TELE2 is the Festival's new telecommunication partner and sponsor of the plays La bottega del caffè and Othello

The Dubrovnik Summer Festival and Tele2 have signed a two-year sponsorship contract, which includes telecommunication services and sponsorship of the plays La bottega del caffè and Othello at the 68th Dubrovnik Summer Festival. The contract has been signed by Ivana Medo Bogdanović, the Festival's acting Executive Director, and Viktor Pavlinić, Tele2's Chairman of the Board, today, on 27 April 2017, on the occasion of the opening of Tele2's new office in Dubrovnik.

„The Dubrovnik Summer Festival enjoys support from the business sector, but new sponsors are certainly not found every day. Moreover, it is a special honour to partner with a company which enjoys such great prestige among its users and whose business philosophy focuses efficiently on the satisfaction of its clients“ – explained Ivana Medo Bogdanović.

Like every year, from 10 July to 25 August, the Dubrovnik Summer Festival will present around 80 theatrical, musical, ballet, operatic, film, fine art, folklore and other programmes at more than 10 site-specific venues, and play host to around 2.000 artist from all over the world who will perform before more than 60.000 local and foreign visitors. Repeat performances will include last year's hit plays which were warmly received by audiences and critics alike. The song and dance comedy La bottega del caffè, directed by Vinko Brešan, will be shown on 25, 26 and 27 July in front of Sponza Palace, and Shakespeare's Othello, directed by Ivica Boban, on 31 July, 1, 2, and 3 August at Lovrjenac Fort.

www.dubrovnik-festival.com

Du Motion - Dubrovnik Runners’ Days

Third consecutive edition of the sports and recreational event Du Motion - Runners' Days Dubrovnik will be held on the 29th and 30th of April 2017. The two-day event combines the growingly popular Dubrovnik Half Marathon, an exclusive race around the iconic City Walls, a 5K charity race for citizens and a children's race. Runners will also have the opportunity to visit Du Motion Expo and enjoy other various programs.

In a very short period of time Du Motion has earned the epithet of one of the most successful and best organized events of this kind in Croatia. This year again it will attract professional and recreational athletes from more than 40 countries in the city under Mt. Srd over the May Day weekend.

There are many reasons why runners should come to Dubrovnik. Du Motion and its races are renowned for their interesting panoramic tracks that explore the old city and the Dubrovnik coastline with a start and finish line on the historic Stradun. However it is also well-known for its great atmosphere and runners from all over the world, and there are a variety of packages with many racing benefits for all applicants.

For more info please visit the official website. You can also follow Du Motion social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Du Motion - Runners’ Days Dubrovnik 2016  video.

Akalapela festival

A not – to- be missed event for all a cappella music fans

The preparations for the sixth edition of the Akalapela festival are well underway. This year's sixth edition will take place April 28 – 30, 2017. We will soon release the program's details as well as a list of all a cappella vocal groups that will be joining us for the Aklapela festival. The Aklapela festival fosters traditional a cappella singing, which has been recognized by UNESCO as the world intangible cultural heritage.  

This year, as in previous years, we will welcome numerous a cappella groups from different parts of Croatia, who will perform under the direction of Maestro Josko Saleta.  The traditional a cappella singing, performed at some of the most breathtaking Dubrovnik’s venues, will this year too delight numerous citizens and guests of Dubrovnik.

The Aklapela Festival invites you to join us from 28 – 30 of April in Dubrovnik for a three day celebration of music and friendship.

˝Quiet, please!˝ – Film and Dubrovnik are in Love...

The film event ˝Quiet, please!˝ will take place from 24 – 30 April 2017 with the theme ˝Film and the City Since 1919˝. Within this theme, the focus of the second consecutive multimedia festival will be on the period of Yugoslav film, which was very important for Dubrovnik as a filming location. There will be film screenings in the Lazaretto cinema cafe, the Croatian premiere of the Bollywood film spectacle Fan, which was also shot on location in Dubrovnik, will take place, as well as good film music, workshops, programs for children, and a panel discussion on film tourism with distinguished guests from Croatia and abroad.

