The Yacht Week 2021

The Yacht Week 2021 open for bookings

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All young, adventurous travellers looking ahead to next summer and planning their holidays will be delighted to hear that Yacht Week 2021 has announced bookings are open. It’s the ideal opportunity to not only book the trip of a lifetime, but also to book something to look forward to in the current doom and gloom.

The Yacht Week 2021

Their flotilla of yachts set sail on the sparkling Adriatic waters, with several routes for Croatia available – including the Croatia Original route, the Ultra Festival Route and new for 2021, the Hideout Festival Route. The flagship Croatia Original route starts from just £392 / €422 / $508 per person on limited early bird yachts – that’s incredibly reasonable for such an unforgettable summer holiday! This Original route, for example, can take in places and islands such as Trogir, Vis, Hvar, Brac and Split – you’ll certainly experience many of the top destinations in Croatia as well as having an amazing time.

The Yacht Week Hvar
Hvar
The Yacht Week Brac
Zlatni Rat Beach on the island of Brac

The Yacht Week doesn’t just cover Croatia, however. They also offer amazing routes in Greece, the Caribbean, Polynesia, Montenegro and Sardinia – that last one also being a new option for 2021.

Yacht Week 2021 will offer the best yachts and the best prices for all of their destinations. And that’s not all – with new, flexible ticket terms, all guests will be able to book with confidence. If current global circumstances change by next summer, or perhaps you change your mind ahead of your travels, The Yacht Week has you covered. And whilst on your hols with The Yacht Week, you’ll be in a proven, safe environment.

Single travellers or groups of friends can charter a yacht of their choice, equip it with a skipper and a host and enjoy the amazing experience of a seven-day flotilla getaway. It’s the perfect choice whether you’re looking to let loose and party it up, or to kick back and relax. (Or perhaps a bit of both?) The Yacht Week 2021 can deliver a set of carefully curated activities as guests require.

The Yacht Week 2021
The Yacht Week

About The Yacht Week

Since 2006, The Yacht Week has created opportunities for people to step out of their everyday lives. Like-minded individuals can come together to enjoy an experience like no other. You don’t need any sailing experience at all, although you absolutely can get involved out on the open water. Not to mention finding secluded little bays that are perfect for swimming and snorkelling.

The Yacht Week lets travellers take their pick of the best parties from clubs to deserted islands. Better still, their unique circle raft at sea – complete with the Buzz Boat fully loaded with VOID Acoustics Soundsystem – is an experience and a half!

The Yacht Week 2021
The Yacht Week 2021

Watch sunsets from the coolest beach bars, lounges and restaurants whilst enjoying exquisite cuisine and cocktails, explore the world with scooters and open-top cars, or choose wellness and recovery with beachside yoga, spas and fitness. The highly experienced team at The Yacht Week can organise all of this and more – they deliver a highly curated experience. A week at sea with The Yacht Week is also a chance to make friends for life and join a very special community. And get this – no less than seventy (seventy!) marriages can be traced back to a first meeting at The Yacht Week!

The Yacht Week’s flotillas even set sail in summer 2020, despite the challenges presented by the global pandemic. This year’s The Yacht Week received some of the best feedback ever from those who took part. As a ‘floating festival’ of hundreds, it has proven itself a safe environment compared to standard festivals of many thousands of people. 

The Yacht Week

Booking The Yacht Week 2021

Bookings are now open for The Yacht Week 2021, for all of their routes in Croatia and other countries. To book or to see more information about their routes, please see www.theyachtweek.com.

Keep your eyes peeled for forthcoming announcements on the big-name DJs and other music events appearing exclusively at The Yacht Week 2021. Follow The Yacht Week on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube for all the latest news.

Gather your friends together to set sail along stunning coastlines and idyllic islands. You’ll make memories that will last a lifetime!

Zrce Sail Week

10 reasons to go on Zrce Sail Week

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As to be expected in the current circumstances, many of the festivals in Croatia have been cancelled for this summer. (Or, more accurately, postponed until 2021.) We’re sure many of you were planning to head down to Zrce Beach on the island of Pag to get your festival fix this year…so, what if we told you that there’s still a way you can get a festival experience in Croatia this year? That’s where Zrce Sail Week comes in!

Zrce Sail Week

Zrce Sail Week was started in 2019, and takes the number one party place in Croatia – Zrce Beach – to another level. World famous for its music festivals and 24-hour partying and open-air nightclubs looking out to sea, the area attracts many thousands of revellers every year. In any ‘normal’ year, Zrce Sail Week would organise an extra level of festival arrangements for all partygoers – it’s the first and largest brand that specialises in customised yacht hire for Zrce Beach.

As an outdoor event, Zrce Sail Week is permitted to be held in summer 2020, and will be setting sail every week from 4th July 2020!

But why take part in Zrce Sail Week?

10 reasons to go on Zrce Sail Week

1. The glamour

It’s a festival! On your ‘own’ yacht, sailing through the gorgeous Adriatic sea? What could be a better way of having a bit of fun this summer?

2. Everything is organised for you on Zrce Sail Week

Very often when you look to hire a yacht, you’ll get bogged down in a complicated and costly process, trying to plan the entire rental to within an inch of its life. Not here! Each yacht (which can accommodate up to 8 people) comes with its own skipper, whilst catamarans (for up to 12 people) have a skipper and a hostess.

