From a distance, Praputnjak is truly a peculiar sight, with a long neat row of houses lining the road on the side of the mountain, prompting anyone who wants to take a picture of Praputnjak to climb the opposite hill in order to fit the whole view into frame.

In the book Europe: Contours Culturels by Anton Zakaria and with the Praputnjak Cultural Landscape programme, the Praputnjak Neighbourhood examines this position and the role of the village from a local and European perspective. The Praputnjak Cultural Landscape programme contemplates the community and its own identity through the prism of its values, heritage and local nature as an authentic resource for developing the local area. The programme in Praputnjak addresses the importance of this area in the overall progress of Western civilisation.

It comprises several segments, each dealing with a certain aspect of community life within a temporal framework: Landscapes of the Future is a series of lectures, visits, exchanges and collaborations, An Easy Stroll Through the Area is an interpretative walk through the landscape of Praputnjak accompanied by an art programme, and the Living Room is always brimming with events and atmosphere, and is where visitors will get to see a presentation of a European Neighbourhood from the Netherlands, an exhibition celebrating the 155th anniversary of the Praputnjak Branch School, and the essential traditional game of bocce.

Praputnjak has been sharing its European contemplations with the Dutch organisation Stichting Bewegend Beeld from Rotterdam by discussing villages across Europe that are similar in many ways and even identical with regard to transportation, emigration, fast-paced changes and the relationship between tradition and progress.

By coming to Praputnjak, we will highlight the idea of European interconnectedness and the idea of connecting and establishing certain villages and places, which is truly a European cultural legacy.

PRE-PROGRAMME

Programme of the lecture series Landscapes of the Future – on the Cultural Landscape, Nature and Heritage as Values and Resources for the Future

Thursday 3 September 2020 – 7.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

Venue: Praputnjak – Praputnjak Branch School courtyard, Praputnjak 101

For the third year running, the Landscapes of the Future programme will gather various experts and a local and wider audience in discussions on the cultural landscape, nature, heritage, tradition and gastronomy as values and resources of the culture of living.

This year, the Landscapes of the Future presents:

Bees, Bats, Butterflies – Pollinators. Keynote speaker: Jelena Babić, Master’s in Environmental Sciences, Hyla Association, Zagreb

The Castle Near Praputnjak within the Context of Prehistoric Settlements between Rijeka and Crikvenica. Keynote speaker: Ranko Starac, BSc in Archaeology and curator of the Archaeological Department of the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral Rijeka

Landscapes of the Future started in 2018 as a festival that emerged from the collaboration between the PRAPUTNJAK – Cultural Landscape and their Dutch partners Satellietgroep, a product of the Tandem Fryslân programme, which encourages cultural cooperation with the aim of enhancing local communities and the civil society of Europe. Tandem Fryslân is a European Cultural Foundation programme based in Amsterdam partnered with MitOst e.V. from Berlin and Leeuwarden 2018 – European Capital of Culture, where the Praputnjak Neighbourhood presented the 27 neighbourhoods of Rijeka 2020 ECoC.

PROGRAMME

Programme of Praputnjak – Cultural Landscape

Friday 4 September 2020 – 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

6 p.m. – The Praputnjak – Cultural Landscape programme ceremony will be opened by representatives of: the Praputnjak Cultural Landscape Association, the Town of Bakar, the Primorje – Gorski Kotar County, the City of Rijeka and Rijeka 2020 ECoC

Location: Takala vineyard – Bakar dry stone walls overlooking Bakar Bay

6.30 p.m. – An Easy Stroll Through the Area, an interpretative walk through the Praputnjak landscape*

*we kindly ask visitors to wear the appropriate footwear for nature walks!

Location: from the Takala vineyard and through the Dolčina karst valley and back

The Praputnjak Association has organised a series of activities and Living Room sessions in order to explore its immediate surroundings through theory, practice, and various interventions and activities. On their walk through the Praputnjak landscape, visitors will learn more about heritage conservation and the historical and natural background of the formation of the first protected cultural landscape in the Republic of Croatia – Takala and the entire length of the Bakar dry stone walls – as well as the reason for its construction.

