Elevator

Dear Nenad,

Perhaps your CROWN readers would be interested in these images fromSt. Theresa's Dom.
The nuns looking through the hole with the child are anticipating the day when the hole will transform to an entrance to an elevator which will carry children, food, clothes and bedding up and down 4 stories. Sister Andrea on the left and Sister Victoria on the right
Anyone that wants to help pay for the completion of the elevator can make out a check to St. Theresa's Orphanage and send it to
 

Don Wolf
3535 N 63 Terrace
Kansas City, Kansa
66104

When I get an appropriate amount, I wire it directly from our bank into the bank of the Sisters and it goes into their account.

Don
 

Nova Knjiga

IMAM IDEJU ZA POSAO ? Ĺ TO SADA?

Pokrenuti vlastiti posao san je mnogih, mladih, srednjih godina, starih, Ĺžena, branitelja...ne raditi za druge. Potrebna je samo hrabrost za prvi korak. Potrebna je ideja.
Ĺ to nakon toga?
Knjiga će vam pokazati sve o pokretanju vlastitog posla.
..Svatko od nas to moĹže uraditi, prije ili kasnije. Sve ima svoja pisana i nepisana pravila, pravi put kojim treba krenuti, uporno raditi, smiĹĄljati poslove,..Obično se misli da je problem pokretanja posla novac, a zaboravlja se da je centar svega čovjek poduzetnik, talentiran, obrazovan, stručan, motiviran, nabijen pozitivnim emocijama...
...Prije nekoliko tisuća godina Job je upitao: “Ako čovjek umre, hoće li ponovo Ĺživjeti?â€? Od tada isto je pitanje postavljano milijune puta. Ne smijemo o smrti razmiĹĄljati kao o kraju. Bolje je o njoj razmiĹĄljati kao o novom početku, mnogo bogatijem. Jednako kao i u Ĺživotu....
Čovjek koji ne uspije preĹživjeti od plaće do plaće mora platiti cijenu, a cijena nije teĹžak rad do kasno u noć, već izgradnja mentalne ideje bogatstva. MoĹžete raditi četrnaest ili petnaest sati na dan, ali kad vaĹĄ um nije produktivan, vaĹĄ trud će biti uzaludan. To znači da su beskrajna inteligencija, mudrost i sve moći moći smjeĹĄtene u vaĹĄem dubljem umu...Sreo sam čovjeka koji mi je rekao.........
...Kad imate tvrtku, obrt, ili neku drugu registriranu djelatnost, početni okvir je određen. Ali kad započinjete posao onda imate dvojbu u kojem obliku ćete obavljati poduzetničku djelatnost. Stotinu pitanja vam se vrti u glavi, odakle početi, kako do početnog kapitala. Rizik je ući u te vode, ali vrijedi pokuĹĄati. Ne kockati se. Kockari ne traju dugo. Pametno, sa znanjem ĹĄto treba napraviti i s vjerom u ono ĹĄto činite.
..Lijepo zvući kad čujete nekoga da kaĹže da ima novaca i ne zna ĹĄto raditi. Ali, takvih je malo. ViĹĄe je onih koji hoće neĹĄto započeti, a nemaju novca ili ga nemaju dovoljno. Kako sad dobru ideju i odabrani oblik poslovanja zaokruĹžiti u realan pothvat. A gdje pronaći novac potreban za početak poslovanja? Ne osigurate li novac vaĹĄ posao je..Sve izvore financiranja razmotrite, a oni mogu biti:....
NajčeĹĄće koriĹĄteni oblik financiranja nekog posla je kredit... Tada se obično prvo obraćamo banci i traĹžimo uvjete za kredit. A ĹĄto to znači kredit?....
...Investirati nije lako jer tim činom određujemo budućnost svoga posla, svoje egzistencije, svoju starost, ali i budućnost naĹĄe djece. Investirati znači ulagati u neĹĄto, neki posao, ulagati svoje vrijeme, rad ugled i novac. I od toga svi očekujemo povrat uloĹženog i dodatnu zaradu koja je motiv naĹĄeg ulaganja.....
...Bile su to stranice gosp. Nenada Bacha...Uspostavili smo komunikaciju, ja sam bio pomalo dosadan i uporan. Zanimalo me je kako je to u SAD-u biti biznismen, biti uspjeĹĄan poslovni čovjek. A gosp. Nenad Bach je to očigledno bio i sada je. Uporno sam razgovarao i pokuĹĄao doći do razmiĹĄljanja uspjeĹĄnog biznismena. Kada sam ga pitao: “Kako to da ste mi odgovorili, jer ja sam za Vas nepoznat čovjekâ€? rekao mi je neĹĄto ĹĄto je kod nas zaista rijetkost, a ĹĄto bi trebali i vi u svom poslovanju postaviti kao zakonitost, neĹĄto ĹĄto bi vam trebalo ući u krv....
..I tako sam osjetio da se ipak niĹĄta ne deĹĄava slučajno. Jer poslije toga smo dugo razgovarali o poslu, ispričao mi je ĹĄto on smatra vaĹžnim da čovjek uspije, da ostvari svoje snove. PokuĹĄat ću vam to ispričati. RazmiĹĄljanja gosp. Bacha kaĹžu:.......
...Brojne su institucije koje vam mogu pomoći prije i za vrijeme pokretanja vlastitog posla. TeĹĄko je za sve njih znati, a tko ima korisnu informaciju u velikoj je prednosti. Nemojte se ustručavati nazvati ili otići do tih institucija i zatraĹžiti pomoć. Nabrojat ću vam neke od tih institucija kojima se moĹžete obratiti...
.....Prikazat ću vam neka ulaganja koja nisu “poduzetničkaâ€?, a koja vam jednoga dana mogu omogućiti pokretanje poduzetničke djelatnosti. Mladima (učenici i studenti) stvaraju, sa zadrĹĄkom, početna sredstva za pokretanje posla, a starima omogućuju bezbriĹžniju starost, ali i potencijalna početna sredstva za mlade (djeca, unuci..). Ne mora svako ulaganje odmah biti posao – poduzeće, obrt, poljoprivredno gospodarstvo..moĹžete ulagati u pojedina područja koja će vam jednoga dana....
..A kad je pročitate pozivam vas da poĹĄaljete pismo ili nazovete telefonom i pitate za savjet, moĹžete dati i prijedlog ĹĄto bi Ĺželjeli da se obradi u sljedećim knjigama... ZaĹĄto ne i savjetima?..
Knjiga za sve buduće male i srednje poduzetnike (poduzeća, obrtnike, slobodna zanimanja, obiteljska poljoprivredna gospodarstva).....
Sve ĹĄto vas muči u jednoj knjzi...
Kako pokrenuti posao?..Kome se obratiti?...
Gdje osigurati novce za pokretanje posla?
Osnovni pojmovi iz svijeta poduzetniĹĄtva. Konkretni primjeri. Tko vam moĹže pomoći? Kako do vrha? Kako stvoriti početni kapital za pokretanje posla?
 

