Dimensions Festival returns to Pula, Game of Thrones filmed in Split and surge in traveller interest to Croatia

Croatian cheese wins gold award
The Croatian Paski Sir cheese from the Sirana Gligora Dairy was crowned the best sheep milk cheese in the world at the 116th Annual International Cheese Awards in Nantwich, Cheshire. The awards are the oldest and biggest of their kind and the Sirana Gligora Dairy, located on the island of Pag, beat off stiff competition from more than 4,000 cheeses from around the globe. As well as its distinctive salty cheese, the unique island is also home to the UNESCO listed Pag lace and its Zrce beach is a mecca for clubbing enthusiasts. For more information on the prize-winning cheese, please see here.

Enjoy the beauty of Croatia on Pinterest
The European Parliament has set up a 'Welcome to Croatia' Pinterest page to celebrate the country's ascension to the European Union at the start of July. Featuring pictures of Croatia's most famous landmarks and spectacular natural scenery, the Pinterest page also contains infographics about Europe's latest member. To follow the board, view the images or to pin your own pictures of memorable island-hopping trips, Istrian gastronomy tours or historic city breaks, please see here.

Game of Thrones Season 4 to be filmed in Split
Following in Dubrovnik's footsteps, the award-winning HBO TV series will be filmed in Croatia's second largest city Split. Filming will take place in the crypts of Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in the heart of Split, and the medieval Klis Fortress located just outside of the city. Famous for its defence against the Ottoman invasion of Europe in the 16th century, it seems fitting that the fortress will feature in the series' dynastic struggles and will help to boost film tourism to Croatia. For more information on the new filming locations, please see here.

Surge in UK traveller interest to Croatia
A TripAdvisor poll has showed that over 60 per cent of UK travellers are considering Croatia as a travel destination. The European Union's latest member has seen a 14 per cent surge in the number of UK TripAdvisor searches for Croatian holidays in the last twelve months. With Croatia keeping the Kuna for at least two years, Brits can still enjoy an affordable break in the Adriatic with £1 getting you over 8 HRK. At just a two hour flight from the UK and with more regional flights than ever from Leeds-Bradford, Newcastle, Liverpool and Edinburgh, Croatia is a quick and easy getaway ideal for families with young children.

Events and Festivals

26 August - 01 September: Croatia Bike Week, Pula
The popular motorcycle event in Pula returns to the city in 2013 as a week-long event celebrating all things two-wheeled. As well as the traditional bike parade through the city - the largest motorcycle procession in the whole of Croatia - events during the week will include stunt shows, classic car shows and customising workshops. Located towards the southern tip of the Istrian Peninsula, Pula is home to the spectacular Pula Amphitheatre, which is one of the six largest amphitheatres in the world. For more information on Croatia Bike Week, please see here.

29 August - 01 September: Slavonia Music Festival
For four days every year in the city of Požega, the Slavonia Music Festival is held to celebrate the harvest of the region's grapes among winegrowers and winemakers. Located in the region of Slavonia in Eastern Croatia, the festival takes place in the town's central square of Trg Svetog Trojstva (The Holy Trinity Square) and celebrates the richness of Slavonia's culture through music, dancing and costumes. A trip to Slavonia, one of Croatia's hidden inland gems, will certainly not disappoint with its baroque castles, hearty Fish Paprikash and Europe's largest wetland, Kopački Rit Nature Park, full of rare and protected fauna including, the white-tailed eagle and black stork. For more information on the festival, please see here.

01 - 08 September: Kajkavian Culture Week, Krapina
Visitors to Krapina, a town in the Zagorje region just 40 minutes away from the capital Zagreb, will be able to learn about the vibrant Kajkavian dialect in the first week of September. Through songs, poems and dance, visitors will discover that the Kajkavian culture and dialect remains an essential part of the Croatian language. While in Krapina, pay a visit to one of Europe's largest interactive Neanderthal museum and excavation sites, as well as exploring the wider Zagorje region, which is full of impressive fairytale-esque castles, award-winning vineyards and even thermal springs. For more information, please see here.

