Time Out Rijeka issue 3 by timeoutcroatia

TIMEOUT.COM/RIJEKA AUTUMN/WINTER 2019 No.3

Balthazar city

The ultimate guide to Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture

Amadria Park Opatija Everything you need for a unforgettable stay

Almost 150 years since it was first established as Croatia’s premium tourist town, Opatija

Croatia, offering faultless menus of freshly caught seafood and the finest regional meats.

today still exudes the elegance and splendour of the times when Europe’s royalty and

For desert, the hotel also offers the handcrafted work of our chocolatiers at Milenij Choco.

finest artists rubbed shoulders on its promenades and terraces. Its neighbour, Restaurant Sveti Jakov offers the same high standard produce, but prepared Significant stakeholders in the tourism of seaside Šibenik and capital city Zagreb, Amadria

in a less formal manner; the classic Mediterranean cookbook, enjoyed with a backdrop of

Park has some of Opatija’s finest hotels, restaurants, spas and villas. In Opatija we maintain

Opatija’s most beautiful park. Our Osteria da Ugo restaurant also provides casual dining

the town’s time-honoured and top rate traditions in the service industry, providing highly

using the finest sourced ingredients, its menu striving to use ingredients supplied by local,

trained, experienced personnel and the very best facilities to ensure a unforgettable stay

independent producers.

in which you’ll feel pampered like royalty. Opatija’s original appeal to European high society was its welcoming, year-round weather

P HONE: +38 5 51 27 8 0 07 | I N F O @A M A DR IA PA R K .C O M

Opatija and its close neighbour Rijeka are unique on the Croatian coast; only here can

and the health benefits its climate and natural resources provided. Amadria Park again

you see the opulent architecture of the Austro-Hungarian empire resplendent against the

upholds these traditions, offering two of the town’s finest wellness centres. The luxurious

glistening Adriatic. Amadria Park’s presence here has only bolstered this reputation We

Hotel Milenij Spa is a place to be pampered and become relaxed to your core. There, guests

are proud to hold some of Opatija’s most exquisitely designed hotels, placed in the most

can enjoy the latest beauty treatments, advanced skincare and contouring, Finnish sauna,

picturesque locations at the heart of the town.

Turkish bath, salt bath treatments, heated relaxarium beds, pools and Jacuzzi.

Within our hotels lie some of Opatija’s most popular restaurants and cafés, famous for their

Our Wellness Oasis (located at Grand hotel 4 opatijska cvijeta) is a facility for rejuvena-

beautiful seaside terraces and breathtaking sea views. The terrace of our Hotel Milenij’s is

tion, its wellness treatments occurring to a backdrop scent of flowers and the ocean. Its

regarded as the best in the town to enjoy a lavish breakfast, morning coffee or afternoon

offers include both indoor and outdoor pool areas, therapeutic pool and whirlpool, sauna,

tea with homemade cakes. At dusk, it frequently buzzes with social gatherings and live

hammam ritual and Turkish bath with fitness regimes, yoga room, solarium and private

music. Hotel Milenij’s Restaurant Argonauti is a fine dining experience famed throughout

trainers also available.

W W W. AM AD R I APAR K.COM

Tktktktk

Inside This season’s Time Out Rijeka in no time at all

Stephany Stefan

PAGE 28 REMEMBERING DAŠA DRNDIĆ

PAGE 56 2020 VISION STEPHANY STEFAN



PAGE 12 20 THINGS TO DO IN RIJEKA THIS AUTUMN

RIJEKA ADVENT visitRijeka.eu

Contents

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

6 Rijeka briefing 8 My Rijeka story 10 Free Rijeka 12 Things to Do 22 Art & Culture 26 Eating 30 Drinking 34 Travel 36 Kids 40 Music & Nighlife 42 Events 49 Rijeka 2020 special

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Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

TIMEOUT.COM/RIJEKA AUTUMN/WINTER 2019 No.3

Balthazar city

The ultimate guide to Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture

RIJEKA

Hello, Rijeka

Published by TIME FOR CROATIA Ltd., 64 North Row, 4th Floor, London, W1K7DA, UK. Editor-in-chief Justin McDonnell Deputy editor Marc Rowlands Operations manager Andrea Mićanović Chief operating officer Robin-Ivan Capar Publisher Manica Pirc Orešković Head of video Ashley Colburn

Justin McDonnell Editor-in-chief @justinmcdonnel

Contributors Jonathan Bousfield, Peterjon Cresswell, Ivor Kruljac, Beth Ryan.

WELCOME to Balthazar city. Did you know Rijeka inspired the fictional town in the legendary kids' TV show? It’s just one aspect of the epic cultural calendar Rijeka has planned for us in 2020, which we’ll be getting to grips with in this issue. Have you noticed it’s been a bit chilly lately? Winter is undeniably on its way, and it’s time to start embracing it. Thankfully, this magazine is packed with seriously good events to keep you warm this season.

THE VIEW FROM YOU See what people are Instagramming!

Design Art Director Enes Huseinčehajić Creative Direction Enes Huseinčehajić, Justin McDonnell Global Creative Director Tom Hislop Annual magazine Total run: 21,500 Hard print (2,500), digital print (19,000) Photo Credits Inside: Faktura, Renato Buić, X1, X2 pg3. One day in Rijeka: Domagoj Blažević, Vedran Karuža, Three Monkeys, KISHA pg6, BAR pg7. Moost Googled: rawpixel pg7. Lost in translation: Vedran Karuža pg7. My Rijeka Story: Renato Buić pg8. Free Rijeka: Dražen Suvić, BAR, We Are Vinyl UK, Madeline's Madeline pg10. Things to Do: City Museum p12-13, Vedran Karuža p13, karandaev, Doris Fatur, Boris Vukosav p14, Vedran Karuža, Peek & Poke, Plava Laguna p16, Boris Vukosav, Renato Buić p18, Mirko Fotori, Nova Runda p19, blasbike, Makol Marketing p20. Remembering Daša: Fraktura p22, Maclehose Press Editions, Fraktura p23. D'Annunzio's Martyr: Arhiva PPMHP p24, Il Vittoriale degli Italiani p24-25. Market research: Dana Tentis, Slavik Robtsenkov p26, Olga Kriger p2627, Natalia Bratslavsky, Olena Serditova, foodandmore p27. From sea to table: Vedran Karuža p28, Oleksandr Boltenkov p28-29, yelenayemchuk p29. Bistro fever: Placa 51, Maslina na Zelenom Trgu, Vedran Karuža p31. The cosiest bars in Rijeka: Bar Bar p32-33, Vedran Karuža p33. Winter day trips from Rijeka: Harry Collins p34, Arhiv JU PP Učka p34-35, dziewul, Platak, Andrea Marzorati p35. Kids: Marko Šteković, BAR p36, Vedran Karuža, Petar Fabijan p38. Gigs and Clubs: Krists Luhaers, deepskyobject p40, Denis Komljenović, Goran Telak p41, Turn Table Lab, Vincent Muteau p42, Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc p44, Vedran Karuža, BAR p46, Borna Ćuk p48. A crash course to Rijeka 2020: Borsko Vukosav p50. Coast of cultures: Boris Vukosav p52-53, Team Lab: Japan p53, Boris Vukosav p54-56. 2020 Vision: Renato Buić p58-61. Map: Nikola Ovsek p62-63. Get with the programme: Boris Vukosav p64, Phile Deprez, Museum for the History Science Oxford, Asmolean Museum, Boris Vukosav p65. Unmissable events: JRE Croatia p66, Boris Vukosav p67, Boris Vukosav, Vedran Karuža p68, Volodymyr Melnyk, FESS p69, Mario Merz Prize 2019 p70, Etsy, Zanny Beg p72, Team Lab: Japan, Steven Hicks, NVB p73, Lokalpatrioti Rijeka, Mirko Fotori p74, Les Vents Français PR, Animafest Zagreb p76. Who is Balthazar: Animafest Zagreb 78, Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc p80, Maciej Zakrzewski, Phile Deprez p83. Behind the Rijeka 2020 programme: Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture p84-86, Boris Vukosav p87, Rijeka 2020 p87-88, Boris Vukosav p88. We would like to thank our advertisers for their involvement. However we would like to stress that they have no influence over editorial content. Published under the authority and with the collaboration of Time Out International Limited, London, UK. The name and logo of Time Out are used under license from Time Out Group Ltd, 77 Wicklow Street, London, England, WC1X 9JY, UK +44 (0) 20 7813 3000, www.timeout.com © Copyright Time Out Group Ltd 2019

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Rijeka briefing

Conca d’Oro

Trsat Castle

Translated as‘The Golden Conch’, Conca d’Oro is an homely and understated but charming experience, its decor rather more like visiting the front room of a local eccentric than one of the top-rated eateries in town. The menu can feel limited in comparison to the pages offered elesewhere, but this reassuringly indicates the freshness of the produce (seafood especially) and the confidence of the chef in his/her dishes. If you’re lucky you’ll visit when one of the senoir waiters is working; ours spoke perfect English, knew the menu inside out and could pair any dish with a perfect wine suggestion.

ONE DAY IN...

Rijeka Croatia’s third-largest city with a population of 150,000, Rijeka has a busy port that handles million of tonnes of cargo and a quarter of a million passengers a year. It’s a lively, quirky place with fascinating history, great restaurants and kicking yearround nightlife. Here’s the bits you shouldn’t miss.

EAT

Rijeka briefing MOST GOOGLED

Visit this fort for the panoramic view alone, best enjoyed from the terrace café beneath the Nugent mausoleum – the Kvarner Bay spreads out before you. Irish-born Austro-Hungarian naval commander Laval Nugent-Westmeath fought Napoleon and rebuilt the medieval Frankopan fortress to house his family and his art collection. ÆÆ Partizanski put 9A

ÆÆ Kružna 12A (051 213 782, facebook.com/concadorori)

DRINK THREE MONKEYS

Three Monkeys is a big hit with Rijeka's cocktail crowd thanks to its swish décor and refined drinks menu. A long, thin venue with funky, exposed lighting from above and a DJ sometimes perched at the end of the bar on weekends, it’s often busy with parties or groups of friends savouring cocktails dressed with ribbons of cucumber or orange zest. By day, it serves one of the best coffees in the city. ÆÆ Fiumara 5 (facebook.com/threemonkeyssri)

SHOP

Is it rainy in Rijeka? RIJEKA HAS MORE RAIN than

anywhere else in Croatia. Like the majority of visitors over the centuries, rain clouds drift into Rijeka from the Adriatic, channeled directly towards the city due to its position at the apex of the Istrian and Kvarner coastlines. There, these clouds meet the Dinaric Alps on whose terraced slopes much of Rijeka actually sits and, unable to pass, they release their load on the city. Often, you can be enjoying a nice stroll on Rijeka's sunny Korzo only to be caught by a freak downpour that seems to arrive almost supernaturally from nowhere, rather like the ubiquitous basket of bread that appears on every Croatian restaurant table, but which you definitely didn't order. Before too long though, the rain disappears just as quickly as it arrived and the sunshine returns. Rainfall in Rijeka is less of an inconvenience than it is an excuse to pop into a great bar, café or restaurant for coffee or lunch with a friend. Rijeka's residents are used to the sporadic downpours. You can see it in the stylish umbrellas they carry, the smart, Italian-style shoes or high end trainers they wear (which, thanks to the rain, are never covered with the dry, dusty dirt you pick up everywhere else on the coast) or the light, waterproof jackets draped over their arms. So, rainy? Yes, sometimes. Stylish? Always.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

KISHA

Kisha describe themselves as the world's smartest umbrellas. And they may be right. The company comes from Rijeka and with the city's annual rainfall comparable to that of Manchester, the UK’s ‘Rainy City’, there's a need to have an umbrella to hand lest you be caught in a shower. But umbrellas, like sunglasses, are one of those things we always lose. This smart umbrella is equipped with a tracking device linked to an app on your phone, meaning you can trace your umbrella no matter where you leave it.

ŠTA DA?

Translated literally as 'What, yes?' or 'What's that?', šta da is a term that is unique to Rijeka and its residents. Thanks to its geographic positioning, Rijeka has developed some standalone traits and phrases that don’t appear anywhere else in the language. And, Rijeka folk are proud not to fit in. Exchangeable for 'What's that you say?', 'Really?' or 'Seriously?', šta da is more an expression of incredulity than a bonafide question. So beloved is the expression in the city that you may well see it printed on t-shirts or bags, some of which may come from the cult handmade crafts store with the same name.

ÆÆ (getkisha.com) Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

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aurant-ho

B2B magazine for hospitality and tourism 18 years on the market

paper company went broke and part of the building’s ownership fell to the City of Rijeka. They were open to the idea of cultural entities revitalising the space. The first year had an absolutely crazy atmosphere. The numbers who came were huge, unbearable at times. From the top of my head, I remember Let 3, Laibach, Eyesburn and TBF playing. Afterwards, M.A.N.D.Y. from Berlin and others DJ’d. It was a small, one night festival with two stages, four bands and two or three DJ’s. It was more about the new space than about the line-up. Rijeka had never had an important festival like this before. I took a leading role the following year and, from there, it became a serious festival with international performers. We grew really fast. Maybe too fast. In three years we became a festival with four stages which lasted four days. There are millions of anecdotes, but my favourite memory is a stupid thing that happened because of our neglect. We always had something weird, irrational, but which was good for our image. In 2008 it was a solar-powered loudspeaker. It was the closing night, 6am, and the British DJ James Zabiela was performing in the main hall. We ran out of power across the whole

MY RIJEKA STORY Ivan Šarar helped organise Rijeka’s beloved Hartera festival in an abandoned paper factory

A CULT MUSIC FESTIVAL set in an old paper factory, Hartera stole

the hearts of revellers in Rijeka since its first outing in 2005. Sadly, the festival is no more, but Hartera lives on in the memories of those who partied there. Ivan Šarar, a former keyboardist in the punk band Let 3 and now the chief of Rijeka city’s department for culture, was involved in the festival from day one. I’ve lived in Rijeka since I was one. I lived in Kantrida. I remember the sea and I learned to sail. I must’ve been seven or eight when I started to actively listen to music and I ended up going to music school. As a musician, the rock, punk rock and, later, techno scenes of the city made me a classic product of Rijeka. I started playing with bands when I was 15 or 16. In 1995 I started to work as a DJ and

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

producer on Rijeka’s first private radio and around 1998 I joined Let 3 as a keyboard player. I have made music continuously ever since. The band Let 3 directly led to the organisation of Hartera festival. The first edition in 2005 was organised by legendary promoter Simon Dejhalla, who today owns club Pogon and Damir Martinović Mrle, Let 3’s founder. I was just sneaking around. Hartera, an old

site. All that was working was the loudspeaker and the crowd went euphoric. They didn’t bother that the main star couldn’t DJ, they were jumping on the terrace to the sound of the loudspeaker. Hartera no longer exists for many reasons. The last recession cut cultural sponsorship and the big hall is no longer safe, but we do have the Sailor Sweet and Salt Festival, organised by Mrle and the same team from Hartera. Rijeka at the end of the ‘80s had one and a half club. Everyone went to either Palach and Python, or to nearby Opatija. It was a heavy industrial, workers city; rough, harsh and no fun at all. I think today Rijeka is completely different. Simply, it became more mainstream, attractive to tourists and comfortable for locals. Through these changes, it may have lost something that made Rijeka so strong and alternative in character, but that is something a lot of cities go through. Nevertheless, Rijeka is still a relaxed and open-minded city, a city filled with creative people, a great cultural offer, great places to go out or to go to the beach. And I feel that there is no other place in Croatia that offers a serious, modern, urban lifestyle directly by the side of the sea. As told to Ivor Kruljac.

tel.com.hr

tourism hospitality enogastronomy... ...interviews, trends, events, news Business Media Croatia d.o.o. Savska cesta 182, 10000 Zagreb restaurant-hotel@bmcroatia.hr, www.bmcroatia.hr

FREE RIJEKA Put your money away! Here are the best free events this season

Carnival Advent

Secondhand Vinyl Fair

Cratediggers, avast! This vinyl fair is the ultimate showcase of Rijeka’s music scene, and you’ll find plenty of rock’n’roll rarities alongside obscure Yugo releases. Once you’re done bartering, put your pile of records down and join the moshpit - metal bands Old Night + Asheraah fire up the stage from 10pm.

