The City of Sinj has won the “EDEN Innovative Award 2018” for excellence in presenting their cultural tourism offer in the European Destinations of Excellence – “EDEN”.
Organized by the European Commission on March 23rd in Brussels, the EDEN awards ceremony was held in the category of ‘Cultural Tourism’. Thus, awards and acknowledgments were awarded for the 18 European Destinations included in the European Excellence Project.
Sinj, thanks to its membership in the European ‘EDEN’ network, has the privilege of promotion on the European Best Destinations website. With this aim, the Sinj Tourist Board has reported the City of Sinj for the award of excellence in presenting their cultural heritage as a tourist offer, organized by the European Destination of Excellence “EDEN”.
The most important cultural events are listed in the candidacy, and numerous places in the city serve as a stage for various events. The indispensable symbols of the town are the Sinjska Alka celebration and the feast of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj.
Namely, the Sinjska Alka is a knight’s competition founded in honor of the famous victory over the Ottomans in 1715. Sinj, for centuries faithful to the heavenly protector, the Miraculous Lady of Sinj, is today home to one of the greatest Croatian sanctuaries of Mary. The monastery courtyard is the venue of the traditional Klapa Gospi Sinjska concert, which is celebrated with the exceptional quality of the ensemble’s and composer’s compositions, as well as the meditative ambience. Unique is the crossroads of the Sinj City Fortress. The pilgrims are guided by the path of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj, along ancient paths and picturesque bridges of the River Cetina, traditional hiking and horse trails with the remains of defensive forts, and the abandoned Rera, the former Sinj railway.
The Museum of the Cetina Krajina and the Archaeological Collection of the Franciscan Monastery showcase a multitude of invaluable historical exhibits from local sites (ancient Aequum), which testify of early civilizations in this area. The multimedia museum of the Sinjska Alka represents the peculiarities of the knight’s competition, whose value is protected by UNESCO, in a contemporary and exciting way. At the Sikirica gallery, besides the permanent exhibition of sculptor Stipe Sikirica, rotating exhibitions, literary evenings and various cultural events are held.
The immutable wealth of tradition to be preserved for future generations has been recognized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia through the ‘rera’, a two-part folk song, and the yearly carnival celebrated from the suburban villages of Kamešnica, which are placed on the list of protected cultural goods. The ‘kolo’, a unique folk dance without musical accompaniment, is also on UNESCO’s list of the non-material cultural heritage of humankind.
Kamičak, the charming fortress which is Sinj’s watch tower today, hosts cultural events and concerts such as music evenings in the summer, while the performance of the ‘Battle of Sinj in 1715’ is a beautiful spectacle that takes place in authentic locations and represents the celebration of the famous battle. The Sinj Village Fair is also great opportunity to get acquainted with the original local products and trades. These were precisely the reasons why the City of Sinj was recognized by the European Commission.
This important acknowledgment for the City of Sinj was accepted by Senka Daniel, Head of the Department for Multilateral Cooperation – EU Affairs, Ministry of Tourism, on behalf of the Sinj Tourist Board, in Brussels on March 23, 2018.