Knjiga izlazi iz tiska krajem srpnja 2005.g. Za sve informacije moĹžete se javiti na telefon 00385 31 243 204 ili mobitel 00385 91 767 5 999 ili na mail cikla@net.hr

Budite Bolji – Be better
 

GOING TO Zagreb - The New York Times

By ALEX CREVAR 
Published: May 1, 2005 

WHY GO NOW -- There's a bubbling just below the surface in Zagreb, the Croatian capital of one million people, and most visitors sense it instantly. It's a well-worn, East-meets-West passion called Balkan culture that equally embraces a consumer's desire to visit a newly opened fragrance shop and the cafe next door where an entire goat turns slowly on a spit. 

On just about any weekend afternoon, you'll find shoppers strolling along Ilica, the city's main promenade, toting Max Mara and Louis Vuitton bags. They pass vendors selling chestnuts and cafes with rich wood interiors and billowy couches on marble floors. The promenade gives way to the busy, expansive Jelacic Square where people cluster beneath bistro awnings or near theaters. 

In Zagreb, one of the most overlooked cities in Europe, high fashion, more than 50 museums and galleries, and an urban plan simple enough for the most directionally challenged combine intriguingly with the charms and chutzpah of an Old World city that is still coming to grips with modernity. 

But as Zagreb dons a new attitude, one might presume its main goal is to prepare for hordes of tourists taking advantage of a non-euro economy. Not so, says an official at Zagreb's Office for Culture, Davor Zagar, who notes that the makeovers to theaters and pedestrians zones, along with an expanded social calendar -- keeping jazz aficionados as happy as folkloric dancers -- are as much for Purgers (Zagrebians) as they are for tourists. 

WHERE TO STAY -- Zagreb's lack of tourism savoir-faire is a boon for those hoping to unearth the undiscovered. But when it comes to hotels, this doesn't necessarily translate into bargains. An adequate option starting at $72 a night, at 5.75 kuna to the dollar, is the tidy, comfortable 22-room Hotel Ilica, conveniently situated at Ilica 102, (385-1) 377-7622, www.hotel-ilica.hr. 

But most hotels in Zagreb's center were built for a bourgeois set that started visiting at the end of the 19th century. The grand Regent Esplanade was recently reopened after a restoration of its Carrara marble and Art Deco interior. Situated next to the train station -- itself a renovated neo-classical gem -- at Mihanoviceva 1, the Esplanade was built in 1925 as a posh stop along the Orient Express. The 209 lavish and ''wireless'' rooms range from $285 to $1,980. Information: (385-1) 456-6666, www.regenthotels.com. 

Built in 1891 in the Secessionist style, the Palace Hotel, Strossmayerov trg 10, is the city's oldest hotel. About half of the 123 rooms, which cost from $160 to $415, have been renovated, while the others retain the ornate Art Nouveau look. The Palace's plush cafe provides a vantage point from which to watch fashionable Croats gathering in Strossmayer Square. Information: (385-1) 481-4611, www.palace.hr. 

The Hotel Dubrovnik, Gajeva 1, with its glass facade, was opened in 1929. Many of the 266 rooms -- all sleekly furnished and equipped with satellite TV -- overlook Jelacic (pronounced YEH-lah-chich) Square. Rates range from $140 to $280. Information: (385-1) 487-3555, www.hotel-dubrovnik.htnet.hr. 

WHERE TO EAT -- Most of Zagreb's restaurants offer a combination of the Eastern European, grilled-meat leitmotif and Mediterranean fare. For instance, Baltazar, Nova Ves 4, (385-1) 466-6999, has an upscale-casual ambience. Baltazar's veal medallions or Gaspar's pick-your-own fish pair nicely with dingac (red) or grasevina (white) wines. Try the medovaca, a honey brandy, and enjoy the fireplace in the winter or terrace in summer. A meal for two, with wine, runs about $80. 

Kerempuh, at Kaptol 3, (385-1) 481-9000, provides a front-row view of the frenetic Dolac farmer's market and a traditional menu that changes with each day's purchases. The sarma (cooked cabbage stuffed with mincemeat) is wonderful. A meal for two, with drinks, is around $30. 

It's a good sign when local residents stare at you as if happily surprised that an outsider discovered their spot. Vallis Aurea, Tomiceva 4, (385-1) 483-1305 -- under the funicular connecting Upper and Lower Town -- is that kind of place. The smoked pork ribs on Monday or trout on Wednesday are can't-misses. Lunch or dinner with a liter of house wine is $25. 

WHAT TO DO DURING THE DAY -- Zagreb has two halves. Upper Town, the old city dating back to the 11th century, is chock-full of red tile roofs and cobblestones privy to a millennium of secrets. Lower Town is a 19th-century invention, where most of the city's museums are intertwined with parks and cafes. The synapse linking this yin and yang is Jelacic Square. Jelacic is the hub for the rumbling trams (fare is about $1) that crisscross town. 

The City Museum, Opaticka 20, (385-1) 485-1364, www.mdc.hr/mgz, tells Zagreb's story, complete with room-sized models of town, starting in 1094, when the Hungarian King Ladislaus I founded the bishopric of Zagreb. Admission is about $3.50; closed Monday. 

Also in Upper Town, Ivan Mestrovic's Studio, Mletacka 8, (385-1) 485-1123, www.mdc.hr/mestrovic/atelijer/opci-en.htm, ($3.50), is where Croatia's most famous sculptor worked and many of his pieces still stand. 

Southeast of the museums, the Upper Town's remaining feudal Stone Gate (Kamenita Vrata) is a holy site, where the devout light candles before a painting of the Virgin Mary and Jesus that survived a devastating fire in 1731. 

You'll shift into the 19th century as you stroll past the Lower Town's Viennese-style, pastel mansions. The Mimara Museum -- Zagreb's major art museum -- at Rooseveltov trg 5, (385-1) 482-8100, has a collection that includes Greek sculptures, and paintings by Rembrandt and Rubens. Admission $3.50; closed Monday. Nearby is the Modern Gallery, at Hebranga 1, (385-1) 492-2368, ($3.50), with some 10,000 works of Croatian art from the 19th century to the present, and the Strossmayer Gallery of Old Masters, Trg Nikole Subica Zrinskog 11, (385-1) 489-5117, ($1.75), displaying pieces by such artists as El Greco and Bellini. 

Anchoring the ''green horseshoe, '' a U-shaped series of parks that envelope Lower Town, is the 11.6-acre Botanical Gardens, Trg Marulica 9a, (385-1) 484-4002. Free. 

WHAT TO DO AT NIGHT -- There seem to be as many cafe-bars in Zagreb as people; most of them charge around $2 for a beer or a glass of wine. Boban, Ljudevita Gaja 9, (385-1) 481-1549, www.boban.hr, is atrendy restaurant and cafe-bar a block south of Jelacic. It has outdoor seating,and attracts trendy tourists and locals alike. 

