Roberta Šimunić

A Children’s Guide

www.foma.hr

� e publisher would like to thank the authors for the permission to reproduce their photographs.A list of the authors of photography by page number:

Lisičak Matija (pg. 4) • Butković Silvija (pg. 4, 5, 9, 13, 14, 53, 60, 81) • Balaško Branko (pg. 4, 26, 27, 28, 41) • Podoreški Irma (pg. 4, 31, 35, 37) • Galjar Kruno (pg. 4, 5, 41, 79) • Aščić Šimun (pg. 4, 17, 79) • Dugi Domagoj (pg. 4, 17, 21) • Kvajo Gordana (pg. 4, 40, 47, 49, 50, 54) • Zorić Rocco (pg. 30, 63, 69, 82, 84) • Tahmaz Senad (pg. 5, 68) • Šimunić Vladimir (pg. 13, 31, 72) • Marić Nika (pg. 28, 32, 48) • Kokanović Ena (pg. 9) • Jukić Katarina (pg. 41, 43, 45) • Furčić Josip (pg. 15, 22, 67) • Car Željko (pg. 19, 24, 52) • Jaša Ante (pg. 17) • Vodopić Sanjin (pg. 32, 47) • Šarčević Elizabeta (pg. 33) • Županović Ana (p. 40) • Čuljak Mario (pg. 42, 74) • Jukić Petra (pg. 45) • Žagar Ivan (pg. 45) • Štokovac Tea (pg. 47, 59) • Bunić Valentina (pg. 53, 63, 79) • Đukić Vesna (pg. 57, 63, 65) • Vrkić Lucija (pg. 71, 74 ) • Vlačić Branko (pg. 76) • Novalić Mislav (pg. 11)

www.123rf.com (pg. 6, 19, 23, 25)

This book was published with the support of the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Croatia.

Roberta Šimunić: Discover CroatiaA Children’s Guide

Concept: Kata Ivanković Marić

Copyright © Foma, 2014.

Publisher:FOMA Studio za nakladništvo, trgovinu i uslugeCreska 18, 10110 ZAGREB

Cover design:Gordana Ivković

Illustrations: Gordana Ivković

Proofreading:Rosanda Kokanović

Translation:Ivana Brozić

Copy editing:Senka Galenić

Graphic design: DTP – Naklada Nika

Printed by:Kerschoffset Zagreb d.o.o., Zagreb

ISBN 978-953-6878-24-6A CIP catalogue record for this book is available in the Online Catalogue of the National and University Library in Zagreb as 871651

Published in March 2014

Roberta Šimunić

www.foma.hr

5

The Republic of Croatia

࿔ Currency

Croatian monetary unit is called kuna. Coins include denominations of kuna (kn) and lipa (lp). A lipa is one hundredth part of a kuna.

Population - more than 4 million peopleNational anthem - Our Beautiful HomelandNational fl ag - tricolour: red, white and blue, with a coat of armsOffi cial language - CroatianCurrency - kuna

Capital - ZagrebIslands - 1185 islands, 67 inhabitedNational parks - 8Nature parks - 11Strict nature reserves - 2

࿔ Kuna

Kuna (eng. marten) is a small carnivore prised for its fur. Marten's fur was used as a medium of exchange before the introduction of money, and it was also used for paying taxes. In the thirteenth and fourteenth century the image of this animal was imprinted on Croatian coins called banovac.

࿔ Lipa

Linden (croatian lipa) is a big and long-lived tree. Its fl owers have a lovely scent and are used for making medical tea. For ancient Slavic peoples lipa was a sacred tree. Th ey believed that a linden tree branch protects the house from lightning and fi re, and the humans from evil and spells.

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࿔ Croatian national anthem

Croatian author Antun Mihanović, one of the poets of the Croatian national revival, wrote a patriotic poem Horvatzka domovina in 1835. Four stanzas from this poem were used for the Croatian national anthem Lijepa naša domovino (Our Beautiful Homeland). It was set to music by Jospi Runjanin and fi rst performed as an anthem in 1891.

࿔ Croatian national revival

Croatia had long been ruled by other countries. Even the offi cial language was German or Hungarian. In the 19th century Croats began fi ghting for their identity – their language, culture and heritage, which was called a 'revival'.

