start-up scene is only a prelude to the continuation of the prosperous period. Namely, start-ups now face new challenges in the form of investments in research and development, as the basis of new innovations that can help overcome the crisis:

“As far as the activities and interests of start-ups are concerned – there has been no reduction, in fact there are more of them than ever before. There is a large number of applicants and those interested in our Lab, and the so-called scene or material fatigue does not exist, according to what we see – and that is the reaction to the events and the applications themselves, you can see the liveliness of the scene. In Croatia, there are more and more investment funds that heal the wound of the lack of early capital, such as Fil Rouge Capital and South Central Ventures, which enable start-ups not to think about money, but about their product or service they are developing. I see no reason for concern for the Croatian start-up scene, except for the caution required when hiring new people – especially when changing culture and moving to scale-up” – said Maja Brkljačić, head of Algebra LAB, adding that the number of 500-600 of startups from the beginning of last year, according to some estimates, rose to as many as 900 as estimated at the end of 2022, thus signaling that the start-up scene is growing despite unfavorable circumstances.

At the event, two start-ups from Algebra’s LAB (EcoWashers and TablePop) presented their innovative ideas to the public through five-minute pitches. EcoWashers allows the user to order a vehicle wash on a smartphone in a few steps, and through the dry ecological washing system, it uses a unique nano-technology that is safe for the environment and a minimum amount of water. TablePop is a platform that allows guests to order and pay contactless in restaurants by simply scanning a QR code. In addition to them, the start-up IoTaaP presented its innovations and experienced member of the start-up and technology community Ivo Spigel presented his new fintech project Pontyx to the attendees.

Algebra Spark Event Space and Algebra Spark Coworking, an innovative and unique space in the western part of the city, was introduced to the audience by Hrvoje Josip Balen, a member of the Board: “Unlike other similar co-working spaces, Algebra’s rooms are specially designed and focused on business development and the creation of an entrepreneurial microclimate suitable for serious companies that focus on business growth. Algebra’s innovative space enables companies to organize larger or smaller business events, lectures, workshops, as well as a number of other private or commercial events with all the necessary infrastructure. Interested companies and individuals can also rent additional space of over 12,000 m2 within Algebra Rent Space, which includes top equipment and technology with the aim of achieving the maximum level of functionality – through the synergy of office spaces with Algebra LAB, as a scientific research center intended for small and start-up companies.”

Algebra’s Spark Coworking Space is also used by Matija Matija, a young start-up who designed the Lanke website, which shows all available new real estate projects in one place. Matija reflected on his stay in Algebra’s offices: “I was most impressed by the location, which suits me because I myself am in the western part of the city, and on the other hand, the quality and equipment of the office, which contains everything I need in one place. Last, but not least – I appreciate the peace that the office space offers, which I need to focus on work, which I’m not sure I would find in other similar coworking spaces in Zagreb.”

Due to their focus on innovation in business, start-ups are one of the segments of the economy that will significantly influence the future development of the entire society, and their role is not only in their own progress, but also have the potential to significantly accelerate the growth of other economic branches. Today, start-ups are not limited only to the IT sector, but also appear in agriculture, hospitality industry, and banking, where they help accelerate the growth of entire ecosystems, and their incidence in Croatia is growing year by year, which, in addition to private investors, is mostly contributed by incubators such as Algebra LAB -a, who provide them with support in the early stages and beginnings of business ideas.

For more, check out our news section.

The post Despite the crisis, Croatian start-ups are recording constant growth with the support of investors and Algebra’s incubator appeared first on Total Croatia.

Whether the same thing will happen with apartments for rent was analysed for HRT by the First Deputy Mayor of Zagreb Luka Korlaet, real estate agent Sanjin Rastovac and investment analyst Filip Vucagic.

Rastovac said that according to statistics, the average price of apartments in Zagreb per square metre now stands at around 2,700 euros, but in reality it is difficult to find an apartment below 3,000 euros per square metre.

