Central Dalmatia presents its linguistic, cultural and gastronomic heritage at the European Parliament in Brussels
Central Dalmatia will present its cultural heritage, traditions and gastronomy at the European Parliament in Brussels during the week of 14 to 20 September 2026, as part of an event entitled "Days of Croatian Linguistic History, Culture and Gastronomy". According to the available announcement, the programme will bring together Croatian linguistic and cultural history, traditional music and gastronomic specialities, while the Central Dalmatian part of the presentation will focus on authentic flavours, local customs and the way of life that have shaped the identity of the coast, islands and Dalmatian hinterland. The event is conceived as a presentation of heritage to a European audience at the institutional centre of the European Union, with culture presented not only through historical facts and artistic content but also through everyday practices, food, music and the shared table. The exact date, schedule and complete list of participants are not provided in the available announcement, so these details have not yet been officially confirmed.
A presentation combining language, music and gastronomy
The announced programme includes a presentation of Croatian linguistic and cultural heritage and a concert of traditional Croatian music, while Central Dalmatia will introduce its own identity through gastronomy, local stories and features of everyday life. This concept brings together several layers of heritage that are often presented separately: the history of language and writing, musical tradition, local products, methods of food preparation and social customs associated with dining and hospitality. According to the event announcement, the emphasis is not only on individual dishes or tourism promotion, but on explaining the cultural context in which these customs developed and in which they continue to be passed down today. In this way, Central Dalmatia is presented in Brussels as an area where cultural and gastronomic heritage are interconnected, from the Adriatic coast and islands to Zagora.
The European context of such a presentation is particularly pronounced because of the venue. Since Croatia joined the European Union in 2013, Croatian has been one of the Union's official languages, and the official European Union websites state that the EU currently has 24 official languages and that multilingualism is one of its fundamental principles. Citizens of Member States have the right to communicate with EU institutions in any of these official languages and receive a reply in the same language. For this reason, an event dedicated to Croatian linguistic history at the European Parliament also has a broader European framework: Croatian is simultaneously a national language with its own history and one of the languages used in the everyday institutional work of the European Union.
Croatian linguistic heritage in the European institutional sphere
The Act on the Croatian Language, adopted in 2024, defines Croatian as the official language of the Republic of Croatia and one of the official languages of the European Union, while linking it as a whole with the standard language, literary heritage and dialects. The Act specifically mentions the Chakavian, Kajkavian and Shtokavian dialects and recalls the centuries-old written heritage created in the Glagolitic script, Croatian Cyrillic and Latin script. Such a legal description shows why a presentation of linguistic history can extend beyond a presentation of today's standard language: it includes the history of scripts, dialects, literary texts and the various cultural environments in which Croatian developed.
For Dalmatia, this connection is particularly visible in local speech, oral literature, music and recorded cultural heritage. Chakavian and Shtokavian varieties, island and coastal linguistic characteristics, and historical contacts with other Mediterranean environments form part of a cultural layer that cannot be separated from music, customs and gastronomy. In this sense, the event in Brussels allows language to be presented not only as a means of communication but also as a carrier of local memory. The available announcement does not provide a detailed list of the linguistic topics that will be presented, so it is not possible to specify whether the programme will include particular historical scripts, dialects or specific linguistic monuments.
Central Dalmatia ahead of its year as European Region of Gastronomy
The presentation in Brussels comes at a time when Central Dalmatia is intensively preparing its programme for 2027, the year in which it holds the title of European Region of Gastronomy. The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, IGCAT, officially awarded Central Dalmatia the title at the end of November 2025 in Barcelona. The Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board subsequently announced that the recognition was the result of a process in which experts evaluated the links between gastronomy and sustainability, local production, education, culture and tourism. Alongside the Tourist Board, regional, business, academic and gastronomic stakeholders are also participating in the project, and the objective is not merely to promote food but to establish longer-term connections between local producers, hospitality, education and cultural heritage.
IGCAT describes Central Dalmatia as an area that naturally connects the coast, islands and inland areas, namely Zagora, and it is precisely this geographical diversity that strongly influences the local cuisine. Fish dishes, olive oil, wine, island products, Dalmatian prosciutto, cheeses, meat prepared using traditional techniques and products from the hinterland emerged in different landscapes and economic conditions. The international experts who evaluated the candidacy particularly highlighted the tradition of marenda as a social and gastronomic practice, as well as the importance of small producers, local markets, family farms and the transfer of knowledge between generations. For this reason, the presentation in Brussels has a broader significance than a one-off showcase: it forms part of a period of international positioning for Central Dalmatia ahead of 2027.
Dalmatian marenda as a story of everyday life
One of the elements that has been particularly emphasised in recent years in presentations of Central Dalmatian gastronomy is marenda. In its evaluation of the region, IGCAT described Dalmatian marenda as a practice that goes beyond the meal itself and connects food with socialising, conversation and the everyday rhythm of life. In this context, gastronomy is not reduced to restaurant offerings or luxury dishes, but includes simple meals, local ingredients, seasonality and the social custom of gathering around the table. This is precisely the kind of approach that corresponds to the concept of the announced event at the European Parliament, in which Central Dalmatia will, according to the available information, also present its "way of life" and the stories that keep its heritage alive.
The importance of this approach is also confirmed by the broader European view of gastronomy. In its 2014 resolution on European gastronomic heritage, the European Parliament describes gastronomy as part of identity and cultural heritage and emphasises its connection with local products, agriculture, tourism, education and the preservation of tradition. The resolution particularly stresses the need to preserve local and regional gastronomic customs and to pass on knowledge about food and traditional practices. The event in Brussels therefore fits into a long-established European framework in which food is also viewed as cultural content, rather than merely as an economic product.
