Kopački rit Nature Park

This year's tourist season in Kopački rit Nature Park started with the first sunrays on March 12, 2011. Visitors could enjoy many programs that we offer in the Park together with the beauty of the waking of our flora and fauna.
One of the most attractive programs is bicycle riding where you can rent a bicycle at Kopački rit's Visitor Centre. Prof. dr. sci. Srećko Tomas, the Chairman of Kopački rit's Administrative Council and Biserka Vištica, prof., the director of the Nature Park opened the bicycle season. We kindly invite all visitors to come to Kopački rit and enjoy the beauty of nature. We would also like to remind you that you could participate in our projects called "Adopt a bird" and "Plant a tree and an alley shall arise".

Kopački rit Nature Park is situated in the northeastern part of the Republic of Croatia, i.e. on the wider geographical area of eastern Croatia. Geographically speaking, Kopački rit is the flat part of Baranja, belonging to Osječko-baranja County, mainly lowland situated between the Drava and Danube rivers and the state border with the Republic of Hungary. It stretches from the northern part of the Drava where the mouth of the Drava flows into the Danube and upstream on the left and right banks of the Danube towards the former Kazuk port. The state border towards the Republic of Serbia designated the Nature Park's eastern border.

Kopački rit is a floodplain that developed due to the activities of two large rivers, the Danube and the Drava. Significant flood areas exist in the northern, southern and western surrounding parts of the Nature park that stretch from Batina up north, to Bijelo Brdo down south and Donji Miholjac towards west. The altitudes of Baranja do not exceed 250 m, and the Nature Park is at the lowest altitude starting from only 78 m above sea level (the bottom of Kopačko Lake) to 86 m above sea level. 

Kopački rit has a typical relief structure because of the river's water activity and the floodwaters that flood the area. Rivers create banks and islands called “ade” and armbands called 'dunavac' or 'old Drava' in their live streams. On the other hand, the water in the floodplain deposits sediments in one place but deepens the ground in another, so the whole area obtains a specific undulate appearance. That is how ponds (depressions) and beams (higher grounds) were created and stretch hundreds of meters next to one another. Ponds and beams are narrow and long and have a specific curved appearance from the sky.
This kind of pond and beam layout gives the area a unique appearance. The entire floodplain obtains a delta kind of look and is extremely exceptional because the Danube creates a so-called “inland delta” in its middle stream with the assistance of the Drava. A phenomenon like this is not notable for other European rivers in this form and therewith gives this area a global significance. If ever, Kopački rit shall be enrolled on the World Natural Heritage List having this phenomenon, because many other larger and more significant rivers in the world do not have it.

Kopački rit was designated on the List of Ramsar areas in 1993. Protected areas on that List are protected under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as a waterfowl habitat. The Convention was signed in a city called Ramsar (Iran) in 1971, (so called Ramsar Convention). Croatia is a full member under this Convention from 1991. Kopački rit is also on the list of Important Bird Areas (IBAs). This program was developed by Birdlife International (a global association for bird protection; their habitat; and global bio-diversity that focuses people to the sustainable usage of natural resources) so to determine, supervise and protect the global network areas that are important habitats for birds and for the bio-diversity in general. The partners in this association take full responsibility for the enforcement of the program on a national scale. Besides that, the Nature Park and Special Zoological Reserve were assigned as an area of international importance being part of the “Natura 2000 Networking Program”, so Kopački rit will be a significant candidate to join this network when Croatia accesses the European Union. An ecological network is a system of the most valuable areas for endangered species, habitats, ecological systems, and landscapes that are sufficiently close to each other and connected with corridors. This kind of system enables an interactive communication and species exchange. Parts of the Danube and Drava floodplains outside the Nature Park are also of international importance.

Mirila - near National Park Paklenica

Mirila - Starigrad Paklenica

Mirila, stone monuments to the departed, can be found along the mountain paths, passes, elevations and clearings of Mt. Velebit. Mirila date from the times of the Velebit hamlets (17th–20th centuries), that mainly survived from animal husbandry.

