ZAGREB/DUBROVNIK/SPLIT/VUKOVAR, Jan 1 (Hina) - A few tens of thousands of Zagreb citizens welcomed the New Year at a traditional party organised in the open air in the central square of the Croatian capital. A special fireworks
display was conducted at the nearby high-rise building ('Neboder') exactly at the midnight. Local pop and rock groups and performers entertained revellers all the night. The costs of this party, which came to 170,000 German marks, were covered by companies owned by the city. The well-known southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik also held spectacular New Year parties in the open. One revelry took place in the famous street 'Stradun', where over 20,000 people gathered to welcome the new millennium. They could enjoy a concert held by most popular Croatian pop and rock singers. The other revelry took place in the Bay of Lapad where participants in this party dipped their fingers in the se
ZAGREB/DUBROVNIK/SPLIT/VUKOVAR, Jan 1 (Hina) - A few tens of
thousands of Zagreb citizens welcomed the New Year at a traditional
party organised in the open air in the central square of the
Croatian capital.
A special fireworks display was conducted at the nearby high-rise
building ('Neboder') exactly at the midnight.
Local pop and rock groups and performers entertained revellers all
the night.
The costs of this party, which came to 170,000 German marks, were
covered by companies owned by the city.
The well-known southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik also held
spectacular New Year parties in the open. One revelry took place in
the famous street 'Stradun', where over 20,000 people gathered to
welcome the new millennium.
They could enjoy a concert held by most popular Croatian pop and
rock singers.
The other revelry took place in the Bay of Lapad where participants
in this party dipped their fingers in the sea at the very first
minutes of 2001. This party called "Millennium Gate 2001", which
was held aboard three boats and on the beach, was organised by Art
Workshop Lazareti in cooperation with Dutch artists.
Some 6,000 guests were registered in Dubrovnik hotels and private
lodgings during the holidays.
Regardless of a cold gale, several tens thousand citizens of the
biggest Croatian coastal city gathered in the downtown Split to
welcome 2001.
Besides this party, members of a local environmental movement "Blue
Planet" greeted first moments of the new year, being closed in cages
in the city zoo on slopes of Mount Marijan to draw the public
attention to very bad conditions for inhabitants in this zoo.
The eastern Croatian town of Vukovar, which was badly devastated
during the Serbian aggression in the early 1990s, organised the
first town party in the open on New Year's Eve.
Joyful revellers welcomed New Year in open-air parties throughout
the country as well.
According to police reports, there were no major incidents during
New Year revelries in cities and towns.
(hina) ms