3. It’s not as expensive as you may think!

As you’re spending your whole week on the yacht, there’s no extra costs apart from food.

If you want to add on a few extra people on your boat (if there’s space) to further lower costs per person, there’s the CrewFinder option to help you find people to fit into your crew! Or, use it for the opposite reason – if you’re a solo reveller (or there’s two of you), use it to find a solo or cabin slot on an existing yacht booking. You don’t need to get together a whole group of 8 or more people to enjoy Zrce Sail Week!

4. You don’t have to know a thing about sailing for Zrce Sail Week

Most of Zrce Sail Week’s guests are first time sailors…and all come away loving the experience! And then you can come home bragging to all your friends

5. The partying

Well, obviously. Did we mention that Zrce Beach is party central? You can choose to party the day and/or night away at clubs such as Papaya, Aquarius, Kalypso, Noa, Cocomo, Nomad and Euphoria and at the many events these venues host. Well, when you’re not partying on your yacht, that is!

6. It’s easy to get to start point for your week at sea

Zrce Beach on the island of Pag is easy to get to! The nearest airport is Zadar Airport, to where numerous airlines fly to from all over Europe. Pag is connected to the mainland by bridge, so you can get a bus from Zadar all the way up to Novalja, close to where Zrce Beach is. Of course, you can easily fly to one of the other airports in Croatia that are slightly further away – Split, Rijeka, Pula or perhaps even Zagreb.

7. You get your own personal guide for the week

The skipper on board each yacht knows the best places for everything. The best places bays for swimming, the best places to drop anchor, the best restaurants. You don’t have to do any research for these kinds of things!

8. You’ll be joined on your hols by like-minded people

Well, if you book a yacht with your friends, they’ll definitely be like-minded!

But even if you’re booking a solo spot or cabin, Zrce Sail Week tries to fit you in on the most suitable yacht. And most people booking these boats tend to be aged from 18 to 35 – which is likely what you are too.

9. It’s a week sailing in Croatia!

Have you seen the amazing Croatian coastline, with its numerous Croatian islands? (If you haven’t, you really should look it up!) It’s the ideal place for a sailing holiday. Zrce Sail Week is almost like two holidays in one – as well as a week partying, you also get to experience a sailing holiday.

10. It’s the perfect combination of a holiday

A bit of adventure on the seas, plenty of relaxation by day on the shimmering Adriatic sea and revelry at night – what more could you want from a summer holiday?!

Have we convinced you yet?

If you’re eager to book yourself a spot on Zrce Sail Week immediately, head over to zrcesailweek.com to book a yacht or catamaran, or cabin or spot. They are happy to answer any questions you may have via WhatsApp directly too.

Zrce Sail Week
runs weekly from 4th July 2020
zrcesailweek.com

Puzzle Punks Game of Thrones Virtual Escape Room

PuzzlePunks Dubrovnik launch Croatia’s first virtual escape room

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Everyone’s adapting to the ‘new normal’ during these unprecedented times – with working, schooling, exercise, entertainment and more all now having to take place at home. Entertainment in particular has changed form – perhaps you’ve fired up an old games console for some multiplayer online gaming; have had multi-person video calls with friends and a glass or three of wine; or even taken part in an online pub quiz? But what about an escape room – there’s no way you can do that now, right? Wrong! Thanks to PuzzlePunks Dubrovnik and their online virtual escape room, you can!

Puzzle Punks Game of Thrones Virtual Escape Room

And not just any virtual escape room – but a Game of Thrones-inspired one! Anyone who’s anyone knows that Dubrovnik “is” King’s Landing, and PuzzlePunks Dubrovnik normally run a real life Game of Thrones escape room at their base. But they’ve cleverly adapted to the coronavirus crisis, and turned this escape room into an online virtual game. Take part in fun and challenging games with family and friends – wherever you all are in the world – from the comfort of your own sofa.

Although normal life has been put on hold for almost everyone, including businesses, local Dubrovnik couple Diana Marlais and Bogdan Dascalescu saw an opportunity to create something new to help and evolve their venture. As Diana proudly explains:

“We are the first company that offers live video escape games in Croatia & one of the early adopters around the world. Our bookings kept getting canceled and the season was looking quite gloomy. The entire world just stopped and honestly, we felt quite scared of our future. To make things more complicated, we found out we have a baby on the way. Necessity is the mother of invention, so in our case as well, we felt we had no other choice but to adapt & innovate. “

Puzzle Punks Game of Thrones Virtual Escape Room

Their virtual escape room game takes you into the world of Game of Thrones – you and your team have 60 minutes to Save King’s Landing. You’ll be able to use a live avatar at your command via live video, directing him to look around the room for clues. As your eyes and hands inside the room, he’ll walk, look and pick up items based on your instructions. Pay close attention to the game and use your observational skills; combining the teamwork of you and your friends, you’ll be able to spend a thrilling 60 minutes solving puzzles.

