The ethnographic heritage

Utilizing the power of water that was present in abundance and turning it into something useful was the primary goal of people who settled on the banks of a river or in the immediate vicinity. The Krka River is living proof of the use of natural resources for the needs of the local population, as attested by the numerous mills that have existed and still exist along its course.

The mills on the Krka River typologically belong to water-powered mills, also called watermills, and they belong to the system of pre-industrial mechanisms. In the life of all the inhabitants of Dalmatia, in the Middle Ages and beyond, they were extremely important, and were thus the cause of frequent conflicts. They not only meant life, but they also resulted in large incomes. Although they often changed owners, basically they remained the same, almost without any technical innovations.

Although they no longer have any economic significance for the population of this area, they are now a first-class tourist attraction. Hence, today in the watermills at Skradinski buk and Roški slap waterfalls, old crafts are presented as part of the immaterial heritage of the Krka River region, such as grinding grain, washing and stepping cloth, weaving bags and floor mats (rugs), forging horseshoes, plowing, sowing, spinning, and food preparation in an old-fashioned kitchen.

Objects from the rich ethnographic collection of the Krka National Park are on display in situ in the renovated mills, which together with the old crafts evoke a former way of life. The collection consists of furniture, household utensils, and traditional handicrafts.