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CROATIA

Archaeological museum in Zagreb

Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

www.amz.hr

The Archaeological museum in Zagreb is a direct successor of the National Museum, the oldest museum institution in the capital. This first national museum institution started its public and organized—although non-institutional—work in 1846. Since 1866, when the Rules of the National Museum were accepted, it came under the protectorate of the Parliament, and was divided into the Department of Natural History and the Department of Archaeology and History. Since 1940, when the National Museum was formally abolished, the Archaeological museum has been working independently. Since 1945, the Archaeological museum in Zagreb has been located in the Vranyczany-Hafner Palace in Zrinski Square.

 Highlights

Today, the Museum's holdings number over 450,000 different artifacts that were collected from different sources. Among them are some artefacts whose significance goes far beyond the limits of local or regional heritage, such as:

  • the Eneolithic Dove of Vučedol

  • the Psephisma of Lumbarda commemorating the creation of a Greek colony on the island of Korčula

  • the Roman portrait of a Young Girl from Salona (presumably the princess Plautilla)

  • the first dated inscription of a Slavic ruler – the Branimir inscription from 888 AD.

Even though, generally speaking, most of the monuments are national in origin, from territories that belong to the Croatian historical territory, unlike other similar museums in Croatia, the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb also includes rich collections and monuments from abroad. Along with the Egyptian collection, and a significant portion of the Numismatic collection, the Museum also keeps several significant collections of Greek and Roman origin. The rich collection of painted Greek vases of south Italian and Greek origin, the precious collection of stone monuments of Italian provenance, and the famous Zagreb Mummy and the Linen Book of Zagreb (Liber linteus Zagrabiensis) are particularly noteworthy.

Centre for Prehistoric Research

A. Stipančića 19, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

The Centre for Prehistoric Research is association of experts in different fields related to research, protection, presentation and management of archaeological heritage, predominantly related to prehistory. Members of CPR are primarily scientists but there is significant number of members who work in local government, tourist boards, heritage management, and heritage related IT. CPR was established in 2007, and since than it managed over 30 important excavation projects and was partner in several international and Croatian scientific projects as well as heritage-oriented projects. It has also formalized cooperation with 5 museums and several international and Croatian scientific institutions. The research and activity of CPR were presented on more than 20 international scientific congresses.

Highlight

CPR manages excavation on the Iron Age site of Kaptol, which lasts for past 20 years including two mound necropolises and fortified settlement. This work resulted in discovery of the richest princely Iron Age grave in Croatia, as well as proto-urban structure of fortified settlement, rare in Central Europe. Work in other research area, in southern Adriatic, resulted in discovery of crucial fragment of the famous Lumbarda Psephysma and monumental Hellenistic cistern on the island of Korčula, as well as two extraordinary prehistoric landscapes on the peninsula of Pelješac – Zakotorac and Nakovana.

Municipality of Kaptol

Školska 3, HR-34334 Kaptol, Croatia

www.opcina-kaptol.com

The Municipality of Kaptol is located under the southern slopes of the Papuk Mountain, which provide enchanting view of entire Požega Valley and beyond. Rich waters and forests of the Papuk Mountain provide excellent opportunities for hunting and fishing, as well as tracking and cycling. Fertile land rolls from vineyards and orchards on Papuk slopes to rich fields in the Valley. No wonder that it is also part of the wine road following the ancient route along the Papuk Mountain, which connects several historical municipal centres in the Požega Valley – From Čaglin in the east, over Kutjevo and Kaptol, to Velika in the west.

The municipality covers an area of ​​about 90 km2. The village of Kaptol is located in the centre of that area surrounded by nine smaller picturesque settlements. The archaeological finds document successful settlements in this area from Neolithic culminating in the Iron Age when important role that this area played on European level was reflected in princely graves under burial mounds and large fortified settlement. Documented history of current settlement also stretches all the way to the medieval times and this year it will celebrate its 800th anniversary! Historical importance and continuity of Kaptol as administrative centre is reflected in its almost urban characteristics, atypical for the villages in Slavonia.

Highlight

The highlight of Kaptol is the fort Stari Grad. Fort is a hexagonal Late Gothic/Renaissance castle with circular semi-towers, and a square entry tower. It was surrounded by a moat filled with water. The remains of the fort are only remaining parts of otherwise large seat of Collegiate Chapter of St Peter. It was established by the Diocese of Pécs the early 13th century and run by it until the Ottoman conquest. After the Ottoman left, castle changed15 different owners. Today, this monumental ruin is in the owned by the Diocese of Požega. The aim of extensive conservation and restoration that lasts for decades is to explore and present this important piece of architectural and historical heritage and possibly restore at least some of it functions.

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Archaeology

I. Lučića 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia

www.web2020.ffzg.unizg.hr

The Art History department established at University of Zagreb in 1878 also included themes related to Classical Archaeology. Even the first lecture on the occasion of establishment was titled Research in History and Archaeology of Art. Completely independent Department of Archaeology was established fifteen years later, in 1893, which makes it the oldest archaeological department in Croatia.  The department was established by the same law, which also prescribed that Head of the Archaeological Department is at the same time director of the Archaeological Department of the National Museum in Zagreb (today Archaeological Museum).  This ‘personal union’ lasted until 1951. Today, the Department of Archaeology consists of five Chairs (Chair of Prehistoric Archaeology, Chair of Classical Archaeology, Chair of Roman Provincial and Early Christian Archaeology, Chair of Medieval and National Archaeology,  and Chair of Archaeometry and Methodology. It employs around 20 teachers, valuable technical team, and a number of research assistants on different scientific projects. It strives to be modern institution open to development in fields of heritage protection and management and interdisciplinary research.

