WELCOME TO CROATIA

ISTRIA The largest peninsula

• ISTRIA IS THE LARGEST PENINSULA IN THE ADRIATIC SEA WHERE DIFFERENT CIVILISATIONS,CULTURES AND TRADITIONS COME TOGETHER. ITS COASTLINE AND SURROUNDING ISLANDS ARE COVERED IN PINE TREES AND DENSE EVERGREEN. ISTRIA'S INTERIOR IS FULL OF LUSH VEGETATION,HILLS, VALLEYS, AND RIVERS.

TRADITIONS IN ISTRIA

• The inhabitants in this area kept coming and going for centuries leaving traces of their cultures behind. Manifestations that preserve the spirit of this area are Manifestation of Folk Music and Dances of Istria.

• Some of traditional Istrian instruments are bajs (Istrian double-bass), sopile (Istrian long flute) and mih (goat skin bagpipes) and others. Special feature of the Istrian folk tradition is the characteristic way of singing and playing known as the five-tone Istrian scale, as well as numerous traditional Istrian dialects which are still in use.

 

ART IN ISTRIA

• Tradition is the inspiration for numerous artists who use it to express their artistic inspiration. Their music shows that homeland values can be and still are lasting, moreover, that today's artist identify with their roots.

• Every summer, there is the well-known art exhibition held in the open on the Rovinj's street Grisia. Also, various artist exibit their works of art every summer in all the towns along the coast.

LIMSKI CHANNEL

• The Limski Channel was created after the Ice Age. Other natural attractions in Istria include the Motovun forest and Raški Bay.

The culture of Istria reflects the historical heritage of many small towns and a mixture of various cultural traditions. It shows a strong interaction of land and sea, which is evident in the appearance of towns, in folk customs and gastronomy. The more populous towns in the interior of Istria are Buzet, Pazin, Motovun, Žminj and Buje and on the coast Poreč, Rovinj and Pula.

TRADITIONS IN PULA• PULA IS ONE OF THE MOST

BEAUTIFUL AND INTERESTING CITIES ON THE ISTRIAN PENINSULA. IT IS SITUADED ON A HILL,AND ITS SLOPES DESCEND TOWARDS THE WATERS OF THE BAY. THERE IS EVIDENCE OF SETTLEMENTS FROM THE EARLY STONE AGE UP.

• PULA IS ONE OF THE OLDEST CITIES IN CROATIA.

• IT IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS GOOD FOOD, FISH AND VERY FINE WINE. PULA IS THE CITY OF RICH CULTURAL TRADITIONS WHICH INCLUDE DANCING IN TRADITIONAL COSTUMES.

• WEDDINGS IN CROATIA ARE ALSO A LOT OF FUN. IT IS A CUSTOM TO PLAY TRICKS ON THE NEWLYWEDS.

THE BIGGEST TIE IN PULA

• IT TOOK 9015 SQ.METERS OF FABRIC,120 KILOMETERS OF THREAD AND 300 HOURS OF WORK TO MAKE THE WORLD’S LARGEST TIE.

• IT WAS 808 METERS LONG, 25 METERS WIDE AND IT WEIGHED 450,75 KILOGRAMS. AN ARTIFICIAL OWL WAS USED TO SCARE OFF THE SEAGULLS. YES, THE CROATS INVENTED THE NECK-TIE BACK IN THE 17TH CENTURY. THIS IS THE WORLD’S BIGGEST TIE AND ITS NECK IS A 2000 YEAR-OLD ROMAN AMPHITEATRE IN PULA,

SINJSKA ALKA

THE ALKA TOURNAMENT IS A UNIQUE JOUSTING TOURNAMENT IN EUROPE. IT TAKES PLACE EVERY AUGUST IN SINJ, A SMAL TOWN IN CONTINENTAL DALMATIA, 40 KM NORTH OF SPLIT.

IT COMMEMORATES THE VICTORY OVER THE TURKS IN 1745.

A BRASS ORCHESTRA PLAYING ATRADITIONAL PATRIOTIC MARCH ACCOMPANIES THE ENTRANCE OF THE ALKARS.

SINJSKA ALKA

• WHEN AT ABOUT 3 P.M. THE ALKARS APPEAR IN THE PROCESSION, EVERYONESEEMS AS IF POSSESSED BY THE PAST.

• THE COMPANY OF SQUIERS, IN TRADITIONAL COSTUMES OF THE REGION, STEP WITH A DIGNIFIED AIR

• BEHIND THEM ARE THE ALKARI, FOLLOWED BY THE ALAJCAUS. THEY ARE ALL DRESSED IN ARISTORICRATIC COSTUMES WITH CAPS SABLE WITH THE WHITE FEATHER OF A HERON OR OF A CARNE. AS THE HORSES PRANCE THEIR HOOVES INTO THE SAND THE EXCITEMENT RISES.

