Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026: the “fifth season” begins in Matulji with carnival customs, local flavors, and guided tours
From January 17, 2026, Matulji enters a period that is rightfully called the “fifth season” in the Kvarner region. The carnival calendar in this “most carnival-spirited” municipality is packed again this year, and alongside traditional bell ringer processions and events related to Pust, the Matulji Municipality Tourist Board is building the Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 program as an experiential story that combines gastronomy, education, and spending time in nature. For visitors, this means one thing: in the same day, it is possible to experience the sound of bells on village paths, taste menus designed for this period, and then go on a guided walk or cycling tour, all in the atmosphere of masquerade that lasts for weeks in Matulji.
In practice, Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 starts on January 17 and extends until the end of February, relying on a network of local caterers and producers and on the recognizable carnival identity of the entire area. Visitors who want to experience Matulji up close, especially on weekends, count on increased interest and the need for earlier planning right from the start. For those coming from other regions, logistics are key:
accommodation offers in Matulji usually fill up fastest precisely during the dates of central events.
Pust in the Municipality of Matulji: tradition that dictates the rhythm of winter
The carnival period in the Matulji area has a clear structure and a series of established rituals. According to the Pust 2026 program and local announcements, the first “bells” symbolically open the season at the beginning of January, when bell ringer groups mark the entry into carnival days with processions. The central, municipal beginning is tied to Antonja: on January 17, the Pust is raised in Matulji, formally entering the masquerade period, which this year lasts until February 18, that is, until Ash Wednesday. This calendar is not just a list of dates but a framework around which other contents are arranged, from carnival dances to special menus, workshops, and outdoor activities.
In this context, Matuljicious Pust+ Edition is not an “addition” to tradition, but a way to expand traditional contents into an experiential and tourist offer that includes local flavors, learning, and staying in nature. This is precisely why the emphasis is placed on continuity: so that visitors can choose between several types of content over several weeks, depending on whether they come for culture, gastronomy, recreation, or everything together.
Bell Ringers and UNESCO: cultural heritage that is alive in the field
The Matulji area is part of the wider Kvarner story about bell ringers, whose processions are recognized as intangible cultural heritage. Institutions that monitor and document the custom emphasize that this is a tradition that does not come down to a performance, but includes the skill of movement, endurance, precisely determined procession routes, and a strong social role in connecting villages and the community. In practice, this is seen on days when bell ringer groups pass through hamlets and towns, accompanied by locals, households, and visitors, and the sound of bells becomes a signal that “Pust” is ongoing and that the community is gathering around rituals and shared fun.
For visitors, this is often the strongest impression of Matulji in winter: an authentic custom that is not “staged”, but takes place in real space, on roads and paths where the custom has been passed down for generations. Precisely because of this, part of the audience comes specifically for weekends with larger gatherings and reviews, which Matuljicious Pust+ Edition uses as a natural point of connecting culture and the offer of local food.
If you are planning to come for several days, it is practical to consider
accommodation near the event venue in Matulji in advance, especially for weekends when a larger number of visitors is expected and when the event schedule is densest.
“Smarts in the head”: workshops that connect local knowledge and experience
The educational part of Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 is named “Smarts in the head” and is designed as a series of workshops offering experiential learning, often through contacts with local producers and caterers. Particularly noteworthy are riding workshops at Ranch Anđeli (OPG Dokozić, Bregi) with programs for children and adults. For children, the focus is on the basics of riding and caring for a horse, while for adults, the basics of riding and working with a horse through a structured session are envisaged. Organizers emphasize that workshops are held according to the schedule on Saturdays and Sundays and with a limited number of places and prior reservation, and the execution plan also depends on weather conditions, which is standard for outdoor programs.
Included in the educational program is also a wine workshop by Kapić Winery in Matulji, scheduled for the beginning of February. Such contents target an audience that does not come only “for the masquerade”, but wants to understand the local eno-gastro identity and meet producers through expertly guided tasting. In the same segment, the Stancija Kovačići restaurant in Rukavac offers cheese tasting and dishes with cheese under expert guidance and a cooking school dedicated to traditional dishes of the Kvarner hinterland. This is a format that has been increasingly sought after in recent years: instead of a classic “guest menu”, the experience is set as a combination of story, technique, and tasting.
Matulji’s Hug & Punch enters the program with two workshops relying on coffee culture: a coffee brewing workshop at home with an authorized trainer and a coffee painting workshop, where the creative part combines with tasting and relaxed socializing. Such contents show that Matuljicious relies not only on “big” events but also on a series of smaller, well-targeted experiences that the audience often chooses as a reason for a one-day trip or a weekend stay.
For guests who want to combine workshops and evening contents, it is important to count on the pace and distances between locations across the municipality. In such plans, it is useful to consider
accommodation for visitors in Matulji already when choosing the dates, because a good part of the program takes place on weekends, and some workshops start in the afternoon hours.
“Finger-licking”: promotional menus, carnival delicacies, and Family Farm offers
The gastronomic backbone of Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 is named “Finger-licking” and is based on promotional menus in catering establishments, mostly on weekends, with prior reservation and in accordance with the working hours of individual venues. The program lists restaurants and bistros offering special Matuljišs menus, among which are Stancija Kovačići, Oštarija Fiorin, Bistro Mala Riba, and Carpe Diem (Rupa). The concept is clear: over several weeks, visitors have the opportunity to taste a selection of dishes at predefined prices, which simultaneously facilitates planning and encourages visiting multiple locations.