Bogdan explains:

“It’s been our dream to reach more players worldwide. We are happy that we are able to offer those who cannot visit Croatia while traveling is not possible, as well as to escape room fans all over the world, an authentic Dubrovnik experience”. You can make a booking for yourself and your family/friends, or buy a gift voucher if you want to surprise someone with an epic birthday present or just help them get through these challenging self-isolating times”.

PuzzlePunks have adapted their working hours (they are open 12pm – 6am CET daily) to accommodate different time zones, especially for the American market. Slots for their virtual escape room are rapidly being booked up!

To make a reservation for your own team, and for more information, head to puzzlepunks.com.

Making Krostule

Croatian Baking – Making Krostule

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Whatever week you’re in in lockdown (perhaps you’re in a country where lockdown is being lifted – lucky you!), I’m sure you’ve done a fair amount of baking. After all, it’s relatively simple (assuming you’re not trying to make a five tier rainbow cake), it lifts the spirits (it really does!) AND you can treat yourself to the yummy end result! With a nice cup of tea, preferably.

Making Krostule

Here’s a Croatian recipe for making krostule that’s incredibly simple AND incredibly delicious. You’ll barely be able to stop yourself from eating 2, 5…8 krostule in one go. And if you’ve got any little ones at home, they can easily get involved in helping you make this, although obviously the deep-frying stage should be done by adults only.

Krostule are little pastries, traditionally from Istria and Dalmatia. They have a doughnut-like texture and are usually shaped as knots. They are best eaten when warm, right after cooking!

I got this original recipe for making krostule from a book called Croatian Cooking by Sandra Lougher, published in 2005. It contains some easy to follow recipes for Croatian starters, mains and desserts. This particular one is described as being “popular with kids”. Which is interesting, as the recipe contains rum… Unfortunately, the book appears out of print, but you may be able to pick up a second hand copy online.

Speaking of which (kids, not rum), I made a batch of these to take into my child’s nursery about a month and a half ago (one of the last “normal” things I did, pre-lockdown) when I went in to talk about Croatia to all the three and four year olds. I think they liked my talk and looking at the pretty pictures of Croatia. They certainly liked the soft toy Dalmatian dog I brought in! And the definitely liked the krostule!

Making Krostule

This recipe says it makes about 100. I ended up with about 35, so perhaps I didn’t roll out the dough thin enough…no matter.

Ingredients

  • 500g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 50g granulated sugar
  • 50g butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp rum (which I omitted to make it more child-friendly! But you may like to include it…)
  • grated rind of 1/2 lemon
  • grated rind of 1/2 orange
  • 100ml milk
  • sunflower or vegetable oil for deep-frying
  • icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix together the eggs and sugar in another bowl until the mixture becomes foamy.
3. Add the butter, rum (if using!), lemon and orange rind to the eggs and sugar, and mix together well.

Making Krostule - Flour and eggs
A bowl of flour and a bowl of egg, sugar, butter, lemon and orange rind

4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix together with a wooden spoon to get a dough to form. Little by little, add some of the milk so your dough is not too dry. (You may well find that you do not need to use all of the 100ml of milk).

Mixing the dough together
Mixing the dough together


5. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with a little flour, and knead well for about five minutes.
6. Return the dough to your bowl and leave to rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
7. Turn the dough out again and break into large pieces, manageable enough for you to roll out quite thin.
8. Once one piece is rolled out quite thinly, slice into thin but long strips measuring about 1.5cm in width. Tie each strip into a knot (you may need to ‘practice’ a few times to get it right) and set aside for deep-frying! Repeat for all the other pieces of dough.

Cutting strips to make krostule
Cutting the rolled out dough into strips
Uncooked krostule
A plateful of knots, ready to be deep fried!

9. Once you’ve cut and shaped all your knots, heat your oil in a saucepan until it is very hot – it will be shimmering slightly. I used quite a small saucepan to make the frying more manageable, and filled it about a third full with oil. You can always drop in one knot to test to see if the oil is hot enough to cook.
10. Once ready, drop a few knots into the oil at a time. (I did four at a time.) Fry for about 1-2 minutes each side – use a slotted spoon to turn halfway – until they’re golden brown. Remove with the spoon and place on kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil.

Deep frying
Deep frying the krostule

Transfer to a plate and dust with icing sugar.

Believe me, these are amazingly more-ish – you’ll no doubt ‘test’ quite a few whilst you’re frying them to make sure they’re not over- or under-done!

Krostule
The end result – a plateful of delicious krostule!

As mentioned, these are best eaten soon after cooking, whilst they are still warm. They don’t quite keep so well, becoming a bit harder, but you can nevertheless store them in an airtight container. (And why not dust with a bit more icing sugar before serving again?)

Why not try out some more Croatian recipes?

Paper Licitar Hearts

Paper Licitar Hearts / Licitarsko srce for your window

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Thanks to coronavirus lockdowns around the world, many of us are spending almost all of our time at home – whether your country is officially in full lockdown, or you’re merely trying to distance yourself from others in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.

Whilst we’re all stuck at home, we’re also taking on the ‘new normal’. Whether you’re working just as much as you’re used to or the complete opposite (or somewhere in between), you may also be trying to entertain or homeschool a gaggle of kids. I’m not in the homeschooling category, but definitely so in the ‘entertaining’ one – and whilst my child has been incredibly taken with my pretend nursery set up each day (involving her and some of her most favourite soft toys), there’s only so many different voices and times I can pretend to be the different soft toys (bunny, penguin, unicorn, assorted Paw Patrol characters) before I feel my brain heading towards mush.

