As you know, we’ve been perusing through the Balkans for the past few weeks or so (if you can’t tell, there’s a lot to see and do). Last week we ended in Zagreb and were once again on our way out to explore the Croatian countryside. What we found was not only beautiful green hills and adorable country cottages, but a village that has been converted in to an open-air museum. Yes, the whole village of Kumrovec is a museum. Let’s dive in to why and what we saw!
For those that don’t know, Josip Broz Tito was the former dictator and eventually the first President of Yugoslavia. While exploring Croatia we found that the locals either love what Marshall Tito did for the country or hate what he did to the country. I’m not here to express an opinion either way but we thought it would be interesting to tour his birthplace, the village of Kumrovec.
The entire village has turned into an open-air museum “Staro Selo” where you can see, not only the birthplace of Tito but what a 19th century village looked like and the way of life back then. In fact, 267 people still live in this village.
Not only do you get to see the 19th century homes and buildings but you also get to learn about the life of the village peasants, laborers, and craftsman (weavers, potters, blacksmiths, gingerbread makers, etc.) of the time. All buildings, sheds, etc. are originals and have been reconstructed on the original locations, nothing has been transferred from another setting – now that is truly authentic!
Tito’s birthplace home, which dates from 1860, is the starting point of the museum. On display are the household items, furniture, and other personal and familial belongings. Also, on display are propaganda posters, photos, and uniforms when Tito was the Yugoslavian President. I found it interesting that he was raised in an extremely Catholic family, seeing that the dictator was openly not fond of religion. Yet many religious items were kept in the family home. In case you can’t find the home, just look for a larger than life statue of him which stands outside the dwelling.
There are preserved thatched houses that look exactly as they would have at the time in this village. Some of the homes were furnished just as they would have been at the time but what I found interesting was the depiction of mothers needing to multi-task in life as the cradle was often found next to another piece of home furniture like a spinning wheel.
Of course, every village needs a church and this village is no exception with the original still standing. Tito probably attended here with his family for services often -- which is interesting to think about.
The boogeyman was even on display here, used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. He was burned at Christmas if the children in the village were good that year. I'll admit, a tall tower of sticks isn't exactly what I thought the boogeyman would look like, but it definitely worked to keep the kids in line back then.
Even the yards, gardens, and barns look true to form.
With all the burning ceremonies and thatched houses, you know there was bound to be fires so the village even had its own firehouse. There is even an original horse drawn fire pump inside on display. The photos on the walls (mostly of volunteer firefighters of past years) were very interesting.
The “wedding house” was one of the most interesting buildings to me. In traditional Zagorje-style custom, weddings are not just the wedding ceremony but rather events that last three days. Now you have to get past the far-from-life-like mannequins used in the display, but once you do that, you can really appreciate what a three day long wedding would have been like a hundred years ago and the effort it would have taken for a family with little money to put on.
After walking through Kumrovec, we made our way to another village in the Zagorje countryside and stopped at Grešne Gorice (The Hill of Sin), which is a family run restaurant offering a variety of authentic dishes. The owner was very engaging with his customers so we got to ask him a lot of fun questions and he returned the favor by asking us questions too. Just like in our family home, their elderly family dog, Walter, felt comfortable lying on the floor in the middle of the restaurant forcing guests to walk around him – it was hilarious. By the end of the long meal, we fell in love with him and were ready to take him home with us (of course, we didn’t though).
There was a little climb to the restaurant but you got to see fun, small things like Veliki Tabor Castle across the valley. Plus it’s a great view of the countryside.
After dinner, we made our way back to Zagreb. This was our last night in Croatia and was a fantastic ending to this trip. I came to appreciate how the natives live (and lived) during this trip -- traditions, customs, and history. It’s an adventure that won’t be long forgotten.
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Thank you Georgina -- it really was one of the most unusual things I have seen. It was certainly a great way to experience the culture of this region and to see how people actually lived at the time. I couldn't believe the buildings were original and had not been moved!
I am fascinated that the whole village is preserved as a museum. To see, observe and experience life as it was - at least to have an idea of how it was is simply amazing. I like the little church and funny that the boogeyman is still around! A rich part of the world, Christy. Thank you for sharing these wonderful experiences.