October 21, 2019 - On Friday, October 18, 2019, the Sinj Tourist Board, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Sinj, organized three educational workshops for children and adults on the topic  of ”Traditional Handmade Pottery from Potravlje”. The workshops were successfully held at the Sikirica Gallery in Sinj.

Due to the increased interest, for the fifth consecutive year, several workshops are held instead of just one - and for the next year, several additional workshops for elementary school children from the Cetina region will also be organized. 

As in previous years, the children's workshop was held in cooperation with the kindergarten Bili Cvitak and Mrs. Ana Glavinović, who assisted Mr. Ivan Knezović in creating the clay items. At the end of the workshop, the proud students brought their handicrafts with them to decorate the nursery. 

The Ivan Mažuranić elementary school students from Obrovac Sinjski - Han, accompanied by teacher Mrs. Grozdana Filipović - Grčić and Mrs. Ljubica Šakić, and students from the elementary school in Trilj, accompanied by teacher Mrs. Ivana Crljen, also participated in the workshops.

Ivan Knezovic, who regularly leads these educational workshops, is also among the last to practice this traditional craft. Traditional pottery from Potravlje has the status of an intangible cultural property since 2013 and has been nominated by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia for the protection of UNESCO. It is of the utmost importance to preserve this segment of Croatia’s traditional culture and allow it to continue by passing it on to younger generations. For this purpose, the Sinj Tourist Board, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, holds these workshops.

Everyone who expressed their desire and interest could participate in the workshops under the expert guidance of Mr. Knezović. Due to a large number of participants who wanted to try their hand at creating these items, the workshops were held from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Workshop participants were given unique souvenirs made personally by Mr. Ivan Knezović, and the youngest attendees were given small gingerbread cookies. The musical part of the evening featured members of the Association for the Preservation of the Heritage of the Cetina Region and KUD Dicmo.

You can learn more about the pottery in the video below:

The Sinj Tourist Board sincerely thanks everyone who helped them in the realization of this project and the Sikirica Gallery for providing the space.

October 14, 2019 - The picturesque village of Potravlje is situated at the foot of Svilaja, adjoining the edge of Lake Peruca. It is the cradle of Cetina pottery using a hand wheel, a craft whose beginnings date back to prehistoric antiquity of the 4th century BC. About fifty families kept this centuries-old tradition of making pottery in the Cetina region villages until WWII, and in the Potravlje region, about twenty of them. As far back as 1774, the famous Italian travel writer Alberto Fortis stated that these pots were more durable than those of his homeland.

This was a time when various earthenware, copper pots for cooking milk, or for preparing a turkey and corn polenta, cups for butter and sour milk, or for storing wine and grain, and even pans for grilling were used in households. Barbecue pans, baking trays, bell-shaped lids to cover pastry or other open-hearth dishes, serving plates, bowls, and drinking jars were all needed. Each container was named after its intended use. Today, along with some traditional pots, new forms are also being made, such as amphorae (for tourists), flower pots, and various miniature types of traditional utensils that are offered as souvenirs.

Thus, traditional pottery in Potravlje has been named intangible cultural property.

After a series of successful and highly visited workshops, the Tourist Board of Sinj, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, is organizing an educational workshop "Traditional Handmade Pottery from Potravlje" this year.

This year's workshop will be held on Friday, October 18, at 6:00 pm on the 3rd floor of the Sikirica Gallery. The workshop will be led by Ivan Knezovic, one of the last masters of this traditional craft. The workshop participants, if they wish, will also be able to try making clay pots with the expert assistance of Ivan Knezović.

Nikola Belancic

Commemorative souvenirs have been prepared for all attendees, which will be distributed upon completion of the workshop.

All interested parties can send their applications by e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone on 021 / 826-352 by Thursday, October 17th at noon.

Participation in the workshop is free of charge and the number of participants is limited.

Septemeber 4, 2019 - Kevin Rushby, who writes for the prestigious Guardian, with a total reach of 25 million readers, was in the city of Sinj and the Cetina region on Tuesday. 

As part of the ongoing promotion of the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, in cooperation with the local tourist boards of the cities and municipalities of Split, Klis, Imotski, Trilj and Sinj, the renowned Guardian journalist Kevin Rushby, author of the award-winning books on travel collaborating with a range of Tier-1 Media, arrived in Sinj. 

The Sinj Tourist Board tried to offer as diverse an itinerary as possible to showcase the richness of both Dalmatian cuisine and historical and cultural heritage, which is extremely important to British readers when choosing a destination. In addition to presenting the area’s wine and gastronomy offer and cultural heritage, the Guardian also plans to bring this part of Croatia closer to readers, with an emphasis on active rest and exploration of natural beauty.

