Vacation in Croatia: infections at record level - first country issues travel warning

Is the 2020 holiday in Croatia safe despite the coronavirus? The number of new infections is currently at a record high. Tourists from Germany have to observe a few rules.

• Despite the coronavirus *, holidays in Croatia seemed very safe for German tourists for a long time.
• Currently, however, the number of cases of new infections with Sars-Cov-2 is increasing significantly - the country reports a record high.
• Croatia has tightened the rules for holidaymakers who absolutely need to know a lot.

Vacation in Croatia has become more and more popular in recent years - but now the coronavirus is rampant . The country with the wonderful coast to the Adriatic Sea was almost free of infections with the Sars-CoV-2 virus for weeks . But now, of all times , when many Germans leave for Croatia on vacation in 2020 , numbers and new infections are increasing . Does the trip to the holiday home break ? Tourists don't have to panic, should exercise caution and absolutely adhere to the rules , reports wa.de *.

Vacation in Croatia: Read everything about the development of the coronavirus in this popular travel destination

Update, August 14, 3:52 p.m.: Many holidaymakers return from their trip from Croatia with a coronavirus infection. Austria has issued a travel warning. Croatia reports a record high with new infections. Now the Austrian news portal Vorarlberg Online reports that the hotspot was created by a bar in Makarska. In the port city in Dalmatia had many tourists vacationing made, which are now returned with infection home.

Vol.at asks: "Is this club the new Ischgl ?" - the party location in Tyrol had developed into a corona risk area. According to information from "Blick.ch", vacationers who had parties on the beach in the bar were infected with the corona virus.

What is certain is that the bar has now been closed. In a Facebook post, she announced that the Croatian government was responsible for the closure.

Travel warning from Austria for Croatia: The holiday country reports a record high in new infections

Update, August 14, 1.40 p.m.: Croatia reports a record high in infections with the corona virus . 180 people were infected with the virus from Wednesday to Thursday. Does that mean that vacation for German tourists in the popular travel destination is canceled? At least more and more holiday returnees in Germany are testing positive for Corona.

Austria has now issued a travel warning for Croatia. The Federal Foreign Office in Germany is currently not warning about vacation - but is urging that tourists keep an eye on the current development before entering the country.

Update, August 10, 10:44 a.m.: The most important thing here in brief: Croatia has  allowed Germans and citizens of other EU countries to enter the country since July 10 without having to provide evidence of specific reasons. At the border, travelers only have to explain where they will be and how they can be reached . This should be able to find them if there are new corona infections in their area . A corresponding form can be downloaded from the Internet before departure. Distance rules apply to the beaches, overcrowding should be prevented. Since July 13th, masks are again mandatory in shops and public transport .

Travel 2020 in Croatia: Expert warns of partying on vacation despite the corona pandemic

Update, August 5, 9.41 a.m.: An expert has warned of a party vacation in Corona times in Croatia . The epidemiologist Rastislav Nadar from the Czech Republic said on Twitter to holidaymakers who are in Croatia: Some seem to have to celebrate even in times of pandemics without considering common sense , "wrote the head of the Corona working group of the Prague Ministry of Health. But the location revealed that the expert himself is currently in Croatia.

It is no secret that he is spending his vacation in Croatia , Madar replied to his critics in a follow-up tweet. “It doesn't depend on the place, but on the way, ” added the 47-year-old. "He preaches water and drinks wine," wrote a reader indignantly on Tuesday on the online pages of the daily newspaper "Pravo". "Everyone should go wherever they want, but behave responsibly," said another.

In the Czech Republic there were 386 deaths in connection with Covid 19 disease, in  Croatia 153 . Converted to the number of inhabitants, this is roughly the same . Just a few months ago, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis asked citizens to spend their holidays in their homeland. (dpa)

Update, August 3, 10:44 a.m.: Where is the journey going specifically? And how can you be reached on site? These two questions must be answered by holidaymakers traveling to Croatia. This should be able to find tourists if there are new corona infections in their area . A corresponding form can be downloaded from the Internet before departure . The corona- related intensive identity checks ensure that there can be waiting times at the border .

Vacation in Croatia despite the coronavirus: tourists must fill out a form before traveling

As a reminder: Croatia has allowed Germans and all citizens from EU countries to enter the country since July 10th without having to prove any specific reason. Distance rules apply to the beaches to prevent overcrowding. Since July 13th, masks are again mandatory in shops and public transport .

Holidays in Croatia 2020: Authority calls number of tourists "excellent"

Update, July 27th, 4 p.m.: In July , around two million tourists entered Croatia - about half less than in July a year ago , as the Croatian Tourism Office announced on Monday. "Under the given circumstances, these are excellent numbers," said Kristjan Stanicic, head of the authorities, with a view to the corona pandemic . In August, Croatia expects   a “continuation of the positive trend” in tourist numbers.

Update, July 23, 8:14 p.m.: With the good weather, many tourists are drawn to Croatia for vacation . But while the number of people infected with the coronavirus has long been low in the country , it has recently increased sharply. Nevertheless, the Balkan state remains a popular travel destination. Even at the beginning of the summer vacation in Bavaria, from July 27th to September 7th, the Croatians can probably expect a rush of tourists.