See Rijeka go Christmas crazy at this annual celebration of all things yuletide. The city’s parks, stages and squares are lit up by twinkly fairy lights, and little wooden-roofed huts flavour the air with the smell of mulled wine and fritule (tiny frosted doughnuts). The ice-rink is a seasonal highlight, as is the lovely Trsat castle - you’d struggle to find a more fairytale-like setting. ÆÆ Various venues (rijekaadvent.com), November 30 2019 - January 7 2020

ÆÆ Omladinski Kulturni Centar Palach, October 5 Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Rijeka’s annual take on carnival culminates in a gigantic costumed procession on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday. Thousands of costumed revellers join the fun, frenzied procession, as it engulfs the Korzo promenade. Look out for the zvončari, a Pagan tradition of horned men in animal skins clanging cowbells to warn off evil spirits. ÆÆ Various venues (rijecki-karneval.hr), January 17 - February 26 2020

RIJEKA CARNIVAL Human Rights Film Festival

This free-to-attend film festival showcases campaigning films from politically-committed directors, plus panel discussions and aftershow DJs. HRFF gives you a chance to see indie films by upcoming directors as well as inspired, world-spanning documentaries before they hit the festival circuit. ÆÆ Art Kino Croatia (humanrightsfestival.org), December 1 - 8 2019

visitRijeka.eu

Things to do

Things to Do

20 things to do in Rijeka this autumn

the glass. Note also the cut-price lunch specials, marende.

Visit a challenging exhibition

Using geographical maps from the British Library and works by a dozen or so artists, this autumn’s exhibition at the MMSU, We’re Not Like Them, concludes a fourpart exploration of migration through art. Groundbreaking and global in its outlook, it typifies the approach here. Occupying the former Benčić complex, the museum also has one of the richest collections of contemporary art Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

The first of Rijeka’s café-bars to get really serious about craft beer, this is still one of the best places to enjoy a pint or two. Not only is there a long menu of choices on draft or by the bottle, there’s also a neat-but-cosy auntie’s living-room ambience to the whole place, with framed pictures and old-school wallpaper overlooking a solid collection of dark wood tables.

Set in a pavilion at the Governor’s Palace – alongside the History & Maritime Museum, so a convenient choice for any first-time visitor to Rijeka – the three-floor City Museum has a modest permanent exhibition but stages a number of fascinating temporary ones. In September 2019, the BBC and press from Austria and Hungary seemed suitably impressed by this autumn’s stand-out attraction, The Rijeka Torpedo – the first in the world, on view at a branch of the museum at the railway depot at Žabica 4.

ÆÆ Frana Kurelca 3A (051 564 763, kingscaffe.com)

ÆÆ Trg Riccarda Zanelle 1 (051 336 711, muzej-rijeka.hr)

ÆÆ Trg Riječke rezolucije 5 (051 213 000, restaurant-municipium.eatbu.com)

Find a cosy bar

Summer might be over, but Rijeka’s cultural calendar is just hotting up. From huge shows at the National Theatre to must-see exhibitions, here are the highlights

See where torpedoes came from

City Museum

anywhere in Croatia. It’s also an outstanding example of how to adapt 19th-century industrial architecture for cultural use in the 21st century. ÆÆ Krešimirova 26C (051 492 611, mmsu.hr)

Watch top opera at the National Theatre

Crowd-pleasing opera – Madame Butterfly, Tosca, La Bohème – and ballet, Tchakovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, are programmed for the 2019/20

season at this architectural and cultural landmark. Rijeka’s Croatian National Theatre was designed by the same team of architects as its namesakes in Split and Zagreb: Austrian Ferdinand Fellner and his German partner Hermann Helmer. The interior is worth a look around – Gustav Klimt and brother Ernst helped paint the ceiling before its grand unveiling, a performance of Verdi’s Aida. ÆÆ Uljarska 1 (051 355 900, hnk-zajc.hr)

Order the catch of the day

Municipium is set in a grand Habsburg-era building, in a quiet courtyard in the centre of town. Door staff might greet you at the entrance, but don’t worry, this is a very informal dining experience, down to the day’s menu chalked up on a board. This menu is usually fish-oriented, reasonably priced considering the quality of service, presentation and the fare itself. The wine list runs to scores of (mainly Croatian) varieties, a decent number available by

King's Caffe

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Things to do Let loose at Život

Every city needs somewhere like Život. A cosy music venue where you can really let your hair down, Život offers a stage to visiting indie bands and DJs who play everything from grime to Yugoslavian disco. Decorated like your gran’s house on drugs, expect to see UV-blasted dollies and dodgy watercolours. It’s an essential part of an autumn bar crawl in Rijeka. ÆÆ Ružićeva 22 (facebook.com/KlubZivot)

Go retro at Tarsa

Hidden away among quiet suburban lanes behind Trsat’s sports hall, Tarsa could almost be a village inn, and it’s not surprising that it has become one of Rijeka’s prime venues for a slap-up traditional meal. Despite being a modern building the décor is decidedly trad, with plenty of exposed brick and wooden beams. The menu revolves around lavish platters of local meat and fish, grilled or baked; homemade pastas with tangy goulash accompaniment; and some of the Kvarner Gulf’s best pancakes to round things off. ÆÆ Josipa Kuflaneka 10 (051 452 089, tarsarijeka.simplesite.com)

Book a spa retreat

Rijeka’s classiest option, part of the Plava Laguna group and right in the heart of town, this is a modern hotel with a lovely spa and gym. Sauna cabins with chromotherapy and a wide range of beauty treatments for face and body have also been introduced making this ideal for a relaxing weekend city break. The in-house Kamov restaurant is one of the best in town, known for its green pasta, and the terrace café overlooks the city. ÆÆ Dolac 4 (051 357 980, plavalaguna.com)

RIJEKA visitRijeka.eu

Život Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Market

CukariKafé

Hotel Bonavia Plava Laguna

Slurp seafood

With a great city-centre location and a reputation as one of the best places in town, ‘The Golden Conch’ is a special place for a special evening. Along with the usual seafood offerings, the day’s catch is displayed on ice, and includes a wide selection of shellfish. A wide range of Croatian wines accompany. The hefty salads can work as a small meal, followed by a number of cheeses. Snappy service adds to the pleasant atmosphere. ÆÆ Kružna 12A (051 213 782, facebook.com/concadorori)

Get nostalgic

Both a museum and a club for enthusiasts, PEEK&POKE is one of Rijeka’s most unique attractions. Dedicated to the early days of computers and computerised games, PEEK&POKE also looks to reassess the reputation of those pioneers, mocked at the time,

PEEK&POKE Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

whose groundbreaking ideas eventually made our lives easier or more entertaining. Sir Clive Sinclair, for example, is given a stellar biography. All tolled, more than 1,000 consoles, terminals and calculators are exhibited, either in display cases or for hands-on investigation. ÆÆ Ivana Grohovca 2A (091 780 5709, peekpoke.hr)

Warm up with a specialty tea CukariKafè is a cross between a modern art gallery, a film set for a children’s fairy-tale adventure and a passenger steamer cruising up the River Nile. Everything about the place exudes character: the list of speciality beers includes not just Duvel and Chimay but several lesser-known Belgian brands as well. And unless you specify otherwise, tea will be served with a dandy slice of fresh orange. ÆÆ Trg Jurja Klovića 4 (099 888 5949, facebook.com/cukarikafe)

RIJEKA OUTDOOR visitRijeka.eu

Things to do

Drink coffee on the harbour

Rijeka’s harbour is the heart of city and its steeped in history. Bars and cafés line the port, making it the ideal place to stop for a coffee and admire the scenery as the boats pass by. If you’re feeling peckish, visit one of the bakeries and drink your coffee with an apricot crossaint on the side.

Dance all night

A slick, modern glass-enclosed structure, sitting all by itself on a pier in the main harbour, houses an upmarket bar and nightspot that draws a mix of yuppies, tourists, hipsters and hard-drinking barflies. The darkness releases inhibitions, and the techno and trance music inspire a good time. ÆÆ Gat Karoline Riječke (091 490 4042, facebook.com/KarolinaBarRijeka)

Port

Get into the gig season

autumn when local promoters and musicians return from summer hijinks. Standout events this autumn include the Tiger Lillies at HKD and Emma Ruth Rendall at Palach.

Autumn in Rijeka is all about indoor gigs and concerts. This is a city that bristles with punk and rock and roll heritage, and its music scene bursts into life every

Catch an Irish band

On a small square on a hill in Rijeka’s Old Town, a Guinness sign announces this quaint old-style wood-and-brass pub with exposed brick. There’s Kilkenny beer too, but thankfully Celtic Caffe Bard is more than just another faux Irish joint. The walls are cluttered with interesting local art, and the bar and upstairs gallery are packed with interesting local people, mostly in their twenties and thirties. Music ranges from electronica selected by the staff to occasional Irish folk bands. ÆÆ Trg Grivica 6B (051 215 235)

Scale the battlements at Trsat

Visit this fort for the panoramic view alone, best enjoyed in autumn, when the trees offer a wealth of colour before the Kvarner Bay spreads out before you. Irish-born Austro-Hungarian commander Laval NugentWestmeath fought Napoleon and rebuilt the medieval Frankopan fortress to house his family and his art collection – his hoard of Greek vases can now be seen in Zagreb’s Museum of Archaeology. The mausoleum is worth a look, partly if you like your Central-European history, partly to see how the dynasty looked back then.

Trsat Castle

Try artisan beer

Uphill from the centre in Trsat but well worth seeking out, this Rijeka branch of Zagreb’s Beertija bar sticks to the same formula – a superb range of craft and bottled beers from all over the world, and well-chosen weekend DJs. Look out, too, for indie nights, Doors tribute bands and all kinds of excuses for a party. ÆÆ Slavka Krautzeka 12 (051 452 183, facebook.com/TheBeertijaRi)

Explore the Governor’s Palace

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Built in the 1890s by Hungarian architect Alajos Hauszmann, also responsible for similarly stately buildings in Budapest, the Governor’s Palace is worth exploration not just for the cultural attractions within and around it – the Rijeka City Museum and the History & Maritime Museum – but because of its own history. A century ago, with the collapse of the Habsburg Empire, Italian poet Gabriele

Buy your tickets, tours and entrance fees all in one place

Whatever you want to do in Rijeka, you’ll find an easy way to book it on Rijeka’s marketplace. The tourism board’s official online platform is super easy to use and offers everything from airport transfers to tours and day trips. You could go a wine tasting tour of Krk island, watch an open-air concert or buy your ticket to a blockbuster exhibition.

ÆÆ Partizanski put 9A

ÆÆ Find it at rijekamarketplace.com

Crkva Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Things to do Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Annunzio seized control of Rijeka and installed himself in the palace. Mussolini duly removed him but for that short period, Rijeka was the poetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal domain.

Ă&#x2020;Ă&#x2020; Trg Riccarda Zanelle 1

Join a pub quiz

A cafĂŠ by day, a lively bar by night, with 2am closing at weekends, the BaÄ?va has generated a loyal customer base thanks to its regular pub quizzes, craft beers and broadcasts of football matches, not least big European nights involving Rijeka. A DJ may well take to the decks and, of a chilly autumn evening, you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really wish for a warmer place to be. Ă&#x2020;Ă&#x2020; Dolac 8 (095 553 7659, facebook.com/bacvaklubrijeka)

Get on your bike

Autumn offers the perfect opportunity to explore Rijekaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful cycling trails. Without the intense heat of summer, the experience is a lot more enjoyable as you tackle the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uphill terrain and sudden hairpin bends. The official route takes you as far as Kraljevica, a small fishing village near Crikvenica, but there are endless options. Ă&#x2020;Ă&#x2020; (issuu.com/visitrijeka/docs/bikerrjeka)

RIJEKA MARKETPLACE making life easier History and Maritime Museum Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

www.rijekamarketplace.com

Art & Culture

Remembering Daša Jonathan Bousfield assesses the career of Rijeka-based novelist Daša Drndić THERE’S A PASSAGE in Daša Drndić’s 2004

novel Leica Format in which the narrator visits Mali Neboder, Rijeka’s cult second-hand bookshop, and sits down to read some of the antiquarian titles she’s just found on the shelves. ‘There are some beautiful places here [in Rijeka]’ she writes, ‘it’s just that they tend to be rather hidden.’ The Mali Neboder evoked by Drndić, a tightly-wound labyrinth crammed

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

with books, documents, postcards and maps, is like an alternative archive of the city, a repository of its secrets. Each book you find on the shelves will lead you to another, related, tome, while the shop’s intuitive owners will guide you onwards to parallel topics that you hadn’t even thought of when you first entered the shop. The world of Mali Neboder (a real existing shop which can be visited in person) is an

appropriate metaphor for Daša Drndić’s own books, in which the big themes of the twentieth century are entwined with the lives of little people, rambling digressions, and a tangle of microhistories that frequently shed light on our hunt for a bigger picture. Drndić’s death in June 2018 came at the time when her international reputation was just achieving critical mass. Her 2007 novel

Sonnenschein, published in English as Trieste in 2014, garnered major-newspaper reviews and was nominated for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. A flurry of further English translations followed, beginning with her earlier novel Leica Format (first published in 2004), and Belladonna (published in Croatian in 2012). Drndić’s death in June 2018 came a few months before the English-language emergence of the boldly unorthodox novella-in-two-halves Doppelgänger, and Drndić’s final, more personal novel, EEG. Uniting all of these books – as well as the handful of titles that haven’t yet been translated into English – is a preoccupation with the dark moments of the 20th century: totalitarianism, the Holocaust, and the betrayal of historical memory. Having grown up in the shadow of World War II and then lived through the violent break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Drndić comes to us with the knowledge that the extremism and brutalities of Europe’s past are always ready to return, even to sophisticated, integrated societies that consider themselves at peace. Born in Zagreb in 1946, Drndić moved to the Serbian capital Belgrade at the age of eight. It was in Belgrade that she went to university and made her first steps as a writer. When Yugoslav society fell apart in the early Nineties, Drndić was treated as an outsider in Belgrade and moved back to her native Croatia, where she was also regarded as a misfit who had spent too long living on the ‘other side’. Drndić came from a distinguished anti-fascist family – her father was a leader of the resistance in Istria in World War II – another reason why she was made to feel unwelcome in the conservative-nationalist Nineties. Trieste is her most accessible book, following the lives of the Tedeschis, an assimilated Jewish family from northeastern Italy, from the start of the First World War through to the end of the Second. It almost reads like a family chronicle until the Holocaust intervenes, and the tone of the novel abruptly changes. One hundred pages in the middle of the book are taken up with an alphabetical list of the 9000 Jews deported from or killed in Italy 1943-45. There follows a list – complete with potted biographies – of the German SS officers who served in the death camps of Eastern Poland before being redeployed to Trieste in 1943. This use of documentary material, so characteristic of Drndić’s work, was the author’s way of saying that you couldn’t write fiction about something as serious as the Holocaust without anchoring the narrative to factual sources. Trieste ends in traditional literary style when a long-held family secret finally comes into the open. Drndić’s other books take more risks with the narrative, juxtaposing different historical

threads from different periods and frequently blurring the distinction between the protagonist’s story and the author’s own biography. The unnamed narrator of Leica Format takes us on a journey through the pre-World War I history of Rijeka, the crimes of the Croatian quisling regime in World War II, and digressions on medical experiments on human beings. Several characters have double identities or change their names, either because they emigrate to new countries or have a desire to reinvent themselves

–if human beings can adopt different identities and push their past under the carpet, Drndić seems to be saying, whole societies can do it too. Belladonna and EEG centre on Andreas Ban, a retired, Rijeka-based psychologist and writer who acts as both Drndić’s alter-ego and an autonomous character in his own right. The question of late-life crisis and creeping frailty is a major theme of both books. Ban begins to suffer health problems at the same time as his retirement as a university lecturer, inducing a growing alarm at the sudden onrush of social isolation, powerlessness and irrelevance. He suddenly realizes he is the ‘psychologist who no longer psychologizes, the writer who never writes, the tourist guide who no longer has anyone to guide’. This triggers a rush of reflections, not only on Ban’s own past but on the epoch he has lived through. Fictional creations like Andreas Ban (and Printz, one of the protagonists of the compellingly grotesque Doppelgänger) were both, like

Drndić herself, born in the 1940s, and grew up thinking that their parent’s generation had not only won the war against Fascism, but had also won all the arguments against Fascism too. The idea that the radical right might one day return to power was absurd. Buoyed by the boom years of the Sixties, the same generation also grew up expecting secure careers, health insurance and a dignified retirement. For the Ban generation, however, the onset of middle age brings a succession of shocks. Suddenly the world appears to be going backwards, and Drndić’s alter ego is no longer young enough to cope with the rugs incessantly being pulled from under his feet. This is where the sadness of Belladonna and EEG lies; the post-war generation is powerless to prevent the erosion of post-war certainties, while their children and grandchildren have an increasingly weak grip on where we are all supposed to be heading. And here the question of historical memory becomes acute. With Holocaust survivors and other victims of Fascism slowly dying out, and the immediate post-war generation no longer in charge, who picks up the baton of commemoration? And who defends the truth against historical revision? Drndić’s novels are an attempt to stem the flood of collective amnesia and shake society – or at least that small part of it that reads big books – out of its complacency. A Drndić novel can be a relentless, badgering, sometimes hectoring affair, driving the reader on toward new, vital historical discoveries. Her alter-ego Andreas Ban urgently guides us through accounts of Jewish refugees in World War II Serbia, Nazi collaborators in Latvia, or the (nowadays forgotten) persecution of German citizens in liberal post-war Holland, as if to say this is our combined heritage, do not pass it by. Like many great writers Drndić revisits her obsessions in book after book, finding new ways to address themes that nagged at her in an earlier novel. ‘When one writes, it’s best to repeat things’ says Andreas Ban in EEG. ‘It’s even desirable to transpose whole passages from one book to another, which I sometimes do. People are so chronically forgetful.’ Trieste, Leica Format, Belladonna and EEG are all published by Maclehose Press in te UK. Doppelgänger is published by Istros Books.

