Renaissance Festival in Koprivnica

Historical mega spectacle The Renaissance Festival is a fusion of late medieval historical facts and originality of Koprivnica, Podravina and Croatia with the heritage values of the Western European Cultural Civilization Circle (of which Croatia is a part), manifesting at the Festival through numerous chivalrous, craft and music groups from a dozen European countries. The event is a true example of developing the European identity of the City and the Region, and in 2015 and 2016 it was declared the TOP event in Croatia in the competition of all public events, and in 2016 it was awarded Superbrands status.

The old core of Koprivnica, or the remains of the old Koprivnica fortress, will return to the past from August from 17th to 20th, with numerous depictions of former life in these parts.

The Renaissance festival gathers around 1,300 originally costumed participants from the country and about 15 European countries, of which we will single out some: Koprivnica musketeers and harams, knights, medieval craftsmen, cooks, innkeepers, ladies, serfs, entertainers, fire eaters and others. The event officially begins in the afternoon on Thursday, where hundreds of costumed participants "live" on the Renaissance ramparts. The huge area of the ramparts is covered with medieval tents, camps, siege devices, towers, and the scene really looks imposing. The duration of the event is well into the night, as many participants remain in their camps, and the night attack on the city is particularly impressive, illuminated by hundreds of torches, torches and the moonlight.

Numerous attractions bring the visitors back to a long time in the past, which mostly demostrate the medieval crafts, knights, kings and ladies, courtiers, alchemists, peasants , musicians, chefs who cook food on the spot by medieval recipes, and drinks only from that time and from red and pottery glasses to make the atmosphere as authentic as possible.

The main theme of this year's 17th in the row Renaissance Festival is theft.

New at this year's festival are the intersections in Koprivnica, which show the direction of the festival with road signs with life-size photos of the participants.

The use of plastic was completely prohibited at the event a few years ago, so all dishes are prepared on the spot in clay or wooden vessels exclusively according to medieval recipes with the addition of nettle - a unique plant to which Koprivnica owes its name. Every detail of the event vividly evokes the authenticity of the Middle Ages, providing a unique experience for every visitor.

When you pass through the gates of the ramparts, you will be teleported into living history, where there are no modern aids (plastics) and where everything is in accordance with the time it represents. This makes this festival different from all others. Dress up in a costume, be a part of the story and support the event that promotes leaving as little ecological footprint as possible!

For the eighth year in a row, the Croatian Tourist Board has declared the Koprivnica Renaissance Festival as the TOP event in Croatia, which is a great recognition for the Tourist Board of the city of Koprivnica, which designed this project on the ice, literally without any infrastructure, and turned it into a recognizable tourist product that in the city attracts tens of thousands of tourists.