VIPromCom-2002 PRACTICAL INFORMATION
(UPDATED 06 MARCH 2002 !!!)

At the reception you will receive VIPromCom-2002 Final Program, VIPromCom-2002 Proceedings, some books about Croatia and Zadar and some gifts from our sponsors. You will also receive an accreditation, and we politely ask you to wear it wherever you go, even if you hate it, because it is your identification card. Without it you will not be able to participate in all other VIPromCom activities.

Lectures will be held at hotel "Kolovare". !!!

If you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact us. The registration desk in hotel "Kolovare" will be open every morning from 08:00 until 10:00, with the latest information available.

Where to sleep? !!!

Most of the participants will be accommodated in the hotel "Kolovare" - conference hotel in the city center.

Where to eat?

The registration fee covers participation on VIPromCom-2002 sessions, one VIPromCom-2002 Proceedings, welcome cocktail, banquet and excursion by boat to one of the beautiful islands. We did not include lunch and dinner in the registration fee, so you could explore the wonderful world of Dalmatian cuisine.

What to drink?

Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia, but if you prefer other, the bar in hotel "Donat" will be open during most of the day.

Important telephone numbers

Country Code: 00 385
Area Code (Zagreb): local - 01; international - 1
Area Code (Zadar): local - 023; international - 23

Money

One Kuna equals one hundred Lipa's: 1 Kn = 100 Lp (HRK by international convention). 1 EUR is appx. 7.5 Kn. Foreign currencies can be exchanged almost on every corner: in banks, exchange offices (recommended), post offices and most tourist agencies and hotels. Banking hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays banks are open until 1 p.m. Some banks are open on Sunday. Credit cards are normally used in Croatia. Accepted are the following cards: EUROCARD/MASTERCARD, VISA, DINERS and AMERICAN EXPRESS, as well as other credit cards issued by domestic credit institutions.

Some example prices

Restaurants and cafe bars

Here are some restaurants that offer authentic Dalmatian meals, all on the Zadar Peninsula:

• "Marco Polo" - Ivana Mazuranica St.
• "Riblji Restoran" (fish restaurant) - nearby Fosa, the main city gate
• "Konoba Marival" - in Don Ive Prodana St.

Some restaurants off the Zadar Peninsula:

• "Albin" - Put Dikla (in the quarter Brodarica)
• "Roko" - Put Dikla (also in Brodarica)
• "Niko" - Obala kneza Domagoja (Puntamika quarter)
• "Taverna Diklo" - Kresimirova obala (Diklo)

The most well known cafe bars:

• "Central" - Siroka St.
• "Forum" - Siroka St.
• "Gina" - Varoska St.

We also recommend excellent ice cream at "Donat" ice-cream parlour on Siroka St. nearby of St. Stosija.

Disco clubs

• "Gotham Club" - M. Oreskovica St. (Peninsula; in the SAS building)
• "Barakuda" - Obala kneza Domagoja (Puntamika)
• "Saturnus" - in Zaton

Working hours

Shops and department stores are open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. A smaller number of stores close between noon and 4 p.m. Many stores are open on Sundays too, especially in the summer, and some in larger cities are open 24 hours a day. Public services and companies usually work from 8,30 a.m. to 4,30 p.m. from Monday to Friday.

Museums

For the VIPromCom participants, we recommend following museums:

• "Permanent Sacral Art Exhibition", with a permanent collection of gold and silver artefacts from Zadar and its surrounding countryside; the reconstructed interior of the Holy Sunday Church from the eleventh century; manuscripts, statues, embroideries, tapestries, etc. displayed in eight modern exhibition halls (1,200 m²) in the Benedictine convent of St. Mary, one of the first and most important such buildings in the history of Croatian culture. Since it is a convent, a more formal attire is required: long trousers and skirts and so on.
• "Museum of Archaeology", with a permanent medieval and prehistoric collection
• "National Museum", with a permanent collection titled 'from the Romanesque to the Renaissance'

SOME FACTS ABOUT CROATIA

The Republic of Croatia is a young democratic European state of European refinement and history. Even though Croatia is a young state, its people have participated in much of the history of the Old Continent.