“If we’re talking about apartments spanning 40-50 square metres, then they’re often over 4,000 euros. The last example, we asked for 114,000 euros for a 30-square-metre apartment, and there were about 20 inquiries within just a few days,” he pointed out, emphasising that the demand is currently much greater than the supply. Here in Zagreb, as he says, there aren’t enough quality properties to meet the current high demand.

He pointed out that new builds are much more in demand than older apartments are, primarily because of the earthquake being fresh in peoples’ minds. “The price of new build is currently sky high due to inflation, and then older buildings follow, taking advantage of the opportunity,” he said.

When asked what the City of Zagreb is doing in this regard, Korlaet replied that Zagreb has about 6,500 apartments in its portfolio, almost all of which are occupied. “We have lists for public rent and lists for social rent. We want to bring some order to that renting process, we want to increase how many apartments are for rent and we don’t want to sell them, we want to increase our portfolio,” he explained, adding that in this sense, the plan is to expand the Zagreb rental market by building a large new build in Podbrezje with 288 apartments for rent.

As he says, all of the documentation for such a construction is there, but 320 million kuna is missing. He emphasised that they have come a long way in discussions with development banks in terms of financing and are on the threshold of being granted a favourable loan with an accompanying relatively low interest rate.

Vucagic stated that he believes that the rate of growth of property prices will slow down and stabilise. “As for APN, I don’t think it was the right tool to help people buy property,” he stated, adding that alterations to property tax could be what helps pull more properties into circulation.

Korlaet followed up and said that the intention with APN was good in theory, but that the reality doesn’t quite match up when it comes to the Zagreb rental market.

“The measures are being taken on the wrong side. We need more supply, not more demand. All subsidies affect demand and thereby increase prices,” said Rastovac, adding that people invest in property as a form of safe savings. As for the most sought-after districts for buying real estate in the City of Zagreb, there’s Tresnjevka, Maksimir, Jarun, Vrbani and Sredisce, said Rastovac.

For more, check out our news section.

The post Zagreb Rental Market Expanding as Huge Building Construction Planned appeared first on Total Croatia.

However, there are more and more warnings that we have to change the trends within the Croatian tourism sector. Overcrowding is an issue nobody enjoys and which is increasing, the real estate business is booming, and the prices of both accommodation and services are rising. And it won’t stop there…

Winter is coming to an end and this country’s most faithful guests of all, the Germans and Austrians, are busy warming up after the cold. Owing to that, gorgeous little Opatija, a favourite of both the Germans and the Austrians, is never empty.

“We’re happy that in just the first two months of this year we achieved even 40 percent more overnight stays than we did back during the record year of pre-pandemic 2019. But that’s a trend where, for a decade or so now, we’ve been see an increase in the number of arrivals outside of the main summer season from year to year,” stated Irena Persic Zivadinov, the director of the Kvarner Tourist Board.

Kvarner’s many hotels have prepared various arrangements and packages aimed at attracting guests for the Croatian 2023 tourist season, but they’re now more expensive, writes N1.

“Considering the input costs, of course the situation is very uncertain for the entire market. We’re really trying to be flexible here, but we’re also working in accordance with the rate of inflation on the entire price policy. In accordance with the rate of inflation, there will probably be an increase in prices, but again, we’re doing our best to be fair,” Ivan Sarajlic, the spokesman of a hotel group, stated.

Impressions from the largest tourist exchange which was recently held in the German capital city of Berlin are still settling in. The Germans traditionally love Croatia and have been among the country’s most faithful and most frequent visitors of all for many years, but even they are raising their eyebrows at some of the prices nowadays.

“Now some other countries in Croatia’s immediate neighbourhood are already seriously competing with us, such as Montenegro, which is fighting for Western tourists after losing Russian and Ukrainian tourists, and there is also Albania with its beautiful coast, which is very competitive both in terms of quality and values. The Germans are saying Croatia has become too expensive,” warned tourist consultant Nedo Pinezic.

