The traditional Advent Fair will start in Zagreb on Saturday, 2 December, the first Advent Saturday this year, when the first Advent candle will traditionally be lit in the city's main Ban Josip Jelacic Square.

Also, the ice rink at the Kralj Tomislav Square will be officially opened.

The Advent and Christmas festivities will run through 7 January, the Tourism Board of the City of Zagreb (TZGZ) stated on Thursday.

It says that “Zagreb will once again become a true Christmas metropolis full of unforgettable experiences and moments.”

TZGZ director Martina Bienenfeld told Hina that many foreign media outlets are expected to cover various events within the festivities.

The opening of the Advent Zagreb festival will be covered by media outlets from Azerbaijan, France and Hungary, she said.

Also TV crews and reporters from Belgium, Czechia, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain and some other countries will be in the Croatian capital city during the festivities to make reports on this traditional festival.

The mayors of Sarajevo, Maribor, and Omis, Benjamina Karic, Aleksander Arsenovic and Ivo Tomasovic, respectively, will attend the opening ceremony, Bienenfeld said.

During the Advent season, Zagreb will be decorated and illuminated for Christmas and the New Year.

There will be eight special zones as part of the festival. The Advent in Zagreb is featuring concerts and other entertainment events, and guests and passers-by can enjoy mulled wine and local food and specialties.

Apart from the capital city that lives in a special atmosphere during this winter period, cities and towns across Croatia have prepared entertainment and cultural programmes for the Advent and Christmas season to delight locals and visitors.