Thursday, 17 February 2022

Story Garden at American Corner Rijeka: Storytelling Workshops for Children, in English

February 17th, 2022 - The storytelling workshops are designed to help kids develop their language skills

Staying in Rijeka long-term and looking for activities for your little ones? The American Corner Rijeka at the Trsat branch of Rijeka City Library is hosting a series of storytelling events named Story Garden. The workshops will be held in English and are intended for kids aged 5-6.

The first Story Garden event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23rd with a 6pm start. Six workshops will be held, each 45 minutes long, taking place each Wednesday at 6 pm until March 30th.

Children aren’t required to have an active knowledge of English to partake in the storytelling events, as the workshops were designed to help kids learn and develop their language skills through an active but relaxed interaction that’s appropriate for their age.

Applications are required to attend the workshops. Parents can send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., message the American Corner Rijeka on Facebook, or apply directly at the library counter in Trsat. 

Participation is free for all members of Rijeka City Library.

American Corner Rijeka, supported by Public Affairs Office at USA Embassy in Zagreb, is a part of the world-wide network of library spaces dedicated to American culture and lifestyle. The American Corner at the Rijeka City Library was devised as a lively library corner hosting a large variety of activities, information resources and tech gadgets for everyone to test. A place to learn and play!

Rijeka City Library - Gradska knjižnica Rijeka

Sunday, 31 October 2021

Istra Inspirit: Discovering Istria's History and Secrets by Bike and Train

October 31, 2021 - Through an innovative way of relating the history and secrets of the region, the Istra Inspirit project offers a journey back in time for its participants to discover more about the fantastic history of Istria through the chronicles of famous characters aboard a train.

As Turističke Priče reports, Travel Istria has taken on a new dimension through innovative and sustainable product Discover Istria by bike and train. The Istra Inspirit experience took place in a renovated train adapted for the transport of passengers and bicycles on the Pula-Buzet-Pula route.

The performance was realized in a train on the route Pula-Vodnjan-Svetvinčenat-Kanfanar-Pula, where the performers of Istra Inspirit traveled through time with the time traveler Maris and her time machine: a bicycle through stations in Istria.

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Photo: Istra Inspirit (Official Facebook Page)

Various events from the train carriages intrigued the audience, and selected historical characters, as well as fictional ones, were related to the locations where the train passed and described the importance of Istrian railways and the history of the locations with anecdotes of characters. Some hid in the train fleeing the law, some were passengers, some boarded the station. The performance connected the topics of the Istrian railways and their construction, their importance for traffic development, and the connection of places and cities with cycling and the development of this project.

The first station in Pula was the place where the audience was greeted by Maris, but also by Emperor Vespasian, at whose request the Pula amphitheater was built. In Vodnjan, the mystical Valerie von Windischgrätz, the granddaughter of Emperor Francis Joseph, boarded the train with the intention of killing her husband's mistress. The journey continues to Svetvincenat where the audience was surprised by a character hidden in the train: conductor Slavko.

Kanfanar as the last stop introduced us to the tragic story of the evil fate that befell Dvigrad through the eternal villain Captain Henry Morgan and his enemy Blackbeard, one of the most famous pirate captains in history who will try to hijack the trail.

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Photo: Istra Inspirit (Official Facebook Page)

The audience embarked on a journey through the past, present and future, and through the Istrian beauties discovered a history that left a strong impression on people and customs in the region.

The experience was directed by Frano Novljan, also in the role of conductor Slavko and Crnobradog, with performers Sedina Cerovac as time traveler Maris, Linda Kliman as Princess Valerija. Sandor Slacki embodied Emperor Vespasian, while the role of Henry Morgan belonged to Karel Stipić.

Istra Inspirit is a project of cultural experience tourism which is implemented within the Istrian Development Tourist Agency - IRTA doo with the support of the Administrative Department for Tourism of the Istrian County. You can find more information about Instra Inspirit through their official website or through their official Facebook page.

For more information and travel tips on the Istrian region, be sure to visit our newly launched Total Croatia portal. Now in your language!

For more on travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

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