UNESCO protection confirms the international significance of Dalmatian tradition
Part of the cultural heritage that shapes Dalmatia's identity has already received international recognition through UNESCO's system for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. In 2012, UNESCO inscribed Klapa multipart singing of Dalmatia on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The description characterises klapa as a multipart singing tradition of the southern Croatian regions of Dalmatia, marked by a cappella singing, oral transmission and a strong connection with the local community. The announced concert of traditional Croatian music in Brussels therefore takes place in a context in which certain forms of Dalmatian musical tradition already possess clearly recognised international cultural value. The available announcement, however, does not name the performers or the concert repertoire, so it has not been confirmed whether klapa singing will be part of the programme.
In 2013, UNESCO also inscribed the Mediterranean diet on the same representative list through a joint nomination by Cyprus, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, Morocco and Portugal. UNESCO does not define the Mediterranean diet merely as a collection of foods, but as a system of knowledge, skills, rituals and traditions related to cultivation, fishing, preparation and the communal consumption of food. Particular emphasis is placed on hospitality, social exchange, intercultural dialogue, seasonality and the transmission of knowledge between generations. This definition directly explains why presenting Central Dalmatia through flavours, stories and a way of life has a cultural dimension that goes beyond a conventional gastronomic presentation.
Brussels as a stage for the region's international visibility
Holding the programme at the European Parliament gives the Central Dalmatian presentation visibility in a city that is one of the European Union's main institutional centres. Brussels brings together European institutions, diplomatic missions, regional offices, international organisations, media and a large number of professionals from different countries, so cultural events in this environment can connect regional stories with audiences beyond national borders. In the case of Central Dalmatia, this is particularly relevant because of preparations for 2027 and efforts to present gastronomic heritage as part of a broader cultural, educational and sustainable development story.
Official materials concerning the European Region of Gastronomy title emphasise international cooperation, knowledge exchange and connections between different sectors. When awarding the title, IGCAT highlighted local gastronomy, cultural heritage and sustainable, community-focused tourism as key elements of Central Dalmatia's candidacy. The Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board announced that 2027 will be marked by a series of gastronomic events and activities, with expectations of greater international visibility for the region. The presentation at the European Parliament can be viewed as part of this process, as it enables the message about local identity to be conveyed in an international institutional environment before the start of the year in which the European Region of Gastronomy title will be in full focus.
From local products to the story of place and people
Central Dalmatian gastronomy developed in highly diverse micro-regions. On the islands and coast, fishing, olive cultivation, viticulture and the tradition of preserving food are strongly represented, while the hinterland offers different agricultural and livestock patterns, meat dishes, cheeses and products adapted to the drier karst landscape. In its evaluation of the candidacy, IGCAT particularly highlighted local olive oils, wines and indigenous varieties, traditional cured meat products, island cheeses, fishing practices and small family producers. Such diversity makes it possible to tell the story of gastronomy through landscape, climate, work and local knowledge, rather than merely through a list of specialities.
This is precisely one of the reasons why linking food with cultural heritage is important for international presentation. A recipe can be transferred beyond its place of origin, but its full context includes the origin of ingredients, production methods, seasonal rhythms, serving customs and the social function of the meal. By combining language, culture and food in this way, the announced event "Days of Croatian Linguistic History, Culture and Gastronomy" creates an opportunity for Central Dalmatia to be presented as a living cultural whole, rather than merely as a tourist destination. This is particularly important at a time when European regions are increasingly seeking to differentiate themselves through local production, sustainability and the preservation of authentic knowledge.
A programme focused on heritage that is still lived today
According to the announcement, the central message of the presentation will focus on what makes Central Dalmatia distinctive: authentic flavours, tradition, cultural stories and a way of life. Within this framework, cultural heritage is not presented as closed historical content, but as a set of practices that still exist today in families, local communities, musical groups, markets, food production and everyday speech. Such an approach corresponds with UNESCO's understanding of intangible heritage, which places particular emphasis on the transmission of knowledge and customs between generations.
The Brussels event therefore comes at an important moment for the region's international presentation. Central Dalmatia enters 2027 with the title of European Region of Gastronomy, while already possessing cultural elements with UNESCO recognition and gastronomic projects that IGCAT has identified as valuable examples of connecting heritage, community and sustainable development. The presentation at the European Parliament further connects this regional identity with European multilingualism and cultural diversity. Until the complete schedule and list of participants are published, it is confirmed that the programme will include Croatian linguistic and cultural heritage, traditional music and a gastronomic presentation of Central Dalmatia as one of the central components of the event.
Sources:
- Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board - official announcement on the awarding of the European Region of Gastronomy 2027 title to Central Dalmatia (link)
- IGCAT / European Region of Gastronomy - official Central Dalmatia 2027 profile and information on gastronomic heritage, projects and the regional context (link)
- IGCAT / European Region of Gastronomy - expert jury report on Central Dalmatia's candidacy, local products, marenda, sustainability and participating stakeholders (link)
- European Union - official information on the EU's 24 official languages and the status of Croatian since 2013 (link)
- Narodne novine - Act on the Croatian Language, provisions on the status of the Croatian language, dialects and historical written heritage (link)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - Klapa multipart singing of Dalmatia on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (link)
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage - Mediterranean diet and Croatia's participation in the multinational element inscribed in 2013 (link)
- European Parliament - Resolution on European gastronomic heritage: cultural and educational aspects (link)