CROATIA /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ — A long-awaited moment in the ongoing expansion of global off-road triathlon is set to take place with the debut of XTERRA Croatia Mali Lošinj on May 10-11
A unique island in the heart of the Adriatic will welcome cross-triathletes
mountain bikers and trail runners of all levels of experience to discover its historic trails and crystal-clear waters
As the sixth stop of the 2025 XTERRA EMEA Tour and the ninth stop on the 2025 XTERRA Youth Tour
this inaugural event offers limited and highly coveted qualifying slots to the 2025 XTERRA World Championship and XTERRA Youth World Championship in Trentino
XTERRA Croatia Mali Lošinj will blend adrenaline
for competitors and families alike to discover an island full of cultural richness
and the challenge of pure off-road competition
often referred to as “The Island of Vitality,” has evolved through centuries from when Illyrian tribes first settled in this Adriatic enclave
leaving traces of their presence in ancient hillforts and burial sites
Under Venetian rule and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire
traders and sailors with its scenic and sheltered bays
mild temperatures of 18-20°C (65-68°F) and extended daylight hours bring out the island’s natural character
More than 1,000 native plant species thrive in its pine forests
while dolphins find refuge in the surrounding waters
Centuries-old traditions continue through local festivals
provides a setting that is both historically significant and ecologically diverse
XTERRA Hall of Fame inductee Helena Karásková Erbenová (CZE)
after testing out this adventure playground
beautiful clear water and suddenly you are outside the city in pure nature
XTERRA Croatia Mali Lošinj opens the weekend with four races that highlight emerging talent and inclusive participation
Run 2.5K) is open exclusively to Youth A (14–15 years) and serves as a key XTERRA Youth Tour qualifier
Run 5.5K) is reserved for Youth B and Junior categories (16–19 years) to also compete for a portion of the 30 available 2025 XTERRA Youth World Championship slots
the MTB race (Bike 39.2K) offers an adrenaline-packed ride through the island’s rugged landscapes
and the Kids Runs (0.5–1K) for ages 8-13 introduce younger entrants to the XTERRA Community in a supportive environment
attention turns to the iconic Full Distance Triathlon (Swim 1.5K
where elite triathletes and age groupers compete across crystal-clear waters
and scenic coastal paths awarding 28 XTERRA World Championship slots
The 10.4K Trail Run at Veli Žal Beach offers its own brand of challenge
guiding competitors along pebbled shores and through fragrant woodland routes that reflect the island’s cultural and natural heritage
Executive Director of Sales & Marketing
“The island of Lošinj is an ideal destination for an outdoor lifestyle that combines sea
with top-notch gastronomy and the hospitality of Lošinj Hotels & Villas
XTERRA is the best outdoor event concept in the world and its link with Lošinj is a ‘match made in heaven’ itself
we want to add new value to our guests not only during the XTERRA event
but also throughout the year through new cycling and hiking trails as well as branding them
having all-day activities promoting outdoor culture
and connecting with our luxury hotels and top gastronomy.”
“We are extremely proud to bring such a strong brand to one of the most beautiful locations on the Adriatic Sea
We are excited to finally turn the plans into reality with the help of our partners from the Tourist Board of Mali Lošinj and Lošinj Hotels & Villas
who greatly contributed to the logistical organization of the event
The organization of XTERRA Croatia Mali Lošinj
on an island full of beautiful views and connection with nature
From wild trails to the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea
the location provides a perfect balance between physical challenge and the charm of getting to know this location in a unique and atypical way.”
“After the tremendous work put in for the unrealized 2020 event
we are thrilled to see this vision finally come to life
XTERRA will debut in a stunning part of Croatia—perfectly suited to embody the spirit of adventure and resilience that our community values.”
EMEA Marketing & Business Development Director:
“We’re excited to bring XTERRA to the beautiful island of Mali Lošinj
it’s an ideal setting to celebrate the adventure and camaraderie that define XTERRA
This event will be an unforgettable experience for athletes and families.”
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure
From pioneering the sport of cross-triathlon in 1996
XTERRA has grown to become a leading brand in off-road adventure through the XTERRA World Tour
XTERRA Trail Run World Series and the XTERRA World Cup
connecting an eco-aware community of worldwide explorers that seek to protect the places where they play
View all Releases by XTERRA
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France won gold medals in both the open and women’s sections at Mitropa Chess Cup 2023
organized by the Croatian Chess Federation in Mali Lošinj
Les Bleus successfully defended the titles won back in 2022
The closing ceremony featured some honourable guests: the Mayor of Mali Lošinj
and the President of the European Chess Union
The President of Mitropa Chess Association
the country that will host the 2024 Mitropa Cup
Mr Biagioli also congratulated the Tournament Director
ECU Vice President and Croatian Chess Federation Secretary General
the Mitropa Chess Association Board held a meeting in Mali Lošinj
where many new projects were discussed and will be announced in the following weeks
All results and standing can be found in Chess-Results: Open section and Women’s section and on the official website: https://mitropa.chess.at/
Photos: Aleksandra Dimitrijević and Croatian Chess Federation
© 2025 FIDE International Chess Federation
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recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means)
without the written permission of FIDE International Chess Federation
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Croatia
An exhibition just opened on Mali Lošinj celebrates the bravery and seamanship of those who sailed to the furthest corners of the Earth from the northern Adriatic during the age of sail
Conceived by the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in Rijeka and organised with the Lošinj Museum here at the Fritzi Palace overlooking the waterfront
Across the World's Seas puts particular focus on the heroic exploits of the 1870s
As Rijeka became a major port in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
so far-reaching expeditions went as far as the Arctic in 1872-1874 and Australia in 1875
Rijeka captain and round-the-world sailor Ivan Visin
and Lošinj captain Anton Celestin Ivančić
were both decorated in Vienna for their achievements
The ships they sailed were built in Kvarner shipyards
echoing a centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship
Across the World's Seas, Lošinj Museum, Fritzi Palace, Vladimira Gortana 35, 51550 Mali Lošinj. Open Sept 16-30 Tue-Sat 10am-1pm, 5pm-7pm. From Oct 1 Tue-Sat 10am-1pm.
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The European Amateur Chess Championship 2024 commenced yesterday in Mali Losinj
The Opening ceremony of the event took place shortly before the first round
with the attendance of the ECU Vice President Mr
Alojzije Jankovic who addressed the players and made the first ceremonial move before the start of the games
The Championship is played in three rating sections: U1700
and gathers 82 players from 16 European federations
overseas region of France located 8000km far from Paris: Xavier Lycaon (FRA
The top seeded players in U1700 section are Mario Covic (CRO
1960) headline the field in the U2000 seciton
And the rating favourites in the U2300 category are Muhamet Asllani (KOS
Starting lists of players, pairings and rankings can be found here
Live games of the top boards can be followed on the following link, and detailed information about the event can be found on the official website.
CroatiaPhoto: AlamySave this storySaveSave this storySaveThose in the know find their way to the island of Losinj via yacht or private plane: a charter from Venice
or an international flight to Zagreb followed by driving
which has enabled the island to maintain its sleepy
savvy group of travelers has been descending upon the island for generations
The island was a wealthy enclave beginning in the early 19th century when shipbuilding was in its prime
a period that left its mark in the form of stunning villas that were once the summer homes of royals and European elite
Archduke Carl Stephan was one of the first royals to gravitate toward Losinj for its health benefits
and other members of the Habsburg dynasty—Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Elisabeth
and Crown Prince Rudolf—along with members of the imperial court and the bourgeoisie were quick to follow
Losinj is home to around 200 medicinal plants
warm microclimate and unusually clean air made the area particularly attractive to 19th-century travelers looking to recover respiratory issues
the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared Losinj to be a climatic health resort in 1892
The larger Hotel Bellevue has indoor and outdoor seawater pools
and can organize taxi flights that accommodate as many as six from almost anywhere in Europe
Its expansive spa menu offers multiple massages
The noninvasive Eximia HR77 is available exclusively in the spa and is said to work wonders on cellulite
it is equally focused on great food and wine
Sit down for a meal at the Alhambra’s restaurant
Alfred Keller; peruse the extensive wine list featuring some impressive Croatian bottles; and then enjoy a meal from Chef Melkior Basic
Foie gras on aged sheep-cheese risotto with black truffle
and warm Adriatic octopus with buffalo mozzarella are merely his starters
is best and offers a great deck for sunsets and sparkling rosés
There are a handful of small local bars and restaurants on the waterfront
Mali Losinj) homemade breads and dry-aged steak pair well with a bottle of the local Plavac Mali wine
The more isolated Lanterna Grill (Cikat ul
Mali Losinj) on the cape overlooking the water is known for its grilled meat and stunning sunsets
with tables in the sand and seafood front and center on the menu
Veli Losinj) in Veli Losinj is a great place to linger and enjoy a glass or two of the 50 or so Croatian wines on the list
The chef cooks a mix of meats over an open hearth on a deck overlooking city and sea
non-licensed divers can also enjoy the experience with a coach in tow
Cres, which was once connected to Losinj, is a nearby drive from Losinj. Many of the island’s small, stunning villages have fewer than 10 residents. One such place is the 4,000-year-old fort town of Lubenice, perched up high on jagged cliffs, with a scattering of stone buildings. There are also countless quiet coves, bays, and pebbly beaches all over the island that you can surprisingly have all to yourself.
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights
Ann Abel is a Lisbon-based writer covering luxury travel with a soulFollow AuthorSep 16
12:47pm EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 5 years old.Forest meets sea in Losinj
I spent my first couple of days on the north Adriatic island of Losinj trying to figure out how to pronounce it
My Croatian hosts said things that sounded almost like familiar words
Popular among Slavic and German-speaking Europeans
Losinj is under the radar for much of the world
Which makes it all the more healing and appealing
it has been known as an island of vitality thanks to the research of botanist Ambroz Haracic
he determined that Losinj had the healthiest climate in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
As soon as Emperor Franz Josef heard about this
And that was before Haracic planted the seeds for hundreds of pine trees
the pines thrived despite not being native and turned much of the formerly windswept and desolate island into forest
herbs and healing flowers to take root beneath the protective canopy
Now the species diversity extends to some 1,200 species of therapeutic and aromatic plants
Losinj’s first heyday was as a retreat for people with respiratory problems
the air feels ridiculously easy to breathe
Forest air and sea air—like well-being filling your lungs
in which case you might consider avoiding the spring blossoming season.)
Back then, if you stopped coughing, you were probably pretty happy. Now, it takes a whole lot more to satisfy guests. But a Croatian company gave it their best shot a few years ago, and the result, Losinj Hotels & Villas, the island’s only luxury development
(Disclosure: I recently visited as their guest.)