So what’s a parent to do? Craft! I have dabbled in my own crafting over the years – knitting and beading jewellery to name a couple of hobbies. Not overly successfully, I have to add, but at least it stops me from sitting on my phone for hours at a time!

Many kids (and even adults) are displaying pictures and drawings in their windows (rainbows may be popular where you live – we’ve done a few!). Posters with thanks to health workers or other key workers are also very popular, for good reason. All of this got me thinking that displaying paper versions of licitar hearts (licitarsko srce in Croatian, or sometimes also referred to as gingerbread hearts) would also be a cheerful (and sweet) thing to display, as well as fun to make!

Licitar hearts are generally from the central part of Croatia – you may well have seen them for sale if you’ve visited Zagreb. These pretty, delicately decorated red hearts are traditionally given as gifts to loved ones, and can also often be seen (the smaller versions, that is) as decorations on Christmas trees. You can find out more about licitar hearts on the official website.

Now, obviously as we’re on lockdown it’s not like I have access to a fully-stocked craft cupboard. But you may…or be able to order some suitable supplies on the internet.

What I had as materials were:

  • bright red card
  • sequins of different colours
  • paints
  • I thought beads might work somewhere in there (I told you I did beading!)
  • glitter (which you’ll of course have if you have kids)
  • shiny card
  • white chalk
  • a printer
  • glue
  • kitchen foil

Making paper licitar hearts

I first downloaded a heart shape from the internet and printed it out both A4 and A5 sizes to make differently sized paper hearts. This is the one I actually used; there are of course other variations available online. Or you may be more talented than me and can just draw your own freehand version!

Having printed and cut out the heart, I then held it down onto a piece of red card to draw an outline. Anything would work for drawing the outline; I randomly decided to used chalk and realised I really liked the effect.

Paper Licitar Hearts - Chalk Outline
Drawing around the heart with chalk
Look at the lovely outline I drew! (With a template…)

Having cut out the hearts, I discovered the chalk would also really work really well for some of the decoration too – in particular the white edges and swirls.

Now it’s decorating time! Use whatever you have to hand…paints of course work really well. And what kid doesn’t like a bit of painting? My random collection of sequins and beads came in handy too, and I used them to recreate the flower decoration, sticking them on with a tiniest dab of glue.

Painting Paper Licitar Hearts
On with the painting – on relevant lockdown-related newspaper!

Glitter can be used to recreate the middle mirrored element, as could kitchen foil or any shiny card you might have to hand.

Painted Paper Licitar Hearts
The painted end result! (Adult and child versions)
Licitar Hearts with sequins
Using sequins as decorations

And once you’ve finished, stick them in your window. And then head out on your daily exercise to walk past and admire your handy work!

Or, why not use them in a way that’s similar to their intended purpose? Pop your paper licitar hearts in the post to send to a loved one that’s stuck at home under quarantine.

For those with lots of space and some more unusual store cupboard items may be tempted to try making proper licitarsko srce. There are some highly detailed instructions here from Uppermoda or the Licitar website.

Tour Croatia Online - Stradun in summer

Tour Croatia online from your sofa

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These unusual times due to the coronavirus outbreak mean travel to exciting destinations around the world – Croatia included, of course – is completely curtailed for the time being. We of course hope matters will improve in the not too distant future – for everyone’s health and safety first and foremost, but also so everyone can make a return to doing things they enjoy and love. In the meantime, however, why not tour Croatia online…from the comfort of your sofa!

It’s not quite the same thing but you can catch some glimpses of the Croatia you know and love…and perhaps discover some new places that you can visit in the future!

Tour Croatia Online - Stradun in Summer
How Stradun normally looks in summer – with the bell tower (where the below webcam must be positioned) in the distance

Walk the cobblestones of Stradun in Dubrovnik

This live webcam of Dubrovnik‘s famous thoroughfare Stradun pans around looking down it and also over Orlando Column (sadly, boarded up) and the Church of St Blaise. When we visited it (virtually, that is!) not only was it almost entirely empty (apart from a few people walking solo) but it was also rather soggy and grey on a rainy day. When we revisited a few days later, we have to say that it looked even stranger completely empty in the sunshine. If you’ve ever visited Dubrovnik, compare this to how bustling and busy Stradun normally is – it’s certainly a stark contrast.

Gaze out over Hvar Town and the nearby islands

This one’s a real beauty. This live webcam looks down over Hvar Town and across to the nearby Pakleni islands. Located higher up than the usual lookout point that visitors head to, the Spanish Fortress, you can see almost all of the town, the Fortress itself, the forest above town, the collection of islands nearby and the sparkly sea. It’s even pretty to look at at dusk, with the twinkling lights of the houses seen down below whilst the outline of the islands are still visible in the distance.

Explore the many amazing viewpoints in the Plitvice Lakes National Park

Perhaps the Plitvice Lakes were on your Croatian itinerary this year. Well, hopefully you’ll still be able to visit one day soon – but in the meantime, but not walk through the national park online? Google Streetview lets you “walk” a number of the paths in the park – this is surely one of the best ways to tour Croatia online! Here, we’ve started you at the viewpoint just past Entrance number 1. Head down the paths to reach the lower lakes!

Exploring Plitvice Lakes via Google Earth is also recommended!

Get to know the island of Krk

Krk360.com is an ingenious site – set over a large map of Krk Town, there are numerous places to visit via 360º panoramas. Explore a number of beaches, the main promenade, sights (churches, the Cathedral, the bell tower) restaurants and even the public library!

“Sample” some Croatian wine

If you’re never visited a winery in Croatia, why not drop by the Vuglec Breg winery in the Zagorje region, north of Zagreb. Set in lush green countryside, you definitely have to visit the wine cellar (and in real life too, one day, to sample their wines!) as well as the wonderful viewpoints.

Explore a Croatian castle

Trakoscan Castle (also in the Zagorje region, close to the border with Slovenia) is one of the most impressive of Croatia’s castles. Built in the 13th century as a fortress for monitoring the local road, the castle was nationalised in 1944 and has been operating as a museum since 1954. This walkthrough tour is absolutely wonderful, giving you a near-real-life experience.

Trakoscan Castle
The impressive Trakoscan Castle

Visit one of Croatia’s most famous sights

One of the most famous symbols of Croatia is Zagreb‘s Cathedral. This virtual tour gives you the opportunity to explore the Cathedral in peace and quiet…as perhaps it should be.

Photos of Zagreb - Zagreb Cathedral
Zagreb Cathedral – sadly, the top part of one of its spires broke off in the recent (March 2020) earthquake

Where will you stay? In a hotel? Campsite?

A number of accommodation options in Croatia offer virtual tours of their premises. One of these is the sumptuous Grand Hotel Park in Rovinj. You start off “hovering” above the town on a beautifully sunny day; you then swoop down to the hotel. Enter, take the lift up to the reception and take a nosy around the restaurant and bar (hop out onto the balcony for that famous view of Rovinj!) and then take a look at the different room types. I’ll take a suite, thanks! 😎

The Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb has a similar tour. This famous hotel, first opened in 1925, is housed in a stunning, rather imposing building close to the main train station in the city. And for good reason – the hotel was constructed as a stop off point for those travelling on the Orient Express. The five star hotel has been one of the country’s top hotels for many years – and still is today – and has been a place to stay for all sorts of dignitaries and celebrities. Head into the amazing reception – where there’s even an open bottle of champagne waiting (!) – and check out the lounge areas as well as the stunning Emerald Ballroom (especially so in its wedding setting!). Finally, don’t forget to take a look at the gorgeous rooms.

If camping is more your thing, why not check out the facilities of Camp Cikat on the island of Losinj on its virtual tour. You’ll certainly wish you were there on a beautifully sunny day!

See what’s happening on Split’s normally bustling Riva

Unfortunately, the answer is not much! To round off this guide, we thought we’d return to a view of the sparkling Adriatic sea with a webcam set over Split‘s famous Riva (the promenade by the sea). Nowhere near as populated as normal – just a few pedestrians and the odd cyclist or two; all of the popular cafes are firmly shut – we hope this lovely street returns to full force soon.

Tour Croatia Online - Riva in Split
The sunny Riva – and its bustling cafes – on a day in early May

For other glimpses of the Adriatic, do also take a look at these webcams:

  • The marina and the boats bobbing up and down in Pag Town
  • The famous Kamen Brela in Brela
  • The swaying palm trees by the seafront in Novalja, island of Pag

Or for something a little different, take a look at what the meerkats, sea lions or lions are up to in Zagreb Zoo!

Get a zipline thrill

This one will probably give you the biggest thrill out of all the experiences on this list! Even if it’s not quite the same thing as being there… Zipline Omis have a virtual tour of their up in the air adventure that offers up some totally amazing views of the Cetina River and the forests and rocky hillsides all around. To get more of a feel for the zipline, take a look through their gallery of photos and videos of well – and imagine yourself zipping down that wire!

A nice bit of EDM at a Croatian festival

The Croatian summer events calendar is crammed full of all sorts of music festivals in Tisno, Novalja, Split, Zagreb… One of the largest is the Ultra Europe festival in Split every July; relive Afrojack’s rather spectacular set from this festival from summer 2019 below. Full screen it, get your wireless headphones on, dim the lights…you’ve got yourself a dance party!

Gaze at photos of Croatia

If you’ve visited Croatia, we’re sure you have plenty of gorgeous photos of your holidays to look back on!

If you’d like to look at some of ours see some of the albums featured in our Photos in Croatia section – including those of Dubrovnik, Split, Zagreb, Hvar, Vis, the Plitvice Lakes and more.

We hope you enjoy this whistle stop tour of Croatia from your home!

Outlook Origins Featured Image

Outlook Origins full line-up, stage programme and Barbarella’s after parties announced

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Following on from their initial line-up reveal, Outlook Origins (30th July – 3rd August 2020) has now announced everything you need to know about this summer’s festival – the final names to be added to the bill, the stage programme and all the details about the after parties taking place at the open-air nightclub, Barbarella’s.

