July 12, 2024 – A very nice 10th anniversary in Zagreb kicks off today as Zagreb’s courtyards welcome visitors celebrating a decade of the Dvorišta festival.
One of the things I learned early on walking through the magnificent old towns of Croatia was that there was seemingly a story behind every door. What might look like a quiet little alley would give way to a magnificent discovery. Nowhere do I feel that more than in the Upper Town of Zagreb, whose historic old town has oodles of charm any time of the year, but that charm is about to go up a notch.
Tourism is about storytelling, and if the courtyards of Zagreb could speak… There are SO many courtyards to discover that 10 years ago, the idea was framed to turn it into a summer festival called Dvorista (the Croatian word for Courtyards).
Under the motto ‘Every courtyard has a story’, the Upper Town will open its courtyards from July 12 to 23, welcoming visitors in to enjoy a range of entertainment including music ranging from jazz to classical to pop, all in the intimate surroundings of the capital’s intimate courtyards.
Dvorišta is as much fun for locals as it is for tourists, and many a Purger has been overheard commenting how they feel a tourist in their own city.
Speaking at the press conference for this year’s edition, Zagreb Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld said: “Dvorišta, which Zagreb Tourist Baord has supported since the first edition, delight visitors every year, enriching our tourist offer and promoting the cultural heritage of Zagreb. I look forward to celebrating this great jubilee together and continuing to spread warm emotions and a great atmosphere through this most Zagreb event. I would like to thank all participants and visitors for being a part of this unique story for the past ten years, contributing with their participation to Dvorišta becoming a true symbol of urban culture and socializing in Zagreb.”
“In Dvorište, as always, beautiful surroundings await us, and it is also an opportunity to get to know the history of Upper Town. Visitors will once again have the opportunity to peek behind the facades of Gornji Grad, and some favorite localities will return to the event’s itinerary,” pointed out co-organizer Slavica Olujić Klapčić from Katapult promotion, while Vedran Galić from G.A.D. PRODUKTIJA said: “For 10 years, we wanted to symbolically open 10 locations and we succeeded in that. As always, we are preparing a great summer party, and numerous live music programs will certainly contribute to that – as many as 80 in total. Over the course of 10 years, we have recorded more than 600 musical performances, so it is quite clear how many courtyards associated with music and how many of them have been marked by it in a positive way.”
Last year, I wrote an article which hit the national media – Why I Spend My Summers in Zagreb These Days. I love the coast like anyone else, but there really is nothing that beats enjoying the coast out of peak season, then returning to the tranquility of the capital without the crowds, but with an excellent cultural programme. Dvorišta is very much part of that. You can learn more about this year’s edition on the Facebook event page.
