Lauren Simmonds 2024 – One of the famous Neretva lađa boat which traditionally take to the waters of the ice cold Neretva River in southern Dalmatia has headed to New York As Morski writes a traditional Neretva lađa boat set off from the Port of Metković on its historic journey to New York a few days ago The vessel was loaded onto a truck and transported to the Port of Ploče where it will be placed in a container and shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to the USA required precision from skilled port workers After careful maneuvering and securing it inside a 40-foot container it was ready for transfer to a ship and its long journey across the vast ocean that separates Europe from the Americas Ahead of it lies a journey spanning thousands of nautical miles through international maritime routes it is expected to arrive in the Port of New York This traditional Neretva lađa boat will then set sail along the famous Hudson River as part of the rowing “Lađa in New York” rowing event which will mark the 33rd anniversary of the Republic of Croatia’s admission to the United Nations on May the 22nd The traditional Dalmatian vessel will also row around Manhattan and Liberty Island symbolically connecting Croatia’s history with the fight for freedom with a special emphasis on preserving heritage These traditional vessels have been used for centuries along this famous waterway which passes through the extreme south of Dalmatia It once served as the primary method of transportation first mentioned as a war boat used by Duke Domagoj’s pirates in their fight against the Venetian Empire Various old Venetian sources also talk of these narrow river vessels and the pirates who terrorised the area back during the 10th century one critical segment is still missing: a modern road connecting the southernmost region to the rest of the country The highway from Metković to Dubrovnik will be constructed in two phases—first from Metković to the Pelješac Bridge and then from Dol to Dubrovnik According to HRT this will be the most expensive highway in Croatia with an estimated cost of €1.2 billion Construction is dependent on completing public tenders and obtaining various permits The most optimistic projections suggest work could start this year and finish by 2029 one major challenge remains: the lack of a fast road connecting Dubrovnik to the airport and Montenegro’s border Work on the sections from Rudine to Slano and from Slano to Mravinjac is expected to begin soon "This is practically the worst possible terrain for highway construction," said Associate Professor Marko Ševrović from the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences "The route runs through a very narrow area bordered by the sea on one side and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the other making junction placement and road functionality critical." The project is expected to be completed by 2029 with local and regional officials optimistic about a swift start "The tender is expected to close early this month with the contractor selected shortly after although we cannot rule it out," said Nikola Dobroslavić "We aim to begin physical construction this year and security importance of connecting Dubrovnik with the rest of Croatia is priceless." spanning 47 kilometers with an additional 15 kilometers of connecting roads promises to reduce traffic congestion and improve safety "Safety is perhaps the most critical aspect of this highway," Ševrović added "The current D8 state road is highly dangerous this highway is necessary to enhance safety it will also integrate Dubrovnik into Croatia’s highway network." May 05, 2025 168 Times Travel May 05, 2025 466 Dubrovnik May 04, 2025 894 Croatia May 04, 2025 598 Opinion May 04, 2025 798 Croatia May 03, 2025 902 Dubrovnik May 03, 2025 1030 Croatia May 03, 2025 734 Dubrovnik May 03, 2025 714 Dubrovnik 2025 – The most expensive Croatian motorway to date is set to be constructed and it will cost way over a staggering billion euros As Poslovni Dnevnik writes a motorway leading from Metković down to Dubrovnik will be constructed over two phases It will lead from Metković to the Pelješac Bridge and then from Dol all the way down to Dubrovnik The second section is actually going to be the first part to be constructed HRT has revealed that it will be the most expensive Croatian motorway yet carrying an estimated price tag of one billion and two hundred thousand euros The start of works on the most expensive Croatian motorway yet depends on the completion of public tenders and the obtaining of various necessary permits The most optimistic version of the planned saga claims that the works should begin this year and be completed in 2029 The biggest problem is that there’s currently no expressway from Dubrovnik to the airport and then south to the nearby border with Montenegro As many as 19 of the total 28 kilometres of the section will regard viaducts and tunnels and work should begin soon on the section from Rudin to Slano and then from Slano to Mravinjaci This enormously expensive Croatian motorway is going to be built on some very demanding terrain and on the other the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina “This is practically the worst possible terrain for any kind of motorway construction The elements themselves indicate how many viaducts and it’s also a heavily populated area That means that the amount of junctions will be important as will the connection to make sure the road’s full functionality is utilised,” said Associate