calendarof cultural andtouristic events

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2010

CALENDAROF CULTURAL AND

TOURISTIC EVENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ISTRIA 5. - 15.

KVARNER 16. - 29.

LIKA - KARLOVAC 30. - 36.

DALMATIA - ZADAR 37. - 47.

DALMATIA - ŠIBENIK 48. - 54.

DALMATIA - SPLIT 55. - 63.

DALMATIA - DUBROVNIK 64. - 72.

CENTRAL CROATIA 73. - 94.

SLAVONIA 95. - 112.

CITY OF ZAGREB 113. - 121.

INFORMATION 122. - 123.

SPECIAL EVENTS IN CROATIA 4.

Dear Visitor, welcome to Croatia!

We are pleased you have decided to visit our country and learn about a part of our rich cultural heritage.

Croatia abounds with various cultural & tourist events and festivals all year long. Some of them are a result of the long-standing tradition and diligent dedication of each region, some are organized to revive our ancestors’ customs and festivities, and some follow the contemporary cultural developments. Many of them include creative workshops where one can acquire many interesting experiences, meet other people and have a good time. Having been a part of Europe for a very long time, Croatia has numerous and widespread links and forms of cooperation, and is being visited by numerous interna-tionally renowned artists and performers.

We hope the cheerful and exciting atmosphere of each event will enrich your stay in our country, and that our hospitality will make you feel comfortable and relaxed.

Welcome to Croatia!

Yours truly,Croatian National Tourist Board

4 www.croatia.hr SPECIAL EVENTS IN CROATIA

Forty-five Croatian museums join in the celebration of the Night of Museums, a night when museums do not close their doors after the usual opening hours, but stay open until late at night. Until 1 a.m., to be precise. This way, the mu-seums, as a part of the cultural side of night life, adapt to new trends, modern-ize their activities, and popularize visits to museums. In addition, all museums offer entry free of charge, thus making their exhibitions more accessible than ever.

www.hrmud.hr

NIGHT OF MUSEUMS29 January

Photo: Croatian Museum Association

ISTRIA

6 www.croatia.hr ISTRIA ISTRIA www.croatia.hr 7

LITTLE ACADEMY OF PILCHARDS’ FISHINGFažana1 May - 15 September

PULA SUPERIORVMPula25 - 26 June

Photo: Tourist Board of Istria County Photo: Tourist Board of Pula

ASTROFESTVišnjan21 - 22 June

Photo: Tourist Board of the municipality of Višnjan

ZLATNA SOPELA(THE GOLDEN FLUTE) -THE MEDITERRANEANFOLKLORE FESTIVAL Poreč, 27 June - 3 July

You don’t need to pass an entry test to enrol at the Sardine Academy in Fažana. All you need is a sound appetite and a desire for new gastronomic ex-periences. A stroll down the Pilchards’ road will take you to restaurants and cellars that will introduce you to over a hundred ways of preparing this oily fish. During the month of May you can also partake in the special Fažana School of Pilchard pickling, and learn every-thing about packing fish into tins, about condiments and oils. With this kind of know-how you will be a welcome guest at whichever Pilchards’ Festival along the Adriatic coast you may happen upon.

www.istria-fazana.com

The people of Pula are rightfully proud of their glorious Roman history. Mag-nificent edifices preserved from ancient times amaze guests from all over the world. However, it is especially in-teresting to visit Pula at times when scenes from ancient history walk the streets right in front of our eyes. For a few days, the streets of Pula are turned into a stage of the picturesque Roman theatre - the centre of ancient tragedies and comedies. The Arena remembers its days of glory when gladiators fought within its stone walls. Beautiful women wearing dresses and hairstyles of those ancient times, historical spectacles of sound and light leave us breath-less at almost every corner, while Ro-man feasts and the indigenous Istrian mouth-watering specialties refresh our palate. To put it into a nutshell - in May all roads lead to Pula.

www.pulasuperiorum.hr

On 21 June, the summer solstice, all enthusiasts of astronomy come togeth-er at the hill near the famous Višnjan observatory. The day with the shortest night in the year which, many a legend would have it, is linked to numerous mystic beliefs, is celebrated in a special way. Astrofest is an all-night program of music and performing arts com-mencing with the last sun rays in the evening and ending with the first sun rays in the morning, accompanied by the hypnotic rhythm of drums. Astrofest is a unique event that is proving very at-tractive for lovers of the skies, the stars and spiritual New Age Music.

www.astrofestival.com

In the early summer, Poreč plays host to folklore groups not only from Croatia but also from other Mediterranean countries, and beyond. The programme takes place in the main town square - Trg slobode (Liberty Square), and fas-cinates the audience with its diversity. The vibrant atmosphere and melodies imbued with tradition will draw you into the endless space of music typical of this part of the world.

www.musicistra.org

Photo: Tourist Board of Istria County


THE LABIN ARTREPUBLICLabin1 July - 31 August

EVENINGS OF THE FISHERMEN TRADITION

Rovinj, 9 July,20 and 27 August

FILM FESTIVALPula17 - 24 July

MALMSEY FIESTABrtonigla18 July

Though Malmsey may not be a wine automatically linked to the Istrian pe-ninsula, the true connoisseurs of Is-trian wines are fully aware of its superb quality. It makes one’s palate tingle, and fills one’s heart with joy. The rea-son for this lies in the specific method if its production, where the Istrian wine makers skilfully combine the traditional and the modern ways of both grapevine cultivation and wine production. Come and treat yourself to a glass, or more, of this superb wine.

www.istria-brtonigla.com


In July and a good part of August Labin turns into a veritable small republic of arts. Its Little Theatre, the church, the old square, streets and stairways take on the role of a stage. A variety of thea-tre groups and musicians come to per-form on those “stages”. The sounds of “klapas”, of orchestras of classic and folklore music, and jazz bands resound through the narrow streets of Labin. In August, during the Festival of visual theatre, the musicians relinquish their places to actors. Do not miss the op-portunity to enjoy the ambience of this town which imbues theatre with a com-pletely new visual identity.

www.istria-rabac.com


The town of Rovinj remembers the tradition of its elders through three the-matic manifestations. Notably, it was not all that long ago that life in Rovinj was inconceivable without batana – a local type of boat which became fa-mous throughout the world. To feed their families, the fishermen sailed their batanas out at dawn and returned in the evening with their catch. Evenings of the Fishermen Tradition is a mani-festation which celebrates not only the old customs but also the building of a batana, the launch of which attracts the entire town to the port. Come and be a part of the revival of the traditions that are a part of the people of this beauti-ful town.

www.istria-rovinj.com


Thanks to its screenings in the historical locations of Kaštel and Arena, the Fea-ture Film Festival in Pula is one of the most attractive outdoor film festivals in the world. In fact, few are the festivals which can boast a stage of such histori-cal depth and atmosphere. Continuing its rich, long standing tradition, this year the Festival will offer its visitors, film enthusiasts, various programmes of international and domestic film nov-elties divided into several programme sections. The screenings at Kaštela should be highlighted, where as an overture to the festival, films from the international programme will be shown, as well as screenings from the national programme. This will also include film screenings of current Croatian produc-tions in the Arena. Of course, this year Pula will once again be host to numer-ous attractive film hits.

www.pulafilmfestival.hr

Photo: Neven Lazarević


MOTOVUN FILMFESTIVALMotovun26 - 30 July

ATP STUDENA CROATIA OPENUmag26 July - 1 August

THE LUNASASTRO PARTYNovigrad1 August

THE LEGENDFESTPićan30 July - 1 August

Over the last few years a particular norm has become a rule - come the be-ginning of August, every self-respecting film enthusiast must come to Motovun, when this small Istrian town becomes the Croatian film Mecca. Enchanting and simply beautiful, perched atop a steep mount, it is an idyllic setting for the Festival, which has ignored the increasingly present commercial char-acter of the film industry. Instead, it appreciates independent film produc-tion, in other words, films that set new standards of innovative and artistic expression. In Motovun you can watch professionally selected films within the current world production of vari-ous genres. The five-day marathon of daylong film projections will surely sat-isfy even the most demanding film ap-petites, and the Motovun Film Festival certainly offers top entertainment even when your eyes are not focused on the screen.

www.motovunfilmfestival.com

Photo: Motovun Film Festival d.o.o.

Top athletes and their thrilling sport du-als, the seaside and the inimitable Istri-an ambience along with a carefully cho-sen evening entertainment programme - all this is waiting for you in Umag, the host of the prestigious tennis tourna-ment, the Croatia Open. The best ten-nis players in the world gather in Umag at the end of July and offer all visitors seven days of first class sport, excite-ment. Through its tournament Umag has proven itself in the international circles, not only as multiple winner of the Awards of Excellence for organisa-tion, but also because of its increas-ingly impressive list of tennis players, such as Thomas Muster, Marcello Rios and Carlos Moya. However, Umag of-fers its guests more than just sport - in addition to the afternoon matches, they can enjoy the beauty of the Mediterra-nean, the sea, the sun, and the vibrant atmosphere in the evening, created by prominent musicians and singers per-forming in the town square.

www.croatiaopen.hr

Photo: Neven Gerenčir

The medieval streets of the small town of Pićan are filled with an atmosphere which seems to be out of this world, an atmosphere reminiscent of fairy tales and stories of which we know neither the author, nor the time when they were written. Istria is replete with such stories, legends and myths the plots of which take place in its picturesque for-ests and hills. The Legendfest provides the opportunity for all these stories to be told in one place. Many theatre groups and associations come to Pićan to participate in the Legendfest and through their productions they uncover the world of literary and folk stories of Istria. During the Festival, the entire town is specially decorated with tradi-tional Istrian fabrics, while giants, štrige - or rather witches - as some might call them, pirates, fairies and other fairy tale characters walk the streets.

www.valkulture.hr

Photo: Mladen Sever

Just picture the town bell-tower vanish-ing before your eyes, and its place be-ing taken by the star speckled sky. For that is what the bell-tower of Novigrad is going to look like when, using projec-tors, they immerse it into the infinity of a starry sky. Lunas is the ancient Celtic name for the first day of summer which the Celtic culture celebrated on the 1st of August. In one of the Novigrad parks, dimmed lights will celebrate August 1st, just the way the ancient Celts did. All those who enjoy romantic and mystic things should not miss this event.

www.istria-novigrad.com



SEPOMAIA VIVAUmag2 - 4 August

NIGHT OF ST. LAWRENCERovinj12 August

THE MONTRAKER SCHOOL OF SCULPTINGVrsar30 August - 11 September

DOLPHIN OF POREČPoreč4 September

Not far from Umag is an archeological site of the ancient Sepomaia, with ruins of a rustic villa dating back to the 1st and 4th centuries AD. A mere sight of those ancient remains from Antiquity leaves one in awe of such priceless cultural heritage. In honour of this her-itage, Umag stages the Sepomaia Viva, an annual event, a veritable festival of Antiquity during which all visitors have the opportunity to experience the spirit of times long gone. Dressed in robes of those times, the visitors can enjoy the tastes of antique times, meet gladiators and legionaries, dance ancient dances and engage in some antique arts and crafts. Come to Umag in August and we promise you will forget all about your 21st century daily routine - at least for three days.

www.istria-umag.com

On the night of August 12th, trails of numerous comets streak across the sky. As this day is also the feast of St. Lawrence, this celestial phenomenon became known among the people as the tears of St. Lawrence. To make the experience of the sky criss-crossed with falling stars still more special, the public lighting on the Rovinj water front is turned off so as to allow the stars to shine still brighter. The catering es-tablishments also turn off their lights, making their premises romantic, and creating an atmosphere which imbues one’s soul and relaxes just about eve-ryone.

www.istria-rovinj.com

Photo: The Umag Town Museum Photo: Tourist Board of Istria County

Usually, an abandoned quarry is a sad sight. Yet, if you were to imagine such a quarry to be opened to sculptors, and those sculptors were given freedom to express their creativity in the stone that surrounds them, there would be no room for sadness. That is precisely what is taking place in the Montraker stone quarry in Vrsar during the School of Sculpting. The quarry comes to life, and out of its unused stone, sculptures are born. Come and see for yourself the magic of the moment at this year’s School which is to be led by the re-nowned sculptor Peruško Bogdanić.

www.istria-vrsar.com


For all those who prefer sports compe-titions in natural surroundings this is a far more enjoyable experience than any swimming pool competition can ever be. In Poreč, competitors who come to find out whether they are as swift as a dolphin, swim in the sea regardless of temperature, currents or waves. The Dolphin of Poreč is the central event of the swimming festival, attracting recreational swimmers who compete in several disciplines. The Marathon offers three options: 1500, 3000 and 5000 metres, but there are also the swim-ming sprint races, water polo tourna-ments - both professional and recrea-tional, a sailing regatta and the Croatian Jet-ski Championship. This is how the people of Poreč celebrate their union with the sea, the source of their life and livelihood. Come and join them.

www.poreckidelfin.com

Photo: Igor Zirojević


DAYS OF TRUFFLES11 September -14 November

GIOSTRAPoreč10 - 12 September

ISTRIA MTB TRUFFLES TOUR - PARENZANA CANNONDALE24 - 26 September

TRADITIONALSUBOTINABuzet12 September

No true gourmet in the world should re-gard her or himself as such if, at least once in their life, they have not wanted to taste truffles - the gourmet crown jewel of Istria. Truffles, these odd look-ing mushrooms that grow underground, are a trademark of Istria, and the folk of Istria show their gratitude by jealously guarding the recipes specific to their peninsula. Come autumn, however, the whole of Istria celebrates the Days of Truffles which provide the opportunity for all to savour the wealth of truffles in every possible combination of flavours and to learn about the wonder of truf-fles. Do not take our word, come and taste for yourself.

www.istria-gourmet.com

The historical festival of Giostra takes us back to the distant history of Poreč. To be more precise, back to the year 1672 when, according to the archive records of the Regional Museum of Poreština and the National Archive in Pazin, a popular fiesta known as Fiera franca friudana took place in the streets of Poreč. Its participants competed in crossbow shooting, a variety of dances and popular games, but the main at-traction was the Giostra horse race. Visit Poreč and experience for yourself this return into history.

www.giostra.info

Photo: Tourist Board of Istria CountyPhoto: Tourist Board of Istria County

Parenzana was once a narrow-gauge railroad which, going deep into the Istrian peninsula, from Poreč to Trst, provided a link for 33 Istrian towns. Today, its former track is the venue for a marathon cycling race which, due to the beauty and picturesque quality of its surroundings, has been included in the calendar of the World Cycling Asso-ciation in the Category. Bearing in mind that participation in this race brings world rating points, it is expected that the best cyclists in the world will at-tend, making Parenzana a superb sporting event, and one which sports enthusiasts should not miss.

www.parenzana.comwww.istria-bike.com

A visit to the small town of Buzet at the start of September will take you for a time voyage into history. The fiesta called Subotina has been held in early September since ancient times. Aimed at bringing life to the old-town streets of Buzet, Subotina is still celebrated in its original form, successfully taking us back to the times and the environment in which the people of Buzet used to work and live a long time ago. On the day it is held, the streets are filled with traditional scents and sounds, and the people of Buzet are dressed in original folk costumes and peasant and town dress from the end of the 19th century. To put it in a nutshell, the entire Old Town becomes a museum of customs and traditional crafts, games, musi-cians and food.

www.istria-buzet.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Istria CountyPhoto: Tourist Board of Buzet

KVARNER www.croatia.hr 17

KVARNER

CARNIVAL IN RIJEKARijeka17 January -17 February

DAYS OFAPOKSIOMENMali Lošinj24 - 27 April

A tradition reaching down the centuries to ancient times when ferocious masks, so legends tell us, banished the forces of evil through hilarious rejoicing, has turned Rijeka into the Carnival Capital of Croatia. Throughout the carnival days the city gates are firmly closed to any solemnity and soberness, and are wide open to colourful and carefree merry-making. It will be no different this year. Once the keys of the city are handed over, the carnival revelry will sweep the streets and all those who happen to be in Rijeka. The sea of masks, which allow their wearers to forget their sor-rows, at least for a moment, will spread good humour for days, while the climax of the Carnival comes on its closing day when the grand parade - known as the International Carnival Parade - makes its thunderous way across the city.

www.ri-karneval.com.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

There are only seven preserved statues of the ancient Greek athlete Apoxiomen in the world, and one of them - a bronze statue - was found in 1999 in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, close to the island of Lošinj, stuck between two rocks at the depth of forty-five meters. The athlete, over two thousand years old, was lifted from the depths of the sea and restored in detail. Towards the end of 2010, the Apoxiomen will be permanently exhibited in the Kvarner Palace in Mali Lošinj. To celebrate this significant archaeological discovery, during this time, the people of Lošinj will organise Apoxiomen days where visitors can look at a variety of exhib-its covering the theme of Apoximen: a photographic exhibition, a pottery and jewellery exhibition, archaeological div-ing, antique gastronomy, antique hair styles, Greco-Roman wrestling, special hotel offers of Roman baths and mas-sages... and thus bear witness to the importance of this discovery for our cultural heritage.

www.tz-malilosinj.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

18 www.croatia.hr KVARNER KVARNER www.croatia.hr 19

INTERNATIONALFESTIVAL OF SMALL STAGERijeka, 3 - 11 May

If you are after new experiences, expe-riences which break down the bounda-ries between music and adventure, then the Hartera music festival is just the place for you. When you wander throu-gh the entrances and halls of the former paper factory in Rijeka, which is how the festival got its name, you will hear dance music in the mystical atmosp-here of the factory architecture, which has been refreshed by contemporary artists. Plus, you will be surrounded by the smiling faces of the people who are dancing. Hartera is independently bu-ilding up its image amongst European festivals, and anyone who wants a good time is more than welcome.

www.hartera.com

FIUMANKARijeka12 - 13 June

HARTERA 6Rijeka10 - 12 June

Photo: Darko Vaupotić

THE FROG-CATCHERS’ NIGHTLokve25 - 26 April

Residents of neighbouring villages used to refer to the residents of Lokve, a small village in Gorski kotar situated in a rather wet area full of pools (lokva be-ing the Croatian word for a pool of wa-ter) as Frog-catchers, or indeed Frog-eaters. Once upon a time young men reacted angrily to such mockery and many a bitter battle was fought over it, but with time the folk of Lokve learned to live with jokes at their account, and then went a step further by turning it into their trade mark. Now, come spring time, they organize a fiesta which cel-ebrates not only the frogs, but also all the people of their region. In addition to a variety of dishes the main ingre-dient of which are frogs, the fiesta of-fers what has become its claim to fame - a competition in frog leaps. Owners brings their pets and, to the huge mer-riment and cheering of the gathered crowd, encourage them to jump as long a distance as possible. Without a doubt, an experience difficult to forget.

www.tz-lokve.hr

Photo: Bojan Grgurić

This Festival has become one of the flavourite gathering points for European theatre enthusiasts with a special love for an unconventional approach to the stage and performing arts. At the inter-national level, the name of the Festival stands for provocation and challenge. Independent theatre production has for many years been in full swing and the audiences have recognised it. It there-fore comes as no surprise that some of the most stirring theatre productions have been produced by the creative energy of small theatre stages. In ad-dition to theatres from all the neigh-bouring countries, theatres from the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and other European countries have also performed in Rijeka. Among the many famous names, we should highlight the performance of the leading lady of the Italian Theatre, Emmy Dante, and the winner of the European award for new theatre realities, Alvis Hermanis. We believe this year’s Festival will surprise us in a pleasant way with its guest per-formers and various shows.

www.theatrefestival-rijeka.hr

Photo: Petar Fabijan

The view which will leave one quite breathless is undoubtedly the view of the Bay of Rijeka streaked with a myriad of white sails. Yachtsmen from across the world gather once a year at the Great Fiumanka regatta, which follows the route between Rijeka to Omišalj and back, and takes every ounce of strength from even the most experienced. This year, a press regatta called NCPress Fiumanka will be held within the main regatta. A real must for all sport and adrenaline addicts.

