On the 10th of November 2021, the first meeting of the Product Club in Krapje (Lonjsko Polje Nature Park, Croatia) was coordinated by DANUBEPARKS to initialize the development of a new local green travel product. Representatives of two local organisations - public institution "Lonjsko polje Nature Park" and Novska Development Agency "NORA" - are recognized as key stakeholders to provide input for the activities that DANUBEPARKS is planning to implement in Lonjsko polje Nature Park in the framework of the Transdanube.Travel.Stories project.
Lonjsko polje Nature Park is part of a new tourist story and trail Art, Culture and Architecture. The reason for this is because Krapje is a traditional village with centuries-old, wooden houses raised on stilts, where visitors can easily experience interconnectivity between culture and nature. However, we detected a few more new opportunities to provide visitors a better insight into the traditional folk culture of this region - which we are planning to develop in the next period.
You can find below a short chapter "Back to the Origins: Folk Culture and Living with the River" which is talking about Lonjsko Polje Nature Park as a destination on this new tourist trail.
"Returning to the basic definition of “culture” as “the way of life […] of a particular group of people at a particular time” it is worthwhile to imagine the immediate ways in which living with the Danube, which used to be characterized by many tributaries and dense floodplain forests, has influenced the everyday life of villagers, fishermen and farmers and – in some cases – continues to influence it today. There are places, where the interconnectivity between “culture” and “nature” in the Danube river system can still be experienced.
Located alongside one of the most important tributaries of the river Danube, the floodplains of the Sava river – in particular the area protected by the “Lonjsko Polje” National Park – feature rare, unspoiled nature and wildlife, while also being famous for the rugged, sturdy and beautiful “Posavina” horses traditionally bred in this region. The area features traditional villages with centuries-old, wooden houses raised on stilts, which provide insights into the traditional folk culture of this region. It is a fitting end to our trail to turn “back to the origins” and look at authentic forms of everyday culture and architecture shaped by people living immediately by and “with” the river. Experience culture and people shaped in the most direct way by the Danube and its tributaries!"