News & Events :: Bol island Brac Croatia
Bol - Croatia Tourism Champion 2009
Croatian prime-minister Jadranka Kosor awards mayor of Bol Tihomir Marinkovic the award "Champion of Croatian tourism in 2009." Other awards: BOL - The best tourist destination in the category of tourist destinations having 5-10 thousand beds ZLATNI RAT - The second place on the list of the best Adriatic beaches in 2009 HOTEL BRETANIDE - The second place on the list of the best 3-star hotels in 2009.
August tourism numbers for Bol
In August 2009. Bol had 136.270 overnight stays, which is 5% more than August 2008.Total structure of guests is broken down to 12.716 domestic which is 9%, and foreigners with 123.554.Foreign markets with highest percentage are Austrians 17%, Italians 17%, Germans 13%, Slovenians 12%, Check 6% and French with 4%.August 2008. Bol made 130.204 stays.First eight months of 2009. Bol had 339.239 overnight stays, which is 4% less than same period last year.
Zlatni rat beach @ Daily Telegraph
Zlatni rat was proclaimed as the best beach in Europe by Daily Telegraph of UK.
Quote from Daily Telegraph:
"Zlatni Rat, Brac One of the most spectacular beaches of the Adriatic is the V-shaped golden shingle sand bar at Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn). The beach changes shape and position depending on the wind; a pine forest provides welcome shade."
This is another among now countless awards to Zlatni rat beach. It is well deserved title. Photo of Zlatni rat beach is the one on almost all Croatia brochures, and is one of the most photographed beaches in the world
Full article by Telegraph.co.uk
Bol Croatia Summer Festival 2009
Finally we have a full list of events during Bol Summer Festival 2009. It all started on 05. June and will last till 23. September when last manifestation called "Adio Lito" ("Farewell Summer") will be held. Programme is full of exibitions, concerts, performances, workshops, presentations and lots of entertainment.
See programe pdf file
Easyjet announced 4 new routes to Dubrovnik
British low budget airline company Easyjet announced four new flights to Dubrovnik starting in 2009. From 1st of May 2009 Easyjet flies four times a week from London Gatwick airport to Dubrovnik, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Three times a week Liverpool - Dubrovnik route, opens 2nd of June 2009. Also, Geneva - Dubrovnik will operate from 6th of July 2009, twice a week. Berlin - Dubrovnik route will start from the 12th of July 2009 with three flights a week schedule. Apart from the latest Easyjet routes, Dubrovnik is also connected with London by daily British Airways flights (during season only) and Croatia Airlines flights (four times a week).Source: HTZ
Zlatni rat beach @ Daily Mail
Zlatni rat beach is listed first in article "Hidden Treasure Coves" by Daily Mail in the UK.
Quote:
"Croatia's necklace of Adriatic islands boasts a string of amazing beaches, including Zlatni Rât (the Golden Horn), on the island of Brac. Visitors to nearby Bol, Brac's oldest town, are left wide-eyed by this waterfront vision - a perfect triangle of sand-tipped land that juts into the water. The raft of mountains behind completes the view."
Read full article at DailyMail.co.uk
New flights with Flybe
FlyBe Airlines now (from May) introduces flights to Croatia Split airport from Southampton, Birmingham, Jersey and Edinburgh.
Croatian tourist season kicks off in style
More than 60,000 tourists spent their Easter holidays on Croatia’s Adriatic coast - as many as during the best Croatian tourism seasons of previous years and 10 per cent more than expected - Croatian Times reports.
The visitors stayed in the 200 hotels open along the country’s Adriatic coastline, with the northern province of Istria welcoming 30,000 visitors and Split-Dalmatia county having 6,500 tourists for the Gregorian Easter weekend.
According to the Zadar tourist board, the area recorded its best Easter tourism results since the 1991-95 war, welcoming up to 6,000 tourists.
“This was the best Easter since the end of the war,” said Zvonko Supe, head of the Zadar Tourist Board. “It appears the season will be good despite many negative prognoses. We are pleased that so many tourists from Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary were here this year. Also, thanks to Ryanair, we have had 450 guests from Scandinavia during the last three days.”
Twenty per cent of hotels on the Croatian coast have reported better results than last Easter.
Source: balkans.com
Last-minute tourists expected
Croatia’s annual international tourism fair, CROTOUR, came to an end on Sunday, with the country’s travel agents admitting that they’re preparing for a drop in revenue this year.