For live music, there are many clubs that charge little or no cover. Near the mammoth cathedral, Purgeraj, Park Ribnjak 1, (385-1) 481-4734, www.purgeraj.hr, attracts an eclectic crowd for everything from rockabilly to disco. 

The BP Club, Teslina 7, (385-1) 481-4444, www.bpclub.hr, is owned by Croatia's top jazzman, the vibe master Bosko Petrovic. Solid players regularly show up and when they do, the small, mirrored interior seems to vibrate. 

Southwest of the center, on Lake Jarun, Aquarius, (385-1) 364-0231, www.aquarius.hr, ($11 cover), plays host to a stream of international guest D.J.'s. 

There are, of course, many ways to spend an evening. The Croatian National Theater, Trg marsala Tita 15, (385-1) 482-8532, www.hnk.hr, is the main venue for opera and drama. Verdi's ''Traviata'' will be presented in June. Ticket prices range from about $6 to $35. 

WHERE TO SHOP -- Heading west from Jelacic, Ilica is packed with boutiques, where one can find local fashion and international designs, staggered with art, fishmongers and ice cream shops. Just off Ilica, between the so-called Flower Square (for its flower stalls) and Jelacic are the classy cornerstones Escada, Gunduliceva 15, (385-1) 487-5577, and Lacoste, Frankopanska 12, (385-1) 492-3541. 

For local flavor, visit Croata, Kaptol 13, (385-1) 481-4600, www.croata.hr, specializing in ties and high-end accessories. With your purchase (silk ties are $25 to $70), shoppers can get a lesson about neckties, which originated in Croatia. The French began dressing Ă  la croate in the 1600's, naming the accessory la cravate. 

To really shop like a local, head to Dolac, directly above Jelacic. This daily outdoor market has everything from fresh produce to cheeses to wooden toys. 

Continue north to Bornstein, Kaptol 19, (385-1) 481-2361, to taste hundreds of labels like Stagnum ($44), made from the Dalmatian varietal plavac mali, a close relative to zinfandel. Closed Sunday. 

HOW TO STAY WIRED -- There are several Internet cafes near Jelacic; most charge about $2.70 an hour. Ch@rlie's, Ljudevita Gaja 4a, (385-1) 488-0233, is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CafĂŠ VIP, Trg Preradoviceva 5, (385-1) 483-0089, is in the Flower Square. 

YOUR FIRST TIME OR YOUR 10TH -- Zagreb's calling card is its 344-foot, 788-year-old Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Kaptol 31. Meant to inspire awe, its monumental Gothic towers succeed wholeheartedly. 

Due west, in Upper Town, is vibrant Tkalciceva Street. This pedestrian-only avenue teems with cafes, where old and young drink espresso and pivo (beer). Melin Monroe, Tkalciceva 47, is an ideal spot to debate who represents Croatia more, the world champion skier Janica Kostelic or the Olympic champion handball team. You'll pay about $2 for a local pivo and $1 for an espresso. 

HOW TO GET -- There Prices start around $900 from New York, but there are no direct flights. An option is to fly to major cities in Europe and connect with Croatia Airlines, www.croatiaairlines.com, or Lufthansa, www.lufthansa.com. Another is to take a train from a more popular airport. Zagreb is on the Venice (seven hours) and Vienna (6.5 hours) lines, www.hznet.hr. 

HOW TO GET AROUND -- Zagreb was made for walking. Nearly everything you'll do is a 20-minute trek from Jelacic Square. But when the urge grabs you to explore outside the center -- a hike or skiing on Mount Medvednica, for instance -- you can take a 15-minute tram ride to the mountain's base. Tram maps can be found at the Tourist Info office, Trg bana Josipa Jelacica 11, (385-1) 481-4051,www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr. 

http://travel2.nytimes.com/mem/travel/article-page.html?res=990CE1DC1231F932A35756C0A9639C8B63&fta=y 

Svelte and majestic, the lighthouses of Croatia
 

Tourists arrive at the lighthouse of most remote central Adriatic island of Palagruza. The initiative to open the lighthouses to tourists was launched by the state-run company Plovput, in charge of maritime security but also of maintenance of some fifty lighthouses scattered alongside the 1,770-kilometer (1,097-mile) Adriatic coast from the Istria peninsula in north to the southern town of Dubrovnik.(AFP/File/Hrvoje Polan)

 

Tue Jul 12, 6:37 PM ET

ISLAND OF DUGI OTOK, Croatia (AFP) - Svelte and majestic, the lighthouse of Veli Rat dominates the crystal waters of the Adriatic above the central Croatian town of Zadar, providing an unusual perch for vacationers on their summer holidays.

"To spend a vacation here you have to make a reservation a year in advance," said Zvonimir Skorcevic, the lighthouse keeper who has seized the opportunity to become a tourist guide as well.

Veli Rat lighthouse, on Dugi Otok island, has two apartments for rent. For the past few days, Zvonimir, his wife Alenka and their daughter, Ivana, have been hosting two Dutch families.

"If they want, tourists can climb 164 spiral stairs to the top of my 40-meter (132-feet) lighthouse to enjoy a striking unobstructed view of the sea," said Zvonimir with a smile to a panting visitor at the top of the stairs.

State-run company Plovput, which is in charge of maritime security including some 50 lighthouses scattered along Croatia's 1,770-kilometer (1,097-mile) Adriatic coast, is responsible for the new open-house policy for tourists.

"Since 2000 when we launched this idea we have renovated and opened 12 lighthouses to tourists, situated on the islands and the coast," said Neven Seric, a Plovput official.

The vast majority of the lighthouses were built in the 19th century, when Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and the oldest dates back to 1810. Some are proclaimed national monuments, said Seric.

But spending a vacation on a lighthouse also means respecting certain rules including strict light discipline at night -- no bonfires on the beach after dark.

Most tourists bring their own food but Plovput can take care of that as well for an extra fee. All the lighthouses opened for tourists have electricity and running water. Plovput takes care of transfers to and from the islands, along with fishing trips with the lighthouse keeper.

Each lighthouse is a unique mixture of history and legend. In Veli Rat, Zvonimir explained that the lighthouse still looked clean and fresh inside because when it was built in 1849 it had been decorated with a special paint.

"It's a mixture based on thousands of egg-whites in order to resist rough sea winds," he said.

Located on the edge of a pine forest, Veli Rat dominates an emerald green bay and is surrounded by beautiful pebble beaches.

Croatia hosted some eight million tourists last year, almost double its population. Tourism is a mainstay of the economy, generating revenues of up to seven billion euros (8.4 billion dollars) last year.

A lighthouse apartment costs up to 1,000 euros (1,200 dollars) a week to rent in high season, but Plovput officials claim profit is not their motive.

"The income is used only to maintain and renovate our lighthouses," said Seric.

Adriatica.net, Plovput's partner in the lighthouses project, gives a briefing for "amateur lighthouse keepers".