Geographical position: Croatia stretches from the foot of the Alps in the north-west and the Pannonian Plain in the east, over the mountain of Dinara in its central region, to the Adriatic Coast in the south.

Area: 56,691 square kilometres, with another 31,067 square kilometres of territorial waters.

Population: 4,800,000: The majority of the population are Croats. The national minorities include Serbs, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Italian and others.

Official language and alphabet: the Croatian language and Latin alphabet.

Religions: The majority of the population is Roman Catholics, and there are some Orthodox, Muslim and other Christian followers.

Capital: Zagreb (1 million inhabitants the administrative, cultural, academic and traffic centre of the country).

Climate: Northern Croatia has a continental climate, Central Croatia has a semi-mountainous and mountainous climate, while the Croatian coast has a Mediterranean climate.

Length of the coast: 5,835 kilometres with 4,057 kilometres of island coastline, islets and reefs.

Number of islands, islets and reefs: 1,185. The largest islands are Krk and Cres, There are 66 inhabited islands.

Electricity: 220 V, 50 Hz

Water: Tap water is drinkable throughout Croatia.

The telephone code for Croatia is + 385.

Time zone: GMT plus one hour (in summer two hours).

Croatian Tourist Board web-site: http://www.htz.hr

A BRIEF HISTORY OF CROATIA

• around 400 BC the first Greek colonies are founded on Adriatic islands
• around 100 BC Romans rule over the east coast of the Adriatic
• 395 - Roman emperor Diokletian in present day Split
• around 600 Croats start moving to what is today's Croatia
• 9^th Century - conversion to Christianity is completed
• 852 - Duke Trpimir issues the charter in which for the first time is mentioned the name Croatia, in domestic official documents
• 925 - Tomislav, the first Croatian king, is mentioned, unifier of Pannonian and Dalmatian Croatia
• 1102 - after the death of Petar Svacic, the last Croatian king, Croatia enters into a union with Hungary
• 1242 - King Bela IV issues the Golden Bull in which he proclaims Zagreb a Free Royal City
• beginning of the 15^th Century - the coastal parts of Croatia come under direct control of Venice
• 1433 - the beginning of the defence against the Turks, who, in the next few decades, occupy the larger part of Croatian territory
• 1527 - with a permission of the Hungarian Parliament and the Croatian Assembly, the dynasty of Habsburg comes to the Croatian and Hungarian throne
• 1699 - Croatia is largely liberated of Turkish rule, takes on its present horseshoe shape;, continental Croatia remains under the rule of Habsburg, and the largest part of the Adriatic coast and islands are under Venice; only Dubrovnik Republic remains completely independent.
• 1815 - after the short-term rule of the French under Napoleon, who abolished Venice and Dubrovnik Republic, almost the whole of present day Croatia enters into the Habsburg Monarchy
• 1830's - awakening of the civic spirit; the so called Revival Movement played an important role in defining the Croatian nation's self-awareness
• 1847 - Croatian becomes the official language of Croatia
• 1848 - Ban (Vice-Roy) Josip Jelacic fights against Hungarian civic movement, helping the Austrian Habsburg emperor, hoping to win more independence for Croatia
• 1866 - Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer founds the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences, the first in south-east Europe, which is today's Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 1918 - after the downfall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in World War I, Croatia becomes part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians, later proclaimed Yugoslavia
• 1941 - German and Italian forces occupy Yugoslavia and establish the quisling state called "Independent State of Croatia" (NDH); at the same time the Communist Party under the guidance of a Croat, Josip Broz-Tito started permanent partisan resistance
• 1945 - the Federative Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia is proclaimed, with today's Croatia as one of federative republics
• 1990 - the first multi-party elections after World War II are organised in Croatia; the Croatian Parliament elects Franjo Tudjman as its first president
• 1991 - Croatia proclaims independence; the Serbian rebellion starts, supported by the Yugoslav National Army from Belgrade, and results in the occupation of the third Croatian territory
• 1992 - the Republic of Croatia becomes a member of the United Nations
• 1995 - Croatian Army liberates most of the occupied territory along with Zadar's outskirts
• 1998 - the last occupied part of Croatia, in the east, including Vukovar, is integrated into the country with help of the United Nations

UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB

The beginnings of the University of Zagreb date in the second part of the 17^th century, when Emperor and King Leopold I Habsburg issued a diploma (1699) granting the status and privileges of university to the Jesuit Academy of Royal Free City of Zagreb. According to this document, the study of philosophy in Zagreb acquired a formal and legal status as Neoacademia Zargebiensis and officially became a public institution of higher education. The Jesuits run the Academy for a century, when the order was dissolved by Pope Clement XIV in 1773. In the following years Empress and Queen Maria Theresa issued a decree founding the Royal Academy of Science (Regia Scientiarum Academia) with faculties of Philosophy, Theology and Law. The New Academy simply continued the work of the old Jesuit Academy.

There were numerous organizational changes, but the Academy of Zagreb kept its name until 1874, being the central institution of higher education in Croatia. In 1869 the Emperor and King Franz Joseph signed the Decree on the Establishment of the University of Zagreb, but the actual ceremony in the name of the founding of the founding of the modern University of Zagreb wasn't held until 1874, when the Act of Founding was approved by the Croatian Parliament.

In the last hundred years the University experienced its greatest expansion. Today, after 331 academic years, the University of Zagreb has 28 faculties, 3 artistic academies and two additional studies.

If we consider the year of 1669 as a founding year, the University of Zagreb is the oldest Croatian university which works continually since it was established. It is also the oldest university in South-Eastern Europe.

FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY IN ZADAR

The Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar was officially established in 1955, but its roots can be traced in the middle ages. Already in 1396, the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology was founded by Dominican order. The Faculty, with its possibility to offer MA's and PhD's, was one to prominent European schools of its age. Over the centuries the old faculty ceased to exist, but after World War II the Faculty of Philosophy was re-established as a part of the University of Zagreb with all scientific and educational criteria of that University.

Since 1974 the Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar has been incorporated into the geographically closer University of Split. Today the Faculty of Philosophy in Zadar is the largest scholarly institution dealing with humanities and the social sciences in the eastern Adriatic coast and the second significant in Croatia.

The various curriculum combinations of the faculty offer the opportunity of educating differently graduates for careers in teaching, cultural activities, research, employment in tourism, news, media and business, continuing an old tradition of nurturing of knowledge.

CITY OF ZADAR

The County seat, Zadar, is a three thousand year-old town. It was the capital of Dalmatia for many centuries. The Zadar peninsula still preserves the ancient street grid of the town , as well as a Roman forum dating back to the first century AD. The Pre-Romanesque church of St. Donatus dates back to the ninth century, and it is undoubtedly Zadar's most famous site. However, the town is also renowned for having the most beautiful Romanesque churches in Croatia, such as the Cathedral of St. Anastasia (Sv. Stosija, 13^th century), the Church of St. Chrysogonus (Sv. Krsevan, 12^th century) and Bell-tower of St. Mary (1105).

The town is fortified with thick walls, renowned for their impressive ports, such as the Harbour Port and the Mainland Port, which date back to the sixteenth century. the walls encircle the Square of Three Wells, the Square of Five Wells, the Municipal Loggia, the Municipal Guard Tower and many palaces that slumber under the protection of the town's four patron saints: St. Simon, St. Anastasia, St. Chrysogonus and St. Zoilus.

Its importance for Croatian culture can be seen in following facts, showing Zadar's legacy to Croatian science and literature: the first Croatian university was founded in Zadar in 1396, the first Croatian novel was published in Zadar, as well as the first newspaper in Croatian language...

The world famous Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art (ICPS 2000 participants have free entrance) and the traditional ST. Donatus Musical Evenings represent only a small part of numerous cultural events and manifestations that Zadar offers to its visitors.

Today the historical part of town (Poluotok, Peninsula) lives with full and modern rhythm, and this combination of traditional values and modern ways of life gives Zadar its special charm. One can hardly resist a long walk along Zadar's waterfront to admire its beautiful sunset or to visit its rich and colourful green fish markets, which are always bustling with life.