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

D’Annunzio’s Martyr ttttt Jonathan Bousfield previews a major exhibition at the city’s Maritime and History Museum

IF THERE IS ONE THING that keeps Rijeka in

the pages of history textbooks all over Europe it is the short-lived rule of Italian poet and proto-fascist Gabriele D’Annunzio, who marched into the city in September 1919 and spent 500 days as its colourful if erratic dictator. For Rijeka itself, this notoriety comes as something as a mixed blessing. D’Annunzio was an outspoken nationalist who sought to capture the multiethnic, multicultural city of Rijeka for the Italian nation. He was also a lover of uniforms, bombast and set-piece speeches, developing a form of politics-as-spectacle that would be enthusiastically adopted by Benito Mussolini. The fact that D’Annunzio was also one of Italy’s greatest writers does not mean that he fits neatly into anyone’s idea of cultural heritage. Visitors who are coming to Rijeka during the city’s stint as European Capital of Culture will, nevertheless, expect to see something about D’Annunzio’s period in power. It’s in recognition of this fact that the city’s Maritime and History Museum decided to prepare D’Annunzio’s Martyr, a small but

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

extraordinarily perceptive exhibition about D’Annunzio’s Rijeka enterprise. Housed in the former Governor’s Palace, where the poet held court and was indeed shot at by Italian warships, it provides a fresh perspective on one of European history’s most extraordinary episodes. The exhibition opened its doors 100 years after D’Annunzio’s entrance into the city, and will last until January 2021. Of all the exhibitions planned for Culture-Capital year, this is the one that will last longest and may indeed end up being visited by the largest number of people. D’Annunzio is not an easy person to make an exhibition about. The proto-fascist aspects of

D’Annunzio’s regime have ensured its place on the negative side of the historical balance sheet, an early example of how inter-war European politics went so badly off the rails. D’Annunzio is increasingly perceived as a precursor of contemporary populism, a flamboyant figure who shamelessly flouted the political rules and offered people deceptively simple truths. However the D’Annunzio episode has also been over-romanticized, especially by those who see the soldier-poet as an emancipatory force, a jolly pirate who gave the middle finger to the international community and inspired thousands of young Italians to join him. For many of the ex soldiers and adventure-seeking avant-gardists flooding into the city, Rijeka

the Italian and Croatian sides in 1918-19. under D’Annunzio was a young person’s Demonstrations by Italian women provided paradise, offering liberated lifestyles and free D’Annunzio’s circle with one of the excuses love, presided over by a charismatic leader who saw this new spirit of hedonism as an outgrowth they needed to invade the city. Italian women of his own artistic personality. also constituted a large part of the audience in the grand public rallies that characterized Dealing with D’Annunzio is difficult for any D‘Annunzio’s idea of democracy. museum curator, and the Rijeka team has set about their task with great creativity and insight. One key exhibit is the diary of Dora Blažić, a The exhibition’s central twist - and one that frees young Croatian woman who stayed in the city throughout D’Annunzio’s rule. It provides cruit from the kind of ideologically- or nationallycentred treatments that D’Annunzio usually cial evidence of how difficult daily life was in the attracts – is that it tells the story from the point of mismanaged city, especially for non-Italians who did not share D’Annunzio’s view of Rijeka’s women. The womnationalist vision. This contrasts en who cheered for D’Annunzio, ‘It provides a sharply with personal memoirs so the women who tried to make ends fresh perspecfar accessed by historians (memmeet as he drove the city towards economic disaster, and also the oirs penned exclusively by male tive on one participants in the occupation), women who shared his bed. of European which tend to paint D’Annunzio’s Rijeka’s women were relatively history’s most 500 days as a carefree adventure emancipated by the standards of extraordinary cut short by the scheming of outearly twentieth-century Europe: episodes' side powers. the industrial workforce involved Highlight of the exhibition a large number of women, and is the stunning collection of women were active in the patriotic agitation that took place on both archive photographs, which are

projected onto a screen in video-presentation style. Each photo comes with a caption, which makes the whole thing look like the kind of photo-love story that used to appear in teenage magazines. We see D‘Annunzio acclaimed by cheering crowds, D’Annunzio surrounded by society ladies, D’Annunzio receiving gifts on his birthday. The sequence ends with pictures of shell damage and blown-up bridges in December 1920, when D’Annunzio was forced out of Rijeka by regular units of the Italian army. Having swept the city off its feet, the great seducer now abandoned his conquest, leaving its life in ruins. One image in particular stands out. A photo of D’Annunzio mobbed by young men in uniform is accompanied by the words ‘They simply adore him, and he loves them even more than the women’. Somehow you know that a love like this can only end in tears. ÆÆ ‘D’Annunzio’s Martyr’ is on show at the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral (ppmhp.hr) until January 31 2021. The Exhibition catalogue (70Kn) contains parallel CroatianEnglish texts and is an excellent introduction to the period. Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Eating Market research

air-dried after smoking and full of flavour. The cold platter at the Restaurant Spagho (ristorante-spagho.com) in town not only features pršut but prosciutto cotto, spicy kulen sausage, bresaola, bacon and cheese. Shared between a table of dedicated carnivores, it provides reason alone to visit this renowned corner eatery.

What to eat seasonally in and around Rijekain the city this autumn TWO WORDS define the food you’ll find in Rije-

ka: fresh and seasonal. Here we suggest what to look out for as autumn turns to winter, at the city’s main market and on your restaurant table.

RIJEKA MARKET Rijeka’s main market, Placa to locals, has been a feature of the seafront since the late 1800s. Alongside, the fish market, Ribarnica, was opened in 1916. For well over a century, these two vital resources have not only fed the city but also provided the fresh ingredients for its

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

CHEESE restaurants. You’ll even find two key ones next door, Konoba Fiume and Bistro Mornar. Each market opens from 7am, and each gives you a lively introduction to the culinary delights that lie ahead.

TRUFFLES Autumn means truffles. A lucrative cottage industry in north-eastern Croatia, truffles find their way into all kinds of dishes, from steak to chocolate cake. Most of all, you’ll find them delicately grated over pasta or flavouring an

omelette. Pricier white truffles are generally available earlier in the season, from September until January, black truffles from January until spring. You can also buy them in jars at a quality delicatessen such as Deliiicije (deliiicije.com) at Ante Starčevića 7.

KVARNER SCAMPI If Kvarner is famous for one delicacy, it’s scampi. We’re not talking about the little prawns you might find on a pizza, but succulent shellfish light red in colour and covered in a thin,

easy-to-peel shell. Plucked from the deep Kvarner Bay, these are best enjoyed with hand-rolled pljukanci thin pasta fingers or as the star turn in a healthy buzara stew, accompanied by tomatoes, garlic and white wine. A restaurant such as the Bistro Mornar (bistro-mornar.business.site) will pride itself on the quality of its scampi dishes.

PROSCIUTTO A classic starter found on the menus of most top restaurants in Rijeka, prosciutto (pršut) is prepared by age-old traditional methods,

Most famously produced on the long, barren island of the same name that straddles Kvarner and Dalmatia, Pag cheese (paški sir) owes its unique taste to the dry wind that blows down from Velebit. This has a salty effect on the local vegetation, in particular the sage that Pag sheep like to graze on. Generations of cheesemakers have used sheeps’ milk, to create the signature wheels of hard cheese, aged up to 18 months, that are then found at many restaurants across Kvarner. You can attest to the distinctive flavour of Pag’s signature product if you order the cheese platter at Boonker (boonker.hr)

by the seafront, where it appears alongside mozzarella, gorgonzola and Grana Padano.

GAME The wooded uplands north of Rijeka, in particular around Gorski Kotar, are responsible for two products synonymous with autumn, venison and forest fruits, which combine in the delicious union of deer stew. Usually served with gnocchi, perhaps with a side of local, pickled cabbage, this dish is a regular seasonal favourite with communities just outside Rijeka. In Delnice, gateway to Risnjak National Park, the restaurant at the Petehovac mountaineering centre (petehovac. com.hr) serves a superb example.

MUSSELS AND OYSTERS Kvarner is not just known for its signature scampi, but other shellfish as well, most notably mussels and oysters. A restaurant such as the Konoba Ugor (Dražička 4, 051 638 206) outside the city centre has a whole page of its menu dedicated to mussels, soup being the best option.

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Eating

From sea to table

and some of the Kvarner Gulf’s best pancakes to round things off. Pay particular attention to the platters for two; specialities such as the Maksimilijan squid with baked potatoes and vegetables are well worth the extra outlay.

With a great city-centre location and a reputation as one of the best places in town, 'The Golden Conch' is a special place for a special evening. Along with the usual seafood offerings, appetisers include fish carpaccio with capers, and marinated salmon. The day's catch is displayed on ice, and includes a wide selection of molluscs. A wide range of Croatian wines may accompany. ÆÆ Kružna 12A (051 213 782, facebook.com/concadorori)

ÆÆ Krojačka 1 (095 671 6717, facebook.com/primorskakonoba)

Konoba Fiume

Just metres from the main market, near the port and the Korzo, stands the stone-walled, brickarched, high-ceilinged Fiume, with its daily offering of grilled ray, mackerel, sardines, tuna, squid, goulash and cod stew on Fridays. Simple meals, cooked the local way, are based on the freshest seasonal ingredients from the nearby market. Decent local wines and affordable prices can be expected, as well as a warm welcome from the staff. ÆÆ Vatroslava Lisinskog 12B (091 526 4148, konobafiume.fullbusiness.com)

Settle at one of the rustic wooden tables in the bright, modern interior and admire the trays of just-caught fish and crustaceans chilling behind the glass. Point at your choice and wait for it to be expertly grilled, perhaps dressed lightly with olive oil and big chunks of sea salt, and then served up as a minimalist masterpiece. The car park terrace gets the sun and gives a view of the docks. You can find fancier, but not much better. ÆÆ Demetrova 2 (051 313 271, facebook.com/ Konoba-Na-Kantunu-840341129439818)

Conca d'Oro

Konoba Blato

In a sturdy wood-and-tile cellar on the pedestrianised square where the two main canals meet, this small, dimly lit eatery makes home-style seafood and hearty meat dishes in a pleasant family atmosphere. The fish is always fresh and well prepared, as is the octopus salad to accompany it. There are only half-a-dozen tables, busy during work breaks; the tiny bar has a few stools, nearly all occupied by locals. Daytime and early evening only. ÆÆ Titov trg 8C (051 336 970, blato1902.hr)

Konoba Nebuloza

A friendly little restaurant next to the Rječina Canal provides perfectly prepared fresh seafood at reasonable prices in a comfortable atmosphere. It serves a lot of the fish others do, but the menu here lets you know whether it has been farmed instead of caught wild. House special starters include smoked tuna and goulash or lamb stew with local šurlice noodles. The amicable waiters will not only show 'Admire you the catch of the day, but tell you what’s freshest – even if it’s somethe trays of thing less expensive, like calamari. just-caught The side room has big windows with fish and a great view of the canal below. crustaceans

chilling behind the glass'

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

ÆÆ Matije Gupca 5B (051 212 274, konoba-feral.com)

Konoba Feral

Konoba Na Kantunu Conca d'Oro

A handy little downtown eaterie specialising in seafood, with a few meaty options too. Frog stew with potatoes and kale is one of the more unusual of these; otherwise, the menu features the standard white sea fish and scampi. A selection of cheap daily specials is chalked up on a board outside. A front terrace is open in summer.

The ‘Coastal Inn’ goes for the rustic look inside, with checked tablecloths and domestic nicknacks aplenty; however, it’s the chic glassenclosed terrace hovering above an animated Old-Town corner that makes this such a good place to be at lunchtime. The other attraction is, of course, the food: mainly traditional stuff reinvented for the requirements of today’s breezy urban eater. Many of the things listed as marende (‘elevenses’) actually function as light lunches, particularly the traditional barleyand-bean stew known as jota. Home-made pasta choices such as tagliatelle with prawns will fill a gap with tasty aplomb, while squid stuffed with cheese and rice, sploshed liberally with a tangy tomato sauce, is a stand-out among the mains.

