Advent in Zagreb 2023

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Advent in Zagreb – the city’s epic Christmas celebrations – returns to Zagreb on Friday 2nd December 2023, running until 7th January 2024. Here’s our rundown on what’s happening during Advent in Zagreb and where, and the best of what there is to see and do.

Advent in Zagreb

What is Advent in Zagreb?

Advent in Zagreb is essentially a Christmas market…but in fact, so much more than that! Having first been held in 2010, it is a large-scale celebration of Christmas that takes place in many locations all across the city. So many of Zagreb’s squares, streets, parks, shopping areas, museums, attractions and more will be adorned with beautiful lights or other festive decorations and will be used as venues for Christmas fun. There will be food and drink (oh so much food and drink!), concerts and live music,

The celebrations have received so much positive press and visitor comments over the years, often being called one of the best Christmas markets in Europe. In fact, Advent in Zagreb even won the “Best Christmas Market” category for three years straight (from 2016 to 2018) awarded by European Best Destinations.

Here’s a video preview of this year’s celebrations from Zagreb Tourist Board:

The main fun at Advent in Zagreb

Zagreb’s main square Trg Ban Jelacic will – as to be expected – have a giant, decorated Christmas tree in place during Advent in Zagreb. In fact, the tree is already in place, as of 27th November, awaiting decoration. The main square is also were the traditional Advent candles are situated, around Mandusevac Fountain.

Christmas celebrations aren’t Christmas celebrations without an ice rink, are they? Thankfully, Zagreb will indeed have an ice rink once again this winter with the Ice Park situated on King Tomislav Square – in front of the very impressive Art Pavillion. Open from 2nd December, the rink will be open daily from 10am until 11pm or 12pm (although only until 5pm on Christmas Eve). Should you like to see in the New Year on a pair of skates you can even do so – that day, the rink will be open until 2am!

Advent in Zagreb - Ice Park - Ice Rink
The Ice Park

The very cool Gric Tunnel is often kitted out for various events and this Christmas it will host the Polar Dream, offering visitors the chance to “experience” the Northern Lights.

City Break in Croatia - Advent in Zagreb
Gric Tunnel during Advent in Zagreb

A wonderful experience would be to join the gas lamp lighters for Advent Under the Lantern. Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (from 6th to 23rd December) at 4.30pm they depart from the Lotrscak Tower to continue this 160-year-old tradition. They will be joined by vocal groups such as the gospel group The Messengers or the female vocal ensemble Cipkice.

Festive Food and Drink

This will be everywhere, ha ha!

One of the absolute best places to try some Christmas treats (and then some) is at Fuliranje (which translates to “Fooling Around”!). Located on Josip Juraj Strossmayer Square, there is a wide range of food vendors offering up some very tasty, filling grub, and plenty of warming drinks, from mulled wine to brandies. But Fuliranje is so much more besides – there will be live DJs, children’s choirs, magical decorations and Santa himself. Fuliranje is one of the most popular elements of Advent in Zagreb, and is also a top place to see in the New Year.

A previous edition of Fuliranje

Sweet Zrinjevac in Zrinjevac Park will have all manner of street food stalls selling hearty and warming winter food and drink. (Sausages! Mulled wine!). Set amongst the beautifully decorated trees of the park, it’s one of the top places to go during Advent in Zagreb. This year, it will be open from 12pm to 11pm or 12am daily from 29th November.

Be sure to head to Zagreb’s main Dolac Market from 6pm on 22nd December for the Christmas Pop-Up of PLACe Market. Local chefs and restaurants will be offering all sorts of tasty treats to go along with the festive and fun atmosphere.

Musical Delights

One of the first events of Advent in Zagreb will be a concert performed by the famed Zagreb Soloists at the Okotogon at 12pm on Wednesday 29th November.

The Advent Symphony of the City is a performance that will take place in several locations across Zagreb on different days. First taking place at Trg Petrice Kerempuha (just above Dolac market) at 8pm on 7th December, it will certainly put a smile on your face.

The 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall will be celebrated from 28th to 30th December with a very full programme of plays, performances, concerts and even guided tours. The grand concert takes place at 7.30pm on Friday 29th December when the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra Symphony and the Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radiotelevision will perform.

Advent in Zagreb - Zrinjevac
Zrinjevac Park

Advent in Zagreb for kids…and for pets?!

What kid doesn’t love anything Christmas? They’re sure to have a good time just being at the Advent in Zagreb celebrations, but if you’re looking for some activities specifically aimed for the younger members of your family, you’re in luck.

Probably one of the most fun events for kids will be the Ice Fairy Tale at Ribjak Park (from 16th December). Fully decorated in icy style, the Snow Queen will be fulfilling the dreams of all children. But if your kids like all things icy, don’t forget about taking them skating at Ice Park (mentioned above) which they will surely be thrilled with.

