More than fourty restaurants on the island of Krk participated in the Days of Figs which took place last year. Guests visiting the restaurants in Krk will have the opportunity to taste the fig brandy, fig liqueur and different dishes made of fresh or dried figs again this year. Gastronomic specialties made according to the original recipe will be prepared in the catering facilities in the towns of Krk, Milohnici, Punat, Vrbnik, Njivice, Šilo, Klimno and Malinska.

Figs are usually eaten fresh but they go very well with traditional dishes made by the creative Krk chefs and confectioners. Figs’ significance in the Primorje region is also visible in the second name for the month of September, known as smokvenjak (the Croatian word for fig is smokva). Figs have an exceptional capability to regenerate and they need very little to grow so they thrive in the poor environment such as that found on Krk. Alongside olives, figs are the best known fruit of the Croatian Primorje region.

This manifestation is aimed at presenting the first-class products made of figs grown on the family farms across the island of Krk, products which are of the highest demand.

We recommend dried figs with porto wine and goat cheese, figs filed with chocolate and almonds, the fig and carob pie, figs dipped in chocolate, the fig pudding and many other delicacies.

Let us reveal the services of the Valamar Sanfior Hotel wellness centre to all those curios. They are the following:

• Finnish, Turkish and infrared sauna
• Jacuzzi
• Room for relaxation
• Indoor swimming pool with a view of the sea

Alongside all stated above, you can also relax enjoying numerous massages and beauty treatments.

To find a moment for ourselves and treat ourselves to a few days of genuine relaxation and body and spirit renewal. To release the everyday stress, forget the problems and find inner harmony. Is there anything better?

We also recommend our wellness packages:

Wellness relaxation
• Use of the wellness centre services (Finnish and Turkish sauna, a room for relaxation, Jacuzzi)
• ”Wellness Exclusive” cocktail at the wellness bar (1 cocktail per person during the stay)

Wellness exclusive
• Romantic linen
• ”Wellness Exclusive” service for couples –  romantic atmosphere at the wellness centre (Finnish, Turkish and infrared sauna, Jacuzzi and a room for relaxation), with candle-light and imaginative cocktails
• ”Wellness Exclusive” cocktail at the wellness bar (1 cocktail per person during the stay)
• Relaxing partial body massage

All those curios will have the opportunity to discover the abundant cultural history of the town of Porec as well as the former Porec nobility’s way of life. Go see the “Porecke legende” (Porec Legends) theatrical performance which will take place in several acts on various town locations. One of the acts of the “Cavaliere Istriano“ performance will be put on stage at the beautiful Villa Polesini on Sunday, 12 September at 10 p.m., and another theatre show, “Anzola de Parenzo: già Turcha et hora cristiana“ will be performed on Friday, 10 September at 10 p.m.

The central festival event will be the knights’ game, Giostra. Witness the knights’ courage at a race track in the Peškera Bay where the knights will show off their skills of hitting the mark with a spear (Saracena) according to a complex set of rules found in the archives dating back to 1745. Vocal group “Cittanova vocal ensemble“ will take care of the evening programme at the central Porec Square (Trg slobode).

Welcome to Giostra. Plenty of fun awaits you!

A very interesting cultural event is currently taking place as well!

The traditional International Montraker School of Sculpture for Students will celebrate its 20th edition this year, taking place from 30 August to 12 September. Summer schools of sculpture used to be held in the Orsera Campsite for many years, with plenty of stone sculptures scattered across the campsite proving that. This year students from art schools and academies from Zagreb, Venice, Rijeka, Skoplje and Split will take attend the school which will, in the period of fifteen days in August and September, turn ideas into stone. Apart from the students, the sculptures will be presented by professors as well, with the help of professional stone-masons.

The Montraker Summer School of Sculpture is an event you surely won’t miss!

The rich festival programme includes performances by the world-renowned chamber musicians such as Julian Rachlin, Lawrence Power, Janine Jansen, Mischa Maisky, Itamar Golan, Boris Andrianov and many others. One of the best world chamber orchestras, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, will also perform, and the narrators participating in the festival will be the famous film stars Sir Roger Moore and John Malkovich.

We in Valamar proudly emphasize that we are one of the most significant festival sponsors again this year and, therefore, the concert performed on 10 September at the Duke’s Palace will be dedicated to Valamar and its friends.