CROTOUR 2009, held in Dubrovnik from 1st to 5th April, brought together local and foreign travel agencies and tour operators, hoteliers and other leisure and tourism players to discuss tactics and opportunities to promote the industry.
In light of the global downturn, CROTOUR participants anticipate a drop in overall tourism levels, both in terms of foreigners visiting Croatia and Croatians travelling abroad, though greater demand for last-minute packages is expected.
According to a Croatian Times report, Croatian travel agencies expect a 10-to-15 per cent decline in turnover in the Croatian tourism industry in 2009.
Presenting the conclusions of a Croatian Travel Agencies Association (UHPA) meeting held at CROTOUR, UHPA head Ivan Puksar said that the agencies are preparing for more activities to deal with demand for low-price last-minute offers.
The UHPA head has reiterated his call for a lowering of VAT on one-day trips and tourist transportation from 22 to 10 per cent, HINA reports, while agencies welcomed the government's suggestion for joint advertisements but called them insufficient on their own.
CROTOUR 2009 was organised under the auspices of the Croatian Tourism Ministry with the support of the Croatian National Tourist Board and WTO.
Tourism boost: Croatia to ease visa requirements for some countries
Zagreb - Croatia will temporary suspend visa requirements for some countries in an effort to boost tourism, Croatian Tourism Minister Damir Bajs said Wednesday.
The ministry proposed scrapping visa requirements for Russian and Ukrainian citizens during the summer season, and also for Chinese and Indian citizens, Bajs said.
"We are expecting a weak tourist season this year," he said. The number of tourists in Croatia could drop by 3 per cent - a heavy blow to an industry generating almost 20 per cent of domestic product.
A weak season could further hamper Croatia's economy, and the Croatian government will discuss Bajs' proposal in the next few days.
Croatia's Adriatic coastline is a popular destination among tourists from Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia. In recent years tourists from Russia, Japan and the US have increased considerably.Go to Croatia for sunshine beaches and cheap prices
I'm standing at Vidova Gora, the highest point on the Croatian island of Brac, looking down on a world that seems to have turned Wedgwood blue. Distant horizons merge into a hazy blue sky that blurs into a lazy blue sea.
Far below is the seaside resort of Bol and the stunningly beautiful beach of Zlatni Rat.
Zlatni Rat (or golden cape) is a long, triangular-shaped spit of land that tapers to a point. In the middle is a deep-green V of pine-trees fringed by a blond pebble beach, washed with pale blue waters that deepen gradually to the darkest navy blue. I am transfixed.
It's my first trip to Croatia for a two-centre break, beginning with a few days at the Dalmatian coastal resort of Baska Voda before getting the ferry across to Brac.
As the plane begins the descent into Split I can see sweeping bays and tiny coves below - a frayed coastline reaching into the sea like fat thumbs and a multitude of islands.
By the time we arrive at our first hotel, the Hotel Horizont, Baska Voda is concealed in darkness.
I wake to a wonderful sight from my window, a tumble of white stone houses with terracotta roofs, to my right are the Biokovo Mountains, to my left the Adriatic Sea.
After breakfast I take a stroll along the seafront. The harbour is lined with fishing boats and yachts. The mood is gentle and the sea crystal clear. It's hot and I find a table at a cafe shaded by palm trees where I sit... and sit. I watch children play, lovers caress, teenagers pose and pensioners snooze.
Every quarter hour the bells of St Nicolas church ring out over the bay. Not that anybody seems to be worried about the time.
Actually, I AM paying attention to the time because I have an appointment in the hotel spa. Refurbished in 2007, the spa is huge and takes up the entire 21,000sq ft of the basement.
It has 10 different saunas, 13 treatment rooms, an indoor and outdoor pool, a hydro-massage pool and hot and cold plunge pools.
My treatment includes some serious pummelling. Wordlessly I'm slapped, I'm pushed, I'm pulled. I wince silently - apart from involuntary gasps as air is knocked from my lungs.
A spa day, which includes a back, neck and shoulder massage and use of all the facilities, costs around £36. At dusk we drive into the mountains, a steep climb passing ancient olive groves. We head for the village of Topici and the Konoba Panorama for dinner. It's a rustic, ramshackle restaurant with a great view over the coast.
Dinner is eaten under the stars. On the menu is Janjetina lamb, said to be the tastiest in Croatia. The flavour comes from the wild herbs - sage, oregano, rosemary and thyme - that the sheep have been grazing on. It's cooked slowly on hot embers under a peka, a metal bell, and is so tender it literally falls apart.