They preserve the memories of persons who died on the mountain slopes and had to be carried to the village church and then to the cemetery where they were buried. On such arduous journeys, it was only permitted to stop, rest and place the deceased on the ground in one place - the place where the deceased would greet the sun for the last time.

On this place was erected a mirilo, the resting place of the deceased. Flat stone tablets were generally laid at the head and foot of the deceased, marking his height, to be connected at a later date by a row of stone tablets. The headstones were also sometimes subsequently adorned with symbols carved in shallow relief. These mirila were venerated and visited more than graves, as it was believed that the grave only contained “the body without the soul, which remained at the mirilo.”

Mystical artistic markings on the headstones, among which the cross and solar circle were the most common, bear witness to a continuity of artistic adornment from prehistoric cultures, via early Christianity and the iconography of the stećak (medieval Bosnian standing tombstone), while inscriptions are rare and belong to more recent times. As the stone markers of a unique funeral cult, mirila convey the customs, way of life and creativity of an entire era.

International Carnival Parade 2012 in Rijeka

International Carnival Parade 2012 19.2.2012 , City Centre The International Carnival Parade is the jewel in the crown of the carnival festivities on the Kvarner and even further afield. Competitions in imaginativeness, humour and originality, fireworks of colours and shapes result with a parade of hundreds of allegorical floats, thousands of masks and uncountable number of domestic and foreign observers. Carnival events in the city of Rijeka are a characteristic bond of European civil carnivals, above all, the Venetian and Austrian ones as well as the folklore elements and old Slavic mythology. Emerged in a hundred year-old tradition, the International Rijeka Carnival, in the past few years, has given the city of Rijeka, the region and Croatia itself a recognizable event and an impressive happening to which many masks, organized carnival groups, participants, observers and media, as well as many domestic and foreign guests respond. The Rijeka Carnival program which starts on 17th January and lasts until Ash-Wednesday gathers more than 20,000 participants and more than 600,000 domestic and foreign visitors. Large media companies watching both nationally and abroad, the occupancy of all accommodation capacities in Rijeka and its surrounding areas and an increased consumption in catering and commercial facilities out of season, have positioned the Rijeka Carnival as the 3rd largest in the world. Carnival madness begins its ritual with the Rijeka Carnival Queen Pageant and the handover of the town’s keys to the Master of the Carnival. Concerts, exhibitions, shows, masquerades and parties fill the days until the jewel in the crown of the carnival celebrities – the huge masked parade. Competitions in imaginativeness, humour and originality, fireworks of colours and shapes result in a parade of hundreds of allegorical floats, thousands of masks and an uncountable number of observers. Challenging the weather and space, the Rijeka Carnival is a friendly host for every willing human who is looking for an escape from sullen everyday life in play, laughter and fun.

 Be who you want to be. Come to the Rijeka Carnival!!!

•  20.1.2012. Rijeka Carnival Queen Pageant and handover of the town keys Dvorana mladosti
•  28.1.2012. Carnival snowboard session Karolina Riječka Quay
• 29.1.2012. - 30.1.2012. Snowboard School Karolina Riječka Quay
•  4.2.2012. Masked auto-rally “Paris-Bakar” Korzo 
• 11.2.2012. Children's Carnival Parade Korzo 1
• 2.2.2012. Traditional Trsat Brass Music Carnival concert Hrvatska čitaonica Trsat (Reading room Trsat) 16.2.2012. - 19.2.2012. Radio Rijeka Masked Marathon Club Nina2
• 18.2.2012. Rotarian donor ball Maritime and Historical Museum of the Croatian Littoral 
• 19.2.2012. International Carnival Parade Korzo 
• 19.2.2012. Burning of the Pust Adamić Quay

Croatian glagolitic script

Zagreb region: Samobor - town like a museum

It can not be precisely determined when the first settlement on location of today’s Samobor appeared as no prehistoric finds have yet been identified. However some artefacts have been found scattered around the hills surrounding the town, on Stražnik, Vrhovčak and Gradišće like: stone axes, tableware, fractions of weapons and tools. There are many different localities with artefacts from the Copper, Bronze and Iron Ages. From the period of a Celtic tribe Taurisk - 3rd to 1st centuries BC - important is the discovery of silver coins the so called ‘Samobor coins’ found in the vicinity of Okić. Most probably the mint was situated nearby. The most important monument from the ancient Roman period - 1st and 2nd centuries – is a burial ground near Budinjak on Žumberak with sixty graves from the period of early Emperors.