We will descend from Takala to the Dolčina karst valley in the company of good fairies to visit one of the old Praputnjak hamlets and stop by the pond and well. Guided by song and poetry, we will come full circle in our story and walk and cast a last glance at the village before continuing to the Praputnjak Cultural Centre, where we will resume socialising.

8 p.m. – Living Room

  • Presentation of the Dutch European Neighbourhood, Stichting Bewegend Beeld

Praputnjak and the Netherlands began their collaboration in 2017 when the association participated in the Tandem Fryslân programme. They devised and launched the Landscapes for the Future festival together with their partners Satellietgroep, an art collective from the Hague. And with each step they took in the Tandem programme, their network of associates grew. Praputnjak has been sharing its European dimension and contemplations with the Dutch organisation Stichting Bewegend Beeld from Rotterdam by discussing villages across Europe that are similar in many ways and even identical with regard to transportation, emigration, fast-paced changes and the relationship between tradition and progress.

  • Introduction of the book Europe: Contours Culturels by Anton Zakaria, which inspired the Praputnjak – Cultural Landscape project and announcement of the book presentation as part of the Praputnjak Neighbourhood Living Room programme
  • Exhibition celebrating the 155th anniversary of the Praputnjak Branch School

The Praputnjak Branch School was founded in 1864. Last winter marked the 155th anniversary of this immensely important institution.

It took great effort and commitment from the alumni to bring together an impressive number of generations of the school’s former pupils. As part of the exhibition, visitors will be able to look at photographs ranging from the oldest ones, which date back to the 1930s, to those taken in the present day. Accompanied by a list of alumni, these eye-catching photos evoke warm school days and forgotten old friends and townspeople.

  • Presentation of local associations and family farms

In addition to the European neighbours, the Living Room will introduce “local neighbours”, men and women from Praputnjak, and representatives of local associations and family farms, who will be co-hosting the event with our association. Joining us are: the Dolčina Praputnjak Agricultural Co-operative, the Težakinje i težaki z Praputnjaka Folk Association, the Praputnjarski Slavići Children’s Choir, the Praputnjak Culture and Society Association, the Town of Bakar Pensioners’ Association – Praputnjak branch, the Praputnjak Carnival-goers, the Tuhobić Hunting Club – Praputnjak branch, the Šterika Association of Inventors, the Sklad Culture and Arts Association of Bakar, the Town of Bakar Majorettes and the Bakar Town Watch.

  • Traditional bocce

If you are in good company somewhere near the Cultural Centre, you are bound to end up at Jog for a traditional game of bocce. Playing this traditionally male sport in Praputnjak on Fridays is a must! As this fine contest is gaining traction among women, you are invited to test your luck and finesse! The more experienced individuals claim that it is a unique court that is unmatched in the immediate surroundings.

Venue: Praputnjak Cultural Centre, 158a Praputnjak

9 p.m. – further socialising at the reception with a special programme

Venue: Praputnjak Cultural Centre, 158a Praputnjak

ABOUT THE VENUE(S)/LOCATION(S)

Praputnjak Branch School

Address: 101 Praputnjak

The Branch School does not provide private parking, so we recommend that you park in the Praputnjak Cultural Centre car park at 158a Praputnjak and then walk for 10 minutes to the Praputnjak Branch School.

Takala vineyard – Bakar dry stone walls

The entrance to the vineyard is located by the Meja – Bakar road on the left-hand side, immediately after the overpass, which is bypassed by the Rijeka – Krk Island ring road in the direction of Bakar.

The car park for the Rijeka 2020 ceremony is located right opposite the vineyard and there will be designated parking spaces available for the audience. Attached you will find a satellite image of the routes through the area marked.

We kindly ask participants to wear the appropriate footwear for nature walks and we also recommend bringing additional clothing in the event that we remain in the valley until nightfall.

Praputnjak Cultural Centre

In order to reach the Cultural Centre, you have to pass through Praputnjak by turning right from the main road into an uphill alley after passing the Church of St Joseph in the direction of Meja – Krasica.

The Praputnjak Cultural Centre is located at 158a Praputnjak.

There is a designated car park for visitors next to the Cultural Centre.