Croatia is listed at the top of the UNESCO World Heritage List so be sure not to miss some of these treasures while on your vacation in the Adriatic!
UNESCO World Heritage List includes as
many as 18 Croatian properties, identified as phenomena of great
importance to the common heritage of humanity. As many as 7 of them are
historic-cultural and natural monuments, and 11 are intangible cultural
values which include customs, rituals, festivals, artistic performances,
and knowledge, skills and artistry connected with traditional crafts. Tangible Heritage
- The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik – built entirely from stone, with no mortar, Šibenik Cathedral is a great example of the 15th and 16th century architecture. Built over a period of 105 years today the Cathedral is considered a unique example of Renaissance architecture due to its decoration of 71 sculptured human faces situated on the exterior apse.
- Plitvice Lakes National Park – with its 16 waterfalls, this most famous karst phenomenon in Croatia is considered to be one of the most beautiful natural monuments in all of Europe.
-
Historic City of Trogir - City of Trogir
has preserved elements of its medieval fortified city structure known
for its characteristic squares and street plan, sacral and profane
buildings all of which ensured Trogir an entry on the UNESCO World
Heritage List.
-
Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč
– this early-Christian cathedral is one of the finest examples of early
Byzantine art. Named after bishop Euphrasius the basilica is famous for
its golden mosaics.
- Old City of Dubrovnik – within this perfectly preserved complex of city walls you'll find Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains.
-
Stari Grad Plain – this largest fertile plain on all of
Adriatic islands was divided into geometrical parcels of vineyards and
olive orchards in 384 BC and remained practically intact to this day.
Intangible Heritage
-
Procession "Za križen" (Following the Cross) on the island of Hvar
– this lent custom has been practiced by people of Hvar for 500 years
now. In the night of Maundy Thursday each of six villages in Hvar Island
sends a procession which follows its cross-bearer, says prayers and
sings traditional religious songs.
-
Spring procession of Ljelje/Queens from Gorjani –
procession of Gorjani village queens is an Eastern custom practiced on
Whitsunday. Group of ten girls 'queens' with white garlands on their
heads and group of ten girls 'kings' with sabers and men hats decorated
with flowers process together from house to house and perform a ritual
where kings dance with sabers and queens sing.
- Two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale – this style of singing has a very distinctive sound achieved by vigorous, partly nasal singing. In layman's terms it might even be described as sounding a bit ''messy'' concerning tone purity. The singing involves improvisation in both vocal parts but always ends with two performers singing in unison or an octave apart.
-
Lacemaking in Croatia – tradition of
lacemaking in Croatia is connected with smaller villages and rural women
who created lace as a source of additional income. Women in Hrvatsko
Zagorje and Lepoglava create bobbin lace, on the island of Pag
needle-point lace and on the island of Hvar lace is created of thin aloa
threads.
- Festivity of St Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik – the custom has been celebrated for 10 centuries now. It is based on the legend of St Blaise appearing in a vision to warn people of Dubrovnik of an impeding attack by the Venetians.
- Annual carnival bell ringers' pageant from the Kastac area – groups of men wearing masks, sheepskin throws, bells (hence bell ringers) and colorful decorations on their heads march through the villages during the carnival period. They move rhythmically, ringing the bells attached around their waists.
-
Traditional manufacturing of children's wooden toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje
– men in family make unique, hand-made toys using soft willow, lime,
beech and maple wood, and then women paint them, mostly in red, yellow
and blue color, and apply different floral and geometrical patterns.
-
Sinjska alka, a knights' tournament in Sinj
– it's a chivalric tournament in which knights at full gallop aim their
lances at alka – a small iron ring hanging on a rope. The most prized
hit is the one to the center of the ring.
-
Gingerbread craft from Northern Croatia
– the tradition of gingerbread making resulted in gingerbread craft and
a distinctive Croatian souvenir – gingerbread heart (licitarsko srce).
They are made from flour, sugar and various spices and moulded – most
usually in the form of heart – and then decorated with colors, small
mirrors, messages or verses.
-
Bećarac singing and playing from Eastern Croatia
– in the attempt to ''out-sing'' one another, two leading singers
create and combine decasyllabic verses which are happy and perky in
their nature. All the while they are accompanied by a group of singers
and tambura bands. Bećarac is typical for the area of Slavonia, Baranja
and Srijem.
-
Nijemo kolo, silent circle dance of the Dalmatian hinterland
– this is the only dance of the Dalmatian Hinterland which involves
circle of dancers that ''breaks'' into couples who continue to move
around freely or in a circle. It's performed without music, hence the
name.
