CROATIAN TOURISM – ĐAKOVO, Đakovački vezovi Festival

Đakovački vezovi Festival Đakovački vezovi Festival, one of the largest Croatian folklore festivals of song, dance and folk customs, for more than half a century, since 1967, has brought together thousands of participants from Croatia and beyond, every summer in late June and early July. Founded as a cultural and tourist event on the occasion of the International Tourist Year, today it has grown into a symbol of the heart of Slavonia – Đakovo. Đakovački vezovi Festival has long since surpassed all that can be a traditional folklore event: today it is a basis of which new generations of admirers of cultural treasures are growing. Đakovački vezovi Festival lives in the hearts of all those who see it as a symbol of Croatian identity, tradition and love for folk art. It is an event that includes numerous programs where one can enjoy the beauty of folk customs, costumes, songs, dances, handicrafts and gastronomic specialties. The central, most beautiful and most festive part of the event is traditionally held on the first weekend in July. Many visitors from all over Croatia and the world can then experience the invaluable wealth of the national heritage, and the obligatory and most popular programs are the grand opening, a festive parade of participants through the streets of Đakovo and the closing program called "Slavonijo, zemljo plemenita" ("Slavonia, You Noble Land"). After half a century of existence and continuous preservation of the national treasure, the Festival has become the central cultural and tourist event of the City of Đakovo and the whole of Slavonia. The value of Đakovački vezovi in terms of culture and tourism has been recognized at national and international levels, as evidenced by numerous awards received by the organizers – the City of Đakovo and the Tourist Board of the City of Đakovo. Among numerous acknowledgments, Đakovački vezovi Festival holds the Charter of the Republic of Croatia for exceptional contribution to the preservation and nurturing of Slavonian traditional heritage and the promotion of Croatian national culture and identity. The Festival preserves and nurtures the cultural treasures that have been recognized by the UNESCO as well. The list of world cultural heritage includes "ljelje" (girls dressed as queens in traditional costumes), which are one of the symbols of Đakovački vezovi, and the bećarac song genre, which conveys folk wisdom and memories and is an inseparable part of Đakovački vezovi. Đakovački vezovi always features its greatest value – the hospitality of the generous Slavonia region and the warm heart of Đakovo, whereby the Slavonian soul is as wide as the plain, with room in it for every dear guest. Robert Francem, prof.