www.fiumanka.hr

Photo: St. Valter


SUMMER INFUŽINEFužine, 13 June -22 August

SUMMER ON LOUISIANA AND CAROLINA

Delnice19 June - 18 July

SUMMER OFCULTUREMalinska, 15 June -30 August

SUMMER AT GRADINA (FORTRESS)Rijeka, 19 June -12 September

In summertime, the banks of the at-tractive Lake Bajer become a venue for entertainment events such as con-certs or sporting events. The hosts in Fužine provide these events to supple-ment their visitors’ stay in this beautiful mountainous region. While the pleasant temperature of Saturday nights in the mountains caresses your skin, and music stars provide a delight for your ears, the gastronomic offer, including unusual and mysterious dishes of the Croatian mountains, will attend to your palate.

www.tz-fuzine.hr

Photo: Marinko Jakovljević

Malinska on Krk offers its guests an im-pressive cultural programme, enriching their summer holiday and making it even more precious and memorable. Sounds of classical instruments spread from the Monastery of St. Mary in June, July and August. Some of the most talented Croatian musicians choose Malinska as a place to demonstrate the wealth of their talent. In addition, the St. Nicholas Gallery exhibits works painted by numerous recognized artists such as Aleksandar Forenbaher, Mauro Stipanov and Antun Haller. Don’t let your holiday in Malinska go by without enriching your soul with a touch of culture.

www.tz-malinska.hr

Photo: Nediljko Vučetić

Once upon a time, important interna-tional routes went through Gorski kotar. In the early 18th century, the Carolina Road was built as an important route connecting Karlovac with the town of Bakar. However, the terrain it passed through was rugged, which prompted the construction of a new road at the beginning of the 19th century - this one being named Louisiana after Napoleon’s wife Mary Louise. At the time, Louisiana was one of the most modern roads in Europe, and it brought significant ben-efits to the population of Gorski kotar. Today these two roads no longer hold their former significance, but the mem-ory of their golden age is still preserved by this summer event. During these days, caravans of travelers dressed in keeping with the times travel up and down the Louisiana and Carolina, music can be heard from behind every corner, while the hosts take every opportunity to ply one with homemade food and pastries. Come and join the procession of princes and other nobility and their sumptuously decked coaches.

www.lujzijana.com

During all three summer months, visi-tors to Rijeka have the opportunity to participate in various cultural pro-grammes, which take place at Trsatska gradina (fortress), built in the place of the former Roman observation post as a means of defence against the Turkish army. Within the walls of this historic edifice, a cultural and entertainment programme takes place, hosting nu-merous famous Croatian actors and singers. Find your place, cool down from the summer heat among the for-tress walls, and enjoy the productions and concerts.

www.bascinskiglasi.hr

Photo: St. ValterPhoto: Ninoslav Pleše


SUMMER NIGHTSIN RIJEKARijeka30 June - 24 July

THE KASTAV SUMMEROF CULTUREKastav4 July - 30 August

SUMMER CARNIVALNovi Vinodolski2 - 3 July

LIBURNIAJAZZ FESTIVALOpatija2 - 4 July

During the summer months, the squares, streets and terraces of Rijeka are turned into theatre stages. Popular town locations, but also places that the citizens of Rijeka themselves find dif-ficult to envisage as possible stages for actors and theatre props, are for a few weeks turned over to artists of widely diverse styles of musical and scenic expression. The Festival programme comprises everything, from classical drama productions, premieres of more recent works for drama theatre and concerts of classical music, to street theatres and concerts by pop stars. One of the crucial elements of the Festival is probing into the contemporary relations between the industrial architecture and theatre, which is why some of the pro-ductions are staged on the premises of old industrial plants.

www.rijeckeljetnenoci.com

Photo: Dražen Šokčević

In the summer months, parades of masked people make their noisy way through some of the towns in the Kvarner area. Novi Vinodolski is no ex-ception - in July, it opens its gates to the masked revelers and temporarily cedes power to the summer carnival. Needless to say, that is a time with no room for serious faces and dark glares, a fun and laughter infectiously spread through the town. Leave your worries behind, hide behind a mask and remind yourself how beautiful life really is.

www.tz-novi-vinodolski.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Novi Vinodolski

On a hill above Rijeka lies the small town of Kastav, a town of culture and education. In keeping with this tradi-tion, summers in Kastav offer a rich cultural programme where visitors can find a wide range of drama, music and art events. Numerous plays, concerts featuring local and international musi-cians, and various exhibitions enhance still further the romantic atmosphere that charms those who come to the Kastav Summer of Culture.

www.kkl.hr

Photo: Vjekoslav Šabarić

If you happen to be passionate about jazz, then summer in Opatija is both the right time and the right place for you. If you don’t see jazz as a com-plex and self-contained musical form intended solely for musicians, rather than a broader audience, the Libur-nia Jazz Festival addresses you even more than hardcore jazz buffs. This is exactly what the event is about: bring-ing jazz music closer to a wider music audience. Thanks to this, you can enjoy the music-playing skills of some of the most talented jazz virtuosi within the festival and actively participate in jazz workshops aimed at demonstrating that jazz is one of the music styles open to anyone’s affinity. Come to Opatija and become a part of the international jazz community.

www.liburniajazz.hr

Photo: Davor Hrvoj


MUSIC EVENINGSOF OSOROsor12 July - 22 August

THE FJERA OF RABRab25 - 27 July

VINODOL SUMMER EVENINGSBribir, Grižane, Tribalj and Drivenik, 14 July - 23 August

KAISERNACHTOpatija16 - 18 July

Summer guests of the Vinodol riviera should be prepared for a holiday which will, apart from the sun and blessings of the Adriatic coast, provide a true musical experience. In historic loca-tions around Novi Vinodolski, such as the Francopan fortresses in Bribir and Drivenik, concerts which, with their variety, broaden our horizons, are held throughout the summer. In compli-ment to the atmosphere of moonlit ancient wooden landmarks, the Vinodol Summer Evenings offer top class per-formances of classical music pieces. Individual evenings are reserved for Croatian ethno music, which uncovers the roots of our culture. Yet, do not be surprised if instead of musicians, ac-tors take to the stage; from this year, the people of Vinodol are preparing nu-merous theatrical surprises, with which your cultural holiday will be fulfilled.

www.tz-vinodol.hr

Photo: Dino Lovrić

While walking the narrow streets of small picturesque towns on the island of Lošinj and Cres, hearing music coming from behind closed shutters, seems to be the most natural thing in the world. The small town of Osor, which hides an ancient theatre among its buildings, exudes a special artistic atmosphere. If you stop for a moment outside the renaissance Church of the Blessed Vir-gin Mary in Osor, you will hear music that seems to have been composed specifically for that place and that mo-ment. However, the music will not be imaginary - a concert is actually given in the church, just one within a series of summer concerts given by our best musicians who come to take part in the Music Evenings of Osor.

www.osor-festival.hr

Photo: Bojan Purić

The magnificent architecture and beau-tiful parks of the Jewel of the Adriatic can take you to another world, a world of fairy tales in which princes are still riding white horses and proposing to their princesses. That is because Opatija is a piece of heritage left by the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy for whose courtiers it was the favourite place of rest. This royal resort has always been appealing to kings, emperors, princes, counts and baronesses, and very often to artists searching for inspiration. You can meet them all again in the month of July on the streets of Opatija when, with the aim of reviving this atmos-phere, the people of Opatija dress up in court clothes and take part in an event which takes the entire town back a few centuries into the past.

www.opatija-tourism.hr

Photo: David Kurti - Foto Luigi

The holidays of the St. Jacob, St. An-thony and St. Christopher take Rab way back to its medieval past. Competitions in the ancient games of chivalry are presented through the magnificent Rab Crossbow Tournament where knights compete and fight for the award, tra-ditionally presented by the Prince Elect of Rab. The atmosphere is enhanced by musicians and flag bearers, while all the participants dressed in medieval costumes are free to join the great pro-cession through the streets. The Rab Fjera revives the memory of what the town used to be like in the times when it was celebrating its freedom and its independent municipality.

www.fjera.hr

Photo: Goran Novotny


Summers on the Adriatic islands rarely surprise us. We are prepared for everyt-hing that the imagination can conjure up. Yet the Krk knights and their ladi-es actually manage to go beyond our expectations. It is precisely such scenes from the past that are waiting for you on Krk – the knights compete in a variety of contests of knightly skills, maritime battles occur in the town port, and pira-tes search for long forgotten treasures. You need not be afraid of being harmed by any of them; on the contrary, you will be able to follow all the events in peace and enjoy the blessings of original coo-king from Krk. This is Lovrečeva.

www.tz-krk.hr

LITTLE ROSE OF VINODOL

Grižane 13 August,Bribir 14 August,Novi Vinodolski 19 - 21 August

KRK FAIR - LOVREČEVAKrk8 - 10 August

Photo: Ivica Brusić - Brujo

PILGRIMAGE ON THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Rijeka, Trsat15 August

LIBURNIA FILMFESTIVALIčići27 - 30 August

A story from ancient times has survived among the residents of Novi Vinodolski, handed down the centuries by word of mouth. Traditionally, during the grape harvest, in which all the young took part, special attention was paid to girls, and which one among them was the most hard working. Once the harvest was completed, the prettiest and the most diligent girl was selected and crowned with a crown made from the grapevine, and the whole celebration of a success-ful grape harvest was dedicated to her. The people of Vinodol decided to revive this tradition, and celebrate their past in a manner suited to present times. Guests of the festivity can savour in-digenous dishes of Vinodol, enjoy the local eco-products, partake in different popular games and relax to the sound of tambouritza music.

www.tz-novi-vinodolski.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Novi Vinodolski

One morning back in 1291, the lum-berjacks of Trsat saw a cottage in the woods that had not been there before. Frightened and puzzled, they notified Pastor Jurjević of the miracle, and he calmed them down, telling them he knew what it was all about. This hap-pened to be the Nazareth cottage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which the angels had moved to Trsat in fear of the Turk-ish conquerors, where it had stood for a full three years and seven months. Then came the time for the cottage to continue its journey to Loreto where it was destined to be in the first place. To console the locals, Prince Martin Frankopan decided to build a Fran-ciscan monastery in the same place. Today, Trsat has its Shrine of the Vir-gin Mary, known for many answered prayers and pilgrimages involving many people, especially on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

www.rijeka-nadbiskupija.com

Photo: Tourist Board of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County

Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the recent productions of Croatian doc-umentary films under the bright starry skies above Ičići. This is provided by the programme within the Liburnia Film Festival - in addition to a few premieres, all local documentaries awarded at do-mestic and international film festivals during the previous year are regularly shown here. Such a selection provides the visitors with the best of documen-taries produced in Croatia. After the projections, share your impressions with other people while enjoying the performances of superb music guests of the Festival.

www.liburniafilmfestival.com

Photo: Dino


DAYS OF THEKRK WINESVrbnik28 - 29 August

THE CHESTNUTFESTIVALLovran15 - 31 Ocotber

DAYS OF OLIVESPunat10 - 19 October

NEW YEAR SPEARFISHING CHAMPIONSHIP

Mali Lošinj28 - 30 December

Whenever we introduce our wines and rich tradition of Croatian winemaking on the global market, something this country is very proud of, winemakers from Vrbnik on the island of Krk invari-ably find their place in that company, and take great pleasure in accepting the honour. Every year in the month of August, they invite all those who delight in wine - either in making it or simply enjoying a drink of it. The gathering enables guests to enjoy daylong wine presentations and sampling, to buy quality wines directly from produc-ers, as well as to taste autochthonous gastronomic products of the Island of Krk. In addition to the pleasures of the palate, be they induced by food or by drink, one can view attractive exhibi-tions of winemaking and winegrowing equipment of Krk, and the magic of the winemaking process that cannot be found in modern industrial production facilities.

www.vrbnik.hr

Photo: Rino Gropuzzo

It is hard to imagine the Adriatic Sea without recalling the scent of olives and the taste of olive oil. Olives are highly appreciated in our cuisine, so it is no wonder that Punat on the Island of Krk has its Days of Olives, an event pre-senting the guests with the complete benefits of this healing fruit. This is a unique opportunity for you to take part in the olive harvest and experience a small part of the islanders’ daily rou-tine. While you are picking, the hosts will serve you a home-made snack to the sound of sopile (a woodwind instru-ment similar to oboe), while a true feast is served come evening with the best cooks from all over Croatia competing in preparing olive based dishes for you to try.

www.tzpunat.hr

Photo: Ernest Bonifačić

The quality of chestnuts in the Lovran area is known to be among the high-est in the world. This variety of chest-nut is endemic to the Kvarner region, because it is the product of hybridiza-tion between the chestnuts brought home from the Far East by sea fearers of Lovran and the local varieties. Being very proud of their chestnuts, the folk of Lovran dedicate three weekends in October to them - the first weekend in Lovran itself, and the other two in the nearby villages of Liganj and Dobreč, where the festivity called Marunada takes place. You will find various prod-ucts made of chestnuts - from the tra-ditional roasted chestnuts and other dishes prepared with them, to a variety of deserts, gateaux and pastries. There are also other delights to be enjoyed, such as meads, honey based brandies and local young wine.

www.tz-lovran.hr

Photo: Ana Slamek

The best confirmation of how highly the people of Lošinj regard the spear fishing skill is the monument to a spear fisherman erected in one of the town squares. The mild Mediterranean cli-mate the island is blessed with enables its inhabitants to provide spear fisher-men with the unforgettable experience of competing just before New Year. The New Year Championship comprises two cups: New Year Cities Cup and Europe-an Nations Cup; both cups are equally attractive because each dive-in takes one’s breath away and results in loud cheering by the audience. It is an op-portunity to celebrate the New Year in the company of extremely brave people and a truly sportsmanlike environment.

www.cres-losinj.net/udica

Photo: Miro Andrić

LIKA - KARLOVAC www.croatia.hr 31

L IKA - KARLOVAC

NOBILITY FAIRDubovac17 May - 4 June

In order to celebrate their town’s pa-tron saint, St. Anthony, on June 13th, the people of Novalja start the long hot summer with a wide range of cultural - artistic and entertainment events. The Novalja cultural summer is made up of, amongst other things, the “Novaljski trijatar”, which this year will play host to a series of drama events, classical musical concerts performed by local and visiting musicians, a variety of art exhibitions, a special exhibition of Pag sheep and Pag cheese, and an ethno evening which will include a Festival of Nakanat Songs from the island of Pag. With such events, the summer in Nova-lja lasts even longer.

www.tz-novalja.hr

NOVALJA CULTURAL SUMMERNovaljaJune - September

Photo: Eugen Rebernišak

For two weeks every year the small town of Dubovac returns to the Middle Ages. Celebrating the long and interest-ing history of a town which has lived a vibrant trading life long before Karlovac was established, the people of the area organize a Great fair. Passing through the streets of that fair one learns about medieval customs, crafts, arms, games and food. Costume entertainment is provided by actors and musicians, mer-chants and craftsmen who, like medi-eval court jesters, do their best to entice visitors to their stands, while knights in shining armor and soldiers from historic units fight for their attention. One never knows, good fortune might decide that some lucky chap gets to ride a white steed and free his maiden from the black tower.

www.karlovac-touristinfo.hr

Photo: Igor Čepurkovski

32 www.croatia.hr LIKA - KARLOVAC LIKA - KARLOVAC www.croatia.hr 33

SUMMER IN SLUNJSlunjJuly - August(weekends)

MIDSUMMER NIGHT BONFIREBanija and Gaza - banks of the river Kupa, 23 June

THE OGULIN FAIRYTALE FESTIVALOgulin10 - 14 June

A mere mention of the name of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić brings sparkles to chil-dren’s eyes. Her name reminds them of the countless adventures of characters from Croatian fairy tales, and among them Šuma Striborova (Stribor’s For-est), the playful Tintilinići and curious Potjeh searching for truth. Ivana Brlić Mažuranić is one of our most famous and most translated authors of fairy tales, which enchant children and de-light adults with their imaginativeness. To celebrate the life and work of their famous citizen the people of Ogulin organize the Fairy Tale Festival which transforms their town into a fairyland. Theatrical groups, writers and musi-cians come to Ogulin to perform plays, give cartoon projections and organise workshops for children, thus stimulat-ing their creativity and imagination. Forget about reality for a few days and walk down the road accompanied by fairies, dwarfs and other creatures, in-cluding of course, ugly evil witches.

www.ogfb.hr

Photo: Ankica Puškarić

On the night before the festivity cel-ebrating the birth of St. John the Bap-tist, a magical lightshow takes place on the banks of the river Kupa. The folk of Banovina and Gaza, each on their own side of the river, seem to compete in who will make the most magnificent bonfire. Their bonfires light up the night sky filling everyone around with the sense of the Lord’s presence. Sighs of amazement spread among the visi-tors, and carried by a gentle breeze the sparks fly high into the dark skies.


Photo: Vedran Skukan

The townsfolk of Slunj spend their long summer days having fun. In July and August, a number of sports & rec-reation events take place in Slunj. The Summer in Slunj begins with the tradi-tional games on the Korana River, and continues with the upcoming weekends in all kinds of directions - from standard sports such as soccer, beach volleyball or bowling to those less traditional such as paintball, weight lifting or the moun-tain games - the traditional Olympics of old sports. In addition to all these sport-ing events, the locals are also focused on culture, arranging a whole range of exhibitions, nights of young bands, book promotions and art colonies. Enjoy your Summer in Slunj!

www.tz-slunj.hr

Photo: Ivančica Cindrić

KARLSTADT FESTIVALKarlovac23 June - 6 September

The Karlstadt Festival encompasses all the cultural events taking place in June and July in the town of Karlovac. How-ever, 13th of July is quite a special day – the day regarded as the birthday of the town of Karlovac, also known as the town of four rivers - which is why it has been designated as the central point of the Festival. This year the citizens of Karlovac are celebrating the 431th birthday of their town. The occasion is to be marked by a real birthday party that is going to be enhanced by a va-riety of entertainment and gastronomic programmes. We are expecting you to come too, to wish a happy birthday to our town and join this wonderful party.