Kevin Rushby arrived in Sinj, accompanied by tour guide Dino Ivancic, and Monika Vrgoc, director of the Sinj Tourist Board, who introduced him to the city's geographical, historical and cultural landmarks, the Miraculous Lady of Sinj, Kamičak Fortress, Gaj Laberija, the Alka racetrack and the significance of the town of Sinj, both locally and nationally. They then went on a tour of the Sinjska Alka Museum where they were greeted by the director Boris Filipović Grčić, as well as the Alkar Pavao Prolić and Alkar boy Marko Mrđen. The museum exhibit was presented to him by museum curator Tomislav Barhanović. The museum exhibit, as well as the entire presentation of the Alka, delighted the respected British journalist, who showed great interest in the rich history of the Sinj area.

As the whole program requires gastronomy, Sinj's arambaša, Dalmatian prosciutto, young cheese and uštipak, as well as the native Sinj hrvaština wine, were presented. In the afternoon, he visited Mr. Ivan Knezovic, one of the last craftsmen of the traditional pottery of Potravlje, who introduced him to traditional cookware that can still be found in practical use. Rushby also visited Mr. Jozo Beslic, who, together with his wife, presented the production of tools and household items with an emphasis on wooden "copper".

On this occasion, the Sinj Tourist Board thanks all those who contributed to this fruitful collaboration.

September 4, 2019 - The five-day photo workshop ‘The World in Color’, co-organized by Photo Croatia and the Tourist Board of Sinj, was completed by a joint exhibition of selected photographs of all participants at the Sikirica Gallery.

On September 3, at the premises of the Sikirica Gallery, an exhibition of the work of the participants of the first photo workshop was opened.

The workshop, which was conducted by Sanja Grgić Ćurić and Nikola Ćurić, professionally and interestingly, consisted of theoretical and practical parts. Participants of the photo workshop found motifs in the area of Sinj on the following topics: Sinj City fortress, Stations of the Cross, Alkar monument, Cetina river, Han bridge, Kosinac spring, Sinj field, and the Sinj Air Show. Thirteen students of all ages from the cities of Sinj, Trilj, Otok and Cista Provo completed their education, and in search of the most interesting and unusual images, they participated in creating unforgettable visual magic. The best indicator of the success of the workshop was certainly the presence of numerous visitors at the Sikirica Gallery at the opening of the exhibition.

The exhibition will be open by the end of the week, and anyone interested can come and see the photos.

The Sinj Tourist Board would like to thank everyone who helped with the realization of this first photo workshop, and especially the Aeronautical Technical Society, which allowed the photographers to photograph the Sinj Air Show, and the Sikirica Gallery and the KUS staff for their help in setting up the exhibition.

August 27, 2019 - A five-day photo workshop titled ‘The World in Color’, co-organized by Photo Croatia and the Tourist Board of Sinj, invites everyone interested in a challenge and a new take on what is known and unknown through the lens of a camera. After over 120 successful and extremely well-attended visits to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, this year's photo workshop in Sinj will be held from 30 August to 3 September 2019.

The workshop is free of charge for participants and is intended for ages 12 and older. Join in on the search for the most interesting and unusual motifs and take part in creating unforgettable visual magic.

Registration must be made to Sanja Grgić Ćurić (091 5742343). The first meeting is on Friday, 30th August 2019 at 17:00 in front of the office of the Sinj Tourist Board.

August 26, 2019 - As part of the 24th World Scout Jamboree, which took place in West Virginia, in the United States of America, from July 22 to August 2 this year, the Croatian Scout Alliance had the chance to participate, socialize and share experiences with 45,000 scouts from 150 countries. 

In addition to sporting activities, the participants had the opportunity to educate themselves but also promote the country they came from through their cultural heritage. 

On this occasion, Croatian scouts presented the Sinj Alka and the town of Sinj, to the general delight of all participants. As a special feature, all visitors had the opportunity to play a version of the Sinj Alka. The scouts ran in pairs, one (horse) carrying the other (alkar) on their back while trying to aim the alka. The most successful participants received commemorative souvenirs for the award, which were provided by the Sinj Tourist Board and the Sinjska Alka Museum.

The Sinj Tourist Board thanks the Croatian Scout Alliance for this truly valuable promotion of the Inland Dalmatian region, as well as Ivana Šabić, prof. and Nada Jelinčić who participated in the realization of this event.

August 22, 2019 - The Brnaze Festival is a festival of chivalry, heroism, and folklore that is dedicated to old disciplines, cultures, and sports.

The Brnaze festival was held for the first time in 1974 and continuously ran until 1990. The festival was relaunched in 1999 and came to a halt a few years ago. In 2016, the Sinjska Alka cluster organized the festival again to ensure the preservation of the traditions of this area through this manifestation.

This year’s Brnaze festival will return for the 34tg edition at Meljač, known as the site of the ruins of the early Christian church of St. Mihovil.

