From May 14th to 17th, 2024 the MYPO and MYP1 students went on a four-day field trip to the Neretva River Valley and Southern Dalmatia. We enjoyed the magnificent views of the Neretva Valley and from the famous Walls of Ston, we visited the Narona Archaeological Museum, the Alka of Sinj Museum, and the stunning Knin fortress, we tasted excellent oysters and most of all, we learnt many important facts about the destinations and the culture of the region.

On the first day, after setting off from Zagreb, we visited the Alka of Sinj Museum. The museum is dedicated to a knight tournament that takes place in Sinj every year. The tournament, called Alka, celebrates the victory over the Ottoman invaders in a battle that took place on August 14th, 1715. At the museum, we learnt about the clothing, weapons, and other accessories that were used during the battle, all that through interactive exhibits and games. We heard that only men born in Sinjska krajina (the town of Sinj and its surroundings) can participate in the Alka tournament. We admired the amazing traditional clothing that the knights and their leader, the Vojvoda (the Duke), wear (the same ones were worn by the warriors in the XVIII century).  The name of the tournament, alka, derives from the Turkish name for ring. The ring that is used in the tournament is made of two concentric circles connected with three bars. The aim of the game is to hit the central ring of the alka with the spear while riding at full gallop. The point is for the participants to collect as many points as they can. The two bottom segments are worth 1 point, the top segment is worth 2 points, and the central ring is worth 3 points. After visiting the museum, we ate the traditional meal called sinjski arambaši.

On the second day we visited the Narona Archaeological Museum, located on where the main square of the town of Narona used to be. The town of Narona, that was a minor Ancient Roman town during the empire, is now buried under many levels of earth. In Narona, we saw the remains of an Ancient Roman temple dedicated to the Roman emperors, and 17 statues depicting the Roman rulers and their families. Then we went strawberry picking in the Neretva River Delta. Our tour continued with a boat cruise on that beautiful river that is home to over 130 bird species.

On our third day we went to see the Pelješac peninsula. Firstly, we saw the Pelješac Bridge. The view of this monument was amazingly beautiful. Then, we went to the town of Ston, where we saw the salt pans and the Ston walls. Then, we took a boat ride at the Mali Ston Bay, where we tasted oysters and mussels. For lunch we enjoyed all kinds of seafood.

On the fourth day we visited the Knin Fortress, the biggest fortification of that sort in Croatia that was constructed in the IX century.

We returned to Zagreb with a lot of vibrant memories. All the sightseeing, activities and scenery left lasting impressions on us, making our field trip unforgettable.

Zofia (MYP Journalist Group)