Dubrovnik prepares for the winter holiday season

The Dubrovnik Winter Festival was presented at the press conference today which was attended by the mayor, Andro Vlahusic, the deputy mayor Tatjana Simac Bonacic, the director of the Tourist Board Romana Vlasic and the Head of Department for Entrepreneurship, Tourism and Sea Vlaho Margaretic.The festival will open with the lighting of the first advent candle on Saturday evening on the Small Onofrio Fountain. After that the Christmas decorations throughout Dubrovnik will be lit as the city prepares for the holiday season.Margaretic said that the Dubrovnik Winter Festival is a blend of cultural, educational and entertainment events, and that it was offered to the citizens, as well as tourists.“Many did not believe that the winter festival would be held this year,” commented Vlahusic (centre)A special feature of this year's festival is the Children’s Winter Festival which will begin on the 5th of December. This special festival will include an ice-rink, amusement park, train rides and Christmas lighting. The festive amusement park will open in the Port of Dubrovnik and will remain there until the 16th of January. The importance of the involvement of children was stressed by Tatjana Simac Bonacic, who said that “the city of Dubrovnik is a child friendly city,” and that the festival was a natural extension of the project “Youth and the City together.”The ice-rink, which will also be located in the Port of Dubrovnik, will this year be constructed of real ice. And after complaints that last year’s festival was concentrated on the Old City this year the events will be spread around the city.Romana Vlasic pointed out that the city of Dubrovnik lives 365 days a year, she then praised the mayor, saying that the activities around the Winter Festival will assit winter tourism.“Many did not believe that the winter festival would be held this year,” commented Vlahusic. Adding that in just two months 155 different programs for this year’s festival had been organised. “Further surprises are on the way,” concluded the mayor.It was also confirmed that for the first time in history there will be “Winter Houses” installed along the main street, the Stradun. These decorative wooden stands will offer food and drinks and in total there will be eighteen of them lined along the Stradun.“We expect that there will be a lot of complaints, but also a lot of happiness,” commented the mayor on the wooden houses. He added that the city had the support of the bishop of Dubrovnik and that this year the festival would be “a little more spiritual.” A nativity scene will be installed in the Old City as well as in the Gruz suburb.The City of Dubrovnik will spend around 1.5 million Kuna on this year’s Dubrovnik Winter Festival.Follow The Dubrovnik Times on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram