Hideout Festival 2022

Hideout Festival 2022 returns to Zrce Beach for its 10th edition

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Following two years off due to the…well, you know what (the pandemic, of course)…the epic Hideout Festival will finally return to Zrce Beach on the island of Pag from 3rd to 7th July 2022 for its 10th edition!

To celebrate this fantastic news, they’ve already announced the first phase of headliners that will appear at the festival, and they include some top favourites – CamelPhat, Sonny Fodera, Skream, Solardo, Andy C, Eats Everything, Horse Meat Disco, Shy FX, Fisher, Jamie Jones as well as TSHA, Jayda G, Krystal Klear, Arielle Free and Folamour. All acts will be performing across five fantastic stages at the top clubs in Zrce Beach.

Hideout Festival 2022
Credit: Gary Brown

We’re sure that Hideout regulars are already snapping up their tickets, but if you’re never been why not head to the island of Pag next summer to find out why it is one of Europe’s most loved festivals?

About Hideout Festival

Twelve years on from its first event, Hideout has evolved from its humble roots into one of the flagship summer festivals in Europe. Young, playful and style-conscious music lovers gather at the clubs of Zrce Beach to have fun at the festival’s high-energy parties, day and night as well as at the boat parties, beach parties and at the headline shows.

Hideout takes place at the world-renowned clubs Papaya, Aquarius, Noa, Kalypso and the intimate Euphoria; altogether, they offer a mixture of sun-soaked wooden terraces, plenty of thematic production, mesmeric lights, world-class sound systems and – the ultimate for partying in this part of the world – uninterrupted views of the glistening Adriatic.

Hideout Festival 2022
Credit: Gary Brown

Just in case that’s not enough for you (what now??), there’s plenty of other daytime adventure that you can take part in – everything from water sports, banana boats, jet skis and pedalos to the famous Bungee Jump, massages on the beach and more.

Hideout Festival 2022 Line-Up

We’ve already mentioned some of the names appearing at the 2022 event, and the line-up is certainly supersized even by Hideout’s high standards. Featuring a celebration of all genres with everything from disco to techno, drum & base to garage and house music, you’ll be able to enjoy both legendary pioneers and red hot breakout acts.

For cutting-edge underground sounds, there are scene leaders such as Ninja Tune’s Jayda G, rising superstar TSHA and recent Fabric mix entrant and techno innovators Overmono. For house heads there are the likes of GRAMMY winners Camelphat, Aussie house maestro Sonny Fodera, bass lover Eats Everything and Hideout faves Solardo, Jamie Jones, Hot Since 82, Sam Divine, Richy Ahmed, Krystal Klear. 

Hideout Festival

Party-starting beats and breaks will be on offer from thrilling breakout star Sherelle, plus returning legend Skream and the social media sensations that are Northern rap kings Bad Boy Chiller Crew. DnB, garage and all things bass are covered by titans including Andy C, Dimension, Shy FX, Holy Goof, Jaguar, My Nu Leng and Flava D.

And that’s just some of the first names that have been announced – many more are to come!

Tickets for Hideout Festival 2022

Ticket prices start at £149 (plus booking fee) and can be reserved right now – head to hideoutfestival.com to do so with a deposit of just £50.

If you’re the type to get everything planned right away, do also look up their flight, accommodation and coach packages so you can get your travel and accommodation sorted!

Hideout Festival 2022
Credit: Matt Eachus – themancphotographer.co.uk

More info

Check out all the latest news on Hideout Festival 2022 on the official website, or look them up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Hideout Festival 2022
3rd – 7th July 2022
Zrce Beach, Novalja, island of Pag
hideoutfestival.com

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

2016 Summer Season at Kalypso Club Zrce Beach

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For those heading to the party-central destination that is Zrce Beach in Novalja on the island of Pag this summer, be sure to head straight to the open-air Kalypso Club. They’ve announced a very exciting line-up which features a rich and international programme of DJs, festivals, events and parties, all set on the gorgeous Adriatic sea. We’re sure you won’t want to miss out on the fun at Kalypso Club Zrce Beach!