Photo: Tourist Board of Karlovac County

34 www.croatia.hr LIKA - KARLOVAC LIKA - KARLOVAC www.croatia.hr 35

INTERNATIONALSUMMER CARNIVALIN SENJSenj, 2 - 7 August

EKO-ETHNO GACKAOtočac24 July

If you want to spend your summer ho-liday enjoying total peace and doing absolutely nothing, then don’t think of visiting Karlobag because the people of Karlobag have thought up an active summer full of events and opportunities for their guests. Aside from being able to enjoy the tastes of the local food and drink in Karlobag, on the main square – on the old “Baška placa” - you can enjoy dance evenings or a fish party two evenings a week. Those who want a little more serious fun can enjoy the sounds of classical music that can be heard in the church of St. Jospeh. The sun and sea will look after everyone else.

www.tz-karlobag.hr

KARLOBAG SUMMERKarlobag20 July - 20 August

Photo: Tourist Board of Karlobag

The Gacka valley is a true natural health resort. The clean mountain air and the abundance of healing herbs, which you can literally pick by the side of the road, are values that the locals have culti-vated for centuries. Each visit to the re-gion is a reward for both body and soul, while the traditional fair in Otočac is an opportunity to take some of these val-ues home with you. People living on the slopes of Velebit are very familiar with recipes for numerous products made of honey and healing herbs, various jams and brandies, wool and wood products, and the Gacka fair offers them all in one place.

www.tz-otocac.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Otočac

For the people of Senj their Summer Festival is probably the most important event of the year. For weeks before the start, the carnival atmosphere pen-etrates into the most hidden corners of the town. When it starts, the carni-val fun lasts the whole week, without stopping – masked groups compete in the carnival games, there is a masked motorised Alka, dance performances, street performances, pavement paint-ing and so on. Amidst all the events that accompany it, the carnival parade, with as many as 3000 masked revel-lers, is undoubtedly the peak of the whole week.

www.tz-senj.hr

Photo: Foto Kebar

Senj is a coastal town under the brow of northern Velebit, and its celebrated history is marked by the bravery of the Uskok knights. On the most famous days of its history, the people of Senj remember these past times with the Uskok Days – a three day event of hi-story revived. Knight’s tournaments and processions are held on these days in Senj, and the entire town is under si-ege all day and all night. Visitors can find sanctuary from this excitement in the knight’s inns where medieval spe-cialities are prepared, or they can lose themselves in the medieval comedies, entertainers and renaissance players.

www.tz-senj.hr

USKOČKI DANISenj9 - 11 July

Photo: Dino Lovrić

36 www.croatia.hr LIKA - KARLOVAC

DALMATIA - ZADAR

AUTUMN IN LIKAGospić2 - 3 October

The beauty of the mountains of Lika can make us forget where we come from and where we are going, and their magic often takes us back to a different time, a feeling which can also be ex-perienced at the manifestation organ-ised by the people of Gospić under the name of the Autumn in Lika. The central event is an exhibition where the visitors can testify to and learn about the skills and potentials of small farms and en-terprises in Lika. The exhibition also presents some traditional features of the region such as food, and utility and decorative items that have been made by the locals for ages. The exhibition is enhanced by cultural groups and clubs whose music rounds off the full experi-ence of Lika.

www.licko-senjska.hr

Photo: Ivica Šubarić

38 www.croatia.hr DALMATIA - ZADAR DALMATIA - ZADAR www.croatia.hr 39

FLOWER FESTIVALSv. Filip i Jakov23 - 25 April

PILGRIMAGE OF OUR LADY OF ZEČEVOZadar, 5 and 10 May,5 August

Brave Chief Winnetou rode around our Paklenica National Park (as well as Krka and Plitvica Lakes) but only on film – the natural beauty of these parks were used for a film made forty years ago, and based on the famous book by Karl May. Today, thanks to this event, you can enjoy the locations where the film was recorded, enjoy the natural beauty of Croatia, try out horse riding or ar-chery, or sit around a camp fire in the evening, tasting a variety of delicacies and enjoying country music. All this fo-llows the trail of Winnetou!

www.rivijera-paklenica.hr

FOLLOWING THE TRAIL OF WINNETOUStarigrad - Paklenica29 May - 5 June

Photo: Tourist Board of the municipality of Starigrad

A six hundred metre long table? This sounds a little unrealistic, but in Biograd na Moru, this table really does exist. It is traditionally put up, and it is impossible to imagine all the things that are on it. There is food and drink as far as the eye can see, and these are local products that are made according to original re-cipes and are prepared for visitors by the restaurant owners of the county of Zadar. On the table are also souvenirs that have been gathered from all over Croatia and neighbouring countries such as Slovenia, Hungary and Italy. There are a total of 232 exhibitors all on the same table. A sight that should definitely not be missed.

www.biogradnamoru.hr

A FESTIVAL OF LOCAL FOOD, DRINK, SOUVE-NIRS AND FOLKLORE

Biograd n/m, 4 - 6 June

Photo: Saša Samac

For nine years now the month of April in Sv. Filip and Jakov has been dedi-cated to flowers. Come and abandon yourself to the intoxicating fragrances rising from the field of flowers and en-joy the magnificent collage of colours. Take a deep breath and allow yourself to be swept by the sumptuous beauty of nature aided by human hand. In ad-dition to offering a feast for one’s eyes, The Zadar County Flower Festival also enables the visitors to take part in the eco- workshops, presentations, adviso-ry sessions and lectures, competitions in flower arrangements, exhibitions and fashion shows. A flower has always been, and will foreever remain the gift most dearest to our soul.

www.sv-filipjakov.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Sv.Filip i Jakov

Long ago, in 1516, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to shepherds on the is-land of Zečevo, which is located at the heart of the Parish of Nin. The numerous witnesses of this apparition encouraged Bishop Juraj Divnić to form the holiday, Our Lady of Zečevo, on the day of the apparition, the 5th of May, which the ar-eas surrounding Nin still commemorate, even today. The faithful come from dif-ferent areas and go on a pilgrimage for the Blessed Virgin Mary because of the miraculous events which occurred over the last five hundred years. On the 5th of August, a statue of the Virgin Mary is carried by boat to the site where the apparition occurred. Let the spiritual experience of this pilgrimage become a part of your life!

www.nin.hr

Photo: Marija Dejanović


MUSIC EVENINGSIN ST. DONATUSZadar5 July - 11 August

FESTIVAL OF THEROYAL CITIESBiograd26 - 27 June

THE ZADAR SUMMEROF THEATREZadar29 June - 4 August

Last year, Biograd won the prestigious Silver Flower of Europe award, by which the town was successfully presented as one of the most attractive tourist des-tinations of the old continent. Biograd participated in the competition for the award with its summer festival held on the streets of its beautiful old town core - the Festival of Royal Cities, a rather unique presentation of sustainable de-velopment. The participants present old crafts, eco-products and souvenirs, and the event is also adorned by flower ar-rangements exhibited at the flower and landscaping exhibition.


Photo: Tourist Board of Biograd on the sea

Historical buildings of Zadar that have impressed guests on the Adriatic coast for centuries are the venues of a pro-gramme that will add a special touch of culture to your summer holiday. The programme is dedicated to stage piec-es, which means the visitors are able to follow a gripping plot of a theatre play one evening, and enjoy a dance chore-ography the next. However, the Zadar Summer of Theatre is just as open to music, so you can be sure to have the opportunity to enjoy superb perform-ances from Croatian and international musicians.

www.hkk-zadar.hr

Photo: Željko Karavida

The Church of St. Donatus is the most distinctive cultural monument in Za-dar. Its magnificence and impressive acoustics are the main reasons why such a serious festival takes place on its premises. The Music Evenings in the Church of St. Donatus include medie-val, renaissance and baroque concerts, thus offering the visitors a chance to enjoy all the values this type of music has to offer. The concerts held in such a sacral ambience also provide the lis-teners with a spiritual experience. The melodies reach deep into one’s soul, their harmony taking us to a different world. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and surrender to the relaxing energy of the music.

www.donat-festival.com

Photo: Vladimir Ivanov

SUMMER OF CULTURE THE ISLAND OF UGLJAN

Preko, Ugljan, Kali, Kukljica1 July - 31 August

If you choose to spend your holiday on the Island of Ugljan, one thing is certain, it is going to be an active one. The is-land is teeming with all kinds of events taking you to a different place every day. Among them, some deserve spe-cial mention: Poetry Evenings at Brižić dvor, Regatta in Ugljan, the Čeprdljen Night of Fishermen Lanterns, Boat Procession and Antiques Fair, while brodettos and all kinds of seafood delicacies are available within the Kali Fishermen’s Nights in Kali. Kukljica has its Festival of the Our Lady of Snow in-volving up to a hundred boats in their traditional procession, while the fiesta known as Priješka legrica, taking place in Preko, is something you are bound to hear about when you get on the ferry leaving from Zadar. The temptations full of fun and entertainment provided by the island of Ugljan are not intended for those seeking a solitary holiday, but those who wish to learn about the local culture will feel as though they were in heaven.

www.preko.hrwww.ugljan.hrwww.kali.hrwww.kukljica.hr

Photo: Valentin Bakota


KALELARGART - FESTIVAL OF STREET ARTISTSZadar, 29 - 31 July

NIGHT OF THEFULL MOONZadar26 July

THE NIN ŠOKOL FIESTANin18 July

The tradition of šokol - a dish prepared with dry-cured pork neck in the region of Nin, reaches back to the 17th cen-tury. To this day, the tradition is going strong, so much so in fact, that each family is said to have its own recipe for this tasty dish, and it is this variety that has given the rise to the organization of this delectable manifestation. Prepara-tions for the competition begin in Janu-ary with the treatment of meat. The competition is accompanied by a hot atmosphere resembling that of the big-gest sporting events, culminating with the presentation of the Šokol-maker of the Year award and tasting of the food prepared. Strictly guarded from the out-side world, the Šokol Fiesta is a unique opportunity to try this autochthonous dish.

www.nin.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Nin

During the Night of the Full Moon, the Zadar quay celebrates the happy co-habitation of the island and coastal cultures. The harmonious cohabitation of these two cultures is something the residents of the Zadar region are par-ticularly proud of - for centuries they have lived by trading with one another. Today, this celebration is an invitation to all to come and find out what life used to be like. Public lighting on the quay is shut down, lanterns and can-dles are lit, and people meet under the full moon, chatting and enjoying the ir-resistible tastes of local specialties and quality wines. The picturesque game of shadows created at the occasion is something you will never forget.

www.tzzadar.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Zadar

Streets are a place of freedom and unfettered expression. This is why it is always nice to see artists and other creative individuals performing in them, particularly in the old parts of cities and towns – like for instance in Kalelagra in Zadar. For three days, countless ac-robats, jugglers, fire eaters, magicians, wire dancers, all kinds of performers, artists, designers and graffitists turn the Zadar peninsula into a world barely edging with reality. The unhindered street culture is bound to have some-thing for each and everyone of us, so do not miss to award it with a warm applause.

www.rmc-zadar.com

Photo: Tourist Board of Zadar

SUMMER CARNIVALIN PAGPag30 - 31 July

It should be pointed out that the Sum-mer carnival on the Island of Pag is the oldest carnival on the Adriatic. This fact alone is a guarantee to all visitors of a rather special experience should they choose to take part in the Carnival. The Carnival goes on for two days - the pa-rade takes place on the first day - and culminates on 26th August, when the best and most attractive masks are cho-sen and rich awards presented. Cultural clubs and children’s choirs keep the at-mosphere bubbling, and those among the visitors who succumb to the mer-riment of the carnival are welcome to join the traditional wheel-dance of Pag, accompanied by the town Brass Band. The Carnival reaches its climax at the closing ceremony when the Carnival Prince Marko is burnt on the main town square, which, according to the local belief, should cast away all evil forces for the whole of the following year.

www.pag-tourism.hr

Photo: Josip Fabijanić


THE SALI FIESTASali, Dugi otok6 - 8 August

THE BIOGRADNIGHTBiograd4 August

SUMMER IN PAGPag1 - 10 August

In August, the small renaissance town of Pag plays host to the Festival of Classical Music organised and man-aged by our world-famous pianist Lovro Pogorelić. Guided by the idea of enriching and ennobling both the lives of the locals and the holiday time of their guests by quality programmes, Pogorelić launched the Festival that now brings top musicians to Pag. This year will be no different, already an-nounced is the arrival of the Julliard Quartet from the United States, the cel-list Kajana Pačko, the Brahms Trio from Moscow, and the Capella Istropolitana Ensemble.

www.pag-tourism.hr

Photo: Josip Fabijanić

Wherever they are held, the summer festivals along the Adriatic coast are something you should not miss. The atmosphere prevailing at such festivals cannot be felt anywhere else in the world, and the Biograd Festival only confirms this. Come to Biograd and dance till dawn to the music performed for you by cultural clubs, harmony-singing groups and bands. A whole range of various dishes will be on offer, bringing the original tastes and aromas of the Dalmatian cuisine closer to you. The Biograd Festival is bound to relax you, feed you, and provide you with carefree fun.



When ships from Sali sail into the port of Zadar, bringing with them the sounds of “donkey music”, it is a sign to all that the Sali Fiesta, popular across the whole of the Adriatic, has begun. Lark-ing about through the streets of Za-dar and playing “donkey music”, the merry parade invites everyone to join the three-day celebration in a relaxed atmosphere. The following evening the mouth-watering aromas of the Fish-ermen’s Night will make your palate crave for food. It will not be easy to de-cide what to try first among the many specialties like brodettos, pilchards and tuna dishes, surrounded by the mel-low atmosphere of Dalmatian nights still further enhanced by the melodies of Dalmatian harmony singing groups. Sport-inclined visitors interested in try-ing new and unusual sports will get into their own on the third day of the Fiesta, which comes to an end with the popu-lar Night of Sali when entertainment is provided by well known pop stars. The Fiesta ends on Sunday with the traditional Donkey Race, a spectacular event and a barrel of laughs.

www.dugiotok.hr

Photo: German Grbin

SUMMER GAMESIN PAKOŠTANEPakoštane7 - 8 August

Pakoštane shakes with fun and cheer-ing when the first competitors, some of whom are not in the best of shapes, appear on the field of play, be it on dry land or on the sea, and start competing in traditional games. Games like rope pulling, the donkey race, fetching sea cucumbers or the sack race are always hilarious. What is particularly interest-ing is that the competitors are usually tourists, visitors to Pakoštane who de-cided to taste the legendary Dalmatian competitive spirit up close. Of course, the winning team always gets an award which they often share with all the viewers.

www.pakostane.hr

Photo: Jakov Đinatić


THE ZADAR SEAZadarOctober

HOW OUR ANCESTORS LIVED AND WORKEDSv. Filip i Jakov30 August


Starigrad-Paklenica15 August

The magnificent ambience of the Velebit Mountain and the direct contact with nature that believers experience dur-ing this pilgrimage enriches them spir-itually in a manner they find difficult to convey through words. Celebrating the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, believers join in a pilgrim-age to the small Church of Our Lady, a votive shrine of the people from the foothills of Velebit and of mountaineers, which is located on Veliki Rujan - the largest plateau of Velebit, and a place safely removed from any intrusion by civilization. Upon their return from the pilgrimage, the believers are welcomed with a traditional festivity that takes place on the main quay in Starigrad. After being spiritually fulfilled, this is a perfect opportunity to refresh your body with some good local food and dance till dawn.

www.rivijera-paklenica.hr

Photo: Šime Strikoman

What is it like to live by the sea, live by the tidal cycles and depend on the di-rection of the wind? Perhaps it sounds ungrateful, but people living by the sea want nothing more. The sea is their life, their greatest love and their best friend. The event celebrating the tradition of living by the sea aims to demonstrate all this. It is celebrated with pictures, verse and music, or rather with exhi-bitions of old boat models, poetry and harmony singing evenings. It is cel-ebrated by aromas and flavours of sea-food specialties prepared in the main square, and through the presentation of traditional crafts and forgotten skills - traditional boat repairing, netting, rope tying and knotting, and of course, by conquering the open seas, which you can experience if you join the Zadar-ska Koka regatta where anyone brave enough is welcome.

www.tzzadar.hr

Photo: Filip Brala

Through song and dance the cultural clubs of the area of Sveti Filip i Jakov (St. Philip and Jacob) depict for their visitors the life and customs of their forefathers in the area of Sveti Filip i Jakov. A first class experience is guar-anteed by performances of more widely known culture clubs Sv. Ivan Glavosijek from Raštane Donje and Maslina from Turanj, as well as the local harmony singing group Cantus. Young talent of the area is demonstrated by Đardin - the Students’ Cooperative. Needless to say, the whole event is spiced up by local cuisine.

www.sv-filipjakov.hr

Photo: Klara Eškinja Glavan

THE BIOGRAD BOAT AND CHARTER SHOWBiograd21 - 24 October

The autumn nautical show in Biograd is a place where one can obtain plenty of information regarding sailing, close a lucrative deal or have a good time. As it happens, the events within the show are scheduled in a way which makes room for both business and pleasure. During the day, the show is focused on professional seminars and nautical associations’ meetings. When the ex-hibitors close their tents, all available areas in town are filled with concerts and similar events, ensuring relaxation for visitors at the end of a hard busi-ness day.

www.marinakornati.com


DALMACIJA - ZADAR www.hrvatska.hr 49DALMATIA - ŠIBENIK www.croatia.hr 49

DALMATIA - Š IBENIK

INTERNATIONALCHILDREN’S FESTIVAL

Šibenik19 June - 3 July

ECO & ETHNO FAIRSkradin1 - 2 May

In June and July, Šibenik becomes a city of children, a city celebrating children’s imagination and creativity. This year it will be host to children of the world, for the fif-tieth year in a row, and its streets will be taken over by children’s creations. Just as every year for the past four decades, those who value this children’s world of games, joy and goodness will surely come and visit. Notwithstanding the rich tradition of this city, it is the children and the now traditional International Chil-dren’s Festival - a unique cultural event of world proportions during which the city squares are surrendered to children and dedicated to the development of all the artistic forms of their creative drive - that have become the trademark of Šibenik. The festival has three basic programmes: a festival of domestic and international children’s ensembles, the workshop pro-gramme directly and publicly involving children in the act of creation, and the educational part where a symposium ad-dresses issues such as aesthetic educa-tion of children. During these two weeks, Šibenik should be an inevitable destina-tion to those who never forget their play-ful side, and even more so to those who have completely forgotten it.

www.mdf-si.org

The small town of Skradin, a distinctive and romantic Dalmatian town where people are open and friendly, is situ-ated at the point where the Krka River joins the Adriatic Sea. You can enjoy their hospitality yourself if you visit the Skradin Eco & Ethno Fair where you can learn everything you have ever wanted to know about the culture and history of the region. The fair presents the tra-ditional crafts of Skradin, production of jewelry, folk costumes, handicrafts and ecological food products.

www.skradin.hr

Photo: Duško Jaramaz Photo: Ante Baranić

50 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR50 www.croatia.hr DALMATIA - ŠIBENIK


Vodice is definitely most famous for its wild night life. Those visitors who want a wild party and a wild time increasin-gly choose Vodice for their summer holiday. However, Vodice also offers equally interesting events to those gu-ests who want something a little more serious. One of them is the Vodice Jazz Festival, where the most eminent Cro-atian and international jazz musicians take part. The styles in this festival ran-ge from the classical rhythms of swing and Dixieland to contemporary genres such as fusion and free jazz. This wide stylistic range and the confirmed status of the performers is one of the reasons why the Vodice festival attracts more and more jazz fans.

www.vodice.hr

JAZZ FESTIVALVodice29 - 30 July


The Vodice party is like the icing on the cake. Whilst you are thinking that you are having fun like you have ne-ver experienced before, you get to the icing and realise that the real party is just starting. It is difficult to overstate what the Vodice night life offers during the summer months, but the Vodice party manages this. The fourth night in August offers the maddest night in the summer. Music can be heard on all the town squares and waterfronts, songs blare out from all the cafes, and fireworks fill the night sky. There are not many events that you can compare this to.

www.vodice.hr

VODICE PARTYVodice4 August


TRADITIONALDONKEY RACESTribunj1 August

Every town has its festival. Likewise each festival has something specific, making each of our towns special. For the people of Tribunj and their guests, it is the Donkey race, a source of all-round laughter and merriment and an event which attracts many people to Tribunj on the first day of the month of August. Seemingly an easy task, all you need to do is get your donkey to reach the finishing line first. However, you first have to get it moving, a task of-ten impossible to achieve, which turns every ride into a hilarious event.

www.tz-tribunj.hr


In the middle of the summer tourist season, when the beaches are packed and the hotels are full, the people of Primošten take the opportunity to show their guests how they used to live and what their ancestors used to do. Primo-štenske užance, a very famous festival, is a traditional folk celebration that aims to preserve and nurture the tradi-tional ethno-heritage of Primošten. Vi-sitors can enjoy the sights of Primošten weddings, boules tournaments, donkey races, regattas, and finally all the deli-ghts that are offered by a fish evening: locally caught fish and top quality wine. Let’s hope you will be lucky and find yourself in the Primošten surroundings during this period!

