More international journalists visited Sinj this week!
On Tuesday, May 15, as part of the permanent tourism promotion, the Croatian National Tourist Board and the Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board, in cooperation with the local tourist community, welcomed Belgian journalist Chris Van Minnebruggen and photographer Dieter Telemans to Sinj. Both Chris and Dieter are employees of the Pasar magazine, founded in 1938 in Brussels. The magazine specializes in the promotion of active tourism such as hiking, trekking, cycling, canoeing, and riding, popularizing natural heritage as well as a healthy lifestyle, with historical sights, culture, and art.
A day earlier, the Belgian journalist and photographer visited the town of Vrlika, the fortress of Prozor, the source of the river Cetina, the old Croatian church of Holy Salvation, and Peruća Lake. On early Tuesday morning, they arrived in the town of Sinj where Monika Vrgoč, director of the Sinj Tourist Board and Marina Štambuk Poparić, a tourist guide from the Association of Tourist Guides of Sinj “Osinium” welcomed them.
The tour of the city started by climbing to the City fortress, which runs along the path with the stations of the Cross. After panoramic photography of Sinj and the Cetina region, the duo embarked on a tour of the many sights of the city of Sinj, seeing the Three Generation Monuments in the City Park, the work of the academic sculptor Ivo Filipović Grčić, the houses of Nikola Cerinić, the most awarded Alkar, the ancient statue of Gaj Laberije on Vrlička Street, the sculpture of Pavao Vučković, the work of the academic sculptor Kuzme Kovačić, sculptures ‘at the source’ (Luca) and the bronze doors of the Church of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj by the academic sculptor Stipe Sikirica.
Chris and Dieter then visited the church of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj and the Franciscan monastery collection, which was attended by Fr Mirko Marić, the head of the collection. They were thrilled by the modern interactive exhibition of the Sinj Alka Museum and were accompanied by curator Tomislav Barhanović on their tour. The Sinj Alka Museum was nominated for the European Museum of the year in 2017, is the winner of numerous other awards, and has just received the prestigious “Europa Nostra 2018” Award, which will be presented in Berlin on June 22, 2018, as part of the celebration of the Year European Cultural Heritage.
After the morning tour of the monumental and cultural heritage of Sinj, the afternoon was reserved for natural sights and ecological products. Along with Nikola Efendić and the Alkar hotel staff, the journalists cycled on the bike paths of Sinj to OPG Mravak and the bee-keepers in Gala. The friendly host, Antonio Mravak, presented the collection of royal jelly and introduced them to their incredible healing properties. Dieter Telemans, a beekeeper himself and member of the Belgian Beekeeping Association, expressed his desire for further cooperation.
The bicycle route took the group along the Cetina River, the source of Kosinac, the Han bridge, the Rumin source and the bridge on Panj. Despite bad weather conditions, Chris and Dieter happily took the entire planned route. The continuation of their stay in Split-Dalmatia County is planned in the area of Imotski, Biokovo Mountain, Makarska and the island of Hvar.