designed by leading Croatian architect Dean Skira
with ten bedrooms accented with furniture from Ligne Roset
One of the many swimming pools at Hotel Bellevue
I don’t know why this one isn’t mentioned more often in the same breath as better-known European spas
It spans the entire ground floor of the hotel (which
has a big footprint) and has indoor and outdoor pools
steam rooms and saunas; areas for aromatherapy workshops; and spaces for daily yoga and cross-fit
The program—developed by one of the smartest women in the spa business
Matic Moore has spent more than 25 years working for top brands like Kempinski and Bliss Spa at W Hotels in locations from Singapore to Qatar to London to New York
What’s different is that as the corporate wellness and spa director here
she’s free from the approval processes at big companies
If she knows from experience or her constant research that something works
Wellness and spa manager Liliana Matic Moore in the spa
And so the services range from Tibetan sound bowl therapy on a waterbed
to consultations and blood work with medical doctors
cryotherapy and scientific metabolic analysis
Guests can go for a walk with spa therapists to gather herbs and make their own aromatherapy balms
or book an appointment for a high-tech Hydrafacial or Eximia (which uses radio frequency and vacuum therapy to counter cellulite)
The spa products include certified organic cosmetics using olive oil and aloe vera to cutting-edge pharmaceuticals that employ the latest nanotechnology
There’s an entire clinic dedicated to injectibles and non-invasive medical aesthetics treatments
Many guests find out about it only after checking in to the hotel and decide now is the time to finally go for it and get that little touch-up they’ve been considering
and an adorable dreadlocked sheep named Roko
which can be seen up close but photographed only through portholes
I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that the bronze sculpture is also so well preserved
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it’s a wonder why it’s not at the top of most travelers’ Croatian island-hopping list...","breadcrumb":{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://internationalliving.com/countries/croatia/veli-losinj-croatia/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://internationalliving.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Guide to Veli Losinj
Your #1 resource for a global lifestyle since 1979
these sounded like names from a Tolkien novel
Medieval castles chiseled into limestone cliffs above an angry
white-foamed sea were theirs to explore alone
and locals were happy to see an unfamiliar face
The Dalmatian Coast seemed too good to be true
Talk to some locals about where they go to get away from the crowds
covered in vines and without a twenty-euro entrance fee
There has to be an island somewhere in the Adriatic that has slipped through the cracks of the tourist trail
lucky for you I found the right person who pointed me in the right direction
south of the Istrian Peninsula to Croatia’s hidden gem: Veli Losinj
Located in Kvarner Bay on the island of Losinj
the “Island of Vitality,” Veli Losinj is a quiet village south of the bigger town of Mali Losinj
Those of you who remember your introductory Croatian vocabulary from that week-long Rosetta Stone kick you had during the first year of the pandemic know that these names are clearly mixed up
as mali means “small” and veli means “big.” The explanation for these misnomers is that Veli Losinj came into existence first as an important fishing port
but Mali Losinj ended up developing faster and has now taken over the distinction as the bigger town
Blue flags adorn almost every beach on the mountainous garden island
and a paved walking path almost two miles long connects Mali Losinj to Veli Losinj
taking you underneath a canopy of aromatic one-hundred-year-old pine trees
announcing their presence with a gentle bell
The same white-haired joggers you saw in the morning float on their backs with bottlenose dolphins in the afternoon
couples as old as the trees make the round-trip trek to keep their legs limber and their hearts happy
or are exploring the Balkans in your campervan
followed by a car ferry to Cres and a 30-foot bridge over the narrow Osor strait
making arriving by land a pleasant possibility as well
the airport has direct flights from Zagreb
and for those of you living in Switzerland
which is maybe why most travelers never make it to Losinj—there are too many beautiful islands en route that you hit first
No one can be blamed for disembarking at Rab
believing they have discovered the most beautiful island of them all
even if you do fall for the premature island trick
as it may end up being your favorite by far
you will arrive by ferry at the port in Mali Losinj
Find a cafe and sit under the shade of an umbrella with an espresso and watch barefoot blue-and-white-striped sailors run along the sunny decks of polished mahogany yachts floating in emerald water
Locals walk by with grocery bags full of fresh fruit and vegetables; an old man shuffles to the post office to send a letter to his daughter on the mainland; an Italian song plays on a radio from the windowsill above
You will be tempted to knock on the door of the guest house next door and ask if you can stay for a week
Walk south along the marina until you find the path that leads to Veli
Don’t even think about hailing a taxi (this isn’t the island of lethargy)
because the walk you’re about to take is on par with Cinque Terre or Capri
In minutes you’ll find yourself a world away from the bustle of the port
strolling serenely along the shaded esplanade
stopping as often as desired at the many benches to drink in the view
the water alternates between cyan and turquoise to cerulean and navy blue
If you want to test the waters before you’ve even reached the town
but chances are you’ll have the place to yourself
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There are plenty of hotels to choose from right at the port
and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay there
it is better to venture farther into the town and find a quiet guesthouse that won’t vibrate with the twice-daily bells of St
you may duck under the table fearing an earthquake
the Ottomans have returned to take back the island
a few roads deeper in the town and the bells will regain their charm (one-bedroom apartments on Airbnb run anywhere from $50 to $100 a night)
you’ll be enjoying the serenity of your covered porch with a good book
the calming tweets of birds emanating from the bougainvillea
when suddenly you’ll wonder if you’re doing it all wrong
“Shouldn’t I be on a tour or something?” you ask yourself anxiously
make a cup of tea and then get back to your book
This trip to Veli Losinj isn’t about doing much of anything
For those who want to really feel the vitality coursing through their veins
ride your bike or take the local bus 13 miles north to Nerezine and hike to the top of the 2,000-foot Televrin mountain and try to spot the Italian coastline over the immense blue sea
but read it from a lounge chair in the Mediterranean sun while waves crash at your feet
There’s no better way to live your life than that
Any seasoned traveler knows that the summer months are the busiest and most expensive time to visit Europe
Aim for May or late September into October for the best experience
Don’t wait too long to see Veli Losinj for yourself
Who knows how many people are reading this article right now
Featured Image Copyright: ©Mschauer/iStock
Croatia Deep DivesBeachfront Property in Croatia
Lošinj is known as the “healing island” for its long history of wellness (Credit: Travelfile/Alamy)Known as the “healing island”
Lošinj’s excellent air quality and 2,600 hours of annual sunshine make this Croatian island a prime restorative environment
I can still imagine breathing in the island’s fresh sea air laced with the aroma of pine
I recall the sensation of swimming in the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea and basking on the beach under the strong Mediterranean sun
The island’s intense aromatic herbs will be forever imprinted on my olfactory memory; sage
an island located in Croatia’s Kvarner Bay in the northern Adriatic Sea
Kvarner Bay is one of the mildest Adriatic regions due to the Učka mountain range
which protects the coast and islands from cold northerly winds
This special microclimate is known today as the “Kvarner effect”
which offers natural healing: around 2,600 hours of annual sunshine
therapeutic aerosols from the sea air and the high salt concentrations of the Adriatic Sea make this Croatian island a prime restorative environment
determined through his research on the position and conditions of the island that it had the healthiest climate in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
was officially recognised as a royal health resort within the Empire in 1889 and designated a kurort (natural health spa)
This German word indicates that a region is ideal for medical treatments related to wellbeing and wellness due to natural remedies existing within the area’s soil
the Austro-Hungarian government declared Lošinj’s towns of Mali and Veli Lošinj “climate spas”
and Lošinj became an isle of wellness for its unique healing properties
deemed particularly suitable for those with respiratory issues and allergies
“The island of Lošinj is a perfect place for people with respiratory problems because of the unique combination of clean air at optimum humidity and temperature saturated with particles of sea salt and essential oils,” said Irena Dlaka
“This natural healing aerosol soothes and dilates the bronchi
cleanses the lungs and improves lung function.”
“The use of natural healing agents of the island of Lošinj in pulmonary rehabilitation has a long tradition (since 1885) and is still recommended today by experts of the Croatian Respiratory Society of the Croatian Medical Association,” she added
Lošinj was a magnet for royals: Archduke Charles Stefan
one of the richest Habsburgs and an important member of the imperial family
was one of the first to gravitate to the island in 1885 in search of a place where he could comfortably spend winters
Members of the imperial family and the imperial court followed
where they could enjoy peace away from the eyes of the public and tedious protocols,” Dlaka said
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and was among the first medical institutions in the Adriatic to use seawater-based thalassotherapy when treating patients
“Studies have shown that the mineral composition of the Adriatic Sea is 7-14% higher than that of average seawater because the waters that flow to the sea are rich in minerals,” Dlaka said
This pure and highly saline seawater was used for various medical ailments
“Patients were offered cold and hot seawater baths
we know that the composition of seawater is very similar to human blood plasma
it contains a number of valuable trace elements and microorganisms
In addition to relieving respiratory diseases and helping speed recovery after illness
treats and relieves many skin problems and hormonal disorders [and] helps with arthritis and rheumatism.”
which operated until its nationalisation in 1947
Among its famous guests was the von Trapp family (1933)
The island of Lošinj is a perfect place for people with respiratory problemsLošinj’s unspoilt beauty goes far beyond its shores
Old pine growth and native Mediterranean herbs create soothing alfresco aromatherapy while walking
hiking or biking on the more than 250km of trails that crisscross its rugged
Haračić determined that around 1,100 plant species and 230 species of medicinal herbs grow on this idyllic island and surrounding islets
many of these are still used in traditional medicine today
Dalmatian sage (kadulja in Croatian, or kuš in Lošinj dialect) is used for the treatment of respiratory diseases and as a herb in domestic cuisine. “In the time of my grandma, dry sage leaves were put at the fireplace to better the quality of the air in the room,” said Sandra Nicolich, creator of Miomirisni otočki vrt (“Garden of Fine Scents”)
a half-hectare herbal garden that showcases the island’s herbal bounty
or magriž in Lošinj dialect) was used in old times as an all-purpose disinfectant and insect repellent
women on Lošinj used to gather immortelle and found their hands rejuvenated
which led them to create a balm for their skin; today
immortelle is used in a variety of anti-ageing skincare products
“Most of the herbs of Lošinj are also found on other Adriatic islands
but people say that Lošinj species smell the loveliest,” she said
visitors can take a guided tour of Miomirisni otočki vrt
Walking through this colourful sanctuary is a balm for the soul
where vibrant plants and fragrances are enhanced by a striking view of Valdarke Bay
one of the most picturesque bays on the island
Visitors can also taste the island’s herbs by sampling homemade myrtle (mirta or mrča) liqueur; rich in vitamin C and iron
the liqueur diminishes anxiety and improves mood
relieves muscle pain and also disinfects wounds
Nicolich sells an exclusive Lošinj Herbal Brandy
infused with 15 indigenous herbs – a signature combination that is a “secret of ours,” she said – while her Lošinj tea is made from a blend of sage
With Lošinj’s long tradition of wellness, spas are essential to experiencing the calming island environs. Guests can experience treatments using natural herbal products at Boutique Hotel Alhambra & Villa Augusta
a historical complex bathed in terracotta and golden hues situated near tranquil Čikat Bay in Mali Lošinj
Alhambra’s Cube Spa has an indoor heated seawater pool and a variety of treatments that feature the island’s herbal offerings
Massages are available with aromatic oils produced locally on Lošinj and other islands in the Kvarner archipelago: for tension
lavender and mint essential oils; to fight fatigue
physical and spiritual well-beingTo learn about the different plants on the island
hotel guests can take a two-hour aroma workshop
where they choose and pick plants to make their own aromatic oils to use for massage treatments in spa garden cabanas – and take home their own natural body and face products as a souvenir
an organic “After Sun Care” treatment uses aloe vera from surrounding gardens
soothes and accelerates the self-healing process in sun-damaged skin
Cube Spa also offers treatments featuring Mirta natural cosmetics
made with 100% natural ingredients and based on the medicinal herbs and essential oils characteristic to the Lošinj archipelago
Founder Mirta Lozančić was inspired by the fragrances and medicinal plants of the island and sources the majority of the herbs locally – including immortelle
featured in her popular Immortelle Face Cream
which stimulates regeneration and helps prevent wrinkles
Lozančić said essential oils are highly concentrated extracts of a plant’s roots
that can be 70 to 100 times stronger than the actual plants
physical and spiritual well-being,” she said
“[They] are the life force of a plant inside a bottle
I can recall the potent essential oils blend used in my massage at Cube Spa
inhaling therapeutic aromatherapy and sinking into serenity under the hands of the skilled massage therapist
I took some of Lozančić’s products home to New York City; until the jars were empty
I was transported again and again back to the island
BBC Travel’s Well World is a global take on wellness that explores different ways that cultures the world over strive for a healthy lifestyle
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holding reading glasses in one hand and a pen in the other
She gazes thoughtfully over blueprints labelled Matalda Resort Cres
The »working mom« in question is Ivana Perenčević
the company obtained a location permit for the construction of a golf complex on the island of Cres
the name Matalda Resort Cres suggests a large-scale tourism project
Experts and activists have raised strong objections
most of which point out the environmental harm associated with golf course construction and argue that such developments often serve as a pretext for building tourist accommodations
appears to have not been interested in these opinions
Croatian authorities have sought to promote golf course construction as a strategy to extend the tourist season
few large-scale projects near the coast have materialised in the meantime
it seems that the Cres golf course could change that
which transitioned from a joint-stock company to a limited liability company early last year
is owned by Nikola Perenčević and Tomislav Filipović
while Tomislav is the brother of Krešimir Filipović
According to the latest information from 2022
a Russian pipeline construction company deemed strategically important to the Russian government
which is why both appeared on the UK sanctions list in 2022
The Perenčević and Filipović families own several villas on Lošinj. Oštro’s investigation, based on the Pandora Papers
their assets ranged from luxury apartments in an elite Moscow neighbourhood to artworks valued at €500,000
the Perenčević family’s assets were worth at least €650 million
The Filipović family has relocated their residence to the United Arab Emirates, while Nikola and Mihajlo still formally reside in Croatia continuing to freely manage their Croatian assets, which have been detailed in Oštro’s multiple reports
Nikola Perenčević is also the co-owner of Rektor LNG
a company specialising in cryogenic tanks for transporting liquefied gases
He also owns three companies that own real estate in Mali Lošinj
three villas in Zagreb’s neighbourhood of Tuškanac
and she serves as the director of Valadria
a company owned by her father-in-law Mihajlo Perenčević
Their assets also include the small island of Krknjaš Mali near Trogir
Ms Perenčević herself owns properties on Pag and in Mali Lošinj
the area designated for Jadranka’s new project
the diocese signed a 50-year construction rights agreement with Jadranka
which states that the Diocese of Krk wishes to retain ownership of Matalda while simultaneously »putting it to use in a way that benefits the broader community and the Diocese itself«
the diocese will lease the land to Jadranka for €120,000 annually
enabling the development of »attractive facilities that are objectively missing from the tourism offerings of Cres and Lošinj«
Matalda Resort Cres will cover 317 hectares
more than half of which is earmarked for two golf courses
while hotels and villas will occupy around 10 hectares
as outlined in the Environmental Impact Study briefing
The project also includes building access roads
a significant hurdle for golf course development in areas
is to be addressed by constructing a desalination plant and a reservoir lake
The possibility of constructing a golf course on Cres emerged in 2016 when the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County amended its Spatial Development Plan
It was decided then that the designated golf course area would be relocated from Ustrine to Matalda
the number of golf courses increased from one to two while the accommodation capacity was raised from 800 to 1,300 beds
The county based its decision on two studies: »Golf Course Matalda in Punta Križa on Cres Island – Site Location Feasibility Study« and »Socio-economic Justification for the Development of the Matalda Golf Resort«
Professor Aleksandar Racz from the University of Applied Health Sciences in Zagreb criticised these documents
stating that »the Matalda golf complex could lead to landscape devastation and biodiversity loss
as well as increased water and energy consumption for irrigation
potential depletion of underground freshwater reserves
and the bioaccumulation of artificial fertilisers
the competent ministries approved the necessary documentation for this project
The Environmental Impact Study approved in 2021 states that »water from a 3-hectare
6-metre-deep reservoir lake with a capacity of approximately 165,000 m³ will be used for irrigation
The reservoir would be replenished by rainwater
Daily water consumption is projected at 3,000–3,200 m³
Professor Lidija Runko Luttenberger from the Faculty of Engineering in Rijeka told Oštro that desalination plants were suitable for meeting basic drinking water needs of the general population and that the use of renewable energy sources was a prerequisite
»Desalination was resorted to here due to evident water supply issues in the island area
but the broader environmental impact on the exceptionally rich coastal ecosystem has not been comprehensively addressed
which severely endangers local biodiversity«
Runko Luttenberger described the project’s reliance on desalination as an example of an »inappropriate water supply integration«
and »externalisation of environmental harm
in order to realise a private project in an extremely sensitive ecosystem«
She added that golf courses were suitable for climates with adequate rainfall and humidity
areas which do not require significant additional energy and resources to maintain lawns.