www.tz-primosten.hr

PRIMOŠTENSKEUŽANCEPrimošten7 - 8 August

Photo: Josip Matošin



EVENINGS OFDALMATIAN CHANSON

Šibenik20 - 21 August

Photo: Jozica Krnić

There is no place in the world where one can hear music remotely close to our Dalmatian songs. This is only one of the many reasons why it is so ap-preciated, not only among musicians but among the wider population. The melodies of Dalmatia are one of the trademarks of the Adriatic Sea, remind-ing us of waves hitting the rocks, the sun that burns our skin and crickets tirelessly chirping their symphony of relaxation. To Dalmatian people, the song is a symbol of life, their history and tradition. The song of a Dalmatian ‘klapa’, or harmony singing group, is a sound of their everyday life, but Dal-matians are not reluctant to modernize their melodies and adjust them to the modern pop expression. Find out how they do it at the Evening of Dalmatian Chanson established in honour of the 700th anniversary of the Šibenik Abbey and the official proclamation of Šibenik as a city.

www.sansona-sibenik.hr

It is only possible to enjoy all the beauty that is hidden in the Adriatic Sea by boat. Only then can you discover its hidden coves, places that you cannot get to by foot or access using land based tran-sport. This is why small boat building is extremely important. In recent times it has become possible to find everything that is related to boat building and sai-ling in one place – the Šibenik boat fair, which attracts an increasing number of sailing fans and has given our nautical tourism a new lease of life.

www.adriaticboatshow.com

ADRIATIC BOAT SHOWŠibenik16 - 19 September

Photo: Ante Baranić

RURAL CULTUREFESTIVALKnin, Rape28 - 29 August

Photo: Damir Mijakovac

This festival is ideal for people who are fed up with the urban lifestyle, who like a natural environment and appreciate traditional rural culture. The festival is fully open and dedicated to stress-free living with no tight schedules. You can learn about the rural activities and the fruits of nature rewarding the human effort, participate in workshops and learn traditional singing, playing and dancing, or you can join the villagers of Rape in their daily rural chores. How-ever, if you prefer, you can spend the entire time resting under old oak trees or wandering around wide flower cov-ered fields. The important thing is that you allow nature to seep into you and calm your soul.

www.eu-krka-knin.hr

INTERNATIONALMEDIEVAL ŠIBENIK FAIR

Šibenik17 - 19 September

The famed cannons on the Šibenik quay are firing once again, their bar-rels smoking this time not in anger, defending the city from an enemy at sea, but as a part of the Fair in the Me-dieval Šibenik. It is an event that takes place through the streets and squares of the old town by way of which the locals demonstrate the wealth of their city’s cultural and historical heritage. The Fair programmes offer a unique presentation of life, work and gastro-nomic achievements in the times when Šibenik was the largest city in Croatia. Special attention is therefore paid to the features of the traditional culture and old craft production of Šibenik. Numerous local and visiting actors tell stories of the medieval Šibenik, harmo-ny-singing groups and dancing troupes accompany the strollers dressed in tra-ditional costumes and uniforms while jugglers, fanfare, archers and knights lark around to recreate the atmosphere of the fairs of those times.

www.sibenik.hr

Photo: Ante Baranić


The Latin sail is a sail that they has been used for centuries in the Murter area. For the people of Murter, it is today still a protected symbol. To give thanks to their sail, on the day of St. Michael, the patron saint of the parish of Murter, the people of Murter organise a regatta of traditional boats “leut”, “gajeta” and “kaić”. The regatta’s route follows the labourers’ routes of the former genera-tions of Murter who sailed to their lands on Kornati on a daily basis. This sight of the open sails on the sea fills the hearts of all visitors with joy, and the regatta itself is, of course, followed by a variety of events. There are workshops in ma-ritime skills, lectures, and exhibitions, and also the traditional snacks with fried sardines.

www.latinskoidro.hr

LATIN SAILREGATTAMurter26 September

Photo: Boris Kragić

DALMATIA - SPLIT

Big boys come to catch big fish at the Big Game Fishing. This is not a game, things here become serious and offer an unforgettable experience for spec-tators. The best fishermen in the world gather at the lake in order take part in this Big Fish fishing competition. The fishing competition lasts for a week where everything, of course, revolves around fish, and what is caught, is ea-ten.

www.summernet.hr/jezera

BIG GAMEFISHINGJezera19 September

Photo: Mladen Šćerbe

56 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR56 www.croatia.hr DALMATIA - SPLIT

DALMACIJA - ZADAR www.hrvatska.hr 57DALMATIA - SPLIT www.croatia.hr 57

CROATIABOAT SHOWSplit28 March - 5 April

“FOLLOWING THE CROSS” THE EASTER PROCESSIONJelsa, 1 April

For those who prefer to use boats as a means of transport and are openly pas-sionate about sailing, the Croatia Boat Show is a must event. Year after year it attracts all local and international boat companies and builders exhibiting their products, vessels of all kinds and sizes, as well as the equipment needed by sea travelers. In addition to all the details concerning vessels and sailing availa-ble at the show, you can learn about the nautical tourism arrangements on offer. It is expected to be the most interesting nautical event in the Mediterranean.

www.croatiaboatshow.com

Photo: Ante Verzotti

If you choose to celebrate Easter on the island of Hvar, you will partake in a celebration that has not changed for five centuries. The Great Thursday and Great Friday procession called Follow-ing the Cross, undertaken every year by the folk from the interior of the island, has indeed been held for five hundred consecutive years. This religious cus-tom provides everyone around it with a unique spiritual experience. It is there-fore no wonder the good word about the procession attended by the inhabitants of Jelsa, Pitva, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanje and Vrboska has spread a long way and attracted numerous believers. Proces-sions start simultaneously from all six locations, and though they all walk in the same direction, they never actually meet. If you join any of the processions you will never realize you are a part of a much greater whole, but you will feel it in your heart.

www.tzjelsa.hr

Photo: Paulo Bunčuga

THE HVAR SUMMER EVENTSHvarMay - October

DAYS OF THEHVAR THEATREHvar1 - 3 May

The town of Hvar is proud of its art heritage. The picturesque ambience of this island town with a millennium-long history and rich culture has a special charm to which all artists gladly re-spond. This is the reason why, during summer months, Hvar hosts numerous theatre troupes, musicians and folklore ensembles from Croatia and abroad. A diverse cultural programme within the Hvar Summer Events will enrich the days spent under the bright sky of this sunny island for many visitors.

www.tzhvar.hr

Photo: Boris Kragić

The Croatian literature has found one of its sanctuaries on the Island of Hvar. Every year, the Days of the Hvar Theatre, dedicated solely to our written word, take place in the town of Hvar. For those few days, Hvar is totally committed to the call of the footlights. Numerous plays are given on the stage of the old Hvar Theatre and many other sites in the town, and the common thread linking them all is that they are all adaptations of works by Croatian au-thors. In addition to their artistic side, the Days of Hvar Theatre have their scientific side, as the central event of the entire manifestation is a conference dealing with issues concerning our lit-erature. The results of the conference, with participants being experts from across the world, are published later in a specially edited Collection of Papers.The sun and the mild climate are just an additional motive for you to learn more about the literature of a people that have many things to write about.

www.tzhvar.hr

Photo: Ivan Lepen - Lupino



THE TROGIR SUMMER OF CULTURE

Trogir21 June - 31 August

MAKARSKA CULTURAL SUMMERMakarskaJune - September

The streets of Trogir are alive with a myriad of cultural events all sum-mer long. All visitors to Trogir will find something for themselves. Serious art enthusiasts can enjoy concerts given by classical and chamber ensembles, exhibitions at the Modern Gallery, and theatre plays staged within the old town core. Guests who prefer entertainment events will be entertained by Croatian and international stars all summer long, while the all round merriment is provid-ed by public festivals such as Fisher-men’s Nights, when seafood specialties are available on the streets of the town, and the fiesta celebrating the Day of Trogir.

www.tztrogir.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

Makarska Riviera is an inevitable part of our coast for everyone who wants to experience its charms in full. How-ever, the beautiful beaches and clean sea are not everything the locals have in store for their guests. Spend an ac-tive holiday in Makarska and enjoy the cultural programmes. For example, you can listen to harmony songs at the Har-mony Singing Festival with mandolins and guitars, or you can enjoy theatre plays and exhibitions. If you like the ex-citement of sporting events, then cheer on your favourites at a variety of sports tournaments such as the swimming marathon or the fun match between “fatties” vs “thinnies”. Finally, once you have fulfilled your cultural and sporting needs, relax and have fun at one of the fiestas in Makarska such as the Fisher-men’s Nights, where every local man claims his brodetto is the best in town, the Night of Kalelarga, or the Summer Carnival.

www.makarska-info.hr

Photo: Željko Fistanić

KAŠTEL SUMMEROF CULTURE ANDENTERTAINMENTKaštela, 1 July - 31 August

CULTURAL SUMMER ON VISVis, 21 June -12 September

The summer programme offered by the town of Kaštela is open to all cultural tastes. Those who love things classic and traditional can enjoy concerts of classical music and exhibitions in the Vitturi castle. Those fond of the cultural traditions of Dalmatia will come into their own in the old part of the town and the Evenings of Dalmatian Song where the famous klapas perform. For those in search of fun and entertain-ment, Kaštela has ensured visits by the greatest stars of Croatian show busi-ness throughout the months of July and August. In other words, there will be something for all.

www.kastela-info.hr

Photo: Mario Alajbeg

The Island of Vis exudes a special Mediterranean ambience. Owing to its specific positionon the Adriatic Sea, this island has an interesting history and tradition. As one of the remotest islands on the Adriatic, Vis has witnessed many historical battles in the past. Its good strategic position made it interesting in many wars. In addition to its rich his-tory, a unique culture has developed which, in combination with unspoiled nature and a clean sea, makes the is-land a true lure for modern-day tourists. The Cultural Summer on Vis is a festi-val that combines it all: music, theatre, history and architecture. The event takes place in attractive venues: Kut, Baterija, the Church of St. Nicholas… The island’s ambience intertwined with centuries-old culture provides a truly unique holiday.

www.tz-vis.hr

Photo: Damil Kalogjera



THE SPLITSUMMERSplit14 July - 14 August

DALMATIAN HARMONY SINGING FESTIVALOmiš2 - 31 July

Come summertime, Split is transformed into a city of stage arts. The Split Sum-mer focuses mainly on opera produc-tions, presenting the Split audiences with prominent opera productions by hand-picked theatres from across the world. Famous singers appear before the audience, inspired by the ancient ambient of the old part of the city, while the streets within the Diocletian Palace provide an ideal setting for the acoustics. In addition to operas, the Split Summer offers its visitors numer-ous plays, ballets and exhibitions. In recent years, the organizers have also begun to promote certain forms of con-temporary art such as jazz concerts, film projections, and street theatre and performances. An ideal choice for peo-ple who like to enjoy both the sea and premium art.

www.splitsko-ljeto.hr


Harmony singing has seen a true ren-aissance over the past few years. Ow-ing to the numerous festivals cultivating the autochthonous Dalmatian music, its popularity has spread far beyond Dal-matia. One of the events that takes credit for this is the Omiš Dalmatian Harmony Singing Festival, which has fostered the traditional sound of our coast and islands for three decades. Every year, the best of harmony singing groups come together in Omiš - both to preserve and promote Dalmatian melo-dies and to modernize them, because harmony singing compositions attract more and more young talented musi-cians bringing a breath of fresh air to this art.

www.fdk.hr

Photo: Vlado Zemunik

OMIŠ CULTURAL SUMMEROmiš25 July - 22 August

THE ALKAOF SINJSinj8 August

In summertime, Omiš abounds with cultural programmes. From serious programmes, such as concerts and recitals in churches and the cloister of the Franciscan Monastery, drama plays in town squares and various exhibitions and literary evenings, to public festivi-ties and entertainment events like the Pirates’ Nights, Crazy Dives, Swim-ming Marathon, Omiš Carnival and the International Labor Day, Omiš offers its guests a truly wide range of interesting events in summertime. The most popu-lar among them is the Dalmatian Har-mony Singing Festival, which is highly respected along the Adriatic coast, and the winners invariably achieve superb careers, even outside Croatia. If you want to see and hear the elite of har-mony singing, the Festival in Omiš is the right place to go.

www.tz-omis.hr

Photo: Vlado Zemunik

As a traditional tournament of tilting at the ring the Alka of Sinj competition is a living monument to the victory by the people of Cetinska Krajina over the many times larg-er Turkish army in the year 1715. In hon-our of this heroic event in their history, the people of Sinj conceived a game in which those who took part in the battle played every year on the anniversary of the vic-tory. Later, the tradition was carried on by their heirs and by those who matched their courage, and so to this day. At au-thentic locations, such as Grad, the old fortress of Sinj, the back-up fortification of Kamičak, the Alka Halls and the Alka race course - numerous Alkars and their pages have proudly maintained the three-centuries-old tradition symbolizing brav-ery and desire for freedom. The three-day event culminates with the popular compe-tition for Alka. Of course, the knights do not fight each other, they test their skill by tilting at the ring, attempting to hit the centre of the Alka with a long spear while riding a horse at full gallop.The contestant who collects the highest number of points is the winner, entitled to all honours of his heroic ancestors. As a reminder to one of the most glorious events in Croatian his-tory, the Alka of Sinj holds a special place in our programme of culture tourism.

www.alka.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo




Sinj, 15 August

BATTLE OFPIRATESOmiš18 August

Every year, hundreds of thousands of believers gather in Sinj for the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because this is where the biggest Marian shrine of the region - the Shrine of Our Lady of Sinj is located. The shrine has become the centre for all Dalmatian believers who walk for hours from their homes to Sinj, a town that wrote our history of defense against the Turkish armies. Join them in the all-night wake, the morning mass and the magnificent procession through the streets of Sinj. Join them in hearing the words of the Holy Mass and take with you the spir-itual wealth that has lain here for three centuries.

www.gospa-sinjska.htnet.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Sinj

In one segment of their history the pi-rates of Omiš ruled the Adriatic Sea. Every fleet feared their attack. They were particularly “fond” of the Vene-tian ships which they frequently inter-cepted along the route to their trading destinations. Indeed, Omiš was the only thorn in the side of Venice on its rise to world domination. Documents show that pirates of Omiš were building ships which remain unique in the history of the shipbuilding industry to this day. Needless to say, the folk of Omiš are very proud of them. With this manifes-tation - which also includes guests from Korčula – the “Moreška” Society of St. Cecily, and from the town of Klis – the “Ukoks” – they pay tribute to their his-tory, and delight all those present.

www.tz-omis.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Split-Dalmatia County

FAROS - THE SWIMMINGMARATHON

Stari Grad28 August

TEN DAYS OF DIOCLETIANSplit20 - 30 August

All marathon swimmers in the world are undoubtedly familiar with our Stari Grad. Faros, a 16 kilometre Swimming marathon held in Stari Grad Bay, has a worldwide reputation and has attracted the best swimmers from around the world for years. There are countless reasons why these superb athletes come to Stari Grad - for the beauty of the route and the wonderful nature sur-rounding the town, and for the love of the local population whose hospitality is difficult to match. Another reason is certainly the passion of the supporters who always come in great numbers and fiercely support all competitors, thus creating an amazing sports at-mosphere.

www.hsdp.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Stari Grad

Diocletian’s palace is a memento of the magnificent history of Split, and we all know it, but the citizens of Split wish to emphasize the significance of the 1700 years of their lovely city in a still more symbolic manner – hence this mani-festation. For ten days the city takes a journey into the Antiquity. The streets of the former palace are filled with stroll-ers dressed in togas and tunics, the waterfront provides the venue for the procession of ancient style carriages ferrying Emperor Diocletian and his suite to the Peristyle where His Impe-rial Eminence addresses his subjects – just as he used to so many centuries ago. The narrow streets are filled with mouth-watering aromas of Mediter-ranean dishes – and for a moment it seems as if one had never stepped into the 21st century.

www.visitsplit.com


DALMACIJA - ZADAR www.hrvatska.hr 65DALMATIA - DUBROVNIK www.croatia.hr 65

DALMATIA -DUBROVNIK

THE FEAST OFST. BLASIUSDubrovnik3 February

THE FOLKLORE FESTIVAL “MOONLIGHT SHINES DOWN ON THE NERETVA RIVER”

Metković, 13 - 16 May

For over a thousand years now the peo-ple of Dubrovnik have been celebrating the Feast of St. Blasius. It is the day on which the doors of the City are thrown wide open. In honour of St. Blaise, and the Day of the City of Dubrovnik, numer-ous cultural, entertainment, musical and sporting events are held. The city is specially decorated and lit, and thepro-cession of inhabitants from around the city attracts much attention with their rich original folk costumes. Following the flight of white doves our eyes reach the heavens, reminding us of the price-less values of freedom. On that day the mass is celebrated in the church of St. Blasius, from which a festive procession starts its passage through the streets of the old city. The Feast of St. Blasius is the bridge across which we travel back through time to the centuries old glori-ous history of Dubrovnik.

www.tzdubrovnik.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

When moonlight shines down upon the Neretva estuary, the game of shadows and light under the bright sky surpass-es even the most amazing stage sets. It seems as if nature is playing with our feelings, showing us how little is need-ed for perfect harmony and accord. The people of the area are fully aware of that, and they took the natural light as the starting point of their Festival which enhances the beauty of Croatian nature with the beauty of Croatian music. Thus Metković becomes the gathering point for folklore groups coming both from Croatia and abroad, and their singing and dancing is a hymn to the Moon above their beloved Neretva River.

www.metkovic.hrwww.neretva.info

Photo: Ivica Puljan

66 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR66 www.croatia.hr DALMATIA - DUBROVNIK


Songs and films are sung and recorded about Vela Luka and everyone who visits it will quickly realise why this is the case. Vela Luka simply impresses us with its untouched spirit of the Me-diterranean. If this is not enough in itself, summer holidays for guests in Vela Luka turn into an endless adven-ture of cultural events. Starting with the holiday of St. John and the reinstated rowing race, “Luško lito” offers us for-ty evening cultural programmes – Vela Luka dances and knight’s games, A cappella evenings, classical music concerts, fishing festivals, exhibitions, drama performances and entertaining music concerts. An active holiday in the middle of a Mediterranean paradise.

www.tzvelaluka.hr

Traces of the long and turbulent history on the streets of the towns and villa-ges have been preserved in a thousand stories, stories which only need one small incentive to become alive again and start new lives. This is exactly what the Konavle Artists Association - Art has done with its “Word and Music” festival. By staging musical, theatrical and dance performances in different atmospheric locations around Konavle, such as the villages of Močići, Čilipi, Molunat, Pridvorje and Gruda, this fe-stival reawakens long forgotten stages and discovers newly designated ones for the purpose of the arts.

www.konavle-art.hr

LUKA SUMMERVela Luka24 June - 31 August

“WORD AND MUSIC” FESTIVALKonavle19 June - 9 July

Photo: Tourist Board of the municipality of Vela LukaPhoto: Tourist Board of the municipality of Vela Luka

Enjoy the peace of the hidden coves, a long walk by the sea, experience one hundred years of history – all this ma-kes a visit to Cavtat so peaceful that it is almost meditative. Yet the moment you feel that you have filled your soul with enough introspection, is the time to fill it with culture. You can freely cho-ose from classical or jazz concerts, A cappella songs and dances by folklore groups. The Cavtat summer carnival is held at the end of June when the town is filled with street performers, jugglers and other performers. The long hot summer in Cavtat traditionally ends with the A cappella “Na me pogled svoj obrati” [Now cast your eyes on me] ga-thering, where the best A cappella gro-ups from all over Croatia perform.

www.tzcavtat-konavle.hr

CAVTAT SUMMERCavtat26 June - 5 September

Photo: Tourist Board of the municipality of Konavle

THE FESTIVAL OFCHIVALRY GAMESKorčula1 July

The people of Korčula have maintained their tradition of warrior dances over the past four centuries. One of them is a dance called Moreška, a war dance with sabres, which used to be per-formed throughout the Mediterranean, but has only been preserved and is regularly performed here, in the town Korčula. This is why Moreška has be-come the most distinctive symbol of Korčula throughout the world. Enriched with a medieval ambience of the streets of Korčula, this dance takes one back to the glorious times of the stories of chiv-alry. However, Moreška is not the only traditional war dance game preserved on the island. There are other attrac-tive dances, such as Kumpanija and Moštra, performed in other towns on Korčula - Vela Luka, Smokvice or Blato. The dances remind us that honour and courage were once virtues appreciated above all others.

www.korcula.net

Photo: Sergio Gobbo



LIBERTAS FILMFESTIVALDubrovnik2 - 6 July

Photo: Željko Tutnjević

THE MLJET SUMMEROF CULTUREOtok Mljet10 July - 16 August

Photo: Đelo Jusić Jr.