Wider area of Zadar is strewn in national parks (Krka, Kornati, Paklenica). The Zadar region offers over thousand kilometres of picturesque and unpolluted coast with a necklace of three hundred islands and islets, having many peaceful unspoiled bays. To come to Zadar is to get to known not only the city but also the scenery of the whole region, to see how it is changes from soft and mellow in the abundantly planted fields to harsh and rocky at the steeps slopes of the mountain Velebit, and from there to enjoy the birds-eye view of the whole area.

THE ZADAR ISLANDS

Croatia is a land of over 1,000 islands, and most of them (170) are scattered in this area, while this number jumps to over 300 if the Kornati archipelago is also counted. There are several parallel rows of islands stretching along the coast, from Pag in the north-west to Vrgada in the south-east.

They are covered with dense Mediterranean vegetation, and there are also olive groves, vineyards and pine forests. Some of them are inhabited, while some are deserted, just waiting for a modern Robinson Crusoe to discover the charm of their hidden coves, the blue and translucent sea that surrounds them or the unique silent world under the sea's surface.

NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURE PARKS

The Zadar region is surrounded by four national parks: Paklenica, Kornati. the Plitvice and Krka. Agencies usually organise one-day trips to one of these parks by boat or bus from the nearby resorts.

Paklenica

The Paklenica National Park Board, Tel: 023/369-202

The area of Paklenica, situated between the mountain peak of Velebit (Mount Vaganski, 1757 m) and the Adriatic See, was proclaimed a National Park in 1949. Its uniqua canyons, called Velika and Mala Paklenica, and the four hundred meter-high cliffs make it different from all other national parks. Paklenica's rich flora and fauna (with many endemics species, such as griffon vulture), its karstic relief (with the so-called Manita pec) and numerous sports activities (such as mountain climbing, free-climbing, hiking, trekking, horseback riding and bird watching) are attracting an increasing number of tourists.

The Velebit Reserve

Velebit is the most famous mountain of the Dinaric Alps. On 10 February 1978 this 145 kilometre-long mythical Croatian mountain, which lies along the Adriatic Sea, was included in UNESCO's protection and scientific program titled 'Man and the Biosphere'. Velebit thus became the first Croatian representative on the UNESCO's World Heritage List.

Kornati

The Kornati National Park Board, Tel: 022/434-662

The Kornati National Park is one of the most unique Mediterranean archipelagos, with a unique combination of islands, islets and reefs situated in central Dalmatia. The part of the Adriatic surrounding these islands is known as the deepest blue portion of this see. The colour becomes all the more intense when viewed in contrast with white and grey karst terrain covering the islands.

With its singularly crystal-clear sea, many sunny days, countless inlets and small harbours, the Kornati Archipelago has not only become an inevitable stop on the itinerary of any yachtsman on their tours across the Adriatic, but also a perfect destination for any modern Robinson Crusoe.

Telascica - Nature Park

Telascica, a natural extension of Kornati National Park, is an 8,200 meter-long bay to the south of Dugi otok, which is the subject of many myths and legends. Since it is one of the safest and one of the most beautiful Adriatic ports, it has become a favourite destination of many yachtsmen. The bay encompasses 25 little bays, 5 islets, a 68 kilometre-long coastline and the natural phenomenon known as Slano Lake, which is saltier than the Adriatic. Its impressive cliffs, sometimes rising as high as 150 meters above the sea (Grpascak is the highest cliff in the Adriatic), represent a protective barrier between the bay and the open sea. Telascica's flora and fauna are very abundant, and the park is famous for its large number of mouflons.

Plitvice Lakes - Nature Park

The Plitvice Lakes were proclaimed a national park in 1949, and in 1979 they registered in UNESCO's World Heritage List.

The park includes beautiful forests with sixteen large, and many small lakes that emerge at the source of the Korana River. They form numerous cascades and beautiful waterfalls as they flow into one another.