»That is certainly not the case in our region
on karst and the islands where water is scarce
The golf course comes along with numerous buildings for tourism purposes
all of which requires high volumes of water use«
She raised concerns about the calculation of the island’s carrying capacity
noting that the resources required for the project are either unavailable or unsustainable
She also found it interesting that the proponents of the 2019 Environmental Impact Study explicitly stated that »alternative solutions were not considered«
to defend its decision that the project is acceptable for the environment and the ecosystem
that alternative solutions are not feasible
instead of exploring options other than desalination to supply water for the golf course
a legal expert from the environmental group Green Action (Zelena akcija)
which successfully opposed a high-profile golf project on island Srđ
explained that the business model for golf courses is often such that they are designed as exclusive
gated communities heavily reliant on public infrastructure – from the most basic municipal infrastructure and traffic infrastructure in general
to the exclusion of entire areas from public access
»This is essentially an example of overdeveloped tourism
it occurs suddenly and results in drastic changes and ‘overnight’ impact«
adding that local resistance is often weakened by narratives emphasising the need for exclusive facilities for so-called high-spending guests
as well as for extending the tourist season
The objectivity and validity of the documentation on which plans and permit outcomes are based
are often questioned because they are commissioned by the investors themselves
emphasised Ćerimagić who believes that such studies are undoubtedly necessary and are
a good instrument for environmental protection
their objectivity and quality have been justifiably criticized for years«, because the authors of the studies are selected and hired by the investors themselves
making them ‘employees’ of the investors who have considerable influence over them«
is reflected in lower labour costs which negatively impacts the quality of the research
and in the more than evident expectation of investors to get value for their money
meaning that the project is primarily declared acceptable for the environment
»Overly critical study authors simply will not survive in the market,« Ćerimagić explained
often »adjust« the conclusions of research conducted by experts
precarious position in relation to the company preparing the study
He recalls that there were proposals to transfer the process of selecting study authors to the competent ministry but they were rejected because public authorities would have to follow public procurement rules which would prolong the process
where those causing environmental pressure must cover all costs to reduce
the preparation of these documents is viewed as pre-compromised
»We have handed over an activity of general interest – environmental protection – to an exclusively market-regulated approach«
concluding that the result is poor-quality studies
It was already in 1999 that the Croatian government introduced the Golf Development Program as a component of its tourism development policy
only to be repealed by the Croatian Parliament in 2011 following a systematic campaign by various civil society organisations
The law was criticized for »failing to provide safeguards against misuse and for neglecting ecological considerations«
lobbying for golf course construction didn’t stop
acknowledged that Croatia does not appear on the global golf tourism map« due to its limited number of courses
the strategy envisioned the construction of 30 new golf courses
identified 98 potential locations for golf courses in spatial plans across Croatian counties
Although the Matalda site was not included in this list at the time of publication
Slovenia) also participated in the investigation of this story
Design: Mashoni
Ugh seems like the area will be destroyed by mass tourism
How about preserving at least one part in its original form
The Silver Air flights are really expensive
They could have gotten much more international flights if they had already lengthened the tiny runway
Like monopoly is invented and only practiced in exYU
They have reduced the planned Venice flights from 2 to 1 weekly
These flights are for rich tourists who are spending their holiday in Losinj and want to make a day trip to Zagreb
That's why the return flights are expensive
Unless there'd be a very large influx of tourists at once
Jel si ti jedan od onih s diplomom prometnog faxa
You can protect islands and their nature with establishment of sustainable tourism but a few flights a week that relieve ferry services and better utilizes existing accommodation capacities
offering jobs to locals is not a contradiction necessarily
The airport is at a very beautiful location
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu8OWzwHvY
Here is a great video from JU's BEG-SPU
Landing video is pretty nice and you can see how interesting the approach is...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIdKgTYzOHI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2FOc3m_1w4fUAVDeiHALzzvgWHS7s7jgzbRRns6IywK7A1XGN0yP_8kVQ
They have been talking about this project for years so I hope they finally build it
They will mention it again when the next elections come along
The major problem for places like Lošinj and Brač is that they can only have traffic during the summer making major expansions unnecessary really
And no-one expects these two airports to ever become commercially profitable on its own
But the wider range and effects need to be taken into account
Which is the boost of the tourist industries in the areas and general development of the island infrastructure
In a long term perspective this might well be the right step
I was always against small airports on small islands as thy're hardly worth a while
but if they bring benefit to the whole community they're relatively cheap to maintain
ever fails to impress us.A couple of weeks ago
Slavko Kalezić promoted Montenegro's Riviera when he was in Tel Aviv
I think Croatia can do more advertisment too because the bigger cities are already famous
Are you saying that Croatia isn't promoted and well known as of now
I was referring to Lošinj itself as well as BWK
Way too few people in Europe know about many of Croatia's impressively beautiful islands such as Brac and Mali Losinj
Expanding the runway does not guarantee you more traffic
For example Brac has more traffic then before it extended the runway but it didn't really burst with new airlines and routes as was predicted by the airport itself
I hope that with these expansions Losinj and Brac will be able to lure some LCC
Pijani Englezi i Skandinavci koji spavaju na plažama su baš ono što treba Lošinju
Well with this at least I hope they give up on plans to build an airport on Rab
There are plans to build an airport on Rab
It will really be a great year for all Croatia airports
Silver Air has suspended the flights to Pula and Split this year
They had terrible times last summer I remember with no option of proper day trips from the mainland to Losinj
so they were not catering to the tourists on the coast who would be their best and most numerous customers
It seems to me they have no or the wrong strategy
Their prices of often more than 200 or even up to 300 euros for these short flights per person seem to not help
had more potential and the right strategy plus a lot more passengers
+1000A comeback of ECA or similar operator is needed
Moja mama ponekad kaže: dobro što u Jugi nismo imali previše love
Iskreno se nadam da do ekspanzije aerodroma neće doći
nego jer će povećanje aerodroma sa sobom sigurno povući betonizaciju
A kod nas je sve to jednostavno kad imaš prijatelja ili kuma u ZNA SE kojoj partiji
Sadašnja prometna povezanost savršeno dobro odgovara postojećim turističkim kapacitetima
Nadam se da se netko ne zavarava da bi povećanje aerodroma moglo produžiti sezonu
Why not rather organise good public transport from Rijeka
Losinj is loved by community of private pilots
They are niche destinations and people fly there because it is small
Now they will destroy everything for few weekly charters during 3 months summer season
Athos- ja i supruga na Jadran dolazimo i zimi
a mogli bi imati turiste od treceg do jedanajstog
You are just envy to all who can invest in tourism and earn money
If you don't like it don't go there
@Bor+ 1000000RJK Airport less than 100 km away
And instead of using existing airports which are all far from reaching their limits
for tourists coming from more distant places
they will throw away millions of euros to make an airport for mass tourism charters
declaring at the same time Losinj supposed to be high - class niche destination.Bravo majstori
So is there someone (read politician) who has special interest to develop Losinj airport
Are you forgetting this is a privately owned airport and that private money is to be spent to extend it and run it
But you think the local working population can live from the beauty or wilderness or that they'd prefer jobs and good income at least 5 or 6 months per year with the opportunity to lengthen the season over the next decade plus chance for development of businesses and domestic PSO services?Croatia has much more potential for tourism away from mainland's coast but it seriously lacks airports/air traffic infrastructure on several islands
Most importantly two things (top priorities):1
Brač airport could be much more busy and successful if they promoted themselves as Brač-Hvar airport
Hvar has a massive potential but it's hard to reach and particularly during summer ferries are full
Split harbour sometimes is chaos and visitors often don't want to take ferries and have the hassle SPU- transfer to town-harbour-wait for ferry- hope that there's a spot on the next ferry if u have a (rented) car- ferry ride- go/drive from port to hotel
with little investment from Bol to Hvar island it would be just a very short ferry ride and not too busy
They need to open a little line from Bol to Jelsa or Stari Grad with schedule adjusted to plane arrivals in BWK.Peović needs to wake up
Airport on Korčula is needed to serve Korčula
No tourist in his right mind arriving by plane will agree to the current transfer times of 4 hours from DBV to parts of Korčula/Vela Luka or even longer to Lastovo or 4 hours to Mljet
I guess Losinj could have around 8,000-9,000 passengers this year
This project has been talked about for almost ten years
Until the airport is fully privatized I doubt anything will happen
It was announced every single year for 15 years until they finally gave it up for concession
Many opportunities 4 charter or scheduled seasonal commercial traffic if they gave some subsidies or promotions now already before lengthening the runway
Basically a Q400 should be able to do it if is not operating at max
weight.Austrian could serve it from VIE and Eurwings from STR
DUS and LUX could be too far away weightwise.Not sure for an AT7 e.g
from BEG - didn't JU have some troubles sometimes at Portorož
Tgere are 6..repeat 6 flights today Saturday late May from RJK
Probably max 10 on a Saturday in August.When they say UK they may be looking at succesz of Greek islands with theid oen airport..Mykknos
Zante...Kefalonia and many more.But they are barking up tge wrong tree for UK and Mali Losinj
UK is a mess and is IN a mess ( i am from UK)
Brexit has hit hard ..people are not travelling so much this year or are choosing better value destinations
Thomas Cook may not survive and TUI was selling its first LGW.RJK retirn flight for 59 gbp 2 weeks before departure