The next day we drive to the seaside town of Makarska for the ferry crossing to Brac, the third largest of Croatia's Adriatic islands.
Before we board there's time to shop at the market. Croatia is not in the Euro-zone and its currency is the Kuna. That works out as good value, though the exchange rate is not quite as favourable as it was. I buy some jelly shoes (about £5) for the beach.
The ferry takes about 25 minutes and we come ashore at Sumartin. The journey to Bol on the island's south coast is not one to rush. The road twists and turns, there are crash barriers in places, erected too late it seems for one wrecked car I spotted.
The drive gives you a tempting glimpse of Bol. It's the oldest coastal settlement on the island, a picturesque fishing village with a monastery at one end and Zlatni Rat at the other. The waterfront is lined with shops and bars and restaurants, the harbour busy with boats. Our hotel is the Bluesun Elaphusa, a huge 1960s building that's been cleverly updated and looks very cool.
The reception area is light and airy with lots of leather seating. There are indoor and outdoor pools, bowling, beach volleyball, a tennis centre with 26 courts, bikes for hire and Scuba diving. For children there's a playground, swimming pools, a miniclub and tennis lessons.
For the evenings there are a number of bars, including an outdoor one where you can sit and watch the sky turn red as the sun sets.
The restaurant is an enormous, self-service cafeteria but the food is good and you can eat as much as you like.
There's a spa here too but this one's less frantic, more sedate and peaceful. An aromatherapy massage costs about £35 for an hour.
For lunch we try the Taverna Riva Restaurant (mains from about £10) on the waterfront.
The seafood is wonderfully fresh and we linger over our meals watching the boats come and go and the water-taxi taking sun worshippers along the coast to Zlatni Rat.
Afterwards we walk to the Dominican monastery. When we get there I'm glad to be out of the hot afternoon sun and enjoying the cool inside the monastery's museum, with its Roman remains. It's still a working monastery, although there are only three monks and two nuns, and there are rooms to rent if you want to stay here.
It's very peaceful with a lovely cafe and a shady garden with an arched gateway leading to the beach.
The walk back takes a bit longer - actually a lot longer - because we just have to stop at a few of the waterside bars.
First we call into the Restaurant Ribarska Kucica, which we'd spotted from the monastery.
Further along we stop at the lively Varadero Cocktail Bar where I order a BBC (a cocktail made from Baileys, bananas and coconut) which is delicious.
We dedicate the next day to serious relaxation on the beach at Zlatni Rat. It's just a short walk from our hotel.
The temperatures are well into the 80s and I can't wait to get into the water.
The sea is a pale turquoise blue with darker bits - which I thought was due to the depth but apparently it's down to algae that cling to the rocks.
The water is more refreshing than a glass of chilled champagne.
I'm not really a beach person but I soon get into the rhythm of doing nothing.
Comfy in the shade of beach umbrellas I read for a while, I relax, I fall asleep and when I get too hot, I go for another swim.
When you are on Zlatni Rat, you lose sense of its shape so I put on my new jelly shoes and go for a walk, ending up beside the point.
Enthralled, I think I might stand and watch for a while to see if it changes shape.
There's a lot of movement here, the splash of swimmers, the bounce of banana boats.
But Zlatni Rat - which apparently changes shape according to the tide - keeps still.
And, back under my umbrella, so do I.
What's the deal?
Croatia Airlines (0870 410 0310, www.croatiaairlines.hr) fly from Gatwick to Split from £162 return.
Car hire from £130 per week.
For more info contact the Croatian National Tourist Office (020 8563 7979, www.croatia.hr).
source: mirror.co.uk
Zlatni rat beach - Voted Croatia's Sexiest Beach
"Zlatni Rat beach is home to a spectacular sandbar known as the Golden
Horn. The bar is 580 yards long and provides this beach with a unique
shape and unparalleled people-watching. The beach offers restaurants,
cafes and a surplus of water sports. The nightlife is more relaxed than
Zrcé beach, but there are plenty of open-air bars and nightclubs open
for mischief.
Croatia's main tourist attraction is, and always has been, its beaches.
With miles of pristine continental Adriatic seaside and dozens of
islands to visit, the sun and fun are endless."
Full text by Erica Walsh - Travel Channel
Watch a video from Travel Channel on YouTube
Once in a decade - snow in Bol !!!
