Open Air Museum: Murter Views

Murter, that unusual jewel bathed in the sea, decorated with numerous islands, bound by karst, and blessed by the resilience of its people, has been building its history for thousands of years. The continuity of the island’s population can be traced from prehistoric times, when the sovereign rulers of the Adriatic, Liburni, built their port city of Colentum on this site, through the period of the Antiquity, when Colentum was settled by the Romans, until today.

With the aim of promoting and preserving the archaeological, natural, and traditional heritage of the Adriatic macro-region, as well as to promote green and slow tourism based on tradition, local agriculture, gastronomy, and lifestyle, the Development Agency of Šibenik-Knin County has chosen a pilot area on the island of Murter to establish the open-air museum called “Murter Views”.

“This project places a special emphasis on the revitalization of sites that are rich in culture and history but are lesser-known destinations and less touristic areas. We want to breathe life into such places, valorise them and make them more attractive for visitors during the whole and not only the higher season. In this way, we encourage the dispersal of visitors within the island and beyond and thus combat the seasonality“, said Mira Lepur, director of the Development Agency of Šibenik-Knin County.

By establishing the open-air museum “Murter Views”, we want to tell the story about the vulture and history of the island and invite visitors interested in cultural heritage, in general, to pay a visit to these parts of the region and learn more about local people, places and traditions.

The “Murter Views” open-air museum is located on the Gradina peninsula near the two-hundred-meter-long archaeological beach and the former ancient city of Colentum, which flourished in the 1st century AD during the reign of the Roman emperors Nero and Vespasian.

The open-air museum has interpretive signposts and totems and together with the archaeological beach nearby, it forms a unique site on the island that combines historical, archaeological, oceanographic aspects and offers visitors cultural, sports, and recreational facilities.

An excellent destination for all visitors who, in addition to beautiful nature, can now enjoy cultural and historical content as well.

“Smart and Slow Tourism Supporting Adriatic Heritage for Tomorrow” (TAKE IT SLOW) is an over 3,7-million-euro worth strategic tourism project co-financed (85%) by the European Regional Development Fund through the Italy – Croatia Cross Border Cooperation Programme. The lead partner is Dubrovnik Neretva Region, while the project partners are Public Institution for Coordination and Development of Split Dalmatia County RERA, Public institution Development Agency of Šibenik-Knin County, University of Zadar, Region of Istria, PROMOTURISMOFVG, Veneto Region, SVEM – Sviluppo Europa Marche Srl, Molise Region, Apulian Theatre – Regional Consortium for Arts and Culture, Emilia-Romagna Region, Abruzzo Region, and Puglia Region. The project is designed to manage and promote the Adriatic Region as a green, smart, sustainable, accessible and slow cross-border tourist destination.“