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With the aim of renewing traditional heritage and putting it in the function of tourism, across all of Baranja, a region situated in the far north-east of the country, this year will see the launch of the renewal of ten new tourism projects.

One of the more fascinating of these projects is certainly the Ethno Street of Forgotten Times were intensive works are already under way. The street is located in the village of Karanac, in the very heart of Baranja, already known to the world of tourism on account of its attractive offer of rural tourism. This is the popular Baranja House, a rural homestead behind which the mentioned “street of memories” is being built. The owner of the Baranja House has decided to broaden the offer so that soon the street will feature traditional Slavonian “ambar” (corn storage sheds) with construction to start soon on a smith’s house of mud, and ice-house, a potter’s and carpenter’s workshop and a number of other “forgotten” things. Besides this project another old smithy will be opened in Karanac, which will certainly earn the village the epithet of a real Slavonian ethno village.

Standing out among the other tourism projects is the renewal of traditional wine cellars in the village of Gajic planina.

The most funds, however, will be invested into the renovation of the landing dock at the Kopacki rit Nature Park. Along with the landing dock an awning with a belvedere will be built on the site of the old Komarac restaurant, which will widen the existing tourism offer at Kopacki rit.

There will also be building going on in the well known Baranja rural tourism destination – the village of Bilje where there are plans to build a local style Baranja home, and the city of Beli Manastir will also “get” its first real Baranja ethno house.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

Mystic stories, fairy tale settings, indigenous food and fascinating events that along with thematic happenings offer excellent possibilities to meet with the local inhabitants – this is all just a small part of the interesting story of tourism in continental Croatia – the country’s central region presented in the latest image brochure from the Croatian National Tourist Board.

The Palace With a View brochure – featuring an offer based on tradition, natural beauty and new tourism trends – features the tourism value of several of Croatia’s continental counties: Bjelovar-Bilogorje County, Karlovac County, Sisak-Moslavina County, Varazdin County, Medimurje County, Krapina-Zagorje County, Koprivnica-Krizevci County and Zagreb County and is a synthesis of their rich natural and cultural heritage.

Under the moniker “A Walk Through the Year” – today’s reader and tomorrow’s guest – will get to know this truly fascinating region in all seasons of the year and also through mythology, customs, beauty and attraction.

Spring, summer, autumn and winter – each season is coloured with “its own colours”, to which is added the specific ways of life, customs and myths – in short, a real wellspring of experiences that are a real draw for tourist visits.

Are you interested in a tale of a miner’s garden, a witch’s dance, the imaginative depiction of Croatian fairy tales, do you want to literally live the ancient stories of Croatian legends or enjoy a wealth of scents and flavours? Do you want to experience the unexplored regions near Zagreb, get to know the wealth of the fertile Moslavina valley, give your eyes a rest in the stunning scenes of green Zagorje, Prigorje and Medimurje, enjoy the baroque image of the city of Varazdin or the mystical legends that still “live” in the environs of Karlovac and Ogulin – all this is but a small part of what Central Croatia offers by way of tourist attractions. The experience would not be complete if the tourist offer did not include the rich offer of wines and cuisine – along with the quality wines of this area there is also ecologically produced health food the flavour of which will – just like this entire region – take you back to a somewhat already forgotten time. The hospitality is, of course, also evident in the wealth of accommodation on offer in hotels and private estates, always in the right measure of professionalism and sincere welcome.

If you want to head out into this, to many tourists still unknown, part of Croatia take some time to read Palace With a View. The 120-page brochure has been printed in 120,000 copies and in eight languages – Croatian, English, German, Italian, French, Hungarian, Slovene and Czech.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

Croatia is a destination for faith tourism with a number of shrines, visited each year by millions of pilgrims. In the direct vicinity of Zagreb is Marija Bistrica with its shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary, where pilgrims have been coming for over 300 years now. The first written documents relating to Marija Bistrica date from back in the year 1209, while the worship of the Mother of God of Bistrica started in the 16th century when a statue of the Virgin Mary became known by its miraculous healings and answered prayers. Nowadays the shrine consists of St. Mary‘s church, the open-air church of the Blessed Aloysius Stepinac and the remarkable Way of the Cross – the Calvary. Marija Bistrica is also the heart of Croatian honey and gingerbread making.

In Ludbreg, a small town in the Podravina region not far from the Baroque town of Varaždin is the unique shrine dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. The Ludbreg parish of the Holy Trinity is mentioned in historical sources in 1334, while the church itself was constructed in 1410 – it was a year later that the priest leading holy mass noticed true blood in the chalice and notified the Vatican of the event. Ludbreg was proclaimed a shrine in 1512 by Pope Leo X.