Croatia is too expensive for Brits when 5 nights in Opatija/Hvar/dubrovnik on BB is more expensive than 7nights in mexico..maldives etc on HB.The numbers will show at e x of the year.Easyjet is offering return SEN to PUY for 50..60 gbp because Croatia not selling.So forget flights from UK to mali losinj
Cheap tourism from UK is not focus for Mali Losinj anyhow
@ 25 May 2019 at 13:33: I'm not envious at all
But this croatian craze for pouring concrete all over beatiful coast is not way forward
where are they planning to settle all the tourists
Mali and Veliki Losinj are not Dubrovnik or Split...So f...ing what if it is private airport
With this mentality you are going to repeat spanish scenario
Ask them how they love their mass tourism and brutalist looking hotel chains
Mali Losinj not habitable in peak of the season
And anon who is comparing Croatia with Greece...you must be joking
Greek islands are separated by hunderds of kilometers and all over Aegen sea
Just look what happend last year with Blue Cave
destroy nature and then you can all just relocate to Germany or whever is current diaspora target country
You have nothing left but tourism....and instead making mony of it throghout whole year
Have you been to Split and Dubrovnik lately
This is not the extremist Greenpeace forum
We want Croatia to develop and invest in its infrastructure
Samo da još jednom repliciram svima jednom objavom
a ne svakom pojedinačno.1) Glupo je očekivati da će aerodrom produžiti sezonu
U glavnoj sezoni ljudi putuju autom/brodom
a jedno 80% hotela je studeni-ožujak zatvoreno.2) Cres ima jedan hotel - Kimen
Ali to je sve još uvijek (prema mojoj procjeni) max
Ako oduzmeš ljude koji već ionako dolaze koliko ti uopće ostane mjesta za aviogoste
pa sam rekao ajde idem ja na jedan dan na Cres
jer je restaurant u Kovačinama bio zatvoren
Ajde vi prvo sredite lokalnu ponudu i marketing
pa onda maštajte o aerodromima.4) Na Cresu i Lošinju se kao u cijeloj PGŽ i Istri relativno dobro živi
pa da narod zbog peronospore odlazi u Ameriku
A neće zbog toga biti više cjelogodišnjih radnih mjesta
nego će biti samo više sezonaca iz Bosne.5) Što bi stvarno trebalo srediti (ako se još nije) su ceste
Ceste su im u stanju kao u sjevernoj Italiji
Nitko neće razbijati svoj Ferrari na seoskim puteljcima
U tom slučaju bio bi transfer s Krka puno brži i udobniji nego što jest.6) Glavni problem su naravno gosti u smještaju 5*
Ako tamo nije problem doć brodom zašto je kod nas
Zašto ne ponuditi transfer is RJK privatnim speedboatom
hidroplanom?7) Ja ne kažem da Cresko-lošinjski arhipelag nema potencijala za povećanje smještajnih kapaciteta
Trebalo bi to napraviti opet sa Costa Smeraldom kao primjerom
Ali znajući naše prilike doći će tamo neki pajdo i njegov rođo s bagerima
Radite vi na vašem kamenjaru što vas volja
ali Kvarner i Istru mi ne dirajte!8) A na kraju za onog što kaže da smo zavidni
Baš sam zavidan što ja ne mogu uništit jednu uvalu kao što su uništili Lapad ili kao što na Babinom Kuku navodno planiraju izgraditi aquapark
Kako bi rekao moj uvaženi kolega diskutatnt iz Rijeke: VJERODOSTOJNO
There are plenty of preserved natural spots in Croatia
Znaš ti ono - stoputa ništa je ubilo magarca
čak su im zaprijetili izbaciti ih sa liste UNESCOa
The report said that UK was targeted gof poss flights to mali losinj
I am saying that it wont happen because no uk airlines would fly there
There is VERY poor service from UK to RJK and Ryanair can/will drop it the moment they dont get paid enough to fly it (StN..june-sept only)
PUY..ZAD..SPU..DBV..lots of flights from UK but ALL now at much reduced price because of financial crisis in uk
Brits simlly cannot afford it ..even if there were a direct flight uk to mali losinj
The new Airport at Losinj will be opened simultaniously with the opening of the new Berlin airport....
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The 2023 edition of the Mitropa Cup starts this Monday in Mali Losinj
The event will be played from 10th – 20th April at Hotel Aurora in the well-known tourist destination in Croatia
The event is played in Open and Women’s sections separately
with participation of 10 federations: Austria
with time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves
with 30 seconds increment for each move from move one
Each team is composed of 4 players plus one reserve player (for open section)
4 women players plus one reserve woman player (for women section)
The best-rated players who will represent their federations at the tournament are: GM Jergus Pechac (SVK
Starting list of teams and players can be found here
Live broadcast of the games can be followed through the following link
Official website of the event
The Mitropa Cup is the annual team chess tournament for national teams from Central Europe
The traditional team event this year brings together 10 nations competing against each other in an Open and a Women section on 4 boards each
Daniela Rogulj
July the 6th, 2024 – Our search for the most beautiful beaches takes us to Croatia’s island of vitality. Here are the 5 best beaches on Lošinj
Zabodarski Beach is situated in the settlement of Artatore and is one of the most beautiful “wild” beaches on the island of Lošinj
Zabodarski is located just 8 kilometers away from Mali Lošinj
making it not only among the best beaches on Lošinj
Zabodarski beach is set with stone and beautiful pebbles
making it suitable for families and children
The beach is surrounded by pine trees so you can escape to the shade
and it is also accessible by car you can travel with on dirt roads
Pro tip: Park your car at the airport and continue to walk by foot or by bicycle to the beach
Uvala Engleza (English bay) is located on the north side of the island Koludarac
The turquoise color of the sea will instantly captivate you
and the image of green pine trees on the sea’s reflection is yet another perk
this beach is the perfect place for a packed picnic on your boat
don’t worry – they can be easily rented from the main island
Veli Žal is the first beach on Lošinj island to have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag
The Blue Flag is an international environmental program to protect marine and coastal environments
whose primary goal is the sustainable management of the sea and the coastal strip
Veli Žal is one of the best beaches on Lošinj
It’s pebbly with a nice entrance into the sea
making it especially suitable for families with children
This beach also has a descent into the sea which makes it good for people with reduced mobility
Part of the beach has paved surfaces where you can enjoy lying about
Above the beach runs a promenade walkway connecting two of the most beautiful coves
Plenty of shade can be found on the beaches surroundings
bowling alley and the Wellness Hotel Aurora and Family Hotel Vespera
The hotels themselves offer sports and activities such as beach volleyball
approximately 1 kilometer from the center of Mali Lošinj
Plieski Bay is located in the southern part of Lošinj island
not too far from Veli Lošinj and Mali Lošinj
The beach here is pebbly with fine sand in the sea
making it suitable for families with children
they can be easily rented (and even check for taxi boats)
walking through “Put dupina” (Path of the dolphins) or by a descent from “Lošinjske transverzale” to the bay Krivica and on to the bay Plieski
Restaurant Balvanida is located just a 10 minute walk away from Plieski bay if you’re looking for refreshments
otherwise come prepared as there are no facilities
in the southern part of the island also not far from Veli Lošinj and Mali Lošinj
Krivica can also be reached by foot if you come through “Put dupina” (Path of the dolphins) or by descending from the top of Mountain Sv
Krivica is just a short walk to Restaurant Balvanida in case you get hungry
and website in this browser for the next time I comment
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DSHV marks anniversary of beginning of persecution of Croats from Srijem
- Gužva u trajektnoj luci Gaženica, Na fotografiji: trajekt Jadran Jadrolinija
ZAGREB, 11 Aug (Hina) - Two persons were killed
and one was seriously injured when a ramp of Jadrolinija's ferry fell at the ferry dock in Mali Lošinj on the island of Lošinj at about 1500 hrs Sunday
the Rijeka-based county police reported on Sunday afternoon
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Family members and close associates of Mihajlo Perenčević
a wealthy Croatian businessman with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin
received millions of dollars from Russia under the guise of fictitious real estate purchases
The funds were deposited in the recipients’ personal bank accounts in Austria
thereby possibly evading Croatian money laundering controls
But the offshore company that made the payments is connected to a network that was used to launder funds stolen from the Russian state budget in the so-called “Magnitsky Case.” The transfers to Perenčević’s family and associates took place just as that money was being funneled out of Russia
Reporters found the transactions — and some of the unfulfilled contracts that underpinned them — in a set of leaked records from Ukio Bankas. The now-defunct Lithuanian bank was central to the Troika Laundromat
a vast money movement scheme that was revealed by OCCRP and its media partners last year
The dozens of offshore companies that formed the Laundromat also used fictitious deals to justify large transfers of money out of Russia — and they also used Ukio bank accounts
a beautifully laid out bay on the western side of Lošinj
one of Croatia’s largest and most charming islands in the northern Adriatic
A seaside promenade stretches along the water — but on that Saturday in March 2019 it was closed to the public
A photographer managed to take the only publicly available photograph of the event from a nearby boat: Guests squint into the sun just steps from the water under dozens of bouquets of red roses
In the center is the couple, both from wealthy families. The father of Emil Tedeschi, Jr., the groom, owns one of the region’s largest food companies
with his characteristic mop of white hair: Mihajlo Perenčević
and when his business dealings are discussed in the media
he is described as a secretive tycoon about whom few details can be verified
Local outlets have speculated about Perenčević’s business outside of Croatia
but not much has been concretely established
During the last years before Croatia’s independence
Perenčević spent five years in Libya working for a factory belonging to Montmontaža
a Yugoslav engineering and construction firm
What Perenčević did after that remains unclear
a major Russian construction company that has won lucrative contracts from Transneft
Perenčević has received accolades from two Russian presidents for his work — despite an internal report from Transneft accusing another contractor he headed earlier of overcharging the state company and providing fraudulent paperwork
Perenčević headed a British company called Amerco International Limited
which also received Transneft construction contracts
Transneft said that Amerco lacked the expertise and resources necessary to fulfill its contract and had overcharged the state firm while passing work to subcontractors
Auditors also said that Amerco submitted paperwork that falsely said it had carried out geology testing that had never taken place
Amerco’s Russian affiliate was founded and soon renamed to Velesstroy
which since then has grown into a major player in the Russian economy — also
(The original British Amerco has since been wound down.)
Perenčević has received honors from both President Medvedev and President Putin
in part for his company’s “development of economic cooperation between Russia and the Republic of Croatia.”
