Organized by the Faculty of Architecture in Zagreb and the companies Acquis and CBBS, the first conference on the topic of European Experiences in the Revitalization of Castles and Historical Buildings was held on Friday.
The aim of the conference was to network and connect all stakeholders, namely state institutions, companies, and private individuals interested in this issue, in reviving neglected and often dilapidated Croatian castles, and utilizing them for regional development and continental tourism.
In a rich program held in the Grand Hall of the Sheraton Hotel, participants could hear a series of lectures generally divided into two sections – European experiences and Croatian experiences, two otherwise drastically opposing topics, as could be concluded in the end. A general overview of European experiences was provided by Ghislain d’Ursel, president of the European Association of Castles and Historical Buildings, while Mladen Obad Šćitaroci, a professor at the Faculty of Architecture, presented the current situation in Croatia.
After this general part, attendees could hear concrete examples from Hungary, Denmark, and Estonia, where speakers from those countries explained some of the ways to put their castles, manors, and summer residences into the function of regional and rural development while also utilizing available European funds. Ines Gašparlin, representing the Zagorje Development Agency, and Ivana Peškan, a conservator, explained Croatian experiences, showing that awareness of the value of our castles is currently at a minimum and that Croatia does not yet understand the significant economic and tourist potential contained in a series of exceptionally attractive properties of this type.