The program of this year's festival will feature some of the films from the period of Yugoslav cinematography and the well known Croatian film critic, professor of history and current acting Director of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre Daniel Rafaelić, will hold a lecture on the slightly different Yugoslav cinematography.

˝Quiet, please!˝ will address the subject of the film tourism in a panel discussion that will be attended by eminent domestic and foreign experts, such as the already mentioned Daniel Rafaelić, as well as special guest, the President of the Spanish Film Commission Carlos Rosado, from whom we will hear about the experience of Spain as a film destination. The other participants will be a representative of the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and a representative of the local tourist agencies.

We continue with screenings of films shot in Dubrovnik with Croatian and English subtitles, including the national premiere of the Indian action hit Fan, which was filmed in Dubrovnik in 2015, and for the first time in nearly 80 years, the documentary film Dubrovnik from 1939, which was considered lost until a few years ago. In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the presentation of restored vinyl with the also recently recovered soundtrack of one of the most famous Yugoslav science fiction films Gosti iz Galaksije (Guests from the Galaxy), accompanied by a screening of this same film that was shot in Dubrovnik in 1981. The program will also offer a free film tour through the city accompanied by a licensed guide, a children's race, a film quiz, playing of film music, workshops for children, and another building in the Lazaretto will be specially transformed according the needs of the festival into a cinema cafe where guests will be able to meet local and foreign cinephiles and to experience a touch of cinematic Dubrovnik.

The project ˝Quiet, please!˝ is supported by the City of Dubrovnik and the Dubrovnik Tourist Board, in partnership with Cinematographers Dubrovnik. For more details about the program follow the Facebook page Tišina Molim.

DUBROVNIK FESTIWINE STARTED

The winners of Blind Date

On Wednesday, April 19th in Mali Ston, around fifty members of the jury, sponsors and partners of the Festival tasted 23 wines in restaurant Vila Koruna. The team, led by the repubtable sommelier Mira Šemić, decided that Cetinka Bačić pairs best with the famous Mali Ston oyster! “Blind date” - selecting white, rose and sparkling wines that best pairs with Mali Ston oysters is the part of the regional festival Dubrovnik FestiWine.

In category of sparkling wines, with Mali Ston oysters best pairs Tris Extra Brut OPG Radovanović.

In category of rose wines, with Mali Ston oysters best pairs Rose Volarević

In category of malvasia wine, with Mali Ston oysters best pairs Tezoro Crvik 2016

In category of posip wines, with Mali Ston oysters best pairs Intrada Krajancic 2016

The absolute winner and the wine that best pairs with Mali Ston oysters is Cetinka Bačić from the island of Korčula.

Welcome to the 4th Wine Festival 'Dubrovnik FestiWine'

During the 4th edition of „Dubrovnik Festiwine“ festival  from 17 -23 April, there are many  interesting events promoting the wine culture, such as presentations, workshops, meetings of winemakers and wine professionals, the wine judging called 'Dubrovnik FestiWine Trophy', selection of the best wine to be paired with Ston oysters, and the gala dinner, the proceeds of which will go to scholarships for young culinary talents. Finally, do not miss the central event of the festival — the Wine Exhibition, which is going be held in historic Dubrovnik “Lazareti” on 21 and 22 April 2017.

All of you who love and appreciate wine, whether by growing and producing it, caring for it, studying it or teaching about it, all of you who expertly pair it with fine food, serve it and present it, and all of you who only enjoy it, with all your heart and your senses, welcome to DUBROVNIK FESTIWINE! The festival was launched by the Dubrovnik-Neretva County as a regional wine festival. For the last three years it has gathered only the local winemakers, that is the winemakers of Dubrovnik- Neretva County. This year the festival will also open its doors to all winemakers of Croatia and EU countries who wish to present themselves in Dubrovnik.