The Croatian Chamber of Trade at Ilica 49 will be hosting a Craft Advent (2nd to 31st December) where handcrafted wooden toys and games from days gone by will come to life. “Big kids” (i.e. adults) will surely also delight in this, perhaps reminiscing about their childhood.

Certain museums will also have fun events that will delight kids. The Backo Mini Express Train Museum will be running their model trains daily during the Christmas period whilst the Chocolate Museum will be showing off sculptures made of…chocolate! (Of course!)

Zagreb Zoo – such a great place to take kids any time of year – will also have its own Christmas celebrations, and Santa might even drop by!

And yes, what about pets? The Time Out Heritage Hotel will be holding lectures and treats – for four-legged and two-legged friends – with pets even being able to take a photo with Santa. Altogether now – awww!

Not quite for pets, per se, but for pet lovers – Zagreb’s Cat Caffe will be offering a wonderfully festive hot drinks menu; the perfect way to warm up after enjoying all the outdoor fun.

More Info

Advent in Zagreb is so chock-a-block full of happenings that we’ve really only just covered the surface…phew!

You can of course find the full rundown of all the festivities taking place on the official Advent in Zagreb website and we would highly recommend you take a look to learn about all the fun things taking place.

Don’t forget to check out our guide to Zagreb for advice on accommodation, transport, restaurants and cafes, things to do with kids and much, much more!

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Croatian Point of Inaccessibility

Where’s the Point of Inaccessibility in Croatia?

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Where is the point of inaccessibility in Croatia? And more to the point – what is a point of inaccessibility?

We were contacted by traveller Chris Brown who recently visited the point of inaccessibility in Croatia – the coordinates of which are:

  • Latitude: 45° 46.9747‘N
  • Longitude: 16° 29.8791’E

which is about 55km west of Zagreb and 8km south, south east of Dubrava, meaning it is in a small rural village called Mostari. At the Croatian point of inaccessibility, the nearest border is 61.4km away.

So, what is a Pole or Point of Inaccessibility? 

Traditionally, the Pole of Inaccessibility for a large landmass like a continent, or an island, is the point furthest away from the ocean in any direction.

The easiest way to imagine it is to take a map of the land mass and draw the biggest circle you can without touching the ocean.  The centre of that circle is the Pole of Inaccessibility.

Chris has simply extended that concept to any country or state where the border is well defined and called those POINTS of inaccessibility.

Chris has made it a hobby/mission to visit as many Poles of Inaccessibility (continents) and Points of Inaccessibility as possible. And during a trip to visit the famous Rimac factory in Zagreb, he was presented with the opportunity to visit the Croatian POI.

You can see from this sketch below that any other point in Croatia is closer to the border than the centre of the red circle – that centre being in Mostari.

Croatian Point of Inaccessibility

This is Chris standing at the POI for Croatia (well, actually 9m from the exact point because it was on private land).

Chris Brown at the Croatian Point of Inaccessibility

You can learn more about points and poles of inaccessibility on Chris’ blog at inaccessibility.net and, in particular, his travels to the Croatian Point of Inaccessibility.

Croatia for Kids

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Hello kids, and welcome to the Visit Croatia website! We are a travel website all about the wonderful country of Croatia. We are kind of like experts on Croatia! On this page about Croatia for kids, you can explore and learn more about Croatia.

Where is Croatia?

Croatia is in the continent of Europe, but more specifically, it is located in southeastern Europe. Sometimes you might hear it talked about being in Central Europe or Eastern Europe too. If you’re flying to Croatia from the UK, it’s about a 2 or 3 hour flight. That’s not long at all.

Here is Croatia in Europe:

Croatia for Kids - Map of Europe showing location of Croatia

Have you noticed its shape? It’s kind of funny, right? Sometimes people refer to it as looking like a croissant!

On this map, you can see some of Croatia’s many islands. The county is home to over 1,000 islands.

Croatia for Kids - Map of Croatia

The neighbouring countries of Croatia are Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. The country also has a long coastline along the Adriatic Sea.

Just under 4 million people live in Croatia. That’s pretty small for a country. That’s fewer people than live in the whole of London, for example!

What is the Capital City of Croatia?

The capital city of Croatia is Zagreb. It’s a lovely city with lots to see and do. If you visit it, you might like to read our guide to Zagreb for Kids.

Other important cities in Croatia include Split, the largest city on the Croatian seaside, Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Zadar and Osijek.

What does the flag look like? And why?

Here is the Croatian flag:

Croatia for Kids - Croatian flag

It’s kind of unusual, right?

If you watch football, you will recognise the red and white checks! Croatian football kits are based on the Croatian flag.

Why does the flag look like that? The red and white shield is the coat of arms of Croatia. The little shields above it are (from left) an ancient coat of arms of Croatia; the coat of arms of Dubrovnik; the coat of arms of Dalmatia; the coat of arms of Istria; and the coat of arms of Slavonia. The last three are different regions of Croatia.

