Dubrovnik Map

Compagnie du Ponant’s newest mega-yacht, L’Austral, takes opera enthusiasts from Suez to Venice on its 12-day “Et Vogue l’Opéra” cruise, departing May 10. The cruise features the music of Jules Massenet, Mozart, Rossini, Puccini, Delibes and Verdi, as performed by accomplished artists. Onboard events include Apér’Opéra (cocktails with guests and performers), and Operatic-themed lectures from experts such as Dr. Elizabeth Fresnel, an author and phoniatrician who specializes in the voice as related to memory.

Returning artistic and stage director Jean-Francois Vinciguerra directs a selection of compositions on board and in private concerts ashore. Featured performers include dancer Eugenie Andrin, known for her choreography work in Parisian musicals and operatic ballets; Swiss soprano Brigitte Hool, awarded the Parisian Prize Trofemina; and Fabrice di Falco, who has performed before Denmark’s Queen.

Guests looking for a shorter version of the cruise can join the itinerary for seven days (May 10-16) on the sailing from Suez to Itea, or join the second half of the journey for six days (May 16-21) from Itea to Venice. Fares are currently being offered at a 30 percent discount under Ponant’s bonus program: the more in advance the booking, the greater the savings. Reduced prices range from $3,910 to $9,885 per person, double for the 12-day option; $2,542 to $6,459 for seven days; and $2,093 to $5,314 for six days.

Embarking from the city of Suez, L’Austral makes its way through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, and explores Lebanon’s capital city of Beirut. Guests visit Greek ports including Rhodes, Nafplion, Itea and Parga. The ship spends a day in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Dubrovnik, and visits the largest of the Dalmatian Islands, Split, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian. After a stop in the fishing port of Rovinj, L’Austral leaves Croatia and sails to its final port of Venice, where guests may choose to add a post-cruise tour of St. Mark’s Square.

The 466-foot L’Austral mega-yacht instills a feeling of sailing on a private yacht while also providing guests all of the comforts of a true vacation. The “Cleanship”-rated ship — given to a select group of vessels that exceed the MARPOL convention for waste treatment, antifouling or propulsion systems — boasts two restaurants – both haute and country French, several lounges, theater, games area, two open-air bars, a swimming pool, library, fitness area, sun decks and spa in partnership with Paris’s Sothys. The 132 staterooms, 124 with private balconies, have king size or twin beds, desk, minibar, dressing table, marble baths with showers, L’Occitane products, flat screen satellite TVs and Wi-Fi.

Included in sailings are all meals, accompanied by wine, beer and soda; Captain’s welcome aboard cocktail party and gala dinner; 24-hour room service; and all entertainment, events and shows as indicated within the itinerary. Port charges/taxes, gratuities, optional excursions and transfers are additional.

Visit www.en.ponant.com

Hvar – If it snows on Hvar hotel accommodation is allegedly free, so rarely does it happen. So how does a sunshine island deal with snow? Digital Journal investigates.
With much of Europe under a blanket of snow and several spectacular images in unusual locations doing the rounds on social media networks such as Facebook, there have been thousands of news stories in recent days about the effects of the cold snap that has brought snow to the shores of the Adriatic in Croatia.
While snow is common in Croatia (whose sporting heroes include Olympic skiing champion Janica Kostelic), it is extremely rare on the Dalmatian coast, and tourist cities such as Dubrovnik and Split have enjoyed unusual snowfall in recent days.
The location most famous for its weather in Croatia – the island of Hvar – has also been the recipient of snow. Known officially as the sunniest island in the Adriatic, with an average of 2,724 hours of sun every year, Hvar’s legendary climate is part of the national pysche, and rare snowfall on Hvar always makes the international news regionally.

While snow has fallen several times in the last decade, it has never lasted more than a day, and is often gone within a couple of hours, but the snowfall this week has been the most significant in the last twenty years, and has led to some unusual sights and reactions on the island.
Perhaps the biggest surprise driving along the main artery from Stari Grad to Hvar Town was the appearance of a snow plough clearing the snow in the opposite direction. While the sight itself was not unusual given the weather conditions (four-wheel drive only), it was hard to imagine that the plough had come from the mainland, given the atrocious conditions all over the country. Upon investigation, Digital Journal learned that the plough lives permanently on the island and is owned by the regional road authorities. That the Adriatic’s sunniest island owns a snow plough has caused more than a few raised eyebrows locally, and Digital Journal has scheduled an interview with its driver in the coming days.

As the island’s children were understandably excited at the unusual gift from the skies, there were other innovative reactions to the cold snap. Local Internet portal Otok Hvar reported on the founding of the island’s first ski club in Velo Grablje on February 4, 2012. Velo Grablje has a full-time population of just seven people, but was once the centre of lavender production for all Dalmatia, and it hosts the annual lavender festival every June.

The island’s premier adventure specialists, Hvar Adventure, wasted no time in taking advantage of the opportunity to be the first to brave the snow and scale the summit of the island at Sveti Nikola, while local football team NK Hvar made national news with their decision to go for a swim in the chilly Adriatic.

The snow receded after a day in Jelsa, where the lead photo of this article was taken, and residents came out into the sun to enjoy a coffee on the square, eagerly swapping snow tales over an espresso.

