A full month of European Heritage Days events in Croatia has just ended and it was packed with cultural activities all across the country! The celebrations took place in over 40 counties and municipalities, which presented over 50 events dedicated to the theme “Heritage and Nature: A Landscape of Possibilities.”

From Dubrovnik and Vukovar to Sisak and Velika Gorica, all Croatian regions participated with a unique cultural offering. The events included a variety of activities – from an exhibition dedicated to the production and history of silk in Europe, which took place at the Čilipi village in Konavle, to a lecture on the energy efficiency on cultural monuments in Kulmer Castle.

In addition to this, numerous other events helped showcase the diversity of Croatia’s natural heritage and cultural richness. Donja Lomnica presented the musical heritage of Croatia with a free public concert, Paklenica National Park welcomed visitors for an expert tour of beech forests, while Rovinj hosted a contest and an exhibition titled International Photographic Heritage Experience. These are just some of the activities that enabled visitors to explore Croatian landscapes and become part of the celebrations of this year’s European Heritage Days common theme.

The official opening ceremony took place on 20th of September, when the Croatian Academy Glyptotheque in Zagreb opened the exhibition titled Pustinja Blaca – Cultural Landscape. The exhibition highlighted the history and the exceptional values of the Blaca's Desert, which is a home to a cultivated and natural wild landscape. The significance of the Blaca Desert was presented in relation to the history of communities that lived in the area and to its present remarkable natural values.

The opening event was also a tribute to the 35-year-long effort of the Conservation Institute of Croatia to preserve the area and promote its values. The desert is currently on the list to be inscribed as the UNESCO world heritage site and European Heritage Days 2017 helped educate the general public on its history and values.

Through such a diverse set of celebratory activities, Croatia painted a vivid picture of its natural heritage. Enabling visitors to not only experience, but also participate in this year’s common theme, European Heritage Days 2017 in Croatia invigorated the Heritage and Nature theme a magnificent way.

The Ministry of Culture of Croatia also invited local and national cultural organisations to celebrate the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 with a thematic programme. More details about the celebrations could be found here.

Photo credits: wikipedia