In the week from 17 to 23 April wine will be celebrated all around Dubrovnik, and as part of the Dubrovnik Wine Week the restaurants and bars will offer their visitors special menus featuring their delicacies paired with fine wines and thus introduce us all to the festival itself. Join as at many interesting events promoting the wine culture, such as presentations, workshops, meetings of winemakers and wine professionals, the wine judging called 'Dubrovnik FestiWine Trophy', selection of the best wine to be paired with Ston oysters, and the gala dinner, the proceeds of which will go to scholarships for young culinary talents. Finally, do not miss the central event of the festival — the Wine Exhibition, which is going be held in historic Dubrovnik “Lazareti” on 21 and 22 April 2017.

We hope for a large turnout at the event, especially by all of you who live with wine, for wine and from wine!

During the festival Dubrovnik will be an open wine stage, so use it and make your own contribution towards the strengthening of the position of wine.

Let us build Dubrovnik as the city of wine together!

Welcome!

Dubrovnik Musical Spring

Dubrovnik Musical Spring is a new musical event in the city launched by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. It is a cycle of classical music concerts, which will take time from April  18 to April 28, organized to enrich the  cultural offer of Dubrovnik.

This music event is a blend of youth and experience. During these ten days, 90-years-old Orchestra will be conducted by its honorary conductor Pavle Dešpalj; in addition to Austrian conductor Christoph Campestrini and famous Zagreb's conductor Tomislav Fačini. As soloists will perform excellent young Croatian musicians: Aljoša Jurinić - fifth best pianist of the world and a finalist of Chopin Piano Competition, the winner of the fifth prize of Queen Elizabeth Competition and the first prize in the competition "Robert Schumann" in Germany; then violist Hiwote Tadesse, winner of the Grand Prix prize at the International competition of young musicians in Moscow, the first prize at the International Competition Citta di Barletta in Italy and others. Then, Đana Kahriman, concertmaster of the DSO and the winner of five first prizes in national competitions; Matija Novakovic, principal DSO basoon whose interpretation is adorned with an exemplary technique and stylistic culture, and as a soloist and artistic director will perform Dmitry Sinkovsky, excellent Russian violinist with successful international career.

Concerts will take place in Fort Revelin and the Franciscan church. With rich program performances of quality musicians, unique experience is guaranteed.

Easter in Primorje

The spring event with a touch of tradition

Shake away the Easter Monday blues by visiting the village Kliševo outside of Dubrovnik. This manifestation presents the typical specialties and traditions of rural households. See 'penganje', a special form of decorating Easter eggs with hot wax, and the custom of weddings after Easter with attention to the ceremony, costumes and jewellery which have survived for centuries. The event starts at 3pm with a parade.

Participating in the program: the Zaton Brass Band, the Dubrovnik Musketeers, the Dubrovnik Primorje  Wedding Association with a performance of a traditional  wedding, and Little Lindjo at the end of the program, along with a dozen Cultural Arts Associations (KUD) from Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Dalmatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

EASTER BRUNCH or MARENDA, as it is called in Dubrovnik

About Easter in Dubrovnik Restaurants

Along the entire Croatian Adriatic coast one of the most popular daily meals has certainly always been marenda. This is a late morning meal that is consumed around 11 am, or perhaps later, and the international version of this local expression is ˝brunch˝. Increasingly, and especially for the feast of Easter, brunch or marenda is replacing the traditional lunch, so the Dubrovnik Tourist Board has organised gastronomic days called ˝Easter Brunch˝ for all foreign tourists, visitors to Dubrovnik, as well as local residents, which will be held from the 15th to 17th of April.

Restaurants participating in the program and offering brunch include Domino, Gusta me, Kopun, Lajk, Mimoza, Orsan, Porat, Tavulin, Taj mahal (in the Old City), and Taj mahal (Hotel Lero), and their menus will include the traditional Dubrovnik Easter Cake pinca, traditionally hand painted eggs, ham baked in bread, green onions, fresh fruit, and a variety of other holiday dishes.