Teachers and students at the Department are involved in numerous archaeological excavations and scientific projects, but there is also strong activity in projects related to presentation and management of archaeological heritage, which is especially visible on Iron Age sites in the Požega Valley and more recently in the area of Žumberak.

Papuk Nature Park - Unesco Geopark Papuk

Trg Gospe Voćinske 11, HR-33522 Voćin, Croatia

www.pp-papuk.hr

Papuk Nature Park was established in 1999 due to its exceptional geological, biological and cultural diversity, which is contained in a relatively small area of ​​336 km2. It is huge natural and partly cultivated area with emphasized aesthetic, ecological, educational, cultural-historical and tourist-recreational values.

Also, the Papuk Nature Park is the most geologically diverse area in this part of the Republic of Croatia and according to that geological wealth, in 2007, Papuk Nature Park became a member of the World Geoparks Network and the first UNESCO-protected geopark in Croatia.

Highlights

For all those who want to learn something about the Nature Park, its biological, geological and cultural-historical wealth and have an active vacation in the green oasis of Papuk, we offer a tour of about 200 kilometers long educational and hiking trails accompanied by hiking guides.

It is important to point out the possibilities of visiting the Adrenaline Park in the Kamp site Duboka, which has 2 levels - for adults but also for children. Also interesting is a tour of the Visitor Center House of the Pannonian Sea, where visitors return to the past of Papuk for 15 million years ago, when todays slopes of Papuk were the shores of the warm tropical Pannonian Sea, and fossils are the only witnesses of that time. Futhermore, an unavoidable destination of Papuk Nature Park is the Forest Park Jankovac, which is located in the heart of Papuk and is adorned with 2 beautiful lakes and 40 meters high waterfall Skakavac, which falls over the travertine barriers into the forest greenery of Papuk.

Finally, the construction of the Geo Info visitor center in Voćin is in progress, where visitors will be able to get acquainted with the geological, biological and archaeological wealth of Papuk through an interesting exhibition, animations, sculptures, multimedia educational screens and panels ... In this visitor center the visitors will get interesting information about the Kaptol and its life during the Early Iron Age.

Požega-Slavonia County Tourist Board

Županijska 19, HR-34000 Požega, Croatia

www.tzzps.hr

Spectacular nature, active vacation, quality food, great fun, good company and the famous Slavonian hospitality - there are many good reasons to visit Požega-Slavonia County. A destination where autumn and winter are, in the colors of gold, and such is the hospitality of the hosts.

Požega-Slavonia County is characterized by geographical diversity, so you can explore destinations interesting for its tourist offer.

You can see our Top 10 attraction on https://tzzps.hr/top-10-atrakcija/

Zlatni Papuk Tourist Board

Zvonimirova 1a, HR-34330 Velika, Croatia

https://www.zlatni-papuk.hr/

The „Golden Papuk“ Tourist Board was founded in 2020. It is the legal successor of the "Velika" Tourist Board. It was established by an agreement between the municipalities of Velika, Kaptol, Brestovac and Jakšić, on whose territory it operates. Partially, it covers the protected area of the Papuk Nature Park, more precisely its southwestern part. The area, it manages, is recognizable for its precious cultural and historical heritage and top wines of the Kutjevo vineyards.

Sveti Ivan Zelina Museum

Trg Ante Starčevića 13, 10380, Sveti Ivan Zelina, Croatia

https://www.muzej-zelina.hr/

The beginnings of the Museum of St. Ivan Zelina can be traced back to 1977, when the Regional Collection was founded, and in 1988, the Regional Museum was founded, today the Museum of St. Ivan Zelina. The museum is located in the centre of the town of Sveti Ivan Zelina in a building designed in 1951 by the famous Croatian architect Stjepan Planić. The museum has about 15,000 items housed in 17 collections. The assemblage include a collection of historical documents from the 14th to the 19th century, an archaeological collection with finds from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages collected during archaeological excavations in the area of Sveti Ivan Zelina town, a numismatic collection with money from antiquity to the present day, an ethnographic a collection of objects from the everyday life of the inhabitants of Sveti Ivan Zelina and its surroundings, from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

JU Park Prirode Žumberak-Samoborsko gorje

Slani Dol 1, Samobor HR-10430, Croatia

https://www.pp-zumberak-samoborsko-gorje.hr/?lang=en

In the western part of central Croatia, along the border with Slovenia, between the rivers Kupa and Sava, in the direction northeast - southwest, there is a mountain massif intersected by deep valleys of numerous rivers and mountain streams. The steep slopes are overgrown with forest, and the peak plateaus and gentle slopes are covered with rich flower meadows, pastures, vineyards, orchards and arable land. Within the area we find picturesque rural settlements at altitudes up to 800 m above sea level. On 28 May 1999, the area of Žumberak and the Samobor Mountains were declared a protected natural resource by a decision of the Croatian Parliament: a Nature Park.

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