ÆÆ Josipa Kulfaneka 10 (051 452 089, facebook. com/Tarsa-Konoba-473827053026811)

Fresh fish and seafood are Rijeka’s greatest culinary treasures. Here’s where you’ll find the best the city has to offer

Primorska Konoba

ÆÆ Titov trg 2B (051 374 501, konobanebuloza.com)

Tarsa

The menu revolves around lavish platters of local fish, grilled or baked; home-made pastas with tangy goulash accompaniment;

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Eating

Maslina na Zelenom trgu

Bistro Mornar

Placa 51

Bistro fever

Rijeka’s bistros offer affordable, creative cuisine. Here’s our pick of the best Placa 51

A lively place occupying an enviable corner spot on a harbour-facing street, this is another good tip for a great Rijeka lunch. The menu is strong in local staples in the 80-100kn range such as ombolo (lightly Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

smoked pork chop) and fillets of fish, and there’s a daily list of cheaper chalked-up specials that rely very much on what’s seasonally available – and what the chef can get his hands on at the nearby market. The style of decor and presentation is

contemporary bistro-bar rather than folksy inn, with an open kitchen indoors and cushioned benches out on the terrace. Scrumptious own-made cakes are another major asset. ÆÆ Riva Boduli 3A (051 546 454, facebook.com/placa51)

Although Mornar is next to the docks and the marine terminal, the views from its L-shaped corner terrace include just a snippet of sea and a whole load of car park. Forget the scenery: hearty meat dishes here satisfy, and the fish comes right off the boats or from the nearby market, which means it’s fresher and cheaper than most places in town. Join hungry locals and sailors as you tuck into generous platters of calamari, sardines or superior freshly caught whitefish at amazing prices. ÆÆ Riva Boduli 5B (051 312 222, facebook.com/bistromornar)

Maslina na Zelenom trgu

‘Olive on Green Square’ – even though it’s actually on Kobler square, right in the city centre – echoes the time when Rijeka’s main produce market was here. Chef Dušan Džimbeg has duly created two types of selections,

‘Gourmand Mediterranean’ and ‘Small Menu’. Those on a budget shouldn’t worry – dishes in the either category average 70kn, with the exception of the smoked tuna and beefsteak tagliata ÆÆ Koblerov trg bb (051 563 563, mnzt.hr)

Municipium

Municipium is set in a grand Habsburg-era building, tucked away in a quiet courtyard right in the centre of town. Door staff greet you at the entrance, but don't worry, this provides a very informal dining experience, down to the days' menu chalked up on a board. This menu is fish-oriented, reasonably priced considering the quality of service, presentation and the fare itself. The wine list runs to scores of (mainly Croatian) varieties, a decent number available by the glass. Note also the cut-price lunch specials, marende. ÆÆ Trg Riječke rezolucije 5 (051 213 000, restaurant-municipium.eatbu.com)

Municipium

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Drinking

The cosiest bars in Rijeka

Fiorello Pub

It’s cold outside so cosy up at one of these warm and welcoming bars. Bar Bar

Bar Bar

The original venue of the Bar Bar family. Bar Bar 2 is also great, but holds more of an industrial inspiration. However, this one, with its exposed brickwork, modest design and funky seating, is the perfect place to while away a few hours while you make your way through the extensive and impressive lists of craft beer and wine it holds. There’s also a great menu offering perfect accompaniments like beef tartare, bruschettas or paninins. ÆÆ Pod Kaštelom 3 (099 331 7208, bar-bar.eu)

King's Caffe

Brasserie AS

bit of culture with their coffee – the floor-to-ceiling shelves are absolutely stacked with books, CDs and vinyl LPs, while a small annexe serves as a cute art gallery. Literary readings

Formerly the Belgian Beer Brasserie and still bearing decorative traces of the Benelux, this prominent terrace bar with an atmospheric interior remains one of the key spots to drink in Rijeka. Located so close to the harbour you can see ships passing from the tables outside, it’s worth a longer linger for its hearty Belgian-style cuisine and, most notably, brews in draught and bottled form from the land of beer.

and live music feature several times a month; on other days it serves as a mellow social hub for the city’s reading, writing and chatting community. ÆÆ Ciottina 12A (facebook.com/BookCaffeDB)

Fiorello Pub

At the quieter end of the main Korzo thoroughfare, Fiorello honours the little-known fact that a famed New York mayor, Fiorello La Guardia (as in the airport) started his diplomatic career at the US consulate in Rijeka. Beyond the name, it doesn’t overdo the theme, rather provide a cosy spot for a few drinks, with seating outside. ÆÆ Korzo 2D (051 331 390, facebook.com/fiorellopubrijeka)

ÆÆ Trg Republike Hrvatske 2 (051 212 148, facebook.com/ Brasserie-As-569999426429881)

Uphill from the centre in Trsat but well worth seeking out, this Rijeka branch of Zagreb’s Beertija bar sticks to the same formula – a superb range of bottled beers from all over the world, and well-chosen weekend DJs. XXXX

ÆÆ Slavka Krautzeka 12 (051 452 183, facebook.com/TheBeertijaRi)

Book Caffe Dnevni Boravak

Living-room-style hangout that will appeal to those who like a

Bar Bar

Phanas Pub

Up in Trsat, this lovely spot is well stocked and well staffed. Along with classic cocktails and long drinks, there’s a long wine list, a Tinto Reserva hiding among the Zlatni Plavac and Dingač. Whiskies such as 14-year-old Oban and tenyear-old Talisker can be sipped in an elegantly carved wooden interior decorated with portraits of famous locals. Nice hot chocolates for winter too. Convenient for a visit to Trsat Castle.

Down at the harbourfront, this place is best experienced late at night when the two-floor wooden pub with maritime knick-knacks is packed to the rafters with partying twentysomethings, the room zinging a commercial dance and rock soundtrack. It gets busy late on and difficult to get inside. Guinness, Kilkenny and Stella, wines and cheap cocktails complement the standard Ožujsko beer, but the drinks here are secondary to the social buzz.

ÆÆ Petra Zrinskog 2 (099 236 7537, sabragebar.com)

ÆÆ Ivana Zajca 9 (091 926 4801, facebook.com/phanaspub)

Sabrage

The Beertija

Book Caffe Dnevni Boravak

Brasserie AS

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Travel

Travel timeout.com/croatia/destinations

Winter trips from Rijeka Fabulous winter breaks a daytripping distance from Rijeka

Trsat Castle

Učka Nature Park

CLOSER TO THE ALPS than it is

to Dalmatia, Rijeka offers plenty of outdoor activities within easy reach of town. Historic landmarks and national parks get a dusting of snow, and there’s hiking, climbing and even skiing to be had nearby.

A historical holiday

Rijeka is ringed by castles – there’s even one in town. Trsat is accessed by a grandiose staircase, Stube Petra Kružića (Petar Kružić Stairway), from alongside Titov trg. As you climb, the view widens

out until the reason for this vantage point being coveted by the Romans, Frankopans and Habsburgs becomes clear. With a commanding panorama of the Bay of Kvarner, Trsat was an obvious spot to site a fortress. By the time Irish military leader Laval Nugent was gifted it after the Napoleonic Wars, it was in poor condition. Rebuilding it in neo-Gothic style, he also commissioned the family mausoleum here. In winter, with no leaves to block the view, the vista from the

Učka Nature Park

DISCOVER! Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

roe deer, wild boar, shrew or alpine salamander. You may even spy a golden eagle, peregrine falcon or griffon vulture flying above. Conifers, specifically spruce and black pine, cover great swathes of Učka, offering a particularly magical scene on snowy winter days. Also within easy reach from Rijeka, the main gateway of Delnice an hour’s drive away, Risnjak National Park is home to the lynx after which it is named. Hunted to extinction once the Habsburgs started making these picturesque, forested slopes a favoured holiday destination from the 1800s, the Eurasian lynx has been Back to nature successfully reintroduced – although it remains a solitary creature happiThe forests, nature parks and national parks surrounding est on higher ground. Visitors have Rijeka are ideal for an active day more chance of spotting a chamois, out in winter. a wild boar or an eagle owl. Wolves, The nearest nature bears and wild cats are park of Učka stretches also known to venture ' You may close to Lovran out at certain times of even spy a just outside Rijeka. the year. Though many of the golden eagle, mammals here hiberOutdoor peregrine nate in winter, the variadventures falcon or ous bats taking to dark Učka, Risnjak and griffon vulture caves, you should still Velebit attract outdoor flying above' be able to spot the odd adventurers all year battlements is unparalleled. With their powerbase in nearby Krk, the Frankopans were the most dominant dynasty in the Middle Ages, illustrated by the castles they left behind. The nearest to Rijeka is Grobnik, whose striking façade looks even more dramatic when surrounded by a blanket of snow. Legend has it that when a nobleman took a shine to a local village girl, Lucy, she jumped from the battlements in fright. The spring below, in winter a picturesque scene of ice and snow, has been named after her.

round, while skiers head for Platak. First scaled by a Venetian botanist in 1722, Mount Učka and surrounding slopes are claimed by hikers, mountain bikers and climbers every weekend – paragliders and hang-gliders prefer the warmer months to leap off the ramps at Vojak and Brgud. There are eight recommended routes for mountain bikers while climbers can choose from 62 routes in the canyon of Vela draga. Hikers can explore one of the picture-postcard villages dotting the landscape, such as the wineproducing community of Lovranska Draga. One of the ancient paths here leads to Oporovina, where prehistoric remnants were discovered in 1929. Another leads past a rushing stream all the way down to the coast. Many come to Risnjak to hike or climb. From the picturesque village of Crni Lug, at the entrance to the park, a signposted educational trail runs through the trees for 4.5km. Those with stronger calves and proper hiking boots can also take a more challenging route up to Veliki Risnjak, the highest point

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For more information on the holidays featured here, check out the following websites:

in the park. Most reach the top in around three hours, with a rest stop at Šloserov dom, named after the 19th-century botanist who first detailed the landscape here. Also easily accessible from Rijeka, the North Velebit National Park is spectacular hiking country, although be prepared for sudden storms and freezing winds. The information centre is located at Krasno, a mountain village the other side of Senj. Hiking options include three peaks over 1,600 metres high. Afterwards reward yourself with a hot drink or a warming schnapps at the Dom Zavizan lodge. Finally, few realise how close a ski centre is to Rijeka. Set alongside Risnjak, Platak contains seven ski runs for varying skill levels, with nighttime skiing also available. There’s a cablecar and non-skiers can hire sledges. Kids will also love the yearround, 160-metre-long tube track to zoom down. Hikers can follow three marked trails leading from the car park, each taking about two or three hours light climb, with a mountain lodge en route or near the top.

pp-ucka.hr risnjak.hr np-sjeverni-velebit.hr platak.hr Platak

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Risnjak National Park

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Natural History Museum Rijeka

Kids

that explores, preserves and presents a rich natural heritage of Primorje Gorski kotar County. The visitors can enjoy the aquarium, multimedia centre, family corner and Mediterranean botanical garden, as well as temporary exhibitions, numerous workshops, lectures, nume concerts and other events.

Carnival

Korzo

Winter wonderland

such as gingerbread, fried doughnuts, mulled wine, sausages and hand-made decorations. Yet what makes the run-up to Christmas here particularly unique is the Sea Snowflake, an ice-skating rink set up on the quayside right by the Adriatic. Skates are available to hire and beginners are shown the ropes. Elsewhere, concerts and

performances take place on Trg Ivana Koblera, there will be gastronomic specialities beyond the norm at Trg Riječke rezolucije and the intimate, illuminated magic of the Tunnels should prove as popular as they were when they were introduced in 2018. Merry Christmas or, as they say locally, Sretan Božić!

Stay warm or embrace the chill with these events and activities for kids this winter NOW VERY MUCH a year-round

destination and family-friendly with it, Rijeka has loads to offer during the colder months. With Carnival getting even bigger, Advent firmly on the calendar and ever more attractions in town, there’s every reason for visitors to bring the kids for the weekend – or even enjoy a longer stay at holiday time.

Skate by the sea

Advent will be a bit different in Rijeka this year. New Year’s Eve will also mark the night before the Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

city becomes European Capital of Culture 2020. All along the Korzo and the seafront, families will gather to celebrate and see in the new year as fireworks burst over the Adriatic. But Advent here starts at the end of November with Father Christmas himself meeting his young fans in the centre of town from December 5, the eve of St Nicholas, the Croatian Christmas. He even brings with him a little train that chugs along the Korzo. Stalls line the streets, filled with traditional domestic favourites

permanent exhibitions on geological past and fossil life of the region, sharks and other underwater inhabitants, as well as land animals insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.

The Zrinski Castle

Museum operates at dislocated unit Brod na Kupi at Gorski kotar, where a new permanent exhibition Wilderness with the sea view is being set up.

Lorenzov prolaz 1, Rijeka www.prirodoslovni.com info@prirodoslovni.com +38551/553-669 Trsat Castle

Rijeka for kids fish market and back to the seafront again. In 2019, some 60-plus groups took part, from all parts of Kvarner and beyond, with costumes themed around Pinocchio, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, even clock towers. The event does more than provide a great day out for schools and community groups – it helps ensure the carnival’s future for generations to come.

Natural History Museum

Meet a shark

Thanks to the Museums Together ticket, families can visit the many cultural landmarks in and around Rijeka for only a few euros. Several are clustered around the stately Governor’s Palace, including the Maritime and History Museum and this, the Natural History Museum just behind it. Although founded way back in 1876 and conceived with its counterpart in Vienna in mind, this entertaining and original attraction is anything but dusty and staid. Ask any child if they’d like to see a shark that day and chances are they’ll say ‘yes’. Here, not only is there a shark, preserved in a display but very much larger than life – jellyfish, rays and all kinds of sea life are presented, safely behind glass, and part of a multimedia resource. Those who with a deeper interest in the subject can find out about oceanographic research, the geological heritage of the Adriatic, birdlife, amphibians and reptiles. Not to mention insects, there’s a whole assemblage of insects here, with a game to help you distinguish which one’s which. When you arrive here, don’t forget to ask for a tablet for English translations of everything as you go round. Look out, too, for the regular workshops. ÆÆ Lorenzov prolaz 1 (051 553 669, prirodoslovni.com)

Explore dramatic castles

While the geopolitical situation of medieval and Napoleonic Europe may not have the family reaching for the satnav, there’s enough to see at the various castles in and around Rijeka to keep everyone happy for the day. First port of call, of course, should be Trsat, accessed by a grand set of steps up from the city centre, and offering a dramatically sweeping view of the Kvarner Bay Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

below. Those who do like a bit of history can find out about the Irish military commander Laval Nugent, who helped liberate Croatia from the French in the early 1800s. Later fighting for the Croats against the Hungarians, Nugent is something of a hero in these parts – hence the grand mausoleum here for he and his wife, overlooking a great swathe of north-west Croatia. A few kilometres north, Grobnik Castle looks as dramatic today as when the Croats fought the Mongol army here in 1242. This former seat of the mighty Frankopan dynasty passed to their equally powerful relative, the Zrinskis, before falling into Hungarian hands. Legend surrounds nearby Lucy’s Spring, apparently named after a village girl who jumped to her death rather than marry an amorous nobleman.

Join the Children’s Carnival

Croatia’s biggest annual public event, the Rijeka Carnival is more than just the main procession that takes over the city centre on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday – although that attracts thousands of families too. Running from January 17 until February 26 in 2020, the Rijeka Carnival is a celebration spilling over five weeks or more, with the Dječja karnevalska povorka, the Children’s Carnival, taking place on February 8. Mardi Gras in miniature, the Children’s Carnival involves almost as many masks and masquerades – though without the fierce, Turk-banishing undertones of the adult varieties – and attracts a similarly varied mix of participants and spectators. Floats and processions pass along the Korzo just as the main ones do two weeks later, this one starting from the seafront, heading east down Rijeka’s main drag, past the city’s key sights, before turning at Jelačićev trg, past the

Gaze at the stars

Both an observatory and a planetarium, the only one in Croatia, the Astronomical Centre Rijeka stands atop Sveti Križ Hill, accessible by city bus a short journey from the town centre. A military fortress used in World War II, it was later converted and today houses the only digital planetarium in the region. Although many of the films and presentations are in Croatian, particularly to parties of schoolchildren, there are more and more events offered in English. The award-winning film Realm of Light, specifically conceived for dome projections of 360 degrees, takes viewers of all ages on a journey from the Big Bang to the modern day, travelling through 13 billion years in time. Also in English is SEEING, which deals with the story of sight itself, a full-immersion experience subtitled A Photon’s Journey across Space and Mind, explaining how human vision works. The observatory is open to the public most evenings of the week, with presentations given in English on alternate nights, and the calendar also makes room for international events, such as World Space Week and Earth Science Week. If the weather’s reasonable, the panoramic terrace café should still be open, the view worth the trek alone. ÆÆ Sveti Križ 33 (051 455 700, aad.hr)

Play the computer games of yesteryear

Rijeka’s unique PEEK&POKE is more than just a computer museum. Filled with more than 1,000 exhibits from around the world, this unusual attraction in the city centre has been set up by enthusiasts and collectors, keen for visitors to explore the world of technology before everyone had a smartphone. Rather than presenting this as a history lesson, this permanent exhibition is very much hands-on. You can see the kinds of terminals, machines and consoles in common use in the 1970s and 1980s – and press a bunch of buttons at the same time.

For younger ones, used to having everything at their fingertips within the blink of an eye, much of what’s on display is hilarious, as quaint as a pre-war radio set. For adults, any visit is a journey through time, back to when they got their first Game Boy or played Pac-Man. The museum also has a more serious mission of reassessing the reputation of those pioneers, mocked at the time, whose groundbreaking ideas eventually made our lives easier or more entertaining. Sir Clive Sinclair, for example, is portrayed in detail. In winter, PEEK&POKE opens Saturdays only but call ahead and they should open for you on a different day as well. Admission is 30kn. ÆÆ Ivana Grohovca 2A (091 780 5709, peekpoke.hr)

Astronomical Centre

AQUA MARIS CELEBRATES ITS 20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY ONE OF CROATIA'S MOST SUCCESSFUL EXPORT BRANDS YOU CAN FIND IN HOMES IN MORE THAN 20 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE Aqua Maris, the most successful brand of the pharmaceutical company JGL from Rijeka, and one of the most famous Croatian export brands, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Over the course of 20 years, Aqua Maris has had 160 million applications and has entered the homes of users in more than 20 countries. These users make us of the fifteen different products from our palette for the prevention and treatment of upper respiratory tract inflammations. Aqua Maris is an expression of the coastal and Mediterranean lifestyle, it is the health from the Adriatic Sea available throughout the year, for daily use and for all generations - from infants to adults.