One of the most important pieces of advice is to "bring your own washing-up liquid." And of course: "Pets are not allowed".

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050712/lf_afp/afplifestyleholidaysaccommodationcroatia_050712223754

A Peaceful Solution in Croatian Islands

By Angus Phillips

Sunday, June 19, 2005; Page E04

VIS, CROATIA There's not much sign on this rocky island in the Adriatic of the war that ripped the former Yugoslavia apart a decade ago. Indeed, from all visible signs, war barely touched that nation's coastal islands, being confined mostly to the mainland where city names like Mostar, Srebrenica and Kosovo conjure visions of ethnic cleansing and horrors unspeakable.

But an unease still lingers in the faces of the locals, and when three explosions rumbled down from the barren hills overlooking the harbor here one day last week, all eyes turned upward in apprehension. Moments later an armed boat with Policija emblazoned on its side and two armed men in the cockpit sped from the town quay to investigate.


The view to the harbor from the ancient fortress at Hvar, just off Split in Croatia. The country's islands were barely touched by war. (By Angus Phillips For The Washington Post)
The source of the staccato blasts and the puffs of powdered stone that followed them turned out to be just another road-clearing project. But the universal, wary reaction brought home the nearness of that awful civil war, which ravaged the seaside city of Dubrovnik not far south and knocked sideways the tourist trade for which the Dalmatian coast was justifiably known.

The pretty islands between Split and Dubrovnik are rallying. Last week seven of us from the Chesapeake area toured them in a 41-foot sailing catamaran, stopping in at Hvar, Vis, Brac, Korcula and other picturesque outposts where 1,000-year-old towns spill down to the sea on lanes of worn, slippery marble. It's a difficult region not to fall in love with, with its olive groves and grape arbors, delicious fresh seafood and wine.

"Drink all you like," said the cheery waiter at a little outdoor seafood restaurant here in Vis, where we inhaled a local bouillabaisse called brodetto and mopped up the aromatic tomato gravy with crusty bread. He was delivering our second bottle of the local white wine, which he said would leave us all "happy tomorrow, no headache, no problems." At $3 or $4 a bottle, who could say no?

We are far from alone. In addition to charter boats like ours, the passages between islands were dotted with traditional tourist motorboats that carry 30 or 40 passengers from spot to pleasant spot, with clients coming from as far away as South Africa and Australia. They pay a modest $400 to $500 a week per person for tiny cabins for two and two meals a day, a bargain almost anywhere by today's standards.

The weather and ambience of the Croatian coast is a lot like that of Italy or the south of France, but without the crowds or the high prices, at least for now. That's because Croatia is still rebounding from decades of iron Communist rule under Marshal Tito, which ended with his death in 1980, followed by 10 years of confusion and 10 more of civil war and its awful aftereffects.

The witty American writer P.J. O'Rourke once wrote a book called "Holidays in Hell," in which he went from one nightmarish, war-torn quagmire to another in search of fun. He didn't find much. Anyone who read it would have been unlikely to put Croatia at the top of his list in the 1990s, when it was clawing through and then out of the clutch of ferocious armed conflict.

But it's peaceful here now, and as beautiful as ever. The towns on the islands are small, the houses modest, the roads and lanes of polished stone, the churches cool and dark. Dining is largely outdoors, where the weather is Mediterranean. The sailing winds are mostly from the south and strong enough to test a charter crew's skills.

Nick Harvey of Annapolis and his girlfriend, Danielle Launais, arranged our charter. He's the North American distributor for Lagoon catamarans, so he worked out a friendly trade for a Lagoon here. He's the regular mid-deck hand on my boat on Wednesday night races back home, but he's the skipper and taking his responsibilities seriously. Every morning when we get up, Harvey addresses the crew, which includes Andy and Caroline Hughes, Teresa O'Keefe and my wife, Fran. He maps out the upcoming day.

The itinerary usually includes stops at two islands as we slowly make our way 100 miles south from the mainland city of Split to Dubrovnik. The sailing is smooth, the boat responsive, the sun is warm and the sea is clear and clean. It's close to perfection, though still a bit chilly for sunbathing.

We drag out the charts and map the course from Vis to Hvar to Korcula to Lastovo, and come into the sunlit little ports with all sails flying, marveling at the soft perfection of the terra cotta roofs and pale ochre of the stone streets and houses.

You are struck by the simple beauty of it all, and wonder how it must have felt to be here just over a decade ago, when the world abandoned this pretty country place, and its people bombed and shot and raped each other in a ruthless rush for power and control.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061800648.html

In Croatia, a New Riviera Beckons 

YOU will cry when you see it


Stephen Crowley/The New York TimesThe harbor of Hvar, mountainous and lavender-scented, in the foreground. 
 

July 17, 2005
In Croatia, a New Riviera Beckons
By STEVE DOUGHERTY
"YOU will cry when you see it. Bring tissues. You will
need them." 

We are finishing a marathon meal at Macondo, a seafood
restaurant on a nameless back alley in Hvar. My dinner
companion, a local painter, writer and actor named
Niksa Barisic, was talking about a historic theater
built in 1612 during the Dalmatian Renaissance and
still in use half a millennium later. But he could
just as well have been describing his feelings for
Hvar itself, a mountainous, lavender-scented isle set
in the blue, sun-blasted Adriatic Sea off the
Dalmatian coast of Croatia.

For centuries, the island has lured visitors and
inspired poets. "I know paradise now, I know Hvar," a
lyric local saying goes. Now, 10 years after the end
of a bloody civil war that devastated much of Croatia,
it still struggles as it sees hope for its future in
ancient tourist meccas like Hvar, sister islands like
Korcula and Mljet, and Dubrovnik - Croatia's, and,
arguably, Europe's, most beautiful city.

Recently rediscovered as an off-the-radar haven by the
international celebrity set and their media-camp
followers, Dubrovnik and Dalmatia's many romantic
islands and hidden coves provided backdrops for lavish
photo layouts in magazines like GQ, which this year
proclaimed the Croatia "the Next Riviera, " and Sports
Illustrated. In May, Croatia, a scythe-shaped country
that sits astride the star-crossed, blood-drenched
Balkans, was named the world's hottest travel
destination in the new edition of the Lonely Planet
guide to Croatia, which cited its "rich diversity of
attractions," accessibility and "relative
affordability" (its currency, the kuna, is far
friendlier to the dollar than the euro is) as well as
its "stunning beaches and islands" and "magnificent
food."


Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
Some reach the Croatian island of Hvar, in the Adriatic, by yacht. 


That's a surprising turnaround for a country that saw
its most fabled city, Dubrovnik, nearly destroyed by
artillery bombardments during a months-long siege in
the 1991-95 war. With eight million visitors expected
in Croatia this summer, the government-run national
tourist board has begun a campaign to restore tourism
to its prewar levels, when upward of 10 million
visitors annually flocked to the beaches of Dalmatia
and Istria, the neighboring coastal province to the
north. Back then, the tourist industry accounted for a
full third of Croatia's national income. Tourism
officials say that the number of visitors has grown 6
to 10 percent in each of the past several years.