Festivals at Kalypso Club Zrce Beach

There’s the club’s own Woodshock Festival (17th – 20th July 2016) with DJs Klingande, Jack Novak, Will Sparks and Jauz as well as the Stereoforest Festival (8th – 10th August 2016) which features Deorro, Tigerlily, a ÄUDÄJ night with Simon & Lush, DJs from Mars, Damian N-Drix or Gregori Klosman, a special featuring with DJ Antoine, DJ Da Candy, Rony Rex, and resident DJ Bronxwon.

Kalypso Club Zrce Beach - Croatia Spring Break

This year, Kalypso is also part of the new Black Sheep Festival (31st July – 3rd August 2016) – taking place in all four major clubs on Zrce beach and featuring DJs Michale Calfan, Nervo, Quintino and R3HAB.

But of course it’s impossible to forget that Kalypso is also one of the host clubs for the main famous music festivals taking place in Zrce Beach. These include Hideout Festival, SONUS, Loveweek, Fresh Island, Barrakud, Hard Island, UES Festival, Zrce Spring Break and Croatia Spring Break.

Kalypso Club Zrce

Parties at Kalypso Club Zrce Beach

There’s many special parties being hosted at Kalypso too. These include the Neonsmash Musicfestival (13th July 2016) direct from the Carribbean Islands with 2faced funk, as well as the Holi One Color Party (9th August 2016). Kalypso will pull out all the stops to surprise partygoers with crazy After Beach Parties and performances, plus numerous individual events and chill-out parties.

Kalypso Club Zrce Beach - Croatia Spring Break

Open-air clubbing in Croatia has a long, long history with Zrce Beach being part of this scene as far back as the 1970s! Kalypso itself was one first trendsetters, welcoming partygoers for almost 30 years. And after a complete refurbishment in 2015, the 2016 is likely to be the best season yet!

Full details of all events taking place at Kalypso Club, Zrce Beach can be found www.kalypso-zrce.com and www.facebook.com/KalypsoClub.

Dubrovnik to Novalja

Travel question: Getting from Dubrovnik to Novalja

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Question: Myself and a friend are arriving in Dubrovnik and need to travel to Novalja. Is there any direct transport from Dubrovnik to Novalja? If not, what’s the easiest, shortest and cheapest way to get there? Train? Bus?

Answer: Some of you who are heading to Novalja this summer for one of the many festivals held there may have booked flights to Dubrovnik. It’s not the closest airport to Novalja on the island of Pag (Zadar is; Split is second), but there’s certainly plenty of flights from the UK and Europe to Dubrovnik and you may well have found it cheapest to fly there.

Dubrovnik to Novalja

So, if you’re looking for public transport options from Dubrovnik to Novalja, here’s what we’d recommend…if you’re trying to get between the two as quickly as possible. There is no direct transport from one to the other, so:

Option 1: Dubrovnik to Zadar to Novalja

Travel Dubrovnik to Zadar by bus (8 buses per day, with most in the morning; journey time 6-7 hours) and then Zadar to Novalja by bus (3 buses per day; journey time 2 hours).

Look up timetables on the Zadar Bus Terminal website.

The approximate one-way cost is 280 Kunas (200 Kunas Dubrovnik – Zadar; 80 Kunas Zadar – Novalja).

Option 2: Dubrovnik to Split to Novalja

Travel Dubrovnik to Split by bus (many per day; journey time 4.5 hours) and then Split to Novalja by bus (one per day; journey time 5 hours).

However, the Split – Novalja bus operates in the morning, so you’d most likely have to split this journey up into two days with a night in Split. (No bad thing.)

Look up timetables on the Split Bus Terminal website.

The approximate one-way cost is 340 Kunas (120 Kunas Dubrovnik – Split; 220 Kunas Split – Novalja).

TIP: If you’re keen to secure a seat on the Split – Novalja bus, tickets can be bought online (with a 5% discount!) on the Autotrans website.