What language do they speak in Croatia?

They speak Croatian!

In truth, Croatian can be a bit of a tricky language to learn and some of the pronunciation and spelling is a bit difficult. If you would like to learn a little bit of it, take a look at our Croatian for Travellers section.

To get you started, here are a few phrases and words that you can use on your holiday:

CroatianEnglishHow to pronounce it
Dobro jutroGood morningdoh-broh you-tro
Dobar danGood daydoh-bar dan
Dobra večerGood eveningdoh-bra ve-chair
Laku noćGood nightla-ku notch
BokHi and byebock
HvalaThanksva-la with an ‘h’ sound
at the beginning!
MolimPleasemoh-leem
sladoledice creamsla-dough led
čokoladachocolatechock-o-lada
moreseamo-reh
bazenpoolbah-zen

What is Croatia famous for?

Here are some of the things Croatia is famous for:

Croatia for Kids - Croatia is famous for...

What are some of the famous sights of Croatia?

Top Ten Destinations in Croatia - Zagreb
St Mark’s Church in Zagreb
Top Sights in Croatia - Pula Arena
The Arena in Pula
A weekend break in Croatia - Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik Old Town
St James Cathedral in Sibenik

More info

Now that we’ve taught you a little bit about the country on our Croatia for Kids page, why not send your parents over to our Family Holidays in Croatia page to persuade them to take a holiday in the country?

(If you’re not already going, that is!)

SunceBeat Credit: Hannah Metcalfe

This year’s SunceBeat could be the last ever

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The organisers behind the wildly popular festival SunceBeat (20th – 27th July 2023) – the longest-running festival in Tisno, now in its 14th year – have just announced that this year will likely be the last time the festival will be held in Croatia. SunceBeat will definitely not return in 2024, and the team are still deciding on the future – whether to return to Croatia or to continue in a new location in Europe. This is down to a combination of factors, and the SunceBeat team need to take a break after 2023 and develop other ideas. The festival’s big sister event, The Southport Weekender, will continue each Spring in the UK, however.

this year's SunceBeat

All of this means that this year’s SunceBeat will be an absolute blast! Festival founders Alex Lowes and Nick Connolly plus the whole extended team will be sure to put on an absolutely memorable event, celebrating SunceBeat’s enduring legacy with one final get-together this summer. Some of the seminal artists that have played a part in the festival’s identity as well as debut sets from Body & Soul NYC: (Joe Claussell – Danny Krivit – Francois K), Kruder & Dorfmeister (DJ SET) and DJ Spoony plus Kenny Dope, David Morales, Danilo Plessow (MCDE) and his live band Another Taste, Hunee, Antal, Osunlade, Tony Humphries, Children of Zeus (live) and many more.

We’ve made some brilliant friends on this journey which has taken us from the early Petrcane days when the whole idea of festivals in Croatia was in its infancy to the more recent years in Tisno where we’ve amped up our ambition and scale. Throughout this we’ve always kept to our roots in the artists we’ve booked and the amazing and loyal crowd we’ve cultivated through the years, essentially a distillation of The Southport Weekender in terms of our ethos and musical scope. Making so many friends, building these relationships and being lucky to come to this gorgeous part of the world each year has always been the highlight for myself, Nick and the wider SuncéBeat team, and not coming next summer is going to hurt us all. We will dearly miss Croatia’s warm welcome, Tisno’s intimacy and the fantastic festival site at the Garden Resort, the boat parties and of course Barbarella’s.

So this summer is going to be all about celebrating the good times we’ve had – and we have had many – and to party with all of our favourite guests day and night. We know SuncéBeat’s made an indelible imprint in the history of Croatian festivals and the memories will last long, and we expect July to be extra special and a chance to say goodbye to what we have created here in a suitably fitting style.

Alex Lowes, SunceBeat co-founder
SunceBeat Credit: Hannah Metcalfe
Credit: Hannah Metcalfe
SunceBeat Credit: Colin William
Credit: Colin William

Be sure to join the global partygoers at this intimate festival in beautiful Tisno for one final spectacular event – you’ll want to be there as the crowd doubtless sheds a tear or two when dawn rises for the final show at legendary open-air club Barbarella’s.

We’ve thought long and hard over this decision and we have to be realistic – myself and Nick have faced many challenges in the last three years running SuncéBeat and ever more so as we now approach this 14th and final edition. Being independent is an integral part of who we are and always will be, but it adds to all of the other factors you need to go well for any event on our festival’s level to work. It’s not been an easy decision – it’s frankly been very painful to come to – but also we know it’s the right one and the essence of SuncéBeat will continue in a new guise elsewhere in Europe. And whilst I would always say you never know, I do feel that this is our last Croatian odyssey. So we’re going to conclude SuncéBeat with as big a bang as possible for everyone and make a memorable last party which will have Tisno rocking. We want to give everyone the best memories and something to cherish. It’s been a wonderful, bonkers and love-filled journey.