Professor Marko Ševrović from the Faculty of Transport Sciences at the University of Zagreb The city and county leadership down in Dubrovnik-Neretva County believe that we’ll see a quick start to these demanding works “It has been announced that the tender will be closed this month the contractor will be selected and we hope that there will be no complaints or appeals lodged though we obviously can’t rule that out entirely We want to believe that we’ll physically start work on this section this year but connecting Dubrovnik with the rest of Croatia geo-strategically economically and safely is priceless,” emphasised the Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County With the construction of the most expensive Croatian motorway long and burdensome traffic jams that southern Croatia has become known for should become a thing of the past The number of traffic accidents will also decrease “I’d say that perhaps the most important aspect of this new motorway is certainly traffic safety We can see that this section of the D8 state road is actually very dangerous we also need to connect Dubrovnik with the rest of the motorway network throughout Croatia,” said Ševrović A total of 47 kilometres of motorway will thus be built from Metković down to Dubrovnik with almost 15 kilometres of connecting roads accompanying it and website in this browser for the next time I comment Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations Croatia is starting construction of the final section of the motorway from Zagreb to Dubrovnik and it appears the motorway route will bypass the territory of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina and use the EU-funded Pelješac Bridge which will connect the far south of Croatia to the rest of the country and the EU from 2022 either observed and verified directly by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources This is according to the response Euractiv received from the state-owned Croatian Motorways Company (HAC) which announced a tender for constructing two sections of the 100-kilometre motorway from the town of Metković to Dubrovnik Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon We help you navigate a myriad of possibilities Sign up for our newsletter for the best of the city By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Croatia Croatia is famed as a sailing nation but this legacy isn't limited to maritime activities – the inland rivers and waterways of Europe have played their part too. This history is celebrated every year in the Neretva river valley near Dubrovnik during the magnificent Ladja Marathon boat race more than 400 oarsmen will traverse a course 22.5 kilometres long starting from Metković Bridge and finishing at the sea in Ploče.  a drummer to keep pace and a helmsman. Teams compete each year to win the coveted 37kg bronze shield of Duke Domagoj. With 30 boats the Ladja Marathon is the largest event of its type in the region.  Participants set off at 5pm on Saturday, August 12, for the 26th annual running of the race. For more details and to learn more about the history of the event, see the Ladja Marathon website.  Where: From Metković Bridge to Ploče. When: August 12, 5pm. facebooktwitterinstagramAbout us Total Croatia News The sea bathes the shore creating a wonderful symphony of sounds and we are refreshing ourselves with a cooled Cabernet Sauvignon and time slowly drifts the story of a chilled Cabernet; but it was truly chilled and good The reason why we will head back to Molunat this coming summer is the new line of red wines by Božo Metković We all know more or less how red wines are produced especially the better ones… some maceration This is mostly what we all know and abide by Božo Metković is headed in another direction he is always trying out something different and new is an excellent wine which sells without a hitch some will say it is easy to sell it in Dubrovnik but that’s not quite true; today any product which is not good won’t do He tried sparklings as well and it didn’t turn out all too bad; quite the contrary and we need to consider this is a sparkling from the very south of Dalmatia But let us go back to his palette of red wines Božo claims he has found a solution for such wines – how to ultimately reduce the time needed for aging; in layman’s terms a wine aged six months will have all the characteristics of a wine aged two years The method of production was not made know to us which is quite logical if we assume this is something that can make a pretty buck I have tasted the entire palette of wines Božo speaks of and the impression is there is no “chemistry” involved or such; the wines have a pronounced varietal expression it is easy to pinpoint the variety you are drinking but this is alike in all wineries; a winemaker has a style and that is felt in the wine – this is a winemaker’s personality all these wines have a pronounced freshness which is in no way a characteristic of wines from this area but this did not interfere in retaining the above attributes I have to admit it was a slightly unusual sensation There are certain habits in the wine world or My impression on the wine are as I wrote them it will be told by the audience of the wine We tasted cold red wines on the terrace of his restaurant in Molunat and it was not bad This will take a lot of presentations and it still may not work Question is also how winemaking colleagues will accept it as this is something that topples all current postulates The audience and wine critics are on the move