Sixty years of “Zlatni rat”
In October of last year, hotel company
Founded on October 17, 1948, Zlatni rat started with only a few guest rooms and later it increased its capacity every year. The turnaround in its development was the opening of the hotel Bijela kuca, made with an adaptation of a student home. During that time, an accelerated growth of hotel capacity started, and during the 70s, hotels Elaphusa and Borak are opened and one decade later, hotel complex Bretanide and in 1999, hotel complex Bonaca. Zlatni rat today has 1,600 beds in three hotels, which are operating as part of the Croatian hotel chain Blue Sun. There are 180 employees in the company, and this year hotel Grand Elaphusa should put the fifth star on its entrance. Zlatni rat which is the majority owner of Brac Airport has strongly marked the tourism development of Bol, island of Brac, as well as entire Croatia and it counts among the most popular destinations in the country.
Island hopping in Croatia
Story by guardian.co.uk writer: Jane Foster
Croatia's varied islands offer everything from sailing to skinny dipping, isolated beaches to 24-hour parties.
Here is top ten islands according to Jane:
1. Best for local food and wine: Vis
2. Best for name-dropping: Hvar
3. Best for back-to-basics: Kornati archipelago
4. Best for water sports: Brac
5. Best for unspoilt nature: Mljet (South Dalmatia)
6. Best for nudists: Rab
7. Best for learning to sail: Murter
8. Best beach parties: Pag
9. Best for extreme isolation: Palagruza
10. Best day trip from the mainland: Lopud
Read the full story
Candidate for a world wonder of nature
Plitvice Lakes, a Croatian national park with a beauty that delights
numerous visitors from the entire world, has entered the second round
of the competition for the new seven wonders of nature. It was among a
competition of 261 natural beauties from 222 countries and 77 natural
attractions and entered the semifinals based on the votes cast by
visitors to the www.new7wonders.com web portal. The campaign has begun
in 2007 and votes can be cast via the above website until 7 July.
After the vote counting, an expert jury will elect 21 finalists and
leave the final decision to another round of Internet, telephone and
SMS voters who can make their final judgment on the seven world wonders
of nature until 2011. Often referred to as the most beautiful European
garden of preserved beauty, Croatia has eight national parks, Plitvice Lakes being
the most popular among them. It consists of sixteen lakes connected by
falls. Due to the characteristic karstic base, the waters of Plitvice
Lakes are rich in calcium bicarbonate, which is decomposed into calcium
carbonate due to water breaking on the barriers. Calcium carbonate is
then deposited with the presence of algae, moss and other organisms.
All this enables growth of gypsum barriers with magnificent falls
splashing over them, their beauty leaving no one indifferent.
The national park, located in the interior of the country but easily
accessible from the coastal area thanks to the modern roads, stretches
over almost 30 thousand hectares, its prehistoric dense forests
accounting for over 22 thousand hectares. The exceptional beauty of the
lakes and falls, strolls around the forest paths and over wooden
bridges, comfortable hotels and restaurants offering local delicacies
attract visitors from across the world throughout the year. Plitvice
Lakes are on the UNESCO’s list of world heritage.
Source: press.croatia.hr
SAS introduces direct flights to Zagreb
On Monday the 31t of March, SAS introduced flights between Stockholm-Arlanda Airport and Zagreb, Croatia. The line between Stockholm and Zagreb will be operated with departures on Mondays and Friday afternoons. From the 30th of April there will also be departures on Wednesdays.
SAS Sverige has already announced the start of the line between Gothenburg and Split starting on the 7th of June and will continue to operate the line between Stockholm and Split on Tuesdays and Saturdays. With all these direct lines between Sweden and Croatia SAS Sverige will be the largest operator of direct flights from Sweden to Croatia.
"With the new lines we continue our important expansion in Europe. The destinations in Croatia are a result from an increased interest in our flights from Sweden to Croatia, as a destination for holiday but also as a destination for business trips, says Susanne Dahlberg, head of Commercial at SAS Sverige."
"We have been waiting for the line between Stockholm and Zagreb for more than ten years. A direct flight opens up for new travel possibilities such as group- and incentive travels, culture, sports and health travels and not to forget the business travels. With this line and segments we can expect the travel between Sweden and Croatia to increase further, says Dario Matosevic, head of the Croatian Tourist Board in Stockholm".
Source: Easier Travel
Quick tips to Plan your Travel to Croatia from Italy
Croatia has become a very popular tourist destination since the restoration of piece in that area. Traghetti Croazia offers great value for those who plan to visit Croatia by cruise-liners from Italy.
Are you planning to visit Italy this summer? Add Croatia to your itinerary.
