The Golden Pen Media Awards 2022 took place in Split, Croatia last Friday. We were there because we (freedomtravel.se) were nominated in the blog/social media category. It was a wonderful event, but also some fantastic days in Croatia!
Table of contents
Golden Pen Media Awards 2022
Last Friday, 27 May, it was time again. For the 18th time, the Croatian Tourist Board presented the "Golden Pen Media Awards" to international journalists, bloggers and influencers who have produced great material about Croatia during the year. The award ceremony took place in the beautiful city of Split, and as we were invited, we had flown in from Germany, where we are currently travelling with our camper van.
Several days of guided tours and excursions
Journalists and bloggers from a total of 14 different countries were invited, and in connection with the event we were offered guided tours and excursions for a few days. Among other things, we walked around the historic city. Splitwhich is one of our absolute favourite cities in Croatia.
We also made a bus excursion to Sinj in Dalmatia's hinterland and a boat trip to Bol on the beautiful island of Bol. Brac. We spent a whole month here with the motorhome in October/November 2015, so coming back here was a bit nostalgic!
Brac is a fantastic island, by the way, and we highly recommend it. Here you can experience a wonderful holiday atmosphere on the famous beach. Zlatni Rat. You'll also find things like viewpoints, lamb restaurants and wine tasting.
Award ceremony at the Golden Pen Media Awards 2022
At the end of the trip, the Golden Pen Media Awards ceremony took place outdoors at the beautiful Meštrović Gallery in Split. The ceremony was presented by representatives of the Croatian Tourist Board and local politicians. The prize was awarded in three categories:
- Article in print or online media
- Radio or TV reportage
- Blog or social media
All had been nominated for material produced in 2021, and we were nominated for our article about the National parks in Croatia.
This is actually other This is the first time we have been nominated for this prestigious award. The last time was in 2016, when we were nominated for a series of blog posts throughout our year-long journey. If you want to see photos from that year's event, you can check out our post from Golden Pen 2016.
All nominees were welcomed on stage and treated as winners. In addition, a "1st prize" was presented in each category. The winners were:
- Article in print or online media: Hungarian journalist Zoltán Szántó, who wrote about Split, Brač and Klis in the magazine Turizmus.
- Radio or TV reportage: Italian Valeria Cagnoni and Ernaldo Emerson Gattafoni, who made a programme about Croatia in the award-winning TV travel show Dreams Road.
- Blog or social media: Swiss Antje-Katrin Schaniel, who talked about places and food in Croatia on her Instagram account Senza Camedi.
We were extremely happy and grateful to be nominated in this context, together with only three other bloggers/influencers in the whole of Europe. Fantastic fun!
In the picture below you can see us with Vedran Sušić, from the Croatian Tourist Office in Stockholm, who together with his colleagues in the Nordics had suggested our work to the head office, thus giving us this opportunity.
Mingle and party
During the ceremony, the group Klapa Cambi entertained with traditional music, which is listed as an 'intangible cultural heritage' by UNESCO. The ceremony was followed by a mingle and party with music including a buffet by the famous Split chef Hrvoje Zirojević and drinks by Croatian bartender Jure Vojković.
We tried a drink that very clearly reminded us of the Split football team, Hajduk Split, which had won a big victory the day before.
We also hung out with the nice Dutch couple behind the website The Nomad Life, who write about Croatia in Dutch. Despite being 8 months pregnant, they were there for the event, along with a representative of the Croatian Tourism Agency in the Netherlands.
We are very grateful to the Croatian Tourist Board for recognising our writing. We also thank you for the wonderful days in fantastic Croatia! You can expect another report here at freedomtravel.se in the coming days. Then we will also save some material about Croatia for the autumn!
Hiring a motorhome in Croatia - our experience of a 'bumpy ride'
We have just returned from a week-long trip around Istria in Croatia, where we...
Nin in Croatia - royal city with the world's smallest cathedral
Nin in Croatia has a history of over 3000 years, and is also the city...
Rovinj in Croatia - lovely medieval town in Istria
Rovinj in Croatia is a lovely medieval town on the Adriatic Sea in Istria. Here you can stroll...