In the heart of Split-Dalmatia County, in Solin, the Virgin Mary has been worshiped from as far back as the 6th century. The Croatian Queen Jelena built a basilica there in the 10th century with naves and four-cornered columns in which the coronations of Croatian Kings were then held. In Sinj, the centre of the Cetina region, is the shrine of Our Lady of Sinj, of which it is believed that she was crucial in the 1715 victory over the Turkish army. Ever since then this triumphant battle has been marked every year by the renowned chivalric tournament – the Alka of Sinj. In the environs of Knin is the shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Biskupija, in the foundations of which five churches are to be found, dating from the period of the Croatian kings from the 9th to 11th centuries. The area was a religious and church centre in the medieval Croatian state.

On Rijeka‘s Trsat is the ancient shrine to the Mother of Mercy, the Mother of God of Trsat, which is arrived at by a climb of 561 steps. The church of the Mother of God of Trsat was built in 1419. Later Croatian Ban (vicegerent) Duke Nikola Frankopan I built a larger church, in which Franciscan monks have lived since 1453.

The youngest shrine in Croatia is that dedicated to St. Joseph in Dubovac near Karlovac, proclaimed in 1987.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

Unique by its embroidery, cathedral, Lipizzaners and Eucharist wines, Dakovo is the tourism jewel of eastern Slavonia. The basilica of St. Peter dominates the town‘s landscape with its two 84 metrehigh belfries, built in 1882. The cathedral was erected in the time of Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, who by initiating the construction of numerous church and commercial buildings launched the development of the Dakovo episcopate. Throughout its 760-year history, namely, many bishops have left traces of their activities in Dakovo. In 1806, in the time of Bishop Antun Mandic, the first institution of higher education in Slavonia was opened – the School of Theology.

In the direct vicinity of the cathedral is the wine cellar with its renowned Eucharist wines, served as an exceptional treat at special occasions. It will always be found on the table at state visits to Croatia or at presentations the Croatian National Tourist Board organises around the world for tourism representatives and professionals and journalists.

The historicist and Secession style old town core today draws the attention of a growing number of tourists, who come to Croatia on the cruisers that ply the waters of the Danube River from Budapest. And that is why a tour of the town must include a not-to-bemissed
visit to the National Lipizzaner Stud Farm, founded in or around the year 1506. Their beauty and grace was remarked upon by British Queen Elizabeth, who visited the stud farm in 1972.

Every year the Lipizzaners are a part of the traditional culture and tourism event known as the Dakovacki vezovi (Embroideries of Dakovo), held for its 41st time in July of this year. This function has long ago become a national event and this year drew performers from five continents and ten of thousands of visitors from around the world. With its tradition and far and wide renowned embroidery in gold thread, preserved trades and old skills, Dakovo offers tourists a cornucopia of possibilities for a quality vacation in an indigenous milieu.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

After the summer attractions and numerous cultural events staged in the territory of the Municipality of Jelenje, situated in the Rijeka hinterland, the local tourism professionals are getting themselves ready for the autumn tourism season – attractive on account of the autumn-coloured landscapes.

There is, therefore, no lack of news again this year. The first tourism guidebook of the region was recently published, acquainting tourists with the most beautiful natural localities, the wealth of history, the cultural points of interest, accommodation capacities and sporting events, the best of which is the automobile racing track in Grobnik. The guidebook features a detailed map and all of the key service information that could be of interest to tourists.

As of this autumn, along with the existing attractions, tourists can also tour the new Heritage Museum (Zavicajni muzej) in Martinovo selo. Situated next to an attractive mill, the Heritage Museum portrays a rich ethnological collection of the entire region – especially attractive is the kitchen, which appears to have sprung forth from the 18th century. Tourists will be able to see a collection of old implements, weapons, folk garb, clothing, traditional decorations, tools and household utensils.

Old paraphernalia, customs and trades, which tourists can see for themselves if they visit an old blacksmith‘s shop in Drazice, are just a small part of the tourism offer in the Grobnik area. That is precisely why several new specialised guidebooks are in the works, like a guidebook for cyclists, already in print, and brochures that will acquaint alpinists and interested hikers with the most attractive outdoor locations in the area, among which are most certainly the Rjecina River, which has become a favourite place for gatherings of fishers and excursion-goers, and the alpine house on Hahlic.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

Besides the events in Varaždin itself, during this year‘s Varaždin Baroque Evenings concerts have also been organised in Castle Trakošcan, in Ludbreg, Lepoglav, Varaždinske toplice, Krapina, Prelog, Zacretje, Križevci, Stubicki Golubovec, Osijek and Vukovar.

This year Croatian musicians have been for the first time been joined by artists from six European countries – Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland and Slovakia, which has also been the partner country to this year‘s Varaždin Baroque Evenings – also staging concerts in their countries. In this fashion the Varaždin Baroque Evenings, which have been held for almost four decades and have long ago been recognised outside of Croatia as a significant cultural event, have united several European nations in a single cultural undertaking.