Camping in Croatia: Holidays 2020 are experiencing a new trend due to the coronavirus  

In the year of the coronavirus with special conditions, a special trend is emerging: Holidays in holiday apartments or on the campsite . Many tourists arrive with their own car or camper van. But travelers have to be careful at the borders . 

If you travel to Croatia with your own car in order to have a nice stay while camping or in a holiday apartment, you have to drive through Austria and Slovenia . There could be some difficulties here. So that the vacation does not end before the start, tourists from Germany have to consider a few things. 

Vacation 2020 in Croatia: Coronavirus makes entry via Slovenia more difficult

The transit through Austria provides for German nationals no problem is - despite the coronavirus . German tourists can also cross Slovenia without any problems, but this should happen within twelve hours , the German embassy in Ljubliana announced. Germany is on the so-called green list of Slovenia - meaning there are no restrictions on entry conditions . Nevertheless, the Federal Foreign Office advises :

• Only use the approved border crossing points to cross the border.
• As a driver of motor vehicles, always make sure that all passengers can identify themselves.
• Expect long waiting times at the Slovenian-Croatian border crossings in the main travel season from June to September.

Keyword border controls : Those who travel to camping , holiday homes or hotels with their own car are only allowed to cross the border from Austria to Slovenia at the signposted border crossings . These are the Karawanken tunnel , Loibltunnel, Spielfeld (Autobahn). If you arrive by train via Slovenia, it is more difficult: Train travelers can only use the border crossing at Spielfeld (railway).

Vacation 2020 in Croatia: Coronavirus long with low numbers

Croatia had the corona virus under control for weeks - even before the time for vacation started. The spread of Sars-CoV-2 was minimal. But one has to say: Croatia is a small country and only has a little more than four million inhabitants. In addition, the country in the Balkans is sparsely populated. Statistically, only 74 inhabitants live here on one square kilometer. This explains why the Covid-19 disease hardly spread.

Between mid-May and mid-June there were a maximum of two new infections a day - an outstanding figure. This also applied to many other countries in southern Europe, where the corona virus is now spreading more, reports wa.de *. Among other things, many celebrities like the footballers from Borussia Dortmund spend their summer holidays around the Mediterranean *.

Vacation 2020 in Croatia: Long drive for an affordable vacation

Therefore, it could be assumed for a long time that vacation 2020 in Croatia would not be a problem despite the coronavirus . For some years now, many Germans have been increasingly drawn to a holiday home in the Balkan country. The beaches facing the Adriatic are wonderful, the sparsely populated areas mean that the tourist resorts are not too crowded and the prices for the holiday are affordable. Only the drive by car is of course very long.

Vacation in Croatia: With its many bays and islands, the country is popular with German vacationers. The corona virus is spreading more strongly again.

© dpa / Grgo Jelavic

Vacation 2020 in Croatia: The number of cases increases in summer

But just at the start of the holiday season , the numbers "exploded" in Croatia . The coronavirus spread again. The peak was at the beginning of July, when there were over 80 new infections with Sars-CoV-2 for three days in a row . Once again: Absolutely there aren't many cases. In Germany there are several hundred new infections a day. But: Germany also has 20 times as many inhabitants as Croatia . On the other side of the Adriatic, in Italy, the number of new cases is falling.

The government in Croatia quickly sounded the alarm about the new diseases with Covid-19 . A first guess: tourists from neighboring Serbia could have brought Sars-CoV-2 into the country. Serbia has no connection to the Adriatic. Croatia is therefore also for the neighbors a very popular destination in the holiday in the summer . Serbia has a high number of cases. Despite the coronavirus, major easing has been made there. Among other things, a controversial tennis tournament with several thousand spectators was allowed and even a soccer game with an audience.

Vacation 2020 in Croatia: cases more likely in cities

Do tourists have to worry about their 2020 vacation in Croatia ? Not excessively, if you read the Federal Foreign Office's assessment. The number of new infections with Sars-CoV-2 has increased, especially in urban areas. The corona virus spread increasingly around the capital Zagreb , in Slavonia and in Split-Dalmatia. The sparsely populated areas on the Adriatic coast are less affected. And with it the destinations that tourists head for and book their holiday home there . In Bulgaria, however, the number of cases is increasing - but the beaches are open again.

The entry for holidays to Croatia is allowed without restrictions, according to the Foreign Ministry for all nationals of EU Member States. The data of the tourists are registered upon entry. If you want to save time, you should save your contact and residence details online in advance. If you leave Croatia, you don't have to go into a 14-day quarantine afterwards.

#Mask required in #Croatia from July 13th, 2020 https://t.co/VdaWsP4KO3 #holiday #travel #travel #Corona crisis pic.twitter.com/u7js8Qg677

Vacation 2020 in Croatia: Similar rules as in Germany

However, those who spend their holidays in Croatia in 2020 will have to follow many rules that are also known in Germany because of the corona virus . In order to further limit the number of cases of Covid-19 , distance rules also apply in Croatia . Mouth and nose protection must be worn in many public areas. Now that the number of cases in Croatia has increased, this rule is expanding. Mouth and nose protection is compulsory in supermarkets, restaurants, public transport, and in hospitals and care facilities. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, holidays in other popular travel countries are also looking different this year than usual. * wa.de is part of the Ippen-Digital network.

List of rubric lists: © Marko Dimic / Pixsell