Drum & bass icons Chase & Status and Children of Zeus have been added to the opening concert, which will take place in St Michael’s Fortress in Sibenik on the 30th July. There are limited tickets left for this unique event – if you want to attend, make sure you snap up a ticket now!

Outlook Origins Full Line-Up

For the main part of the festival, the Outlook Origins full line-up now includes Novelist, Silkie, Coki, Goth Trad, Conducta and Sgt Pokes are all playing, whilst 1xtra’s Jamz Supernova joins the bill and Pinch’s Tectonic and Rinse FM will also get involved with their own impressive takeovers.

If you recall, Outlook has moved home for 2020 – now named Outlook Origins (for it has returned to its origins in Dalmatia), the festival will take place in Tisno. This year will see a more intimate version of the storied Outlook Festival, but one that will stay true to its roots – with its usual mix of sound system culture, beach parties, boat parties, after parties and much more.

Outlook Origins is an exciting evolution in the story of the festival and is sure to attract many of its usual fans. Once again, the festival is sure to be the most essential event this summer for lovers of any and all forms of bass. 

Outlook Origins - Jamie Crumpton
Credit: Jamie Crumpton

Outlook Origins Full Line-Up

The Outlook Origins full line-up has been pulled together by 13 expert curators; each has done a fine job of representing the various cornerstones of their own scenes. These curators are Calibre, D Double E, DJ Storm, Flava D, Fliptrix, Goldie, Iration Steppas, Lenzman, Mala, Mungo’s Hifi, The Bug, Zed Bias and Hybrid Minds and they’ve already announced huge names like dBridge, Fabio & Grooverider, Randall, Wookie, Youngsta, Hatcha, Breakage, Doc Scott, DRS, J.Sparrow, P. Money, 6 Figure Gang (aka Dobby, FAUZIA, Jossy Mitsu, LCY, Sherelle, Yazzus), Children of Zeus, Coops, Darwin, Horsepower Productions, Jah Shaka, N-Type and many more. 

On Mala’s curated stage in attendance are Silkie, Coki, Goth Trad, Sicaria Sound with Killa P, Crazy D & Sun of Selah on the mic all bringing the signature sound back to Croatia with plenty of hard hitting and deep bass styles. Further high profile stage takeovers have been added; these include Pinch’s Tectonic label celebrating 15 years (with Walton being a late and great addition ahead of his new release on the label) and Rinse FM who join forces with 6 Figure Gang for a takeover of their own that is sure to get rowdy.

Elsewhere excitement is building for Deadbeat + Tikiman who will present a special live dub show, while New Zealand duo Truth return for big things in 2020. The Heatwave add some of their own much loved and hugely characteristic bounce and 1xtra’s Jamz Supernova joins the bill, while there will be more drum & bass from Technimatic, SCAR, Artificial Intelligence and J Majik.

Check out the full line-up on the Outlook Origins website.

Outlook Origins Barbarella’s After Parties

With the festival moving to Tisno, revellers will be able to enjoy the after parties at the legendary open-air club Barbarella’s. Entry to these parties are available via separate tickets on sale now as individual days, as well as part of a festival package deal and full pass.

Each of these special events is powered by the peerless Sinai Sound System and will feature the likes of Dispatch and Sofa Sound going head to head for a takeover. Mala curates a heavyweight offering featuring Deep Medi family including local Egoless as well as Silkie, Sicaria Sound and a b2b from Coki and Mala, then The Bug curates his own late night get together as well as Leeds legend and dub warrior Iration Steppas. 

Outlook Origins - Daisy Denham
Credit: Daisy Denham

Tickets for Outlook Origins

Early bird tickets for Outlook Origins are still available, priced at £120 (plus booking fee). You can also take advantage for a special offer to buy 5 tickets for price of 4, meaning that a ticket will only cost £96 per person!

Opening night concert tickets cost £35 (plus b.f.).

A Barbarella’s after party full access pass for entry to all nights costs £40 (plus b.f.). You can also buy a ticket for entry into Barbarella’s for any one night for £15 (plus b.f.).

All of these tickets can be bought via the Outlook Origins website.

Tickets for the boat parties are sold separately – full news of these to come!

Outlook Origins
Tisno, 30th July – 3rd August 2020
https://outlookfestival.com/

Love International Club Shows Feat

2020 Love International Club Shows at Barbarella’s Announced

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Having recently revealed the excellent full line-up for this year’s event, it’s now the turn of the 2020 Love International club shows at Barbarella’s to be announced!

The fifth Love International will see music running for 24 hours for six of the seven days of the festival and much of the line-up is dedicated to a stunning series of back to back sets. These include Shanti Celeste B2B Saoirse B2B Moxie B2B Peach, Khruangbin (DJ set), Call Super B2B Objekt, Eris Drew B2B Octo Octa, Axel Boman b2b Kornél Kovács b2b Pedrodollar.

Focus now switches to the open-air club Barbarella’s – regarded as one of the finest clubs in the world – and the seven Love International shows taking place at the club this summer.

2020 Love International Club Shows

2020 Love International club shows

Opening up proceedings on Wednesday 15th July will be Job Jobse’s Strangelove party, hosting Peach, Mad Miran and Job himself.