Technically you could also do Dubrovnik – Split (4.5 hours); Split – Zadar (lots of buses on this route; 2.5-3 hours; approx. 95 Kunas) and Zadar – Novalja (2 hours) but then that does involve two stops!

Happy festival going!

A unique, fun and sexy event – Allure Music Festival, 21st – 23rd July on Zrce Beach, Pag

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Another new festival event for Croatia this summer – the Allure Music Festival, which takes place from 21st to 23rd July on the island of Pag!

Allure Music Festival

Set in Zrce Beach’s Kalypso Club – one of the hottest destinations for summer partying in Croatia – Allure Music Festival has a unique twist and something that sets it apart from all other dance music events taking place this summer in the country. Women will be at the centre of the Allure experience, as all DJs, dancers, hostesses and promoters at the event will be female. Allure will truly be a celebration of women!

Allure Music Festival

DJs that will be performing at Allure include DJ Mari Ferrari, DJ Sherezade, DJ Dea, DJ Gila and DJ Lady Dee with more ladies to be announced very soon.

Allure Music Festival is sure to be one of the sexiest events of the summer, as great music will combine with a unique vibe of spirituality, sensuality and seduction.

The Festival will be taking place at Kalypso Club in Zrce Beach on the island of Pag, the top party destination in Croatia that’s on an island that attracts more than 2 million visitors each year. Kalypso Club has a huge open air dance floor, go go platforms, lots of different levels, and plenty of bars so there’s everything you could possibly need for a fantastic night out.

Early bird tickets for Allure Music Festival are currently available, priced at €25 – making the festival not just a sexy and unique event, but excellent value for money! Tickets can be purchased online here.

For full details on Allure and to find out more line-up details, check out the official website at allure-music-festival.com. Do also follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the latest Allure Music Festival goings on!

Allure Music Festival
21st – 23rd July 2015
Kalypso Club
Zrce Beach
island of Pag

Kalypso - Color Sensation

The 2015 party season at Zrce Beach’s Kalypso club, including brand new Stereo Forest Festival

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Novalja’s Kalypso Club – the very first beach club in southeast Europe that now has nearly thirty years of clubbing experience – has announced a very exciting party season for 2015! Alongside a number of exciting festivals – including the first edition of Croatia Rocks, little sister to Ibiza Rocks, Kalypso will be hosting its own festival for the first time this year. Named Stereo Forest, the festival will held on the dance floors, stages and party pools of Kalypso from 2nd to 6th August 2015, bringing together some of the best names from the electronic dance music scene.

Another special announcement for 2015 is that every Monday Kalypso will also host Garden of Art, a spectacular cirque performance art experience that will mix top DJs and live acts with talented dancers in extravagant costumes, amazing artistry and fire shows – everything to delight both your eyes and ears. Catch the spectacle as you chill at Kalypso by day, or dance away to EDM beats by night. Garden of Art will be rounded off for the summer by a BIG closing party on the 22nd August.

Kalypso - Stereo Forest

Stereo Forest Festival

Not just a festival…but a whole festival event! Top name DJs are guaranteed, as are party events day and night…you’ll barely have enough time to catch your breath!

Garden of Art will also be held during the Stereo Forest Festival (on Monday 3rd August), whilst the following day (4th August) will see a Color Sensation party. This Indian-style colour celebration will see the sky turned pink, yellow and blue as colourful ‘paint’ rains down – and with the glimmering Adriatic sea behind you and the sun or stars above, you’ll get lost in an immense party vibe. (The Color Sensation party is included in the price of a Stereo Forest ticket, although you can also purchase tickets just for the party itself.)

The first line-up announcements for Stereo Forest include R3HAB – Holland’s hottest artist, who’s been catapulted into the limelight with a string of successful original material and remixes – and Dimitri Vangelis & Wyman, two young and very promising producers from Sweden that have received a great deal of attention for their remix of Coldplay’s The Scientist, plus their new single Roll The Dice.