Enjoy the spring delicacies of Easter Brunch!

SPRING ON A PLATE

ASPARAGUS DAYS IN DUBROVNIK RESTAURANTS

The beginning of April, the weekend of the 7th to the 9th, is reserved for gastro days in Dubrovnik restaurants dedicated to asparagus. This wild, edible plant that is harvested in early spring, is very nutritious and healthy, and at the same time delicate and aromatic. In gastronomy, asparagus is a favourite plant that goes well with different foods like eggs, meat, fish, rice, pancetta or pasta.

Dubrovnik restaurants will offer specialties such as shrimp and asparagus risotto, octopus salad with asparagus, Adriatic shrimp on a bed of rice and asparagus, sole with asparagus sauce, stuffed sweet potatoes with asparagus and eggs, cannelloni with asparagus, oysters in tempura on a bed of asparagus, and other specialties. Restaurants participating in this year’s Asparagus Days are: Domino, Eden, Gusta me, Klarisa, Kopun, Lajk, Mimoza, Orka, Orsan, Porat, and Rozario.

More about asparagus:

Wild edible plants such as nettle, dandelion, lamb's lettuce, asparagus, etc., are best in early spring. Wild asparagus is often found at Dubrovnik markets. This is a plant whose nutrients help the body to adapt and to detoxify and it one of the oldest medicinal plants. The homeland of asparagus is Southern Europe, where it often appears as a wild plant in coastal areas.

At the same time gentle and aromatic, asparagus is a popular plant in gastronomy that works well with various ingredients such as eggs, meat, fish, rice, pancetta or pasta.

As a food and medicine, asparagus was highly valued in ancient Egypt, and was known in China as early as 3000 BC. Asparagus is mostly water, over 90%, the remainder being protein, some carbohydrates, plant fibre, vitamins and minerals.

EASTER HOLIDAYS IN DUBROVNIK

The fragrance of spring in full effect, the flight of the swifts in the City and the sound of their clicks, the glittering main street of Stradun, the magnificent old city walls, unforgettable sunsets, and traditional customs – all of this is part of Easter in Dubrovnik! Come to Stradun where you will receive the gift of a traditionally hand-decorated Easter egg or have one made with a special message for a loved one. Enjoy exquisite delicacies from the Dubrovnik region at Easter brunch in Dubrovnik restaurants or music programs from the cycle of the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra’s ˝Dubrovnik Musical Spring˝. Take a walk in the areas around the City or go on a day trip to Lokrum Island, the Elaphite Islands, or to the Neretva Valley, and try the succulent oysters and fine wines at the ˝Dubrovnik FestiWine˝ event. The a capella singing festival ˝Aklapela˝ takes place from April 28th to 30th and features concerts by the best Croatian multipart a capella singing groups, while the second edition of the event ˝Quiet, please... Film and Dubrovnik are in love!” takes place from April 24th to 30th and features some of the movies from the rich history of film shooting in Dubrovnik as well as accompanying educational and leisure activities.

In our newsletter, you will find a recipe for the delicious and fragrant pinca cake, which was traditionally prepared by our grandmothers and whose tradition still continues today.

Around 6,000 thousand guests are scheduled to stay in Dubrovnik during the Easter holidays, most of them arriving by direct flights from European countries or from neighbouring countries.

Welcome to Dubrovnik and have a happy Easter!