Since people are always the secret to success, in the case of Aqua Maris, those are JGL employees committed to promoting the company’s products and sales every day. For 28 years, this Rijekabased company has been present in 50 markets around the world has been continuously investing in employee education, modern technology, and the production of preservative-free and additive preparations. JGL is also constantly conducting tests to discover how to make its products as healthy as possible for customers. 'Our mission is not to be trendy, but to create trends. Aqua Maris is the best proof of that, which is why it is gaining more and more users worldwide every day,' JGL said.

Music

Music Svemirko a credible revival over recent years. Support comes from Split club shakers Kuzma & Shaka Zulu. ÆÆ Pogon Kulture (incognitoagency.com), October 18, 19

The Tiger Lillies

Svemirko

Svemirko are one of the most accessible new pop bands on the Croatian scene and regularly play well attended concerts all across the Balkan region. Combining indie and lo-fi rock with classic pop songwriting, they are easily enjoyed by anyone, the band's bold melodies shine through the language barrier.

GIGS AND CLUBS Unmissable music this season

ÆÆ Omladinski Kulturni Centar Palach (entrio.hr), October 11

Emma Ruth Rundle

Emma Ruth Rundle Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

American singer/ songwriter and excellent guitarist Emma Ruth Rundle has visited Rijeka before, as part of the lauded Marriages trio and in support of their great 2015 album 'Salome'. However, this return visit sees her perform with her solo artist moniker, under which she has

so far recorded four albums and one split EP. This date in Rijeka is her only planned gig in Croatia for 2019 and is quite the coup for the city. ÆÆ Omladinski Kulturni Centar Palach (entrio.hr), October 15

Weekend Fest

First edition of a new live music-centred festival, with a distinct and different musical theme on each night. On the Friday, the festival has an Ethno/ World music feel as world-famous Croatian folklore/ rock act Kries take to the stage. They are supported by younger ethno-rock musicians Kazan, who hail from Zagreb. On the Saturday, two old favourites visit in the form of Alen Vitasović and Kuzma & Shaka Zulu. Alen Vitasović's biggest hits came in the pop dance era of the ‘90s and he's an artist experiencing

The Tiger Lillies are a unique British music combo who are heavily influenced by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill’s masterpiece 'The Threepenny Opera' and the wild, prewar cabaret scene of Berlin. Bringing to mind popular TV series Peaky Blinders, they explore the dark underbelly of historic Britain's inner-city streets, a landscape of pimps, prostitutes, conmen, murderers and thieves. This highly theatrical date in Rijeka is their only gig in Croatia this year and they appear here as part of their thirteenth anniversary tour. ÆÆ Hrvatski kulturni dom na Sušaku (mojekarte.hr), November 9

Darko Rundek & Ekipa

Darko Rundek has been combining folk music elements from the Balkans and around the world with rock and pop music since the end of the 1970’s. His first band, Haustor, were legends of the Yugoslav scene

and are credited with recording the first reggae song in Serbo-Croatian. He has played concerts to thousands all around the region in various combos since then, his latest, Ekipa, being an extensive ensemble of largely young, Zagrebbased musicians. They will play not only their latest material, but also hits from throughout Rundek’s long career.

NIGHTLIFE Croatia Gets Physical

the sounds of three talented producers from the local scene. With the heavyweight name of esteemed tech house label Get Physical behind it, the EP did rather well. So, now is the time for a

Released earlier in 2019, the first Croatia Gets Physical EP saw Zagreb-based DJ and Get Physical mainstay Andrea Ljekaj curate a three tracker displaying

follow up. The launch of the second Croatia Gets Physical is celebrated at Rijeka's Crkva club, with Ljekaj being joined behind the decks by Marina Karamarko, who appeared on the first EP and, attending from Germany, Get Physical label head Roland Leeskar. This night marks the opening of the sixth season for Rijeka's premier dance music club, Crkva. ÆÆ Crkva (crkva.club), October 5

Balance with Terry Francis

Tech house dominates the soundtrack at every famous

music festival and club on the Croatian coast. It is a sound which is now so ubiquitous that it's difficult to remember it ever having a beginning. But it did. And its beginnings came in the mid-'90s from Wiggle resident DJs Terry Francis, Nathan Coles and Eddie Richards. Accompanied by Lemon Inc, Mark Ash and Krekman, but with Terry Francis at the helm, this night is sure to draw clubbers from all over Istria and Kvarner, thanks to hosts Crkva and Pula's Balance FM crew. ÆÆ Crkva (crkva.club), October 12

ÆÆ Pogon Kulture (eventim.hr), November 30

Ri Rock Festival

One of the longestrunning music festivals concerned with the promotion of new bands, Ri Rock Festival is integral to the scene of a city which has produced more groundbreaking new bands than any other city of its size in the region. ÆÆ Various venues (rirock.hr), December

7th Impulse Festival

The tenth annual season for promoters Distune and they've pulled out all the stops for the occasion, not least because this is the instalment which takes place during the Capital Of Culture year. ÆÆ Various venues (distune.org), March 30 - April 5

Croatia Gets Physical

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

TIME OUT RIJEKA

The best events in Rijeka this season

OCTOBER Puppet Theatre Festival

Light installations, children's theatre, puppet shows and workshops formed part of 2018's exciting Puppet Theatre Festival, with previous contributors having hailed from Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Serbia and all across Croatia. It's a guaranteed joy for the younger audiences, but this is far from a children's only event, with some performances aimed distinctly towards adult attendees. ÆÆ Various venues (gkl-rijeka.hr), October - November

13th Secondhand Vinyl Fair

Distribute That! Distribute This!

An educational programme which includes workshops and film screenings, all intended to inform about the production and distribution of documentary films. Through a series of workshops, screenings, case analysis and discussions, visitors and attendees will leave with a clear overview of how to realise a documentary project. ÆÆ Various venues, until December 31

posters, with many rarities from Rijeka's rich alternative music scene available alongside classic international releases and the biggest bands of the Yugoslavian era. The fair is free to attend and runs from 10am – 5pm, with an attached evening concert by well regarded, local metal bands Old Night and Asheraah taking place in the same venue from 10pm. ÆÆ Omladinski Kulturni Centar Palach, October 5

Periskop

13th Secondhand Vinyl Fair

The fourth annual edition of this festival of contemporary dance and new circus entertainment sees twelve dance and circus performances take place across three

A popular event attended by vinyl and memorabilia collectors and local students, this is the place to pick up vintage rock vinyl and

venues citywide; in Filodrammatika, the Croatian Cultural Center on Sušak and on Rijeka's main pedestrian thoroughfare, Korzo. Three international guest groups will make appearances, there'll be workshops and a photo exhibition as well. Local contributors make up key elements of the festival, encouraging young people from the Kvarner region and there are several debut performances of new works. Patriarchal understanding of women, snake symbols, anxiety and the colonisation of new planets are just some of the topics addressed in the dance performances of this year's edition. ÆÆ Various venues (periskopfestival.com), October 4 - 20

Periskop

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RIJEKA

Things to Do Hero is tired

A welcome return for this Rijekaborn contemporary ballet, which was co-produced by The Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc Rijeka and the Zagreb Music Biennale. The ballet was created by two fresh, young talents connected to the theatre in Rijeka, Frano Đurović, who penned the musical score and Giuseppe Spota, who devised the choreography. The ballet debuted earlier in 2019 at the Zagreb Music Biennale and holds artistic diversity but also the promotion of dialogue between artists of different cultures within its themes. The ballet itself was inspired by the collection of poems 'Wall Newspaper' by much loved Croatian singer Arsen Dedić. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), October 10, 11, 12

Recital of Goran Filipec

Virtuoso Rijeka-based pianist Goran Filipec displays his artistry on some extremely difficult pieces in a solo performance which will include the music of Franz Liszt. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), October 13

STIFF International Student Film Festival

Organized by the Student Cultural Centre of the University of Rijeka and non-profit organization Filmaktiv, STIFF (Student international film festival Rijeka) is an international film festival dedicated to student films. Launched in 2014, the festival attempts to bring the very best student film productions from all over the world and present them in Rijeka, hopefully inspiring local audiences, especially Rijeka's sizeable student body, from where it's hoped the next generation of filmmakers will come. As well as inspiring young future filmmakers of the region, the festival is also a catalyst in the development of the local film and video industry. The city of Rijeka has in recent times regained its position as a favoured filming location, not least in the hit TV show 'Novine'. ÆÆ Art-Kino Croatia (studentfilmfestival.eu), October 17 – 20

4 allegros, 1 allegretto and 2 boleros

Choreographers Maša Kolar, Kristian Lever and Andonis Foniadakis have created new works to accompany classic musical pieces written Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

by Ludwig van Beethoven, Fredric Chopin and Maurice Ravel within this showcase, performed by The Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc Rijeka's resident ballet virtuosos. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), October 23, 26

NOVEMBER Madam Butterfly

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini may only be classed as Italy's number two opera genius (behind Verdi), but he is responsible for writing no less than three of the world's most popular and successful operas. As such, it comes as little surprise to find the composer's best-loved works celebrated and performed in the new season at The Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc Rijeka. Inspired by an American play based on a French semi-autobiographical novel, Madam Butterfly is an opera in three parts, telling the tragic tale of a marriage between an American serviceman and his young Japanese bride, Madam Butterfly. Departing shortly after the ceremony of what he regards as a marriage of convenience, serviceman Pinkerton is absent at and ignorant of the birth of his child. After an absence of three years, he returns. But, it is not at all the reconvening his innocent and devoted young wife had hoped for. It's all very emotional and, needless to say, ends very badly. Bring tissues.

Jazz Time Rijeka

Launched in 1992, Jazz Time Rijeka is now recognised as one of Croatia's leading jazz events thanks to the high calibre of international players who visit. Jazz Time Rijeka does not only focus on established artists, it also provides a stage and encouragement to younger jazz musicians from Rijeka and the broader Kvarner region, as well as informing about the wider jazz scene around Croatia and the rest of the world. ÆÆ Various venues (jazztimerijeka.com), November 14 – 16

La bohème Giacomo Puccini Loosely based on Henri Murger's novel,'Scènes de la vie de bohème', La bohème is a portrayal of young bohemians, their love affairs and lives within the streets and taverns of Paris's Latin Quarter during the 1840s. The opera shows us the meeting of lovers Rodolfo and Mimì within this world and, perhaps predictably considering the author, Puccini, the disastrous and distraught culmination

of their relationship. This is the third of Puccini's most acclaimed operas to be presented in the new season at The Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc Rijeka. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), November 16, 18

Carmen – Gala performance

One of the biggest hits of summer 2019 was the performance of Bizet's classic opera by HNK Rijeka's opera stars within the grand confines of Pula's amphitheatre. Mezzosoprano Ivana Srbljan and the rest of the stellar cast now return this showstopper to its rightful and similarly grand home for a gala performance. Expect a rapturous response for the returning heroes. One of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon, Carmen is a controversial and unflinching tale depicting the downfall of proletariat soldier Don José, whose life falls apart after he falls in love with the passionate gipsy Carmen. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), November 23

ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), October 21, 24; November 27, 30

Tosca

The second of Giacomo Puccini's classic operas to be performed this season at The Croatian National Theatre Ivan Zajc Rijeka. Set in a turbulent Rome of 1800, the ruling Kingdom of Naples's control of the city is seriously threatened by Napoleon's invasion of Italy. Premiered in the same city during a time of civil unrest, the brutal and gruesome depictions of torture, murder and suicide within the opera chimed with the public of the time and, along with some of Puccini's best-loved arias, ensured that the critically-panned opera became one of the world's most frequently performed ever since. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), November 4, 7, 9, 12

Carmen

Things to Do

DECEMBER Advent

Zagreb's Advent may be the big Croatia story on the international stage, but Rijeka's much expanded version is positioning itself as a close runner-up. The whole city will be decorated with lights and decorations, with a full accompanying events programme that will take in the religious aspects of these seasonal holidays, plus events for children and contributions from each facet of the Rijeka arts scene. Some of the best places to catch the spectacle will be the city centre's main pedestrianised thoroughfare, Korzo, plus Trg Riječke rezolucije, in and around Trsat castle and on the ever-popular ice-skating rink. ÆÆ Various venues (rijekaadvent.com), November 30 – January 7

FEBRUARY Carnival

Rijeka Carnival

Rijeka is the host city for Croatia's biggest carnival and street parade, a colourful procession to which people travel from all across the region. Different faculties and student bodies from Rijeka's sizeable, transitory youth population vie

for the attentions of thousands of visitors (plus the judges), drawing plaudits for the original aspects, imagination and quality of their costumes, plus the co-ordinated dances they have prepared for the event. Huge trucks carry booming

soundsystems pumping out contemporary pop and dance music, while elsewhere live musicians ensure the parade is never a quiet affair. For Rijeka’s 2020 Capital Of Culture year, this will be the largest and most international Carnival

ever staged. Croatian participants will be joined on the day by contributors from other European Capital Of Culture cities and also from Rijeka’s twin cities across the globe. The event is wholly family-friendly and children also have a place in the parade, with many of those not officially taking part even attending in makeup and costume. One of the highlights of the hours-long event is the traditional march of the Zvoncari groups, collectives of folkloreinspired participants who come dressed in animal skins and scary masks, their costumes dictated by which side of the city they come from. A specific children's parade takes place on the Saturday afternoon, two weeks prior to Shrove Tuesday. The main parade takes place one day later, on the Sunday. ÆÆ Various venues, mid February

Tristan and Izolde

Korzo Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Composed in 1859, this romantic opera in three parts by Richard Wagner is now considered one of the most influential pieces of music of all time. Based on a tragic tale of love told as far back as the 12th century, the story centres on an adulterous love affair between the Cornish knight Tristan and the Irish princess Izolde. In Wagner's version, Tristan

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Things to Do is portrayed as a doomed romantic figure, while Izolde appears as a redeeming female character in classic Wagnerian fashion. The opera is directed by renowned American director Anna Bogart. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), Premieres on February 22

MARCH Burning Water

This ballet, choreographed by Andonis Fondinakis, deals with the contradictory nature of water and the adaptation of the human body to the presence of water, as well as its effect on the human soul. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), Premieres on March 23

Sponsored Homo si teć (Come, let's all run)

At over 20 years old, Homo si teć is the largest street race for runners in Croatia. More than 17, 000 runners of all ages and abilities now take part in the race and, like the city's famous Carnival, such is its popularity that the bulk of the city centre becomes pedestrianised for the duration of the event. Spectators line the route as runners pass along Rijeka's most famous streets like Korzo, with the race containing not only the traditional citizens’ race but also the Rijeka half marathon, the Hendi Cup and the Ciciban Cup. A great music and entertainment programme accompanies the event, with partying on the streets and around the city centre continuing long into the night.

The race's title is a term not in standard Croatian, but in the coastal Čakavski dialect. ÆÆ Various venues (rijeka.run), Late March – early April.