Kalypso - Color Sensation

Watch out for more line-up announcements plus Stereo Forest ticket news at kalypso-zrce.com.

About Kalypso

The first ever club to open on Novalja’s (and Croatia’s!) famed Zrce Beach almost thirty years ago, club Kalypso is now a world renowned party and festival destination. With a huge open-air dance floor, go go platforms, plenty of different levels and numerous bar areas, there’s something to delight everyone and plenty of space for you all! Kalypso is of course also open by day – you can lounge by the pool sipping cocktails and relaxing in the sun whilst you gear up for the party night ahead!

Kalypso Club

Kalypso has been home to some of the best festivals in Croatia for a number of years now, with Hideout, Sonus, Barrakud and Fresh Island Festival all also taking place this summer as well.

As mentioned above, this year Kalypso will host its own festival for the first time; Stereo Forest will merge the brand new visual identity of the club with its lush natural surroundings, alongside an art sculpted stage and the club’s party pools.

Kalypso Club

Latest Kalypso news

  • Kalypso has been named in the top three of Beatport’s 13 Mind-Blowing Festival Destinations from around the world! Check out details here.
  • Croatia Rocks recently unveiled the second phase of their festival line-up, which now includes names such as Clean Bandit, The Vaccines, Kate Tempest, Rudimental, Gorgon City, Zane Lowe and special guest Fatboy Slim. More details at www.croatiarocks.com.

Stereo Forest Festival
2nd – 6th August 2015
Kalypso Club
Zrce Beach, Novalja, Pag, Croatia
kalypso-zrce.com

Sonus Festival 2015

Sonus Festival 2015 returns to Novalja with a stunning line-up!

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Techo festival Sonus will be returning to the island of Pag this August, with an exciting line-up for its third edition! Names such as Apollonia, Chris Liebing, Dixon, Joseph Capriati, Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, Sven Väth and others have already been unveiled, with plenty more to come!

Taking place from the 16th to the 20th August in Croatia’s prime party spot – Zrce Beach in Novalja – 10,000 people will be partying the day and night away to some of the most respected artists from the international house and techno scenes.

Sonus Festival 2015

Sonus Festival 2015

There will be the minimal electronica of Barac; the deep-tech of Parisian super-group Apollonia and the incredible mixing skills of Berlin mystery man Binh. Hot talent Dan Andrei, who draws on influences that range from hip-hop, soul and funk will be playing, as will worldwide favourite Dixon, FUSE head-honcho Enzo Siragusa, eclectic duo Hold Youth and emotive masetro Guti.

Founding father Sven Väth will be providing dark blends, with innovator Ricardo Villalobos and driving force Richie Hawtin both also providing immense techno sets; Chris Liebing also returns for 2015 after last year’s incredible appearance. Pan-Pot and Loco Dice will both also be on board, whilst there’s also even more global artists appearing, including Cadenza frontman Luciano; climbing star Mariano Mateljan; Slovenian tech hero Valentino Kanzyani and DJ and Panaroma bar resident Zip.

Sonus Festival 2015

The first two years of Sonus have delivered a top notch five day and five night event, with artists such as Luciano, Laurent Garnier, Richard Villalobos and Dixon all previously featuring on the bill. The festival is brough to you by Cosmopop – who are behind Time Warp – and the Croatia Sonus team; it’s an event that is carefully curated to provide a holiday and a full-blown party to discerning music followers.

Sonus Festival 2015 Boat Party

Sonus Festival 2015

To get a little preview of the festival, check out this video from last year’s event:

As early bird tickets have already sold out, first release tickets for the festival cost €149 (€169 for second release) with VIP tickets priced €229. Check out the Sonus website for more information and to buy.

There are also travel packages available which include a festival ticket, accommodation and transporation. Packages start at €279 – more information can be found on the Sonus website.

For some further details on the festival, including information on which airport to fly to and how best to reach the festival site, please see our Sonus Festival guide.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on the Sonus Festival on their website, as well as on Facebook and Twitter!

