Mala 3ARKA – A New Voyage of the Maritime Heritage of the Northern Adriatic

The maritime heritage of the Northern Adriatic has developed over the centuries through people's everyday relationship with the sea – through traditional boatbuilding, fishing, salt making, maritime crafts, knowledge and customs that have shaped the identity of coastal communities. Today, many traditional skills are gradually disappearing, while at the same time they represent great potential for the development of high-quality and sustainable cultural experiences.

 

The Mala 3ARKA project addresses these challenges through the preservation, interpretation and promotion of the shared maritime heritage of the Slovenian and Croatian parts of the Northern Adriatic. It builds on the achievements of the successful projects Mala barka and Mala barka 2 and continues to connect museums, local communities, experts, craftsmen and tourism providers.

 

At the heart of the project is the development of the sustainable cross-border destination Mala 3ARKA, based on three key pillars: digital interpretation, environmental responsibility and the involvement of local communities. The project aims to create authentic experiences that are not limited to the summer season, but allow visitors to discover the stories of the sea, its people and heritage throughout the year.

 

An important part of the project is the contemporary presentation of heritage through digital tools, the development of new interpretive content and the connection between cultural heritage and sustainable tourism. The project promotes a slower and more responsible way of discovering the area, based on authentic experiences and respect for the local environment.

 

The "Sergej Mašera" Maritime Museum Piran will make an important contribution to upgrading the network of maritime heritage interpretation centres. At the Museum of Salt Making in the Sečovlje Salt Pans, the installation of an independent energy source using renewable energy will enable new possibilities for the digital interpretation and presentation of salt-making and coastal maritime heritage. This will make the collection more accessible to visitors, school groups and heritage enthusiasts also outside the main tourist season.

 

Another important part of the museum's activities will take place at the Monfort exhibition space, where a navigable replica of a traditional wooden vessel will be built. The construction will be based on research, documentation and the use of traditional boatbuilding knowledge, while visitors will be able to follow the individual stages of the vessel's creation in person.

 

During the construction process, expert lectures, presentations and workshops will be organised, with special attention dedicated to children and young people. A didactic corner will also be set up, where visitors will be able to discover the basics of traditional boatbuilding themselves.

 

After completion, the replica will not merely be a museum exhibit, but will participate in cultural and tourism events in Slovenia and Croatia, promoting the shared maritime heritage of the cross-border area.

 

Mala 3ARKA thus opens a new chapter in heritage preservation – connecting traditional knowledge and modern technologies, experts and local communities, and showing that the stories of the sea can continue to live on in the future.
 

Website: http://www.si-hr.eu/2127/mala-3arka/