HrTurizam.hr reports that, in the town of Punat, on the island of Krk, an interesting interpretation center Stari toš was opened as part of the Olive Week. The Interpretation Center is actually a concept of a permanent exhibition in a unique space that reveals heritage stories from the culture of growing and harvesting olives and the production of olive oil.
According to the Turističke Priče portal, in the dialect of the island of Krk, “toš” is actually the name for the millstone that was traditionally used for crushing olives and producing olive oil. For Puntare, olive oil has been a currency for centuries, and locals will often recount how owning olive oil was and is equal to owning gold.
Modern technology today has accelerated the process of oil production and today’s multi-hour production in the old tosh has been modernized and accelerated. But old toševi today come to life through heritage stories and become and remain places of fun and merriment, song, rich social life, and numerous heritage stories.
The interior of the Stari toš interpretation center building, which dates back to the beginning of the 19th century and has not been used since the 1950s, has been arranged and presented. Funds for the renovation of the complex come from the European “Interreg” program, and this area is one of the best-preserved olive mills on the island of Krk and is truly a valuable example of folk economic architecture. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Ministry of Culture also protected this building as an individual intangible cultural heritage.
The Stari toš Olive Interpretation Center uses modern interpretation tools to retell the olive history in Punat after restoration and interpret olive growing in the best way, preserving the olive heritage for future generations.
The 25th edition of the event that celebrates green gold, the Olive Week, lasts until Sunday in Punat on Krk. With this event, the citizens of Punat proudly show their tradition of olive growing and gathering. Krk olive oil from these areas is one of the most famous extra virgin olive oils in Croatia.
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