05 - 09 September: Dimensions Festival, Pula
Location in the 19th century Punta Christo Fort, festival goers can expect the most forward thinking electronic music line-up around, featuring Bonobo, Mount Kimbie, Portico Quartet and Andrew Ashong. After receiving critical acclaim in its first year, Dimensions is back and is set to be the perfect place to enjoy the deep end of electronica, the finest in techno, house, deep dubstep and drum & bass. The fort also offers music lovers a breathtaking view of the Bay of Pula and the Brijuni islands which used to be Marshall Tito's former summer residence and features a zoo and dinosaur footprints. For more information on the festival, please see here.

10 September - 05 October: 11th World Theatre Festival, Zagreb
Every September, some of the most celebrated actors and directors from around the world head to Zagreb to attend the World Theatre Festival. Now in its eleventh year, expect an array of world-class productions and performances in Croatia's capital city. In between plays, join in with the vibrant café culture, browse the Dolac market for traditional crafts or if you have a little more time, hike up Sljeme Mountain. For more information on the World Theatre Festival, please see here.

12 - 17 September: Zadar Fig Festival
Head to Zadar to end your Dalmatian summer in style by feasting on the sweetest fig based food and drinks in the city that is better known for its unique art installations, such as the Greeting to the Sun and the Sea Organ. There will also be a cooking demonstration, a children's workshop and a Fig Fair - look out for jars of Šinjorina smokva (Miss Figgy), an award-winning organic Croatian jam sure to impress all foodies. For more information on Zadar's Fig Festival, please see here.

13 - 15 September: GB v Croatia in Davis Cup tie in Umag
Croatia will play host to Great Britain for the much anticipated Davis Cup play-off this September. Taking place on a clay court in the city of Umag on the north-west coast of Croatia, there will be everything to play for with Croatia facing relegation after the first round and Great Britain looking to return to the World Group after a five-year absence. The city of Umag has also been the proud host of the ATP tournament for over 20 years and welcomes world-class tennis players and enthusiasts to its top class sports facilities, beaches and mountain terrains all year-round. For more information on the play-off, please see here.

14 - 21 September: Split International Film Festival of New Film
One of the oldest film and video festivals in Croatia which showcases new, creative and innovative works of all styles, lengths and genres returns for its 18th edition. The screenings will take place in numerous cinemas in Split's Old town, including Cinema Karaman, Cinemateque Zlatna Vrata, and Cinema Central. This year, the festival is part of Times Square's Midnight Moment Goes Global project in association with the Streaming Museum, and a Nordic moving image featuring a new version of Björk's Mutual Core video will be projected onto the façade of a historic Split landmark. The video is on a 7-continent tour to over 32 locations from North America, to Hong Kong, South Africa, Antarctica and Brazil. For more information, please see here.

15 - 20 September: Dubrovnik Early Music Festival
Staged largely in the beautiful surroundings of Dubrovnik's Rector's Palace, the Early Music Festival is one of the highlights of the city's cultural calendar. Expect renditions of compositions from the Middle Ages and beyond by a collective of top-class Croatian and international musicians. The music is perfectly suited to Dubrovnik's spectacular walled Old Town, where visitors can wander in a dreamlike state taking in the many picturesque side streets, the beautiful Franciscan Monastery and designer shops. For more information on the festival, please see here.

-ENDS-

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Rooster PR
Helen Batte / Jasmin Othman/ Tim Thackray
T: +44 (0)20 3440 8927
E: teamcroatia@rooster.co.uk

About Croatia

Croatia; the Mediterranean as it once was, offers 1,244 islands strung along its stunning Adriatic coast, boasts 16 UNESCO Heritage Sites and eight national parks as well as an excellent tourism infrastructure. From the café culture of its historic cities to the rugged landscapes of continental Croatia, with a packed calendar of festivals and events and a host of home-grown gastronomic delights, Croatia is the ideal holiday destination.

For more information visit www.croatia.hr or call on (0)20 3440 8930