While the rest of Croatia, and Europe for that matter, forgot what Summer feels like and is already heading for the Autumn coats and wellies, the south of Croatia is still enjoying the incredible Summer weather.

Yes, it’s the end of September, but sunbathing and swimming is still very much happening in the Dubrovnik area. The people who decided to take a late Summer vacation, avoid the tourist crowds and peek cruiser season, have hit the jackpot with the sunny start of Autumn and comfortably warm temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius. However, the warmth and sunshine isn’t the only thing the region has to offer nowadays. During October and September, the southern parts of the beautiful Croatian coast are a foodie and sportsman’s dream destination.

The Ston Wall Marathon (https://www.ston-wall-marathon.com/), the Dubrovnik and Konavle Walking Festival (http://dubrovnikwalkingfestival.com/en/), as well as the International Tennis Tournament (http://visitdubrovnik.hr/index.php/en/38-events/5606-tenis-turniri-itf-2018-en), will keep the active tourist busy running, exploring the region with other hiking enthusiasts or enjoying some back and forth on the elite orange courts.

The less active and more hedonistically inclined traveler can exercise his or hers taste pallet during the second half of October at the Good Food Festival (http://www.tzdubrovnik.hr/lang/en/news/good_food_fest/index.html) in Dubrovnik. During the week-long feast, you will be able to try an assortment of local cuisine specialties and wine – the best in the country! This festival offers all the different tastes of traditional local treats, sweet and savory, as well as some trendy workshops where you can learn how to style and photograph your food – Instagram (link na Villa orlando insta), here we come! The highlight of the festival is a full buffet stretching along the most famous street in Dubrovnik – Stradun.

If this isn’t enough to fill your vacay calendar, the vibrant cultural scene can keep you busy, entertain and entice you to explore places just outside of the historic walls of Dubrovnik. Unseen Cavtat (http://www.unseencavtat.com/naslovna/), a mini film festival showcasing the work of young Croatian artists, located in Cavtat, is just a short ride from Dubrovnik. This can give you a chance to enjoy the many beautiful sights and five-star restaurants in this small Mediterranean town, which is usually a popular parking place for luxurious yachts. Who knows, you might even see your celebrity crush!

 

If you’ve been doing what the rest of the world has been doing for the past month, of course you do! The World Cup in Russia put Croatia back on the map as their football warriors took second place after playing a thrilling final against France.

For 20 years, since the 1998 generation took a beating from (again!) France in the semi finals and returned  home with a bronze medal, Croatian world-class football has been dormant, regaining its strenght and grooming a new league of creative, ballsy and skilled pairs of legs. This generation of star-studded sportsmen, leading with Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic who until recently played with Christiano Ronaldo in Real Madrid, Dean Lovren, Liverpool’s charger, as well as two great midfielders, Marcelo Brozovic playing for Inter and Ivan Rakitic in Barcelona, was not announced as one of the favourits to win the cup. Soon enough, coming on top of their group, game after game the team showed incredible strength, not only because of its famous players, but because of their incredible passion and will. Their „southern mentality“ didn’t let them down even when facing three 120-minute games, two of which going into penalties, and beating England in the semi finals to face off France in Moskow last Sunday.

Even though the Croatian team lost in, what most football fans call „the most action packed final in the World Cup history“, with a special showing from Pussy Riot, whos members ran on to the field in the second half, their silver medal was cause for a huge, and I mean HUGE, celebration on the streets of Zagreb, Zadar, Split, …

On Monday, only a day after the finals, over half of a million people cheered for hours in the streets of Zagreb to welcome their heros! The celebration continued, and as it seems now, won’t stop so soon, in all of Croatia, as many players from the coast arrive to their home towns. Sime Vrsaljko, Danijel Subasic, Luka Modric and Domagoj Livakovic arrived to their beloved Zadar on a huge, red and white checkered boat, surrounded by fans on and in the sea. Their coach, Zlatko Dalic, who did a miracle in joining together these incredibly players and forming a well-oiled team, was greeted all over Croatia and is still awaiting the biggest party of them all – in his birth town of Livno in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Since the World Cup was smacked right in the middle of Croatia’s tourist season, many football fans supported their teams on the streets of Croatia’s coastal cities and, as each of their teams got knocked out, became great fans of Croatia’s national team. Once again sports have put Croatia back on the map and this win, althoough silver, will surely mean a gold summer season all over the beautiful Adriatic sea!

Out of all the exciting things to do and see in Croatia, our festival season is definitely a thing you shouldn’t miss out on! During the last few years, the summer festival scene has exploded with numerous new and exciting musical choices! From EDM, funk, hip-hop, reggae, soul, jazz, drum and bass to alternative and rock music played on a number of breath-taking locations like abandoned forts, beautiful beaches, sunny islands, countryside camps and crazy boat parties, there is something for every, even the most peculiar of tastes!

 

If you’re in Zagreb and are looking for some good, clean rock fun, you should definitely consider attending one of Croatia’s best, the famous INmusic festival (Monday June 25 2018 – Wednesday June 27 2018), on the Jarun Lake. Its 13^th edition will host some of the biggest names of music like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Alice in Chains, Queens of the Stone Age, St. Vincent, Interpol and David Byrne.

If, on the other hand you wish to enjoy both the seaside and good music, you have many options; if you’re looking for one of the best non-stop EDM parties in Europe, then you’ll have the time of your life on Ultra Europe Festival (Friday July 6 2018 – Sunday July 8 2018) in Split or Hideout Festival (Monday June 25 2018 – Friday June 29 2018) on the island of Pag, presenting some big names like Disciples and Skream, delighting all dance music devotees and fans. Those interested in underground dance, garage, dub step, hip hop and reggae will be interested in the Outlook festival (September 5 2018 – Sunday September 9 2018), taking place in Fort Punta Christo in the wonderful Istrian town of Pula!

These are just some of your options for an amazing party summer in Croatia! You can find many more hidden gems, if you just take a closer look!

Party on!