Rijeka Detox

After all of the indulgence of the Christmas period, it's perhaps fitting that the first of Rijeka's four, city-wide annual gastro manifestations should be the Rijeka Detox. Don't be fooled though! This is far from a grimaced gulp of unpalatable medicine. Instead, Rijeka Detox celebrates the rich and bountiful number of edible herbs that grow around the city and in the wider Kvarner region. Delicate herbs are often the first bounty of the spring season, their shoots rising quickly above the recently thawed

ground. Long associated with good health and a balanced diet, the multitude of wild herbs that grow in the region can also be extremely tasty. Many of Rijeka's restaurants and bistros take part in the Detox week, offering special dishes on their menus in which locally sourced herbs are a key ingredient. Cafes, health food shops and bars also take part and in such establishments, you can pick up smoothies made from herbs in combination with other healthy ingredients. 2019's edition featured a great small producers market located in the gardens outside of HNK Ivan pl. Zajc Rijeka and elsewhere you could attend workshops such as one on raw food meal preparation and presentation. ÆÆ Various venues (visitrijeka.hr), April

Homo si teć Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

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A CRASH COURSE TO RIJEKA 2020 What is the European Capital of Culture, anyway? Here’s your five minute briefing. THE EU. Almost everyone agrees this collective of neighbourly co-operation was a good idea (well, except perhaps the excluded Russians and the baffling Brits). The EU grew from economic and trading co-operation, but eventually extended its remit into more political arenas (which many consider baby steps on the road to federalism, with the block intending to soon have its own armed forces, a scary prospect for the aforementioned dissenters). But, in the mid-80s, it was recognised that integration between member states would be better served by recognising their individual cultural worth. The European Capital Of Culture (originally called European City Of Culture) was designed to highlight the similarities which different European societies share and also highlight the differences which go to create such a rich and diverse cultural conglomerate. Assigned for a 12 month period, European Capital of Culture status is awarded to different cities each year and makes funds available for cultural events which hold a strong

pan-European dimension and which display the core values and rights of European citizens (you won’t see any single religion dominating proceedings, but you will see an appreciation of minorities and different ethnic groups, for example). The awarding of the Capital of Culture status intends to create a template for arts and culture happenings which will hopefully reoccur after the designated year concludes (it is hoped that, impressed by the year’s manifestations, alternative sponsors will step in to replace the initial EU money awarded). The status is a catalyst for the expansion of arts and culture and for urban regeneration. There have been over 60 European Capital Of Cultures so far. Rijeka is the first city in Croatia to take the mantle. With its sizeable areas of former industrial use and one of the richest musical heritages within Croatia, it is a city which would benefit hugely from urban renewal and one which has the imagination and cultural worth to attract international attention during its European Capital of Culture year.

RIJEKA

CITY OF

CULTURE

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PRIDE OF

CROATIA,

CAPITAL OF EUROPE Bellman

Port of Diversity

Dead Channel Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Monument of Liberation

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Coast of cultures The Rijeka 2020 programme celebrates a gloriously mixed-up city, says Jonathan Bousfield.

SOMEWHAT APPROPRIATELY for a city that

is gearing up to become a European Capital of Culture in 2020, the dominant building on Rijeka’s handsome nineteenth-century waterfront is the Hotel Europa, a grand NeoRenaissance pile thrown up in 1873. It may no longer be a hotel, but its proud yellowochre bulk – rather like a gargantuan slice of Viennese vanilla custard – still adds a dash of Central-European grace to Rijeka’s bustling port-side Riva.

Bellmen

Port Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

On the east side of the building is a discreet plaque honouring the man who built it, the Slovene investor Josip Gorjup (1834-1912), a man so rich his contemporaries called him the Slovene Rockerfeller. On the south facade is a similarly easy-to-miss tablet bearing the name of Mór Jókai (1825-1904), the Hungarian parliamentarian and novelist who stayed here in the 1880s. Jókai was a global best-seller in his time; even Queen Victoria was said to be a fan. However celebrated they may have been in their own lifetimes, neither Gorup nor Jókai nowadays invite much in the way of popular recognition, and neither name appears in the programme of Rijeka 2020. The reason why their plaques are significant however is this: Rijeka is the kind of city in which many European nations have a stake. It was one of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s key ports; people from all over the continent came here to live, work, make money, eat cakes, or await one of the transatlantic liners that took migrants to the New World. Describing the city as “cultural crossroads”, or a “port of diversity” (the latter is Rijeka 2020’s official slogan) is not just a bland exercise in choosing the right Euro-friendly phrase. The Slovene Gorup had a finger in every economic pie he could lay his hands on and remains one of the entrepreneurial titans who helped make Rijeka what it is today. Dropping

Team Lab: Japan

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Tktktktkt

Korzo music and opera from European greats like the names of a few other movers and shakers Shostakovich, Wagner, Szymanowski. serves to underline what a cosmopolitan place The city’s position at the centre of Europe’s pre-World War I Rijeka actually was: Andrija dramatic twentieth century provides a Ljudevit Adamić (1766-1828), the Croatianpowerful thematic platform for a slew of Jewish entrepreneur who built up maritime trade and also founded the paper factory known heavyweight exhibitions on history and as Hartera; or Robert Whitehead (1823-1905) the Bolton-born innovator who turned the city into a world centre of torpedo production. In many ways the programme for Rijeka 2020 is a tribute to the city’s gloriously mixed-up past, paying due respect to the Croatian roots of the majority of its inhabitants while also making full use of the city’s ample repertoire of multicultural resonances. It strikes a good balance between the classical and the crowd-pleasing, and tries to broach serious global issues (work, migration, technology) without getting overpolitical or over-intellectual in the 'Port of process. It goes for international diversity' is relevance as well as cultivating local culture. There will be not just a major exhibitions devoted to bland exercise belle-époque modernist Gustav in choosing Klimt and American video-art the right icon Nan Hoover; installations Euro-friendly and interventions from Japan’s Tomoko Momiyama and phrase Germany’s art-and-music magus Heiner Goebbels; plus classical Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

art. And here Rijeka 2020 performs another important function, sifting through the sands of the century and presenting the continent’s history from a decidedly CentralEuropean perspective. The city of Slavs, Italians, Hungarians, Germans and – despite

Port Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Sponsored the murder of most of them during the Holocaust – Jews, has a duty to tell the stories of multilingual middle Europe, and has set about its task with determination and sensitivity. An exhibition covering Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio’s occupation of Rijeka has already opened and is assessed elsewhere in this issue of Time Out. D’Annunzio will be joined by exhibitions on European borderlands, the fate of Eastern Europe after World War I, and a major exhibition of East-European art in the transitional 1990s. The Yugoslav communist period will be referenced in the renovation of President Tito’s former yacht Galeb. It is still touch and go whether the restoration work will actually be completed before the end of 2020, but it seems certain that this talismanic hulk will launch many a discussion. The programme also plays due attention to local communities, placing events and outdoor art installations within villages inland, neighbouring coastal resorts, and the

islands scattered across the Kvarner Gulf. The 27 Neighbourhoods flagship has chosen 27 settlements in the Rijeka-Kvarner area and teamed up local people with international partners to produce events which have some kind of local resonance and also encourage audience participation. Among those that will be well worth travelling out to see are the In Honour of the Wind kite festival, set on the starkly beautiful and sparsely populated island of Unije; and the Čagaj festival of traditional and contemporary dance on Krk. Rijeka’s status as a largely post-industrial city in which manufacturing is in decline provides the inspiration for a flagship known as Dopolavoro – originally an Italian word used during the fascist period to mean state-organized leisuretime activities for the workers, it is turned round here to imply that, with advances in information technology and robotics, we may all soon be living in a post-work society. The flagship will see a concert by Compressorhead, a band made up of robots playing hard-rock classics; Ray Lee’s Chorus, a trio of tripods with swinging arms that play otherworldly melodies; and Sašo Sedlaček’s Oblomo to the People, in which visitors get to enjoy a few minutes of leisured laziness providing they have the right coin to put in the slot. One wonders what the makers of modern Rijeka like Gorup, Adamić and Whitehead would have made of robots and virtual reality. In all likelihood they would have been very impressed, and immediately set about applying these innovations to a changing, dynamic city. Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

RIJEKA

CITY OF

CULTURE

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PRIDE OF

CROATIA,

CAPITAL OF EUROPE

Port of Diversity

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STEPHANY STEFAN Stephany Stefan is a Rijeka-based artist who operates across multiple disciplines including photography, video and visual arts, theatre, dance, music and circus arts including juggling and fire dancing. She released her debut album 'Iridescent', an adventurous mix of jazz, funk and world music influences, in March 2019 and has just been commissioned as one of the official photographers for Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture.

2020 VISION

 ‘I had people my whole life telling me how Rijeka was in the '80s, so creative, a music scene that was famous all over Yugoslavia. Some people say it was better, some people say it was worse. I don't know. I was born in 1992. When I was growing up, it did seem like the city was quiet in comparison to the stories you would hear about the '80s. Rijeka had a reputation for being quite liberal-minded and progressive. But, a city is a living thing. If you hold a title or reputation once, every year you must prove that you're still eligible to retain it. You can't be the best one year and then not do anything for the next 30 but keep the crown. Just because you once got a prize for your work, that doesn't mean you can stop working. I think Capital of Culture is great because it calls for local residents to get involved. And many answer the call. That's what this city needs, pro-active people, people who are thinking progressively and optimistically about the future. People who are trying to make this city come alive again. We've already seen the Capital of Culture status establish some cultural events which we hope will only grow in future years. Good things are emerging, but I'm a strong believer in doing things for yourself. Culture is not something that can be imposed on Rijeka. It is something that has to come from within. As far as my own involvement with 2020, outside the photography I worked with another Rijeka-based multi-discipline artist, Oblik 3, on the finale of the last Tobogan Festival which combined video mapping, music, dance and circus arts, so we'll see where that takes us next year’.

Rijeka has an array of trailblazing women. These three cultural icons talk about what the Capital of Culture means to them, and for the future of their city

'Culture is not something that can be imposed on Rijeka. It is something that has to come from within' Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

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TEA TULIĆ Native Rijekan Tea Tulić became the toast of literary circles worldwide with her debut novel, ‘Hair Everywhere’. A series of fragmentary prose poems telling the story of a terminal illness, the novel won awards for its striking originality. Now a leading light in contemporary Croatian fiction, Tulić continues to experiment with both the written and spoken word.  ‘Being the Capital of Culture puts Rijeka in the national and international spotlight. It is a very important opportunity for us citizens to redefine the identity of our city. In the past, Rijeka was defined by its harbour and many factories. What are we producing now? If we are producing art and culture, how can we support it? Culture is not just a part of our lives, culture is us. This is an opportunity to emphasise that. In the last ten or fifteen years, strong literary voices have emerged from Rijeka’s younger generation which we didn't have before. The name that stands out the most is the late Daša Drndić. She was living and working in Rijeka, but her books were well-recognised and awarded internationally. When we speak about Daša Drndić, we speak about great literature. Rijeka is a small city but it hosts many established literary festivals and happenings. As Croatia’s main port, Rijeka has always been well-connected to the world. Because of that, diversity is in Rijeka's DNA. Rijeka had and still has a strong antifascist attitude. Its citizens are open to constructive criticism and to all kinds of diversity because of its complex history and its mixed population. This year will bring people from different towns and countries to share their views, visions and ideas for this city. As has always been the case in Rijeka, people from the outside help create its identity. Rijekans are eager to produce new culture, not just to rely on tradition. Culture is not dead here, but reborn again and again’.

PEKMEZMED Pekmezmed, one of Rijeka’s leading visual artists, is known for her work across several mediums, including some bold and illustrative murals, a few of which you can see dotted around the city. Often featuring women in whimsical, dreamlike scenes, her work is indicative of her offbeat style and unique outlook. A passionate supporter of the arts in Croatia, Pekmezmed is also the founder of Frrresh magazine, which champions emerging local talent.  ‘I’m really looking forward to seeing everything that will come out of the European Capital of Culture year. There are lots of amazing projects that have already started and will continue after the year is done - I think it’s a very positive thing. I’m excited about the projects which aren’t just based on art but are branching out too, so a lot of communities are stepping in and taking part. Rijeka has always been a very diverse town. It’s home to a huge mix of people from all around Croatia and all around Europe. I immediately felt at home when I moved here Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

- it has this beautiful energy, and you never feel alienated. I suppose that’s why diversity is one of the main themes to the Capital of Culture year, because it’s what makes Rijeka special. You have this feeling of freedom in Rijeka, the feeling that you can do whatever you want to do. A lot of open-minded people live here , which is great if you’re looking for connections or gateways to

' You have this feeling of freedom in Rijeka, the feeling that you can do whatever you want to do'

new things you want to explore. Because people come from so many backgrounds, they’re open to everybody else as well, and I’ve never felt any unhealthy competition or jealousy, which is refreshing in the art world. I’ve felt so much support here. I think everybody will be able to find something they like during the Capital of Culture year, and I can’t wait to see everyone embrace it’.

'Rijeka has always been wellconnected to the world. Because of that, diversity is in Rijeka's DNA' 61

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

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Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

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Kozala Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Needcompany festival: All the Good

GET WITH THE PROGRAMME

Ray Lee Chorus

All the events you need to know about this season IT’S A HUGE HONOUR , and one that has been enjoyed by cultural capitals across Europe. Now it’s Croatia’s turn to carry the baton of European Capital of Culture - and Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

what better place for it than ‘red Rijeka’, Croatia’s sparky, alternative city? Rijeka’s chosen title for the year is ‘Port of Diversity’, and it’s clear that the city is embracing that

wholeheartedly. The international program celebrates every facet of arts and culture - from classical violin to conceptual Japanese art, and everything in between.

With so much on offer, you might struggle to choose what to catch. Here’s our pick of the highlights of Rijeka’s year as the European Capital of Culture.

Ray Lee Chorus

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Events

UNMISSABLE EVENTS

JRE Croatia: Talent and Passion What better way to showcase Rijeka and Kvarner's rich seafood than a cook off between 15 highly regarded regional chefs? Now on its fourth instalment, the JRE Croatia event in Rijeka sees 15 top local chefs, Croatian representatives of the international JRE EU organisation, go head to head in a simultaeous cooking event to be held in Rijeka's fish market. The title of the event is Talent & Passion, the first component being provided by the learning, experience, skill and imagination of the chefs, the second coming from the supremely high quality of seafood available to them from Rijeka's leading seafood merchants. The chefs will have the pick of the day's catch, caught at the best time of year for many shellfish due to the cooling of sea waters following summer. Shellfish, molluscs and many more treats from the sea are frequently regarded as being at their optimum size and holding maximum flavour when caught at this time. The cook off itself begins at 6pm and is intended to inspire visitors with the range of ingredients and cooking techniques on display. Taking place after the cessation of the day's trading, attendees will get a rare opportunity to enjoy one of Croatia's most beautiful fish markets, one which is over 100 years old, outside of its usual, bustling operating hours.

Opening of the Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture Let the celebrations begin! Rijeka’s year as European Capital of Culture gets off to a spectacular start with the opening ceremony. Taking place at the port, which in many ways is the heart of the city, the show is as much a celebration of arts and culture as it is of the city itself. Rijeka’s identity as Croatia’s foremost port city is at the centre of proceedings, with the ceremony drawing on themes of water, labour and migration. Expect to see surreal installations, amazing visual displays, and marine instruments used in mindboggling ways.

ÆÆ Art Nouveau fish market (jre.eu), November 16

ÆÆ Rijeka Port (rijeka2020.eu), February 1

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

'The show is as much a celebration of arts and culture as it is of the city itself' 67

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Spring Forward Festival of Modern Dance

Skyscrapers: a city among the clouds

International Carnival Parade 2020

Forget about the real world for a day with one of the biggest carnival parades in Europe. Each year, between January and March, Rijeka bursts into colour and costume with its carnival, which sees the city become a dreamlike wonderland. The bit you really want to see is the closing parade. With hundreds of floats, and thousands of dancers, this spectacle has a feeling of riotous magic which is best Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

experienced in person. This year’s parade will be even more special than usual, with performers from around the world descending on the city to join in. You’ll see all kinds 'This of crazy creations on spectacle this parade, which closes with one of has a feeling the most impresof riotous sive firework shows magic' you’ll ever see. ÆCity Æ Centre (rijecki-karneval.hr), February 23

No other city on the Adriatic looks like Rijeka, its residential buildings climbing up the slopes of the nearby Dinaric alps as it has gradually expanded from its port and industry on the shoreline. Rijeka now has a beautiful but thoroughly modern vista, almost like a contemporary continental city which has been supplanted, pre-built, by the sea. Some of its largest residential buildings and offices pierce the sky, multiple floors of life and individual lives which are the very heart of Rijeka. In other coastal cities, such skyscrapers are hidden far from the eyes of visitors, their position, out-of-sight in distant suburbs creating an almost ghetto-like town structure and an 'us and them' barrier between residents and guests. Not in Rijeka. In Rijeka, such towers stand unabashed, central to the city, its people and its function. Spaces integral to everyday life, it has been proposed that this embrace should become even closer and, in a city lacking green spaces, that the roofs of such buildings should be utilised to build gardens, areas for socialising and special get-togethers, cultivation or even beekeeping. Primarily for

use by local residents, these spaces are open to the public on occasion and this dedicated period extends that invitation with a series of events which will draw visitors to the rooftops of such buildings in the Kozala district. Come and get a unique view of urban Rijeka. ÆÆ Terraces of the skyscrapers in Kozala (rijeka2020.eu/en/program/sweetsalt), March 2020 - January 2021

Spring Forward Festival of Modern Dance

Taking place on the last weekend in April 2020, Spring Forward is a festival of modern dance which will bring brilliant young dancers from across Europe and further still for performances across multiple venues. The Croatian Cultural Centre, Croatian National Theatre Ivan Pl. Zajc, Exportdrvo and other locations will play host to more than 200 producers and experts in modern dance from around the world. The project itself is part of the European Aerowaves network which has been co-ordinating cross-border cooperation in the theatre of dance for the last 23 years. ÆÆ Croatian Cultural Centre, Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, Exportdrvo and other locations (rijeka2020.eu/en/ program/sweet-salt), April 24 – 26

Festival of the European Short Story

Founded in Zagreb in 2002, the Festival of the European Short Story has in recent years become a two-city festival, a significant chunk of which is hosted in Rijeka. Featuring leading writers from all over the world (and not just the Old Continent), it’s an outstanding opportunity to get to grips with the international short-story scene. It’s nothing if not accessible: there is often a significant contingent of English-language writers; and writers in other languages usually have their stories translated into English (and projected onto a screen behind the stage) for the benefit of an international audience. There will also be question-and-answer sessions with some of the bigger literary stars. With all events conducted in an informal mingle-friendly atmosphere, it’s a wonderful counterpoint to some of the more formal literary festivals elsewhere in the world.