The offer of Dubrovnik’s cultural pro-gramme is extremely wide. Conse-quently, film has also found its place within the programme in the form of the Libertas Film Festival. The Festival brings Dubrovnik’s public and its guests some of the most interesting independ-ently produced films. The Festival programme, which includes feature-length films, documentaries and short films, promotes messages of freedom which belong to the whole of humanity, regardless of where one might come from. The ambience of the Dubrovnik walls enhances the mood of humane-ness during projections of such films, since all films are shown outdoors. Dur-ing a break between two projections, you can have an inspiring discussion with some of the eminent guests of the Festival, film experts who regularly ac-cept the invitation to Dubrovnik.

www.libertasfilmfestival.com

The National park on the Island of Mljet is what makes Mljet the most beautiful island in the Adriatic Sea. In addition to its natural beauties, guests can enjoy the Mljet Summer of Culture. Going on for forty days in the middle of the tourist season, the event, featuring numerous guest performances by eminent musi-cians, exhibitions of works of academic artists, theatrical performances and folklore shows enriches the stay of the island’s guests. In addition, the event plays a humanitarian role. The entire proceeds of the programmes are do-nated to the St. Mary’s Foundation for maintenance of the ancient St. Mary’s Benedictine Monastery, the highest category monument situated on the Great Lake on the Island of Mljet. By visiting an event, you will make a direct donation for the preservation of our cul-tural heritage.

www.mklj.netwww.mljet.hr

DUBROVNIK SUMMER FESTIVALDubrovnik10 July - 25 August

Photo: Damil Kalogjera

The Summer Festival of Dubrovnik is the oldest and most famous of all the Croatian festivals. From 1956 the Festi-val has been building its reputation and has, by way of the prestigious Associa-tion of European Festivals, become an integral part of European integrations.Imagine yourself enjoying the most be-autiful pieces of classical music and the best of the theatre performances the world stage has to offer, while sitting comfortably surrounded by ancient city walls. That is precisely what Dubrov-nik offers. Within its Summer Festival, classic theatre pieces and ballet perfor-mances are staged in the streets and plazas of this proud Renaissance-cum-Baroque city. Only high quality art can find its place in this city built of stone and light that holds so much beauty. In that art, numerous actors, dancers and musicians will find inspiration for both themselves and their public thro-ughout the lovely Dubrovnik summer. Year on year the Dubrovnik Summer Festival hosts the renowned names of the world elite of the art world. Compo-sers, soloists and orchestras, and their performance in and among the buildin-gs within the old city, which possess exceptional acoustic properties – such

as the atrium of the Ducal Palace – imbue this festival with a very special charm. Needless to say, this year the walls of Dubrovnik are again going to resound with the sounds of its long and fascinating history. This year again, and for the 61st time, the Dubrovnik Sum-mer Festival – taking place from 10th July to 25th August – will draw the very best of the world stage of performing arts. Once again will the inimitable be-auty of the streets, squares, parks, pa-laces, medieval fortresses and isles of Dubrovnik become the proud and equal partner to the artists of the world.

www.dubrovnik-festival.hr



SUMMER IN STONSton18 July - 29 August

In a short time, this festival, which star-ted a few years ago as a humble jazz festival, has grown into a much larger event with a wide range of different styles. Today, the Lastovo festival is an event that young people from all over central Dalmatia eagerly look forward to as the musical event of the season. Up until now, musicians of various di-rections have performed at Lastovo – from blues players to representati-ves of world music from Croatia and abroad, and the army of young people who camp under the olive trees for four days eagerly awaits them. The Lastovo festival is at the same time a place of relaxation and a place for fun.

www.lastovo-festival.com

FESTIVAL “LASTOVO - ISLAND OF MUSIC”Lastovo7 - 8 August

Photo: Festival “Lastovo - island of music”

The Diocese of Ston is the oldest Croatian diocese. This is the reason why each visit to the town of Ston is a direct contact with ancient times and events. Situated on the beautiful peninsula of Pelješac, which has frequently been the target of conquerors, the walls of Ston bear marks of the centuries of struggle for the survival of its indigenous cul-ture, the results of which are best seen during the manifestations organized within the Summer in Ston. In summer months, the streets of Ston ring with the sounds of Dalmatian harmony sing-ing groups and concerts, and serve as a stage for fashion shows. And bearing in mind the tradition of shell farming and salt harvesting, the event offers just as good an opportunity for a visit to the Ston restaurants and taverns where delectable, and yes, exotic dishes of the Croatian Adriatic can be savoured.

www.ston.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Ston

THE LAĐAMARATHONMetković14 August

EPIDAURUSFESTIVALCavtat, 29 August -21 September

Throughout history, the traditional Ner-etva boat, known as the lađa, has played a crucial role in both the economy and transport for the people of the region. It has been the main means of transpor-tation for centuries. In celebration of the lađa, an amateur race of these boats is organized every year. The participants race down the Neretva River, starting from the town bridge in Metković all the way to the finishing line in Ploče, some twenty two and a half kilometres fur-ther down the river. There are several teams and some three hundred rowers participating in the race. The rowers give it their best, but winning the race, prestigious as it may be, is not the most important thing. The most important thing is to be courageous and willing to uphold the tradition, to remember the lives and efforts of our ancestors.

www.maraton-ladja.hrwww.neretva.info

Photo: Ivica Puljan

In September, musicians from all over the world gather in Cavtat to take part in the Epidaurus festival – an international festival of music and arts. The festi-val offers a variety of artistic content: classical music concerts, jazz, courses for young artists, exhibitions, theatre productions and lectures. Alongside concerts by established musicians, the Epidaurus festival offers the opportu-nity to young musicians in the making to have their first solo concerts, and to perfects their skills at the courses combined under the name of Scuola Epidaurus, taught by their more expe-rienced colleagues. When the August sun softens a bit, Cavtat becomes the musical heaven on Earth.

www.epidaurusfestival.com

Photo: Epidaurus festival


“JULIAN RACHLIN & FRIENDS” FESTIVALDubrovnik1 - 15 September

Can you imagine the honour extended to the citizens of Dubrovnik by Julian Rachlin, one of the world famous vio-linists when, during his guest perform-ance at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival in the year 2000, he came up with the idea of organizing a festival of chamber music in their city? And the idea did not remain merely an idea, but became reality when master Rachlin brought many of his fellow musicians to Du-brovnik, including some of the most prominent names of classical music, like the cellist Maischea Maisky and violinist Janine Jansen, pianist Itamar Golan and cornist Radovan Vlatkovic. Enchanted with the atmosphere of the historic town centre, the most beautiful stage for playing music, Rachlin and his friends perform for Dubrovnik’s audi-ence year after year, thus creating a festival that, in addition to the friendly atmosphere, offers its visitors a high quality experience, incomparable to any similar music event.

www.rachlinandfriends.com

Photo: Željko Tutnjević

CENTRAL CROATIA

74 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR74 www.croatia.hr CENTRAL CROATIA

DALMACIJA - ZADAR www.hrvatska.hr 75CENTRAL CROATIA www.croatia.hr 75

THE FEAST OFST. VINCENT’S DAY

Međimurska vinskacesta, 16 January

INTERNATIONALPERCUSSIONIST WEEK

Bjelovar14 - 16 January

The people of Međimurje also have their customs and ceremonies concerning winemaking, some of them dating back to ancient times, some even to the time before Christ. One of the very old cus-toms is Vincekovo, or rather the Day of St. Vincent, celebrated in late Janu-ary, a time marking the beginning of a winegrowing year. Traditionally, people celebrate St.Vincent’s Day in the belief that it will ensure a fruitful year for grapevine, but today the manifestation has been adapted to numerous visitors, lovers of wine and nature. The snow-covered hills of Međimurje create an idyllic atmosphere for a daylong walk during which you are offered choice wines and traditional dishes of the re-gion for sampling at every step, and all in the company of the ever boisterous and joyful local band of mužikaši (musi-cians).

www.tzm.hrwww.tic-strigova.hr

Rhythm is in the foundation of each piece of music. Consequently, per-cussion instruments are most often used as a group providing a rhythmic background to soloists, but sometimes, they also create the complete entity of a piece. Percussion ensembles are very dynamic and attractive, so it is no won-der that percussion festivals are be-coming increasingly commonplace and popular. One such festival is the Inter-national Percussionist Week in Bjelovar, hosting some of the greatest percus-sionists from Croatia and abroad. Gain insight into the very essence of music - the rhythm - with the help of superior artists of rhythm.

www.tzbbz.hr

Photo: Foto video Pal Photo: Rudi Grula

THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEASANTS’ REVOLT

Gornja Stubica31 January

SAMOBORCARNIVALSamobor5 - 17 February

Back in 1573, the peasants of Hrvatsko Zagorje led by Matija Gubec, revolted against the oppression of their feudal lords. This revolt is remembered as one of the most important events in the his-tory of the area and is celebrated with numerous manifestations. One of them takes place at the Museum of Hrvatsko Zagorje, which is housed in the manor of the Oršić family, built in 1756. The space, exuding the atmosphere of old times, is an ideal setting for the staging of the famous battle. Visitors can view original costumes, take part in work-shops and playshops, and learn how to handle weapons such as maces and bows and arrows which were typical of the era.

www.mhz.hr

Photo: Mladen Kukas

The most anxiously awaited event in Samobor is definitely the local carni-val, a rampant manifestation by which the people of Samobor chase away evil spirits from the year that just ended, bid goodbye to winter, and open their hearts and hopes to the upcoming spring. Since long gone 1855, Samobor has been the carnival centre of this part of Croatia. During the carnival days, the town streets are filled with complete carefree joy, thousands of masks conceal laughter and merry songs, and dancing is a way to welcome new life. On the other hand, not everything is so carefree - uncer-tainty goes on until the Fašnik, or rather the Prince of the Carnival, is put to trial, which is the central event of the carnival. In the main town square, a performance is staged where Fašnik, guilty of all things bad that happened in the last year, is tried. All the anger, sorrow and misery is vented upon him, and then on Shrove Thursday he is burned in a spectacular ceremony, the ancient belief being that this rids us of everything negative in the coming year. Once the Fašnik has been punished, a riotous celebration begins which should set the tone for the whole coming year.

www.samoborski-fasnik.com

Photo: Goran Ternjej



FROM KAPTOLTO KAPTOLZagreb - Čazma21 March

FISHERMEN TO THEIR TOWNKoprivnica27 - 28 March

Come out into the sun on the first Sun-day of spring, and lend your support to the tireless runners joining two cathe-drals with their race. Having started the race at the Zagreb Kaptol, which is to say in front of the Zagreb Cathedral, the participants in this international athletic marathon test their stamina on a race-track over sixty one kilometres long. The fittest ones will reach the finishing line, which is in front of the cathedral in Čazma. Due to the distance, this race is extremely demanding, providing the spectators with an extraordinary op-portunity to witness the achievements of top athletes. Come and support the runners and enjoy the beautiful coun-tryside between Zagreb and Čazma.

www.cazma.hrwww.tzbbz.hr

Photo: Davor Kirin

Freshwater fish is a true gourmet de-light, alongside which fresh water fish-ing spells a romantic atmosphere. Find-ing a good and comfortable spot on the bank of a river and waiting for the right one to bite is a form of relaxation and fun cherished by many who live in the Koprivnica-Križevci County. This is why dishes made with their catches are par-ticularly delicious, and the opportunity to taste some of the best ones is pro-vided by the Fishermen to their Town event litres should not be missed. Up to six hundred liters of traditional paprika seasoned fish stew are prepared in gi-ant pots. The most skillful cooks com-pete in who is going to make the most delicious fish stew, and the results of their skills are there for you to savour. Though do not limit yourself to eating only what other people have caught - grab a rod and catch your dinner in a special fishing pool.

www.koprivnicatourism.com

Photo: Sports Fishing Club Koprivnica

THE FEAST OF ST. GEORGE IN TUROPOLJE

Velika Gorica25 April

THE DAY OF THE CENTRE OF THE WORLD

Ludbreg1 April

Have you ever spread the map of the world to try and find out which town is the nearest to the centre of the world? This is not an April Fools’ joke! The people of Ludbreg have believed since ancient times that the ancient circles of the earth issued from this Croatian town, and that all major European cit-ies were situated around their edges. According to the belief, Ludbreg has its antipode on the opposite side of the planet - a small island called Antipodes in the South Pacific, which is the rem-nant of the ancient ante-Podravina. In line with that story, every year the citi-zens of Ludbreg add another tile bear-ing the name of one of the cities of the world to their main square. The custom was established on the Town Day when the birthday of Ludbreg is celebrated, and when slices of the celebration cake are served to all visitors born on that day, and domestic wine of Podravina is poured directly from the town’s foun-tain. All who believe themselves to be cosmopolitan, simply must visit the centre of the world.

www.tz-ludbreg.hr

Photo: Darko Gorenak

According to many, the Feast of St. George, the patron saint of land, crops and all vegetation and cattle, marks the actual beginning of spring. On 26 April 25th, festivities based on ancient folk customs are held throughout continen-tal Croatia. Particularly striking are the traditional Bonfires of St. George - huge bonfires, their light turning the night sky above meadows and hills into day. Youth gathers around the fire, girls and boys dance and sing traditional songs, while the bravest engage in jumping over the fire. Come and feel yourself the joy brought by the beginning of spring.

www.tzvg.hr

Photo: Drago Kolarec



DAYS OF THE SAMOBOR CUSTARD SLICES

Samobor7 - 9 May

THE FESTIVALOF THE IRISDonja Stubica15 May

In addition to its Carnival, Samobor is also popular among gourmets for its homemade custard slices - delicious cake made of flaky pastry and delicate cream. What makes Samobor custard slices special is the fact that they are served warm rather than cooled like everywhere else. During the celebra-tion of the Days of Custard Slices, the local pastry shops will serve this pastry which, according to the local custom, opens all doors. In other words, should you have a problem or a disagreement with someone, give them a custard slice and believe it, the locals say, everything will be forgiven. The gates of Samobor are wide open to you. Come and taste the custard slices and have some fun at the culture and entertainment events taking place in the main town square.

www.samoborske-kremsnite.com

Photo: Petra Zrinka, Foto Juranček

In ancient times, the iris thrilled peo-ple with its beauty. Myths and legends about it were popular among the ancient Greeks and likewise, numerous fair tales have through centuries been wo-ven around this lovely flower. In fact, in Croatia the iris has been adopted as the national flower and the Festival of the Iris, which takes place in the Croatian Garden of the Iris, demonstrates how much we cherish our natural wealth. Come and enjoy different varieties of these beautiful flowers of all colours and the wonderful scent it enchants us with. This entertaining event, a gath-ering of all flower enthusiasts, will be enriched with classical music concerts, romantic floral dances, traditional food and natural fruit juices.

www.tzdonjastubica.hr

Photo: Nikola Sinković

THE “SVETA HELENA” INTERNATIONAL TOUR-NAMENT OF KNIGHTS

Sveti Ivan Zelina, 16 - 17 May

DAY OF WICKERWORK AND FISHKotoriba23 May

Brave knights struggle for your atten-tion. Their combat is just a part of the games they stage, so you need not worry about somebody getting hurt. However, they still manage to evoke the ambience of medieval tourna-ments of knights. Sparks fly under the blows of the swords, while the ladies, squires and pages hold their breath at each swing. In the knights’ camps one can see the entire arsenal of medieval weapons, colorful shields and metal costumes. If you get hungry, you will find refreshment in hot kasha made of the now almost forgotten cereals, or duck with honey prepared accord-ing to medieval recipes. A siege of the town, rocks flying from catapults and battering rams trying to break down the solid town gate - all this will take place right in front of you. You don’t have to be a mere observer at the Sveta Helena tournament, join in the games, test your archery skills, take a ride in a carriage or get on a horse.

www.tz-zelina.hrwww.vitezovi-zelingradski.hr

Photo: Mario Dukarić

The people of Kotoriba in Međimurje celebrate their two traditions in a sin-gle event. The celebration of the Wicker Day introduces the visitors to Kotoriba to the old custom of making baskets out of wicker. In addition to being use-ful, basket weaving is also an attrac-tive skill for producing practical items out of wicker. It is interesting to know that guests can take part in the basket-weaving workshops. The people of Ko-toriba decided to draw attention to the necessity of preserving our rivers and freshwater fish species on that same day, which means that the Wickerwork Day is also the Fish Day. The ensuing result of such a combination is that the event is greatly enriched by a delecta-ble selection of gastronomic delicacies prepared with fresh water fish - and all of it to the accompaniment of the sounds of indigenous folklore and pop music.

www.kotoriba.hr

Photo: Rudi Grula



THE LOVRAK DAYS OF CULTUREVeliki Grđevac29 May - 6 June

As a favorite Croatian children’s writer whose stories have been a loved com-panion to generations of the youngest readers in Croatia, Mato Lovrak most certainly deserves this event. This gift, in the form of a cultural programme organized in Veliki Grđevac, has been bestowed upon him by the folk of this town. The event is largely dedicated to children, and for a few days Veliki Grđevac becomes the town of chil-dren, who gather in the Lovrak Centre, its concept based on motifs from the writer’s works. The Kukavica Centre is the venue for various sporting events for primary school pupils, the presenta-tion of awards and acknowledgements to primary school pupils for participa-tion in the ‘I Love Croatia’ campaign, and creative workshops for the produc-tion of traditional souvenirs and items inspired by Lovrak’s stories. Come and bring your little ones to familiarise themselves with the stories of the fa-vorite Croatian children’s author.

www.tzbbz.hr

Photo: Dragutin Olvitz

THE GREATGET-TOGETHEROF KRIŽEVCIKriževci, 4 - 6 June

Back in 1242, in front of the Tatar invaders, King Bela IV and his army found shelter within the walls of Kalnik - a burg located on the slopes of the mountain of Kalnik. The persistence of the Tatar army in trying to penetrate the walls and defeating the royal army was upset by the Kalnik villagers who sus-tained the brave soldiers with domestic plums. The nourishing fruit gave the King’s soldiers strength to persevere and ultimately beat off the Tatar attack. In a gesture of gratitude, King Bela IV knighted all the villagers who gave their help. The gesture angered the burghers of Križevci, and their anger persisted for years until the chance marriage of a Kalnik plum grower and a town girl. Their wedding was the crucial step in the reconciliation. The event is deemed of such significance that today, the citizens of Križevci stage it, and during this scenic presentation the keys of the town are handed over to the town mag-istrate, which is followed by three solid days of revelry.

www.krizevci.net

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

TERESIANABjelovar11 - 13 June

KNIGHTS’TOURNAMENT Gornja Stubica12 June

Teresiana is a cultural event lasting sev-eral days, which is dedicated to the 18th century, the time when the Habsburg Monarchy ruled the Croatian lands. Maria Theresa, the Empress of the Habsburg Monarchy, implemented nu-merous significant changes and reforms during her lifetime. She abolished witch hunts, introduced mandatory schooling, and in 1756, she issued a decree by way of which the town of Bjelovar was founded. Today, the residents of Bjelo-var celebrate the foundation of their town with this manifestation, during the course of which the streets become a large stage for numerous guests from the world of music, theatre and sports.The most attractive segment within the Teresiana is certainly the staging of the Empress’sarrival into town. This play presents the history of the region at a time when Croatia was ruled by the greatest among the European royal families.

