Croatian Region Aims to Be 'Croatian Cappadocia' with Hot Air Balloon Festival

The Međimurje region in Croatia is gearing up to transform into the 'Croatian Cappadocia' with its upcoming 5th hot air balloon festival. This event aims to put the region on the world map for ballooning enthusiasts, drawing inspiration from Turkey's Cappadocia, renowned for its unique landscape and balloon rides.

Scheduled to take place in Prelog from September 3 to 6, the festival will also host the 3rd Croatia Hot Air Balloon Open Championship. Rudi Grula, director of the Međimurje County Tourist Board, expressed his ambition for the region to become a premier ballooning destination. Igor Mikloušić, director and founder of the Croatia Hot Air Balloon Team, highlighted the romantic nature of ballooning and the region's favorable winds, noting that many who fly there choose to return.

Mikloušić, a seasoned pilot with over 2000 flight hours and a legacy in Croatian ballooning, has participated in record-setting flights, including crossing the English Channel. He anticipates balloonists from approximately twenty countries, including participants from Australia and New Zealand, will bring around 30 balloons to Prelog. The festival will offer attendees the chance to witness balloon preparations, morning and evening flights, and the visually stunning 'night glow' event, where balloons are illuminated like giant lanterns.

The choice of Prelog, situated near Croatia's largest artificial lake and the Drava and Mura rivers, was strategic. Krešimir Biškup of WTF Events noted that the location's suitability for ballooning was a key factor in initiating the festival. The area also hosts the Zmajarski klub Rode, which has a hangar and launch strip near the lake. The article also briefly touches upon Prelog's historical connection to motorsports, having once been known as the 'City of Speedway.'

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Svaki let organiziran je u skladu sa strogim međunarodnim standardima, a odluke o polijetanju donose se isključivo na temelju vremenskih uvjeta. Posjetitelji će moći uživo pratiti pripremu balona, jutarnja i večernja polijetanja, a posebno atraktivan bit će i tradicionalni "night glow", odnosno pretvaranje balona u goleme svjetleće lampione.