Review of Minor Literatures is another longstanding Zagreb event (organized by cult literary café Booksa) that was recently snapped up by Rijeka. It’s named in ironic recognition of the fact that countries whose literature is little-known on the international stage - due to the paucity of translations - can still produce outstanding writers. This year’s edition will be focusing on authors from Egypt, and presents an unmissable opportunity to explore that country’s extraordinarily rich literary tradition. ÆÆ Various venues (rijeka2020.eu), May 25, 26

ÆÆ Various venues (rijeka2020.eu), May 31 – June 6

The Review of Minor Literatures

Kicking off just a few days before the short story festival, the

Festival of the European Short Story Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Events

ART David Maljković: with the Collection

Contemporary artist and Rijeka native David Maljković will be selecting pieces from the MMSU depot, demonstrating that the act of choosing what to show and how to show it is also a creative act, loaded with potential meanings. Malkjović himself is one of Croatia’s most internationally successful artists, and examples of his work have been snapped up by art institutions all over the world: the Pompidou Centre in Paris, New York’s MOMA, and the Tate Modern in London can all claim to have a Maljković in their collection. A versatile conceptualist perfectly at home in any medium, Maljković is primarily known for his films, which deploy irony and humour alongside disconcerting visual tricks. His most famous work is Scenes for a New Heritage, in which a group of future explorers go and visit the (sadly derelict) World War II Partisan memorial at Petrova Gora. It was one of the first expressions of artistic interest in these abandoned monuments, and is nowadays considered a classic of contemporary video art.

The Sea Is Glowing/ Usijano more

Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

CITY OF

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PRIDE OF

CROATIA,

CAPITAL OF EUROPE

ÆÆ Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (mmsu.hr), January 31 - April 20 2020

One of the more intriguing events in Rijeka 2020’s busy art programme is this cluster of exhibitions involving local and international artists, each with something offbeat to say about the Adriatic sea and its future. If you ever wanted proof that contemporary art is not just a parade of visual delights, but also a laboratory at the forefront of social and technological change, you’ll find it here. The ‘works’ on display include research-based projects and community initiatives as well as more traditional installations and video works. Canadian Bill Vorn brings robots; the Coventrybased trio of Valeria Graziano, Marcell Mars and Tomislav Medak present their research on ‘pirate care’ and the way in which informal communities can help build networks of solidarity; while Nikola Bojić digs up a longforgotten 1971 report on the

RIJEKA

David Maljković environment and breathes new life into its all-embracing picture of the earth’s ecosystem. There will also be an appearance by Jennifer Lyn

Morone, the American artist who declared herself a ‘corporation’ in a satirical poke in the eye of megacapitalism. If you’re interested

in shape of things to come in the Anthropocene Age, there may well be a few pointers here. ÆÆ Exportdrvo (rijeka2020.eu), April - July 2020

Port of Diversity

Events Unknown Klimt – Love, Death and Ecstasy

It’s always heartening to know that there is an ‘unknown’ side to an artist whose major works adorn everything from paper napkins to tea trays. Indeed the exhibition’s subtitle suggests that there may well be more to Klimt’s flamboyantly decorous art than initially meets the eye. It’s certainly one of the great paradoxes of changing tastes that an edgy and at times unsettling modern painter like Klimt has 'There may ended up being the well be more undisputed king of the to Klimt’s gift shop, his eroticized pictures swirling their flamboyantly way across the kind decorous art of coffee mugs that than initially we hurriedly buy for meets the family members as last-ditch presents. eye' The dominant figure of the Viennese art world in the years before World War I, Klimt personified the ambiguities of the age: a salonguest of emancipated intellectual women, whose portraits he painted with great tenderness and perception; he was also a bit of a satyr who treated his studio models as a revolving harem. The contradictions in Klimt’s work, Industrial Art Biennale and the obsessions that drove The death of traditional indushim to create his astonishingly tries and the growth of tourism seductive pictures, will here be is remorselessly changing the revealed through an intriguing face of northwestern Croatia, selection of sketches, studies transforming an area that once and full-size paintings, many of made and exported things into a service area for incoming leisure which the gallery-going public consumers. Attempting to analyze might not be familiar with. The exhibition will also explore these changes and point towards potential futures is the Industrial Klimt’s connection with Rijeka: Art Biennale, a wide-ranging and together with brother Ernst and ambitious event established in the older painter Franz Matsch, Klimt painted ceilings and walls in the city’s National Theatre during 1885. It was one of his first jobs after graduating from the Art Academy and – although executed in a neo-classicist manner totally unlike the style that later made him famous – displays a familiar interest in sensuality and narrative drama.

village of Raša with its planned modernist housing, and Rijeka itself with its dockyard cranes and red-brick warehouses. The main theme of the Biennale this time round will be the changing nature of work under the impact of new technologies, and the prospect of a post-work future. With a long list of local and international participants, it promises to be one of the biggest and most compelling art events of the year. ÆÆ Various venues in Rijeka, Labin and Pula (industrialartbiennale.eu), August – October 2020

The Moving Image is Alive/ Pokretna slika je živa

the former mining town of Labin in 2014. Labin remains one of the Biennale’s key venues, with the pithead buildings of the disused mine serving as main exhibition space, although the Biennale has now spread its wings to embrace the cities of Rijeka and Pula as well. Providing the Biennale with its unique post-industrial flavour is the landscape in which it takes place: the Labin pithead with its colossal winding tower, the nearby mining

ÆÆ Rijeka City Museum (muzej-rijeka.hr), July 14 – October 14

Industrial Art Biennale Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

A golden opportunity to explore one of the greats of the contemporary arts scene, Moving Image is devoted to Dutch-American artist Nan Hoover (1931-2008), one of the pioneers of video art, performance art, experimental film and light installations. Works by Hoover will be juxtaposed by those of her contemporaries, revealing how the artist moved and shook others as well as responding to their innovations. Hoover started working in film and video in the Seventies, soon discovering that the graininess and colour distortion of video was full of artistic possibilities. She was also a lighting genius, transforming interiors into magical, narrative spaces with deceptively simple combinations of positioning and colour.

Team Lab: Japan

ÆÆ Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (mmsu.hr), October 15 – December 20

INSTALLATIONS Compressorhead

Ray Lee: Chorus

Be spellbound by this monumental creation from British artist Ray Lee. Lee’s utterly unique sound sculptures have earned him international acclaim and spots at festivals across the globe, and in 2012 he won the British Composer of the Year award for sonic art. So what makes his bizarre creations so compelling? Inspired by his what he calls his ‘childlike fascination with radios, radio waves, magnetism’, they transform urban environments into meditative spaces. Chorus is a prime example; made up of fourteen huge tripods with rotating arms, each holding a loudspeaker emitting its own noise, it creates an unlikely, other-wordly chorus. It

Christian Ristow: The Fledgling

Ray Lee Chorus arrives in Rijeka as part of a global tour, having entranced passersby across the globe.

Compressorhead

ÆÆ Trg Riječke rezolucije (rijeka2020.eu/ program/dopolavoro), May 21 - 28

ÆÆ Hartera (rijeka2020.eu/ program/dopolavoro), May 25

Watch in awe as the world’s first robot rock band plays real instruments, live.

will make you gasp. No arena is too big for these Japanese artists A towering steel structure, this to take on and previously they bird is anything but little. Take have illuminated everything your turn to sit in its ribcage, where from huge, natural landscapes you can control the flapping of its to the largest rooms in some of giant wings. In partnership with China and Japan's most major Zagreb’s Kontejner. museums. Their installations ÆÆ Gat Karoline riječke (rijeka2020.eu/program/ are always overflowing with dopolavoro), June 18 – 25 colour, imagination and wonder. In this 'Their Team Lab: Japan instance, the TokyoUsing light and based crew will installations video projections, take over the entire are always multi-discipline second floor of the overflowing and multi-media art Museum of Modern with colour, collective teamLab and Contemporary imagination create stunning and Art with this unique fully immersive art performance. Not and wonder' installations that to be missed.

2020 Time Out Rijeka

Events

MUSEUMS D’Annunzio’s Martyr/ D’Annunzijeva mučenica

After the Great War: New Europe 1918-1923/ Nakon velikog rata. Nova Europa 1918-1923

Conventional wisdom maintains that 1919’s Treaty of Versailles On 12 September 1919, Italian was a failure, pushing Germany commander Gabriele D’Annunzio into economic chaos, creating new states with arbitrary borders, swept into Rijeka and declared that it belonged to Italy. What followed and leading inevitably to the was one of the city’s most turbulent outbreak of World War II. However many of the countries created at periods, where D’Annunzio’s protoFascist regime saw Croats - or anyone Versailles are still in existence today (albeit in modified form), resistant to Italian rule - persecuted. In paintings of the period, Rijeka is having survived the combined often depicted as a martyred women; attacks of both Nazi and Soviet imperialism. In many ways yet women’s stories of the time have largely been left untold. This we are still living in the postoriginal and insightful exhibition Versailles world. After the Great War is a travelling changes that, by exploring the exhibition compiled female experience of D’Annunzio’s rule. by the Warsaw-based 'A complex European Network for We hear moving and human Remembrance and first-hand accounts Solidarity. Intended from native Rijekan picture of one women, who saw as the kind of easyof the darkest access exhibition that their home occupied times in you could pop in to and transformed. But Rijeka’s past' on the way back from there are also stories from women that had the shops, it comes with it’s own tent-like supported D’Annunzio, structure, and will be erected in and some that had even been his lovers. It all adds up to a complex and one of Rijeka’s central squares. human picture of one of the darkest Featuring a wealth of photographs, times in Rijeka’s past. film clips and personal stories, the exhibition reveals how Europe’s ÆÆ Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral (ppmhp.hr), September borderlands were intensely

TIME OUT RIJEKA

UNLOCK THE BEST OF RIJEKA Franjo Kresnik fought over after World War I, with different national groups struggling to establish new frontiers. Even when the fighting ceased, internal disagreements about political systems hampered the progress of Europe’s new

states. Democracy didn’t always survive; and this instructive exhibition demonstrates how fragile democratic systems can be. ÆÆ Trg 111. Brigade Hrvatske vojske (rijeka2020.eu/en/program/timesof-power), April 14 – May 12

12 2019 - January 31 2021

With the Violin Beyond the Borders/Stradivari in Rijeka: Kresnik and Cremona

Classical musical connoisseurs will adore this commemoration of a truly remarkable man - Dr. Franjo Kresnik. Dubbed ‘the man who can read violins’, Kresnik was an intellectual whose passion was the crafting of violins, and who is widely credited with restoring the art of Cremona Liuteria (that’s ancient string-instrument making, to non-aficionados). In a program to mark the 150th anniversary of Kresnik’s birth, world-class musicians will perform on their Stradivari and Guarneri violins. Though he was born in Vienna, Kresnik spent much of his life traveling through Central Europe and Croatia, considering himself to be a man beyond borders. What better place to celebrate his life than the Port of Diversity?

For the latest and best shows and gigs, top shopping, eating and drinking, visit timeout.com/croatia/rijeka

ÆÆ Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral (ppmhp.hr), December 6 2019 – January 31 2021 Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Governor's Palace

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terms with the events of his past. Things start to look up when he moves to Brussels and falls in love with Lauwer’s daughter. There’s only one problem: his girlfriend’s family are fiercely anti-Israel. Will Lauwer be able to reconcile his leftwing politics with his love for his daughter? Will the soldier be able to accept the demons of his past? This is a play about loss, hope and compassion, told at a time when we need it most. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnkzajc.hr), March 3 and 4 (includes: Concert by Band Facing the Wrong Way, All the Good, Forever)

MUSIC Concert on Kresnik’s violins: Matej Mijalić and Ivan Graziani (HR)

Les Vents Français

Borders: Between Order and Chaos/Granice – između reda i kaosa

reveal extracts from the personal biographies of Rijeka residents while also looking further afield at the experience of Central and Eastern Europe as a whole.

Very much the centre-point of the Times of Power flagship of Rijeka 2020, this exhibition ÆÆ Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral (ppmhp.hr), May 2020 – January 2021 explores the nature the border in modern European history, and Balthazar’s Hurricane and the way in which borders nurture cultures of social and cultural Balthazarcity/Balthazarov exchange as well as limits on Uragan i Balthazargrad Produced between 1967 and movement and lifestyle. Rijeka 1978, children’s cartoon series itself is a good place in which to Professor Balthazar was one of start an exploration of the role Croatia’s greatest cultural exports, of the frontier: the city spent a enchanting viewers large chunk of the throughout Europe twentieth century with its charming tales split in two, with the of a loveably eccentric border between the Italian-occupied scientist, told in city centre and the ravishingly colourful Croatian suburb style. The imaginary of Sušak running city in which Balthazar along the Riječina lived was largely River. Even after based on Rijeka, so being liberated by it’s no surprise that 'The Yugoslav Partisans the mercurial beardimaginary in May 1945, Rijeka stroking Professor had to wait until the plays a significant city in which Paris Peace Treaty of role in the city’s Balthazar 1947 to be formally 2020 shindig. An old lived was ship, named Uragan reunited with its largely based (“Hurricane”) will hinterland. Exhibits

on Rijeka'

Time Out Rijeka

be transformed into a children’s play area decked out in Balthazarthemed décor; and moored on the Molo Longo, the 1.7km-long breakwater that juts across the harbour. There will also be an exhibition, Balthazargrad (”Balthazar-Town”), featuring artwork and sketches as well as an array of hands-on contraptions built in imitation of some of the devices used in the show. ÆÆ Exportdrvo (rijeka2020.eu), August – December 2020

THEATRE Needcompany festival: All the Good

A provocative new piece from Belgian playwright Jan Lauwers and his theatre group Needcompany, All The Good confronts the wave of hatred sweeping across Europe. The play is semi-autobiographical, centring on an encounter that changed Lauwers’ life. We follow the real life of an ex-Israeli soldier - played by himself - as he tries to come to

Internationally-renowned craftsman of the greatest violins, Dr. Franjo Kresnik, is celebrated on the 150th anniversary year of his birth. Credited with restoring the art of Cremona Liuteria (traditional string-instrument making), this special performance will see two of Rijeka's finest violinists, Matej Mijalić and Ivan Graziani (both students of Zagreb’s Academy of Music), perform on two of Kresnik's highly prized violins. Among the pieces performed will be works by J. S. Bach, E. Chausson, H. W. Ernst and H. Wieniawski with the violinists accompanied on piano by Jelena Barbarić Mijalić. ÆÆ Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral (ppmhp.hr), January 24

Les Vents Français (FR)

Les Vents Français are a worldfamous ensemble of wind musicians who have previously taken their classic and contemporary repertoire to Cologne Philharmonie, the Konzerthaus Dortmund, Mozarteum Salzburg, Copenhagen, Rome, Zürich, Brussels, Paris, Istanbul, Turin, Humlebaek, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Kissinger Sommer, Salon-deProvence and on a tour of the USA and Japan. At this special performance, they turn their flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons and horns to the music of Maurice Ravel, Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, Albert Roussel and André Caplet, accompanied by pianist Eric Le Sage. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), February 7

50 YEARS OF TIME OUT, 50 YEARS OF CITY LIFE, 315 CITIES

Events

Who is Balthazar?

