Homage to Traditional Arts and Crafts

This year’s Marko’s Fair, an event conceived in memory of the century old tradition of the manufacturing trade in Zagreb, will once again revive some old crafts which have all but disappeared as a result of industrial mass production.

This year’s edition of Marko’s Fair will take place between May 16th and May 19th at Zagreb’s main square of Ban Josip Jelačić. During that period, hundreds of tradesmen from Zagreb, as well as other parts of Croatia, will present their handicrafts and offer them for sale. Unique jewellery, clothing, traditional toys and other items made from wood or iron, candles, products made from glass, famous “Licitar” hearts (the Croatian version of gingerbread), dry cured charcuterie products and diverse drinks are just part of the offer that will surely attract numerous visitors. Moreover, Marko’s Fair also represents the revival of medieval Zagreb and its trades, so there will be presentations of the manufacturing processes of items made from wood, iron and wax, as well as an exhibition of traditional tool replicas.

The arts and crafts tradition in Zagreb has roots in a distant past. The first Marko’s Fair was held in 1256 on the holiday of St. Mark pursuant to Bela IV’s charter. Its venue was the square in front of St. Mark’s Church in the Upper Town. Centuries later, the fair moved to the city’s central square, where it still takes place today. Manufacture is still very much alive in the city and its surroundings, so the visitors of Marko’s Fair and patrons of stores all over the city will be rewarded in their quest for valuable hand-made items such as clothes and jewellery, confectionery and the like.