Taste the Destination in Karlovac County: Local Food, Sustainable Practices and Experiential Learning at Muljava
19/06/2026
On 15 June 2026, the Public Institution Regional Development Agency of Karlovac County -
JURRA, as Project Partner 5 in the GUSTI project, implemented the local “Taste the
Destination” event at the Muljava excursion site in Vojnić, Karlovac County.
The event was organised as an educational and promotional activity within the GUSTI project
- Gastro UpScaled Tourist Itinerary in rural regions of Croatia and Italy, co-financed by the
Interreg Italy-Croatia Programme. Its main purpose was to promote sustainable gastro-cultural
tourism, local food products, experiential learning and the strengthening of stakeholder
capacities in sustainable gastronomy.
Muljava became a meeting point for school cooks, school principals, local producers,
representatives of public institutions and other stakeholders connected with local food
systems, sustainable tourism and short supply chains. Through the event, visitors and
stakeholders had the opportunity to take part in an immersive gastronomic and cultural
experience, showing how local products, traditional recipes and practical knowledge can be
connected with modern approaches to sustainable destination development.
A special focus was placed on practical learning and the exchange of knowledge. School cooks
from county schools prepared new and traditional dishes, including dishes and concepts
connected with honey-based gastronomy where applicable, discussed ways to improve school
meals and explored how to create nutritious meals while reducing food waste. This practical
component was closely aligned with the GUSTI project’s approach, which promotes
gastronomy not only as part of the tourism offer, but also as a tool for education, sustainability
and stronger links between local producers and local communities.
The event also highlighted the importance of local ingredients and short supply chains. Local
producers presented their products, allowing participants to better understand the path from
local production to the final meal. This approach supports the wider GUSTI objective of
valorising local gastronomy, intangible cultural heritage and sustainable food practices as part
of an authentic destination experience.
For PP5 JURRA, the “Taste the Destination” event also represents an important step in the
wider implementation of activities related to API-tourism, beekeeping, honey-based
gastronomy and green and digital skills. These topics are part of JURRA’s pilot action “Honey
Lab” in Karlovac County, which aims to strengthen the role of local producers, students,
tourism stakeholders and the wider community through hands-on education and practical
demonstrations.
By bringing together different groups of stakeholders in one place, the event contributed to
the GUSTI project’s broader goals: strengthening sustainable gastro-cultural tourism,
supporting local communities, promoting responsible use of food resources and encouraging
cooperation between public institutions, producers, educational actors and the tourism sector.
The “Taste the Destination” event in Karlovac County showed that gastronomy can be much
more than a tourism product. It can become a platform for learning, cooperation and
sustainable local development, while preserving the authentic tastes, knowledge and
traditions of the destination.