The biggest issue is that such a wine production method alters tradition in peace; just so I am not under the influence of Božo the sea and Molunat and then I will make my verdict Molunat is a place where I will always gladly visit The Monika Restaurant in that same Molunat is a place where one can eat a phenomenal beefsteak and even better fish We will certainly see each other next summer And all those who want to taste the wines I described as there you will also receive special energy and expression Translated from the G.E.T. Report link the very south of Croatia to the rest of the country has taken another step forward to being completed around a 1.5-hour drive from Dubrovnik and has been stuck in limbo ever since Now an agreement has been drawn up in Zagreb to prepare the study documentation for the section Metkovic to Dubrovnik that is to the outskirts of the city in Osojnik On behalf of the Management Board of the Croatian Motorways the president Boris Huzjan signed an agreement for the preparation of the study documentation for connecting South Dalmatia to the motorway network system in the rest of the Republic of Croatia on the route from Metković to the future Pelješac bridge and from the Doli section to the City of Dubrovnik The preparation of the study documentation implies to determine the justification for the construction of the highway from the Metković interchange to Dubrovnik in the first phase through the Peljesac Bridge and access roads currently under construction Quite why is has taken so long to carry out this study documentation is unknown The A1 motorway was started years ago and only now is a solution being sought for the section from Metkovic to Dubrovnik May 05, 2025 169 Times Travel May 04, 2025 599 Opinion May 03, 2025 1031 Croatia This makes this section the most expensive highway in Croatia – a kilometer will cost about 26 million euros according to Večernji List. The construction should be completed by 2029 HAC explains that after obtaining the location permit contracting the development of the main and detailed projects and obtaining the construction permits will follow The highway project from Metković to Dubrovnik is divided into two sections The first section is the Metković – Pelješac – Duboka junction which includes the construction of 17.5 kilometers of motorways from Metković to the Pelješac junction and 4.45 km of highway from the Pelješac to the Duboka junction The second section goes from the Rudine junction to the Osojnik junction and it includes the expressway from the Ston junction to the Doli junction (5.5 km) and the connecting road Slano junction to DC8 (4.7 km) The motorway section from the Rudine junction to the Osojnik junction is 29.5 kilometers long and it includes the construction of the connection of the Rudine junction to the existing road network These two sections of the motorway will continue on the access expressways on Pelješac and the Pelješac Bridge The highway construction from Metković to Dubrovnik will be the most expensive so far due to the numerous facilities on it and access roads and junctions which is 17.5 kilometers long on the left side of the highway there are as many as 12,850 meters of facilities which is 73 percent of the total length of the route On the right side of that section is 67 percent of the total route length there are 13,575 meters of facilities on the left side which is 49 percent of the route’s total length the total length of facilities is 14,345 meters For the latest travel info, bookmark our main travel info article, which is updated daily.  Read the Croatian Travel Update in your language – now available in 24 languages Join the Total Croatia Travel INFO Viber community. they won their first ever tournament in Metkovic and now have won their first home tournament in Cavtat “We will absolutely remember our first tournament of rugby "sevens '' in the Dubrovnik region,” commented Ante Stojan a former Croatian rugby international and the president of the Invictus Dubrovnik Rugby Club The club was formed only a few months ago and already they have an unbeaten record After winning all of their three games at the tournament in Metkovic the weekend before last the club hosted their first tournament this weekend “We came to the pitch the night before the tournament and watered it thoroughly ensured the sound system and the catering,” added Stojan the players have more to do than just win their matches “This is the first time we have organised a tournament and we really wanted everything to run smoothly I hope the spectators enjoyed themselves and will come back,” concluded Stojan caught the imagination of several hundred spectators at this weekend’s tournament which was held in Cavtat Invictus Dubrovnik – Herceg Mostar 22:19 Metković – Ploče 35:14 Ploče – Herceg Mostar 5:29Invictus Dubrovnik – Metković 14:7Metković – Herceg Mostar 19:7Invictus Dubrovnik - Ploče 21:7 The wildfire that broke out in the Orebic area on the southern Croatian peninsula on Peljesac on Tuesday was contained during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday and the situation was under control on Wednesday morning According to weather forecasts for Wednesday the weather conditions are likely to be more favourable for firefighters who battled the blaze that was spread by strong winds on Tuesday and reached a residential area which forced locals and tourists to be evacuated some 50 soldiers joined firefighters to help contain the blaze which spread through the hamlet of Mokalo in a