Press Info 2011-English

PRESS 2011
II. CROATIAN TREASURES
Croatia is a country of rich cultural and historical heritage and
natural beauty, whose national and natural treasures are not only
shown through numerous museums, galleries, churches, national
and nature parks, which are monuments of the highest category
and examples of exceptional beauty that make an important
chapter in the UNESCO list of world heritage, but our historical
and natural goods are visible almost every step of the way. If you
follow the entangled white stone streets and ‘kaletas’ (tiny, narrow
streets), sail through the exceptional sea archipelago and lively
ports of the coastal towns of Istria, Kvarner and Dalmatia or climb
the green hairpin-bends of Central Croatia to the fairytail forts and
castles, every step of the way is guaranteed to bring another new
experience.
The uniqueness of our country is the fact that its teritory is a gracious
intersection of as many as four cultural circles which complement each
other – the spirit of Eastern and Western Europe, Central Europe and
the Mediterranean. Croatia is a country of urban culture that counts
more towns than any other part of the Mediterranean. Speaking of
the centuries old history are hundreds of medieval churches with
characteristic frescos and fascinating wattle reliefs. With nine of its
cultural phenomena Croatia has become the country with the most
protected non-material herritage in Europe, while in the world, the only
countires with a longer list are China, Japan and Korea. Listed on the
UNESCO list of non-material heritage are: lace making in Croatia; the
two-part narrow interval singing of Istria and the Croatian coastal area;
Festa of St. Vlaho, the patron saint of Dubrovnik; the annual spring
procession of the queen Ljelja from Gorjani; the annual procession of
the bell ringers from the area of Kastavština; the procession of the cross
on the island of Hvar; the skill of making traditional wooden children’s
toys from the area of Croatian Zagorje; Sinjska Alka – the knight’s
tournament in Sinj; the skill of making licitars (decorative souvenirs)
form the area of northern Croatia.
New Tendencies and the Preserved
Cultural Tradition
Besides nurturing and preserving its traditional culture, Croatia
keeps pace with new trends in music, film, theater and other arts
through many events and festivals. Year after year, hundreds of festivals
throughout the Croatian coast and inland attract more and
more fans from home and abroad with their extensive and imaginative
programs which take place in beautiful natural surroundings
or in the centuries-old, historical palaces. Reviewers of reputable
global media and tourist guides have in recent years printed much
praise of the ‘open-air culture’ in Croatia, starting with the Dubrovnik
Summer Festival within the walls of the Old Town and Split
Summer Festival in Diocletian’s Palace which have both been taking
place for the last fifty years, through to the Motovun Film Festival
set on the hill of this Medieval town and the Pula Film Festival
in the beautiful Arena, as well as the critically acclaimed festivals of
electronic and pop-rock music. Numerous other cultural events that
take place before or after the summer season have also recieved
praise and international recognition.
Because of its high cultural potential and in order to succeed in its
quest to become one of the top 5 cultural destinations in Europe,
Croatia has compiled an Ordinance granting quality labels in cultural
tourism called ‘Doživi Hrvatsku - Experience Croatia’. The mentioned
grade will be awarded in four categories: cultural destinations,
cultural facilities, cultural events and cultural itineraries.
The offer of cultural tourism is enriched and highly contributed
to our valuable gastronomic and ethnological offer. The Croatian
village, as a keeper of tradition, plays an important role here.
Croatian rural areas have noted visible development in special forms
of tourism – the production of indigenous and traditional products,
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