Alex Lowes, SunceBeat co-founder

SunceBeat 2023

Tickets for SunceBeat can be purchased at suncebeat.com. They are priced at £255 (plus booking fee) for the entire 7-day long festival; you can also buy a 4-day weekend pass for £200 (plus booking fee).

Additionally, day passes are also available, priced at £30, £55 or £60 (plus booking fee) depending on the day you choose to attend.

Tickets for the epic boat parties go on sale at 10am (UK time) on Thursday 1st June – be sure to go to the SunceBeat website to snap them up as they’ll go quickly!

SunceBeat 2023
20th – 27th July 2023
The Garden, Tisno
suncebeat.com

This year's Suncebeat
SunceBeat Boat Parties Credit: Colin William

SunceBeat boat parties to go on sale 1st June

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Tisno’s longest-running music festival, SunceBeat – celebrating its 14th birthday this year – has just announced the 15 epic boat parties that will be accompanying the main part of the festival this summer. Being held from 20th to 27th July 2023, find out what’s in store for this year’s SunceBeat boat parties right here!

SunceBeat Boat Parties

About SunceBeat

A music adventure and amazing holiday all rolled into one, SunceBeat will take place in the idyllic hideaway that is The Garden Tisno for seven spectacular days. Spend your time partying under the hot sun by day and the twinkling stars by night, all the time right next to the glittering Adriatic Sea. The younger sibling of the long-running Southport Weekender, SunceBeat offers the same expertly-curated music experience, drawing together like-minded souls and some of the world’s finest artists.

This year’s line-up includes acts such as Body & Soul NYC: (Joe Claussell – Danny Krivit – Francois K), Kruder & Dorfmeister (DJ SET) and DJ Spoony with Kenny Dope, David Morales, Danilo Plessow (MCDE) and his live band Another Taste, Hunee, Antal, Osunlade, Tony Humphries, Children of Zeus (live), DJ Spen and Friends, Marcellus Pittman, plus many more.

An essential part of SunceBeat, this year’s boat parties will feature 15 epic voyages on the legendary boat The Argonaughty. Altogether the boat parties fully encompass the myriad sounds and genres that make up the music festival – some highlights of the boat parties include My Grooves 10th Anniversary, John Morales M+M boat party, Cabeau’s Adriatic Afro Cruise, DJ Spoony’s Elements of Garage and Chicago’s Chosen Few…amongst many others!

SunceBeat Boat Parties Credit: Colin William
Credit: Colin William

SunceBeat Boat Parties 2023 – Line-Up

Thursday 20th July

MAIDEN VOYAGE BOAT PARTY – 18:00 – 22:00
18:00 Lil Stevie
19:00 Rich Medina
20:00 Souldynamic
21:00 The Journey Men

Friday 21st July

MY GROOVES 10TH ANNIVERSARY BOAT PARTY – 13:00 – 17:00
13:00 Felipe Gordon
14:00 Ash Lauryn
15:00 Lakuti
16:00 Afshin

JOHN MORALES M+M BOAT PARTY – 18:00 – 22:00
18:00 Angel Mel
19:00 Natasha Kitty Kat
20:00 Young Pulse
21:00 John Morales

Saturday 22nd July

LIQUID SPIRIT BOAT PARTY – 12:30 – 15:30
12:30 Danny T
13:30 David Bailey
14:30 Emmaculate

CONNOISSEURS SOUL BOAT – 16:15 – 20:15
16:15 Bigger
17:15 Bob Masters
18:15 Terry Jones
19:15 Craig Smith

COSMIC LAW ALBUM LAUNCH – 21:00 – 01:00
21:00 Atjazz
22:00 Abel
23:00 Rocco
00:00 Osunlade

Sunday 23rd July

DEEP INTO SOUL BOAT PARTY – 13:00 – 17:00
13:00 The Journey Men
14:00 Frankie Feliciano
15:00 Sy Sez
16:00 Neil Pierce

CABEAU’S ADRIATIC AFRO CRUISE – 18:00 – 22:00
18:00 Demented Soul
19:00 Montoya
20:00 Helen Ting
21:00 Manoo

Monday 24th July

DANILO PLESSOW (MCDE) BOAT PARTY – 13:00 – 16:00
13:00 Sadar Bahar
14:00 Danilo Plessow (MCDE)
15:00 Antal

SUNDAY MASS BOAT PARTY WITH DAVID MORALES – 17:00 – 20:00
David Morales

DJ SPOONY PRESENTS “ELEMENTS OF GARAGE” BOAT PARTY – 21:00 – 00:00
Dreem Teem (DJ Spoony & Mikee B)
Norris ‘Da Boss’ Windross
MC Ranking

Tuesday 25th July

DJ SPEN PRSENTS SOULFUL STORM – 13:00 – 17:00
Live PA Tasha Larae
DJ Spen & Reelsoul
Additional Live PAs Aaron K Gray

