Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

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to the local museum (16). Around Novalja are a number of
small settlements, among which stands out Caska (ancient
Cissa), exhibiting the archaeological remains of the once
powerful city of the Roman Empire, known for the so-called
'Tunera' observation tower (13), and Lun in the extreme
north of the island, known for its interesting old churches
(14) and olive trees over two thousand years old (10).
Starting from Senj, going over the Velebit mountain into
the inland of LIKA, we come to the picturesque rural landscapes
of Lika, nested in the green forests and clear lakes,
like the Lake Kruščica (21). Thanks to the abundance of forests,
but also because of the harsh climate, the houses here
were built mostly from wood. The best preserved are in the
Gacka valley, where the clear waters of the river Gacka are
the fisherman’s favourite (29), and where we can sometimes
come across mills from the old times (27). Similar waterside
settlements can be found elsewhere in this region, like in the
most important place of the historical province Kordun, the
town of Slunj, which boasts, besides the ruins of a medieval
fortified city, the waterside village Rastoke, at the mouth of
the rivers Slunjčica and Korana (26).
The autochthonous folk culture is preserved in the villages
around the capital city of the Lika-Senj County, Gospić, as
evidenced by examples of traditional rural architecture,
some of it from older (31) and some from recent times (25).
Also preserved in Lika are some of the old crafts, such as the
production of a traditional Croatian instrument, the tamburica
(28).The Museum of Lika is located in Gospić, known
for findings from the prehistoric period (23).
One of the world's greatest scientists, Nikola Tesla, was
born in Smiljan, a village near Gospić. In his native home
is a museum with a sculpture of Tesla in front of it (18). In
the museum, set up in 2006 (20) on the 150th anniversary of
Nikola Tesla's birth, there are pictures from his life and displays
of his famous inventions related to the power adapter,
wireless power transmission and others (19).
In the second largest town of Lika, Otočac, in the Gacka
Valley, there is also an interesting museum collection which
shows the rich folk heritage of the region (24). Its most valuable
exhibit is the famous helmet (22) from the Bronze Age,
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