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Culture & Heritage of Croatia

Adventures Croatia invites you to enter a magnificent land of rich cultural heritage and stunning scenic beauty where every turn showcases history at its most exciting and glorious.

In this region, powerful cultural influences have complemented each other throughout the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Combined with the world’s great influences of Jewish, Christian, and Muslim religions they have created outstanding monuments, churches, monasteries, and museums within the framework of great artistic tradition. As many as ten sites in the Balkans are included as part of the UNESCO World Heritage list; making this area one of the most notable and fascinating global destinations.

Our expert guides will show you an authentic view of how time and history shaped this territory and how its rich cultural tapestry continues to form new traditions.  Walk through time in cities and towns thousands of years old and explore mythical and dreamlike fortresses and castles deep in the central valleys.

Enjoy modern events such as dance and music concerts in town squares and feast on the distinct regional cuisines with their delicious specialties. The myriad of coastal villages have their own fishing boats to guarantee the freshest seafood while farmers inland use locally raised vegetables and beef combined with centuries-old grilling techniques to satisfy every palate. Every meal becomes the ultimate pleasure when paired with the lusciously famous Balkan wines.

Since the 1890’s, many families of Croatian ancestry have emigrated to the USA as economic and political refugees bringing their wonderful traditions with them. Adventures Croatia has succeeded in connecting families between the countries for renewed relationships and offers world travelers everywhere a wonderful opportunity to immerse themselves in this historical and evocative land.

UNESCO

A World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance. UNESCO considers it in the interest of the international community to preserve each site.

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is promoted by UNESCO as a counterpart to the World Heritage focusing mainly on intangible aspects of culture. Cultural heritage in general consists of the products and processes of a culture that are preserved and passed on through the generations. Some of that heritage takes the form of cultural property, formed by tangible artifacts such as buildings or works of art. Many parts of culture, however, are intangible, including song, music, dance, drama, skills, cuisine, crafts and festivals. They are forms of culture that can be recorded but cannot be touched or stored in physical form, like in a museum, but only experienced through a vehicle giving expression to it. These cultural vehicles are called “Human Treasures” by the UN.

Croatian World Heritage Sites

  • Dubrovnik Old Town
  • Diocletian Palace and Medieval Split
  • Historical Core of Trogir
  • Early-Christian Euphrasius Basilica Complex in Poreč
  • St. Jacob’s Cathedral in Šibenik
  • Starigrad Plain on the Island of Hvar
  • Plitvice Lakes National Park

Croatian intangible cultural heritage items

  • Ojkanje singing
  • Two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale
  • Klapa multipart singing of Dalmatia, southern Croatia
  • Bećarac singing and playing from Eastern Croatia
  • Annual Carnival Bell Ringers’ Pageant from the Kastav Area
  • Nijemo Kolo, silent circle dance of the Dalmatian hinterland
  • The Sinjska Alka, a knights’ tournament in Sinj
  • Lacemaking in Croatia
  • Traditional Manufacturing of Children’s Wooden Toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje
  • Procession “Za Križen” (Following the Cross) on the Island of Hvar
  • Festivity of St. Blaise, Patron Saint of Dubrovnik
  • Spring Procession of Ljelje/Kraljice (Queens) from Gorjani
  • Gingerbread craft from Northern Croatia
  • Mediterranean diet
If you would like to plan a cultural trip to Croatia and the Balkans, Adventures Croatia would love to help. Private, luxury, and custom group tours are available. Read more about Heritage travel opportunities in the region. 
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