Varaždin has always been a centre of the urban cultural scene. Music has always been at the heart of this baroque town, once the Croatian capital, and its citizens delighted to the sounds of musical virtuosos, dances and walks on the stunning town streets… In the colour of the town‘s streets, where hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world delight in the Špancirfest, held in late August and early September, or during the Baroque Evenings, held every September, the tradition and way of life in old Varaždin is reflected. Through its Baroque evening Varaždin did not only attract the world‘s greatest names in music, it also promoted its own tourism through culture. So it is that in the dominant edifice of the Old Town and in the Baroque churches and palaces, open to many cultural happenings, it again wrote new pages of its rich history, preserving its traditional way of life that tourists also recognise through the realisation of quality cultural projects.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

At the very border with Bosnia & Herzegovina, on the banks of the Una River, is Hrvatska Kostajnica – a small town that derives its name from the surrounding forests, rich in chestnuts. It is precisely the chestnuts that play the lead role in the traditional October event in Kostajnica – the Chestnut Fair at which the many lovers of nature, strolls, chestnuts and the traditional culinary specialities of the region gather.

The Chestnut Fair of Kostajnica has been held for seven years in the first weekend in October. As a part of the Kestenijada – the chestnut harvest on the surrounding hills and forests, the local populace from year to year does its best to entertain tourists who traditionally come to the chestnut harvest.

And so, besides the relaxing and entertaining harvest, a lavish culinary offer is also organised during the Chestnut Fair – all of the specialities are, naturally, made of chestnuts – visitors can sample cooked and baked chestnuts and many chestnut sweetmeats. Visitors can also participate in the harvest and in the traditional bicycle tour and other kinds of fun.

Hrvatska Kostajnica is a small town nestled on the left bank of the Una River. Historical documents dating from the year 1240 attest to its 762 years. The Croatian noble family of Zrinski left their mark in this town‘s history – they fought the Turks for Kostajnica, from which time the large fortress on the Una River dates.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

The unique gastronomic manifestation “Nin šokoladija” in whose final stages once annually tourists of the ancient town of Nin may enjoy, has a significantly greater effect than organising an attractive tourist event. The entire project was initiated five years ago by the Tourist Board of the City of Nin to promote the organised production of Šokol (an traditional smoked and cured meat) and through the hospitality offer promote the autochthonous values of their own region. Šokol is an original smoked and cured meat product which has been linked for centuries to the Nin area and is produced according to an traditional and well kept original recipe in the north-western part of the Zadar County. It is made from fresh pork neck from home reared pigs in a procedure similar to the production of pršut (smoked ham) – three to seven days it sits in clean sea water, then it is placed into cooked red wine and is then covered with a number of different spices (pepper, cloves, nutmeg) which is then “pushed” into the meat. It is tied with string in a special way, then after a few days it is smoke cured, an then place in the bura (special type of wind), which according to the inhabitants of the Nin region is the most important part of the curing of Šokol.

Namely, the unique microclimate which in itself joins together the bura wind brought from the sea and mountain air enriched with the scents and ingredients of medicinal herbs from Velebit affect the curing process and quality of the Nin Šokol.

The production of Šokol has many hundreds of years history and is part of the family gastronomic tradition of the Nin region in which once livestock breeding and in its making even the youngest generations took part. Given that it was produced in very small quantities it was once served only to selected guests, and even today it is offered as a special delicacy. According to maintained tradition Šokol is eaten on the occasion of celebrating the apparition of Our Lady of Zecevo in 1516, where every year on the 5th of May and the 5th of August the faithful make pilgrimages by boat and on foot to the Island of Zecevo and after the holy mass traditional feast on Šokol. By stimulating its organised production for which the local inhabitants of the Nin region are showing increased interest, is a guarantee that in the future an increasing number of tourists will be able to enjoy in the flavours and scents of this original delicacy.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

A brochure and a film on Marco Polo were launched by the Croatian Tourist Board (HTZ) in Korcula on Tuesday as part of events marking the anniversary of the naval battle near the island of Korcula on September 7, 1298, between the strongest naval forces of that time, Venice and Genova, during which Marco Polo was taken prisoner.

Speaking about the film and the brochure, entitled “Croatia - The Homeland of Marco Polo”, HTZ director Niko Bulic said they were based on scientific research and would confirm the fact that Marco Polo was a great 13th century seaman and explorer of the Far East, born on Korcula, which made Croatia too his homeland.

The brochure was written in Croatian, English, Chinese and Japanese and the 16-minute film was made in Croatian, English, Japanese, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

Source: MMTPR

Launched in the mid twentieth century as a predominantly opera festival, The Summer in Split has to this day remained the only major summer opera festival in Croatia, that in its best years features up to ten opera performances of significant artistic achievement. Renowned figures from the world of international, European in particular, and national opera regularly participate in these projects.

Reducing the gap between the elitist and populist culture, the drama program of the Summer in Split has pooled performances of the most varied styles, genres, poetics and sensibilities, offering audiences a personal choice, and not limiting itself in doing so to a uniform summer project.

Source: Croatian National Tourist Board