SINJSKA ALKA

• CEREMONIAL ALKA• THE YEAR OF 1818 IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE IN THE HISTORY OF THE ALKA. IT

WAS IN THIS YEAR THAT ON HIS JOURNEY THROUGHT DALMATIA, THE EMPEROR FRANZ I VISITED SINJ. THE LOCALS ORGANIZED A CEREMONIAL ALKA IN HIS HONOUR.

THE RULER REWARDED THE WINNER WITH A RING WORTH 800 FLORINS.

SINCE THEN, EVERY YEAR THE WINNER WOULD RECEIVE 100 FLORINS.

IN 1838, ON JUNE 7th, ALKA WAS ORGANIZED IN HONOUR OF THE SASKIAN KING FREDERICH AUGUST II. THE WINNER IVAN LOVRIC WAS REWARDED WITH A GOLDEN WATCH.

IN 1842, ON MARCH 28th, THE ALKA WAS HELD TO CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL

OF THE AUSTRIAN ARCHDUKE ALBRECHT.

THAT SAME YEAR, ON OCTOBER 22nd, THE ARRIVAL OF THE AUSTRIAN ARCHDUKE FRANZ KARL.

IN1875, ON MAY 18th, THE ARRIVAL OF THE EMPEROR KING FRANZ JOSEPH I WAS CELEBRATED. MATO BONIC WON A GOLDEN RING.

IN1919, ON JUNE 12, THE ALKA WAS ORGANIZED IN HONOUR OF KING PETAR I KARAĐORĐEVIĆ.

SINJSKA ALKATOURNAMENT RULESWHEN EVERYTHING IS READY THE ALAJ CAUŠ STANDS BEFORE THE DUKE

AND ADDRESSES HIM “ DUKE, ALL IS READY FOR THE TOURNAMENT “, THE DUKE REPLIES: “ LET THE FIRST ROUND BEGIN”

THE ALAJ CAUŠ TAKES CONTROL OF THE TOURNAMENT AND ODERS THE TRUMPETERTO TO SOUND THE TOURNAMENT. AT THE END OF EACH RUND THE ALAJ CAUŠ DEPUTY TAKES OVER. AFTER THE FIRST GALLOPS, THE 1st HIT AND CARRYING OFF OF THE ALKA, THE RIDER GOES BACK TO HIS BOX TO SHOW THE REFEREES WHAT HE HAS HIT. HE SLIDES THE ALKA FROM HIS LANCE, SALUTES,THROWS HIS LANCE TO THE SQUIRE, AND LEAVES THE TRACK. IF AN ALKAR FAILS TO TARGET THE ALKA, HE DOES NOT RETURN. AT THE END OF THE FIRST ROUND, THE SQUIERS AND ALKARS RETURN TO THE START-LINE IN A PROCESION. THE SAME IS REPEATED AT THE END OF THE SECOND ROUND.

THE SECOND AND THIRD ROUNDS PROCEED IN THE SAME WAY, BUT ONLY WITH THOSE WHOSE OVERALL POINTS WERE SUFFICIENT.

THE ALKARS USE A LANCE BETWEEN 290 AND 300 CM LONG AND THEY MUST HIT THE ALKA AT A GALLOP. THE ALKA IS MADE OF TWO RINGS, OF WHICH THE OUTER HAS DIAMETAR OF 131,7 MM.

THREE ARMS DIVIDE THE ALKA INTO THREE SECTIONS CONECTING THE RINGS. THE SMALLEST, CENTRALSECTION (SRIDA) IS WORTH THREE POINTS, A HIT IN THE UPPER SECTIONS IS WORTH ONE POINT.

SINJSKA ALKA

• AT A GALLOP RIDING HIS HORSETHE ALKAR WITHOUT RISING ABOVE THE SADDLE TARGETS THE ALKA WICH IS SUSPENDED IN MID AIR BETWEEN THE TWO POLES ACROSS THE TRACK.

• THE ALKAR WHO COLLECTS MOST POINTS AFTER THE THIRD ROUND IS THE WINNER.

• IF AN ALKAR HITS THE ALKA AND DROPS IT, BUT MANAGES TO TARGET IT BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND AND KEEPS IT ON HIS LANCE HE GAINS EXSTRA THREE POINTS. AN EVENT LIKE THAT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE NOVEL ‘THE ALKAR’ WHICH HAS BEEN TRANSLATED EVEN INTO CHINESE.

• AT THE END OF THE TOURNAMENT, THE DUKE PROCLAIMS THE WINNER AND PLACES A THREE COLOURED CROATIAN FLAG ON HIS LANCE.