Both expensive and overcrowded, warned Istria County’s prefect, as the Croatian 2023 tourist season rapidly approaches.

“I think that, when we talk about quantity, we’ve reached that certain maximum. Istria has 468,000 registered beds. If 200,000 of us live there and take into account the number of unregistered facilities among that, the question is to what number we can go? Has Istria exceeded its limit in this sense? I think it has,” said Boris Miletic.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated news section.

The post With Prices Rising, Do We Need to Worry About Croatian 2023 Tourist Season? appeared first on Total Croatia.

The work of building the bridge is being managed by Burbury Consulting, and it is the largest infrastructural transport project in the entire history of Tasmania.

It’s interesting to note, as they pointed out from PlanRadar itself, that the Peljesac bridge project right here in Croatia was one of their main references for getting this job in distant Australia. Domagoj Dolinsek, the founder of the Croatian-Austrian startup PlanRadar, explained that this is their biggest project in Australia so far, and also one of the biggest in the world.

A strategic step forward

“We’ve been present in Australia for a year, and with last year’s investment in our company of 69 million US dollars, a stronger exit from the European market to the global market, primarily North America, the Middle East and Australia, was made possible,” explained Dolinsek.

The new Bridgewater Bridge project will use PlanRadar to manage all of its various inspections, quality assessments, task management, construction documentation, site audits and other key aspects of construction project management. PlanRadar pointed out that they are a leading player in this particular industry with over 120,000 clients in their global base using their property and construction project management software platform, and this is their first infrastructure mega-project in Australia.

“PlanRadar has previously been used in similar infrastructure projects across Europe, notably in the case of Peljesac Bridge, one of Europe’s largest construction projects, along with its surrounding network of roads and tunnels. The Peljesac Bridge project is still one of the largest mega infrastructure projects in southern Croatia, with a total value of 550 million euros,” they stated.

Bart Crowther, the Croatian-Austrian startup PlanRadar’s regional manager for Australia emphasised the importance of this project for their future presence in that part of the world. “The opportunity to work on any infrastructure project of this scale is truly extraordinary, and the positive impact on the Tasmanian community, both for the 22,000 daily users of the future bridge and for the improvement of freight and logistics routes on it, is extremely important to us. We’re looking forward to working with the Tasmanian Government and the Burbury Consulting teams and helping guide their day-to-day ongoing site inspection processes,” Crowther said. A Burbury Consulting representative said PlanRadar was chosen for this project because of its data-driven reporting capabilities.

“When it came time to choose our project inspection software, we unanimously chose PlanRadar because of their ease of use and incredibly detailed data-driven reporting capabilities that help us better manage timely reporting, inspections, audits and verifications,” it was stated.

Otherwise, this new Bridgewater Bridge will replace the existing 75-year-old cable-span bridge and will have a length of one kilometre in total. The main works on the bridge started last year, and it is estimated that it will be completed in 2024. The river crossing between Bridgewater and Granton in Tasmania has a long history and the first bridge was opened in 1848.

The existing Bridgewater Bridge was built back in 1946 and is the fourth bridge at this location, but the planning to replace this bridge began over 20 years ago, with many different designs and plans developed over that time, and the current project was completed and finally approved in 2018. The Croatian-Austrian startup PlanRadar, born from the idea of builder and founder Domagoj Dolinsek, enables the management of all construction documentation via mobile phones, tablets and computers, and is used in both the construction industry and on the real estate market.

By digitising the workflow, PlanRadar reduces the frequency of what could be costly and frustrating errors, saves time for all parties involved and enables huge efficiency gains: users report saving an average of seven working hours every week.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated business section.

The post Croatian-Austrian Startup PlanRadar Making History in Tasmania appeared first on Total Croatia.

Every other Zagreb property was paid for in cash, and every third buyer has been a foreign citizen. Their interest in Croatian real estate is the among the first reasons for the high prices we’ve seen of late, with inflation also affecting the situation.