After many years of conflict throughout the former Yugoslavia, the area is now enjoying a period of peace and stability and has become a very popular tourist destination indeed. In the last ten years Croatia is emerging as one of Europe's fastest-growing tourist destinations, and it is not surprising really, if we consider what Croatia has to offer to travellers.
There you will find the Mediterranean as it once was, framed in a total coastline of over 6000 km of mild climate nature, beautiful mountains with forests, lakes, rivers and waterfalls, friendly and simple people, inexpensive and convenient
Croatia boasts some of the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in Europe: the Croatian coast is an absolute wonder to behold! The country has a long and colourful history, and this is most evident in the various architectural styles on show in its towns, cities and islands. Some of the country's most beautiful buildings, many of them former churches, have since been renovated into hotels and guesthouses, offering visitors a wonderful opportunity to get a real taste of Croatia.
TRAVELLING TO CROATIA :
Due to the long, narrow shape of the country, much of Croatia's land is situated by the sea. As a result, boat and ferry travel has become an important means of transport to both local people and visiting tourists, and it can be considered a relatively comfortable and enjoyable way of getting around Croatia. There are plenty of ferry services operating in and out of the various ports. Many of these simply run domestic services up and down the coast and across to the beautiful islands dotted around the Adriatic, but a growing number of routes are being established that link Croatia with other countries, with Italy being the best served with a number of good services running daily.
Getting to Croatia from Italy by Ferry, there are a few things you should take into consideration, like the frequency of the Ferry services, booking rules, and places where buy tickets…
Although passenger and car ferries do operate throughout the year, Car ferries to and from Croatia get extremely busy during the summer and it is advisable to book your ticket well in advance. This can be done at the various ticket offices located in travel agencies, but what we strongly recommend is to get in touch with a professional agency, to get all you need in one simple stop. That's what Traghetti Croazia (www.traghetti-croazia.it), can do for you! General information's, timetables, tickets, travel assistance and much more, to help you booking with ease your ferry tickets from Ancona, Venezia end Pescara ports. Traghetti Croazia Agency is now open 24/24 and this will speed up and simplify the whole process for you…
THE RESERVATIONS
With Traghetti Croazia it is possible to reserve your marine passages through Internet 24X7. You will be able to contact our office reservations to number 0565/912111 or through email to traghetti@prenotazioni24.it. The telephone reservations are advised for departures to short and in case of urgency.
PAYMENTS
With Ferries Croatia you will be able to choose to pay the following tickets in ways:
- credit card on linens (Encryption protocol SSL 128 bit);
- credit card for telephone (the necessary information will be collected from you from a our operator through telephone);
- bulletin mails them (with immediate shipment of the receipt via fax to number 0565 915898 or through email to traghetti@prenotazioni24.it); for the possessory ones of C/C it mails them will be possible to carry out a postagiro directly;
- banking discount (the accountant rilasciata from the bank, CRO supply will have quickly to be transmitted to our office through fax to number 0565 915898 or through email traghetti@prenotazioni24.it : simple orders of discount will not be accepted, neither written neither telemati to us).
We remember that on every receipt of payment the code of reservation (W must be brought back......) that will attribute the system to you.
THE DELIVERY OF TICKETS
Traghetti Croazia undertakes the delivery of the tickets and the same will be send to all address indicated by you through courier, mail registered letter, via fax or email to you.
Roberto Gardenti
Via G. Cacciò 9, Portoferraio, LI 57037, Italy
Phone: 0565912111
Website: http://www.traghetti-croazia.it
Source: PR Urgent News
First North American Flight direct to Zagreb
This is big news indeed. Skyservice Airlines has just started a direct route from Toronto to Zagreb, the first flight directly from North America to Croatia. The weekly Skyservice flight will leave Toronto every Wednesday at 10.45pm, arriving in Zagreb at 3pm. The return flight leaves Zagreb Thursdays at 7pm arriving in Toronto at 12.34am.
Skyservice has been running charter flights to Zagreb since 2004 but the new regularly scheduled flight has been a big success. The maiden flight was June 20; all went well and we can assume that Canada’s Canadian community was delighted with the news. We can also assume that tickets will sell out pretty soon so book now at Skyservice!Dalmatian Islands Among World Top Ten
"Adio lito" - Summer farewell party
Each year, bol says goodbye to summer on 23.09. There was a big party, with live music, cooked risotto meal of 3000 portions, presented dalmatian cousine delicates and huge fireworks show.
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