Promotion of Parks Dinarides members at Jarun

Association „ Danube Network“ from Zagreb in Croatia, in cooperation with the Municipality of Brežice from Slovenia and other partners, organized on 8 October 2016 the International Kayak Marathon Brežice – Zagreb, under the slogan “Feel the Freedom of Water”. After two and a half decades, the marathon has started again from Slovenia, in the full length of 42 km. The closing ceremony was held on Jarun in Zagreb.

At the same time it was also an opportunity for the promotion of Dinaric Arc parks, to which part of the program was dedicated. Several hundred visitors had the opportunity to get acquainted with the contents of the tourist and cultural offer of the protected areas of Dinarides. After the official announcement of the winner of the marathon, visitors enjoyed, along with the music of tamburitza players, the tasting of risotto with “fruits of the river”. At the stands of certain parks they had the opportunity to taste traditional cuisine with the glass of wine and brandy from the protected areas. Stand of the Parks Dinarides, sparked the most interest owing to the attractive promotional materials of the National Parks and the Nature Parks. Nature Park Velebit, Notranjski, Medvednica, Una, Northern Velebit, Krka, Biogradska gora, Skadar Lake, Durmitor, Prokletije, only are some of the parks which the visitors had the opportunity visit and get acquainted with. Guests of the event were most of all interested in the fact how to get to the parks, which until now they had no opportunity to visit and what is their offer like. The greatest interest was noted for walking tours, hiking and biking.

The purpose of the event on Jarun was to improve the sport, culture, health, tourism and regional networking.
“By the means of the new three-year EU project called Feel the Freedom of the Water, we want to promote the potential of waters for development and promotion of sport, culture, health and tourism, taking into account the removal of barriers that prevent the greater involvement of people with disabilities. What we see in the future are cyclists on arranged bicycle trails, rafters-canoeists, kayakers, rafters and rowers on the river Sava on a daily recreation, urban cultural stages on and under the Sava bridges as a tourist attraction”, explained Dragomir Bokan from the Association of the Danube Networks.