Sailing into the past: Mošćenička Draga shone as a center of maritime heritage
- by croatiaweek
- in Entertainment
(Photo: Mitja Zupančič)
One hundred-year-old stone house in the picturesque port of Mošćenička Draga is more special than the others.
On it, you will notice an unusual wooden “arrow” with the inscription House of the Sea.
If you step into that multimedia museum “House of the Sea”, you will realize that it is an oversized fishing needle used to mend fishing nets, which represents the leitmotif of one of the most attractive events on the Adriatic – the recently concluded 16th Show and regatta of traditional sailing boats MALA BARKA “Štorija od mora”.
(Photo:Zoran Soldatić)
Despite the extremely high temperatures that scorched the beautiful face of the blue-green Mošćenička Draga, this small place became the center of maritime and fishing heritage from July 11 to 14.
Many members of the local community all generations worked hard for that title. With great dedication and hospitality, they gave numerous visitors an unforgettable experience of reviving the past, woven into their identity with threads of fishing nets and ship ropes.
(Photo: Zoran Soldatić)
The three-day program on the waterfront of Mošćenička Draga brought a dynamic and authentic atmosphere; numerous educational and entertaining content followed one after the other. The microphone was always in safe and professional hands, ensuring that the audience could hear every interesting detail.
(Photo: Mitja Zupančič)
The large turnout of visitors to the photo contest “Sails in the Frame” is proof of the program’s success, with foreign visitors being the most represented with their experience of traditional boat shows and regattas.
The great effort of the organizers of this event – the Coordination of the Association for the Preservation and Revitalization of the Maritime, Fishery and Shipbuilding Heritage of Kvarner and Istria, the Ecomuseum of Mošćenička Draga, and the Municipality of Mošćenička Draga – in designing a rich program attracted around thirty traditional boats this year, which waited impatiently in the port of Draga to sail the sea in front of Mošćenička Draga.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
Wind maestral did not let the people of Draga down this year either, blowing away the heat and pushing the boats into another colorful regatta.
The overall victory, which is the least important in regattas like this, was won by the local Kvarner guc, and all regatta participants were awarded in numerous categories.
(Photo: Ekomuzej Mošćenička Draga)
Anyone who keeps their traditional boat alive and perfects their sailing skills is a winner in the preservation of maritime heritage. And it is more important to one resident of Draga than to others because every day he lives, preserves and improves the fishing and maritime heritage of his region.
(Photo: Mitja Zupančič)
Prof. Dr.Sc. Robert Mohović, “spiritus movens” of this significant and popular manifestation, has been implementing numerous initiatives and projects for 15 years, the results of which are most visible in July, during the parade and regatta of traditional boats with the sails of the MALA BARKA “Štorija od mora”.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
About this year’s event, he says: “Once again, everyone in Mošćenička Draga could feel the fishing and maritime essence of our place and region, whether it was children who participated in numerous workshops, visitors who rode in boats, tasted eco-ethnic products, viewed our exhibitions, the House of the Sea, and the visiting floating museum Lošinj logger Nerezinac, or the regattas who, like real people from the sea, hung out with us over the meals of our ancestors.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
Our heritage was even displayed on the regatta’s official T-shirts through a series of traditional sayings in the language of our grandfathers. We wanted to revive their experience and wisdom that we inherited, to tell our story about the sea and its meaning for us throughout history.
(Photo: foto Tomislav Budiselić)
(Photo: Foto Luigi)
“This year’s significant shift is the increasing return of canvas sails, which we wholeheartedly encourage. Their victories in many categories will hopefully inspire others to return to the authenticity on which all our efforts rest.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
Their beauty was especially evident in the night sailing show with light effects and classical music, which was a real attraction for all present.
The most important aspect of our events this year is the significant involvement of young people were involved in the organization in various ways.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
Many little girls and boys worked diligently to serve fish dishes on authentic cachets from fish markets offering warm hospitality to our guests. This gives us an increasingly optimistic view of the future.
We were especially glad to host our friends from the south, the Palagruza Association from Vis, who brought their enthusiasm and love for the sea to us in Kvarner.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
In addition to showing the children the power of recycling by making small boats from cans, they cooked for us the legendary Pope’s brujet. This evoked the story of the stay of Pope Alexander III in Palagruža and showed how their gajetas are made.
(Photo: Mia Uhač)
We are proud to be part of the European Maritime Days and to carry the Kvarner Maritime Heritage mark of the award-winning TZ Kvarner brand, with which we continue our high-quality and fruitful cooperation, as we do with the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County.
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
(Photo: Tomislav Budiselić)
It is also important to mention that we organized this year’s event as a partner of the Adriatic PortTLand Interreg Italy-Croatia project, hosting Italian colleagues from the municipalities of Cesenatico and Battaglia Terme, and the leading partner from Rovinj, the Institution “House of Batana”,” with whom we exchanged knowledge and experience and joined forces in creating a joint strategy,” pointed out Prof. Robert Mohović, Ph.D.”
Prof.dr.sc Robert Mohović