Siberian-style winter weather, which arrived in Croatia a few days ago, is still gripping the country, notably its south, which is why a state of emergency was declared in Split-Dalmatia County on Saturday and the local authorities held meetings with the Croatian Army representatives on the engagement of army troops, if necessary, in rescue operations.

We discussed plans for the engagement of helicopters, Deputy County Prefect Luka Brcic told the media on Saturday afternoon.

Imotski and Vrgorac in the hinterland of Split were hit by snowstorms and access to mountainous villages was severed by snowdrifts several metres high.

The state road towards the coastal town of Makraska was closed due to ice and snowstorms.

Snow, ice and avalanches obstructed traffic, notably in the south of Croatia, unaccustomed to heavy snow and freezing temperatures.

Inclement weather also caused problems in the provision of power. On Saturday morning, electricity outages were reported in the areas of Dubrovnik, Makarska, Ploce, Hvar, and other coastal regions.

Two icebreakers were engaged on the Drava River in Osijek, eastern Croatia, to prevent the creation of ice barriers.

Snowstorms and low temperatures are also causing problems for traffic and power supply in other parts of Croatia. A majority of bus lines as well as ferry services have been cancelled.

Croatia Ministry of Tourism published the first national Handbook for dealing with rural tourism – step by step from idea to successful business

If you want to deal with rural tourism in Croatia, or you’re already engaged in such a business, here is a useful guide for you – the first national ‘Handbook for dealing with rural tourism – step by step from idea to successful business.’

The handbook is consolidating all the knowledge and information relevant for dealing with this business.

This should encourage further development of rural tourism in Croatia, says the author, Robert Bacac, national consultant for agrotourism in UNDP and Director of the consortium of agritourism and rural tourism in Istria ‘Ruralis’

Released under the UNDP project ‘Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the Dalmatian Coast’, the handbook is free, co-financed by the Ministry of Tourism.

In a simple and understandable way, the handbook offers everything you need for the organization, management and operation of the tourist rural family household, from the initial idea, through the choice of household type, tourism services, to financing options, design of household, registration, legal provisions, taxation, promotion, marketing and more.

It is designed for beginners and those who have already dealt with rural tourism.

In Croatia, there is 379 registered Tourist-rural households. 61 household have organized accommodation, while others offer only meals (excursion), and tasting of traditional products (tasting rooms).

Istria, Dubrovnik-Neretva and Osijek-Baranja County, have most of the registered households, but in recent years, the number of these economies has also increased in other areas.

The handbook is published to mark 60 years since the appearance of the first tourist rural family economy in the world, 1951. in a typical small French village Chandal a la Java in Provence.

In order to preserve the village, stop emigration and revive agriculture, one old, traditionally built, abandoned barn, owned by local farmers, was turned into a country house for rent, named ‘gites’ (cottage), Hina reports.

Croatian Handbook has similar goal, says Bacac, because, through tourism, it wants to encourage the preservation of regional architecture, rural houses, local traditions and customs, interesting old skills and crafts, biodiversity, agricultural production on small plots and original local products.

Dealing with rural tourism is a great way for the development of rural areas and promotion of rural way of life.

A late Oxford University professor has got her stone plaque of honour placed in the centre of the ancient Croatian town of Dubrovnik.

Philosopher Kathleen Wilkes was honoured for her bravery when she refused to leave the attacked town of Dubrovnik in 1993 during the Croatian war for independence.

“She has helped to spread the truth about the seiged town of Dubrovnik,” Mayor Andro Vlahusic commented on Wednesday when unveiling a plaque of honour.

Kathleen Wilkes refused to leave Dubrovnik despite of heavy bombing by former Yugoslav Army and paramilitary forces that had laid seige to the town.

Kathleen Wilkes died in 2003 and her ashes were laid to rest in the Adriatic Sea under the ancient walls that surround the town of Dubrovnik.

Into the stone plaque of honour is inscribed, “To our honorary citizen, Kathleen Wilkes, in memory of her longstanding friendship and courageous support during the 1991 to 1995 aggression.”

HBO has released another “shadow teaser” for the second season of the wildly popular Game of Thrones series – based on the Song of Ice and Fire novels written by George R.R. Martin.



As you may recall, the previous teaser was just a short voice over by Stanis Baratheon, which ominously proclaimed that “cold winds are rising.”

Luckily, the second teaser offers a glimpse at some season two footage and the wide world of Westeros.
The city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, was reportedly used instead of Malta for scenes in King’s Landing and elsewhere, with scenes taking place north of the Wall were apparently filmed in Iceland, on the Vatnajökull glacier.

Other shooting locations in Northern Ireland include the Linen Mill Film & Television Studios, Banbridge, Ballintoy Harbour in County Antrim Gosford Castle, outside Markethill in County Armagh and Downhill Strand in County Londonderry.


Game of Thrones debuted in the US on April 17, 2011. Well received by both viewers and critics, the series was quickly picked up for a second season on April 19, 2011, just two days after its premiere.



The series has already been nominated for a number of awards including Outstanding Drama Series for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards and Best Television Series – Drama at the 69th Golden Globe Awards.

Actor Peter Dinklage also won both ceremonies’ Best Supporting Actor award (Emmy and Golden Globes), while additional accolades include an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series and an Emmy win for Outstanding Main Title Design.