Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Zadar’ Category

One of Croatia’s most popular music festivals will have a change of venue this year. The Garden Festival began in Zadar, moved to nearby Petrcane and will now be held in Tisno, on Murter Island some 29km north of Sibenik. Founded by Nick Colgan a former Irish footballer,  this musically adventurous festival is a huge favourite with British holiday-makers. The new venue is easily accessible from both Zadar and Split airports and offers improved accommodation facilities for backpackers and campers. In an interview, Mr Colgan explains that “The Garden Tisno has its very own village, featuring 80 on-site apartments which can hold 300 people, as well as 30 Indian Shikar tents with electric fans and lighting, proper beds, mosquito nets, dressing room and porch area. There are also 120 pitches for people bringing their own tents. It will also feature the familiar elements everyone knows and loves ‘ twice daily parties on the Argonaughty seadog including sunset trips close to the Kornati Islands, partying around the Main Stage and Tiki Bar day and night and a brand new Barbarellas club. The entire site runs right along a truly gorgeous shoreline, so dancing right by the glittering waters under the sizzling sun or a moonlit star-speckled sky – classic Garden experiences ‘ remain, helping to keep the festival so unique.” So set aside July 4th to 11th this year!

After doing a banner business in 2011, Zadar Airport is set to be even busier in 2012. Croatia’s national carrier, Croatia Airlines, is launching a weekly flight from Zadar to Charles-de-Gaulle in Paris. And the south of France won’t be left in the lurch with Ryanair’s new flight from Marseille to Zadar, due to start on March 26. Ryanair is vastly expanding their connections to Zadar. Look for flights from Karlsruhe (Germany), Billund (Denmark), East Midlands (UK) next year to augment this year’s flights to Zadar from Brussels, Frankfurt,  London (Stansted), Dublin, Oslo , Stockholm, and Dusseldorf.

 

 

Good news for backpackers! The centre of Zadar is scheduled to have a new hostel by the beginning of the tourist season 2012. For too long, backpackers have been shunted out to the hostel in Borik, about 5km from central Zadar. The “tourist settlement” there developed because the woodsy Borik neighbourhood is right on a shallow cove and a narrow beach. But not everyone comes to Zadar for the beach! In fact there are far better beaches in Croatia. Zadar is a fun town, a young town and is known for its cafes, bars and clubs. Yet the only accommodation in central Zadar (aside from a smattering of private accommodation) is the four-star Hotel Bastion which is great but not exactly a budget choice.

The new hostel will include the current Cafe Forum and the renovated building should hold 90 beds. Architects and designers have been enlisted to provide an attractive and functional environment and the cost of a bed should only be 15 or 20 euros.

Zadar Airport has had a banner year, handling some 285,000 passengers who use the airport as a gateway to Zadar and the surrounding national parks: Plitvice Lakes, Paklenica, Krka Waterfalls and Kornati Islands. Four national parks easily reachable from Zadar!

Forecasting ever-increasing visitor numbers the airport and local authorities have made a substantial investment in Zadar Airport. The domestic arrivals terminal is being expanded and will cover  an area of about 7200 square meters in plenty of time to welcome 2012 visitors. Currently the second phase of the project is complete, which expands the terminal to 690 square meters.

Next up are plans to extend the runway from 2500 to 3200 meters which will allow larger planes to land. The Airport is hoping that the EU will come up with the 15 million euros necessary to complete the project.

 

With a web of international flights, Croatia should not lack for visitors next year. Here’s an early roundup of 2012 flights to Croatia:

Monarch Airlines will fly from Manchester, Birmingham and London Gatwick to Dubrovnik.

Croatia Airlines will start two weekly flights from Munich to Dubrovnik on April 16. Alas, this year’s service from Vienna and Istanbul to Dubrovnik will be retired. Zadar will get a direct weekly flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle starting on May 1. And this year’s popular Zagreb to Athens route will resume next summer, making it easy to extend your Mediterranean holiday to Greece. In more good news, fun-loving French  can spend New Year’s in Dubrovnik with a direct route from Paris Charles de Gaulle that will run twice weekly  all year.

Why do Russians visit Zagreb in winter? Who knows. Maybe Zagreb is warmer than Moscow. Maybe they’ll make a beeline to the balmier Dalmatian coast. This year Aeroflot will maintain daily flights between Zagreb and Moscow throughout the year.

Connections to Scandinavia and Central Europe are already scheduled for next year. Check out the following (with a thanks to Ex-Yu Aviation news):

Stockholm – Dubrovnik (March 25) SAS

Karlsruhe – Zadar (March 28) Ryanair

Copenhagen – Split (March 31) SAS

Helsinki – Dubrovnik (April 02) Finnair

Dubrovnik – Munich (April 16) Croatia Airlines

Zadar – Paris (May 01) Croatia Airlines

Bern – Split (May 05) SkyWork Airlines

Frankfurt – Rijeka (May 05) Condor

Frankfurt – Dubrovnik (May 13) Condor

Manchester – Pula (May 19) Jet2.com

Zurich – Dubrovnik (May 27) Edelweiss Air

Bergen – Split (June 25) SAS

Stavanger – Split (June 25) SAS

Copenhagen – Dubrovnik (July 04) SAS

Rotterdam – Split (July 07) Transavia.com

See more on cheap flights to Croatia!