Lipizzaner Stud Farm Jubilee in Ðakovo, Croatia

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Not to be excluded part of any picture postcard featuring Ðakovo’s tourism, economy and sports is the national Lipizzaner Stud Farm, one of the oldest of its kind in Europe, this year celebrating two jubilees – a half century since the first mention of the Lipizzaner stud farm and two centuries of breeding of the noble Lipizzaner horses.It is a heritage few countries in the world can boast of. Behind these jubilees is the picturesque history of the emergence of the Lipizzaner breed, their arrival in Ðakovo from Lipica, the founding of the stud and the continuous work there on breeding that has made the Lipizzaners of Ðakovo known around the world and taken them to the very pinnacle of harness racing and horse sports.

Operating at two locations – Pastuharna and Ivandvor, that have preserved their authenticity, the stud farm has been for years a destination visited annually by about 10,000 people, and there are many more who come to Ðakovo, a pearl of Slavonia, to see its wealth of culture and traditional heritage.

This year’s jubilee will be celebrated by the stud both in work and festivity; the work being related to the closing preparations for the launch of construction of a two million Euro indoor riding area, while the celebratory part will be given over to, among other things, the publication of a monograph on the stud and a book called Writings About Horses, exhibitions, the installation of tourist road signs, horse competitions and the congress of the International Federation of Lipizzaner Breeders.

The central celebration will feature a competition in harness riding to which representatives of all European stud farms have been invited, and that is to be held at the start of September of this year.

Besides the stud farm, Ðakovo’s numerous points of interest are also an attraction to visitors. Within the old core of the town are sacral buildings that blend into the area with numerous other cultural and historic monuments that make this town recognisable and unique.
One of the towns numerous points of interest is the Bishop’s Court, a palace built in the 18th century, then there is the All Saints’ Church for which it is held that it was constructed in the distant 14th century, the Theological Seminary, where Slavonia and Baranja’s oldest institution of higher learning was founded and finally St. Peter’s Cathedral, called by Popes one of the most beautiful from Venice to Istanbul.

Of contemporary points of interest there is, of course, the Ðakovo promenade, the main walkway in the town, the Ðakovo Area Museum and numerous other cultural monuments.

Ðakovo and its environs is, like all Slavonian places, surrounded by lakes and forests, and offers an abundance of attractions for those out on an excursion and for fishers and hunters.

Along with its rich heritage, an attraction for all tourists, Ðakovo is also home to some well known events like the Ðakovacke vezove, which have been held every year since 1967 at the beginning of July. The event sees thousands of folk costumes gathered on the streets of Ðakovo, brought forth from the oblivion of coffers, thousands of participants from Slavonia, Baranja and other parts of Croatia, Europe and the world, and many horse riders and the proud people of Šokadija who will, riding in carts decked out as if for weddings, bring to life memories of times long past……

Visit City of Ðakovo Tourist Board web page: www.tz-djakovo.hr