Page 256 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

254  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

ENTERTAINMENT IN CROATIA

Although Croatians speak a language anyone. The settings for many of these
which is most likely completely unknown entertainments are often memorably
to the average visitor, the country still spectacular, too. Performance details are
manages to offer a surprisingly varied readily available from weekly or monthly
range of accessible and engaging magazines of events and from tourist
entertainment for visitors of all age offices and websites. Tickets are usually
groups. A choice of opera, ballet, folk easy to come by, and can be bought at
music festivals, disco nightclubs, cinemas, venue ticket desks or often in advance
casinos, tennis, football and basketball from local tourist offices. Read ahead to
matches should be sufficient to satisfy see what’s on and where to go.

They put on performances
almost every weekend.
Croatia’s many traditional
festivals not only have particular
dishes associated with them,
but dances too. The most
famous of these is undoubtedly
Korčula’s sword dance,
traditionally enacted in the
town centre on the evening
of St Theodore’s Day, July 29th.
Such is the attraction of the
Moreška, as it is known, that this
costumed 15th-century dance
is now performed outside
of that holiday date – every
Ornate interior of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb Monday and Thursday at 9pm
throughout July and August,
Information and Tickets Theatre and Dance sometimes even in June and
For information concerning Plays are generally performed September as well. Tickets at
dates, times, prices and in the Croatian language the event, or in advance from
booking details of the various which, unless you speak it, an agency, are not terribly
festivals, shows, theatre can marginalize the theatre as expensive. It is obviously
performances and musicals, an evening’s entertainment for touristy, but still worth seeing
it is best to get in touch all but the most ardent as they really do swing those
with the relevant local tourist thespians. There is, however, swords around. At any festive
information office in Croatia. an important reason why you occasion in Croatia, there are
All these offices can provide should nonetheless check out several famous folk dances you
details about the cultural what’s on at the theatre in any may well come across: the
events happening in their town you happen to be in. poskočica, where couples weave
part of the country. Another High-class performances of themselves into intricate
good source of information opera and ballet, for which not configurations; the kolo, a
can be the Internet. The knowing the language is not a pan-Slavic circular dance
Croatian National Tourist barrier to enjoyment, are put on and the drmeš, a type of
Board’s website is www. by Zagreb’s Croatian National speeded-up polka.
croatia.hr. Theatre, Zadar’s Croatian
Posters announcing National Theatre, Rijeka’s
forthcoming events are often Croatian National Theatre
displayed all over cities and Ivan pl Zajc and Split’s
towns and these are often Croatian National Theatre.
useful for finding out about For a more unusual form of
the more important or more drama which also has the
popular shows. advantage of being accessible
For information concerning to visitors, especially families
theatre performances, you can with younger children, consider
also go to the theatre box office a visit to the unique Zagreb
itself, where you can usually buy puppet theatre, the Zagrebačko Costume drama in Dubrovnik, at the
tickets on the spot. kazalište lutaka. Rector’s Palace

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