Second come Croats living outside of Croatia who aren’t considered foreigners but domestic customers, third come the people who sold them that property and then again handle the cash and again that cash flows into Zagreb. Fourth are those people who have various sources of income, about which it’s better not to ask much,” said Sanjin Rastovac, a real estate agent for HRT.

Apartment prices across Zagreb have by risen by more than 15 percent in the last year. Residents of Germany, Austria and Slovenia buy the most Zagreb property of all, and these increased prices are also acceptable for them.

“Within Zagreb itself, finding a new build for three thousand euros has become a difficult task. The demand is still huge, but the supply is weak,” emphasised Rastovac. This is why there are more and more young people who, even with APN subsidies, cannot buy their first property. This new situation forced them to turn more and more to the outskirts of the city, where prices are now also rising steadily.

“Smaller towns dotted around Zagreb, for example Dugo Selo, Sesvete, Velika Gorica, and Zapresic, have now become very interesting for young families who can still manage to afford property in these areas,” said Jelena Kravoscanec Todorovic, a real estate agent.

In the City of Zagreb, they have a plan for so-called affordable housing where rent will be proportional to income, and quality apartments will be built and rented throughout the city. The first such apartment building will be built next year.

“It’s a new building, the fifth multi-apartment building in Podbrezje with 288 apartments that costs 320 million kuna, and we’re negotiating with development banks,” explained Luka Korlaet, Zagreb’s deputy mayor. This is exactly the model supported by the European Investment Bank at a recent meeting with the mayor, confirming that such a model is widely accepted across the rest of the European Union, where people across many member states are obviously struggling with the same problems.

For more, check out our news section.

The post Every 2nd Zagreb Property Purchased in Cash, Every 3rd by a Foreigner appeared first on Total Croatia.

As they confirmed for Hina from Varazdin County, seven conclusions were reached at the meeting, where the main topic was determining the working group’s plan and program of work.

Thus, to provide the premises of secondary schools in Varazdin County for the implementation of language improvement and training programs, it was also proposed to survey citizens and foreign workers to determine attitudes towards them and to see what can be done to encourage their integration into society.

The working group also proposes the creation of a joint database on the number of foreign workers, their nationality, and the places where they work, and that one of the conditions for their employment be learning the Croatian language.

It was also suggested that the banking sector consider the possibility of loans to foreign workers to buy real estate for family reunification and possible permanent immigration, confirmed Prefect Andelko Stricak.

It was also suggested that the media present the positive effects foreign workers bring to Croatia to create a positive image. It was concluded that there is a difference between workers from countries closer to Croatia, who adapt more easily to Croatian culture and customs, and workers from distant countries, whose adaptation is more complex.

Since the Ministry of the Interior is the holder of the proposal for the decision on the establishment of the Interdepartmental Working Group for the Drafting of a Draft Proposal for Documents on the Immigration Policy of the Republic of Croatia, which would also include the issue of integration of foreign workers into society, Varazdin County sent it a letter on February 15 with established conclusions and proposals of the working group.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated News section.

The post Varazdin County to Lend High School Facilities for Foreign Workers Training appeared first on Total Croatia.

As stated in the recent announcement on the Zagreb Stock Exchange, based on the settlement between Villa Dubrovnik and Europrojekt, the Commercial Court in Dubrovnik issued a verdict on Monday rejecting the plaintiff Europrojekt’s claim and cancelling all encumbrances on the aforementioned land.

Legal entanglements

This is the epilogue of the story about the attempt to sell the aforementioned land to the company Europrojekt, which has allegedly never paid the required amount since signing the purchase agreement with the hotel way back at the beginning of 2021, and just a week ago, it has been said that it sued Villa Dubrovnik because they ”didn’t want to return the deposit of one million euros”. With that settlement, Europrojekt gave up its claim for double the amount of the advance, and Villa Dubrovnik agreed to return the down payment, although until a few days ago they had claimed that there was no basis for the return.