According to a legend, the Croatian prince Stjepan Držislav was once taken prisoner by the Venetians. Their Doge Pietro II Orseolo heard that prince was a skilful chess player. He proposed a wager – they will play three games of chess and if the prince wins, he will be free. Prince Stjepan Držislav won all three games. He went home a free man and put a checkerboard image on his coat of arms.

࿔ National � ag

Th e national fl ag consists of three horizontal lines: red, white and blue. Th ere is a coat of arms in the middle.

The Legend of Croatian Chess

࿔ Coat of arms

� e coat of arms is shaped like a shield made up of 25 red and white fi elds, crowned

by 5 historical coats of arms: the old Croatian

coat of arms and those of the Dubrovnik Republic,

Dalmatia, Istria and Slavonia.

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Find the same ties and circle them!

࿔ Kravata

Croatian soldiers used to wear specially tied scarves around their necks. When they arrived in Paris in 1635 the French immensely liked the way the Croatians wore their scarves. It seemed elegant and much more comfortable than the sti� lace collars they were wearing at the time. Croata, the French word for a Croat, was the source for the new Croatian word for this type of tie – kravata!

Did you know that 18 October is the day of the tie? In 2003 the biggest tie in the world was tied around the Arena in Pula!

8

9

Osijek

Vukovar

Vinkovci

Đakovo

Slavonski BrodPožega

NašiceVirovitica

Daruvar

Eastern Croatia stretches between the rivers Drava, Sava and Danube. It is also called Panno-nian Croatia or Lowland Croatia. It is mostly fl at and suitable for agriculture, which is why it is

known as the granary of Croatia. Eastern Croa-tia encompasses the regions of Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem. Osijek is the largest town in the region and Vukovar is the largest port.

Eastern Croatia

Osijek

Vukovar

Vinkovci

Đakovo

Slavonski BrodPožega

NašiceVirovitica

Daruvar

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Osijek is the largest town in eastern Cro-atia. It lies on the plains by the river Drava. In Roman times it was called Mursa and since 1196 it has been known as Eszek. This is the root of its present name.Osijek has the largest quantity of green areas and the largest number of parks of all Croatian towns: there are 17 parks the-re, covering 394.000 m2. Do you know how much that is? That is almost like 56 football pitches!

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࿔ � e Citadel

Tvrđa, an ancient fortress raised after the end of Turkish occupation, is the historical heart of Osijek town, but people still live there today. Of course, Osijek is very nice outside of Tvrđa, too. Take a sightseeing tram and have a look around. As early as 1884 Osijek had a horse-drawn tram, the fi rst tramcar in Croatia. It was replaced by a red electric tram called munjovoz in 1926. It has been renovated and is now running again! If you get lost anywhere in the town, ask a police offi cer (pandur) for help.

Do you know who pandurs are? They used to be members of the Town Guard forces watching over order and security, just like the police, but today they only look after the tourists!

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࿔ Bridges

Osijek has been inhabited since the Roman times and all its inhabitants used to build bridges over the river Drava. Th e Romans had built a stone bridge and a solid road through the marshes of Baranja. Th e Turks built the famous wooden 8 kilometres long Suleiman Bridge. Did you know that 25,000 workers built it in just 17 days! In the Europe of the time it was considered to be the eighth wonder of the world. Th ere are several

࿔ Kužni pil

On the Square of the Holy Trinity you can � nd Kužni pil – a monument raised as a pledge against the Black Death. Th e townspeople call it the Plague Statue. Europe had often been hit by plague in the Middle Ages. It was a diffi cult and infectious disease that killed many people.

bridges over Drava today and the most beautiful is the pedestrian Suspension bridge. It gives you the best view of the town and the surrounding area, and when you cross it you arrive at the Osijek’s Copacabana beach. Don’t you know it? It is a famous beach and a sandy one, too! Th ere is a lot to do there!

A children’s music festival Zeko takes place in Osijek every June. It was named after a well-

known children’s song Zeko i potočić (A Bunny and a Creek). Alongside new songs for children,

there are other children-related events here during the festival. Come and see for yourself!

