Magical Varazdin County: Interview with Tourist Board Director Elizabeta Dolenec

Located just outside the capital Zagreb, Varazdin County is one of Croatia's most fascinating and diverse regions, but one often overlooked by tourists. TCN meets county tourist board director Elizabeta Dolenec on November 11, 2016. 

1. The Adriatic coast is seeing the end of its summer season, but in Varaždin you seem to be continuing long into the autumn and winter. Tell us a little about the differences in coastal and continental tourism.

Continental tourism is underdeveloped compared to coastal Croatia. Reason being insufficient state investments in the development of the continental area, small financial means in tourism boards and local administration which should be investing in developing and promoting destinations. Although in the past several years a lot has been said about developing the continent, unfortunately, there is still no development strategy, project tenders are adapted to seaside destinations which have a large number of overnight stays, while investments are tougher, more expensive and risky.

(Varaždin town)

2. Varaždin has a reputation as one of the most cultural cities in Croatia. Can you tell us more.

Varaždin town is the most baroque town in Croatia, while numerous cultural and historical attractions witness eight centuries of tradition development, wealth and splendour, especially in the 18th century when it was the capital of Croatia, with many nobles and large landowners, craftsmen and artists. Preserved palaces, numerous villas and valuable houses, sacrilegious art and the Old Town complex are waiting to be discovered in a walk through town. The museum collection in the Old Town, etymological collection in the Herzer palace, Gallery of Old and New Masters, Zlati Anjgel Gallery, Gallery Centre and Angels Museum are just some of many Varaždin museum spaces. Varaždin can be explored also through a multi century gastronomy tradition, choosing between seventy traditional meals in restaurants, with a highlight of the Varaždin bun (klipić). The town market still reflects the glow of times past, while the intimacy of “magical” Varaždin courtyards always tells an interesting story. There is also the Traditional Crafts Square which witnesses the tradition of crafts in Varaždin and if you visit on a Saturday, do not miss the ceremony of the Town’s Watch - Purgars at 11h outside the Town Hall.

3. You added a new and ambitious festival to the cultural progamme this year - the Flying Guitars Festival. Tell us more.

For the first time this year we held the Flying Guitars Festival in cooperation with the Musical Time Machine association, co-organised by the Croatian National Theatre in Varaždin, Varaždin town and Varaždin County, with the aid of the Croatian Tourism Board. Flying Guitars Festival is a completely new musical manifestation, a guitar festival of unique profile and content. The idea for it is based on local guitar and music heritage - the Varaždin origin of an internationally great name in guitar history, Ivan Padovec. Padovec was the only one of Croatian musicians of his generation to leave a mark in European musical life as a teacher, performer, guitar innovator and composer. He is responsible for the guitar being woven into the foundations of Varaždin culture and thus becoming a local identity element of great potential, value and aptitude for use in a unique Croatian county brand through an international music festival. This is the core of the initiative for the best of the guitar world to be presented here, following in the criteria Padovec was renowned for in the music world of his time, which can be sublimed as: internationality, broad genre, creativity, innovation and educational options. Based on these attributes the festival programme is formed, with concerts, music workshops, lectures, exhibitions and presentations of music instruments builders. But more importantly, these five attributes frame and permeate the concept of building a hall of fame, original in the Varaždin, county, Croatian and European sense.

Already in the first festival year we hosted great domestic and foreign guitar names. Performing were Grammy winner Ian Melrose in duet with singer and guitarist Kerstin Blodig, British group King King - winners of ten British Blues Awards, B.J.Cole - legendary musician and producer, rated by Sting as the best pedal steel guitarist in the world, Damir Halilić Hal, Jerko Novak, Žarko Ignjatović, Darko Jurković Charlie, Branimir Bogunović Pif, Vedran Božić and the Rock Masters. Two exhibitions were held as well: Speed of Light by photographer Alan Messer, Grammy winner, who has been witnessing historical rock moments since the 1960s, as well as the Rif, in Word and Image exhibition of memorabilia and personal inscriptions from the collection of Dubrovnik native Vojo Šindolić, former editor of Džuboks monthly, who directly participated in events of his time which changed the sensitivity of the 20th century. He was friends with and participated in cultural exchange with musicians, novelists and artists of the generation such as Jim Morrison, Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Patti Smith, Bob Dylan, Jack Kerouac, Henry Miller, Tennessee Williams, Jerry Garcia, Carlos Fuentes, Andy Warhol, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Timothy Leary, Abbie Hoffman, David Bowie, John Lennon, Robert Crumb and others. His presentation of rock photography titled Picture This was also on show by one of the most valued rock and pop music photographers Brian Branislav Rašić.

There was also a line of workshops held by famous Croatian director and editor of music videos Igor Modrić, as well as guitarists Jerko Novak, Rene Coner, Aleksandar Vešić, Krešimir Tomić Bonzo, Ian Melrose, Jura Geci, Toni Tkalec, Yogi Lonich, Vedran Božić and Branko Bogunović Pif. The main lobby of the Croatian National Theatre was also the location of the exhibition of domestic music instrument builders.

The programme was rich and in those days Varaždin truly became the world guitar capital.

(The next generation of lacemakers at the Lepoglava Lace Festival)

4. From stunning Trakošćan Castle to the unusual town of Ludbreg and the lace festival in Lepoglava, Varaždin County has a very diverse tourism offer less than one hour from Zagreb. How easy is it to attract tourists from the capital?

Varaždin County has plenty to be proud of. Rich cultural and historical heritage shaped the tourism offer of the county, placing in among the most attractive areas of continental Croatia. The tourism offer of Varaždin County is present in many touristic trips offered in Zagreb and in promotional materials of tourism board of Zagreb and Zagreb County. This positioned us as a pleasant City Break destination.

5. Coastal tourism attracts much bigger budgets than continental tourism, which must be frustrating for you. What could you do with that extra money, and what changes in the tourism structure would you like to see?

Financial means are quite important for the normal functioning and development of the tourism offer. Sometimes it is not enough to be just creative. With less investments in infrastructure, promotion and products, it is harder to attract guests who spend more. Current laws are also not in our favour, so the functioning of tourism boards on the continent is difficult. For example, it is illogical for small tourism boards to obey the public procurement regulations as funds from local administration make up more than 50% of the budget, while tourism boards with large financial means are exempt from this. This burdens the functioning of tourism boards which are under-staffed anyway. There isn’t less work, but more with development.

6. Tell us a little about the profile of tourist who visits Varaždin County - where are they from, and what changing trends have you seen in the last few years.

Varaždin County is visited most by guests from Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia and Poland. They are mostly middle-aged guests, with a noticeable increasing trend of younger guests. It is interesting Varaždin County has an equal number of overnight stay of domestic and foreign guests.

(Ludbreg, officially the centre of the world)

7. And finally, if you had to persuade a tourist who had never heard of your county to come and visit, how would you persuade him in a paragraph.

Would you like to see the most romantic castle in Croatia Trakošćan, walk the largest Croatian arboretum, try to create Lepoglava lace or a licitar, enjoy the former capital - romantic town of Varaždin, hear legends and stories from Ludbreg, the centre of the world, enjoy the thermal water of sources in Varaždinske Toplice or the wonderful and pristine nature of Ivanščica mountain where rare orchids grow? There are lots of attractions in Varaždin County, with homemade food, excellent wines and pleasant hosts a co-brand.

(TCN with Varaždin County Tourist Board Director Elizabeta Dolenec)

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