It is currently non-operational land in the Sveti Jakov part of the city, spanning a total area of 6,675 square metres. The attempt to sell the land off, all with the aim of preserving the financial stability of the company, was launched in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and the sales contract with Europrojekt stipulated that the land be sold for 4.2 million euros plus VAT.

At that time, Villa Dubrovnik was still owned by the large Turkish Dogus Group, and in the summer of 2021, pressured by the consequences of the global public health crisis, it was sold off to a group of eight Croatian pension funds. With the aim of paying the full purchase price, on October the 6th, 2021, Villa Dubrovnik signed a long-term loan agreement and an agreement to secure a monetary claim (mortgage) on the property as a pledge debtor, and with this agreement, the hotel was to be paid the purchase price no later than the 15th of October 2021, and following the payment, the mortgage should have been established.

However, the payment never arrived. According to Villa Dubrovnik’s report on its business operations for the year 2021, it is stated that during that year, the Company and the Group recognised income in the amount of 7.4 million kuna based on the down payment for the sale of the land in the past.

It is un that report that they noted that, based on the contract, the buyer had the obligation to pay the difference in the purchase price by a certain deadline, and otherwise, they’d lose the down payment. However, since the customer breached the contract and failed to fulfill their obligation, the Group recognised revenue from the collection of damages in accordance with contractual law.

However, they relented. As Villa Dubrovnik pointed out in its recent press release, the court decision confirmed Villa Dubrovnik’s ownership of the aforementioned real estate, the previously paid down payment in the amount of one million euros was returned, and Villa Dubrovnik also achieved the desired structuring of the land parcels.

To speak more specifically, by exchanging and selling smaller parts of real estate with the owners of neighbouring properties, who are in partnership with the company Europrojekt, the required minimum area was reached, which will allow Villa Dubrovnik to develop its already planned project of the construction of luxury villas on all parcels under its ownership, which wasn’t the case before.

“The planned development of the project of luxury villas in Sveti Jakov is currently still in the initial phase, and we’re convinced that, with its synergistic potential, it could provide additional value to the overall tourist offer of the city. Of course, as a socially responsible company which akes into account the interest and opinion of the public, we’ll publicly present our ideas beforehand to all involved and interested stakeholders, and in cooperation with the city authorities responsible for spatial planning, we’ll ensure compliance with all of the relevant regulations that define construction in the area of Sveti Jakov,” said Mirna Loncar Strazicic, president of Villa Dubrovnik’s management.

For more, check out our news section.

The post Villa Dubrovnik Settles Land Dispute, Luxury Villas to go Ahead appeared first on Total Croatia.

Lovro Kuscevic’s former adviser is now the head of the Conflict of Interest Commission

Index reports that Aleksandra Jozic Ilekovic has become the new president of the Conflict of Interest Commission, and the previous chief, Natasa Novakovic is leaving that body. The above was decided via a secret vote of the Croatian Parliament.

Jozic Ilekovic received the votes of 78 deputies, her opponent Natasa Novakovic, the former president of the aforementioned commission, received 50 votes, while Nike Nodilo-Lakos and Ines Pavlacic failed to receive a single vote. Novakovic didn’t compete for the position of a member of the Commission, which is why she’s totally leaving that body.

Before joining the Commission, Jozic Ilekovic held a number of different positions, for eight years she was a member of the State Election Commission (SEC), adviser to the Minister of Justice, senior administrative inspector of the Ministry of Justice, and deputy head of the Government Office for Legislation. In addition to all of the above, Jozic Ilekovic spent two years as an adviser to no less than Lovro Kuscevic, Andrej Plenkovic’s former minister and political secretary of HDZ, who is (rather unsurprisingly) a multiple-time USKOK (Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime) suspect.

She allegedly showed leniency in cases involving members of the government

We mustn’t forget that Lovro Kuscevic was indicted at the end of the year before last, having been accused of a series of embezzlements regarding some land on Brac from the time when he was in charge of the Municipality of Nerezisca, and he was also accused of preventing evidence coming to light.