From this year’s festival programme we also single out the evening of music and narration dedicated to Beethoven, entitled symbolically “The Will” (Oporuka), with the appearance by Sir Roger Moore and performance of the piece composed by the acting Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, as well as many other musical treats.

The uniqueness of this music event and the place it will be held at is best described by Rachlin himself who said: “I have never held concerts such as the ones in Duke’s Palace and this Festival in Dubrovnik is an unusual combination of art and friendship and a synergy one can rarely see…”

But what is so appealing in that divine drop of wine which has been indulged in from the ancient Roman times? Is it the golden colour that žlahtina wine is well-known for? Or is it the dark colour of red wines such as teran which is so thick you feel as if you could slice it with a knife? It may be the light fruity taste slowly spreading from the glass once it draws near the mouth, and the full experience of smell and taste combined after it touches the palate.

Over the past years, the Krk Wine Days in Vrbnik have proven to be the best marketing activity promoting the Vrbnik area. Hilltops covered with vineyards and blossoming orchards, exquisite wines and beautiful wine tasting interiors. It is something you really should experience as this manifestation takes place, and many cellars located on the wine road are widely open. Every citizen of Vrbnik does his best to show off his hospitability and skills of presenting its first-class product.

Alongside the tasting of excellent wine and traditional gastronomic specialties, guests can also try various types of homemade brandy, fruit liqueur, sherry, Krk cheese, olive oil and honey.  It would be a good idea to hold these types of events in the Vrbnik cellars throughout the year, since life on the wine road would be even better then.

So, what else is there than to recommend you to set off towards Vrbnik on 27 August and enjoy the good wine and gastro offer, have fun until the early morning hours, dance and gather your impressions on the following day, deciding which wine you liked the best.

The “Porec delfin” audience and participants will have the opportunity of enjoying the Croatian Long-distance Swimming Cro Cup, the Istrian County Championship in the optimist sailing class and other interesting events.
The marathon will start at the beach and you can join at any time between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Choose one of the following three lengths: 1500, 3000 or 5000 meters and win a bronze, silver or golden dolphin. Every person who swims the entire length is considered a winner. The marathon will end at 5 p.m. with the award ceremony.

The special offer to all participants and supporters of the Porec dolphin is accommodation in Valamar’s facilities in Porec, so book your stay on time in the Zagreb and Pical hotels and the Lanterna and Pical apartments.
The Porec dolphin is a swimming challenge intended for everyone since it doesn’t matter when you reach the finish line but that you participate.

However, that is not all since this weekend is filled with various events!

We invite you to the traditional festivity held every year in Tar, a festivity some consider the best known and the largest festivity in Istria which will take place from 3 to 5 September and during which you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the rich gastronomic offer and the evening programme, out of which we single out the volleyball tournament, the bowling tournament and the international mini marathon held for the fifth year in a row, starting at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, 4 September.

We invite you to take part in the jubilee fifth mini marathon and win valuable prizes. Both the winner of the mini marathon for men and women will be awarded the weekend stay in the Lanterna apartments.

Come, participate, win!

The word “Klapa” (Harmony Singing Group) comes from the Italian language and it indicates a group of people, mostly friends; on the other hand, the name harmony singing comes from the fact that those songs are performed by group of singers, so called harmony singing groups.

Good singing and entertainment will be accompanied by many other beautiful things one can find in Rabac.

I dare say that Rabac, being the Kvarner pearl, has the most beautiful beaches and the sea in Istria. Swimming, sunbathing, taking walks, cycling, hiking, excursions, Nordic walking, diving, gourmet specialties, wellness relaxation, or simply drinking coffee and enjoying a beautiful view of the Kvarner Islands - all these activities will be waiting for you in Rabac - the Kvarner pearl.

We offer numerous accommodation services, so you do not have to worry about that.

You can find details about the accommodation in Rabac on www.valamar.com.

You don’t have to be a cowboy to live on the Wild West and enjoy utter freedom. Both beginners and experienced horseback riders will find something for themselves in Njivice. The owners of the horses who are truly dedicated to taking care of them will transfer the closeness and respect towards these noble creatures we can learn a lot from, about ourselves as well. Spending time with horses through fun and play is beneficial for both physical and mental health.