Zeko Festival

࿔ � e Church of St Peter and St Paul

Th e Church of St Peter and St Paul was built on the site of the old church that had become too small for Osijek. Did you know that the spire of the Church is 94 metres tall?

11

the Sun

࿔ Orion vessel

Th e Orion vessel, a ceramic pot with one of the oldest calendars, was found in Vinkovci. In the town centre there is the Orion Roundel – a display of calendars on the square!

Vukovar Vukovar is situated at the estuary of the rivers Vuka and Danube. By inland waterways it is connected with Budapest and Vienna, as well as with Romania further downstream! It has been inhabited since the ancient times, but was heavily devastated during the war in 1991. It is still undergoing recovery and reconstruction, but you must visit the Eltz Manor and the old water tower.

Did you know that two Roman Emperors were born in Vinkovci – the brothers Valenti-nian and Valens?

࿔ Vučedol

Near the banks of Danube you can also see the archaeological site Vučedol. About 5000 years ago fi rst Bronze Age people lived

here. � e famous items found at this site include the Vučedol dove and

Orion – a vessel with the oldest European calendar inscribed

on it. Th e Vučedol dove is a symbol of peace and of Vukovar.

VinkovciVinkovci is one of the oldest settlements in Europe! Th is is the site of the Sopot culture, which is over 6000 years old. Visit the Sopot Archaeology Park. � ere are houses there that have been built like the houses from 6000

years ago. Go inside and see how people lived at that time! Th ere are so many

archaeological sites in that area that the citizens of Vinkovci jokingly say it is better not to do any digging in the

vicinity.

Have you heard of Lavoslav Ružička? He was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1939. He was born in Vukovar – you can visit the house in which he was born.

Cassiopeia Pisces/Pegasus

Orion Cygnus Gemini

Refer to the constellations shown on the Orion vessel and make your own calendar of the night sky! an empty

� eld

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࿔ Kopački rit

Kopački rit is a nature park – a fl ood area between the rivers Drava and Danube. � ere are 44 species of fi sh living in Kopački rit, many species of mammals – deer, wild boar and beaver – and it is most famous for its bird sanctuary. 285 bird species live there. You could certainly use binoculars in Kopački rit – for bird-watching! Try to spot a White-tailed Eagle, a Great Egret or a Black Stork – and enumerate all the birds and animals you have seen!

࿔ Valpovo – Prandau Castle

In Valpovo there is Prandau-Normann Castle. It is a real medieval fortress. Th ere is a dragon hiding in one of its towers!

Baranja Baranja is fl at, and if you look around, the tallest thing you see will be a tree! Th is is not entirely true, as the highest point is actually Kamenjak, a 244 meters high peak of the hill Bansko brdo. Th ere are numerous tiny villages here, looking almost the same as a hundred years ago! One of them is Karanac, known as an ethnic village. You can fi nd beautiful castles, too – various noblemen used to build their castles here for recreation and hunting. You can start with Tikveš castle... in the woods around it you will hear deer bellowing in autumn – that is their love call!

Find the dragon in the tower!

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Našice Th e Pejačević family was very rich. Th ey had two castles in Našice – the big and the small castle.

࿔ Lipizzaner horses – a Croatian breed

� ere is a stud farm in town for white strutting horses of the Lipizzaner breed. A bigger farm with herds of mares and foals is located only a couple of kilometres further away. Don’t forget to take apples or carrots with you, the horses love them!

Ergela is a Croatian word denoting a herd of horses, usually of the same breed, but also a breeding site.

Did you know that Lipizzaner foals are dark when they are born and turn white only when they grow up?

During Advent you can see the Lipizzaner Christmas Ball – a special show where they

display their skills.

Lipizzaner Christmas Ball

࿔ Đakovo embroidery

Are you wondering what Đakovo embroidery might be? It is a show of authentic traditional folklore organised every year in June. You can see folk costumes, traditions, songs and dances there, as well as taste some homemade dishes and drinks.

ĐakovoTh e town of Đakovo is known for its cathedral, horses and embroidery. Did you know that 7 million bricks were used to build the cathedral? What else could be built with so many bricks?