tourist area close to the town of Orebic after erupting in the bush area on the Peljesac peninsula on Tuesday morning About 40 residents and tourists staying in two camping areas around the village had to be evacuated and four residential houses were consumed by fire A few hundred firefighters were still engaged in the area on Wednesday morning we still have two ongoing wildfires in southern Dalmatia It was active during the night and it consumed a large area It threatened property and people during the whole time Firefighting planes were also engaged in containing the blaze The other fire near Metkovic is also serious there's a large wildfire above the village of Kula Norinska,” head of the state rescue directorate told state broadcaster HRT on Wednesday morning The wildfire near the town of Metkovic had broken out around 2 pm on Tuesday and was still raging on Wednesday morning with about 100 firefighters and 100 soldiers helping the firefighting efforts The Dubrovnik Rugby Club, Invictus Dubrovnik, competed in their first rugby tournament in Metkokvic last weekend. The Dubrovnik club was formed only a couple of months ago after holding their first training on the 20th of February in Cavtat. And although they are still in their formative process the Gladiators won the tournament in Metkovic The Invictus Dubrovnik opened the tournament with a 24 – 10 win over the team from Ploce they continued their winning form with a comprehensive win over Herceg Mostar 33 – 12 the president of the Invictus Dubrovnik Rugby Club commented that “we are happy to compete in our first tournament and are obviously delighted with the result This was our first competitive match and to end up winning the tournament was a great sign that the future for our club is bright.” This Sunday the Invictus Dubrovnik hope to continue their winning ways when they are the hosts of a tournament in Dubrovnik Dubrovnik Gladiators celebrate a winning start to their short history  May 05, 2025 170 Times Travel trains will be operating on the Sarajevo-Ploče-Sarajevo route 1391 Sarajevo 7:15 - Mostar 9:12 - Čapljina 9:52 - Metković 10:18 - Ploče 10:36 1390 Ploče 18:26 - Metković 19:04 - Čapljina 19:29 - Mostar 19:56 - Sarajevo 21:51 Residents of Croatia can purchase tickets on the train while residents of Bosnia and Herzegovina can buy tickets at the stations of the Željeznica Federacije BiH (Railways of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) Passengers are required to provide personal information during ticket purchase for faster border control The prices of one-way tickets are as follows: Please note that this info is based on the information provided and it's always recommended to verify the current schedule and ticket prices with the relevant railway operators before traveling tourists have enjoyed the Neretva river eel in restaurants in southern Croatia but now another gastronomic delicacy is threatening the river delta’s biodiversity and traditional eel fishing economy The invasive species of Atlantic blue crabs was first spotted in the Neretva delta early this century They are likely to have arrived in the ballast waters carried by ships anchoring in the nearby port of Ploce and in more than a decade they have swamped the area previously dominated by eels “They are omnivores and cause huge damage to the local fish and shellfish stock It is logical that the falling number of eels must affect the trademark of local gastro-tourism,” said Branko Glamuzina an aquaculture expert from the Dubrovnik University The eel population had already been gradually falling in the last decades amid an extension of land for agriculture but the blue crab appears to be delivering a major if not the final blow fishermen caught around 150 tonnes of eels annually and that has been reduced to a mere 10 tonnes “The local fishermen are simply losing commercial interest in the eel,” Glamuzina said While the blue crabs are a gastronomic delicacy in the United States and Japan locals have shown little interest and the stock is not big enough for export “The local restaurant owners have no interest in crabs they want to stick to the traditional offer of eels and frogs the quantities of the blue crabs are too small for exports so they could only be offered to the guests in some luxury hotels in the coastal cities like Dubrovnik or Split,” Glamuzina said Pavo Jerkovic from a restaurant in the Neretva delta town of Metkovic agrees: “I know no one in this area who has decided to put the blue crabs on the menu Powered by PageSuite The missing piece in the A1 highway from Zagreb to Dubrovnik will cost an estimated 9.1 billion Kuna from the Metković junction to the Dubrovnik junction 47 kilometres in length plus another 14.7 kilometres of connecting roads will cost a grand total of 1.2 billion Euros This makes this section the most expensive highway in Croatia - a kilometre will cost about 26 million euros Croatian Roads explained that after obtaining the location permit the contracting of the development of the main and detailed projects and obtaining the construction permits will follow The planned start of construction is at the end of 2024 One section is the Metković junction - Pelješac junction - Duboka junction which includes the construction of 17.5 kilometres of motorway from Metković to the Pelješac junction and 4.45 km of highway from the Pelješac junction to the Duboka junction And the construction of the highway from Metković to Dubrovnik will be the most expensive so far due to the numerous facilities on it