www.tzbbz.hr

In medieval times, taking part in the Knights’ Tournament was a great hon-our. Only the bravest and most skilled would go in front of their competitors, and only the most daring would come away as winners from these tourna-ments. These days are, of course, long forgotten, but it is as though the Stubica knights’ tournament has woken up the knights’ honour that has been slum-bering for centuries. The results of the knights’ struggles are today perhaps not as unpredictable as they were be-fore, but the excitement definitely still remains. Visit the museum of the villag-ers uprising in Gornja Stubica and learn more about these heroes from medieval times.

www.viteski-turnir.comwww.mhz.hr

Photo: Franjo Jagatić Photo: Croatian Zagorje Museum Archives



THE SISAK TOURNAMENT OF CHIVALRY

Sisak19 June

The residents of Sisak often recall events from their long history, a history reaching all the way to the 4th cen-tury B.C., when Celtic and Illyric tribes populated the area. This Tournament, which takes place beneath the old fortress of Sisak, under the old Sisak fort, celebrates a single, but undoubt-edly the crucial moment in the history of Sisak; the moment when the brave knights of Sisak stopped the dominant Turkish army in its march towards the west. Before the eyes of the viewers, the modern-day knights fight for the af-fection of their maidens and the fortress walls provide their contests with an original medieval ambient. The visitors are entertained by renaissance musi-cians in passages within the fort, and the youngest warriors can sign up for the children’s tournament. Forget the benefits of modern civilisation and join us in a world where chivalry and honor were the highest of values.

www.sisakturist.com

Photo: Željko Rakarić

THE COCKERELĐurđevac25 - 27 June

Having failed in the attempt to conquer the Đurđevac Fortress in a single at-tack, Ulan Beg decided to lay siege to the town and wait until hunger brings the defenders down and forces them to surrender. When no more food re-mained within the fortress walls but a single cockerel, the people of Đurđevac devised a desperate plan. They fired their last bite of food at the Turkish army out of a cannon. Ulama Beg fell for their plan and, seeing that the de-fenders are shooting cockerels from their cannons, convinced they have an inexhaustible supply of food, he pulled his army back. While retreating, he put a curse on the people of Đurđevac, re-ferring to them as cockerels. Towards the end of June, the folk of Đurđevac celebrate this legend by a unique out-door stage performance. It takes place at the authentic location, where the legend actually happened, and involves hundreds of extras, cultural amateurs, horsemen and professional actors. This event has been given the status of a non-material cultural good of Croatia.

www.tz-djurdjevac.hr

Photo: Siniša Milašinović

THE MILLER’S DAYS AND INTERNATIONAL “SPUST MURSKIH LADJI”

Sv. Martin na Muri, 25 - 27 June

Not all that long ago mills used to be a common sight on the rivers. Bread put on tables was made with flour ground in just such mills by the skilful millers. Today, the situation has changed, and the number of mills has decreased dra-matically. Indeed, they are now just a reminder of the old times when men lived in a much closer harmony with nature. On the Mura river, at the northernmost point of our country, stands a mill known as a unique specimen of the traditional archi-tectural heritage, which is also the centre of the Miller’s educational tour, an imagi-natively designed promenade through the forest surrounding it. During the course of the miller’s days, a stroll down this trail offers a special experience since new surprises and presentations of old crafts and traditional architecture await in each part of the tour. The Miller’s days are an ideal choice for all nature enthusiasts. At the same time, for those who like a little adrenalin, conserved natural surround-ings and traditional culture, there is the “Spust murskih ladji”. This is a three day event where fifty wooden traditional boats start from Bad Radgersburg in Austria, travel through Slovenia and sail to Sveti Martin na Muri.

www.tzm.hrwww.eol.hr

Photo: Rudi Grula

DAY OF THE EUROPEAN STORK VILLAGEČigoć26 June

It may be hard to believe, but the small village of Čigoć has more winged in-habitants than human ones. Čigoć has a population of 120 people and around 200 storks, which are regarded as per-manent residents of the village. Due to their harmonious cohabitation, Čigoć was proclaimed the First European Village of Storks. To celebrate this, a manifestation is now organised, within which the visitors can take a ride on a tour boat or a horse carriage, take part in a cycling race or take a tour of Lonjsko polje (the Lonja Range). Those not so keen on the said activities can enjoy concerts and a fine selection of food specific to the region. Come and find out for yourself what life is like in the village the storks have chosen as their home.

www.pp-lonjsko-polje.hr

Photo: Edvard Bogović



SUMMER IN THE TOWN OF THE ZRINSKI FAMILY

Čakovec1 July - 5 August

The people of Čakovec are grateful to the Zrinski family, whose reign in the region brought a strong economic and cultural rise to Čakovec. To show their lasting respect, and honour their mem-ory, the summer programme of culture is organized in the town, where one can enjoy numerous performances and productions, concerts end exhibitions. In addition to all that, one of the most attractive events is the changing of the guards, the traditional Zrinski Guard, which takes place every Saturday in front of the Eagle - the monument to Nikola Zrinski. The summer of culture ends with the Fiesta of Our Lady of An-gels, popularly known as Porcijunkula, the main parish fair in Čakovec where the entire population gathers to enjoy concerts, presentations of old crafts, art colonies, but also archery and eques-trian competitions.

www.tourism-cakovec.hr

Photo: Rudi Grula

COMMANDMENTBENEATH THELINDEN TREEČazma/Miklouš, 9 - 11 July

July is the month when the residents of Miklouš and the surrounding villages celebrate their ancient customs and cul-tural tradition. Out into the light of day, the residents bring a variety of lovingly preserved old items and folk costumes, houses and streets are decorated with traditional ornaments, and everything is prepared for a merry get together, shared with the visitors who come for a daylong stay. While men-folk demon-strate the use of old tools, women offer cheese and egg pies and other savoury and sweet cakes they baked for the oc-casion. Then, in a festive procession, they all go to the old linden tree where the village elder reads them a tongue-in-cheek commandment which, in a witty and humorous, and yet traditional manner, comments on all the current problems and events, thus demonstrat-ing how people used to deal with issues that bothered them. The commandment always ends with an invitation to the young to rejoice and chase away gloomy thoughts by dancing and singing. Like contagious disease, such mood spreads to all the visitors of this celebration.

www.tzbbz.hrwww.cazma.hr

Photo: Franjo Jagatić

PODRAVINAMOTIFSKoprivnica2 - 4 July

Naive painting is an autochthonous Croatian style, a style dealing with motifs of rural living in harmony with nature and all its beauties. It is the life of Podravina villages, wide meadows, forests and fields. This is the main rea-son for which, in the first weekend of July, Koprivnica transforms into a huge exhibition area dedicated exclusively to naive art. Benath the clear skies of Podravina, a hundred or so promi-nent painters exhibit and create their paintings, celebrating the enchanting plethora and artistic achievements of the Hlebine School of Painting.


Photo: Tourist Board of Koprivnica

There is only one occasion when you can meet all twenty-eight Czech mino-rity groups in one place in Croatia, and witness all that the Czech minority has achieved in Croatia: the Daruvar event, Dožinky, the oldest, largest and most attended event of the Czech minority in Croatia. This event has taken place since 1925 each year celebrating the successful autumn harvest. It gathers more than a thousand participants each year celebrating the successful autumn harvest. It harvest march past. An es-pecially attractive part of the event is the old Czech fair which shows off old forgotten skills, as well as the gastro-nomic, ethnographic and cultural heri-tage of the Czechs, who have managed to carefully preserve their tradition in migration.

www.tzbbz.hrwww.tz-daruvar.hrwww.savez-ceha.hr

DOŽINKY - HARVEST FESTIVALDaruvar24 July

Photo: Tourist Board of Daruvar



SUMMER WITH THENEANDERTHALS OF KRAPINA

Krapina, 1 - 29 August(Sundays)

One of the most striking symbols of Krapina is certainly the primeval Nean-derthal man of Krapina, a unique source of pride and a witness to the town’s an-cient and rich history. Therefore, a visit to Krapina is not merely a visit to a town, but a visit to a well known archeologi-cal site, one of the cradles of humanity in this region. In order to highlight the town’s values, various programmes organized under the common name of Summer with the Neanderthals of Krapina take place during the month of August in the streets of the town. For those who wish to attend the events in the summer, there is a train departing from Zagreb. After arriving in Krapina, guests may take a sightseeing tour with an expert guide, visit the parish fair on Trški vrh or join an excursion to the nearby hill of Strahinjčica. In addi-tion, during the five Sundays in August, topical programmes are organized on Hušnjakovo: the Sunday of the Burgh-ers, Then and Now, the Sunday of the Krapina Neanderthal, the Ethno Sunday and the Festival Sunday.

www.krapina.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

PILGRIMAGE O THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marija Bistrica, 15 August

The Pilgrimage to Marija Bistrica is a magnificent religious event. The Marija Bistrica Shrine is our most renowned Marian shrine. Every year, over 500 thousand believers take part in around fifty traditional pilgrimages starting from White Sunday in early April and continuing to Thanksgiving Day in late October. One of those is the Pilgrimage on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and partaking in it is a treasured testimony to the venera-tion shown by Hrvatsko Zagorje for its religious festivities.

www.svetiste-mbb.hr

Photo: Sergio Gobbo

DAYS OF NOBILITYGornja Rijeka13 - 15 August

The notion of nobility, formerly denot-ing the highest social rank, has always been associated with refinement and sophisticated taste. The lives of noble-men and noblewomen of Gornja Rijeka were characterized by an esteemed status and their reputations relied on a keen sense of beauty and justice. See for yourself, visit Gornja Rijeka on the slopes of the Kalnik Mountain and feel the spirit of nobility that is still there.Resplendent noble gowns flutter to the sound of waltzes, and young men and women attract looks by competing in elegance, aiming to be elected the best nobleman or best noblewoman of the Sub-Kalnik region. Feel the enchant-ment of castles that used to be, stand up straight and delve into the times when all doors were open to those of noble blood.

www.tz-koprivnicko-krizevacka.hr

Photo: Antun Premelč

ŠPANCIRFEST(STROLLERS’ FESTIVAL)

Varaždin20 - 29 August

Photo: Siniša Sović

Year after year an increasing number of guests want to join the Varaždiners, or rather the citizens of Varaždin in their celebration of what for them is, one can safely say, a traditional way of spending leisure time - a casual stroll through the streets of the city, or as the Varaždiners themselves would say - a špancir. Every year, come August, Varaždin is trans-formed into a colourful street entertain-ment venue for a week or two, a town of laughter and merriment. Numerous performers, musicians, actors and en-tertainers come out into the streets, and the entire town serves as a public area to present Croatian tradition. The stands are full of traditional craft products, ar-tifacts made by artists of applied arts, food and beverage prepared in traditional ways, and various souvenirs. During the Špancirfest, it is easy to get lost in Varaždin. Sailing the endless sea of im-agination, and constantly attracted at every step by a different event, one does not realize how fast the time goes by. You can just stroll around the whole day and then ask yourself how come it is night-time already, and why you have to go to sleep already.

www.spancirfest.comwww.tourism-varazdin.com



THE RENAISSANCE FESTIVALKoprivnica4 - 6 September

In September, a true historical specta-cle takes place on the walls of Koprivni-ca’s old town. Knights sharpen their swords inside their tents to win the hand of their maiden in a dual, hunting hawks circle around, executing their masters’ orders, while tradesmen and craftsmen shout loudly to try and attract customers to their stalls full of all kinds of handicrafts and products typical of those distant times. The streets are filled with alluring aromas of the Ren-aissance cuisine and exotic ingredients that were once used. The only rule of the Renaissance Festival is that nothing should give away the fact that we are actually in the twenty-first century.


Photo: Tourist Board of Koprivnica

WHAT OURFOREFATHERS ATEVrbovec27 - 29 August

Continental Croatia is well known for the wealth of variety of its cuisine. Each small town has its own traditional recipes and a way of preparing indi-vidual dishes. The residents of Vrbovec present their traditional gastronomic offer in late August within the mani-festation appropriately called What Our Forefathers Ate. Those are the days when the entire town is simply awash with mouth savouring aromas of tradi-tional dishes prepared with a great deal of care and love so as to ensure they remain a delicious memory on one’s palate. The folk of Vrbovec compete in cooking the best traditional dishes. Visi-tors keen on competing themselves can do so in a number of sports on offer. Others can enjoy the music programme which is also available.

www.vrbovec.hr

Photo: Dražen Breitenfeld

THE CELTIC NIGHTSisak4 September

When the young September moon ap-pears and night falls over the town of Sisak, an uninformed visitor could think they were in a time loop, traveling back in time through many centuries to a faraway past when rafts sailed the Kupa River, and knights and fairies walked the streets of Sisak. Don’t get spooked, it’s just a show. With this one hour play, and the River Kupa as stage, the locals remind us of what their town looked like once upon a time. A pro-cession consisting of five rafts, twenty riverboats and three hundred floating torches sails down the Kupa. Scenes from the lives of Celts and Romans are played out on the vessels in front of the visitors. All vessels are abundantly decorated with torches and similar or-naments, and the spectators are guided through the events by a voice coming from a PA system mounted on the Pogorelac side of the Kupa, where the Celts once lived.

www.sisakturist.com

Photo: Igor Palotay

A WEEK OFKAJKAVIAN CULTURE

Krapina5 - 12 September

During the week of Kajkavian Culture, visitors to Krapina will see just how much the kajkavian culture is still alive and topical. All those attending the ex-hibition Kaj in words, pictures, songs and dancing and The youngest Kaj is the sweetest Kaj will be able to confirm that. These exhibitions are clear exam-ples of the kajkavian dialect being an essential part of the Croatian written culture, a language of illustrative poetry and countless enlightening stories. In the same period, Krapina also hosts the fair aptly named Where can you still buy it?, and the festive atmosphere is fur-ther enhanced by the concerts present-ing Twenty new kajkavian songs. This is only a small part of the programme, which will take place in Ljudevit Gaj Square, at the Krapina Town Gallery, at the Museum of Evolution at Hušnjakovo and at the Festival Hall. However, a mere walk through the town will make you feel the well-known hospitality of Zagorje.

www.kajkavske-popevke.hr

Photo: Željko Frankol



VARAŽDIN BAROQUE EVENINGSVaraždin24 September - 4 October

The concerts within the Varaždin Ba-roque Evenings will take you a few centuries back into the past, to an era when music was a highly aestheticized art. The numerous concerts at which renowned Croatian and international ensembles present all contemporary in-terpretations of baroque pieces create a romantic atmosphere in this baroque city. The evenings also have a very seri-ous side in terms of musicology because their programmes often include pieces that have only just been discovered, or those that have not yet been played. By presenting such pieces, as well as the contemporary interpretations of pieces already famous, the Baroque Evenings achieve enviable results in their profes-sional approach to baroque music. Let the strings of violin and cello touch your imagination and take you on this long musical journey.

www.vbv.hr

Photo: Helena Huet

VOLODERAUTUMNSPopovača11 - 12 September

When the first bunches of grapes are cut in the vineyards of Voloder, it is time for the Voloder Autumns to begin. The people of the Sisak-Moslavina County have been marking the beginning of the grape harvest in their region for 41 con-secutive years. In addition to the wine and must fair, the event also features numerous folklore groups from across Croatia, art exhibitions and exhibi-tions of winegrowing and fruit growing equipment and tools, as well as various handicrafts, folk costumes and tradi-tional trades. The evening programme is adjusted to the younger generations, with performances by numerous pop singers, while the event as a whole is brought to an end with a grand fire-works display. We warmly recommend to all true wine enthusiasts visit Voloder in mid-September and take part in the feast of the palate.

www.popovaca.hr

Photo: Zdenko Cvetko

THE INTERNATIONALFESTIVAL OF LACELepoglava16 - 19 September

Photo: B. Težak

It is believed that the Paulines, also known as the white friars, brought lace to this part of Croatia a few centuries ago. Having recognised its beauty, the rural population accepted lace as its tradition, one which is cherished to this day, particularly in the town of Lep-oglava. Proud of their lacemaking tradi-tion and skill, the people of Lepoglava organize the International Festival of Lace every September, thus success-fully promoting the value of lace as their ethnographic treasure. Although prestigious lace creations from numer-ous European countries are available at the festival, the visitors always find the local works from original Croatian lace centres particularly attractive - in addi-tion to Lepoglava, such centres include Pag, sv. Marija and Hvar.

www.lepoglava-info.hr

THE JELAČIĆ DAYSZaprešić3 - 17 October

Josip Jelačić is the Croatian ViceRoy whose name symbolizes the Croatian people’s aspiration toward autonomy and independence from imperial con-querors. After a turbulent life spent in the struggle for Croatian national in-terests, he was buried in 1859 in St. Joseph’s Chapel in Zaprešić. That is why the residents of Zaprešić celebrate the life and achievements of this great fig-ure in our history on the same day they celebrate their town. The event, which in May commemorates the death, and in October celebrates the birth of Josip Jelačić, includes the Jelačić Ball, the hurdle riding tournament Josip Jelačić Cup and economic fair. Visitors can also take a tour of the New Jelačić Palace, a valuable example of preserved cultural and historic heritage.

www.zapresic.hr

Photo: Dražen Breitenfeld



THE CHESTNUTFESTIVALHrvatska Kostajnica8 - 10 October

There is not a single dish including chestnuts that cannot be found at the Chestnut Festival in Kostajnica. In ad-dition to trying various dishes made of baked and boiled chestnuts and sweets made of delicious chestnut puree, all visitors are invited to take part in the chestnut harvest. This is an opportunity to take a walk through chestnut woods, spend some time in good company, sing a song or two and do all other things guaranteeing a good atmosphere.

www.hrvatska-kostajnica.hr

Photo: Antun Pavičić

DAYS OF MUSHROOMSIN STUBIČKE TOPLICE

Stubičke Toplice16 October

ASSITEJČakovec18 - 23 October

The Days of Mushrooms (Gljivarijada) has become a traditional gathering of mushroom hunters. Visitors are guar-anteed a good recreation in nature, fresh air, relaxed atmosphere in good company and singing all around. Ex-cursionists arrive at the meeting point in Pila by a specially organized tourist train and eagerly start the mushroom hunting. At dusk the results of a day-long mushroom hunt are brought to the central station for determination, and the entire event is brought to a close with an expert lecture given by Mladen Strižak, and a jolly get-together which includes the tasting of mushroom deli-cacies prepared over an open fire.

www.stubicketoplice.hr

Photo: Zrinka Košić

Once a year, Čakovec hosts local theatre actors who have devoted their professional lives to the most grateful, but at the same time the most demand-ing audience - children. Watching the performances of some of our most tal-ented young actors, for an hour or two, the children simply forget everything that may worry their little heads. During those five days, dedicated exclusively to children, the atmosphere in Čakovec is joyful, reverberating with children’s laughter and play, a mood that adults are easily infected with. Bring your kids and let them enjoy an excellent theatri-cal event together with the children of Međimurje.

www.assitej.hr

Photo: Mario Jakšić

ST. MARTIN’S DAY IN THE ZAGREB COUNTY

Dugo Selo, Samobor, Sv. Ivan Zelina, V. Gorica, Jastrebarsko 11 November

In November, on St. Martin’s Day, must turns into wine. The popular St. Mar-tin’s Day celebration is a wine holiday deeply embedded in the tradition of northwester Croatia, and as such it is celebrated in a special way. In the Zagreb County, St. Martin’s Day is cel-ebrated in many towns and villages. Standing out among them, both with their special features of that tradition and the variety of their programmes, are Dugo Selo - whose patron saint is St. Martin is, as well as Samobor, Sveti Ivan Zelina and Velika Gorica.

www.tz-samobor.hrwww.tzvg.hrwww.dugoselo.hrwww.tz-zelina.hrwww.tzgj.hr

Photo: Nada Kozić


THE MINERS’ DAYSIN IVANECIvanec4 - 5 December

The Miners’ Days in Ivanec demonstrate the importance the people of this area attach to keeping alive the memory of their traditional ways of social and cultural life, as well as to teaching the young people to cherish their cultural and historic heritage. This also provides all visitors with an exceptional opportu-nity to see the exhibition of the old tools and other equipment used by miners in the old days, and thus learn about the hardships of our ancestors. The exhi-bition is supplemented by children’s works on the subject of mining, and by the miners’ sculptures. Undoubtedly the most attractive part of the event is the procession of the historical Ivanec Miners’ Company that is in charge of receiving the guests and ensuring that everyone feels welcome.

www.ivanec-turizam.hr

Photo: XMEDIA d.o.o.