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CAPITAL OF EUROPE

Ask people to name the most universal work of art to come out of Croatia in the last 50 years and they may not immediately think of nominating a children’s cartoon about a tubby little man with a badly-drawn beard PROFESSOR BALTHAZAR is arguably Croatia’s greatest cultural export, delighting children across former Yugoslavia and much of northern Europe during his 1970s heyday. It was also one of the most psychedelic children’s cartoons of all time, featuring the kind of mind-altering patterns and kaleidoscopic colours that have ensured it cult status among generations of giggling young adults. With the original ten-minute episodes re-released on a series of six DVDs, now is the perfect time to catch up on the Balthazar legacy. The lead character is a kindly old scientist who solves people’s problems and calms their worries, frequently resorting to his hurly-burlytron machine to generate the most unexpected solutions. The stories are set in Balthazar town, a fanciful amalgam of Zagreb and an Adriatic city. As a role model Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

for children, Balthazar is hard to beat: the Zlatko Bourek was responsible for providing the films with their inimitable pop-art-onadventures are comfortingly old-school in the acid style. way they promote co-operation, ecological consciousness and faith in scientific progress. Grgić and colleagues were all stalwarts of the Zagreb Film animation studio, which had And the English-language voice-over is so been a leading creative force in cartoon producgood that never for one moment do you feel as if you are watching an eccentric Centraltion ever since its inception in the mid-1950s. Indeed the studio produced Croatia’s only ever European cartoon. Oscar, with Dušan Vukotić’s SurThe Balthazar character was created by Zlatko Grgić, who rogate winning the Academy Award 'One of for Best Animated Film in 1961. directed an animated short the most featuring the professor in Time Out has successfully tested all six Balthazar DVDs on a five-year1967, and was persuaded that psychedelic the idea was strong enough to old British child, and if you’re a fan of children’s support a whole series. Grgić, old-fashioned, ironic science fiction cartoons of together with Boris Dovniković, involving kindly old professors and all time' their wonky machines, then the Boris Kolar and Ante Zaninović professor makes the ideal homeworked on the scripts, while academically-trained artist bound souvenir.

Port of Diversity

Events The Venice Baroque Orchestra and Vivaldi on a Stradivarius violin

Something to get very excited about. Described as 'One of the best baroque ensembles playing alongside one of the best violinists of baroque on one of the very best violins', this gala performance sees a Stradivarius violin come to Rijeka as part of the Violin Above Borders exhibition, which is being held in the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral Rijeka. Organised by the Consulate General of the Italian Republic in the Republic of Croatia (Rijeka) in collaboration with the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc Rijeka, the event sees the world-renowned Venice Baroque Orchestra appear with lead violinist, the celebrated Giuliano Carmignola. This award-winning ensemble has played more dates

of baroque music in the USA than any other in history. They have appeared on television the world over, including on the BBC, ARTE, NTR (Netherlands) and NHK. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), February 14

Concert on Kresnik’s violin: Gernot Süßmuth (DE)

Internationally-renowned craftsman of the greatest violins, Dr. Franjo Kresnik, is celebrated on the 150th anniversary year of his birth. Credited with restoring the art of Cremona Liuteria (traditional string-instrument making), this date will see renowned German violinist Gernot Süßmuth play on a Kresnik violin. Having undertaken his first performance with an orchestra at just nine years old, Gernot won many awards and accolades as a youth musician. Following the completion of his studies, he was

Wagner: Tristan and Izolde employed by the Berlin Radio Symphony as a concertmaster before Composed in 1859, this romantic going on to assume the same role opera in three parts by Richard for the Staatskapelle in Berlin and Wagner is now considered one then the Staatskapelle in Weimar. of the most influential pieces From 1983 to March 2000, he played of music of all time. Based on a within the award-winning Petersen tragic tale of love told as far back Quartet string quartet as the 12th century, before founding the the story centres Aperto Piano Quartet on an adulterous 'Tristan and with Hans-Jakob love affair between Isolde is Eschenburg and then the Cornish knight said to be the Waldstein Quartet. Tristan and the Irish the greatest Aside from these colprincess Izolde. In opera ever laborative appearances Wagner’s version, he also plays as a soloist Tristan is portrayed written' with renowned chamas a doomed romantic figure, while Izolde ber music musicians such as Steven Bishop, Paul Meyer, appears as a redeeming female character in classic Wagnerian Norbert Brainin, Martin Lovett and fashion. The opera is directed Daniel Barenboim and acts as the by renowned American director artistic director of the European Anna Bogart. Union Chamber Orchestra. ÆÆ Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral (ppmhp.hr), February 22

ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), February 22, 26, 29

Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Events being commissioned by stateowned bodies. His Symphony no.13, sometimes known as Babi Yar, is regarded as his most shocking, distressing and emotive piece. Babi Yar is a ravine in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, the site of a massacre carried out by Nazi forces during World War II in which more than thirty-three thousand Jews were killed in less than a week. ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), March 20, 21

Needcompany festival: Band Facing the Wrong Way

As you might have guessed from the name, Concert by Band Facing the Wrong Way is comic, chaotic, and crazy. With unbridled energy and lightning-fast choreography, the band explode across the stage in a riotous performance that’ll leave you feeling like you’re not sure where to look or what to think. But it’s not all mindless farce; at its heart, the show is about how we try and often fail to communicate with the world around us. Is it all just a waste of energy? Featuring Dutchmen Maarten Seghers and Rombout Willems as guitar players and singers, and the UK’s Nicolas Field on the drums, this a baffling and brilliant show not to be missed.

Dmitri Šostakovič: Babi Yar, Symphony no.13 in B-flat minor

Dmitri Šostakovič is one of the most important composers of the 20th century, a writer and musician who stood as a vital cultural bridge between the Soviet Union and the international community during the former's most isolationist years. Despite his patriotism, he refused to allow his art to be dictated by authorities leading to him being denounced several times inj his home country although, since his death in 1975, he has been rightly celebrated for his vast contributions. Combining the sometimes

discordant neo-classical style pioneered by Igor Stravinsky with the more traditional and melodic late Romanticism of composers such as Gustav Mahler, he was first denounced by the artistically ignorant Stalin for his modern approach, then by the public because of doubts about his patriotism and then again by national authorities for the complete opposite of his first denunciation; for being to formal in his writing, his music viewed as assuming too many traditional, western themes. Throughout his career he was viciously attacked via state-owned propaganda materials, despite simultaneously

ÆÆ Croatian Cultural Centre in Sušak (facebook.com/HKDRijeka), February 29

Needcompany festival: Forever

How do you feel about mortality? Confused, indifferent, terrified? Come and ruminate on that question with the Needcompany, who have taken Mahler’s song Der Abschied and spun it into a remarkable piece of performance. The song was written after Mahler was diagnosed with a fatal illness, and it seers with existential terror at the looming of his death. In this innovative new iteration of the song, Needcompany blend music, dance, and installation. With direction by Maarten Seghers and choreography by Grace 'An Ellen Barkey, this is an unmissable unmissable take on one of the most haunttake on one ing songs in existence. of the most ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), March 6

haunting songs in existence'

Needcompany festival: All the Good

Gustav Mahler: Resurrection, Symphony no. 2 in C-minor for soprano, alto, choir and orchestra

One of the largest ensembles to have ever appeared in the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc Rijeka will take to the stage to perform Mahler's significant Symphony no. 2, over an hour and a half's recital of this significant work. On the occasion, the ensemble will include an expanded orchestra, with the orchestra of the Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc being joined by members of the Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra. They will be joined by two vocal soloists, Kristina Kolar (HR) and Ivana Srbljan (HR) and a mixed choir. Written over six years, due to his composing being a part-time concern in deference of his profession as one of the world's then leading conductors, Gustav Mahler's Symphony no. 2 is regarded as one of his masterworks. Over a gradual time period since his death, Mahler has been reevaluated and is now considered one of the key composers of his era. The slow reevaluation can in part be attributed to the banning of his works as degenerate in Nazi-controlled Europe - despite converting to Catholicism, Mahler was born to Jewish parents - although anti-semitism prevalent in Europe even curtailed his activities and the performance of his works during his lifetime (he died in 1911). Symphony no. 2 is now one of the world's most popular symphonies and was written with the acknowledged inspiration of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, in particular, the integral climax of the piece provided by the sizeable chorus of voices. The concert will be conducted by Yordan Kamdzhalov (BG). ÆÆ Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc (hnk-zajc.hr), April 17, 18 Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka themes

BEHIND THE RIJEKA 2020 PROGRAMME Throughout the Rijeka 2020 Capital of Culture programme, the themes of water, work and migration come to life. WATER, WORK AND MIGRATION are the three themes of Rijeka 2020’s cultural and artistic programme and they couldn’t be better suited to this city. Primarily a port, Rijeka has welcomed visitors from all over the known world for hundreds of years, some having stayed and had an impact on the cultural diversity of the city. Rijeka’s water assets are not restricted to its

deep water port though, as the river Rječina or Fiumara runs through it, lending its name to the Croatian and Italian titles of the city. The river is a direct link from urban Rijeka to A vast tract of countryside that lies within and behind the Dinaric alps. Capital of Culture not only celebrates the unique cultural offerings of its host city and

country, it also examines that place’s position within the wider European community and strives to find similarities which bind us together as Europeans. As such, these chosen themes will help us explore Europe-wide issues such as immigration, the future of work, the future of industry (and its legacy), the free movement of people within Europe and ecological issues,

The Children’s House: Tobogan

THE MAIN PROGRAMME There are seven flagships under which each of the programme’s themes will be explored, with each flagship holding multiple events throughout the year.

THE KITCHEN OF DIVERSITY The Kitchen of Diversity looks not only at the traditional cuisine of Rijeka and the wider Kvarner region but also celebrates the addition made to this menu by the region’s minorities and immigrants. As well as cuisine, this celebration of diversity will also examine the impact on art, sport, music and other assets which are enriched by the inclusion of people with alternate national, ethnic, religious and gender identities. Within this flagship lie events such as the late summer gastro fest Porto Etno, a footballcultural project One City: One Goal, the Festival of European Short Stories and the Hay Festival with the special programme Europa 28 – Visions for the Future.

our existences, expression, leisure and work might be affected by emerging technologies and areas of science where they meet. Within this flagship lie events such as The Sea is Glowing exhibition and several others which branch off from this, futuristic music performance such as the robotic opera ReCallas Medea and a concert by the robot band Compressorhead and interactive robot installations by American artist Christian Ristow, the latter two being much lauded contributors to America’s desert-based Burning Man festival.

TIMES OF POWER In its lifespan, the city of Rijeka has existed as part of the states belonging to the Roman Empire, the Ostrogoths, the Lombards, the Byzantine Empire, the Frankish Empire, and the Croats, fought over by global powers like the Republic of Venice, the Kingdom of Hungary, and the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires, not to mention Austria, the First French Empire, the Kingdom of Italy, and Yugoslavia. The Times of Power flagship examines this turbulent history and examines broader forms and relationships of power.

DOPOLAVORO

Lungomare Art Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

The possibilities opened up to us in the future by new technologies are examined in the Dopolavoro flagship. Performances, art installations, exhibitions, theatre and other entertainment spectacles will help us imagine how life might look years from now and how

'Rijeka has welcomed visitors from all over the known world for hundreds of years'

The Kitchen of Diversity: Porto Etno

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka themes The flagship’s programme includes the debut theatre performance of ‘All the Good’ by Needcompany European theatrical company from Brussels, a new production by Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis and new opera productions such as Wagner’s ‘Tristan and Isolde’. Its exhibition programme includes permanent displays in new museum spaces, the Sugar Palace and Galeb ship and the audiovisual installation ‘The Anachronic Bath-House’ by world famous artist Heiner Goebbels.

SWEET & SALT Referring to the point where the 'Sweet & Salt sweet, freshwater of the Rječina is centred meets the saltwater of the Adriatic, around the Sweet & Salt is centred around the huge industrial and former industrihuge industrial al zone which lies at the heart of Rijeand former ka. Within its remit lies issues such industrial zone as urban regeneration, the future of which lies at former industrial space, town planthe heart of ning and environmental issues. Already assigned to an exciting Rijeka' annual music festival with two editions behind it, the name of this flagship is also lent to events taking place in this industrial space at venues like Exportdrvo warehouse, the Rijeka port breakwater known as Molo Longo and the terraces of tower blocks. Art interventions, community projects and exhibitions such as Fiume Fantastika are all part of the programme.

Sweet & Salt

LUNGOMARE ART Named after the famous shoreline promenade which was one of the highlights of a visit to the Kvarner region, Lungomare Art is a flagship which sees European Capital of Culture leave the confines of the city to make its impact on the wider region.. A series of eleven permanent installations of contemporary art inspired by the region will be placed at ten locations on the coast and on nearby islands with the idea being that the 2020 event not only departs from the city, but the art will depart from traditional spaces and meet the local communities. Chosen by the Czech curator Michal Koleček, contributors include artists, designers and architects from Croatia, Europe, Japan and Chile who will make their interventions at the entrance to Brseč village, on the hiking trail at Lovranska Draga, on the land and beneath the sea in Volosko, in the fish market in Rijeka, on Grčevo beach along Rijeka’s Pećine, on Svežanj beach at Žurkovo in Kostrena and in the park in the centre of Crikvenica. On the islands you will find them on the quayside in Lopar on Rab, above Baška on Krk and on Vela Riva in Mali Lošinj.

THE CHILDREN’S HOUSE Designed to create maximum engagement between younger inhabitants and visitors and the Capital of Culture year, The Children’s Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

The Children’s House: Tobogan House includes several festivals, interactive exhibitions, a magazine for children called Brickzine and numerous other programmes such as puppet shows, films, workshops and literary and arts programmes. Highlights include the already established Tobogan Festival with its spectacular parade through the city and its engaging open-air programmes, a series of events linked to Professor Balthazar and the Good Children’s Book Month festival.

27 NEIGHBOURHOODS The 27 Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (aka Kvarner) neighbourhoods chosen to take part in this community flagship correspond directly with the 27 member countries of the European Union. Lovran, Opatija, Matulji,

Kastav, Pehlin, Drenova, Škurinje, Turnić and Mlaka, the campus at Trsat, Jelenje, Čavle, Praputnjak, Kostrena, Crikvenica, Novi Vinodolski, the island of Rab, the island of Unije, the town of Cres, the town of Krk, Malinska, Vrbnik, Gomirje, Mrkopalj, Fužine, Delnice, Brod na Kupi and Gornji Kuti are the chosen neighbourhoods. The programme will be one of cooperation between the neighbourhoods and one of empowerment and self-determination within their communities which, in many instances, include remote urban and rural regions. As such, this programme intends to extend all of the themes of Rijeka 2020 Capital of Culture to the outlying regions. Its programme of events includes participation in Rijeka carnival, a festival of

The Children’s House: Tobogan

Autumn/Winter 2019 Time Out Rijeka

Rijeka themes bell ringing and will see the Turnić-Mlaka neighbourhood connected to the International Space Station. The university campus will offer a science and educational programmes 'Film throughout the year and the screenings horticultural arts intervention ‘I will take place am not a Robot’ by multimedia artist Darko Fritz. The CHA Dance at unique and Groove 2020 festival on the island unexpected of Krk and the Gomirje Accordion locations Mundial festival are attached to throughout this flagship while the island of the region' Unije will celebrate the region’s famous wind with a festival of kite flying. The border district of Drenova will link culture, nature and digital technology and film screenings will take place at unique and unexpected locations throughout the region.

27 Neighbourhoods: Kastav

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Sweet & Salt Time Out Rijeka Autumn/Winter 2019

Port of Diversity

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Port of Diversity