CHICAGO’S CHOSEN FEW BOAT PARTY – 18:00 – 22:00
Terry Hunter
Emmaculate
Alan King
Wayne Williams

Wednesday 26th July

MI SOUL BOAT PARTY – 13:00 – 17:00
13:00 Jon Jules
14:00 Brian Power
15:00 Ronnie Herel
16:00 Tony Humphries
Gordon Mac As Master Of Ceremonies (MC)

FAREWELL BOAT PARTY – 18:00 – 22:00
18:00 Colin Williams
19:00 Andy Ward
20:00 Crackazat
21:00 Quentin Harris

SunceBeat Credit: Hannah Metcalfe
Credit: Hannah Metcalfe

Tickets for SunceBeat Boat Parties

Tickets for the boat parties must be purchased separately to the main festival ticket, and they go on sale at 1pm (UK time) on 1st June 2023. Set your alarms for that date and save suncebeat.com to buy your tickets!

There’s still a chance to buy tickets for the festival itself if you haven’t already – a ticket costs £255 (plus booking fee) for the full 7-day event. You can of course also buy tickets at suncebeat.com.

More info

For all the latest SunceBeat news, head to the official website suncebeat.com or check them out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.

SunceBeat Credit: Colin William

First wave of artists for SunceBeat 2023 revealed

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The 14th edition of the epic Suncebeat is back in Tisno this summer (20th – 27th July 2023) and just a few days ago the first wave of artists appearing was announced. SunceBeat will be going back to its roots this year, as the team bring together some of the original artists as well as honing in on the global sounds which make the festival so unique – there will be the best of house, disco, Afro, Soul, Garage, R&B and funk on offer. Names on the bill include acts such as DJ Spoony, Kenny Dope, David Morales, Hunee, Children of Zeus (live), DJ Spen and Friends and more! (See more details further in this post.)

SunceBeat 2023 First Names Revealed

The Garden Resort, Tisno is the perfect venue for SunceBeat (the region’s longest-running festival) – all the usual spectacular elements such as intimate beach-side dancing, bouncing boat parties, the mesmeric Olive Grove, the open-air club Barbarella’s and headline artists on the Garden Stage will be there. And with plenty of restaurants, bars, hidden covers and intimate beaches in the general area, SunceBeat really does offer an amazing festival experience and holiday in one.

SunceBeat 2023 © Photography by Hannah Metcalfe (www.hannahmetcalfe.co.uk)
Photography by Hannah Metcalfe

SunceBeat 2023 Line-Up

The full list of artists announced so for include debuts from Body & Soul NYC: (Joe Claussell – Danny Krivit – Francois K), Kruder & Dorfmeister (DJ SET) and DJ Spoony with Kenny Dope, David Morales, Danilo Plessow (MCDE) and his live band Another Taste, Hunee, Antal, Osunlade, Tony Humphries, Children of Zeus (live), DJ Spen and Friends, Marcellus Pittman, Djeff, Da Capo, Ash Lauryn, Lakuti, DJ Emii, Helen Ting, Quentin Harris, Rich Medina, Sadar Bahar, Terry Hunter, Young Pulse and Frankie Feliciano. There are further debuts from Black Loops, Crackazat and Jihad Muhammad.

They are joined by Afshin, Alan King, Analogue Soul, Atjazz, Aura, Craig Smith, Demented Soul, Dreem Teem (DJ Spoony & Mikee B), Emmaculate, Felipe Gordon, Frankie Feliciano, Greg Gauthier, Helen Ting, John Morales, Jovonn, Kiko Navarro, Kapela, Karlainthemix, Manoo, MC Rankin, Muscle Cars, Natasha Kitty Kat, Neil Pierce, Norris ‘Da Boss’ Windross, Reelsoul, Rocco Rodamaal, Ronnie Herel, Sarah Main, Souldynamic, Sy Sez, The Journey Men and Wayne Williams.

There are live PAs Dawn Tallman, Aaron K. Gray, Tasha Larae and Michelle John over the week. And stage takeovers are revealed from Body & Soul (NYC), Cabeau Music, DJ Spen & Friends, DJ Spoony presents UK Garage In the Sun, Djoon Paris 20 Years Anniversary, Mi Soul Radio, Space Grapes Stage featuring Another Taste (live) plus Danilo Plessow (MCDE) & friends and Terry Hunter presents Chicago’s Chosen Few DJs.

“We’ve been busy behind the scenes getting ready for the 14th edition of SunceBeat and all of the team are very proud of our first wave of artists. As always, we’ve got a mix of some super-hot talent breaking through and some familiar faces who know us well; some artists haven’t played for us for some time now, and we made a decision to get back to our musical roots by bringing these guys back. There’s plenty more to come and we can’t wait to welcome everyone to SunceBeat.”

