Mučići: Zvončari, Ceramics and Cycling Routes

Mučići brings two sides of a trip into focus: the customs of the Zvončari and the ceramic work of the InterInova association. The Matulji Bike & Hike network, which includes Mučići, adds another dimension. This lets you consider culture and crafts on the one hand, and cycling and hiking routes on the other, as different aspects of choosing your destination.

Zvončari and the Carnival Tradition

The procession of the Brgujski zvončari and maškare passes through Mučići on the penultimate Sunday of Carnival and is an established annual custom. The group of Zvončari from Mučići is one of the groups in Matulji. Their hats are decorated with colorful crepe-paper flowers. The tradition of the Mučićevi zvončari also includes a procession on Carnival Sunday. The oldest recorded photograph of the Brgujski zvončari was taken in Mučići in 1921.

The Bell-ringers Parade in Matulji has been held since 1995 and showcases the groups’ circle dances, movements, and costumes, as well as their accompanying participants. In the wider destination of Općina Matulji, Carnival takes place in January and February, with the Zvončari Festival as its main event. The Zvončari are traditional Carnival figures whose origins date back more than 500 years. This places the specific Sundays of the Mučići customs alongside the broader Carnival period in Općina Matulji. The language of Žejane, žejånska limba, is also on Croatia’s list of intangible cultural heritage in Općina Matulji.

Ceramics: InterInova and Exhibitions

The ISA exhibition space in Mučići hosts exhibitions by the InterInova ceramics association. The association works with both traditional clay-firing techniques and contemporary ceramic design. These two aspects take visitors from craft firing techniques to a modern design-oriented engagement with ceramics.

The exhibition “Zvončari i keramika” was held at the ISA exhibition space in 2010 and featured 19 artists and the Romolo Venucci ceramics group. Another example is the workshop “Buongiorno ceramica - Dobar dan keramika,” which InterInova held in Mučići in 2023. It focused on making clay and ceramic objects. The two examples provide different points in time for exhibitions and hands-on work with ceramics.

Cycling and Hiking Routes

The Matulji Bike & Hike network, which is linked to Mučići, comprises 150 kilometers of cycling and hiking trails across ten circular routes. When choosing a route, you can consider paths through forests or picturesque settlements. One route connects Žejane, Brešca, Mučići, and Jušići.

The figures provide different points of reference: 150 kilometers describes the extent of the network as a whole, while ten is the number of circular routes. The landscapes mentioned offer another consideration when choosing, while the sequence of places describes a specific connection between four locations. This allows you to consider the network’s size, landscape character, and route as different aspects of trip planning.

Discover more destinations: Rupa, Jušići, Zaluki, Zvoneće, Veli Brgud, Pasjak, Jurdani, Mihotići

For the wider travel overview: Općina Matulji.