The sense of responsibility and caring for another being develops in a relaxed atmosphere surrounded by playful animals, improving self-confidence, patience and promoting the sport of horseback riding and returning to nature. The horses can also take you on an excursion where you will discover the forest trails of the island of Krk and the diverse flora and fauna in a unique way. In order to continue such an adventure by living a healthy life and eating good food, we invite you to come to the indigenous Krk tavern, the “Tri maruna” agro-tourist estate located in the small town of Poljica, 12 km from the town of Krk and the Koralj hotel.

You will feel as if you have entered an old house from the beginning of the last century, and the homemade specialties (travarica and biska brandy, and the orahnjaca walnut pastry) will be served as welcoming gifts. The Krk prosciutto and cheese with warm homemade bread will be next, followed by a goulash served with traditional pasta (šurlice), bottles of wine, meat and potato plates, local rocket salad and other delicacies.

If this sounds attractive, make sure you take some time for yourself and head towards Krk.

The Rabac Adventure Race will be held on 21 August 2010 in Rabac. Kayaking, swimming, mountain biking, treking, abseiling, cliff diving, descending into a cave and many other surprises will be only a part of this adventure race. The Rabac Adventure Race is organized by the Alba sports and recreational club and the sponsors and hosts are Valamar Hotels & Resorts, the town of Labin and the Labin Tourist Board.

You can choose from 2 categories; LIGHT and ULTRA. The race is intended for teams (2 members). The expected time of duration is from 6 to 15 hours. It will start at the Rabac waterfront at 9 a.m. and end at the same spot.

LIGHT 35 km

Treking 10 km
MTB 20 km
Kayaking 5 km
Swimming 500 m

ULTRA 70 km

Treking 25 km
MTB 35 km
Kayaking 10 km
Swimming 1 km
Abseiling 20 m

You can register at www.srk-alba.hr or at the following telephone number: 098 334 133 Moreno, 098 95 90 80 824 Davor.

If you prefer music, we recommend the following music treats:

19 August Trio Boom – a concert at the Rabac waterfront from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

19 August LAR - Ziuzao – southern American rhythms; a concert on the “kod špine” square at 9 p.m.

21 August Town orchestra & guests - Rabac waterfront at 08:30 p.m.

24 August Trio Boom - a concert at the Rabac waterfront from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

26 August Trio Boom - a concert at the Rabac waterfront from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

27 August Klapa Intrade – an evening concert, Rabac waterfront at 8 p.m.

During the last weekend in August, from 27 August (Friday) to 29 August (Sunday), the “Porec24sata” tourist festivity will attract numerous visitors again this year. The programme will start on Friday at 6 p.m. with a performance by a brass band from Pula, followed by folklore groups from Kršan, and the Alfa Time Band, while the younger ones will have the opportunity of enjoying the loud decibels played by a DJ and dancing until the early morning hours.

On Saturday the festivity will start as early as 8 a.m. with a concert by the Baredinosaurusi band. The rich whole-day animation and entertainment programme will offer something interesting to anyone. The evening is reserved for DJs only: Norman Doray, Carlo Vania, Simon Adams, Carpe Diem/Jailbreak GNR Tribute band. The most interesting part oft he Porec festivity will follow at 7 a.m. with the announcement of the most enduring participants of the past 24 hours, and the winner of the photo festival who will be able to enjoy their complimentary morning cup of coffee.

But that’s not all! Alongside the rich gastronomic offer and partying until the early morning hours, you will be able to enjoy yourselves on Sunday as well! Fun is guaranteed to all visitors. Welcome to the festivity!

And here’s a sports treat!
The Žatika sports hall in Porec will be the host to a handball championship for the second year in a row which will take place from 19 to 21 August, with appearances by first-class clubs such Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb. In addition to the tournament’s constant winner, the German winner of the last year’s European championship, Gummersbach, will also participate, as well at the Macedonian Metalirg club, the Hungarian Veszprem champion and currently the best Danish team, HC Bjerringbro-Silkeborg, and the German Melsungen club. Apart from the afore-mentioned clubs, the tournament will also welcome guests from the Kopar Cimos club and the local RK Porec handball club.
The matches will be played over a period of three days and teams will be divided into two groups. After playing the groups (playing against every participant), the playoffs will follow for the fifth, third and first place.

Come and have fun! Porec offers a bit of something for everyone!