Nowhere is the tourist board's touted "Magical
Croatia" brand more fitting than on Hvar, where they
give names to the wind but not the streets, where
children are said to fly and the richest man in the
world has to wait for his latte during fjaka, when the
island tucks in for its afternoon siesta. 

Holding court at Macondo, Mr. Barisic, a burly,
bearded cross between Jerry Garcia and Zorba the
Greek, is quick to cackle at his own stories and eager
to share his knowledge and love for Hvar and its
bounty. "You must be careful," he cautioned as he
poured me a glass of the rich local red, strong as it
is delicious. "One glass you won't feel; have two, you
won't feel a thing." 

Describing Hvar (awkward in English, it's pronounced
hwahr) as a "hideaway for the creative poor and the
very rich," Mr. Barisic said, "Celebrities like to
come here because they're left alone. Bill Gates sails
in on his yacht and no one pays any attention. No one
cares. There are no paparazzi, no fans, no autographs.
I was in a cafe with my daughter and a lady sat down
at the next table. My daughter said, 'Dad, that's the
lady from "Shakespeare in Love." ' "

Gwyneth Paltrow is among the many red-carpet faces
seen blending in with the crowds in recent summers.
"It gets to be like 42nd Street around here in July
and August," Mr. Barisic said the next afternoon as he
sipped a whiskey-laced coffee in one of Hvar's outdoor
cafes. "No one sleeps during the season. Everyone is
jumping around, singing and roaming the streets until
dawn."

The scene is hard to imagine during a visit in late
March, when the sun-drenched square, a wide piazza
from the 13th century paved with polished white stone
mined on Hvar and its sister island, Brac (the same
stone was used in Split to build the palace of the
Roman emperor Diocletian and, 16 centuries later, the
White House) is deserted during fjaka.

Toddlers chase pigeons across the square, squealing
with delight. Elderly men smoke in the cool shadows
cast by the bell tower of the 16th-century Cathedral
of St. Stephen, which forms the picturesque west face
of the square. 

A three-legged dog, a red scarf tied at its neck,
trots as best it can behind its master who, like most
dog owners here, carries a leash but seldom has use
for it. Dogs here are a well-trained lot who obey
voice commands and stroll in and out of the open-air
cafes as they please. Their owners don't bother
scooping up after them. That work is left to
professionals, street cleaners who do an excellent job
keeping tourists' Manolo sandals unsoiled during the
raucous high season.

My friend Buga Novak, a Hvar-born translator and
interpreter who lives in Zagreb, took me on a walking
tour of Hvar town. Strolling the riva, the long
waterfront promenade that winds around the harbor, she
pointed out a hilltop fortress and the remains of city
walls that were built in the 13th century to defend
against Turkish pirates. Far above, another fortress,
built by Napoleon, one in a long list of invaders,
today bristles not with cannon but with instruments to
record seismological and meteorological data. 

On summer nights, when the fortifications above are
illuminated and fishing boats bob at anchor in the
harbor, films are shown in an open-air theater where
audiences sit at tables, drinks are served and, Ms.
Novak says, the chatter and action off screen can be
as entertaining as the film.

In front of the Hotel Palace, children play at the
base of the Pillar of Shame, where in the Middle Ages
sinners were tied up for display, jeered at and spat
upon. Nearby, water taxis line up along the riva to
ferry summer hordes of beer-cooler toting "naturists"
- the guidebook euphemism for those who like to
perform their sun worshiping naked - to the island's
highly popular offshore nudist beaches.

"The ancient Greeks and the Romans were growing grapes
and producing wine on Hvar 300 years before Christ,"
said Andro Tomic, a local vintner, as he toured his
vineyards high on the windward face of the near
vertical mountain ridge that runs the length of Hvar.
Mr. Tomic was one of only a handful of Croatians I met
who did not speak English. 

With Ms. Novak translating, Mr. Tomic said that Hvar's
abundance of sun and strong winds - which he called
"ideal conditions for producing the highest quality
grapes" - had kept the vineyards insect and disease
free. Those same winds blow with such force off the
Adriatic that workers tending the vines have to be
tethered by ropes to prevent them from being swept
from the mountainside and cast out to sea, Mr. Tomic
said. 

Mythologized by islanders' ancestors, the winds are
known by name throughout Dalmatia, explained Ms.
Novak, who swears her Hvar-born mother "flew" as a
child, lifted off her feet by a gust and blown the
length of her family's backyard. "Bura, the good north
wind, blows clouds and bad weather away," she said.
"It is said that the evil south wind, Jugo, awakens
the existing demons within you."

From the Iron Age to the Iron Curtain and beyond, war
has been a fact of life in a country that sits at the
bloody crossroads between Europe and Asia Minor. Ten
years after fighting ceased in the latest installment
- the five-year civil war that left more than 10,000
dead and hundreds of thousands homeless, caused more
than $20 billion in damages and left much of the
country in ruin - the scars are not often visible, but
the effects remain profoundly felt. 

In the Dalmatian port city of Split, physical damage
suffered during the war has long since been repaired.
But the city, with its terraced homes and its
Lido-like riva of outdoor cafes, is awash in
unemployment, drugs and crime that arose in the
aftermath of the war. Good hotels are few. Many more
are in disrepair, having only recently been vacated by
thousands of homeless war refugees who were given
temporary housing in the city. One such is run by a
skeleton staff and is embarked on a dubious campaign
to attract tourists by hyping its casino and American
Go Go Club, featuring 36 dancers and a "Lesbian Sex
Show."

Split is home to the enormous, fortresslike marble
palace where the Emperor Diocletian, known for his
persecution of Christians, retired in the early fourth
century. The place still teems with life; residents
live in its apartments, and many restaurants and pubs
allow visitors to dance, at least figuratively, on the
emperor's grave. 

With a 1,700-year-old interactive theme park like that
in its midst, Split may well regain its standing as a
leading tourist destination. Now, however, the city
serves primarily as a jumping-off place for tourists
catching ferries to the offshore islands or heading
south on the Adriatic Highway, the spectacular,
150-mile coast road to Dubrovnik that offers a drive
every bit as eye-popping as California's Highway 1,
only without the fog shrouding the view. 

Well-paved if serpentine and heavily trafficked, the
highway hugs the mountainous coastline, offering
vertigo-inducing views of the Adriatic at every turn.
As it winds along the Makarska Riviera, the roadway is
carved from the limestone cliff face of a snowcapped
mountain ridge. Small towns with their clusters of
orange-tile-roofed homes nestle around coves far
below. The spires of churches and cypress trees reach
heavenward, toward us. 

South of Makarska, the highway crosses a wide, fertile
flood plain, where farmers at roadside stands sell
oranges and honey and tall, slender bottles of olive
or lavender oils. 

