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In the Museum of the Town of Kastela, an exhibition was recently opened on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of organized tourism in this town. The exhibition is organized by the Town of Kastela Tourist Board, the Town of Kastela, the Split-Dalmatia County and the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board. The important anniversary has also been marked with the publication of the book "A Chronological Survey of Tourism in Kastela ­ 100 Years of the Soulavy Pension", by Sanja Acalija. The dawn of tourism in Kastela is considered to be the opening of the first tourist pension with a developed beach in Kastel Luksi. It was opened by the Czech physician Henrik Soulavy in 1909, who bought the castle Tartaglia there. 1909, therefore, is the year when the development of tourism officially begins on the Kastela Riviera. Almost two decades later, Petar Kamber opened the Hotel Palace in Kastel Stari, a representative tourist facility for the time. To raise the quality of the tourist offering even more, in 1936 a Municipal Bathing Committee was established for the "Lower Kastels" (Kastel Stafili, Kastel Novi, Kastel Stari and Kastel Luksi). Located to the northwest of Split, the town of Kastela is comprised of what used to be seven villages ­ Suurac, Gomilica, Kambelovac, Luksi, Stari, Novi and Stafili. Each one of these is specific in its own way. Though they are connected, they differ in the mentality and interests of its inhabitants, and all boast a rich cultural heritage and numerous monuments. The Kastela Riviera features many private accommodation facilities and a couple of hotels. Yachtsmen can use the marina located in Kastel Gomilica. Characteristic for the entire area is its rich park architecture. The most renowned park is the Park Vitturi in Kastel Luksi, the oldest park on the Riviera, built in the second half of the 18th century. It is spread over 7,450 square meters and was proclaimed a nature park in 1968. Also well known are the Botanical Garden of the Ostrog Elementary School and the Bibilical Garden, built in the honour of the second visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia and located in the Marian sanctuary Lady of Stomorija. The garden features numerous plant species mentioned in the Bible and sculptures of eminent Croatian sculptors Vasko Lipovac, Kazimir Hrasto and Matko Miji. The arrival of the Czech physician Soulavy to Kastel Luksi, which he never left, intrigued the great Czech director Jiij Menzel enough to put the story in his documentary filmed in Croatia. Menzel is shooting the film, entitled "My Croatia", in cooperation with the crew of the Croatian national television, and wants to show through it that it is precisely the Czech who were the very first tourists in Dalmatia.
Source: Croatia.hr

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To everyone who has already visited Sibenik and taken a tour of its cultural and historical sights, as well as those visiting it for the very first time, this northern Dalmatian city always has a new face to discover, as well as numerous natural sights, attracting visitors. Though, after its renovation, the medieval monastery garden Sv Lovre (St Lawrence), located in the city centre, has been open for visitors for the past two years, it still attracts tourists with the same intensity. The renovation of the medieval Mediterranean garden was completed at the end of 2007, after an entire century of neglect. It was led by the renowned landscape architect Dragutin Kis, who received the millennium Flora award in Japan in 2000. The garden is a rare monument, the only one of its kind in Croatia and one of very few in this part of Europe. It is conceptualized in line with a medieval layout, comprising a cross path with a small well at its centre. The entire garden is enclosed by bushes and old scented roses. At the centre of the rich Mediterranean greenery is the collection of decorative thyme. Another special feature of the garden are its capers, which, according to legend, were brought to Sibenik by the well-known architect Juraj Dalmatinac. The entire garden is open to the public, and features educational programs for both schools and visitors. As it is part of a monastery, visitors can also visit the Gospina Spilja ("Cave of the Lady") and the St Lawrence Church, both part of the St Lawrence monastery. Visitors can also enjoy a café, restaurant and souvenir shop. In the summer, the garden is open from 8am to 11pm, and in the winter, until Easter, from 9am to 4pm. Sibenik also attracts visitors on account of its proximity to the national parks Kornati and Krka and its many cultural and historical monuments, the most important being the St Jacob cathedral, under the protection of UNESCO. Interestingly, the cathedral was built for longer than a hundred years, and is a testimony to the perseverance and faith of several generations of Sibenik's citizens. The cathedral is unique in many ways, not only in Croatian, but European architecture, as it is entirely made out of stone, without the use of any other material. According to experts, it is also unique on account of its bold construction: stone plates and frames have been put together without the use of bond. Other singularities, when compared to other renaissance churches, include its trefoil-shaped front and the harmony of the architecture and the series of 74 realist portraits on the apses.
Source: Croatia.hr

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In the search for interesting indigenous souvenirs from Medimurje County our trail has lead to a family farmstead in Kotoriba where they make a very practical and attractive edible souvenir.

The souvenir, namely, is the very healthy oil extracted from the seeds of the pumpkin. The bottles are decorated with motifs of the Medimurje region.

Pumpkin oil made from naturally cultivated pumpkins are rich in substances that reduce cholesterol in the bloodstream, while the braver have dubbed it an aphrodisiac.

Pumpkin oil contains unsaturated fatty acids, a great quantity of beta-carotene, vitamin E and potassium. The lecithin in this oil helps prevent atherosclerosis (gathering harmful plaques on the walls of blood vessels which lead to heart disease), and contributes to reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood.

100 grams of pumpkin oil has 900 calories. If you are calorie wary, remember that only a small spoon of this oil is enough to impart its wonderful flavour to salads. And just like with olive oil, the best quality is extracted when using the cold pressing method of production.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

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