THE CHRISTMASSTORY IN ČAZMAGrabovnica19 December - 6 January

All Christmas stories are romantic and educational, especially if you are a guest of the Salaj family in Grabovnica. At Christmas time, the Salaj fam-ily prepares a special treat for all the Christmas time enthusiasts, when their garden is alight with thousands of mul-ticolored lights, offering all who come a magical sight and an idyllic atmosphere. The Christmas stable, the manger and the decorations all over the garden, including the multicolored Christmas lights and ornaments shining in the night, offer an unforgettable sense of a deep dream followed by awakening in a world of fairy tales, a world of a true Croatian Christmas story.

www.tzbbz.hrwww.cazma.hrwww.salaj.net

Photo: Davor Kirin

SLAVONIA

96 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR96 www.croatia.hr SLAVONIA

DALMACIJA - ZADAR www.hrvatska.hr 97SLAVONIA www.croatia.hr 97

THE FESTIVALOF ŠOKCIŽupanja12 - 23 February

DORF - FESTIVALOF DOCUMENTARYROCK FILMVinkovci, 4 - 7 March

All the hard work and dedication that the people of Županja invest into pre-serving their priceless cultural heritage become evident during this festivity stemming from the wealth of the Sla-vonian tradition. Sumptously appointed horse-drawn carriages, which look as if they were taken from a museum, ride across the town with their proud coach-men dressed in most beautiful Slavoni-an folk costumes. Always attractive to guests regardless of where they come from, the Carnival parade is invariably accompanied by appropriate customs - brandy distilling and pig slaughtering. This year, all the colourful diversity will once again be enriched still more with folklore groups coming from other parts of Croatia and abroad.

www.tz-zupanja.hr

If a music documentary links a picture and a sound into an ideal form, then DORF provides links between film lov-ers and music lovers in the best pos-sible way. Amidst the inspirational sur-roundings of Vinkovci, one can enjoy the unconventional Festival of documentary rock film from Croatia and other coun-tries. The genres of diverse, innovative film stories about music idols are sure to impress not only the fans of docu-mentaries, but also the lay persons in the field of film art, who will again be able to enjoy numerous workshops, exhibitions, promotions of books and of course concerts.

www.dorf-vk.com

Photo: Franjo Andrašević Photo: Tourist Board of Vukovar-Srijem County

IN THE FAIRY TALE WORLD OF IVANA BRLIĆ MAŽURANIĆSlavonski Brod, 12 - 18 April

ON THE TRAIL OF THE TRENK TROOPERSKutjevoMay

Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, a Croatian au-thoress who wrote some of the most beautiful children’s fairy tales, spent a part of her life in Slavonski Brod. Every year, the citizens of this town celebrate her birthday and enjoy the opportunity to abandon themselves to exuberant imagination. For a full week, the entire town becomes a venue for children’s encounters and events such as literary, theatrical, art and photo workshops. This children’s gathering begins with a play taking place at Ivana Square, right in front of the house where their famous citizen used to live. It ends with the returning of the town keys to the mayor and a formal production in the Ivana Brlić Mažuranić Primary School, a school known as the “colourful school” in Croatia as it is painted with charac-ters from Ivana’s fairy tales on the in-side and the outside.

www.slavonski-brod.hr

Photo: Josip Perčević

The citizens of Kutjevo never miss a chance to share their good times with their guests. Hence the celebration of the visit of Maria Theresa who stayed in Kutjevo back in 1741. The locals never forgot the honour she thus bestowed on Kutjevo, and they celebrate it with a grand extravaganza that easily takes us back three centuries into the past. A formal procession of historical forma-tions, brass music and various associa-tions marches through the town, and a theatre production is staged in front of the Kutjevo Castle.

www.tz-kutjevo.com

Photo: Zlatko Burivoda



The tradition of “ljelja”, which in Gorjani is held on the Pentecost, dates back to the beginning of the last century. A gro-up of village girls dressed up as kings and queens gather in front of the chur-ch at Mass after which they dance in a ring to the music of tambourine players. After leaving the church area, they go in a procession around the village and vi-sit the homes of their fellow inhabitants who have said they want to be visited. The “ljelja” procession through the vi-llage results in a happy atmosphere, smiling faces and dancing. Normally a bag pipe player follows them, as well as two male beggars. When compa-ring today’s “ljeja” with photographs of the processions from the beginning of the 20th century, you can notice that today’s version of this tradition has not greatly changed from how it was at the beginning.

www.tzosbarzup.hr

QUEEN’S OR “LJELJA’S” ANNUAL SPRINGPROCESSION

Gorjani, 23 May

Photo: Tourist Board of Osijek-Baranja County

THE FESTIVAL OF THE ACTORVukovar15 - 24 May

We always admire actors - sometimes they make us laugh, sometimes they make us cry, and sometimes they just take our breath away. However, beside the applause at the end of the show, they seldom receive proper acknowl-edgement for their work. Fortunately enough, the Festival of the Actor has changed this. For a whole week, the en-tire Vukovar-Srijem County is the venue for performances recognised, one way or the other, as special achievements by actors in the preceding year. The ar-tistic touch is felt throughout the area, the audience anxiously waits for actors to step onto the stage, and gives them an even more tumultuous send-off at the end of the show. Applause echoes over the plains. Artistic passion and bohemian spirit halt the time, carrying the daily routine away like a tornado. Finally, as an epilogue, actors award actors. The award committee consists of three actors and the Festival reaches its climax at the awards ceremony.

www.hddu.hr

Photo: Dražen Bota

THE CROATIAN FESTIVAL OF ONE-MINUTE FILMS

Požega29 - 30 May

THE WHEEL DANCE OF BRODSlavonski Brod29 May - 13 June

Film makers regard the one-minute film format as a special challenge. Such for-mat requires significant adjustments in the conception and implementation of ideas. The film has to squeeze in all required elements of the story into a single minute - the plot, the culmina-tion and the outcome. In addition, one-minute films often attract film amateurs who do not have the opportunity to en-gage in major film projects, which does not necessarily mean they lack the required quality. A formidable collec-tion of films of all genres, on all kinds of subjects and with all kinds of mes-sages, their only common feature being the minute length, can be viewed at the one-minute film festival in Požega, a festival that has gained an international reputation over the past few years.

www.crominute.hr

Photo: D. Mirković

Slavonski Brod is renowned for its tradi-tional events, the most famous among them being the Wheel Dance of Brod. The townsfolk used to gather in the main town square to celebrate St. Stephen’s Day and dance the great wheel dance of Brod, a wheel dance often involving hundreds of joined hands of resplend-ently dressed girls and boys. The whole town lives for the wheel dance, but the programme for the event has become somewhat different. The visitors are now able to visit various ethnographic and art exhibitions, attend children’s shows, see - and indeed taste - the cake fair, enjoy the horse team shows, equestrian hurdle and two-horse team competitions. In addition, the whole town resounds with music performed at the festival of indigenous folk songs and folklore groups. One of the most attractive events is the Miss Croatia in a Folk Costume pageant. Relax, stretch out your arms, hold tight and don’t let the wheel dance break.

www.brodsko-kolo.comwww.fa-broda.hr

Photo: Darko Janković



THE SPRING INORAHOVICAOrahovica31 May - 6 June

THE KUTJEVOGRAND PRIXKutjevoJune

The town of Orahovica opens its gates to visitors from across the world withits multi-day event The Spring in Orahovi-ca. The event marks the official open-ing of the summer tourist season in Orahovica. The programme is diverse, offering a little bit for everyone. Sports enthusiasts will look forward to the soc-cer and boccie tournaments, while visi-tors seeking cultural programmes will find a quiet corner in one of the theatre productions.The music audience will be able to enjoy performances by folklore groups and concerts given by local pop & rock stars.

www.orahovica.hr

Photo: Vladimir Grgurić

The Kutjevo Grand Prix is an interna-tional show jumping tournament. Top jockeys and the long-standing tradition of breeding thoroughbred horses make this tournament popular and extremely well visited. Jockeys from Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ger-many all love this tournament and look forward to visiting. Side by side with the local jockeys, they all try hard to impress the jury and the audience to get the highest possible score for their show jumping skills. The gracefulness of motion and harmonious relation be-tween the horse and the jockey in many ways verge on art, and the Kutjevo Grand Prix is an ideal chance for you to see it personally!

www.tz-kutjevo.com

Photo: Zlatko Burivoda

THE BARANJA BEĆARACDraž5 - 6 June

The people of Baranja are well known for their gatherings that always turn into all-round merriment. There is not a single festivity in Baranja where you could get bored. The Baranja Bećarac (Bećarac being a typical amusingly ribald folk song of Slavonia) in Draž only proves this. In addition to perform-ances of many folklore groups, wheel dances and an abundance of food and drink, you can partake in the election of the most beautiful girl or newly-mar-ried woman, see interesting working clothes shows and exhibitions of nee-dlework, old furniture, tools and some really mysterious items from grandma’s chest. Bull’s eye if you are interested in the tradition of the Baranja region, and great fun, of course!

www.draz.hr

Photo: Antonio Sobol

SUMMER INPAKRACPakrac15 June - 1 July

The citizens of Pakrac celebrate their medieval heritage with the Summer in Pakrac, a multimedia event both in pro-gramme and in character. In addition to theatre productions and concerts of various genres, the visitors are able to watch numerous sporting events such as the cycling race, soccer tournament, mountain bike marathon or martial arts seminar. All the events are organised in the manner of the Middle Ages, the time when the Templar Knights and the Hospitallers resided in Pakrac, and the town played an important economic role thanks to its mint, the first and the only one in the whole of Croatia at the time.

www.pakrac.hrwww.tz-pakrac.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Pakrac



FESTIVAL OF THE“SONGS OF PODRAVINA AND THE DRAVA VALLEY”

Pitomača, 18 - 19 June

Beautiful landscapes of the Podravina region and the love that people of the area have for their country has often been described in the countless verses of Podravina. Likewise, some of our most beautiful folk songs were written by authors from Podravina, which is why this festival is an excellent oppor-tunity for all to get to know something about the rich and wonderful heritage of music and poetry of the area. On two evenings in June, the greatest talents of the area perform on the stage in Pitomača. The first evening is reserved for fresh and unproven performers, while the second evening is reserved for the performances of bands and singers who have already achieved en-viable careers.

www.pitomaca.hr

Photo: Gordana Jakupec

THE ĐAKOVOEMBROIDERYĐakovo21 June - 5 July

SUMMER NIGHTS OF OSIJEKOsijek, 25 June,30 July and 27 August

The summer months in Osijek come to an end with a festivity which brings joy to all ages. A variety of performances – theatrical and musical – are dedicated to adults and children. A special experi-ence during those days is provided by a walk along the Drava river. All the while, the catering establishments are prepar-ing the famously delectable Slavonian dishes. So come to Osijek and savour the warm hospitality of Slavonia.

www.tzosijek.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Osijek

In summertime, Đakovo celebrates its long standing and rich tradition, by pre-senting three different aspects of Sla-vonia’s cultural tradition, integrated into a single event in July: folklore, which the visitors can enjoy within numer-ous music programmes; gastronomy, the highlights of its diversity being the famous fish stew, čobanac (shepherd’s stew) and Đakovo kulen; and the horse breeding tradition, its splendor present-ed in the equestrian competitions at the Đakovo hippodrome. This year, all lov-ers of Slavonia’s and Baranja’s cultural heritage will once again be able to en-joy thousands of folk costumes, music, dances and customs, all of which are a great source of pride for this region. They will all take part in the colourful and merry festive procession.

www.tz-djakovo.hr

Photo: Saša Pjanić

SUMMER INVALPOVOValpovo28 June - 4 July

In summertime, the entire Slavonia is bursting with joy and celebration. Come the last week of June, Valpovo proves itself not to be an exception. For forty two years now, various amateur art clubs have been presenting them-selves to the visitors of Valpovo during those seven days. On this, the fortieth anniversary, the streets will feature a parade of indigenous folklore related to horse-drawn carts, choirs and amateur singers. Needless to say, a Slavonian festivity would not be complete without its rich gastronomic offer of traditional food and drink. All this is a guarantee of a superb atmosphere and great fun for all those who come to rejoice and enjoy the rich tradition of Valpovo.

www.valpovo.hrwww.tz-valpovo.com

Photo: Predrag Matijanić



OSIJEK SUMMEROF CULTUREOsijek29 June - 21 July

“Fiš”, a spicy fish soup, is a protected gastronomic symbol in Slavonia. If you are visiting Slavonia, it is a dish that you simply must try. In so far as your trip takes you to Slavonski Brod at the beginning of July, you won’t be able to avoid the scents that spread along the length of the river Sava. You won’t be able to resist them either because the greatest masters at making “Fiš” gat-her in order to see whose fish recipe is better. Around one hundred competitors attend the Brod “Fiš” festival, and their friendly cooking competition, is of co-urse, most enjoyed by the visitors. The atmosphere is made all the better by the Slavonian wine and joyful melodies played by the tambourine players.

www.tzgsb.hr

FIŠIJADASlavonski Brod2 July

Photo: Danko Dorić

The Osijek Fort, which used to be the site of turbulent historical events, turns into a venue for premium art pro-grammes in summertime. The Osijek Summer of Culture takes place on its very squares and streets, where the baroque ambiance enhances numer-ous theatre productions, artistic per-formances, exhibitions, concerts, and literary and film evenings. Of course, special emphasis is placed on pre-senting local artists from Osijek, but performances by guests from all parts of Croatia and abroad have also been announced.

http://ljetokulture.osijek.hr/

Photo: Marin Franov

HARVEST ANDTHRESHING INTHE PASTŽupanja, 3 July

THE MIHOLJACFESTIVALDonji Miholjac9 - 12 July

In June, Donji Miholjac becomes the venue of a traditional Slavonian folklore festival for four days. Culture and art associations from Slavonia and other parts of Croatia come together on the streets of Donji Miholjac. It is a rare op-portunity to have such a number of vari-ous folklore groups in one place at the same time. The parades and perform-ances of these folklore groups are filled with joy, singing and dancing, while the art exhibitions and ethno exhibitions show the daily routine as it once was. The aromas spilling through the air will inevitably attract you to taste some of the popular Slavonian specialties.

www.tz-donjimiholjac.hr

Photo: Melia Vidaković

The works associated with the annual harvest are so deeply embedded in the social and cultural lives of Slavonian people that, with time, they became not only a vital necessity, but a symbol of their diligence. This is why it is always a special experience to participate in events which, in addition to the hard labour, also celebrate the beauty of the harvest customs. For example, during July, visitors to Županja can see some folklore garments intended for this kind of labor, as well as savour some food and drinks typical of that time of year. Along with the customs associated with harvest, there is also an exhibition of needlework and handicrafts, from Bos-nian embroidery to Graištane’s small pumpkins (graištanske tikvice). Visitors can also take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Come and visit Županja and let the spirit of these diligent people embrace you.

www.tz-zupanja.hr

Photo: Zvonimir Tanocki



THE POŽEGA SUMMEROF CULTUREPožega, 15 July -15 August

THE FEAST OFST. ROCHVirovitica31 July - 23 August

The Stari grad (Old Town) promenade is the favourite place of strollers in Požega, particularly in July and August, when the pedestrian zones offer plenty of cultural events such as concerts and theatre productions. While walk-ing along, you can enjoy the sounds of classical music, attend local pop stars’ concerts or visit an exhibition or a show. The culmination of the Požega Cultural Summer is the Contemporary Croatian Literature Festival, where a dozen prominent Croatian writers present their works and create a collection of works with the help of the audience.

www.pozega-tz.hr

Photo: D. Mirković

St. Roch is the patron saint of the town of Virovitica. It is therefore no wonder that the people of Virovitica decided to celebrate the day of their town on Au-gust 16th, and made this day the central part of the multi-day festival called The feast of St. Roch (Rokovo). As the peo-ple of Virovitica like to say, the event grows year after year. Once, this mani-festation was merely a modest fair, but today its programme has transformed it into a true marathon of festivities. Dur-ing those days, the whole of Virovitica lives in an atmosphere of omnipresent joy, with and cultural programme and unpredictable sports competitions live up to the atmosphere. The Feast of St. Roch combines the new and the old in an attractive way. Come and see the wealth of Virovitica’s tradition and enjoy the performances of great entertainers.

www.virovitica.hr

Photo: Ivan Šemper

THE SLATINA SUMMER OF CULTURESlatina5 - 30 August


Aljmaš, 14 - 15 August

Summer guests of the town of Slatina will be pleasantly surprised with a va-riety of cultural events, which turn this town into a real treasury of culture. Events that take place in the streets and parks change the town and give the visitors a new sensibility towards culture and art. Variety is the key to success. To be more precise, during those days in Slatina, you will be able to find a form of cultural expression that suits you best - theatre productions, concerts, film screenings, exhibitions, presentations of old crafts or culinary specialties. The recently published cultural-tourist guide featuring all these events is now at your disposal.

www.slatina.hr

Photo: Željko Juras

On the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, thousands and thousands of believers join in the pil-grimage to the Aljmaš Shrine, the most renowned Marian shrine in the Osijek-Baranja County. Over the past few years, the shrine has had some of the most glorious moments in its four-cen-turies-long history. According to many believers, the new Church of the Visita-tion of the Virgin Mary, built in the same place where the old one used to stand, is even more resplendent. Make sure you don’t miss the amazing spiritual experience provided by this shrine.

www.svetiste-aljmas.hr

Photo: Antonio Sobol



THE INTERNATIONAL NIGHT OF BATSPapuk28 August

VUKOVAR FILMFESTIVALVukovar25 - 29 August

Bats - mammals circling the night sky above our heads in search of food - are the main characters in many horror sto-ries. However, bats play an important environmental role. They happen to be the best indicators of an environment’s cleanliness. The fact that thirty-five out of a total of forty-five bat species known in Europe inhabit Croatia indi-cates that the Croatian air is still among the cleanest in Europe. A particularly large number of bats inhabit the Papuk nature park, where the international night of bats is celebrated. Visit Papuk, see its beauty up close and listen to a lecture given by one of our recognised experts in the field of the intriguing bat kingdom.

www.pp-papuk.hr

Photo: Vlatka Dumbović

The river of films flows again. The river Danube is the grand symbol which links all the countries through which it flows, or upon which it bears influence due to its proximity. Consequently, the Vuko-var Film Festival becomes a significant presentation of one of the most vibrant film industries in the world – the films made in the countries of the Danube basin. The screening of films on the banks of the river, on the Danube barge or in the house of the Nobel prize win-ner Ladislav Ružička, combined with the hospitality of the local population and the indigenous gourmet delica-cies, provides an ideal atmosphere for socializing, and conveys the message that Vukovar and the Danube have that ‘something’ which cannot be described by words. It can only be experienced.

