Croatian Coral Center Zlarin has received the prestigious Europa Nostra European award for citizen engagement and awareness-raising, providing an impetus for heritage preservation and island development.
Under the roof of the modern and interactive Croatian Coral Center Zlarin, the centuries-old heritage of local coral fishermen is preserved. For three years now, through an interactive exhibition, visitors can see how coral fishermen once lived, the dangerous routes they used for harvesting, and the traditional methods they applied in processing the precious red coral.
Red gold is the symbol of the island. Although at first glance they look like rocks or plants, corals are actually animals that grow very slowly. Red coral thrives best at depths of 80 to as much as 200 meters. In this modern museum setting, the life of coral fishermen and the secrets of the deep sea are fused into a unique whole that attracts guests from all parts of the world.
The Coral Center is visited every week by groups from Slovakia. Tourist guide Alena Sitarova says that visitors are surprised and delighted because for them it is new, and few have ever heard of coral hunters. "The museum is really beautifully made; anyone can understand it, both children and older people," said Sitarova.
Joy, a visitor from the USA, did not hide her excitement: "It's beautiful, wonderful. I'm so excited I came. I should be hurrying back to the ship, but I don't care because it's so beautiful. Interactive, fun. I wish my children had come."
In the golden age of coral fishing, Zlarin residents sailed on their gajetas (traditional boats) all the way to the distant shores of Greece and Africa. Maja Babačić, an employee of the Croatian Coral Center Zlarin, explains that they went much further south and quite far, so the journey could last several months. "There wasn't coral around Zlarin, so they had to go further south to bring all that coral back here, which was essentially processed in this house," said Babačić.
Today, there are no active coral fishermen on the island, but their tradition is kept alive through personal testimonies. In addition to telling the story of a rich past, the Center also teaches about the importance of preserving the marine ecosystem and protecting endangered coral reefs.
Katarina Gregov, head of the Croatian Coral Center Zlarin, emphasizes that it is a space that brings new generations together and educates visitors. "It's a place where we meet, socialize, and have a lot of cultural events in both winter and summer months," said Gregov.
For its contribution to preserving coral fishing heritage and strengthening the local community, the Croatian Coral Center Zlarin has received the prestigious European Heritage Award Europa Nostra. The award was received in May in Nicosia at a grand Europa Nostra ceremony, and a local celebration was held on Zlarin.
Goran Barišić Bačelić, director of the public institution Tvrđava kulture Šibenik, which manages the Coral Center, emphasized the significance of the recognition: "This award is of immense importance for Tvrđava kulture Šibenik and for the Croatian Coral Center Zlarin."
The Coral Center is the only Croatian project to win this award, in the category of citizen engagement and awareness-raising. According to Barišić Bačelić, the award was not given to the exhibit or the center itself, but to their work with visitors. The Center has been visited by more than 45,000 visitors in three years.
"It has truly brought a rich social and cultural life to the island, and this award is actually an incentive to continue in the same way," said Barišić Bačelić, adding that the driving force of the entire project is preserving heritage for the transfer of knowledge, encouraging creativity and innovation, and a new approach to development.
This valuable award will be displayed in front of the Croatian Coral Center at all times, and the ceremonies were attended by numerous residents of the island of Zlarin and guests, including the Secretary General of Europa Nostra, who presented the award.