In unsettling counterpoint to that peaceful scene, an
ugly black scrawl of graffiti is spray-painted on a
billboard in Bosnia and Herzegovina (the highway
passes through a 10-mile-wide strip in Dalmatia that
gives Croatia's neighbor access to the sea), with the
words "I Love ..." in English followed by a swastika.
The graffiti markings are a chilling reminder that old
hatreds die hard in the Balkans. So are the dozens of
white ribbons of cloth tied to roadside bushes and
fence posts we see when we take a long detour across
the mountains and into Krajina. 

Most guidebooks warn visitors away from Krajina, a
former Serbian enclave that was the scene of bloody
sectarian violence during the war. The cloth strips,
Ms. Novak said, were tied to mark the location of land
mines planted during the war and yet to be removed by
the Croatian military. 

Around a bend, we see a large color photo poster of a
fugitive Croatian army general, Ante Gotovina, wanted
by the Hague war crimes tribunal. The general, like
some Serbian counterparts in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia's primary foe in the 1991-95 war, stands
accused of committing atrocities during that conflict.

Most Croatians I spoke with say they are looking west
in the hope of gaining admission to the European
Union, which they believe would bring security to the
volatile, war-torn Balkan region, reduce trade
restrictions and enable the country's ancient wine and
olive industries to flourish anew. The general, whose
whereabouts are unknown, is the focus of new debate.
During my visit it was announced that Croatia's
invitation to join the union was contingent in part
upon his arrest or surrender, actions strongly opposed
by the country's loud rightist minority. Beneath the
poster's portrait of the warrior in uniform, his
supporters wrote the words "Hero, Not Criminal."

War and its terrors are not readily conjured today in
Dubrovnik, the Croatian city hardest hit in the war.
The long-prosperous and proudly neutral city state
that survived for centuries as a beacon of
international cooperation while mightier powers
arrayed around it battled and bled, Dubrovnik is a
walled seaside town of orange tiled roofs, marble
streets and lyrically placed turrets and towers that
make it look like a sculpture, exquisite from any
angle.

Like many of Dubrovnik's architectural treasures, the
elegant Hotel Imperial, severely damaged and in flames
after an artillery bombardment in 1991, has been
painstakingly restored to its prewar glory. Painted a
bright Hapsburg yellow, with filigreed wrought-iron
balconies adorning its facade, the hotel reopened in
spring under its new owners, the Hilton Hotel chain,
one of many United States and European companies and
private individuals who see gold in this beautiful but
tragedy-stalked city and country.

Just as foreign investors, who have been buying
seaside homes and condominiums in Dalmatia, are
betting on a lasting peace, some Croatians I talked
with are wary. 

"Every generation has its war," said Ms. Novak's
85-year-old grandfather, Bozidar Novak, who as a
teenage partisan leader during World War II fought
Fascists in the mountains of Hvar. His son, Srdjan,
now a professor of physics at the University of
Zagreb, nodded in agreement. "It isn't something you
think about," said Srdjan, a civil war veteran, "when
it's your home you're fighting for."

Even Mr. Barisic, the self-described "free artist" of
Hvar whom everyone calls Art, found himself joining
the battle. "All my life I hated uniforms," he said.
"I am Art, not war. But when war happens, you live it.
It is not something you fear or avoid.

"Now," however, Mr. Barisic said, "I am finished with
war. That's the last one. It's over. Ours is the last
generation to fight in a war."

"I would be drunk with happiness if it was so," said
Zdravko Bazdan, a University of Dubrovnik economics
professor who survived near daily bombardments during
the siege of the city. "But this being the Balkans,"
he said, "you never know." 

Along the Dalmatian Coast, Many Spots Worth a Visit

The Croatian National Tourist Office, (800) 829-4416,
www.croatia.hr, is a useful source for information.

Getting There

Though there are no direct flights from the United
States, connecting flights from the New York area to
Dubrovnik can be booked through most major European
cities. Croatia Travel, (800) 662-7628,
croatiatravel.com, arranges connections through
Croatia Airlines, www.croatiaairlines.hr, on a number
of airlines. In early July, a round-trip American
Airlines flight from New York to Dubrovnik in late
August (transferring in Manchester, England, to
British Airways) was $1,065. 

While regular rail service to Croatia is available
from most Western European countries, the going can be
slow and even slower within Croatia. Bus service is
more reliable, with daily service from Germany, Italy
and Austria (www.eurolines.com) and an extensive
network of domestic routes (www.akz.hr).

Car ferries operate daily during the summer (less
frequently off season) between Italy and the Dalmatian
coast, crossing the Adriatic from Ancona to Hvar, in
10 hours (berths from $40, cars $70, at $1.22 to the
euro) on Croatia's largest ferry company, Jadrolinija,
www.jadrolinija.hr.

Where to Stay

With hotel rooms at a premium along the coast during
July and August, enterprising locals rent space in
their homes by posting signs in town or on line.
Private accommodations can be found on the Web at
sites like www.findcroatia.com and www.hvar.hr. Hotel
prices here are for high season, and include
breakfast.

HVAR Hotel Amfora, (385-21) 741-202;
www.suncanihvar.hr. If the private beach is too
crowded, try the big pool (scuba and snorkeling
lessons available) or enjoy the view of the small cove
and winding riva from the balcony of the spacious
fourth-floor lobby. Double rooms start at about $100,
at 6.3 kuna to the dollar. 

Hotel Palace, (385-21) 741-966; www.suncanihvar.hr.
Facing Hvar's small but active harbor, the century-old
hotel was built on the site of a Venetian palace that
once housed the local parliament. Doubles from $180. 

DUBROVNIK Hotel Excelsior, Frana Supila 12,;(385-20)
353-353; www.hotel-excelsior.hr. A recently renovated
luxury hotel offering five-star accommodation and
service. The view from the Excelsior's terraces and
balconies as the sun sets behind Dubrovnik is
unsurpassed. Doubles from $255. 

Pucic Palace, Od Puca, (385-20) 326-222;
www.thepucicpalace.com. In the heart of Dubrovnik's
walled old town, the four-story stone Palace, once a
nobleman's opulent home, catered to visiting
merchants, aristocrats and dignitaries during
Dubrovnik's days as an international trading center.
Today's guests enjoy in-room DVD players and art
treasures on loan from the city's leading museums.
Doubles from $584.

Where to Eat

HVAR A cozy, candlelight-and-artwork-filled seafood
restaurant located in a narrow, nameless alleyway a
few stone steps from the town square, Macondo,
(385-21) 742-850 (named after the town in "One Hundred
Years of Solitude"), offers fresh seafood and
shellfish and wonderful local wines (the white
Bogdanusa - "God's given grape" - and the red Ploski
Plovac, 14 percent alcohol, are superb). Dinner for
two, with wine, about $90. 