The Brnaze Festival is a valuable, cultural, and original ethno-festival with rich economic content. Many producers of autochthonous products from the Cetina and Dalmatian region participate in the event, and there are also demonstrations of hunting, heroism and folklore dedicated exclusively to ancient disciplines, culture and sports. 

The location of Meljač is among one of the most important early Christian sites that is regularly mentioned in literature. Therefore, the festival serves a purpose to help revalue the site through projects that protect its cultural heritage.

The festival also aims to promote locality, and as in previous years, it will promote the preservation of ethnic heritage, various traditional games (bocce ball tournament, bag races, football matches, long jump, martial arts, parachute jumps), performances of KUDs, and more. 

At the end of the three-day affair, an “Evening of Tradition and Folklore" will be performed through cultural art societies, with special reference to this year's winner of the 304th Sinjska Alka, Frane Ivković from Brnaze.

The event is organized by the Sinjska Alka Cluster in cooperation with the locals of Brnaze.

Entrance is free!

August 19, 2019 - On Saturday, August 17, within the Musical Evenings at Kamičak Fort, organized by the Sinj Tourist Board and with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Sinj and the Tourist Board of the Split-Dalmatia County, a magnificent concert under the stars was held featuring Ratko Zjaca, Stefan Benetti with Nocturnal4.

On August 17, in the unique and beautiful setting of Kamičak Fort, the people of Sinj were able to witness a true ambient and musical spectacle under the starry sky, a virtuoso performance by top jazz musicians Ratko Zjaca, Stefan Benetti and Nocturnal4.

Thanks to the rich material and intangible cultural heritage, as well as a number of diverse cultural events, Sinj and the Cetina region have long been engraved on the tourist map of Croatia. Thanks to the pursuit of sustainable tourism, the coexistence of carefully thought out activities enjoyed equally by the hosts and guests alike, the events in the Alka city are always captivating and attracting a growing audience.

One of these events is the Musical Evenings at Kamičak Fort. The fortress, below which the present-day Sinj developed, was built in 1712 as a star-filled bastion filled with earth. On the fort itself is a tower that used to be an observation post, and on it is a clock, still fully functional, with a bell cast in one of the most famous foundries of Colbachini in the province of Veneto, Italy. 

At the authentic and unique fortress Kamičak with a beautiful stage under a sky, concerts of classical and traditional and jazz music are organized. This approach is popularizing these, perhaps somewhat neglected, musical expressions, and where better than in Sinj, a city of rich musical tradition?

The Sinj Tourist Board has organized successful and extremely well-attended concerts for several years. The following concerts have been held at this authentic location so far: Academic accordion orchestra "Ivan Goran Kovačić", Sara Renar, Jazz swing quintet "Repassage", Wind quintet "Kalamos" and since 2017, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia, the unique Samobor percussion ensemble "Sudar" Percussion”, ethno musician Dunja Knebl with Kololira and an ethnic composition by Veja. All the performances were awe-inspiring, and the ambiance of the old fortress under the stars turned out to be the true essence of Sinj.

This year, an extraordinary program was held on August 17, 2019, when the best of jazz music was presented to the people of Sinj and its guests by renowned international performers, Ratko Zjača - Stefano Bedetti and Nocturnal Four.

Ratko Zjača is a giant of modern jazz and improvised music. An innovative guitarist and author of numerous solo and collaborative albums, he has studied in Zagreb, Rotterdam and New York. As he says, he is open to all styles of music, starting with American jazz, Indian classical music, English rock, and European classical music. It would be a sin to miss his performance accompanied by the Nocturnal Four band - Renato Chicco, Stefano Bedetti and Antonio Sanchez.

August 6, 2019 - Organized by the Sinj Tourist Board, on Thursday, August 8 at 8:30 pm, King Tomislav Square (Pijaca) will feature the famous reenactment of the Battle of Sinj in 1715, as well as the events that preceded it. 

The historical spectacle of the Battle of in 1715 takes place in two acts.

The first act is staged in Pijaca, the main square of Sinj, when the Ottomans conquer the town of Sinj with a dramatic and violent rush, burn down the church and take the people into slavery. The extremely realistic lighting and sound effects contribute to the authenticity of the scenes.

The second act takes place in the original setting of the Alka Courtyard. Despite the almost hopeless situation, the people of Sinj did not think of retreating and instead decided to defend their city against the much larger, superior, and powerful enemy. According to tradition, it was with the help of Our Lady that the Ottomans were defeated, and Sinj was freed from the threat of an enemy, and Christianity remained. Led by Fr. Vučković, the grateful believers have since celebrated their patron saint with greater enthusiasm.

