Scattered across the hills of eastern Kastavština, the picturesque villages and hamlets of Viškovo are connected by more than just winding roads, trails, and paths. The region’s rich cultural heritage has been passed down from generation to generation, preserving an intangible wealth deeply rooted in this land and its people. Four cultural treasures from UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity are safeguarded in Viškovo. The most renowned is the annual carnival procession of bell ringers of Kastavština – the region where, for three days before Ash Wednesday, the Halubje Bell Ringers march through the villages, creating a deafening noise with their bells to chase away winter and welcome spring. The bell ringers walk along the ancient stone-walled paths, which are carefully maintained to preserve the art of dry-stone walling, the traditional skill woven into the landscape of Viškovo. During this time, you can taste the traditional carnival dishes, as well as local sweets like ‘presnac’ and ‘fritule’, which proudly represent the Mediterranean diet of the Croatian Adriatic, its coastline, islands, and hinterland. The region also boast a unique style of traditional music – two-part singing in narrow intervals of Istria and the Croatian Littoral – immortalized and recorded by the local composer Ivan Matetić Ronjgov.

At the House of the Halubje Bell Ringers with its engaging and interactive exhibition, you can explore the vibrant culture and traditions of Viškovo all year round. Who knows – you might even meet a real bell ringer there, relaxing with friends over a glass of home-made wine. Up on Halubje, where noise sends winter away…

Cultural heritage is a precious resource, and the local community of Viškovo feels a deep responsibility to nurture, preserve and pass it down to future generations. The tradition of the Halubje bell ringers has great significance for the Municipality of Viškovo.

The project provides for the establishment of House of the Halubje Bell Ringers in Viškovo. This includes construction and equipping of the building that will feature a permanent exhibition and various purposely designed spaces. The house will be located in the Halubjan sports and recreation zone in Viškovo.

House of the Halubje Bell Ringers will have multiple purposes. It will serve as an exhibition and presentation area featuring a permanent ethnographic collection of the local bell ringers, and as a venue for education workshops and entertainment programs. It will also have a souvenir shop and a restaurant intended primarily for the residents of Viškovo and the surrounding region, offering traditional specialties.