Adriatic Route
The Adriatic Route of historic theatres opens South East Europe to you. One can approach either from Austria (Emperor Route) or from the Italian Route, and then follow the route in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, and Montenegro.
The first stop is Maribor in Slovenia. The Slovenian National Theatre was built in 1852 in classicistic style, while its auditorium is neobaroque. In Ljubljana, there are two important theatres: the Opera House, an impressive building from 1892, designed by the architects Hrasky&Hruby, and the Slovene Drama Theatre, a secessionist building by Aleksandar Graf (1911), which originally was the theatre of the German speaking citizens.
From Ljubljana we proceed to the capital of Croatia, Zagreb, and its biggest theatre, the Croatian National Theatre, inaugurated in 1895. This neobaroque building was designed by the famous Viennese architects Fellner and Helmer. The theatre owns eight painted curtains of exceptional beauty. Ten years earlier, the same architects had designed the beautiful National Theatre „Ivan pl. Zajc“ in Rijeka that today offers productions in Italian, too. Its ceiling is decorated with six allegories, four by Klimt brothers. Still earlier, 1863-1870, Josip Slade Šilović from Trogir built the eclectic city theatre in Šibenik.
On the island of Hvar, we discover the oldest communal theatre in Europe. It was installed in 1612 in a preexisting building, the Arsenal. The present auditorium was designed by Crescini in 1803.
Leaving the Adriatic coast, we drive into Bosnia & Herzegovina. The most important theatre in the country is the National Theatre in Sarajevo, built to designs by Karlo Paržik in 1921.
Going up North through Serbia, we visit the theatre in Sombor, featuring the historistic style of 1882. The oldest theatre in Serbia opened in 1839 in Zrenjanin and is named after the great Serbian actor Toša Jovanović. The biggest theatre in the region can be found in Belgrade. Built in 1868 and redesigned in 1922 by Josip Bukavac, it offers opera, drama and ballet.
The Adriatic Route ends in Montenegro. The Royal Theatre «Zetski dom» in Cetinje rose in 1884–1892 as a culture centre, designed by the architect of the Šibenik theatre (above); today it is one of just two State Theatres in the country.
The Slovene National Theatre Drama, Ljubljana
Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Croatian National Theatre in Rijeka „Ivan Zajc“
Croatian National Theatre in Šibenik
Theatre in the Arsenal
National Theatre Sarajevo
National Theatre Sombor
National Theatre "Toša Jovanović" Zrenjanin
National Theatre in Belgrade
Royal Theatre Zetski Dom
The European Route of Historic Theatres
Theatre has been a corner stone of European culture for over 2500 years. The buildings created for this art mirror our history. They can be found everywhere in Europe. Together they form a very special part of our common European heritage.
The “European Route of Historic Theatres” was initiated in 2007. It proved to be an excellent idea for travellers and theatres alike, and the European Commission agreed to support its extension to all of Europe until 2017.
Every six months, a new part of the European Route will open, until the European Route will be complete in 2016. It consists of 12 part routes, each comprising about 10 theatres, so that one can easily travel along any part route in a week (or see two or three theatres during a week-end trip).
The part routes of the European Route of Historic Theatres are:
- Iberia Route (Spain, Portugal)
- French Route
- Channel Route (Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium)
- German Route
- Nordic Route (Sweden, Norway, Denmark)
- Baltic Route (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia)
- Black Sea Route (Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece)
- Adriatic Route (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia)
- Emperor Route (Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary)
- Alpine Route (Southern Germany, Switzerland, Northern Italy)
- Italian Route I + II
As of autumn 2013, five part routes are already operating: the Nordic Route, the Channel Route, the German Route, the Emperor Route and the Italian Route I in northern Italy. In the following years, we are planning to open the next routes like this (subject to change):
Opening 2014: Adriatic Route and French Route
Opening 2015: Baltic Route and Iberia Route
Opening 2016: Alpine Route and Black Sea Route
More information: www.europeanroute.info