Velesstroy was named Company of the Year in Construction
and Putin personally awarded Perenčević and his vice president
Russian outlets RBC and Sobesednik have reported that both Transneft and Velesstroy have rented parts of the premises of an opulent estate on the Black Sea frequently referred to as “Putin’s Palace,” thereby helping to finance it
It is unknown how Perenčević ended up working and living in Russia
but back on Lošinj he is now widely known as an influential operator
He says he has attracted millions of dollars of Russian financing to the island
which is apparent in the recent surge of investments by Jadranka
Perenčević’s connection with Jadranka appears to run deep
the local basketball team the company has sponsored for decades
thanks the “indispensable” Mihajlo Perenčević for his contributions to its success since its beginnings in the mid ’70s
Perenčević’s more recent connections to Jadranka are harder to discern, especially since its true owners are obscured behind its Russian management company. Local media have reported that Perenčević owns some of its properties
Krešimir Filipović — the first vice president of Velesstroy — is president of Jadranka’s supervisory board
Jadranka was acquired in 2013 by the management company
Lots of valuable tourist property on Čikat Bay has been bought and redeveloped by Jadranka and other Russian-controlled companies in recent years. Click here for more on Perenčević and the Russians he brought to Croatia
When asked by a Croatian media outlet whether he was behind the acquisition
Perenčević said cryptically that his money was not involved
It’s no wonder that local activists sometimes call him the island’s gubernator
borrowing the Russian word for “governor” to hint at his foreign connections
Perenčević’s influence was on full display on the day of his daughter’s wedding: The public promenade where the celebration took place was closed to outsiders
is the first five-star resort on the island
It is into this Adriatic refuge that reporters traced some of the banking transactions found in the leak from Ukio Bankas
The data from the Lithuanian bank shows that Mayco Finance Holdings
an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands
made nine sets of monetary transfers totaling $24.2 million between 2008 and 2010
Six of these went to Austrian bank accounts belonging to people associated with Perenčević; three went to other Croatian nationals
the transactions were marked as payments for real estate
(The ninth was marked with the name of the seller
The Croatian transactions were just part of Mayco’s activities
representing 34 percent of the company’s outgoing transactions between 2008 and 2010
The offshore company moved a total of $246 million between 2006 and 2010
about evenly split between incoming and outgoing funds
Mayco also made payments to itself in the staggering amount of $1.5 billion
transferring the funds between two of its bank accounts
The origins and destinations of most of these transfers are unknown
The leaked data also contained contracts related to three of the nine deals
But the actual banking transfers associated with these contracts were much larger than what the contracts specified
the Croatian land registry confirmed to reporters that Mayco never requested to be registered as the owner of these properties
and that the ownership changes were never enacted
According to a money laundering specialist
these details lead to the conclusion that these deals may have been fictitious
a law professor at the University of Zagreb who studies anti-money-laundering efforts
noted that doing business with offshores is not in itself illegal and does not necessarily indicate money laundering
while emphasizing that access to the details of the case file would be necessary for a full analysis
Cindori said that “it could potentially be concluded that these are fictitious sales with the possibility of money laundering.”
She pointed out several indicators of money laundering in the clauses of the contracts
including the interconnected nature of the people involved and the fact that the real estate never actually changed hands
For this reason “it is logical to conclude” that fraud has taken place
while cautioning that a fuller investigation of the related documents and money flows would be necessary to be certain
one — the purchase by Perenčević of a legendary Los Angeles restaurant — appears to have actually taken place
It is not known whether the other five sets of payments resulted in actual transfers of ownership
One of the recipients of the Mayco money was Krešimir Filipović
the Russian construction company headed by Perenčević
Filipović signed a contract to sell two Zagreb apartments to Mayco
which treated the two apartments as a single property
Mayco agreed to transfer 1.97 million euros ($2.5 million) to Filipović’s Austrian bank account in two installments
Filipović received about 25 percent more money than what was specified in the contract
Mayco had already transferred a total of 1.6 million euros ($2.1 million) to his account
The Croatian land registry shows that Mayco never took possession of either apartment
Filipović wasn’t even the owner of the larger apartment at the time of the “sale.” Along with a nearby parking space
the younger Filipović sold his apartment to a real buyer for just over 90,000 euros ($130,000) — far less than the amount he received from Mayco in his Austrian bank account
His father sold the larger apartment for an unknown amount in 2015
Krešimir and Tomo Filipović declined to comment
Members of the Perenčević family also received millions from Mayco
the former husband of Perenčević’s recently remarried daughter
Cizel received nearly 5.7 million euros ($7.9 million) from the offshore company between September 2008 and October 2010
Two mechanisms were used to justify these transfers: The sale of a Zagreb villa (which never took place) and the issuance of a loan (which appears never to have been repaid)
Images showing the purposes of the transfers from Mayco to Cizel
some of the payments are marked as coming from Cizel to Mayco — as though he were repaying the loan — though in fact they are going the other way
Despite a contract showing that Cizel sold the villa in Zagreb’s wealthy Medveščak neighborhood to Mayco for 4.9 million euros ($7.5 million) in 2009
Cizel never officially owned the villa — and Mayco never took possession of it
The home had been purchased in August 2004 by Nika Perenčević
She acquired it from an apparently unrelated seller for just over $700,000
according to a loan agreement that appears in the Ukio data
Mayco granted Cizel a five-year loan of five million euros ($6.5 million)
The data contains no indication that Cizel ever repaid it
When asked by Ukio to explain its payments to Cizel
a representative of Mayco replied that he was “an expert in real estate market of Croatia
He looks for profitable opportunities and quite often buys ‘hot’ proposals in his name with financing coming from us under loan agreements.”
Reporters were not able to independently confirm Cizel’s real-estate expertise
Mayco also wired money to Nika's father
Mihajlo Perenčević received 39,000 euros ($50,000) as an initial payment on a loan from Mayco
Reporters found no evidence that he ever repaid it
Mayco also sent 1.03 million euros ($1.2 million) to an Austrian bank account held by Marta Perenčević
The purpose of the payment was listed as "pymt as per island house selling contract." Though the Ukio data available to OCCRP does not contain a contract related to an island house
reporters located two houses connected to her on the island of Lošinj
located on the edge of the town of Mali Lošinj
was formerly owned by Marta and her husband
But she never sold it to anyone; rather it was officially gifted to her son Predrag
an imposing home on Čikat Bay called Villa Saborka
had been purchased by Mihajlo Perenčević and his wife Sonja
Though she could not have sold this home to Mayco
it has another connection to the offshore firm: Villa Saborka is linked to a Croatian businessman named Damir Lojen
was the one who sold the house to the Perenčević couple
he received 3.6 million euros ($5.2 million) from the company to his Austrian bank account
The purpose was also listed as "per selling house contract."
When Ukio asked Mayco to explain its payments to Lojen
the company said it had purchased two houses from him
Neither could be located by reporters to determine whether Mayco really took possession of them
was the third person found to have concluded an apparently fictitious real estate contract
Krznarić signed a contract to sell his home near Zagreb to a company called Allied Financial Ltd
is an offshore registered in the British Virgin Islands
And it had a very close relationship with Mayco: There are several million dollars of back-and-forth transactions between the two companies in the Ukio data
Krznarić received 130,000 euros ($196,171) to his Austrian bank account — an amount that matches the “advance payment” specified in the contract
But though the contract had been concluded with Allied
it specified that the money could come from another company
No other payments to Krznarić appeared in the data
neither company took possession of the house
Krznarić owned it then and still owns it today
and Davor Krznarić all failed to respond to requests for comment
The Perenčević family’s involvement with Mayco goes beyond the loan to Mihajlo and the apparently false real estate deals
the offshore company appears to be connected to a high-profile acquisition made by the Perenčević family in 2009 that was widely discussed in the Croatian media
a legendary restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles that’s reportedly frequented by A-List celebrities like actor James Woods and hotel chain heiress Paris Hilton
A 1997 issue of Los Angeles Magazine honored Dan Tana's with a 7-page spread
Readers were served intimate details about the establishment
its first chef was the former cook of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini
and comedian John Belushi had his last dinner there before he died
It is unclear who in the Perenčević family controls the restaurant on paper
Though Croatian media reported that Mihajlo Perenčević bought it himself
Mayco sent $2.8 million to the Serbian bank account of Dan Tana
a Serbian expat who established the restaurant 55 years ago after reportedly defecting from Communist Yugoslavia
whose original name was Dobrivoje Tanasijević
was a legendary football player on the Red Star football club in Belgrade
That money was paid in 24 installments between December 2008 and September 2009
It is not known whether these transactions indicate that Mayco was paying Dan Tana for the Perenčević family’s acquisition of the restaurant
But Mayco did make two payments totaling $81,420 for “restaurant reconstruction” and “restaurant maintenance” to Chutter Inc.
Mayco’s involvement may suggest that the Croatian businessman exerts at least some control over the offshore company
Sonja Perenčević did not reply to a request for comment
and multiple attempts to reach Dan Tana were unsuccessful
The origin of the money Mayco sent to Perenčević’s family and associates is difficult to identify for two reasons
Mayco is an offshore company that was also used for various other deals
the money coming into or leaving its accounts for any particular project was blended with other transfers
This makes it hard to distinguish whose money was used for any particular payment
the sources of the money flowing in and out of Mayco’s accounts are obscured by a web of opaque offshore companies
A large portion of these funds are impossible to trace
Another large portion has been traced by reporters to a well-organized money laundering network that was used to launder funds stolen from the Russian state budget in the so-called “Magnitsky Case.”
Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian lawyer who died in jail after exposing people who stole $230 million from the country’s treasury through fraudulent tax refunds
The fallout from his death included the passage in the U.S
which allows for the sanction of individuals known to have committed human rights violations
colluded with tax and law enforcement officials in late 2007 to embezzle the money Magnitsky later uncovered and launder it via several banks and dozens of shell companies
The money flowed into investments all over the world
including the purchase of luxury real estate
Mayco received a total of $420,000 from several of the Klyuev companies
such as Doncaster Limited and Weldar Holdings Limited
The flow of Magnitsky money out of Russia began in early February 2008 and continued for several months
Mayco’s first transaction to a Croatian individual or company — a payment to Perenčević’s mother — took place at the same time
prosecutors as being part of the Klyuev pipeline were just “one handshake” away from Mayco
Lordside Enterprises and Berglake Sales traded directly with Landcliff Commerce
The total amount brought to Mayco via this pipeline could have exceeded $14 million
Companies like Mayco are registered in offshore jurisdictions precisely because this makes it more difficult to discover who’s behind them and what they do
based on information in a due diligence form filed in the British Virgin Islands
it was possible to identify a young Russian lawyer named Vladimir Polozkov as the company’s beneficial owner at the time of the apparently fraudulent real estate deals
Polozkov became Mayco’s beneficial owner by the age of 27; he was managing its banking account at 25
and his lack of a business track record as he assumed responsibility for a company that conducted transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars suggest he may have been a proxy acting on behalf of other interests
which was the origin of four documents related to the real estate deals that were faxed to Ukio
Akropol also had several other connections to Mayco
suggesting that it may have been directing at least some of the company’s activities from behind the scenes
Mayco accounts were used to purchase expensive jewelry for one of the bank’s owners
and pay his son’s college fees in the United Kingdom
Several companies affiliated with Lepeshkin and an Akropol co-owner
and email signatures on Mayco materials indicate they had come from Akropol employees
Polozkov listed Mayco’s annual turnover as $35 to $45 million
though it was handling hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions during those years
He described the company as a “financial intermediary” that received commissions by shifting loans between groups of companies
a long-time Russian diplomat also named Vladimir Polozkov
spent three decades leading Soviet and Russian international outreach efforts as a member of several thematic “friendship societies.”
the senior Polozkov has worked at the office of the Mayor of Moscow in two senior positions
As deputy head of two different departments
he was one of the Russian capital’s highest officials
Neither he nor his son responded to requests for comment
and Akropol bank also did not respond to messages seeking comment
one of Polozkov’s senior colleagues was Anastasia Rakova
And her current or former partner is Krešimir Filipović
the Perenčević and Velesstroy vice president who received Mayco money for his and his father’s Zagreb apartments
Even from as far away as Moscow, the money trail leads back to the beautiful beaches of Čikat Bay, which is still being redeveloped by Russian money of unknown origin
Additional reporting by Klara Škrinjar and Maja Čakarić (Oštro) and Katarina Sabados (OCCRP)
2020: This story initially misidentified the distinction awarded to Mihajlo Perenčević by Russian President Vladimir Putin
The correct name of the honor Perenčević was given was the "honorary certificate of the President of the Russian Federation." OCCRP regrets the error
Support from readers like you helps OCCRP expose organized crime and corruption around the world
you’ll be directly supporting investigative journalism as a public good
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Russian businessmen used a network of shell companies to buy a South Carolina theme park before leaving it bankrupt
Among the many items paid through the Troika Laundromat was a lavish party hosted by Ruben Vardanyan — to celebrate the..