MALI STON This tiny town was built with 14th-century
walls and fortifications on the Peljesac Peninsula,
some of which still stand. Mali Ston, in southern
Dalmatia, and its sister town, Ston, are renowned for
the fresh oysters and mussels harvested from shellfish
farms in the waters of the surrounding fjords.
Kapetanova Kuca, (385-20) 754-264, a patio restaurant,
with an array of pastas and succulent shellfish, is a
popular stop for travelers on the Dalmatian highway.
Oysters, an entree and wine cost about $80 for two

DUBROVNIK Lora Rudnjak, the owner of Ragusa 2, Prijeko
30, (385-20) 321-203, a seafood restaurant and
sidewalk cafe in the old town, took the name in turn
from the original Ragusa (the name of Dubrovnik when
it was an independent city-state), which her family
started in Dubrovnik in 1929. Featured along with
seafood, pastas and risotto are large platters of
Croatian cheeses, thinly sliced Dalmatian smoked ham,
octopus salad, oysters, mussels and clams. Dinner for
two with wine, about $55.

STEVE DOUGHERTY wrote about night life in Reykjavik,
Iceland, for the Travel section in December.

Carnival Liberty departs Dubrovnik

In this photo, provided by Carnival Crusie Lines, the new Carnival Liberty departs Dubrovnik, Croatia , Sunday, July 17, 2005, during its first cruise. The 952-foot-long Liberty is the first vessel for Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines to sail a full slate of summer-fall European cruises. On Nov. 12, the ship is to begin a series of eight-day Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and then return to Europe in May 2006. Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino is to officially name the vessel July 19 in Civitavecchia, Italy. (AP Photo/Carnival Cruise Lines, Andy Newman)

The new Carnival Liberty is docked in Dubrovnik, Croatia July 17, 2005. Carnival Cruise Lines' 952-feet-long (290 m) Liberty can carry 3,000 guests and is the first Carnival vessel to sail a full slate of summer-fall European cruises. NO SALES NO ARCHIVES REUTERS/Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Lines/Handout

Local sailors shift tack to Croatia

By Patricia Fischer
Monday July 18, 2005

Sailing is becoming an increasingly popular leisure activity in Hungary. But as many yachting marinas on Lake Balaton see demand for berths falling as the domestic market reaches saturation, more and more local sailboat owners are taking their boats to Croatia, where two Hungarian-owned marinas are practically booked solid.

Six years ago, BH Rt, the Balaton Shipping Company, launched a marina development program. Today, the chain consists of ten sailboat marinas with total capacity for over 2,000 boats. The Balatonszemes marina, with 134 available moorings, is the project most recently completed.

“We can offer an annual lease for a lower price than those charged by privately owned marinas, and clients are entitled to use all marinas in the chain and related services at no extra charge,â€? explained Ferenc Lain, BH’s technical director. “If someone keeps their boat in a private marina and wishes to spend a few nights at a different mooring, they should calculate on paying between Ft 4,000 and Ft 10,000 [€16–€40] per day, depending on the location.â€?

Lain added that prices this year have risen by 6%.

“Our price rise, however, is in line with inflation,â€? the technical director said. “This means we are still far cheaper than other private marinas offering similar services.â€?

Even so, demand for moorings on the Balaton has fallen in the last two to three years. According to Lain, there are approximately 5,000 boats currently registered at the lake.

“In the past we registered between 20 and 30 new lessees each year, but recently it’s been more like two or three,â€? he said. He attributed the drop partly to the fact that Croatian marinas are currently in fashion, while suggesting that low Balaton water levels could be another reason.

One shipping expert requesting anonymity agreed that the number of moorage renters on the Balaton is falling, but attributed this to a different cause.

“Anyone wishing to buy a boat has already done so, so no significant increase can be expected in this segment,â€? the source said. “As a result of great demand for sailing as a leisure activity, grandiose marina development plans were drawn up between 1997 and 2000. However, due to enlargements and new developments in the last five or six years, the market is now saturated.â€?

Berths to spare

Operators of privately owned harbors around Lake Balaton do not take quite such a dim view of the situation.

“We’ve been 90% booked for years,â€? said DĂŠnes Bartos, harbor director of Kenese Marina-Port Rt, which opened in 1997. “Ninety-nine percent of those renting moorings are Hungarians. Each year, four or five new lessees appear.â€?

Kenese Marina-Port also operates a four-star hotel adjacent to the marina, the Hotel Marina-Port.

“In running both the hotel and the marina, many of the services are closely connected, but it would be true to say that the marina works profitably in its own right,â€? Bartos claimed.

Bartos said he believes the lake could accommodate ten times as many sailboats, although he conceded that an increasing number of boat owners have chosen to keep their boats in Croatia in recent years.

“Around 15 boat owners recently took their boats away from our marina to the Adriatic,â€? he admitted.

The 206-berth Marina Fűzfő, which opened last April in Balatonfűzfő, is currently working at 35% capacity, but the marina manager is optimistic, given that last year the figure was just 14%.

“In terms of quality, the Marina Fűzfő provides more than most other Balaton marinas,â€? asserted marina manager MĂĄrta Kenyeres, who also predicted that market demand will increase.

“A few years ago there was a significant drop in the water level, but this has stopped, and the boat trade has picked up again; used boats rather than new, unfortunately, but it’s still a good sign,â€? Kenyeres said.

The annual fee for a berth at Marina Fűzfő varies between Ft 250,000 and Ft 590,000 – a sum unchanged since last year.

“Apart from the unchanged rates, we’re also offering discounts that include exchanging up to 25% of the annual fee for credit at the marina restaurant,â€? Kenyeres added.

Improving services

Although a large percentage of the marinas at Lake Balaton are privately owned or run by various clubs and associations, almost half of the available berths are owned by BH Rt.

“BH Rt owns over 50% of the Balaton yachting marina market,â€? said Lain, adding that the company’s goal is to retain this market share, having managed to double the number of its moorings since 1994.

“Recent developments have made it obvious that standards which seemed sufficient three years ago are no longer adequate,â€? he added, conceding that BH’s services need renewal.

Although the average utilization level of BH’s marinas is around 92%, Lain admitted there are places where the situation is less than perfect.

“Opened last June, we expect mostly Austrian and German renters at our Keszthely Marina,â€? Lain revealed. “For the moment, however, utilization of the 200-berth marina remains below 10% – despite all our marketing efforts.â€?

Lain said that Austrian and German yacht clubs make frequent inquiries about the marina, but are looking to buy rather than rent. He added that they have even approached BH with the intention of buying the entire marina. The company, however, is reluctant to part with any member of its chain.

According to Lain, BH’s marina branch produces what he described as a minimum acceptable profit of 9%–10%.

“Taking only cash flow into account, our results are fairly good,â€? he said. “This, however, must be seen in the context of general costs and amortization. All things considered, our profit is not that high.â€?

Hungarians at sea

Over in Croatia, meanwhile, one Hungarian company, DalmĂĄcia Holiday Kft, can boast two marinas. The Marina Tribunj, owned entirely by DalmĂĄcia, has 250 berths, while joint venture Marina Kremik has 400 berths to offer sailors.

