Garden policy: CROATIA

Institution(s) in charge

There is no single institution in charge of gardens/parks in Croatia. The responsibility is divided between:

Ministry of Culture and Media, according to Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property

Directorate for the Protection of Cultural Heritage - responsible for carrying out administrative and professional tasks related to the protection and preservation of cultural heritage, including parks and gardens.

Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, according to Nature Protection Act

Directorate for Nature Protection – responsible for administrative and professional tasks related to the conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity, ecological network and protected areas (one of the categories is a monument of park architecture).
Institute for Environment and Nature Protection - performs professional and analytical work in the field of nature protection and environmental protection.
County councils – responsible for proclamations of protected areas on regional level (monuments of park architecture) and decisions regarding their management
Public institutions for Protected Areas of Nature on county level – responsible for management of protected areas on regional level and proposal of management plans; governed by Management Council
Croatian Academy of Science and Arts – responsible for decisions and management of Arboretum Trsteno (Park of Villa Gučetić in Trsteno)

Other actors

Institute of Art History, Zagreb - conducts scientific and applied research in the field of art history, library, documentation and publishing, participation in the process of higher education, scientific training and adult education, and the promotion of art history as a humanistic discipline important for the development of society.
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urbanism, Spatial Planning and Landscape Architecture – higher education, conducts scientific and applied research in the field of architecture, urbanism, spatial planning including landscape architecture, promotes garden and park heritage
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Ornamental Plants, Landscape Architecture and Garden Art - Department owns Center for Mediterranean Landscapes in Dubrovnik; research and professional work related to landscapes; development of landscaping projects; the arrangement of degraded areas, restoration of historic parks
Institute for Restauration of Dubrovnik – coordinates renovation of historic houses including gardens in the City of Dubrovnik and prepares Interpretation center of countryside house culture during historic Dubrovnik Republic
Croatian Conservation Institute - research, documentation, valorisation, interpretation, design, planning and supervision and implementation of direct works on the material structure by conservation and / or restoration of archaeological, immovable and movable cultural property of the Republic of Croatia
Croatian Chamber of Architects
Association of Croatian Architects
Croatian Society of Landscape Architects
Museum Institution Dvor Trakošćan – responsible for the management of Trakošćan Castle and its historic park
Brijuni National Park – manage the national park of Island Brijuni whose character mainly determinates historic landscape park designed in 19th century as luxury health resort
Public Institution Lokrum reserve – manage the area of special reserve of Island Lokrum with Benedictine Monastery Complex and gardens, lately renovated by Maximilian I of the Habsburg
University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Botanical garden in Zagreb
Regional administration in Counties dealing with the protection of cultural monuments, environmental protection and spatial planning
Local administration of towns and municipalities dealing with the protection of cultural monuments, environmental protection and spatial planning

Relevant legislation

Act on the Protection and Preservation of Cultural Property (OG: 69/99,151/03,157/03, amendments 87/09, 88/10, 61/11,25/12, 157/13, 152/14, 44/1790/18, 32/20, 62/20, 117/21, 114/22)

Nature Protection Act (OG: 80/13, 15/18, 14/19, 127/19, 155/23)

Management plans for protected areas

Utility order of local government

Spatial planning documentation

Protection measures

In protected areas of historical greenery, it is prohibited without prior approval of conservation department, to take actions, except for regular maintenance.

Conservation departments regularly require landscape project to be included in the process of obtaining confirmation, while in the more complex situations making of a conservation landscape study.

Existing inventories

Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia - by the end of March 2024, a total of 9054 cultural goods (immovable, movable and intangible cultural goods) have been inscribed in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia, out of which 6528 are immovable cultural goods. Immovable cultural goods include individual immovable cultural goods, underwater and above ground archaeological sites and areas, cultural-historical areas and cultural landscapes. Out of 460 cultural-historical areas, 10 are protected as a park, garden, arboretum, tree lined alley. Also many parks, gardens, arboretums and tree lined alleys are protected within individual immovable cultural goods (castles, summer houses, public buildings etc.). Also 16 cultural landscapes (organic, planned and associative) have been inscribed in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia.

Online information

https://geoportal.kulturnadobra.hr/

https://registar.kulturnadobra.hr/#/

http://www.bioportal.hr/gis/

https://www.parkovihrvatske.hr/naslovnica

Specialised training

High schools specialized for the gardening and agriculture
Zagreb University, Faculty of Agriculture, Study of Landscape Architecture
Zagreb University, Faculty of Forestry, Study of urban forestry, nature and environmental protection
Zagreb University, Faculty of Philosophy, Study of art history
Zagreb University, Faculty of Architecture

Awareness-raising actions

Different activities on local and national level
Rendez-voux aux jardins – manifestation in June
Week of botanical gardens and arboreta - May

Terminology tools

There is a glossary/thesaurus in Croatian language relating to cultural heritage including gardens and parks

Documentation

There are numerous literature on historic parks and garden.

It could be consulted in the book:

Croatian Garden Architecture Heritage – protection and renovation / Hrvatska parkovna baština – zaštita i obnova
Author: Mladen Obad Šćitaroci
PUBLISHER: ŠKOLSKA KNJIGA d.d., Zagreb, 1992.

Public Parks and Gardens of Croatian Towns in 19th Century in European Context / Gradski perivoji Hrvatske u 19. stoljeću – javna perivojna arhitektura hrvatskih gradova u europskom kontekstu
Authors: Bojana Bojanić Obad Šćitaroci, Mladen Obad Šćitaroci, Géza Hajós (chapter 1: Gradski perivoji u Beču i u zemljama bivše Austrijske monarhije iz europske perspektive između 1765. i 1867.), Walter Krause (foreword)
PUBLISHER: ŠĆITAROCI d.o.o., Zagreb, 2004, ISBN 953-97121-3-0
CO-PUBLISHER: Faculty of Architecture University of Zagreb, arhitekt.hr
COLABORATORS: Vedran Ivanković, Damir Krajnik