Mihajlo Perenčević's influence has made the Adriatic island a playground for rich Russians in recent years
Lošinj is part of Croatia’s Cres-Lošinj island group
but it didn’t always belong to Croatia—for many years it was part of the Venetian Republic
and the harbour of Mali Lošinj was an important shipping hub in the 19th century
The island passed into Austro-Hungarian hands from 1797 until 1918
becoming the preferred holiday resort of the Austro-Hungarian emperor
and was given to Italy and then Yugoslavia before finally becoming part of Croatia in 1991
The influence of each of those ruling countries can still be felt
were one island until the channel of Osor was excavated in Roman times to shorten the route to the open sea
Lošinj has become known as the ‘Island of Vitality’—and a shining example of eco-tourism
Mali Lošinj won an award from the European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Development (ETIS)
which had monitored more than 130 indicators in all areas of sustainability
The town also participated in the Sustainable Top 100 Awards
coming 2nd in the Best of the Mediterranean category in 2018 3rd in the Best of Europe category in 2019
The Mali Lošinj Sustainable Tourism Development Project had precise goals to be achieved by this year in areas such as protection of space and biodiversity
integration of the local economy and tourism
the town attracts visitors keen to experience its natural beauty and biodiversity
and its culture and cuisine—all of which are being carefully and sustainably preserved and developed on this beautiful island
Lošinj Airport is 6 km from the town of Mali Lošinj
not near Rijeka on the mainland but on the island of Krk) has far more connections
from where a ferry visits the islands of Unje and Susak before delivering you to Mali Lošinj
it’s far more eco-friendly to travel to a nearby port via public transport and take a ferry across
Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries by international bus route
and even run buses to Mali Lošinj itself from Zagreb and Rijeka
travelling from Brestova on the mainland to Porozina on Cres
You can also travel by train to Pula or Rijeka
there’s a catamaran once a week off-season
rising to five times a week in high season
Other options are the car ferry from Zadar
the ferry from Vabiska on the Island of Krk to Merag on the Island of Cres
or ferries from Cesenatico or Pessaro in Italy
Many of the resort hotels are just out of town near the stunning bays of Sunčana Uvala ('Sunny Bay') and Čikat Bay
where late 19th century villas and luxury hotels sit alongside modern hotels in tranquil pine forests
an hourly shuttle bus runs between the town centre and this hotel district
but the resorts are only a 10 to 20 minute walk from the town centre
you'll find Lošinj Hotel & Villas' beautiful collection of hotels
many of which hold the Green Certification from the Association of Employers in Croatian Hospitality (UPUHH)
This certification is your guarantee that you’re choosing sustainable accommodation
Green-certified hotels within the LH&V portfolio include Family Hotel Vespera in Sunčana Uvala
which holds the advanced level Green Certificate
This hotel is fully equipped for an ideal family holiday
with animation programs for all age groups
and a full range of fun-filled offers including the Aqua Fun complex
outdoor pools and diverse sports facilities
It’s within easy reach of a pebbled beach and flat surfaces for sunbathing
nestled above Veli Žal beach in Sunčana Uvala
This hotel has indoor and outdoor seawater pools
making the hotel a top choice not just for leisure but for corporate and business travel too
situated at Čikat Bay and surrounded by ancient pine forest
Čikat was recognised as a ‘healing location’ due to its specific microclimate
making it especially popular among the Viennese aristocracy
this tradition continues with the Bellevue Spa Clinic and Spa Garden offering an array of innovative wellness programs based around the ‘slow-ageing’ concept and beauty treatments using world-famous cosmetic brands
including a bespoke selection of massages and fitness workouts
It’s the ideal choice for relaxation and rejuvenation—and there’s a White Flag beach at the front of the hotel too
eco-certified and authentic ingredients in their restaurants
in a secluded area surrounded by pines and olives trees
The beach is less than 400 metres away and the owner has a small organic farm next door
Camping and glamping are also available at several sites on Lošinj
Camping Čikat holds numerous awards for excellence and innovation
and it’s certified to ISO 14001 for environmental management
bikes available to rent and several eateries offering local delicacies
Explore Lošinj’s natural beauty and wildlife
Visiting Lošinj without taking the time to appreciate its wildlife
biodiversity and stunning natural landscapes might be an actual crime
No trip to Lošinj is complete without a dolphin-spotting trip and a visit to the Sea Turtle Rescue Centre
The island’s Blue World Institute is a research
conservation and education centre that focuses on the marine environment and in 2014
the Natura 2000 Cres-Lošinj zoological site was established to conserve local endangered species including the island’s 200+ bottlenose dolphins
the Mediterranean endemic seagrass (Posidonia oceanica)
and nesting sites of the common European Shag
Experts from the Institute teach you about the fascinating lives of bottlenose dolphins and take you to the places where they can often be spotted
interactive Marine Museum will soon be completed
The best way to enjoy the natural beauty of Lošinj is by walking
has maps of 250 km of trails covering all Lošinj and a small part of Cres
is the highest peak of the 10 km long Osorščica mountain ridge and provides spectacular views of the coast and forests
It can be reached by several walking trails and by a challenging cycling trail that starts at the Preko mosta campsite in the village of Osor
There is also a scenic coastal path from Mali Lošinj to Čikat
You should also pay homage to the island’s legendary biodiversity and botanical fame by visiting the hillside Lošinj Garden of Fine Scents
qualified guides will tell you all about the island’s plants and their medicinal properties
There are charmingly wonky chairs and tables dotted about
and there are homemade dishes and produce to be bought or enjoyed
Renaissance buildings and ancient ruins can all be found on Lošinj
as well as more modern cultural attractions
The Church of St Martin is the oldest building in Mali Lošinj and was built largely between 1450 and 1490
although some rebuilding has taken place since
You can also visit the Museum of Lošinj in the Fritzi Palace to learn about the town’s history and admire contemporary art in the attached gallery
which focuses on the sculpture of Apoxsyomenos
which dates back to 2nd or 1st century B.C
and was retrieved from the waters of Lošinj in 1999
A replica can be seen in the Lošinj Historical Underwater Park
only open to experienced divers or those accompanied by one
This attraction has underwater exhibits related to Lošinj history
including anchors from the 4th and 5th centuries and Venetian cannons
visit the Sailing Interpretation Centre and learn more about the area’s maritime history while exploring the Nerezinac Lugger
a sailboat restored to resemble the local 19th-century lugger ships
September visitors to the island can enjoy the month-long Lošinj Sails Around the World festival
which celebrates Lošinj’s maritime golden age in the mid-19th century and includes displays of shipbuilding and net-making skills
with its remains of ancient walls and forts and impressive archaeological collection
you’ll find the ruins of ancient villas and monasteries
and a host of cultural events in the summer
With the Adriatic Sea on the doorstep and a plethora of locally-grown herbs and other plants to use
seafood and wild herbs feature heavily on the menu in Lošinj
lamb is also a popular principal ingredient and there’s plenty of homemade pasta
Olive oil is used liberally and the local shrimp is considered the best in the world by some critics
Try Croatian specialities like buzara (seafood cooked in a mixture of olive oil
fresh herbs and (sometimes) breadcrumbs and Lošinj dishes such as cod in Lošinj onion spring sauce
Several restaurants specialise in ‘Apoxyomenos antique cuisine’
serving dishes that contain only ingredients that would have been used in ancient Greece
You’ll find many of them offer gluten-free
vegetarian and vegan options alongside island and Croatian dishes such as aromatic Lošinj gnocchi
omelettes made from Lošinj asparagus and island maneštra (a Croatian version of minestrone)
the Lošinj Culinary Festival attracts numerous local restaurants showcasing local specialities through tastings
Have a Day in Town—or Visit the Neighbours
with plenty of places to rent a bike and everywhere within walking distances
the bus station is near the ferry port and daily buses run from Veli Lošinj to Punta Križa on island Cres
stopping at most of the small villages on Lošinj on the way
Buses from Mali Lošinj to the mainland also call at other island towns
If you’ve seen the sights and want to spend the day shopping
there are numerous shops selling authentic
including Lošinj natural cosmetics and air fresheners made with the island’s medicinal plants
and a range of traditional foods and drinks
which sells extra virgin olive oil and marmalades from Cres
chestnut and acacia honey varieties from Mali Lošinj itself
or Gourmet Boutique for olive and lavender wood souvenirs
Radović Atelier displays and sells award-winning photos and also offers courses in underwater photography
the neighbouring car-free islands of Susak
Ilovik and Unije deserve your attention too
Susak has sandy beaches and a unique culture
as its islanders speak their own dialect (nearly incomprehensible to other Croats) and often wear colourful
traditional dress on feast days and at family celebrations
Ilovik is a hilly island with secluded swimming coves and an abundance of flowers
while larger Unije’s only settlement is a picturesque fishing village of gabled stone houses
clear waters and stunning landscape lend themselves to outdoor activities here and Lošinj is the European Island of Sport for 2020
the island’s Osorščica ridge mountains offers 30 climbing routes from difficulty level 4 to 8—and an artificial climbing wall in Veli Lošinj
Lošinj has plenty of bays and coves for swimming and multiple water sports on offer
with a large shallow cove ideal for diving beginners and a wreck dating from 1917 for more experienced divers to explore There’s also kayaking
stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and even SUP yoga for those with good balance
remote and sheltered bay of Krivica is worth the 30-minute walk down from the nearest parking area
There are numerous other beaches near Mali Lošinj
including the beautiful Uvala Engleza which is only accessible by boat
Veli Žal is a gently-sloping beach especially suitable for children
plenty of available shade and even a nearby bowling alley
Both Sunčana Uvala and Srebrna Uvala (near the Čikat campsite) are White Flag beaches
ramps and fountains and hydromassage facilities
you’ll find tennis courts at Čikat near the hotel Bellevue and at Sunčana Uvala near hotel Aurora
While there’s plenty to do in Mali Lošinj and the wider area
primarily promotes itself as the ‘Island of Vitality’
promising that visitors will have “their life energy and well-being restored.” That’s an easy promise to make here
as it’s been a hub for health tourism for over 125 years
thanks to an air quality so pure that it’s been proven to improve lung health
That’s partly due to the island’s endless forests of Aleppo pines; its very own ‘green lungs’
beauty and wellness treatments offered on the island are pulmonary rehabilitation treatments
You can also walk the 3 km forest footpath between Mali Lošinj and Veli Lošinj
with its educational panels that instruct you on the importance of proper posture
The walk is around 10,000 steps—handily the daily number of steps recommended by the World Health Organisation standards
The island’s 1,200 therapeutic and aromatic botanicals
used in the island’s aromatherapy treatment and medicines
not only scent the air delightfully but help to deter mosquitoes—which is definitely good for your health
And with over 200 days of sunshine and clean waters too
it’s not hard to see why this is an island that can really make you feel good
Soak up the sun (safely) and enjoy the feel-good treatments
Experience the tastes and scents of the island
and let its therapeutic atmosphere make you feel relaxed and rejuvenated
Plan your next well-deserved getaway on the Island of Vitality by visiting the official Mali Lošinj Tourist Board website:
www.visitlosinj.hr
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The European Amateur Chess Championship 2024 will take place from 24th August – 1st September 2024 at the Losinj island
The event will be played in three rating categories: U2300
and it’s open to all players registered or approved by their national federations listed as the ECU members
In order to be eligible to participate in the tournament
the players must fulfill the following conditions:
Each tournament will be played in 9 rounds
and separate Women’s competitions will be organized if there are at least 10 women players registered in the category
the Women’s sections will be merged with the Open competition
The rate of play will be 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the rest of the game
The events will be played in ****Hotel Aurora
and the accommodation is provided in the ****Hotel Vespera
The total prize fund of the events is 4.000 euros and the distribution of prizes is shown below
The winners of women categories receive the relevant title: “European Women Amateur Chess Champion under 1700 under 2000 and 2300.”