Porec in Croatia - holiday resort in beautiful Istria
We visited Porec in Croatia. Perhaps you are getting tired of pictures of charming villages and...
Opatija in Croatia - 15 things to see and do
Opatija in Croatia - a beautiful town on the Istrian Riviera! We have been here several times,...
Restaurants in Split - our top restaurant tips
Restaurants in Split we can tell you about today! During our last visit to Split, we had time...
Things to do in Dubrovnik - 16 sights and experiences
What to do in Dubrovnik, Croatia? Dubrovnik is a fascinating city, full of interesting...
Boat trip in the Croatian archipelago - renting your own boat
Today we can tell you about a wonderful boat trip in the Croatian archipelago. The Croatian archipelago is magically beautiful,...
Naturist beaches in Croatia
Croatia is probably one of the best destinations in Europe for sunbathing and swimming...
Holidays on Brac in Croatia - tips for the island of Brac
Updated 2023 - Looking for a holiday on Brac in Croatia? The island of Brac is a...
Plitvice Lakes - experience the Plitvice National Park
Updated 2023 - Plitvice Lakes in Croatia is a national park and natural area with dramatic waterfalls, beautiful...
Good restaurant on Brac - good lamb at Kopacina
We can recommend a good restaurant on Brac - experience really good lamb at Kopacina!....
Biograd Na Moru in Croatia - and camping Park Soline
Biograd in Croatia is a charming little town located along the coast, a bit south of...
Are Europe's clearest waters in Croatia?
The water in Croatia is crystal clear. Every time we come down to the beach we look and point....
Holidays in Dalmatia - 10 favourites on the Croatian coast
In partnership with Lottoland Dreaming of a holiday in Dalmatia? Croatia's coastline offers medieval towns,...
Camping in Dubrovnik - luxury Solitudo camping
Looking for a campsite in Dubrovnik? Camping Solitido is located in the south of Croatia, 6 kilometres outside...
Paklenica National Park in Croatia
Paklenica National Park in Croatia is a dramatic park in a large canyon, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
Chocolate festival in Croatia - with chocolate massage in Opatija
Now we have experienced a real chocolate festival in Croatia, in the beautiful coastal town of Opatija. Just everything...
Pakoštane in Croatia - and Camping Kozarica
Pakoštane in Croatia is a small town nicely situated next to the Adriatic Sea. We made a...
Super-modern campsite in Zagreb
Camping in Zagreb! When we left Istria, we drove back to the capital of Croatia and checked in at...
Luxury Hotel Park in Split - for the Golden Pen Award
The luxurious Hotel Park in Split is located in central Dalmatia in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. The hotel is located...
Labin in Croatia - on a motorhome trip around Istria
Labin in Croatia is a charming town on the eastern side of Istria. We started with an early...
Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Split - spa weekend in Croatia
The Radisson Blu Resort & Spa in Split is located by the sea in Split and is ideal for...
Shopping in supermarkets in Croatia
Grocery shopping abroad is always fun! What is it like to shop in supermarkets...
By boat on the river Cetina in Croatia
The Cetina in Croatia is a 100 km long river in the province of Dalmatia in southern Croatia....
Experience Croatia by car
If you want to experience Croatia, the best way to do so is by car. If you only fly...
Things to do in Trogir - 10 sights and experiences
Updated 2023 - Trogir in Croatia is located on an island in the Adriatic Sea and offers...
Istria in Croatia - 9 wonderful places to visit
Istria in Croatia offers charming cobbled streets, historic towns and a crystal clear sea. We've visited...
Zlatni Rat - one of the most beautiful beaches in the world?
"Zlatni Rat" means "Golden cape" and is a beach in the small village of Bol, on the island of...
The world's smallest city - Hum in Croatia
Hum in Croatia is the smallest city in the world. We went to the small mountain village located on...
Johnny Friskilä says:
Congratulations on the nomination and it looks like you had a great time in and around Split!
29 May 2022 - 10:31
BP says:
Congratulations on your nomination! What a wonderful adventure in beautiful Split. Truly a highlight of your long holiday I guess.
By the way, laughed well at your and Peter's outfit - you stood out, one can safely say! Good for you:-)
29 May 2022 - 19:50