The following night, Ransom Note heat things up with the new and the legendary, with sets from Haai and Ivan Smagghe B2B Manfredas on Thursday 16th, then Friday 17th at Barbarella’s sees Futureboogie fave Roman Flügel with support from Jonny Rock, Dave Harvey and Christophe.

Saturday’s weekend peak features Resident Advisor with Avalon Emerson making a very welcome return to the festival, plus first-time performances from Carista and Elias Mezian.

24 hours later, Craig Richards and Ben UFO make Sunday 19th their own with their traditional weird and twisted curation of the dark side of electronic music all night long with The Nothing Special.

Then Monday 20th is simply huge, with a world’s first triple back to back from Antal B2B Hunee B2B Palms Trax for what will be one of the sets of 2020.

Then finally it’s down to Horse Meat Disco to see out Love International as they always do, taking over the club with gorgeous disco and rare crate-dug house from start to dawn-kissed finish.

See the full list of Love International club shows below:

Strangelove
Wednesday 15th July
Jobe Jobse
Peach
Mad Miran

Ransom Note
Thursday 16th July
Haai
Ivan Smagghe B2B Manfredas

Futureboogie
Friday 17th July
Roman Flügel
Jonny Rock
Dave Harvey and Christophe

Resident Advisor
Saturday 18th July
Avalon Emerson
Carista
Elias Mezian

The Nothing Special
Sunday 19th July
Craig Richards B2B Ben UFO

Monday 20th July
Antal B2B Hunee B2B Palms Trax

Horse Meat Disco
Tuesday 21st July
Horse Meat Disco all night long

Love International - Barbarella's
Barbarella’s

Tickets for Love International

Tickets are currently priced at €155 (plus booking fee) and can be purchased online at loveinternationalfestival.com/buy-tickets/.

For the Love International club shows and the boat parties, tickets are sold separately. A Barbarella’s unlimited pass costs €70 (plus b.f.).

You can also purchase tickets for any one of the club shows for £17.50 (plus b.f.).

Love International Barbarella's
Barbarella’s

More information

Full information about the Love International club shows can be found on the official website!

Love International
Tisno, 15th – 21st July 2020
loveinternationalfestival.com

Outlook Origins Line-Up

Outlook Origins line-up – first names revealed

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The Outlook Festival has moved house for 2020! Transferring from the magical Fort Punta Christo site near Pula in Istria, the festival is returning to its Dalmatian origins – hence the name Outlook Origins – and is to be held at The Garden Tisno from the 30th July to 3rd August 2020. (That’s also about a month earlier than normal.) And this week, the Outlook Origins line-up has seen the first names added to the bill!

Outlook Origins Line-Up

Outlook’s mission this year is to showcase the very best in the game, old and new, as curated by 13 bass heroes who are experts in their field – they include Calibre, D Double E, DJ Storm, Flava D, Fliptrix, Goldie, Iration Steppas, Lenzman, Mala, Mungo’s Hifi, The Bug and Zed Bias. There’s also the new addition of Hybrid Minds who’s also part of this Outlook Origins line-up reveal.

Outlook has built a world renowned reputation for focussing on the best in drum & bass, dubstep, grime, garage, reggae and beyond on its scene-leading sound systems – and Outlook Origins in its new home will be no exception.

Outlook Origins Line-Up

Joining the 13 tastemaking curators will be the heavyweight likes of Shy FX, dBridge, Fabio & Grooverider, Randall, Wookie, Youngsta, Hatcha, Breakage, Doc Scott, DRS, J.Sparrow, P. Money, 6 Figure Gang (aka Dobby, FAUZIA, Jossy Mitsu, L U C Y, Sherelle, Yazzus), Children of Zeus, Coops, Darwin, Horsepower Productions, Jah Shaka, N-Type. Many more names are also still be to be announced. 

Outlook Origins - Daisy Denham
Credit: Daisy Denham

Outlook Origins in Tisno

Set at famed The Garden Resort in Tisno this year, Outlook Origins will be making full use of the open-air club Barbarella’s for after-parties!

This year’s opening concert will be held at the iconic St Michaels Fortress in nearby Sibenik for a spectacular first night.

Outlook - Jamie Crumpton
Credit: Jamie Crumpton

Overall, the new look festival will be an imitate, personal gathering of friends and family who all have a shared love of bass and are long time devoted dancers. 

Tickets for Outlook Origins 2020

Early bird tickets for Outlook Origins cost £120 (plus booking fee) and can be booked online at See Tickets.

If there’s a group of you going together, you can make a great saving by buying 5 tickets for the price of 4! (Each ticket works out to be £96 + booking fee.)

Outlook Origins - Daisy Denham
Credit: Daisy Denham

More info

For full details of this year’s festival, check out the official website or look them up on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for all the latest news!

Outlook Origins
Tisno, 30th July – 3rd August 2020
outlookfestival.com

Love International Barbarella's

Full 2020 Love International line-up revealed

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Celebrating its fifth birthday this week, one of the top festivals in Croatia – Love International – this week revealed its full line-up. And this year the Love International line-up will feature a series of back-to-back sets from some of the world’s most revered taste-making artists, both familiar to the festival crowd and some new names.

