The second Novi Vinodolski Nordic Walking Festival 2026 was held on 8 November in Novi Vinodolski. It brought together nearly 800 participants from all parts of Croatia and from Slovenia.
The festival was jointly organised by KŠR Gorovo, the Primorje-Gorica County Sports Recreation Association “Sport for All” (Savez sportske rekreacije „Sport za sve“ Primorsko-goranske županije) and the Novi Vinodolski City Tourist Board (Turistička zajednica Grada Novi Vinodolski). Patronage was provided by the Croatian Nordic Walking Association (Hrvatski savez nordijskog hodanja), the City of Novi Vinodolski and the Croatian Olympic Committee. The event took place in the year when Primorje-Gorica County is the European Region of Sport.
Participants gathered at Ivan Mažuranić Square, where producers of healthy food and local products set up their stands. The active part of the day began with the “Let’s Exercise Together” programme under professional guidance and a joint warm-up, followed by the official opening of the festival.
At the official opening, speeches were delivered by Miljenko Butković, president of the Primorje-Gorica County Sports Association; Davorin Antonić, vice-president of the Croatian Nordic Walking Association; and Tena Peričić Baričević, director of the Novi Vinodolski City Tourist Board, speaking on behalf of the hosts.
The programme host was Dražen Turina Šajeta, who announced the start of the walk on four routes. Participants could choose between the “Sea Route” of 4 kilometres, the “Petar Krešimir IV Coast Route” of 7 kilometres, the “Wine Valley Route” of 9 kilometres, and the “Tourist Route”, which involved a guided tour of the old core of Novi Vinodolski with a tourist guide. All routes were designed to highlight the natural beauty, cultural heritage and wine tradition of the area.
In addition to licensed Nordic walking instructors, medical staff were present throughout the festival. Upon returning from the routes, participants were welcomed with lunch and an entertainment programme featuring DJ Tommy and Šajeta, who performed a mini-concert for the attendees.