14

Bizovac SpaSprings of hot therapeutic water were discovered in 1970 and are now being used in medical treatments. Apart from a swimming pool with therapeutic water, there is a real water town here – the Aquapolis! If you crave waterslides, water-mushrooms, musical caves or any other kind of fun on the water, don’t hesitate to dive in the Bizovac Spa!

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Slavonski Brod is situated by the river Sava, bordering with Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the seventh largest town and an important junction. It is also very old.2000 years ago there was a Roman settlement in its place by the name of Marsonia. Slavonski Brod was not named after a ship (brod). In Slavic languages brod stands for a shallow, a place where you can cross a river easily! Even the Romans knew that this was the easiest place for crossing the Sava!

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࿔ Royal fortress

Slavonski Brod used to be one of the defence towns on the border with the Turkish Empire. Have a look at the royal fortress that protected the town. � e fortress also houses a tamboura museum. You can learn how this instrument is made and you will probably be shown how to play it, too!

Did you know that military authorities did not allow houses to be built from solid materials, so that they could easily demolish the town and have free space for defence in case of an attack? For this reason all houses in Brod were for a long while being built of wood and covered with planks.

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࿔ Brodsko kolo

Brodsko kolo is the name of the oldest folklore show in Croatia. It has been held every June since 1963. It is important to preserve old traditions. We will preserve everything we learn and remember! You will certainly like the children’s show and the cake fair. It is both interesting and delicious!

࿔ Ivana Brlić Mažuranić

Ivana Brlić Mažuranić wrote stories for children. She

was nominated for the Nobel Prize on two occasions and has been referred to as ‘Croatian Andersen’. Her most

famous book is Croatian Tales of Long Ago – a collection of fairy tales she based on the ancient Slavic mythology. Her children’s novel � e Marvellous Adventures of Hlapić the Apprentice was adapted for both animated and feature fi lms!

Požega is a town surrounded by fi ve hills. Can you name them? (Papuk, Krndija, Dilj, Požeška gora and Psunj). Th e Sovsko Lake is also there, the only trace of the Pannonian Sea.

A children’s manifestation In the fairytale world is held every April in the memory of Ivana Brlić

Mažuranić. Should you visit Slavonski Brod at that time, you will be able to experience the fairytales of

the famous author.

In the fairytale world

Daruvar has been long known for its springs of therapeutic water. � e people who used to inhabit this area were called the Healers, and the springs were called Aquae Balissae – ‘the powerful wells’. Roman Emperors used to visit them, too. If you would like to have an imperial bath – visit the water park! Th ere is a Roman forest nearby, with a spring called Julius Brum. Once you have tasted the water from that spring, you will fall in love – or so the legend says…

Požega

Daruvar

࿔ Virovitica – Pejačević castle

Did you know that there is a Pejače-vić castle and a Pejačević palace in Virovitica? Th e castle was built in 1804 on the rema-ins of an old burgh and it is surrounded by a lo-vely park. Th e palace was built in the second half of the 18th cen-tury and is currently being renovated.

࿔ Pannonian Sea

Around 20 million years ago the sea rushed into the Pannonian plain. It stretched across a part of central Europe and was called the Pannonian Sea. Around 5 million years ago the Sea eventually dried up leaving a few pieces of evidence of its existence: the Sovsko Lake, some remains of a whale, various shells and fossils.

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17

Zadar

Split

DubrovnikMakarska

Sinj

Trogir

Šibenik

Omiš

Pelješac

Dalmatia covers the area of the Croatian coast and islands from the Velebit mountain to the south, and its name is one of the oldest region names. Dalmatian coast is around 1200 km long,

and the region also includes the largest number of islands. Tourism is particularly well developed due to the beauty of the coast and nice weather. Split is the largest town and port in the region.

Dalmatia

Zadar

Split

DubrovnikMakarska

Sinj

Trogir

Šibenik

Omiš

Pelješac

²

In the old times this area was inhabited by the tribes of Iadera. The tribes no lon-ger exist, but Zadar has probably inherited their name. Until 1918, it was the capital of Dalmatia. The fi rst Croatian university was founded in Zadar back in 1396, the fi rst Croatian newspapers were printed here, too, and today the town is famous for the fi rst sea organ in the world.