Taking place in the beautiful Tisno location from Wednesday 15th to Tuesday 21st July 2020 (slighter later in that month than in previous years), all of the usual elements of the festival will be present. From bouncing boat parties to wild open-air sets at Barbarella’s; Beach Bar action to escapism in the Olive Grove to the pulsating Garden Stage; from the sublime Sunrise Sessions to get everyone in the mood on each beautifully lit morning to the unique Secret Island Party on the final day to round the adventure off.

Love International Barbarella's
Barbarella’s

Not to mention that the festival will be running 24 hours across six of the seven programmed days – that’s some serious festival action!

Love International Line-Up

First up, the newly announced Call Super b2b Objekt are two of the most versatile and adventurous selectors around. Vladimir Ivkovic has also been added to the bill where he will join Ivan Smagghe for another evening of wondrous weirdness; they join a world’s first with Antal b2b Hunee b2b Palms Trax. There are further inspired combinations from Shanti Celeste b2b Saoirse b2b Moxie b2b Peach, Ben UFO b2b Craig Richards, Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa, Bruce b2b Hodge, Heidi Lawden b2b Lovefingers and Axel Boman b2b Kornél Kovács b2b Pedrodollar in a series of tantalising sets unlike anything the region has ever seen.

Love International Line-Up: Vladimir Ivkovic
Vladimir Ivkovic

Next up, brand new solo artist additions include Red Axes, Dan Shake, Artwork, Nicolas Lutz, CC:Disco! and Prosumer, who join Khruangbin (DJ Set), Ross From Friends (DJ set), Andrew Weatherall, Crazy P Soundsystem, Horse Meat Disco, Job Jobse, Midland, Paranoid London, Roman Flügel, Optimo, Orpheu The Wizard, Avalon Emerson, Chaos In The CBD, DJ Tennis, Gerd Janson, Carista and Powder.

Love International Line-Up: Red Axes
Red Axes

The festival continues to support up and coming talent from across the globe whilst also always giving a nod to local Croatian artists too. These names include Adam Curtain, Body Hammer, Danielle, Darwin, Dr Banana, Elena Colombi, Elias Mazian, Juan Ramos, Luca Lozano, Mad Miran, Manami, Nosedrip, Phuong Dan, Project Pablo, Roza Terenzi and Yu Su.

Love International Line-Up: Mad Miran
Mad Miran
Love International Line-Up: Darwin
Darwin

There’s also an eclectic mix of newcomers to Love International for the very first time, returning old friends and a range of performers who weave across a dizzying array of sounds, adding further depth and range to the festival’s pulsating sonic sphere. Listed A-Z, these include 5IVE, Adriatic Social Club, Alison Swing, Apiento, Bakula, Beepolar, Begin, Bill Brewster, Bobby, Budino, Carnero, Carlos, Charlie Beck, Chris Bowen, Christophe, Craig Christon, Dave Harvey, Dave O, Desert Sound Colony, Disco Mums aka The Chemical Mothers, DJ Absolutely Shit, Ellie Stokes, Eric Duncan, Feel The Real, Felix Dickinson, Frank Broughton, Franklin De Costa, Homeboy, Hugo, il Bosco, Ilija Rudman (Live), Jackin Patz, Jake Manders & Wayne Holland, James Dyer, Jenny Jen & Nadia, Jessica, Jonny Rock, Justin Van Der Volgen, Kid Manchine, Kit Seymour, Krywald & Farrer, Ladybeige, Lauer, Lawrence Klein, Leewok, Legalize Lambada, Liv Ayers, Lloydski, Lucas Wigflex, Lucija, Maja Pa, Man Power, Manfredas, Metrodome, MIMI, Mozhgan, Nick Jelly, Nick The Record, Not An Animal, Oli Silva, Paramida, PBR Streetgang, Peak & Swift, Pedrodollar, Peter Leung, Pharaoh Brunson, Piers Harrison, Polanco, Pure Respect, Rastanils & Olof Uhlin, Raw Silk, Rubin, Rupes, Shane One, Sonofapizzaman, Starion, TamTam, Tender T, Test Pressing Soundsystem, Tommy Walker 3, Tonko, Tristan da Cunha, Victor Rodriguez, Viscera, Warehouse Preservation Society and Will Tramp.

Tom Paine, Love International’s co-founder with Dave Harvey, explains:

“For our 5th anniversary we have decided to change things, and shape our programme around a series of back to back sets. As many DJ friends performing stay for the duration of the festival it feels like the perfect time to do something different in Tisno. Some of our programmed b2bs are long time DJ partners and others are world firsts coming together, and all will play across different stages and different times of the day through our 24-hour timetable, bringing completely new and unexpected journeys across the musical spectrum. To have the opportunity to put Antal b2b Hunee b2b Palms Trax in our favourite open-air club is something we are very excited to see happen, along with all of the back to backs taking place across the week.”

Love International Secret Island

Tickets for Love International 2020

Tickets for the festival are on sale now, priced at €155 for a full six day pass. (Boat parties and club shows cost extra.) Tickets can be bought online at www.loveinternationalfestival.com.

The Beach

More on Love International 2020

You can find full details of the Love International line-up and everything else you need to know about the festival at www.loveinternationalfestival.com.

Love International 2020
Tisno, 15 – 21 July 2020
www.loveinternationalfestival.com