In her four years already spent with the Commission for Conflict of Interest, Jozic Ilekovic showed what has been described as ”exceptional leniency” in cases involving members of the current government.

This third convocation of the Commission will have weaker powers than the previous two, led by Dalija Oreskovic and Natasa Novakovic, and will also have a worse composition. Namely, Jozic Ilekovic is the only member of the current composition who is remaining within the Commission, while all the others have left that body.

Vinkovci’s local administration is trying to avoid saying whether or not it granted Minister Mario Banozic a permit for the construction of a house there

Defence Minister Mario Banozic (HDZ) is currently in the process of building a house in Vinkovci. Index toured the parcel and found in the land registers an allegedly clear statement that there’s no construction permit issued for it.

Andrea Topic reports that in order not to make a mistake and immediately conclude that Banozic is building his house there illegally, Index contacted the City of Vinkovci, more precisely the Administrative Department for Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection, which is the office that deals with issuing building permits. On Friday morning, Index sent an inquiry asking for information on whether construction is being done illegally on that lot.

But instead of providing a concrete answer like “yes, it’s being built illegally, we didn’t issue permits to the investor”, or writing “no, everything is being done according to the law”, the head of the office, Davor Mecanovic, decided – just five minutes before the end of his during working hours might we add – to copy and paste an excerpt from the Construction Act, send that, and then ignore any calls.

Here is the answer to the very specific question asked of the local authorities:

“Regarding your request about the issuing of a building permit and data on said building permit, we refer you to Articles 115 and 120 of the Construction Act” before going into further details specified by those articles, which I won’t go into now. They’re readily available for those who want to read them, and it seems a strange, around-the-houses (quite literally in this case) response to a very straightforward question.

It should also be added that an inquiry was also sent out to the State Inspectorate. Maybe the City of Vinkovic will reveal the secret of Banozic’s construction permit to them instead.

SDP wants Health Minister Vili Beros to step down from his position following recent scandals

SDP recently cited the tragic case of Lina Budak, a lawyer from Zagreb, who is claiming that she wasn’t told that she had cancer for seven months. They are calling for the dismissal of Minister Vili Beros, who has been silent for two months now about the Budak case.

“We’ve been saying for a long time now that the healthcare system is falling apart, all because of the incompetence of Minister Vili Beros. The latest case in which an unfortunate woman was diagnosed with a malignant disease long after the acceptable time limit in which she should have found out further confirms this.

Ministers of health in HDZ Governments systematically ignore serious problems, they shift responsibility to other bodies and ignore all of the warnings, both from healthcare workers themselves and their patients. How many more situations like that of Mr. Matijanic and Mrs. Budak are needed for Minister Beros to realise that his policy of inaction is irreversibly leading to the collapse the once powerful Croatian healthcare system?” asked SDP.

“Cancer treatment outcomes are catastrophically bad, patients end up entering the system too late…”

“Less than two weeks ago, we warned of all the difficulties related to the treatment of oncological diseases across Croatia: treatment outcomes are catastrophically bad, patients are put into the system too late, making their prognosis even worse, and the treatment is much more expensive.

The Republic of Croatia has all the necessary documents to improve its level of oncology care, but Minister Beros isn’t doing anything to improve it. Indeed, on the occasion of World Cancer Day, he said that he’s painfully aware of the problems being faced within the oncology care system. Unfortunately, being “painfully aware” is insufficient comfort for all cancer patients, as well as for the healthcare workers trying to treat them.

The Croatian healthcare system is financially completely destabilised, and that’s even without mentioning the lack of staff and continuous staff issues within a system in which an HDZ membership card is more important than expertise. Let’s remind you that during the first year of Vili Beros’ administration, public hospitals had a deficit of around 682 million kuna, and the total liabilities at the end of 2021 amounted to around 11.8 billion kuna. The mismanagement of the healthcare sector’s finances just keeps on being repeated every year, and it seems that this is the only concrete health policy they implement,” SDP writes.