The lakes are very attractive to visitors due to their incredible beauty, rich plant and animal life and numerous recreational facilities.

Krka Falls

Krka National Park Board, Tel: 022/217-720

Along its course through the karstic Dinaric Alps, the Krka River cut out a beautiful canyon containing breathtaking waterfalls and rapids, all immersed in rich vegetation. The highest fall is called Skradinski Buk (46 m).

The Krka, as many yachtsmen already know, is navigable from its mouth to the picturesque town of Skradin.

The islet of Visovac is also worth visiting. Lying on a place where Krka flows into a lake, Visovac represents a true oasis of peace and quiet with its old Franciscan monastery that dates back to the fifteenth century.

MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, COLLECTIONS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

"Museum of Archaeology"

Zadar, Trg opatice Cike, tel. 023/211-837 fax. 314-330

A permanent medieval and prehistoric collection

Working hours: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.; Closed on Sundays

"National Museum"

Zadar, Poljana pape Aleksandra III, tel. 023/433-239

A permanent collection titled 'From the Romanesque to the Renaissance'

Working hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. - 1 p.m.; Closed Saturdays and Sundays

"Permanent Sacral Art Exhibition"

A permanent collection of gold and silver artefacts from Zadar and its surrounding countryside; the reconstructed interior of the Holy Sunday Church from the eleventh century; manuscripts, statues, embroideries, tapestries, etc. displayed in eight modern exhibition halls (1,200 m²) in the Benedictine convent of St. Mary, one of the first and most important such buildings in the history of Croatian culture

Working hours: Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.; Sundays: 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

"Art Gallery"

Zadar, Andrije Medulica 2, tel. 023/211-174

A permanent collection titled 'Croatian Painting and Sculpture in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries'

Working hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.; Closed Saturdays and Sundays

"Church of St. Simon"

Zadar

The St. Simon Chest stands above the altar of this church; this is a valuable gold artefact of medieval Croatian art. The chest preserves the mummified body of Zadar's patron saint, St. Simon. The chest can be seen every day, while the mummy is usually exhibited on 8 October, i.e. on St. Simon's day, as well as on special church feast days.

"Croatian Theatre House"

Zadar, Siroka ulica 8, tel. 314-552

"Puppet-Theatre"

Zadar, Sokolska 2, tel. 430-158

"Concert Board"

Zadar, Trg Petra Zoranica 1, tel. 315-807

"Historical Archive"

Zadar, Rudjera Boskovica bb, tel. 211-530

"Scientific Library"

Zadar, A. Kuzmanica bb, tel 211-365

LOCAL CUISINE

Beside standard European cuisine, the following meals are also widely available and recommended: grilled meat, Dalmatian smoked ham (prsut), salted pilchards, sheep's cheese, Slavonian spicy sausages, paprika-flavoured salami (kulen), and so on. In mainland Croatia, the most famous dish is turkey with a type of pasta (mlinci) and strukli.

Zadar region is home to the best fishers in the Adriatic Sea, and naturally, there are fish specialities. The most famous is Dalmatian brodet (a kind of fish broth), and pasticada (beef braised in herbs).

Besides many fine seafood dishes enhanced with local olive oil, we should certainly mention salted sardines as part of fishing tradition. They can be served in small quantities as hors d'oeuvres or used as garnishing. They can be bought individually at Zadar's fish markets. A particularly delicious hors d'oeuvre is the famous Pag cheese. The secret of its wonderful flavour lies in the specific pastures (full of medicinal herbs, and hit by strong sea winds and salt) and special production techniques.

CROATIAN WINES

Croatia is famous for its excellent wines, which are the result of an ancient winegrowing tradition. There are famous red wines on the coast, including Teran, Merlot, Kabernet, Opolo, Plavac, Dingac, and Postup. The best-knowwhite wines from the coast include Malvazija, Posip, Pinot, Kujundzusa and Muskat, while inland areas of the country offer Rizling, Grasevina, Burgundac and Traminac. As for spirits, we recommend herbal brandies Sljivovica, Travarica and Lozovaca. Popular dessert drinks include Prosek (Prosecco) and Maraschin.

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