The author of the dramatic reenactment is prof. Velimir Borković. The play is realized in cooperation with the Shrine of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj and the Alka Knights Society. Numerous actors from the amateur theaters participate in the evening, including Gabrijel Jurišić, Marko Duvnjak, Bruno Barać, Marijan Grbavac, Damir Žane Alebić, Saša Miletić, Bobo Delonga, Dijana Ivić Kundid, Bože Pavić, Ante Doljanin, Vedrana Vrgoč, Hana Delonga, Anđelka Vučković, Marija Mandac, members of the Marko Marulić Association, Klis Uskoks, Gromova Zagorje - Guardian of Our Beautiful, Veterans' Cooperative Patriot, Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, Association of Rera and Gusle from Otok, KUD Dicmo, KUD Glavice, Association for the Preservation of the Cetina Area Heritage, Sinj Ferali, Horsemen of the Alka Knights Society, and the Alka ergele horses, whose carriage provided by Davor Ivković. The assistant director is Bruno Barać, and this year's director is the prominent theater, television and film actor Robert Kurbaša.

The Battle of Sinj in 1715 is a unique spectacle. Under the auspices of the August Evenings in Sinj, the whole city transforms into a stage of real events and transfers its originality to the viewer in an instant - 304 years into the past.

And the entry is free!

August 6, 2019 - The 10th Sinj Village Fair was successfully organized by the Sinj Tourist Board, with the support of the City of Sinj, Split-Dalmatia County and the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Crafts.

More than 35 exhibitors participated in the two days of the fair:, including reputable producers of prosciutto, cheese, honey, soparnik, liqueurs, brandies, as well as indigenous old crafts such as making folk costumes, opanak shoes, peka, copper, garden tools and other traditional wood handicrafts, as well as collectible items.

The 10th Sinj Village Fair was opened on August 2, 2019, at the Dr. Franjo Tudjman Square by Monika Vrgoč, Director of the Sinj Tourist Board, while the following day Kristina Križanac, Mayor of the City of Sinj, closed the occasion with an invitation for the 11th Sinj Village Fair. 

The entertainment part of the program featured the Sinj Majorettes who, with their performances and choreography, magnify every event they participate in. The fair also featured the Association for the Preservation of the Heritage of the Cetina Region, KUD Vrilo - Obrovac Sinjski, KUD Glavice, and KUD Dicmo, who performed the traditional folk customs of the Dalmatian Zagora. Members of these Associations are the faithful keepers of the region’s traditions and customs, which they cherish through the songs and dances of Inland Dalmatia, and are also on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of the Republic of Croatia. Among the other performers were the elementary school students of Trilj, who presented the original souvenir of the Trilj region and sang songs.

Traditional craft workshops were also held this year. In order to preserve these traditional crafts, the first night of the fair featured a workshop on making clay pots, which were created under the skilled hands of master Ivan Knezović. Namely, the traditional pottery of Potravlje has been given the status of an intangible cultural property since 2013, and has been nominated by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia for UNESCO protection. Every year, the Sinj Tourist Board organizes extremely well attended educational workshops. 

The workshops also featured the almost forgotten skills of making opanak shoes and weaving, led by Ljiljana Vojković. All visitors to the fair could taste the Sinj specialties for free - uštipak and young cheese prepared by the members of KUD Cetina and the Association Old Crafts. The oenological presentation was led by OPG Mažurin with the original wines of Croatia and Maraština, which were also shared free of charge by the members of OPG Mažurin and the association Srma.

Kopita was the star of the concert portion of the program, who hails from the island of Vis. Despite the bad weather, the audience enjoyed an unforgettable musical evening. 

A novelty this year were the numerous KUDs and Knights' Associations, who, through the Evening of Knighthood and Folklore, presented the customs and traditions of Croats from all over Croatia and the world. Thus, after the 304th Čoje and parade of 28 historical military units throughout Sinj, visitors could also enjoy some of their performances at the Sinj Village Fair. The first performance was by Kumpanjija Blato, then, KUD Gorjanac, the Slavonian Queen Ljelja, and Kumpanjija Smokvica performed two traditional dances, which was followed by performances by guests of the Association for the Preservation of the Heritage of the Cetina Region: KUD Bribir, Folklore Groups Hajdenjaki, Sounds of Stone and Karst - Imotski and hosts KUD Sinj and URIG. Branimir Romac led the event,

Despite the bad weather, especially on Friday, the fair was visited by over 1500 people. The Sinj Tourist Board want to thank all those who helped in the realization of the fair, and in particular: the City of Sinj and Split-Dalmatia County, the Knights' Alkar Society, the Sinj Club in Zagreb, the Aero Club of Sinj, JVD Sinj, the staff of Čistoće-Sinj and KUS-Sinj, members of the KUD Cetina, Branko Marinovic, Mladen Mažurina, Rizman Winery headed by Ivan Govork, BZ Patriot and Marija Vujević.