ZAGREB, 27 May 2022 - A maritime heritage interpretation centre - DUBoak - that was built as part of the Arca Adriatica project, opened on Friday in Malinska on the Island of Krk.

The project is aimed at protecting, promoting and adding tourist value to the Adriatic's maritime heritage.

The premises are valued at about HRK 11.5 million and exhibit rich maritime heritage, shipping culture, shipbuilding skills and the life of islanders.

The design for the centre was prepared by a team of architects, heritage interpreters, marketing experts and experts in the field of multimedia.

The centre's name - DUBoak - recalls the unbreakable tie between the sea and traditional boats on the coastal side facing the mainland and the Dub oak on the forest-covered side of the island. The name reminds of the deepness of the sea and is a play on words, combining the local (dub) and English (oak) terms for oak trees.

The centre is located on the Malinska promenade where residents from Dubašnica in the past used to unload oak trunks transported on ox-driven carts and then would load them into wooden boats and transport them to Rijeka and as far as Venice.

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February the 14th, 2021 - Shipbuilding, fishing and other such maritime materials are being collected for the new Lopar multimedia centre on the beautiful island of Rab, of which maritime culture and heritage has always played a vital part.

As Morski writes, the Tourist Board of Lopar is in the process of collecting old fishing, maritime, shipbuilding and other such materials which speak to its history from the people who may have such materials in the Municipality of Lopar and the town of Rab for listing and documentation for the up and coming Lopar multimedia centre called: "Man and the Sea - The Fishing and Maritime Heritage of Lopar/Covik i more – ribarska i pomorska bastina Lopara".

The main goal of the new Lopar multimedia centre, which will of course also serve as an interpretation centre for the area, is to contribute to the protection, preservation and evaluation of Lopar's cultural and natural heritage as a basis for the sustainable development of Lopar as an area which has always drawn its living from maritime culture, fishing and other similar sorts of aquaculture. The project aims to promote the tradition of the traditions of fishing, aquaculture and general maritime heritage of the wider Lopar area.

The opening of the new Lopar multimedia centre will work to properly preserve the fishing and maritime heritage of this picturesque little place on Rab, protect the exhibits, create a model of a traditional vessel, interpret ways of fishing and making tools, put together a dictionary consisting of old words, expressions and even swear words from the area of Lopar, put together a menu which will boast some traditional recipes consisting of fish dishes, the very preparation of which will be recorded and placed on multimedia totems in order to be available to visitors.

The project activities will unite and preserve the rich heritage for future generations in one place and showcase the very traditional way of life in the Lopar area in an accessible way and enrich this location's overall tourist offer.

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January 30, 2021 – By implementing two projects to preserve maritime heritage, Rab and Lopar will soon get exciting and modern tourist content – a virtual museum and multimedia interpretation center.

As HrTurizam reports, with the help of European funds, the Rab City and Lopar Municipality Tourist Boards are working to enrich the tourist offer. The value of added up funds provided by Rab and Lopar through only two projects exceeds 3.5 million kunas. Thus, the cultural and historical value will significantly contribute to the tourist value.

Virtual museum of the Rab town

The Rab City Tourist Board has been allocated funds from the Local Development Strategy in Fisheries LAGUR Tramuntana. The start of the project "Virtual Museum of Fisheries, Maritime Affairs and Shipbuilding of the City of Rab" is expected in March this year. The total value of approved funds is 1,120,518.31 kuna.

Within the project, it is planned to set up information boards on Banjol and Barbat's coastal belt to create an educational route. By using modern digital technologies, those interested will be shown information interesting for the history of fishing, maritime affairs, and shipbuilding on the island of Rab.

All information will be available through a web application, which will preserve and promote the fishing and maritime tradition and traditional shipbuilding of the fishing area in a modern way.

Rab town / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

With the application, visitors will have many comprehensive and interesting current and historical information about each location, as well as the project as a whole, in virtual reality. Besides, the application would enable a virtual walk along the specified tourist promenade.

This project will create a tourist offer outside the tourist season, and the Rab City Tourist Board believes it will contribute to connecting the tourism and fisheries sectors.

Multimedia Interpretation Center in Lopar

An even more financially valuable project will be realized in Lopar. Namely, the Lopar Municipality Tourist Board was awarded 2,4 million kunas for the project "Man and the Sea - Fisheries and Maritime Heritage of Lopar."

This is a significant project, considering that a multimedia/interpretation center for fishing and maritime heritage is planned. The general project's goal is to contribute to the protection, preservation, and valuation of Lopar's cultural and natural heritage as a basis for the sustainable development of the Lopar fisheries and aquaculture area.

The Center will preserve the fishing and maritime heritage of Lopar, protect exhibits, make a model of a traditional vessel in the area, and interpret fishing methods and tools. It will also make a Dictionary of old words, phrases, and swear words from the Lopar area and make a menu with traditional recipes for fish dishes. The same dishes and recipes will be recorded and placed on multimedia totems to be available to visitors.

Photo: Lopar Municipality Tourist Board

The project activities will unite and preserve the rich heritage for future generations in one place, show the Lopar area's lifestyle in an accessible way, and enrich the tourist offer.

Center until the summer of 2023

The multimedia space will consist of five thematic rooms. At the entrance to the interpretation space, you will learn more about the history of Lopar. The road further leads to a room where vessels, tools, and techniques will be presented. The room "Man and the Sea" follows, in which the customs of the Lopar region will be presented through fishing stories.

Today, it is difficult to imagine a tourist promotion without traditional dishes. Traditional fish cuisine will also find its place in the multimedia space. And finally, in the fifth room, ecology will also find its place. A large aquarium will present it with plants and animals from this climate. As part of the multimedia space, there is also space for workshops with a library.

The upgrade of the Rab City Tourist Board's building, where the Center will be located, will begin in the fall of this year, and the second phase is planned for early next year. It is planned that the Center will open in the summer of 2023.

Local development strategy

These two projects result from the persistent and diligent work of local stakeholders on the sustainable development of the fisheries area. Namely, back in 2016, the Local Action Group in Fisheries LAGUR / FLAG Tramuntana was established for Karlobag, Senj, Novalja, Rab, and Lopar. By connecting the civil, public, and economic sectors and their active cooperation, the LAGUR Tramuntana was developed, and financial resources for implementation were provided.

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