Alex Lowes, SunceBeat founder
SunceBeat Credit: Colin William
Credit: Colin William

Tickets for Suncebeat 2023

Tickets for the full 7 days of the festival are priced at £235 (plus booking fee). If you can’t quite make the full festival, it’s possible to buy a 4-day weekend pass (for entry Friday 21st to Monday 24th July) for £200 (plus booking fee).

You can also buy group versions of both of these tickets – pay for 4 tickets and get 5! The group version of the 7-day pass works out to £164 (plus b.f.) per person, whilst the 4-day version is £140 per person (plus b.f.).

Tickets can be bought online at suncebeat.com/tickets. Tickets to boat parties cost extra.

SunceBeat Credit: Colin William
Credit: Colin William

T

More info

You can get full details on this year’s festival on the official SunceBeat website, and do also check them out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for all the latest news!

SunceBeat 2023
20th – 27th July 2023
The Garden Tisno
suncebeat.com

The Yacht Week Croatia

The Yacht Week Presents launches in Croatia this summer with Drumcode And Hot Creations

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A highlight for any of you who like to take to the seas to party it up during your holidays, The Yacht Week returns to Croatia this summer partnering with leading electronic music labels Drumcode and Hot Creations for “The Yacht Week Presents”.

“The Yacht Week Presents” will see each music label join what’s called “the original floating festival” for 7 days of music and incredible parties set in unique locations all along the stunning Croatian coast. There will be intimate and exclusive sets from a number of highly respected DJs including Adam Beyer (of Drumcode) and Jamie Jones (of Hot Creations).

The Yacht Week Croatia

The Yacht’s Week’s sailing flotilla of just 500 people is a festival like no other, with parties taking place in outdoor and seafront venues, historic Croatian fortresses…and out at sea too, of course! In the case of the latter, this means the opportunity to party it up on a floating dancefloor and with a floating DJ booth fully equipped with a VOID Acoustics sound system. And if you want something beyond the partying, there will also be ample opportunity for exploring, taking in culture, wellness and adventure – a true part of any The Yacht Week experience.

The Yacht Week’s motto is ‘life is better at sea’; The Yacht Week Presents takes this to a whole new level, joining with groundbreaking electronic music brands and artists to bring the flotilla together, creating a festival community where once-in-a-lifetime experiences bond friends together for life. There will also be more announcements to come from The Yacht Week Presents – keep your eyes peeled.

There’s no doubt that this summer is going to be very special indeed!

The Yacht Week
Credit: Santino Martinez
The Yacht Week Croatia

Book your place on The Yacht Week Presents

The Yacht Week x Drumcode takes place from 18th – 25th June, and The Yacht Week x Hot Creations takes place from 16th – 23rd July. Bookings are now open, with packages priced from £812 per person. Take a look at www.theyachtweek.com for full pricing on all the routes they offer, as well as more info on these two special weeks.

The Yacht Week Presents
Credit: Santino Martinez

More on The Yacht Week

If you’ve already done the usual rounds of holidays – villas, festivals, partying abroad – The Yacht Week offers the opportunity to experience something completely different.

You and your friends can book yourselves onto a luxury yacht complete with a skipper and host; couples and single travellers can join a yacht of like-minded adventurers and create a brand new festival crew. Sail the open waters and sleep under the stars, and be a part of the unique ‘circle raft’ where all yachts join together in a circle for a party at sea, or the ‘tunnel raft’, featuring two lines of yachts. The Yacht Week is one big party; this summer, it will also be delivered with a cutting-edge soundtrack curated by two of the world’s most essential electronic music labels.  

The Yacht Week also offers other routes in Croatia on other dates; see www.theyachtweek.com for more details. Keep up to date with all their latest news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

More on Hot Creations


House music-lovers are also in for an incredible experience as Jamie Jones brings Hot Creations to Croatia in partnership with The Yacht Week. Founded by Jamie Jones and Lee Foss in 2010, Hot Creations releases serve as a who’s who of quality electronic music. From unearthing talent such as Patrick Topping and Richy Ahmed, to showcasing veteran artists like Paul Woolford and Danny Tenaglia, Hot Creations has grown into a global force for quality music.

Jamie Jones remains one of the most in-demand DJs on the planet, with his Paradise nights in Ibiza an unmissable part of any trip to the White Isle. This summer he will be bringing a slice of paradise to Croatia and The Yacht Week x Hot Creations crew of 500, in a flotilla dedicated to nothing but good vibes.

The full lineup is still to be announced, but guests can expect parties every single night of their trip in spectacular locations mixed with laid back relaxation and wellness in the sunshine during the day. Jamie Jones and Hot Creations together with The Yacht Week equals an unforgettable trip!