²

࿔ Saint Donat

Zadar has been inhabited of old, but the old town on the peninsula dates from the Roman times. You must visit the Church of Saint Donatus from the 9th century. Did you know that the upper gallery was reserved for women only? Walk over the Forum, visit the Roman excavations and turn into the Kalelarga. Th is street is said to be older than the town itself. � ere are numerous churches, gates, walls and towers there. When you get tired, you can always � nd a place for dipping into the sea.

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࿔ Sea organ

And what is the sea organ? Can the sea really play? Of course! Take a seat at the steps of the organ and listen to the sea’s music. Specially built tubes enable the sea to create music with the help of the low and high tide.

࿔ Sun Salutation

Th e sunset in Zadar is said to be the most beautiful in the world. For that reason the Sun Salutation installation has been set up on the Istrian coast of the Zadar peninsula. It consists of 300 glass plates arranged in a circle. As the sun sets, the lights in the circle come on, creating a fascinating play of light in the rhythm of the waves and the sound of the Sea organ.

࿔ � e Square of Five WellsWhen you have a wish, you should whisper it into a well. Did you know there was a Square of Five Wells in Zadar? Have you got so many wishes?

࿔ Another sphinx

Zadar also has a sphinx! In the courtyard of Villa Attilia you will fi nd a sphinx. It is not real; it has been made at the beginning of the 20 century. But, as the legend says, this sphinx makes lovers’ wishes come true!

The Maraschino liqueur is one of the sym-bols of the town. It is made of a special sort of wild cherry, which is also used in the making of the Maraska fruit juice. So if you would like to know how Maraska cherry tastes, you can try some juice.

In one of the wells

My wish dwells.

For five wishes I will strive

Because the wells there are .(five)

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20

1

2

3 4

7

9

8

5

6

10

11

12

13

1415

16

1

2

34

7

9

8

56

10

11

12

13

1415

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࿔ Kalelarga

Kalelarga or the Wide Street is the main and the most famous street in the town, allegedly older than the town itself, stretching from the People’s Square to the Forum.

࿔ Zadar boatmen

Would you like to cross to the other side of the harbour? You can use the bridge or you

can walk around, but the easiest way is to cross it by boat. Th e boatmen have been carrying passengers across the bay in small

boats for 600 years.Th ey have been rowing for

so long – it is as if they have sailed around the

world at least twice.

Obrovac Th e small town of Obrovac crouches in the picturesque Zrmanja canyon. In its upper fl ow Zrmanja is full of cascades and waterfalls but once it passes Obrovac, it calms down, which is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘the beauty and the beast’. Th e fresh and sea water mix before Zrmanja meets the sea, so you can fi nd sea fi sh in this river!

Did you know that the Zadar archipelago consists of as many islands as there are days in a year? Just imagine how many amazing beaches you can fi nd in such abundance! Besides, there are three natio-nal parks nearby you could visit: Paklenica, Kornati Islands and Krka.

Connect the dots and discover what is hidden in the picture!

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What are these sights called? Where can you fi nd them? If you don’t know, fi nd them in the book!

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In which part of Croatia have you seen these animals? What are their names?

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54

60

57

6770

75

212910

36

48

15

35

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Contents

Roberta ŠimunićRoberta Šimunić

Discover Croatia in an interesting and fun way!Take a journey through the pages of this book and fi nd out a number of things you did not know about Croatia. You can learn something new and fi nd out things not known to others...

²

Inspiring illustrations bring to life the streets of largest Croatian towns, fascinating scenes from the past, as well as all the features that make Croatia attractive, special and wonderful.

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Games, labyrinths, puzzles and a quiz represent an easy way to get to know the country and discover things such as:

• Who are picoki and what are German miles?• Where is the meeting place of witches and where do giants gather?• Are there deserts in Croatia?• How can you adopt a dolphin or a bat?• How can you write a letter using the Glagolitic script?• Why is Varaždin not the capital of Croatia and when was the Republic of Dubrovnik abolished?

Let your wonderful journey through Croatia begin!

www.foma.hrPrice: 99.00 kn • 13 €