CROATIAN POSTAL SERVICE STAMP WITH MOTIF OF KONAVLE EMBROIDERY

On March 14th the Croatian Postal Service released four regular stamps of the Republic of Croatia into circulation. The theme of this regular edition of postage stamps is Croatian ethnographic heritage and the motifs on the stamps feature details of national folk costumes. The stamps feature details of national folk costumes from the island of Zlarin, and from the regions of Podravina, Konavle, and Istria, and their author is Orsat Franković, a designer from Zagreb. Ivo Pervan, a photographer from Split, is the author of the photos from Zlarin, Konavle, and Istria, and the photo from Podravina is the property of the Society of Original Folklore (DIF) Koprivnicaki Ivanec archive. The postage stamps will be printed as follows: 500,000 copies for Zlarin, 500,000 copies for Podravina, 250,000 copies for Konavle, and 500,000 copies for Istria. Regular stamps will be printed in sheets of 50 stamps and there will be a joint sheet with all 4 stamps that will have a circulation of 20,000 copies.

TRAFFIC INCREASED IN CROATIAN AIRPORTS SINCE THE BEGINNING 2017 - DUBROVNIK LEADS

According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics (CBS), during January of this year 218,000 passengers passed through Croatian airports, which is 19,000 passengers or 9.7 percent more compared to January 2016.

Thus, the trend of growth in air traffic from last year continued at the beginning of this year, when the total passenger traffic through the seven airports in Croatia grew by 13 percent compared to 2015.

The newest CBS data shows that the greatest number of passengers in January was recorded at the airport in Zagreb, which saw 168,131 travellers, or 7.4 percent more than in the same month last year. However, the largest percentage increase, 24.9 percent or 19,103 passengers, was recorded at the airport in Dubrovnik.

DUBROVNIK BOASTS EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS IN TOURISM IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF 2017

According to data from the E- visitor system, the first two months of 2017 were extremely successful for tourism in Dubrovnik. There were 26,938 arrivals, which is an increase of 12 percent, as well as 76,553 overnight stays or 19 percent more than in the first two months of 2016. In first place according to the number of visitors were local guests (from Croatia), followed by those from the neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina, then Korea, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Hungary, Japan, Spain, and China.

Most arrivals were seen in hotels (23,142 arrivals), which showed an increase in the number of arrivals of 7% compared to January and February 2016. There was also a better occupancy rate in private accommodation facilities (2,447 arrivals), which is a 55% increase in arrivals compared to the same period last year. There were 55,916 overnight stays in hotels (5% more than in 2016), and in private accommodation there were 13,024 overnight stays (75% more than 2016).

According to age groups, in January and February most guests that visited Dubrovnik were aged 41-60 (9% more than in 2016), followed by guests aged 31-40 (3% more than in 2016), and then guests aged 21-30 (a large increase of 25% compared to the same period of 2016).

Only in February there were 15,186 arrivals, which is at the same level as last year, as well as 41,423 overnight stays, or 7% more than in the same month in 2016. In February, most guests in Dubrovnik were from Croatia, followed by the United Kingdom, the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Korea, France, Spain, Japan, and China.

It is obvious that the establishment of year round flights to Frankfurt and Istanbul and the continuation of the flight from London, the rich program of the Dubrovnik Winter Festival, as well as the shooting of the film Robin Hood: Origins, and the presentation of the new car model of the Nissan Micra, contributed to the strong progress of winter tourism in Dubrovnik, bringing our city closer to achieving the goal of year round tourism.

Robin Hood team clean seabed in Dubrovnik harbour

The film production company “Pakt Media” who were involved in the Robin Hood: Origins filming in Dubrovnik organised a cleaning of the harbour in yesterday. The old harbour was the location of the first set to be built in the city and was one of the largest and most intricate sets.

On the final day of filming of Robin Hood in Dubrovnik, on the 6th of March, the set was “burnt down” in a dramatic scene. Of course the set wasn’t actually burnt down it was a mixture of special effects and controlled explosions.

The harbour was cleaned by Pakt Media, with the assistance of the Poklisar restaurant and the public cleaning company, and divers cleaned the seabed. The Dubrovnik Diving Club spent most of the day cleaning the seabed and today the local boats, that were moved for filming, will be returned to their original positions.

http://www.thedubrovniktimes.com/news/dubrovnik/item/2116-robin-hood-team-clean-seabed-in-dubrovnik-harbour