30. October 2025.

At the Esplanade Hotel in Crikvenica, on October 28th, the first part of the education and presentation of the project Kvarner – European Region of Gastronomy 2026 was held. The event was organized by the Kvarner Tourist Board in cooperation with the Tourist Boards of the City of Crikvenica, the City of Novi Vinodolski, and the Municipality of Vinodol.

The first day was dedicated to restaurateurs, chefs, sommeliers, producers, and media representatives from the Crikvenica–Vinodol Riviera, who will contribute with their knowledge and experience to promoting the region in the year when Kvarner officially bears this prestigious title. As emphasized by Marijana Biondić, Director of the Crikvenica Tourist Board, tradition and authenticity are key reasons why visitors choose certain destinations, and these very values make Kvarner and this region so special.

Numerous restaurateurs and winemakers showed great interest, and around thirty participants from the tourism sector of the Crikvenica–Vinodol Riviera attended the presentation. The event highlighted the importance of the project in developing the region’s food and wine offerings and included several engaging workshops. Special attention was drawn to the wine workshop led by Žarko Stilin from the Kvarner Wine Association, where wines made from indigenous Kvarner varieties were presented. Participants had the opportunity to taste seven different wines and discover the richness of local winemaking traditions, with the goal of including them in their own menus and thus enhancing guests’ interest in the destination. Another highly attended workshop was The Art of Pairing Olive Oils, led by Marina Selak, who presented Kvarner’s extra virgin olive oils and offered a short sommelier course on recognizing their characteristics.

Today’s program features a hands-on workshop for chefs and gastronomy professionals, led by chef Zdravko Tomšić, titled Blue Fish and the Cuisine of the Crikvenica–Vinodol Riviera. The workshop is coordinated by Irina Ban, interpreter of Flavours of Heritage, who emphasized that preserving the taste of tradition on the plate is essential for maintaining the identity of the region’s gastronomy. Whether it’s traditional cooking or a fine dining concept, the flavours of traditional dishes are what make us recognizable among other gastronomic regions and countries. Students from the Crikvenica Hospitality School also attended the workshop with their mentor.

The Crikvenica–Vinodol Riviera represents an important part of Kvarner as a region of gastronomy. Among the culinary events we are proud of are: Easter in Crikvenica and Selce, the Strawberry Festival, Happy Selce, My Little Kala, Fishermen’s Week, Blue Fish Month, Crikvenica Food & Wine Walk, Altroke Food Festival, Sparkling Breakfast, Ružica Vinodola, Novljanski Gušti in Novi Vinodolski, and the Bribir Cake Festival and Bribir Pasta Festival in Vinodol.