Photo: Rijeka 2020
RIJEKA – EPK 2020
In 2020, Rijeka is the centre of European culture
Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the recommended preventive epidemiological measures, the programs of the European Capital of Culture are adapting to the new situation. Numerous cultural and artistic programs of the European Capital of Culture will be held throughout 2020 in new terms and in accordance with the recommendations of the competent institutions. Follow the latest news on programs and new dates on the website www.rijeka2020.eu and www.visitrijeka.eu.
In 2020, the year of Croatia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, the largest Croatian seaport of Rijeka is the centre of culture and art, hosting the best and most interesting artists on the global, European and Croatian cultural scene – Rijeka is the European Capital of Culture. Located at the point where the Mediterranean, Central European and Eastern European influences intersect, the city has developed under as many as seven different states over the past one hundred years. This has turned it into a Little Europe of sorts and Rijeka has become a place of dynamic developments, a symbol of the freedom of spirit and progressive ideas, and a city where everybody is always welcome. In 2020, as part of the European Capital of Culture initiative, Rijeka is constructing and opening new cultural buildings and facilities, which are co-funded by the EU, and is presenting more than 600 art, cultural and other events, produced by over 250 cultural institutions and organisations from Croatia and 40 other countries in Europe and the rest of the world.
The most cultured construction site in Croatia
Selected as the European Capital of Culture, Rijeka has made it to the list of about sixty European cities that have held the title so far, such as Marseille, Linz, Essen, Graz, Dublin, Liverpool, Athens, Rotterdam, Genoa and many others. It should also be mentioned that Rijeka is the first Croatian city to hold the title. The country and the city that has been designated European Capital of Culture become more visible on the European and global levels thanks to this wide-reaching European cultural initiative, while the project itself embodies the belief and understanding that the countries of Europe are an integral part of the European cultural diversity. The Rijeka European Capital of Culture project has its own unique characteristics because, as early as in the bidding process, Rijeka took into consideration not only its own physical transformation but also the context of the city’s future cultural offer.
As a result, on the premises of the ex Rikard Benčić factory in Krešimirova Street in Rijeka, four industrial heritage buildings are being reconstructed and converted into cultural buildings housing the Museum of the City of Rijeka, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka City Library and the Children’s House, the first of its kind in Croatia, which is intended to promote children’s creativity. The ship Galeb is also undergoing restoration and will become a museum ship and Rijeka’s cultural and tourist attraction. For this renovation project Rijeka has received a European grant of almost 140 million kunas, and the buildings and facilities will be completed and opened for public in 2020 and 2021.