On demand the organizers will provide transportation to the official hotel on August 24th (arrival) and 1st/2nd (day of departure)
The price of a one-way transport ticket on the days of arrival and departure is: Airport Rijeka (Krk)* – Mali Losinj 75,00 €; Airport Pula* – Mali Losinj 85,00 €; Airport Zagreb – Mali Losinj 100,00 €
Each participant must register for the competition no later than June 1st
FIDE ID number of each player and should be sent by e-mail to: hss.crochess@gmail.com
Tournament website: https://hrvatski-sahovski-savez.hr/E-mail: hss.crochess@gmail.com
The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers
When you purchase through links on our site
this island's appeal has been overtaken by those further south - but with fewer crowds it's all the more enchanting
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Each of the 1,000 or so islands that make up the Croatian archipelago comes with its own distinguishing micro-identity
Brac is known for its stone; Hvar is famous for its beauty and its long days of sunshine; Korcula is celebrated as Marco Polo’s birthplace-turned-windsurfer’s paradise
a simpler way of life is revealed: Cres is known for its olive oil and lamb; Pag
a large (by Croatian standards) and beautiful island
located in the central northern Adriatic at the mouth of the gulf of Kvaerner
Lošinj enjoys not one but three reputations
the five-mile natural harbour that the island encompasses became the shipping hub of the Adriatic
The island was also the preferred holiday resort of the Austro-Hungarian emperor
Lošinj is known as the “island of wellness and vitality”
Yet Lošinj has declined from its Belle Époque pomp
it gets overlooked in today’s Gadarene rush towards Dubrovnik and Split
The simplest landfall is by flying to Zagreb and approaching by road and ferry via Krk
you could charter the island’s light aeroplane and fly from Venice directly to Lošinj
Seaplanes in Croatia are an old idea newly reborn
and funded a northern Adriatic seaplane service which flew from 1921 until Italy’s capitulation in 1943
the creation of a consortium of German pilots
The views of the Kornati labyrinth from 10,000 feet are worth the air fare alone
just as the sun dips behind a glass of chilled Istrian white
you’ll find the travails of the journey melt away
Lošinj offers the classic Adriatic idyll in near-pristine form: limpid turquoise seas
rugged sloping scenery and a friendly welcome not least from loggerhead turtles and bottlenose dolphins
The island’s two postcard-perfect baroque Venetian fishing villages
A characteristic feature of Lošinj is its abundance of herbs; some 1,200 therapeutic and aromatic varieties thrive on the island
Such open-air aromatherapy promotes health but is anathema to mosquitoes
The island furthermore solves two common Croatian problems: it has ample modern accommodation
Which makes Lošinj perfect for outdoors family holidays
There are 250 kilometres of walking trails and cycling paths
The notched and indented wild coastline contains surprises galore
and that’s before you stumble on the naturists’ colony (on which the tourist literature is strangely silent)
I can recommend cycling or walking up the hill that forms the mass of the southern part of the island
If you pause to absorb the panorama and then continue south along the spine of the island
Here you can take in a magnificent seascape of the neighbouring island of Ilovik and the northern tip of the Kornati labyrinth
look out for signs to Balvanida restaurant
a heavenly spot sequestered in a forest on the western side of the island
Lošinj’s reputation as the island of vitality rests on the painstaking research of Ambroz Haračić
Haračić revealed the healthiest climate in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
As soon as word reached Emperor Franz Josef
His Serene Highness was packing his bucket
the Emperor returned to Vienna detoxed and fit
I suspect that Lošinj’s real appeal was Čikat Bay
the island’s most beautiful natural feature
Čikat debouches westwards into the Adriatic
the schlag of Austrian society made this their Riviera
among them the pink-washed Villa Carolina that Franz Josef erected for his mistress
an appellation that derives from the vigils of mariners’ wives
Near the votive chapel at the entrance to the bay is one of the most romantic spots on the island
the sound of waves and the grilled sea bass make this an enchanting place
By whatever contrivance epithets like “island of vitality” have been pinned on
Lošinj’s hotels help you chase the rejuvenation rainbow
or simply neutralise the effects of the food
coffee and cigarettes so beloved by the locals
The majority of the hotels are pitched at the middle market
with a couple – the Alhambra hotel and the Hortensia – aimed higher
Its vast spa offers treatments for every condition
although I found a spell on a sun-lounger on the lido interspersed with dips into Čikat Bay worked just as well
Lošinj wraps both a journey and a destination: it is a place to patch up the temple
and discover Austro-Hungarian Emperor within
Alternatively, Lošinj can be reached by ferry from Zadar, Cres and Krk (jadrolinija.hr)
Lošinj Hotels & Villas (losinj-hotels.com/en)
visitlosinj.hr
croatia.hr
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Four rounds are already played at European Senior Team Chess Championship 2019 in Mali Losinj
Croatia and in 50+ section no team emerged on the top with all the victories
while in 65+ section team of Russia leads with a maximum score
Russia and Croatia tie for the first place
with only one drawn match against each-others
The third place is currently in hands of Steiermark from Austria
who tomorrow meets with Russia on the top board
while Croatia plays against European Chess Academy from Maribor
Pairings, Rankings and Results- Section 50+
Number one on the starting rank list of section 65+
emerged on the top with perfect 4 victories
They are followed by Sweden 1 with 7 match points
Germany and Switzerland tie for the bronze
scheduled for tomorrow at 15:00 (local time)
Russia against Sweden 1 and Germany against Switzerland
Pairings, Rankings and Results- Section 65+
LIVE transmission of the games is available through the Official Website of the event
European Senior Team Chess Championship 2019 takes place from 17th-27th September
located next to the playing venue and Hotel Aurora
Official Website of the event
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thanks in large part to the opening of Croatia’s most talked-about new attraction
An ambitious clutch of spanking new museums has changed the face of Croatian tourism over the last few years; none, however, has been quite so talked about as the Museum of the Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj
Devoted to a single Greco-Roman statue of a handsome young athlete
the museum weaves a beguiling narrative around this uniquely charismatic piece of bronze
The Lošinj Apoxyomenos / © Mirna Pibernik
The name Apoxyomenos is an ancient Greek term meaning something like ‘The Scraper’
a reference to the habit of athletes of cleansing their skin with a scraping tool known as a strigil
The subject was a common one among classical sculptors
although only a handful of Hellenistic-era copies survive
although it’s the Lošinj Apoxyomenos that is considered the most perfect example of the genre yet found
leaving the statue in an ambiguous open-handed posture that if anything makes it even more compelling.
cast into the Adriatic near Lošinj over 2000 years ago
is an object lesson in how it pays to keep your eyes peeled when exploring the sea bottom
The sponge- and barnacle-covered bronze hunk was first spotted by vacationing Belgian scuba-diver Rene Wouten in 1996; it look the authorities a further 3 years to bring it to the surface
The statue was sent to expert restoration departments in Florence and then Zagreb
It took three years of patient fiddling to remove the encrustations
and a metal skeleton was built inside the statue’s body in order to help it hold its shape.
So what exactly was the Apoxyomenos doing on the seabed near Lošinj?
Grains found in the stomach of a mouse trapped inside the Apoxyomenos’s interior helped archeologists date the statue to the first century BC. It was a time when the Eastern Adriatic was a much-used trade route
its plethora of islands allowing captains to avoid the open sea and hop instead from port to port
There were plenty of rich Roman villas in the northern Adriatic
and it is not difficult to imagine a wealthy Roman from this region ordering such a fine piece of sculpture from a Greek master
It’s possible that the vessel carrying the Apoxyomenos was shipwrecked in a storm
although marine archeologists searching the site have so far found nothing else that might relate to such a disaster
The other main hypothesis is that the Apoxyomenos was thrown overboard in order to help the ship ride out a storm.
Soon after its discovery a replica of the statue was displayed in the regional history museum in Veli Lošinj
whetting the public appetite for the long-awaited appearance of the real thing
becoming something of a national celebrity in the process. The statue was exhibited in Los Angeles
a roving ambassador for the Eastern Adriatic which helped to plant the name of Lošinj in the international subconscious.
Meanwhile a bold new home for the statue was built on Lošinj itself
Rijeka architects Randić and Turato adapted the stately colonnaded Kvarner Palace on the Mali Lošinj waterfront by inserting a huge metal-cage structure into the building’s gutted interior
and images of the Apoxyomenos can be seen on posters throughout the country
A visit to the museum itself is a compellingly intimate experience
with visitors (limited to a manageable number of entries) moving through various chambers explaining the background to the statue: there’s a recreation of its former seabed resting place as well as a display of all the press-cuttings generated by its discovery
a sly reference to today’s celebrity culture and the Apoxyomenos’s new-found status as an expressionless
The final room is an all-white cube containing the statue itself: in true showbiz style
the best bit is left till the end.
By exhibiting an ancient statue in a 19th-century villa whose interior has been given a 21st-century makeover
the Apoxyomenos Museum is a fitting metaphor for Lošinj as a whole – an inspirational island that provides us with glimpses of our common European past as well as offering a few pointers as to where we are going in the future
Open 9am-10pm Tues-Sun; adults 75kn; children and seniors 40Kn
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Cres and Lošinj used to be one island until the ancient Liburni tribe dug a canal at Osor
clean water and 2,600 hours of annual sunshine earned Lošinj an official designation as a health resort in 1892
Habsburg royalty followed and now tourism is the island’s main industry
Activity centres around two towns with misleading labels
about four kilometres from quaint little Veli Lošinj
Strolling from one end of the harbour to the other takes 20 minutes – it’s a nice waterside lined with great restaurants and bars
RECOMMENDED: More great travel destinations in Croatia.
The island of Lošinj offers colourful harbours
secluded coves for swimming and can be easily toured by bike
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Step on the Croatian island of Lošinj and you’re enveloped in the most heavenly scent of wild herbs and plants
Then there’s the Adriatic Sea in every shade of blue and green
waters so clear that you can count the pebbles
Add to this the colourful baroque sea captains’ houses lining the deep harbour at Mali (meaning “little” — more on that later) Lošinj and you have sensory overload of the most welcome kind
I’m not usually one to be impressed by a royal seal of approval but I could immediately see why the Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz-Joseph turned Lošinj into a 19th-century hotspot for a healing holiday
which is fringed by cooling forests of Aleppo pines
Rising like a stately ocean liner — but discreetly hidden behind the trees — the gleaming white Hotel Bellevue has its own sprawling swimming platform to go with its seawater pools
It was the least stuffy and most relaxing five-star hotel I’d stayed in for a long while
It was also a superb base from which to explore the island
I had one of Lošinj’s best bays right in front of me
All around the headlands — covering much of the island
in fact — was a shaded path that went past one enticing beach after another
repeat — all the while inhaling the heady fragrance of juniper
I hired a scooter and headed first to the fishing village of Veli Lošinj (which means Big Lošinj
about the bright baroque houses that surround the pretty port
I followed the footpath out of the village along the coast where beaches were carved out of the rocky shore
Croatians are extremely adept at turning the most unlikely spots into places to swim
Just stick on a pair of swimming shoes and dive in
All along Lošinj’s deeply indented coastline there are dozens of beaches to discover
Leaving my scooter on the side of the road
trying not to think of the half-hour ascent I would have after my swim
to wallow in blue-green waters with hardly a soul around
the scooter came in handy for dinner at the Providenca viewpoint
which I had passed earlier on my way to Krivica beach
Terraces dug into the hillside are covered with tables
chairs and walking trails; they’re all in a prime position for spectacular sunsets and views of Lošinj and its surrounding islands in the Kvarner Gulf
With the sky on fire and a seafood platter of octopus
I had already become addicted to Lošinj’s seafood the night before during a maritime festival that took over the harbour at Mali Lošinj
with stalls selling plates of grilled fish and seafood along with glasses of wine from nearby Istria
There was even ancient history to discover
namely the impressive bronze statue of a Greek athlete dating from around the second or first century BC
More fishy treats were in store the following day during a trip to Lošinj’s offshoot island of Susak
reached via a rocky path along the headland or a longer route through bamboo forests
But first there were fried fish to try at Konoba Barbara in the village to savour — fish and chips
I had plump calamari at Bocca Vera by the harbour
For a place that looks like a tourist trap and is indeed full of tourists
My love affair with Lošinj reached its peak with a final dinner at the romantic waterside terrace of Lanterna Grill on Čikat Bay
I missed the sunset but arrived in time for beautifully grilled squid and the most gorgeous lamb from the neighbouring island of Cres
I felt like I’d been in a blissed-out daze for days
happily drunk on the island’s natural fragrances
a herb rarely found outside Croatia and one that always brings back childhood memories
The French call it immortelle — and it’s as everlasting as Lošinj’s beauty
Prestige Holidays has seven nights’ B&B at Hotel Bellevue from £829pp
including Gatwick-Pula flights and car hire
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Welcome to Lošinj: one of the Croatian coast’s most picturesque islands
This island is made up of 75 square kilometres of natural wonders; here
even the main town of Mali Lošinj doubles as a beautiful natural harbour
the town boasts a rich history dating back to the ancient Greek era
Read on for our list of the top 10 things to do on fantastic Lošinj
Share it with the hashtag #TimeOutDoList and tag @TimeOutEverywhere
You can also find out more about how Time Out selects the very best things to do all over the world, or take a look at our list of the 50 best things to do in the world right now.
