The town witnesses scenes right from a historical Hollywood blockbuster.
Archers aiming at a target using bows and arrows made with goose feathers, knights competing in the games of strength and precision, ladies walking and checking the handicrafts made by serfs, lepers lurking from the fringes… These were the scenes from the Renaissance Festival in Koprivnica, a unique event organised by the Koprivnica Tourist Board, led by its director Renato Labazan, reports Lokalni.hr on August 27, 2018.
Koprivnica’s ramparts have been turned into a scene right out of a historical Hollywood blockbuster. “This is a spectacle which is unrivalled in Croatia! If you were to ask me what mark I would give to the festival, it would be a ten!” said Miljenko Vrhovec, who took part in the festival together with the rest of his Trakošćan Archers.
“We are maintaining the old traditions of Croatian archery and demonstrate the skills of using bows and arrows. For children, we have a crossbow, a replica of the crossbow which was used 500 years ago by the guardians of Trakošćan Castle. People are delighted, we are so happy to be here in Koprivnica,” said Vrhovec.
The 13th tourist and historical festival also included the Koprivnica Musketeers from the Anno Domain association.
“Based on a few historical documents, Koprivnica has been able to create a successful tourist product. Unfortunately, our ancestors have not left us castles like those which still stand in many other towns in Croatia; we only have the ramparts. Every detail is taken into account here, for example, we take care that we offer only food which was eaten at the time. There was no potato, tomato or beans on the tables during that period. Most dishes were based on the game and various porridges, buckwheat, barley. There is no plastic, all the utensils are made of wood or clay,” said Dragutin Jeđud, the association president, who is particularly pleased that the citizens of Koprivnica have recognized the value of the festival, so they take part by wearing costumes and returning to the Middle Ages themselves, together with guests from other parts of Croatia and many other countries.
Translated from Lokalni.hr (reported by Ivica Beti).
