- by croatiaweek
-
August 14, 2023
-
In
Entertainment
The 26th “Lađa” begins (Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
ZAGREB, Aug. 14 (Hina/CW) — A team from Zagreb, the current title holders, won the 26th Neretva Boat Marathon (Maraton lađa), which ran a 22.5-kilometer stretch of the Neretva River from the town of Metković to Metković on Saturday afternoon down the seaport of Ploče raced.
29 teams from Croatia and abroad took part in this year’s race.
The Slivno crew finished second and the Gusari crew from Komin third.
(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
Neretva Boat Marathon is an amateur sport competition between rowers in traditional boats known as Lađa. Each team consists of ten rowers, a drummer and a helmsman.
(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
Lađa was used by the ancient Neretva pirates who terrorized the area as early as the 10th century. Due to their small size, Lađa were able to invade any of the rivers that drained into the Neretva, as well as the Neretva river itself.
(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
It can be said that the Lađa to the Neretva has the same meaning as the gondola to Venice.
The race is one of the most important tourist events in southern Croatia.
(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
Among others, President Zoran Milanović took part in the race.
(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
Before the start of the race, President Milanović said in Metković that he liked the boat marathon because of the crowds and the non-political atmosphere. “The coming together of people, the atmosphere and the joy that are not political are important,” said President Milanović.
(Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas)
Comments are closed.