© Lošinj Hotels & VillasTo get to the 360 viewpoint of Providenca
you’ll cross a stunning 300-meter trail named after the ancient Greek term for the islands of Cres and Lošinj: Aspyrtides
you’ll stop in your tracks for the sweeping vistas of Lošinj and the surrounding sea and islands that await
The onsite Vidikovac bar offers refreshments in a themed setting
presenting 18 sets of hand-carved tables and benches (featuring the names of well-known local ships built in the 19th century)
order a local beer or wine (try the Dalmatian favourite of Plavac Mali)
It’s like you had your own private jet
Wow they should add some things to the ZAG terminal interior
it's way too minimalistic for my liking
Wasn't there supposed to be a fountain or something
I was there for the opening of the terminal and thought the same
but I was sure they'd add more stuff over time
Tickets cost about 320€ for a return ticket
https://www.silverairtravels.com/book-a-flight/
The ECA flights were much more popular but they were much cheaper
Silver Air is very expensive in my opinion for these short flights
I so much hope that ECA would make a comeback :)
Thanks.I have 2 questions:1) The aircraft has a Czech registration
from which company was it leased?2) It's shocking to see how empty the terminal and aircraft are in mid summer
Silver Air is actually the airline registered in the Czech Rep.
so they use their own equipment (according to the Czech a/c register Silver Air is both owner and operator of OK-SLD)
Fotografije su me vratile u neko ljepše doba.Koliko dođe karta
da nema smisla u doba autoputeva prodavati ovakve letove
Lauren Simmonds
As Morski writes
when every vessel set sail from the Port of Losinj for a long journey
it would dock in one of the most beautiful coves there – Cikat bay near the church
where the crew would disembark and pray with their families in the church before parting
The “ADDIO” sculpture dedicated to the wives of Croatian seamen was created as a symbol of tradition
found its place exactly in the same place where Losinj’s local wives used to wave goodbye to their sailor husbands many
who waved to him as he sailed off into the distance
my beloved!” she said into the wind while waving a white handkerchief to the sailing ship that was disappearing over the horizon
she would return to the small church of the Annunciation of Mary (Annunziata) to pray once more for her husband’s eventual safe return
on the facolic (handkerchief) belong to her
they spent only 13 months together in their home in Losinj
Sailors’ wives had to be strong-minded
”Our desire was to pay tribute to all the sailors’ wives who saw Croatian seamen off on their journeys and waited for their return home in an attractive
The form of a classical sculpture has been retained but with a silhouette
on the back is a motif that used to be found on the headbands of women from Losinj
and which can be seen in our permanent exhibition,” explained the director of the Losinj Museum
Academic sculptor and the creator of this new Losinj sculpture
explained the artistic interpretation of the sculpture
”This is the shape of a woman and it is layered and lost in space
showing how she is being “carried away by the wind”
The idea comes from the symbol of a tradition that is falling into oblivion
all for the purpose of “retaining” the time that has passed and renewing the feeling of belonging
The “Addio” sculpture is a symbol of both love and fidelity,” according to author Obad
we’re helping to preserve another valuable memory of our rich maritime past,” said the director of the Tourist Board of the Town of Mali Losinj
For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section
Total Croatia News
Lošinj, the island of vitality. Meet <a href="https://www.airportmalilosinj.hr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.airportmalilosinj.hr/” data-mce-href=”https://www.airportmalilosinj.hr/”>Airport Mali Lošinj – flights
The airport is located 13 km north-west of the main tourist settlement of Mali Lošinj and getting to it from any location is quite straightforward
If you’re coming from Mali Lošinj itself
simply cross the bridge onto Lošinj and follow the signs
The airport on the island of Mali Lošinj was founded in 1985
as well as servicing private planes to the island’s luxury hotels
A commercial aspect to this has been added recently
and there was an increasing number of flights in the summer
Silver Air has partnered with Lošinj Hotels and used to offer flights to Zagreb
Below is the 2018 timetable to give you an idea of what the airport’s heyday looked like.
The schedule for the airport for the summer of 2022 has been announced, and for now we can confirm that there will be flights to Zagreb, Split, Pula and Italian Lugano. Please follow the dedicated Flights section on TCN to find out more info.
Looking for a fast, reliable and trouble-free transfer to or from DESTINATION? Contact TC transfer partner Adriatic Transfers for your one-stop solution.
One increasingly popular activity at the airport in Lošinj is taking a panorama flight. Prices start at 500 kuna for 15 minutes, and the small aircraft can accompany up to three passengers at a time. Learn more about taking a panorama flight
Zagreb 1970.00
Venezia 2000.00
Vienna 3900.00
Milano 3900.00
Munich 4300.00
Belgrade 3625.00
It’s possible to organize flights to other airports on request
Additional charge for transfer to hotel 24,00 € / 180,00 kuna
but there is a bar and restaurant next door
Airport Mali Lošinj. Privlaka 19, POB 61, 51550 Mali Lošinj, + 385 51 231666. info@airportmalilosinj.hr
March 26th – April 30th every day 08:00 – 16:00 LT
May 1st – September 23th every day 08:00 – 20:00 LT
September 24st – October 27th every day 08:00 – 16:00 LT
Winter period every day 08:00 – 15:00 LT
For more information, check out the official airport website
To get the latest flight news from Lošinj and Croatia’s other airports, follow the TCN flights page
The healthy effects of its sea breezes, clean water and 2,600 hours of annual sunshine makes Lošinj one of the Adriatic's most desirable destinations. Activity centres around two towns with misleading labels
Strolling from one end of the harbour to the other takes 20 minutes – it’s a nice waterside lined with great hotels
RECOMMENDED: More things to do in Lošinj.
© Lanterna GrillLaterna’s outdoor terrace sits on a rockface above the open sea
perfuming the breeze with aroma of a smoky wooden grill
accompanied by a mandolin-strumming musician
makes Lanterna the most romantic table on the island
The fantastic food deftly matches the view
an Adriatic-inspired menu featuring local lamb
juicy cuts of steak and organic vegetables grown nearby on the island of Cres
It’s all grilled right before your eyes
© Hrvoje SerdarSome brilliant beaches on Mali Lošinj
But you always have the option of setting out in search of something more quiet
Hiring a canoe or small boat is a brilliant way to cruise around the coastline in search of a private cove and there are many to be discovered
decamp on a beach you like and eat in the cooling shade and wonderful fragrance of the pine trees behind the beach
CroatiaGetty ImagesSave this storySaveSave this storySavePanoramic view of Mali Losinj
WhyA relatively undiscovered jewel of an island to the north of Croatia
with air quality so pure it’s been proven to improve lung health - thanks to the salt-spray from the sea - hundreds of thousands of Aleppo pines planted over 100 years ago
stunning natural beauty of the azure-coloured sea
So why isn't it a crowded tourist hot spot
Despite the island's fairly central location
in the northern Adriatic at the mouth of the gulf of Kvaerner
it remains quite hard to reach (although an airport has recently opened up thats allows a small number of private planes daily)
Read more: Best City Breaks: The Vogue Guide
has its own private lido on Cikat Bay and is small enough to feel exclusive
but with all the add-ons that you’d expect from a five-star resort - a choice of five different pillow qualities
but especially Damjan Drazul the concierge
which is occasionally accompanied by a spot of opera singing
The French pastry chef serves incredible desserts
including a white chocolate peach that is almost indistinguishable in appearance from the real thing
CroatiaGetty ImagesWhat To Do While You're ThereThe Coastal Walk
Locals swear by the view from the Providenca
a viewpoint from an unnamed road just outside Mali Losinj where the sunsets are outstanding
You get to pick your own organic herbs and plants from the spa garden
then blend them yourself using a bespoke essential oil distilling process before having a massage and creating your own beauty products – a scrub
Traditional European Mediterranean architectural style in the streets and houses, yard, porches, stairs, shutters in the afternoon sunbeam, surrounded by vine, hydrangea and palm at summertime.Mali Losinj.Getty ImagesRead more: Where Your Travel Persona Should Visit Now
Be sure to try the fig and cream cheese ice cream at The Moby Dick Gelateria in Mali Losinj – the perfect finale to a morning’s sightseeing around the local churches which
Ask for Valentino Mazarek (tel: +385 99 397 6209)
fisherman and boat skipper to take you on a private speedboat outing around the small bays
He’ll show you tiny caves with crystal-clear waters and nesting sea gulls; he’ll dive down and fish sea urchins for a timely snack; and he knows all the best secret tavernas
where we were served freshly grilled fish and salads
11.08.2024 - (Arhivska fotografija od 03.07.2020
godine - Ilustracija) - Iz Policijske uprave primorsko- goranske u nedjelju su izvijestili da su u nesreći na rivi u Malom Lošinju
pri padu rampe Jadrolinijinog motornog broda
Iz Jadrolinije su također priopćili da se u luci Mali Lošinj dogodila nesreća u kojoj su prema prvim informacijama poginula dva pomoraca Jadrolinije s broda Lastovo
Na slici ulazna rampa na Jadrolinijin brod Lastovo
12 Aug (Hina) - Three members of the crew of Jadrolinija's "Lastovo" ship were killed and one member sustained serious injuries in an accident when the several-ton-heavy ramp of the ferry fell at the dock in the town of Mali Lošinj on Sunday afternoon
the Croatian sea and transport ministry stated on Sunday evening
ZAGREB, 13 Aug (Hina) - The Seafarers’ Union of Croatia (SPH) secretary-general said on Tuesday
that trying to direct the accountability for the Mali Lošinj ferry dock tragedy at this moment to the "Lastovo" vessel's crew is outrageous
having in mind that "the ship was not in a good state and that it was poorly maintained."
here’s our pick of the finest beaches in Lošinj
Northwest of Mali Lošinj, this long, undulating bay fringes a forested park. Čikat Bay boasts pebbled, concrete and sandy beaches. If you’re looking to get active, you’ll find a range of surfing and diving centres here, plus water aerobics and an aqua park. There are massage pavilions too, so you can wind down after a long day of watersports (or lying on the beach).
© Darko Tepert DonatusThe dense forests surrounding this beach lend it a rich, green backdrop and unrivalled seclusion. Shallow waters make it ideal for swimming with children, although you might want to pack swim shoes - the clear sea comes with a bed of rocky soil.
© KrivicaOne for the more adventurous beach-goers, Krivica lies an hour and a half’s hilly walk from Veli Lošinj. But it’s worth the sweat: this slim beach, tucked away in a wind-proof shield of pine trees, has an air of undiscovered magic about it. And, with a flourishing array of sea flora and fauna, it’s an excellent spot to go diving.
© eyedea2007One of the most stunning wild beaches on Lošinj, Zabodarski comes complete with smooth pebbles, ample shady pine trees, and shallow water - making it ideal for family trips. It’s just 8km from Mali Lošinj, and easily accessible by car. Despite the ease of access, it’s rarely overcrowded, so you can enjoy its views of distant islets in peace.
© Veli ŽalThe sheer natural beauty of Veli Žal made it the first of Lošinj’s beaches to earn a ‘blue flag’ - part of a scheme to protect precious marine and coastal environments
and the surrounding forests breathe out cool
backing on to a range of restaurants and wellness hotels
A small aircraft crashed late on Friday afternoon on the island of Lošinj, near the Kandija tourist resort and the local airport. Three people, Austrian nationals, were injured, reports Jutarnji List on June 17
The Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) reported that the accident occurred in the south-western part of Mali Lošinj
the pilot lost control for as of yet unknown reasons
The aircraft crashed and is completely destroyed
Two people have suffered more serious injuries
“Three members of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service in Mali Lošinj arrived from their jobs to the accident site within 35 minutes
The location of the crash is in a dense forest,” reported the HGSS
“All three people received medical help
were stabilized and prepared for transport
The emergency medical service transported the two individuals with more severe injuries by a helicopter to the Rijeka hospital for further care
Due to the possibility of fire or explosion of the aircraft
the scene of the accident was secured by local firefighters,” reported the HGSS
Mali Lošinj harbour is lined with fine seafood restaurants. At Veli Lošinj, Rovenska harbour is a gastro enclave with Sirius and the Bora Bar Trattoria/Tartufferia.