Sonus Festival 2015
16th – 20th August 2015
Zrce Beach, Novalja, island of Pag
www.sonus-festival.com

Sonus Festival 2015

Electro Dance Madness

New festival for 2015 – Electro Dance Madness, part of Spring Break Croatia

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Those looking to plan out their ‘Croatia party timetable’ for 2015 need to pay attention to this news! There’s a brand new festival for 2015, taking place in the party hotspot of Zrce Beach in Novalja, on the island of Pag – Electro Dance Madness, to be held from the 17th to the 21st June. This festival is part of an event called Spring Break Croatia which will also be held 3rd to 7th June and makes up ten days of revelry in one of the prime party destinations in Croatia.

Electro Dance Madness

What makes Electro Dance Madness rather unique is its ‘main party platform’ – which is set upon the surface of the Adriatic sea, no less! This means that while you party the night away on the platform – with its two stages – you’ve got an amazing view of the twinkling sea and can really live it up in style; this is also the first electro music festival to be hosted in this way, so it’s a really unique experience.

There’s plenty more to the festival than just the party platform – the main venue will be Noa Beach Club, where you can enjoy a central pool area and exclusive bars, plus parts of the beach in Novalja as well. The festival itself will make sure things really get into the swing of things with a state of the art sound system plus 3D projections and laser shows; there’s also exclusive VIP areas, lounge chairs, massage tables, yacht berths and a docking area and more.

The festival has capacity for 5,000 and will hosting some of the biggest DJ names, with everything from mainstream EDM, trance, progressive, electro, house and techno and more. Watch carefully for announcements of acts performing!

As mentioned, Electro Dance Madness is part of Spring Break Croatia which sees a whole host of fun events by day – pool parties, games, beach contests, water sports and more – and clubbing by night. Find out more on Spring Break Croatia at www.croatiaspringbreak.com.

We’ve got our own little guide to Electro Dance Madness in our Festivals in Croatia section, which gives full details on how to obtain tickets and how best to travel to the island of Pag. Check it out now to start planning for Pag in June!

Electro Dance Madness
17th – 21st June 2015
www.electrodancemadness.com

Sirana Gligora cheese - Paski sir

Sirana Gligora cheese wins medals at the Global Cheese Awards 2014

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Visit Croatia recently wrote about Sirana Gligora on the island of Pag, a world-renowned, family-run dairy that’s the producer of some of Croatia’s best cheese. Now some exciting news reaches us about the dairy’s award-winning products – they’ve scooped up some more medals, this time at the Global Cheese Awards 2014.

The dairy’s raw milk Paski sir (Paski sir iz sirovog mlijeka) achieved second place and a silver medal in the category of hard sheep cheeses; this raw milk cheese achieves its strong and powerful taste and aroma by foregoing the heat treatment of milk whilst still retaining all the qualities of Sirana Gligora’s standard Pag cheese. The dairy’s extra mature Dinarski sir (goat and cow milk cheese from the Dinaric mountains) also won a prize, achieving second place in the hard pressed continental cheese category.

Sirana Gligora cheese - Paski sir
Paski sir
Sirana Gligora cheese - Dinarski sir
Dinarski sir

The Global Cheese Awards was first established in 1861, making it the oldest competition of its kind in the UK. Since 2012, Sirana Gligora cheese has won gold twice and silver five times at the Awards.

If you’re planning on the north Dalmatian region of Croatia in the near future, do remember that you can visit the dairy, located in Kolan on Pag. Tours at the dairy involve visiting the production rooms and learning more about cheese making and the dairy itself, as well as the (very exciting!) opportunity to taste Sirana Gligora’s delicacies.

If you’re intending on visiting Croatia but won’t be able to make it to the island of Pag (what a shame!), Sirana Gligora have a number of shops across the country, selling their cheese alongside wines and other delicacies. Shops are located in Zagreb, Rijeka, Opatija, Pula, Zadar, Split, Dubrovnik, and also in Ljubljana in Slovenia – find out more details about these shop locations here.