The Yacht Week Presents
The Yacht Week x Drumcode, 18th – 25th June 2022
The Yacht Week x Hot Creations, 16th – 23rd July 2022 
www.theyachtweek.com 

Sibenik Spring gastro festival

First Sibenik Spring gastro event opens today

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Sibenik Spring, the first gastronomic street food festival of its kind in the town of Sibenik, starts today until 12th June. Held in the lush green Robert Visiani Park, the festival will be open daily 5pm to 11pm (11am to 11pm on Saturday 12th June), and entry is free. There will be tasty food offerings as well as plenty of live music each day, and even a kids corner provided by Sibenik’s Bubamara.

Sibenik Spring gastro festival

The festival opens today, Tuesday 8th June, with live music from famous Croatian saxophonist Jaksa Jordes accompanied by DJ Kresh. Wednesday 9th June will see DJ Matthew Bee perform, whilst its DJ Bakula’s turn on Thursday 10th June. Friday sees local Sibenik legend DJ Bake senior take to the decks, whilst attendees on Saturday 12th will be entertained by Sibenik saxophonist Chuck Borris, accompanied by DJ PaleolitiKa.

Jaksa Jordes, Sibenik Spring
Jaksa Jordes
DJ Bakula, Šibenik Spring
DJ Bakula
DJ Bake Senior
DJ Bake Senior

But what about the food? There will plenty, all from well known Sibenik restaurants and caterers! Festina Lente Restaurant will be providing guests with a choice of juicy burgers, crispy chicken wings and pulled pork sandwiches. Pjat will have amazing-sounding tuna ceviche tacos and porchetta (pork belly) flat breads. Bistro Pucalina will offer up a feast of items including manistra (a Dalmatian soup/stew dish) with cuttlefish, lamb and desserts such as Sibenik gibanica and Skradin chocolates. Karoca will offer healthy juices, frappes, smoothies and cocktails; Konoba Lola will have traditional Dalmatian platters; whilst pastry shop Yum will be selling all manner of innovative desserts. And if you need something cold to wash down these tasty offerings, there will be Staropramen and Grif beers, Wai hard seltzer, Jamnica, Henricks gin and Thomas Henry mixers, Freixenet and Grasevina Kutjevo wine.

Sibenik Spring food
Dalmatian platter
Grill Sibenik Spring

If you’re in the Sibenik area, come down and sample the sumptuous food on offer as well as the refreshing drinks, enjoy the live music and revel in some open air fun!

Sibenik Spring is organised by the S2 Group, with support from the City of Sibenik, Sibenik Tourist Office and Sibenik-Knin County Tourist Office.

Sibenik Spring
8th – 12th June 2021
Robert Visiani Park
Sibenik Spring on Facebook

Croatia what is where

Croatia What is Where?

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Here’s our Croatia infographic to highlight some special places in the country – as well as some places that you may not know about. Presenting to you: Croatia What is Where?

Learn some facts about the capital city Zagreb, stunning coastal cities and towns Split, Dubrovnik, Pula and Zadar, Hvar island, famous-for-its-oysters Ston, the thrilling Plitvice Lakes Nature Park and Papuk Nature Park.

Click on the infographic to enlarge!

Croatia what is where

More facts from Croatia What Is Where?

Let’s expand on some of the facts shown in the Croatia infographic above to help you learn more about Croatia what is where.

  • Croatia’s capital city, Zagreb, has a stunning cathedral that, at 108m tall, is the tallest building in Croatia. Originally constructed in the 13th century, the cathedral was severely damaged in the 6.3-magnitude earthquake of 1880 and required extensive restoration. Unfortunately, the cathedral was damaged again in the earthquake in March 2020 – one of its spires snapped off whilst the other had to removed for safety.
  • It is the FIS Snow Queen Trophy ski race that Zagreb hosts in early January each year.
  • Varazdin County is considered to be the oldest of Croatia’s counties, having first been referred to in 1181 (in the charter of King Bela III). The beautiful town of Varazdin was once also the capital city of Croatia from 1756 to 1776 when a large fire destroyed about 80% of the buildings in the town – and the capital reverted to Zagreb.
  • Papuk Nature Park is one of (now!) twelve nature parks in Croatia and is located in Slavonia. It is the first UNESECO Geopark in Croatia, which designates an area of significant geological heritage.
  • Ilok, also in Slavonia, is famous for being home to one of the largest wine producers in Croatia, Ilocki podrumi. They have British royal connections – as well as having their Traminac wine served at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, their wine was served at the celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II!
  • The wonderful Plitvice Lakes National Park is the joint-oldest national park with Croatia (along with Paklenica National Park), declared so in 1949. In 1979, the Park became a UNESCO World Heritage site.
  • This leads us on to Split! The Diocletian’s Palace complex was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage site that same year, 1979. This Palace was constructed in the 4th century as a retirement ‘home’ for Roman Emperor Diocletian, close to the large Roman town of Salona (present-day Solin) which once had a population as high as 60,000 people.
  • Dubrovnik is home to many of Croatia’s delights, including the truly wonderful Old Town. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival cultural event, which hosts opera, theatre productions, and classical music performances, was first held in 1950 making it the oldest festival of its kind in Croatia.
  • Little Ston is home to amazing town walls that rival Dubrovnik’s – in fact, those in Ston are the longest preserved town walls in Europe. Ston is also very well known for its oysters (and mussels) – you can see (and even visit) the oyster farms by the town.
  • The island of Hvar is a top destination for the yachting crowd, partygoers, the odd celebrity or two…and everyone else vying to see this amazingly picturesque place! Hvar island is also very famous for its lavender production – about 50 years ago, lavender oil produced on Hvar accounted for 8% of all lavender oil produced in the world – and is often claimed to be the sunniest place in Croatia with about 2,800 hours of sun each year.
  • As well as being the birthplace of Croatian footballing legend Luka Modric, Zadar is home to some amazing sights, old and new – such as the Forum and St Donatus Church, the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun installation.
  • Pula is likewise home to some stunning sights, particularly the Arena which was completed in the 1st century AD – roughly the same time as the Colosseum in Rome. The Arena is one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres, as it has all four sides intact, and is the sixth-largest remaining amphitheatre in the world. These days, it hosts music concerts, screenings during the Pula Film Festival, occasional sports events…and even mock gladiator fights in summer.
The Yacht Week Luxury Cabins

