#Croatia #FullOfOpportunities – Ideas for Incentive Programs in #Zagreb

Croatia is widely known as a fantastic holiday destination — however, the MICE community often is not aware that the country is not only beautiful and offers a lot of attractive sights and beaches, but has developed also very experiential MICE options, sophisticated and efficient suppliers and beautiful hotels. On top the destination offers a stunning variety of local food specialities, slow food initiatives, family farms and of course high quality wines and olives. So — in short — there is a lot to discover in Croatia and the country’s new Convention Bureau is working relentlessly on bringing the relevant messages across to international event planners.

One of their projects was the MICE famtrip from October 24-27, presenting a compact and intense program and covering a total of three destinations in the North of the country with quite different appeal and focus which allow a modular combination — just as your specific business might need it.

Starting with Zagreb, the capital. There are plenty sources where you can find a lot of good and relevant stories — for example here: http://www.zagreb-convention.hr/news

The famtrip group was hosted in the famous Hotel Esplanade — the landmark property of Zagreb and built in 1925 for the Orient Express train passengers travelling between Paris and Istanbul. A truly “grand” hotel — close to the city centre and with the most amazing ball room, showing the former glamour of a different way to travel — the Orient Express and its stations.

More info on The Esplanade Zagreb www.esplanade.hr

Did you know that the necktie, or cravat, was invented in Zagreb Croatia? There is a very nice story to the history of the necktie which can be discovered and experienced at Croata Kravata Boutique in the very centre of Zagreb as part of a walk through the city.

The shortest funicular in the world connects the lower with the upper town and is part of the public transportation system. Once in upper town, there is no way to miss out the Museum of Broken Relationships www.brokenships.com/visit/museum-details — it is a hilarious concept that you only can understand when seeing all the different “reminder” samples of — exactly — broken relationships. Anyone who is interested in good stories must go there !!

Many new hotels open in Zagreb — one of the latest is the Hilton Garden Inn Zagreb, located in the business district of the city: www.zagrebcityhotels.hr/hotels

How can one be In Zagreb and miss out on the famous market? One can not. A fun and interactive program is the Kuhaona cooking school, where you for example learn how to make strukli — the most typical dish for Zagreb, that can come in sweet or savoury versions. It is eaten throughout — as a starter (1-2 pieces) as main dish (as much as you can eat of these delicious rolls which don’t give a damn about modern concepts of eating lightly…) or as a dessert in different fruity variations. Hmm mm, and in the meantime, when baking and preparation work is done and the strukli are in the oven, there is the market all around the cooking school: one hall for the freshest fish, the famous flower market (for the table decoration) the vegetable market with all the stands full of locally grown, seasonal, authentic greens and the market hall below the vegetable market. It is huge and tempting and you can have your group tasting a few selected delicacies and indulge in shopping all the good stuff to take home.