Even if you’re not visiting Croatian any time soon, you can still try some of the wonderful Sirana Gligora cheese! Their online shop features an amazing variety of their products – from their famous Paski sir (hard sheep milk cheese) to goat’s cheese and cow milk cheese; why not try something a little different such as the Sir s tartufima, a hard cow milk cheese infused with Istrian truffles! A great selection of Croatian wines are also available from Sirana Gligora’s online shop (with all wines helpfully given pairing notes for specific cheese) as well as Croatian oils, jams, chocolates, honey and truffles.

Sirana Gligora
www.gligora.com

Sirana Gligora Cheese - Paški sir - World Champion Cheese

Tour the world-renowned Sirana Gligora cheese dairy on Pag

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Many of you may well have heard of the famous dairy Sirana Gligora – regardless of whether you’ve travelled to Croatia or not! Based in Kolan on the island of Pag, this family-run company have been making Paski sir (Pag cheese) since 1918 and currently produce no less than four world championship winning cheeses and as well many other highly decorated products as well.

Sirana Gligora Cheese - Paški sir - World Champion Cheese

Paški sir – World Champion Cheese

Paski sir is one of the most famous products of the island of Pag, and possibly of the whole of Croatia too – a cheese that is hand made from the richest local milk from sheep that are free to roam on rocky pastures, foraging amongst hardy grasses and wild herbs. We would highly recommend that you try this wonderful and unique cheese if you come across it when visiting Croatia – you won’t be disappointed.

Pastures above local beach Sveti Duh

Pag sheep on the rocky pastures

But if you’re visiting Croatia and the north Dalmatian region – including the island of Pag – in particular this summer, you may well like to participate in one of the Cheese Tasting Tours that the Sirana Gligora dairy runs. These tours will teach you more about the history of the cheese and the production processes involved in making it, and well as giving you a prime opportunity to taste the different varieties right where it’s made!

These daily tours start off with an introduction to the heritage of cheese making on the island of Pag, as well as a history of the dairy and the cheese. You’ll then be led by an expert guide through the production rooms of the dairy, before going underground in the maturing caves. These caves house up to 200 tonnes of wall-to-wall cheese that’s at various stages of maturing, with the famous local sheep’s milk cheese sitting side by side with assorted cow, goat and mixed milk cheeses. Part of the caves are set aside as an experimental corner where you can examine mouth-watering prototypes that are awaiting official grading and tasting by affineurs. Whilst here, your guide will fully explain the laborious process and care involved into making each wheel.

A guided tour at Sirana Gligora

Aged Paski sir

After the first part of the tour (which takes around thirty minutes, although this depends upon the size of the group), you’ll then be taken to what must be the most exciting area of Sirana Gligora for many people – the tasting room! Resting on top of the dairy – with fabulous views of the island – you’ll be able to sample the award-winning Gligora cheese, washing it down with some wonderful wine.

Squid stuffed with Prušut and Paški Sir – how amazing does that sound?!

Tickets for the tours are available from Sirana Gligora’s two Cheese and Wine shops in Novalja and Kolan on the island of Pag – both of which are well worth a visit in their own right, even if you can’t make a tour. Alternatively, email Sirana Gligora direct on info@gligora.com or contact them on Facebook or Twitter for advance bookings for the tours – as they can get full up rather quickly! Tours are available in English, Croatian and German.

Paška skuta and Paški sir

Ivan Gligora and current MD Šime Gligora

Do also visit Sirana Gligora’s website to find out more about the dairy, and check out all the latest news on their blog – which also has a more in depth look at the tours they offer. Or, to check out the full list of what they produce, click here: Sirana Gligora Product Brochure.

If you’re not quite able to make it down to the island of Pag for these tours, Sirana Gligora also have Cheese & Wine shops in a number of locations across Croatia – including in Zagreb, Rijeka, Opatija, Pula, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. See this list for full addresses.

But I know I’d love to head to Pag for a tour at Sirana Gligora!