“In Croatia the market is definitely governed by demand,â€? said Éva Kerekes, operator of Marina Tribunj and managing director of local joint venture Danuvius Marina d.o.o.

“Both marinas are fully booked, with another 100 boats, both in Tribunj and Kremik, on the waiting list,â€? she added.

At Marina Tribunj, 30%–35% of lessees are Hungarians, while this proportion is lower at Marina Kremik because charter companies book most of the available berths, explained Kerekes. The number of Hungarian lessees at Marina Tribunj has increased steadily since opening in 2003, which she attributed largely to the newly constructed motorway along the Dalmatian coast.

“Now it takes barely six hours to reach Tribunj from Budapest,â€? Kerekes noted, while adding that even in the year of its opening, the marina was 90% full.

According to Kerekes, there are as many as 15,000 berths available in Croatia’s marinas, which face steadily increasing demand.

http://www.bbj.hu/?module=displaystory&story_id=249333&format=html

HRVATSKE SVJETSKE IGRE - ZADAR 2006

KONFERENCIJA ZA TISAK
TURISTIČKO NASELJE ZATON - 13.07.2005

1. Hrvatske svjetske igre projekt su Hrvatskog svjetskog kongresa (HSK), krovne iseljeničke udruge sa sjediĹĄtem u Ĺ vicarskoj i 30 predstavniĹĄtva diljem svijeta. Hrvatski svjetski kongres osnovan je 1993 godine i uĹživa članstvo nevladine udruge pri UN-u sa konzultativnim statusom u ECOSOC-u.

2. U jesen 2002. godine rođena je ideja o odrĹžavanju Hrvatskih svjetskih igara pod radnim nazivom "Crolimpijada". Projekt prvi put predstavljen IzvrĹĄnom odboru HSK-a na sastanku u Zagrebu u oĹžujku 2003 godine i proslijeđen na detaljnu izradu. Sljedeće godine u srpnju na sastanku Glavnog odbora HSK-a u Sarajevu donesena je konačna odluka o odrĹžavanju Hrvatskih svjetskih igara u Zadru 2006..

3. Prethodno konačnoj odluci članovi IzvrĹĄnog odbora HSK-a posjetili su razne institucije u RH - Vladu RH, Grad Zadar, Ĺ˝upaniju zadarsku, Hrvatsku maticu iseljenika, Nadbiskupiju zadarsku i Hrvatski olimpijski odbor - i dobili pozitivne signale u smislu potpore i pokroviteljstva.

4. Hrvatske svjetske igre prvo su globalno sportsko natjecanje u Hrvata. Domaća selekcija sportaĹĄa natjecati će se protiv selekcija drĹžava hrvatske dijaspore i selekcije Hrvata iz Bosne i Hercegovine. Svi sudionici Igara moraju biti hrvatskih korijena i mogu jedino nastupiti za delegaciju zemlje u kojoj borave barem zadnje tri godine.

5. Ciljevi HSI-a: PribliĹžavanje domovinske i iseljene Hrvatske, promocija grada i Ĺžupanije domaćina, promocija hrvatskog turizma, pribliĹžavanje hrvatskih sportskih talenata domovini.

6. Hrvatske svjetske igre biti će odrĹžane u Gradu Zadru i na području Zadarske Ĺžupanije. Igre će trajati od 15.07.2006 do 21.07.2006 i biti će svečano otvorene mimohodom delegacija u centru Zadra. Svi sudionici Igara biti će smjeĹĄtenu u TN Zaton koje će biti sportsko selo za vrijeme Igara.

7. Discipline na Igrama: Atletika, badminton, boćanje, judo, karate, koĹĄarka, koĹĄarka-hakl, nogomet, nogomet na pijesku, mali nogomet, nogomet veterana, odbojka, odbojka na pijesku, plivanje, rukomet, stolni tenis, taekwondo, tenis

8. Dob sudionika: od 16 do 40 godina, za boćanje i maraton (atletika) nema starosnog ograničenja. Veteranski nogomet od 36 godina bez gornjeg ograničenja.

9. Pored sportaĹĄa mogu se prijaviti i treneri, suci, predstavnici i volonteri za aktivne uloge na Igrama. Ĺ esta kategorija je pasivna, ali moĹžda za neke najatraktivnija - "prijatelji Igara". Predviđeno za osobe koji za vrijeme Igara Ĺžele biti sa ostalim u sportskom selu ali bez obaveza prema programu.

10. DosadaĹĄnji tijek prijava: do danaĹĄnjeg dana stigle su oko 430 prijava iz 21zemlje. Prijave uglavnom iz manje organiziranih sredina i dobrim dijelom u pojedinačnim disciplinama. Očekivanja su bila takva da će ekipni sportovi iz organiziranih hrvatskih zajednica prednjačiti. Iako iznenađujuća - vrlo pozitivna situacija!

11. Novosti za drugi prijavni rok - pored Interneta prijave moguće također putem telefona ili faksa. Ured HSI-a u Zadru otvara 15.8.2005. Promjena nekih ograničenja u svezi starosne dob sudionika, ali najveća novost je kategorija "prijatelji Igara" koja omogućuje baĹĄ svakome da bude sudionik Igara (sudjeluju u mimohodu). Nogomet veterana uvrĹĄten u sluĹžbeni dio programa (od 36 godina).

12. Delegacije Hrvatske i BIH - Detaljne informacije u rujnu / listopadu 2005. Razmatramo mogućnost odrĹžavanja kvalifikacijskih turnira u suradnji sa sportskim savezima.

13. Cijena sudjelovanja - 285 EUR za sve aktivne kategorije / 450 EUR za prijatelje Igara, volonteri ako su smjeĹĄteni u naselju također 285 EUR, ako u samostalnom aranĹžmanu besplatno. U cijeni uključeno je sudjelovanje na sportskom dijelu Igara, na otvaranju i zatvaranju Igara, smjeĹĄtaj u TN Zaton polu-pansion u bungalowu, jedan obrok na sportskim terenima, ulaz na sva natjecanja, ulaz na kompletni zabavni program, oprema prema potrebi (osim tenisica i oprema za borilačke sportove), transport unutar prijevoznog sistema Igara, koriĹĄtenje IT centra i doĹživotno članstvo HSI-a.


Jure Strika

www.zadar2006.com
Kontakt Tel: 091 / 768 3316
 

Ivan Ljubicic celebrates victory - Croatia into semifinals

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic celebrates victory in the doubles with Mario Ancic during a Davis Cup world group quarter-final tennis match against Romania's Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu at Split, Croatia, July 16, 2005. Ljubicic and Ancic defeated Pavel and Trifu 5-7 6-4 6-7 6-4 6 6-4. REUTERS/Matko Biljak 


Ivan i Mario

Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic (R) and his partner Mario Ancic react during their Davis Cup world group quarterfinal doubles against Romania's Ander Pavel and Gabriel Trifu at Split, Croatia July 16, 2005. REUTERS/Matko Biljak