The Halubje Bell Ringers

The Halubje Bell Ringers are a widely recognized and iconic symbol of the traditional cultural identity of Halubje and the Kastav region. Among other bell-ringer groups, they stand out for their distinctive appearance and traditional procession. They wear sheepskins over their shoulders, with a large bell fastened to the lower part of their back. On their heads they wear specially stylized masks – peculiar animal heads with protruding red tongues and horns. They are dressed in white trousers and short-sleeved sailor shirts, and they carry the so-called balta or bačuka. Each year, regardless of the weather, they walk in large groups through the villages of the area, following a long-established schedule.

About the Halubje Bell Ringers

There is a popular legend about their origin: during a Turkish invasion (or, according to some, a Tatar invasion) into the region, local shepherds disguised themselves with frightening masks to scare off the enemy. The story says they draped themselves in animal skins, put on masks, strapped bells around their waists, and created a tremendous noise, successfully chasing the invaders away. With their impressive theatrical performance, the Halubje Bell Ringers are a first-class tourist attraction and a subject of scholarly study, but they also serve as the best guardians of their region’s folkloric traditions. The sound of the St. Anthony’s horn on January 17 marks the beginning of the carnival period, which culminates with bell-ringers visiting the villages of Halubje and the Kastav region, driving away winter and invoking spring. Every year, on Carnival Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (the last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), the Halubje Bell Ringers embark on their traditional procession through the villages of Halubje and the Kastav region.

Over the course of three days, following a long-established route, they visit numerous villages and hamlets within today’s Municipality of Viškovo, City of Kastav, and City of Rijeka. The procession traditionally begins in the village of Marčelji in the early morning hours. Each day, they visit around twenty villages, stopping at each for refreshments and socializing with local residents, thereby strengthening a sense of community and helping to sustain this living tradition. Due to its uniqueness and cultural significance, the procession of the Halubje Bell Ringers, as well as other bell-ringer groups from the Kastav region, was declared an intangible cultural asset in the Register of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia in 2007. In 2009, it was included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

UNESCO

Viškovo will welcome you with a true wealth of intangible cultural heritage inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These include the annual carnival procession of bell-ringers from the Kastav region, the close-interval two-part singing of Istria and the Croatian Littoral, the art of dry-stone walling, and the Mediterranean diet along the Croatian Adriatic coast, its islands and hinterlands.

The irresistible power of tradition in Viškovo is best experienced during the carnival period. Every year, on Carnival Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday (the last Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday), the Halubje Bell Ringers set out on their traditional procession through the villages of Halubje and the Kastav region. Over the course of three days, following a long-established route, the bell-ringers visit numerous villages and hamlets within today’s Municipality of Viškovo, City of Kastav, and City of Rijeka. The procession traditionally begins in the village of Marčelji, in the early morning hours. Each day, they visit around twenty villages, pausing at each for refreshments and socializing with local residents, fostering a sense of community and helping to sustain this living tradition. Due to its uniqueness and cultural significance, the procession of the Halubje Bell Ringers, as well as other bell-ringer groups from the Kastav region, was declared an intangible cultural asset in the Register of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia in 2007. In 2009, it was included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The close-interval two-part singing of Istria and the Croatian Littoral is a complex style of folk music that survives most fully in the regions of Istria and the Croatian Littoral. Thanks to the research and transcription efforts of composer Ivan Matetić-Ronjgov, the traditional singing and playing of the sopela (folk oboe) in the Istrian scale have been preserved to this day. The Istrian scale consists of six tones with specific intervals that provide a theoretical system for the untuned folk music of Istria, the Croatian Littoral and Kvarner. Through Matetić-Ronjgov’s lifelong dedication and passion for traditional music, this style found its place within the tonal system of art music. The composer’s work and legacy are presented in a memorial room in his birthplace, which today houses the Ivan Matetić Ronjgov Institution. The art of dry-stone walling (building without mortar) is characteristic of the entire Adriatic-Dinaric region of Croatia and can be seen throughout the entire Municipality of Viškovo. Generations of locals have built dry-stone walls or gromače: boundaries between properties, fences to keep livestock out, retaining walls to prevent soil erosion, and rims of kalići to increase their height and volume. This inseparable element of the coastal landscape can be seen while walking or cycling along the many trails and bike paths in the area.

The Mediterranean diet on the Croatian Adriatic, with its coast, islands, and hinterlands, is reflected in the social, spiritual, and material aspects of daily life, as well as in customs tied to life and annual cycles. The menus of Halubje and Kastav follow the Mediterranean dietary model typical of the Adriatic hinterland, with variations shaped by historical events and cultural influences. Life in the karst landscape demanded exceptional perseverance and physical effort. Despite the challenging conditions, traditions – especially those related to food – have remained deeply rooted in Viškovo. They connect modern practices with past customs, forming the region’s cultural identity.

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