In practice, such offers often serve also as a “ticket” for getting to know the municipality: a guest who comes for one lunch or dinner easily decides on a walk, a visit to nearby places, and attending events. Especially in the period when the tourist season is outside the summer peak, such programs have added value for the local economy, as they extend demand in months that are traditionally quieter.
Along with caterers, Matuljicious also includes local producers with promotional actions and offers. Among them are a winery, distillate producers, Family Farms (OPGs), and smaller brands of food, drink, and products from the municipality and surroundings. Thereby, the emphasis is placed on “domestic” not as a marketing label, but as a real network of people and products that make up the identity of the region. In this sense, carnival delicacies also gain additional visibility: from traditional sweet and savory snacks to specific recipes that are tied precisely to the time of masquerade.
“Slowly goes a long way”: walks, cycling, and guided tours in masquerade attire
The third programmatic pillar of Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 focuses on staying in nature and interpreting the space. The outdoor segment includes a masquerade edition of hiking and cycling “One su hodile” (They walked), scheduled for Saturday, January 31, with gathering from 10 am at the Mala Riba restaurant in Matulji and the start of activities around 11 am. Such programs balance recreation and the social aspect: participants are encouraged to masquerade, and the content is supplemented with refreshments and “lunch” in the style of local tradition.
Additionally, guided tours BIKE MATULJIŠS are organized, a concept that combines an electric bicycle, a guide, lunch, tastings, and storytelling. In a time when active tourism and experiencing a destination through a story are increasingly sought after, such programs give Matulji an additional dimension: visitors do not just visit “points”, but receive an interpretation of the landscape, local history, and customs, along with a concrete gastronomic element.
For many guests, precisely this is the ideal combination: morning on a bicycle or walk, afternoon at a workshop or tour, and in the evening with a carnival dance or dinner in one of the restaurants included in the promotional offer. Such a schedule, however, requires planning, especially if you are coming from outside Kvarner. In that case, it is practical to secure
accommodation offers in Matulji for weekend arrival in order to arrive without rushing for morning gatherings and evening programs.
Key dates and events: from Antonja to Ash Wednesday
Although Matuljicious lasts until the end of February, the carnival “peak” follows the traditional calendar that ends with Ash Wednesday on February 18, 2026. That end of the carnival period is tied to the burning of the Pust, the symbolic culprit for everything bad from the past year, which is a strong ritual moment in this region and a natural transition from “carnival festivities” to Lent.
Between the beginning and the end, Matulji and surrounding places offer a series of events, including reviews, processions, and carnival dances. Particularly standing out is the 29th Bell Ringers’ Review of the Municipality of Matulji, scheduled for Saturday, February 14, on the Day of the Municipality of Matulji. That date this year falls on Valentine’s Day, so local announcements also play with the symbolism of a “review with a sign of love”, but at the center remains what makes this region recognizable: the sound of bells, groups in traditional equipment, and an atmosphere that attracts thousands of visitors.
In that period, carnival dances are also held in Matulji, as well as events aimed at families and children, which makes the program accessible to a wider circle of the audience. For the destination, this means a prolonged “tourist pulse” in winter weeks, and for visitors the possibility to choose: come for one big Saturday or spread the arrival over several smaller experiences through January and February.
Why Matuljicious becomes important even outside the local framework
Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 is also interesting as an example of how tradition can be presented without losing authenticity. The program does not try to replace the custom, but to supplement it with contents that are logically connected to the identity of the region: local food and drink, workshops related to specific knowledge, interpretive tours, and events that gather the community. At the same time, such an approach helps small producers and caterers because it brings them additional turnover in the period outside the summer season.
From the social side, the manifestation also reminds of the importance of the local community in preserving customs. Bell ringer processions are not a “backdrop”, but a real joint effort and continuous practice that is reaffirmed every year. And when a gastronomic and experiential component is added to that, Matulji gains one more argument to be a destination also for those who otherwise do not travel in winter.
For the audience coming for the first time, the recommendation is simple: follow the schedule, book on time, and leave space for spontaneity. Because part of the charm of Pust is precisely in that plans often change due to processions, encounters, and the atmosphere in the field. In such a rhythm, it is easiest to experience everything if you are close to the events, so many decide to check
accommodation in Matulji in advance and arrange a weekend around key dates.
Sources:- Matulji Municipality Tourist Board – official announcement of Matuljicious Pust+ Edition 2026 and link to leaflet ( link )- Matulji Municipality Tourist Board – digital leaflet with schedule of workshops, menus, and tours ( link )- Novi list – announcement of the start of Pust 2026 in the Municipality of Matulji and overview of key events until February 18 ( link )- Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia – description of the intangible good “Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav area” and link to UNESCO page ( link )- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage – decision on inscription of “Annual carnival bell ringers’ pageant from the Kastav area” on the Representative List ( link )- Croatia.hr / Visit Matulji – overview of events “Carnival time in Matulji 2026” and announcement of Bell Ringers’ Review ( link )
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