In the 11th and 12th centuries the market place of Samobor was situated along the road and Teutonian borderline, near the fortress of Okić to which it actually belonged to up until the year 1242. That year King Bela IV. Croatian-Hungarian king conferred the privileges of a free royal market-place on Samobor. Towards the end of the 13th century began the construction of fortified town, today’s Stari grad (Old town) above the present day Samobor. The town was abandoned and neglected somewhere at the end of the 18th century.
In the 14th century copper mines were opened in the village of Rude, what directly contributed to the flourishing of crafts and metal processing trade. The Franciscans first came to Samobor in the 16th century. A great 1797 fire devoured most of the houses in Samobor. The town was rebuilt and the majority of houses from the city core date from that time. Between 1809 and 1813 Samobor was a cantonal seat of Napoleon’s Illyrian Provinces.

It is from this period that recipes for the preparation of bermet (type of liqueur) and Muštarda(grape mustard) – unique and famous Samobor specialities originate.

Soon Samobor got the City Hall, glass factory (1839), public library (1843), sulphur water spa - today’s Šmidhen (1868), its first newspapers, entertaining and instructive newsletter Ljubica (1879), Society for embellishment of Samobor predecessors of today’s Tourist Organisation (1886), and narrow-gauge railway which linked Samobor with Zagreb between 1901 and 1979 the year of its regretful abolishment – a very popular ‘samoborček’ .

There are so many places and monuments to see in Samobor. The whole town is in fact like one big museum. On Tepec hill, easily reached on foot, lies the Old town Samobor. It is now in ruins. Only the walls have still remained. It was built around 1270 by the supporters of the Czech king Otokar. Only the defence tower has survived to the present day from the oldest parts. In the 16th and throughout the centuries to follow the town was reconstructed and fully developed, what contributed to its castles resemblance approach that of Baroque. On many occasions, it changed owners as well. Many noble families owned it: Counts of Celj, The Frankopan family, Tržački, Tahi, Erdödy, Auersperg, Kulmer, Kiepach and Montecuccoli families. Finally in 1902 the Municipality bought it from the Montecuccolis. Early as the end of the 18th century, when the landlords abandoned it, the life slowly started to die there. Inside the city walls there are ruins of the Gothic chapel of St. Ana. The city offers a delightful view of Samobor and its environs.

Important sacral buildings can be seen in the city centre. The parish church of St. Anastasia is mentioned in 1334, and today’s church was built between 1671 and 1675. It was built to resemble the Jesuit church of St. Catherine in Zagreb with early Baroque and Mannerist features.

More about Samobor you can find here: http://www.tz-samobor.hr/index.php?l=en

Zagreb region

Zagreb is capital city of Croatia. But there isn't only Zagreb, city rich on culture, events and history, but in this region there are smaller but interesting and lovely towns, such as Ivanić Grad, Samobor or Jastrebarsko. People of this region are putting effort in maintaining old traditions and their way of life. Also, in many small villages you can still see old houses, some of them even older than 150 years.

Here above  is  a video about Pumpkin fest in Ivanić Grad.

Welcome

Welcome to our blog about possibilities of cultural tourism in our beautiful Croatia!

Our intention is to show you that Croatia is not only country of beatiful sea and islands, but also of long and rich history, culture, ethnology and gastronomy. While most of you have probably already heard of Dubrovnik and Plitivice Lakes, you probably never had a chance to see many other, also very interesting and lovely sites which aren't so famous. Well, this is the Croatia we are eager to show you and invite you to discover with us all those interesting sites and events which take place during the whole year, not only during summer.