The Yacht Week’s luxury cabins bookable for the first time

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Hot on the heels of the news that The Yacht Week 2021 is open for bookings, news reaches us that – for the first time ever – Yacht Week guests will be able to book cabin rooms onboard their luxury 38ft+ catamarans! This means that all solo travellers, pairs or small groups can now also enjoy the full luxury experience on a seven-day ‘floating festival’ in the waters off the stunning Croatian coastline!

The Yacht Week Luxury Cabins

The Yacht Week Luxury Cabins

Previously an option only available to groups booking an entire yacht, guests can now book themselves into one of six paired cabins onboard the luxury catamarans. These catamarans include an experienced skipper, a fully-trained host (with delicious food included through the week), in-room air-conditioning, sunbathing decks, on-board wi-fi, an on-board sound system and more.

The luxury cabin rooms can be booked on The Yacht Week’s Original Croatia and Ultra Festival routes (as well as their routes in Sardinia and Greece). Prices on the Croatia original route start at £1294 / €1400 / $1684 – very reasonable for a seven-day trip of a lifetime in ultimate luxury! Additionally, all tickets are flexible and there are a number of Covid-safe procedures in place – which means that all guests can book with full confidence.

The Yacht Week Luxury Cabins
The Yacht Week Lounge

The Yacht Week team are over the moon to now make the luxury cabin available to everyone via their bookings. For seven days, guests and friends can travel in ultimate style with the added benefit of all the amazing activities, food, drink, parties, and more put on by The Yacht Week. You will also be part of a flotilla of yachts containing new faces who will become friends for life. 

The Yacht Week assign cabin bookers to their yachts and aim to have a 50/50 gender split per yacht as well as making sure that pairs and smaller groups will always be on the same yacht wherever possible.

Anyone wishing to book should move quickly to www.theyachtweek.com to ensure they get their first choice. Cabin rooms are a perfect way for anyone to enjoy the special experience that is The Yacht Week and now everyone can enjoy it with added luxury.

The Yacht Week
The Yacht Week

The Yacht Week Classic Cabins

Additionally, cabins in The Yacht Week’s classic and premium yachts are also available across all European routes – for example, prices start at just £458 / €495 / $596 for a classic cabin on the Croatia Original route. These cabin bookings also offer complete flexibility for anyone to join The Yacht Week even if their group can’t fill an entire yacht. All travellers can book a cabin with a friend and like-minded individuals are guaranteed as everyone comes together to enjoy an experience like no other. Solo traveller? No problem! You’ll be perfectly catered for and paired in a bunk cabin room with a new friend of the same gender.

The Yacht Week Experience

Whether you’re booked into a Yacht Week luxury cabin or not, you’ll experience a trip like nothing else. You can learn how to sail; swim and snorkel in secluded natural bays; head to cool beach bars, lounges and restaurants to soak up sunsets and indulge in exquisite cuisine and cocktails. That’s all for the quiet, chilled moments of course! For the far more lively ones, there’s the unique circle raft at sea which is accompanied by tunes from the Buzz Boat, a floating DJ booth fully loaded with DJs and VOID Acoustics sound system. The Yacht Week also curates stunning parties in clubs and deserted islands in various locations. And for the adventurous, there’s exploring with scooters and open-top cars, or hikes and fitness activities. (As well as wellness and recovery with beachside yoga and spas!)

The Yacht Week Parties

More Info

Visit www.theyachtweek.com for more information about all of their cabins, experiences and routes and to book your trip of a lifetime! 

The Yacht Week
www.theyachtweek.com