www.vukovarfilmfestival.com

Photo: Vukovar film festival

VISITING THEOLD TIMESOtrovanec29 August

SILK IS RUSTLING,EMBROIDERY ISSPREADINGPodvinje, 29 August

Although celebrating the crafts and cus-toms, the people of Podravina celebrate them in a very modern way. To be spe-cific, the festival aptly named Visiting the Old Times, and which cultivates the tradition of Podravina, is practically like an interactive outdoor museum. Evolv-ing before the eyes of the visitors are old stories in which they may actively participate. Everyone is given a chance to knead bread, build a fire in the bread oven or pound pumpkin seeds in a mortar. Naive painters of Podravina paint their landscapes on glass on the spot, hackney-carriages circle around inviting you for a tour, and the sound of instruments such as tamburitzas and cymbals are waiting to carry you away with rapturous wheel dancing. There are also numerous honey traders, far-riers, potters and others, but we will not disclose everything - come to Pitomača and see it for yourself.

www.pitomaca.hr

Photo: Josip Mikolčić

During the 19th century, the silk fac-tory in Podvinje had its golden years. In memory of the former silk-making custom to which the locals have re-mained loyal to date, a public festival is held where visitors can see how silk was once handled. Young women dressed in silk dresses with scarves on their heads blind with their beauty, and whoever fails to join in the merry wheel dance with all the folk of Podvinje will miss the unique opportunity to feel the sincere joy of the people of the region. In addition to silk, the event is dedi-cated to other customs enriching life in Podvinje. Freshly distilled plum brandy flows from a huge caldron, while home-made jam prepared according to old recipes is available to those who want to sweeten their day. The locals truly know how to combine entertainment and health.

www.tzgsb.hr

Photo: Josip Perčević



AUTUMN INBARANJABeli ManastirSeptember

THE OLD SPORTSOLYMPICSBrođanci30 August

In autumn, Baranja is dotted with a collage of colours. Wherever you look, the image blurs in shades of red, yel-low and brown. This is a time when chimneys in Baranja spill the mouth-watering aromas of homemade food, when brandies are distilled, and veg-etables are pickled for the upcoming winter. Those are the days when the entire wealth of traditional Baranja cui-sine is available in one place - in Beli Manastir. While you’re trying to decide which pot to dip into, check out some of the stands where the hosts present ancient crafts and trades. The pleasant atmosphere is enhanced still further by numerous folklore groups performing authentic Baranja songs.

www.tzbaranje.hr

Photo: Ivica Bela

What kinds of sports did our ancestors practice to match their strengths and skills? Written history does not provide the information. To discover them, you will have to listen to your grandfather’s or grandmother’s stories, or visit the Old Sports Olympics. Brođanci is the venue for a competition in various ancient sports that were once prac-ticed by shepherds while tending their herds, farmers during their breaks, and children at play. Young men used to engage in such sports to try to im-press their chosen ones or to compete with boys from a neighbouring village. Today, sports disciplines such as rope pulling, rock throwing, horseshoe toss-ing or partaking in a sack-race do not have a serious competitive character, but provide great fun for both the par-ticipants and the supporters.

www.tzobizovac.hr

Photo: Marin Janković

THE FESTIVAL OF THE “GOLDEN STRINGS OF SLAVONIA”

Požega, 3 - 6 September

THE VINKOVCIAUTUMNSVinkovci17 - 19 September

If you want to learn about the original Slavonian music, your search ends at this festival. As it happens, The Golden Strings of Slavonia is a festival nurturing only the music of the end-less Slavonian plains, the sounds of tambouras and love verses about fam-ily, loved ones and the homeland. The festival programme will take you on an unforgettable journey through the long standing musical tradition of Slavonia, and provide you with the opportunity to hear some modern music, songs that never leave the top of the radio charts. Since the Golden Strings of Slavonia is a successful combination of traditional and entertainment events, each visitor is guaranteed a good time.

www.pozeskifestival.hr

Photo: Foto Knajs

The people of Vinkovci often say: “Once you’ve been to the Vinkovci Autumns, you will always return!” Indeed, it is hard to resist the charms you are im-mersed in during those ten autumn days. The whole town and its visitors live for the songs and dancing. The Vinkovci Autumns is a folklore festi-val nurturing not only the tradition of Slavonia, but also other customs from across Croatia, thus celebrating the time of year when nature rewards our yearly efforts. The louder the singing and laughter the greater the gratitude of people for good crops - you are in-vited to join them and experience the atmosphere of times gone by.

www.vk-jeseni.hr

Photo: Darko Puharić


THE ROMBERGMUSIC EVENINGSBelišće, 5, 12, 19 and26 November, 3 December

Sigmund Romberg is one of the most significant composers of the early twentieth century. While residing in the USA, he composed many operettas and scores for movies, some of which be-came very popular worldwide, such as the film the White Lilac. The list of his music associates includes George Ger-shwin. Romberg happens to have spent a part of his childhood in Belišće, and the locals gladly remember their most famous fellow citizen. You can see how they do it by visiting the Romberg Music Evenings dedicated to the promotion of amateur theatre.

www.belisce.net

Photo: Darko Jančikić

CITY OF ZAGREB

114 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR114 www.croatia.hr CITY OF ZAGREB

DALMACIJA - ZADAR www.hrvatska.hr 115CITY OF ZAGREB www.croatia.hr 115

AUDI FIS WORLD CUP“VIP SNOW QUEENTROPHY”

Zagreb, 3 and 6 January

FESTIVALOF ST. MARKZagreb15 April - 8 May

Female and male skiers competing in the World Cup often describe the Za-greb race as their favourite, partly be-cause of the quality of the ski track on Sljeme, and partly because of the un-forgettable atmosphere. For those few days, the whole of Zagreb lives for ski-ing. A variety of entertainment events staged in the ban Jelačić square, the central square, as well as in several venues around the mountain of Sljeme, make this World Cup even more excit-ing. Needless to say, however, all of the attention is aimed at the races where both men and women fight hearty bat-tles of skill and sportsmanship.

www.vipsnowqueentrophy.com

Photo: Croatian Ski Association

The Upper Town of Zagreb, its old town core and the national political and ad-ministrative centre, and downtown Za-greb, representing a broader centre of the city, are abundant with centuries-old sites - the driving force behind the cultural life. There are countless facilities that seem to have been built for high art, especially music. Keep-ing that in mind, the organisers of St. Mark’s Festival decided to use all these concert and sacral facilities to provide the residents of Zagreb and their guests with a few days of virtuosic music. This year, we are once again expecting both local and visiting soloists and ensem-bles, whose performances will leave you breathless.

www.festivalsvmarka.hr

Photo: Luka Gusić

ZAGREB TIMEMACHINEZagreb, 17 April -25 September

WEEK OFMODERN DANCEZagreb24 May - 2 June

The Festival of Modern Dance always brings new and delightful surprises, and that is what modern dance is all about, an artistic expression completely open to creativity and expressive innovation. Dancing is an art in which you cannot follow the trends - dancers always perform the way they feel the music they dance to. This is why the festival is an opportunity for you to fully open your spirit to all potential surprises lying within the free artistic expression and limitless abilities of the human body. However, one thing is for sure: the sur-prise factor is not about the substance, but the form of performing the sub-stance, because the Days of Modern Dancing always host superior artists. If you like dancing and the harmony of human motions, this programme is something you should not miss.

www.danceweekfestival.com

Photo: Festival Week of Modern Dance

As soon as the April sun finds its way through the remnants of the winter clouds, the streets of Zagreb become the venue for a whole array of happen-ings which last until the autumn chills start, and which take us back through the history of the city. Walking through the streets of the Upper Town, the old part of Zagreb, you are certain to come across characters that made Zagreb fa-mous – singers of old parlour ballads, bohemians or peasant women from the village of Šestine. Meanwhile, from the pavilion in the Zrinjevac park in the cen-tre of town, the enchanting sounds of the waltz and tango will be heard again, just as depicted in old films and senti-mental photographs.

www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr

Photo: Tourist Board of Zagreb



FLORAARTZagreb26 - 31 May

CEST IS D’BESTZagreb3 - 13 June

A part of Zagreb referred to as new Zagreb stretches along the south bank of the Sava River. Different parts of new Zagreb are dotted with green oa-ses. Bundek, a lake with a promenade around it and a children’s playground nearby, is one of those oases. Thanks to its beauty, Bundek is a perfect lo-cation for the international gardening show Flora Art, a flower exhibition of-fering endless combinations of colours and scents coming from diverse and interestingly arranged flowers.

www.floraart.net

Photo: Floraart

There is not a single spot in the city centre that cannot be used by street entertainers, merry and wonderful peo-ple taking every chance to brighten the daily routine for passersby hurriedly car-rying out their daily chores. Stop for a while and let a silly clown bring tears of laughter to your eyes, reward the effort of a man dedicating his life to spread-ing good vibrations with a laugh. Close your eyes and get into the spirit of music played by the street musicians or let an acrobat convince you that the human body is much nimbler than you thought it was. Let the jugglers and fire eaters hypnotize you with their street specta-cles, let mimers and magicians extend the scope of your imagination and make an effort to reward them by a sincere ap-plause and toss a coin or two into their hat. They are all here during the Cest is d’best, a festival transforming the streets of downtown Zagreb into a bright world of circus and street theatre for a week or two. The city is never so colourful and never so full of positive spirit of careless-ness as when clowns and entertainers walk its streets. Believe us, they come to the Zagreb festival from the remotest parts of the world.

www.cestisdbest.com

Photo: Cest is d’best

EUROKAZ - THEINTERNATIONAL FESTI-VAL OF NEW THEATRE

Zagreb, 15 - 25 June

Theatres from across the world have for years been participating in Eurokaz, a popular theatre festival in Zagreb. The festival provides both the citizens of Zagreb and their guests with access to recent trends in the art of contemporary theatre. Luxurious productions, superb performances and international coop-eration are merely some of the factors that have made this festival an interna-tionally important event. Don’t take too long to choose which production you are going to see, because tickets for all plays within the Eurokaz programme are hard to come by.

www.eurokaz.hr

Photo: Eurokaz

Zagreb’s Jarun Lake is host to another great musical event – Rokajfest. The primary aim of Rokajfest is to promote urban and rock music. That this aim is being successfully implemented at Ro-kajfest is visible by the increasing num-ber of visitors. Despite the imposing list of international guests, Rokajfest places its focus on performers from Croatia and the region. Up until now, unforgottable performances at Rokaj-fest have been given by the Zagreb punk rockers “Hladno pivo”, “Majke” from Vinkovci, garage rock performers and the always artistically extravagant “Let 3” from Rijeka.

www.rokajfest.com

ROKAJ FESTZagreb4 - 6 June

Photo: Rokaj Fest



ZAGREB SUMMER EVENINGSZagreb2 - 31 July

From classical music, to jazz and folk-lore, lovers of serious musical genres will come into their own when summer arrives in Zagreb. Walking through the streets of Zagreb’s Downtown and Up-per Town, the romantic sounds can be heard from practically every corner. In the course of its tradition of a quarter of a century, the Evenings have hosted not only the established artists but also the young and up and coming, and undoubtedly enthusiastic musicians whose vibrant approaches ensure that the programme always remains fresh and topical.

www.kdz.hr

Photo: Zagreb Concert Management

PIF - THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF PUPPETTHEATRE Zagreb

29 August - 5 September

INTERNATIONAL FOLKLORE FESTIVALZagreb21 - 25 July

Zagreb has its own festival of folklore, a traditional culture very appreciated in Croatia for its values, and lovingly passed on from generation to genera-tion. Inspired by similar festivals from the 1930s, the Zagreb Folklore Festi-val is conceived thematically. You can learn about traditions associated with specific dates, customs such as wed-dings, carnivals and harvest festivities, and traditions typical of individual parts of Croatia. Visitors to Zagreb thus have the opportunity to see and learn about numerous cherished customs of other Croatian regions.

www.msf.hr

Photo: Vido Bagur

Perhaps it is true that puppets bring most delight to children, but the pro-gramme of this particular festival suc-cessfully demonstrates that puppets can entertain adults as well. Although intended for the youngest ones, the beauty of the puppets and skills of the puppeteers performing in PIF can attract the attention of any art enthusiast. You can see for yourself that this pertains to all continents in the world because premium puppet theatres from all over the world respond to PIF’s invitation.

www.mcuk.hr

Photo: Ivan Špoljarec

The island of young Croatian people at Zagreb’s Jarun Lake has in the last few years really justified its name. For two days in June an army of young people in search of a good time and good quality music appears, and this is exactly what the T-Mobile InMusic Festival offers them. In the last five years, the Jarun festival has made it onto the list of key European summer festivals, as much due to a guest list that includes many famous names from the global music scene, as to the great atmosphere.

www.inmusicfestival.com

T-MOBILE INMUSIC FESTIVALZagreb22 - 23 June

Photo: T-Mobile InMusic festival



I.A.A.F. - INTERNATIONAL ATHLETIC MEETING

Zagreb1 September

THE MEDIEVAL DAYSON MEDVEDNICA

N.P. Medvednica26 September

This year numerous top class athletes are going to come to Zagreb again – winners of Olympic medals,, world champions and world record breakers. With a tradition of over half a century the Zagreb Meeting enjoys a high rat-ing in the world of athletics. These are just additional reasons why the lovers of sport should not miss it. The other reasons will be justified by the athletes, their sporting spirit and skills.

www.zagrebhanzek.com

Photo: Tourist Board of Zagreb

The life of a miner is often used as a metaphor for a hard life full of hard toil and sacrifice. A visit to the old mines represents much more than walking into the dark bowels of a mountain. It means paying respect to people whose job is undoubtedly among the most de-manding and hazardous of all human endeavours. In the Middle Ages, miners were digging for lead and zinc ore at an altitude of 830 m. The remains of the mine have been preserved and, having been attended to, the mine now repre-sents an attractive tourist destination. Visit the old mine, get a feel of what life was like for those men, and relax in the beauty of the nature surrounding you, but also in the traditional cuisine of the Grafičar mountain lodge.

www.pp-medvednica.hr

Photo: Medvednica Nature Park

ZAGREB FILMFESTIVALZagreb17 - 23 October

Zagreb Film Festival is a venue not just for film buffs, but for many other visi-tors to whom the festival programme successfully opens up new horizons into the field of film art. The Festival programme includes films that are not necessarily of a commercial charac-ter, but lean towards artistic creation. However, the films presented at the Zagreb Film Festival invariably become hits among serious film audiences. As these are often films having no regular distribution, the festival also represents a unique opportunity to even see the films. Film screenings are accompa-nied by excellent concerts, so you are guaranteed a great time in addition to new films.

www.zagrebfilmfestival.com

Photo: Zagreb film festival

122 www.hrvatska.hr DALMACIJA - ZADAR122 www.croatia.hr INFORMATION INFORMATION www.croatia.hr 123

CROATIAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD REPRESENTATIVEOFFICES ABROAD

Kroatische Zentrale für Tourismus, 1010 Wien, Am Hof 13, Österreichtel.: +43 1 585 38 84fax: +43 1 585 38 84 20e-mail: [email protected]

Kroatische Zentrale für Tourismus, 60313 Frankfurt, Hochstraße 43, Deutschlandtel.: +49 69 23 85 350fax: +49 69 23 85 35 20e-mail: [email protected]

Kroatische Zentrale für Tourismus, 80469 München,Rumfordstrasse 7, Deutschlandtel.: +49 89 22 33 44fax: +49 89 22 33 77e-mail:[email protected]

Ente Nazionale Croato per il Turismo, 20122 Milano,Piazzetta Pattari 1/3, Italiatel.: +39 02 86 45 44 97fax: +39 02 86 45 45 74e-mail: [email protected]

Ente Nazionale Croato per il Turismo, 00186 Roma,Via dell’ Oca 48, Italiatel.: +39 06 32 11 0396fax: +39 06 32 11 1462e-mail:[email protected]

Chorvatské turistcké sdružení,110 00 Praha 1, Krakovská 25,Česká Republikatel.: +420 2 2221 1812fax: +420 2 2221 0793e-mail: [email protected]@htz.cz

Chorvátske turistické združenie,821 09 Bratislava, Trenčianska 5,Slovenská Republikatel.: +421 2 55 562 054,+421 2 55 415 415fax: +421 2 55 422 619e-mail: [email protected]

Horvát Idegenforgalmi Közösség,Budapest, 1054 Akadémia u. 1. Magyarország tel.: +36 1 267 55 88fax: +36 1 267 55 88e-mail: [email protected]

Office National Croate de Tourisme, 75116 Paris, 48, avenue Victor Hugo, Francetel.: +33 1 45 00 99 55,+33 1 45 00 99 57fax: +33 1 45 00 99 56e-mail: [email protected]

Croatian National Tourist Office,London W6 9ER, 2 Lanchesters, 162-164 Fulham Palace Road,United Kingdomtel.: +44 208 563 79 79fax: +44 208 563 26 16e-mail: [email protected]

Croatian National Tourist Office,New York 10118, 350 Fifth Avenue,Suite 4003, U.S.A.tel.: +1 212 279 8672fax: + 1 212 279 8683e-mail: [email protected]

Narodowy Ośrodek Informacji Turystycznej Republiki Chorwacji, 00-675 Warszawa,IPC Business Center,ul. Koszykowa 54, Polskatel.: +48 22 828 51 93fax: +48 22 828 51 90e-mail: [email protected]

Kroatiska turistbyrån,11135 Stockholm,Kungsgatan 24, Sverige,tel.: +46 8 53 482 080fax: +46 8 20 24 60e-mail: [email protected]

Kroatisch Nationaal Bureau VoorToerisme, 1081 GG Amsterdam, Nijenburg 2F, Netherlandstel.: +31 20 661 64 22fax: +31 20 661 64 27e-mail: [email protected]

Office National Croate du Tourisme, 1000 Bruxelles, Vieille Halle aux Blés 38, Belgique,tel.: +32 2 55 018 88fax: +32 2 51 381 60e-mail: [email protected]

Хорватское туристическое сообщество,123610 Moscow, Krasnopresnenskaya nab. 12, office 1502, Russiatel.: +7 495 258 15 07fax: +7 495 258 15 08e-mail: [email protected]

Hrvaška turistična skupnost,1000 Ljubljana, Gosposvetska 2, Slovenijatel.:+ 386 1 23 07 400fax:+386 1 23 07 404e-mail: [email protected]

Kroatische Zentrale für Tourismus,8004 Zürich, Badenerstr. 332,Switzerlandtel.: +41 43 336 2030fax: +41 43 336 2039e-mail: [email protected]

Oficina de Turismo de Croacia,28001 MADRID, Calle ClaudioCoello 22, esc.B,1°C, Espanatel.: +3491 781 5514fax: +3491 431 8443e-mail: [email protected]

Denmark, 3460 BirkerodActivities performed by theVAGABOND AgencyBregenrodvej 132tel.: +45 70 266 860fax: + 45 48 131 507e-mail: [email protected]

クロアチア政府観光局Ark Hills Executive Tower N613,Akasaka 1-14-5, Minato-ku,Tokyo 107-0052, Japantel.: +81 (0)3 6234 0711fax: + 81 (0)3 6234 0712e-mail: [email protected]

PUBLISHER: Croatian National Tourist BoardFOR THE PUBLISHER: Niko Bulić, M.Sc., DirectorEDITORS: Milo Sršen, Mihaela KadijaPROJECT COUNCIL: Stipe Maleš, Slavija Jačan-Obratov TEXT: K&K PromotionTRANSLATION: Volga Vukelja DawePROOFREADING: Volga Vukelja Dawe, Linda Rabuzin (Croatian Language School)PHOTOGRAPHS: We hereby thank all cultural and tourism institutions and the system of the Croatian National Tourist Board for cooperation and photographic material placed at our disposal. DESIGN/LAYOUT: K&K PromotionPRINT: Zrinski d.d.YEAR: 2010

The publisher does not guarantee the absolute accuracy of the information provided herein and shall bear no liability due to any potential inaccuracy of or changes to such information.

This publication is distributed free of charge.

GRAT

IS

Croatian National Tourist BoardIblerov trg 10/IV, 10 000 ZagrebCroatiatel.: +385 1 4699 333fax: +385 1 4557 827e-mail: [email protected]

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