Over 40 places in Croatia are presenting the heritage of “Arts and Entertainment” to thousands of visitors at this year's European Heritage Days festival. Hundreds of events including exhibitions, guided tours, workshops and lectures during September and October highlight unique Croatian heritage from a European perspective. 

Aiming to make heritage more accessible to younger generations, the festival in Croatia has created an interactive programme with digital technologies and exciting games. A heritage-inspired escape room and cultural content in the form of comics will inspire younger generations of heritage custodians to interact with the heritage around them.

The common theme for this year “Arts and Entertainment” allows for diverse and exciting heritage discovery. The central events of the festival in Croatia took place on 23 September as part of the International Lepoglava Lace Festival – Magic Royal Lace. From 13 to 15 September, visitors had an opportunity not only to discover the traditional skills and techniques but also to participate in a number of interactive activities and learn first-hand about this invaluable part of the local heritage. 

Event Highlights 

A wide range of thematic events are taking place in Zagreb, Rijeka, Vinkovci, Šibenik, Kumrovec and Bjelovar among many other towns across the country. The School of Applied Sciences in Zagreb is hosting a photography exhibition. From 1 October to 5 November, Our Beautiful Cultural Heritage featuring photos by Zoran Jelača will showcase Croatian cultural heritage in all of its glory. In addition to this, Zagreb will host an exciting lecture and exhibition that aims to bridge the gap between the arts and cultural heritage of two countries. The Institute for Tourism will mark the common theme with a lecture and exhibition titled “Architectural Cultural Heritage: Tourism and Czech Architects on the Croatian Adriatic" on 16 October. The event will serve as a funny and engaging activity that demonstrates the role of arts and entertainment in learning about the heritage of tourism. Another interesting stop on a journey through Croatian cultural heritage will take visitors to Vinkovci railway station. On 5 October the permanent exhibition by the Croatian Railway Museum “A Biography of the Vinkovci Transport Hub” will tell the story of the life in this important meeting point for Croatian and European travellers. Visitors in Rijeka will have a unique opportunity to trace multicultural influence on the architectural and arts landscape of the town. Designed by the Austrian architect Theodor Träxler and built by the Croatian engineer Eugenio Celligoio in 1914, Teatro Fenice was the first European multifunctional theatre made from reinforced concrete. In Nova Gradiška the central European Heritage Days attraction will be The Nova Gradiška Town Museum. Opening on 17 October, the exhibition is dedicated to the architectural and historical heritage of the most influential family in Slavonia during the late Middle Ages. The legacy of the Berislavić family is the magnificent castles and fortresses that survive them. These will be revisited as part of Europe's largest cultural festival this autumn.

The 2019 European Heritage Days in Croatia will last until late October. For more information about the events visit the official website of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.