“The time has come for Vili Beros to step down”

“The time for Minister Beros to step down came along time ago, and his media appearance recently only proves that he’s completely incompetent for this position. The damage that HDZ has done to the healthcare system is absolutely enormous and will be felt by an increasing number of people every single day.

Healthcare cannot be managed by the enthusiasm and altruism of hard working medical professionals who continually try to replace the organisational mess by running around and putting out fires. It’s perfecrtly clear who is responsible for the mess – Vili Beros and HDZ,” concluded SDP’s Health Council.

Croatian Parliament passes a new Law on Reconstruction, years after the Petrinja earthquake of December 2020

With a majority vote, the Croatian Parliament successfully passed the new Law on Reconstruction, which should simplify and speed up the reconstruction of the areas affected by the earthquakes (yes, those from back in 2020), with objections from part of the opposition to the reconstruction process carried out so far. 99 parliamentarians voted for the new Law, according to which the Reconstruction Fund and the Central State Office are attached to the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property, 15 were against, and 16 abstained from voting entirely.

HDZ’s amendment was accepted, which simplifies the procedure for removing destroyed buildings that have lost their mechanical resistance and stability to such an extent that their restoration is not possible, and reduces the number of participants required during the procedure for removing said destroyed buildings.

Before the vote on the Law on Reconstruction, part of the opposition repeated its objections to the previous renewal and to the Law itself. “Until now, there’s been no political will for the reconstruction to take place, it simply wasn’t Andrej Plenkovic’s political priority,” said Sandra Bencic. She believes that the new Law finally provides a normal framework for the reconstruction to be carried out if there’s political will to do so.

“Now there can be no more excuses, the only thing that can stop the reconstruction is the prime minister himself and you who hold the majority for him. If we see that the reconstruction isn’t going forward, you must all resign,” Bencic told the ruling party. “Four ministers, four laws, and you treat people as if they were mere potatoes,” said Anka Mrak Taritas, who also added that the new Law could be called a law of self-renewal or self-deception, or of mere temporary care.

Predrag Stromar (HNS) said that the Law is extremely necessary and will speed up all processes. “The funds at our disposal of one billion euros need to be spent urgently,” he pointed out.

Marija Selak Raspudic (Most/Bridge) told the authorities to stop renewing the law and actually start restoring people’s homes in the affected areas. Nikola Grmoja called on the opposition not to lend their hands to such a law again. “It’s bad enough that we’re treating the people of Banovina this way, but this government and the majority are simply not able to restore Banovina,” Grmoja said.

A new approach to reconstruction and a simpler procedure

With the new approach to reconstruction, people will be paid the entire amount needed for the renovation or construction of a replacement house before the works on it begin. The creation of an analysis of the current state of the necessary renovation, the obligation to create a removal project for family houses, the technical and financial control of the project, and the need to meet special conservation conditions for structural renovation of buildings within a cultural-historical unit have now all been abolished.

The model of replacement of ownership rights instead of renovation and construction of replacement houses has been introduced, and the circle of persons with the right to renovation has been expanded to include relatives, spouses, common-law partners and life partners. The Agency for Legal Traffic and Real Estate Brokerage has been given the authority to build multi-apartment buildings and acquire real estate for temporary accommodation

Those affected will be given financial assistance for the removal of all destroyed buildings, including auxiliary and commercial ones, as well as assistance for project development costs. A more efficient and appropriate public procurement process is being introduced, and the highest prices for services and works will be determined by bodies that will be decided by the government. The transparency and visibility of the renovation process will be strengthened by creating a complete interactive online GIS application.

For more on Croatian politics, make sure to follow our dedicated section and keep an eye out for our Week in Croatian Politics articles which are published every Friday.

The post A Week in Croatian Politics – Healthcare Woes, Laws and Building Permits appeared first on Total Croatia.