{"id":15386,"date":"2025-07-24T14:54:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T12:54:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitslavoniabaranja.com\/vidi-i-dozivi\/intervju-franjo-vinkovic-kovac-mogu-iskovati-sve-od-maca-do-cvijeca\/"},"modified":"2025-07-24T15:02:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T13:02:18","slug":"intervju-franjo-vinkovic-kovac-mogu-iskovati-sve-od-maca-do-cvijeca","status":"publish","type":"vidi-i-dozivi","link":"https:\/\/visitslavoniabaranja.com\/en\/vidi-i-dozivi\/intervju-franjo-vinkovic-kovac-mogu-iskovati-sve-od-maca-do-cvijeca\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW: FRANJO VINKOVI\u0106, BLACKSMITH I can forge anything – from a sword to a flower…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

…and I\u2019ve been called to forge the crown of Croatia\u2019s King Tomislav<\/strong><\/em>. The story of a craft is a special experience, tourists love to witness forging, fire, sparks, hammer blows, and hear how it’s all done.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you the kind of tourist who doesn\u2019t just bring home souvenirs but also one-of-a-kind experiences or even a new skill? In that case, the Vinkovi\u0107 Master Blacksmith Workshop, run by Franjo Vinkovi\u0107 is the place for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only master blacksmith in Osijek-Baranja County and one of just six in all of Croatia is also the only one who does restoration work. His smithy is sustainable and alive with tradition and craft. Between the fire, hammer, and metal, you\u2019ll witness a display of strength that instantly transforms into surgical precision. A brute and an artist. A unique experience \u2014 unlike anything else offered in the city, and yet perfectly in sync with \u0110akovo\u2019s landmarks: the cathedral, the State Stud Farm, the Bishop\u2019s Palace, and the Strossmayer Park. If you stop for one of his handcrafted items you can observe the forging process, learn about this ancient craft, and even try your hand at shaping metal into a functional or artistic object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How did a city kid end up in a nearly extinct trade?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– I love blacksmithing. It\u2019s a blend of the old and the new, manual labor and physical strength. And yet, under the heavy hammer, even the most delicate objects are born \u2014 like the bouquet of flowers I forged for my master\u2019s exam in 2007. In the smithy, you face history every day, from the discovery of fire and metal. These are primal materials, with no harm to nature. And that\u2019s the balance \u2014 sustainability. It feels good to know that thanks to me, this ancient craft isn\u2019t dying out, and that my workshop has become a destination for those who want to witness something unique and leave with a completely new experience. I do both agricultural and artistic blacksmithing, as well as restoration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you turn blacksmithing into an authentic tourism story?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Tourists are most intrigued by the story itself and our work as blacksmiths. There are so few of us left, and we\u2019re living reminders of the past. My smithy is real life \u2014 no apps, no gimmicks. Tourists enjoy the interaction. The fire, the hammering, the sparks all make for an unforgettable experience. My approach is educational, but I also demonstrate my skills and even let visitors try shaping the metal themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If tourists wanted something from your workshop, what would you present or make for them?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– My license allows me to teach through demonstrations, and I\u2019ve run many workshops at festivals, fairs, and museums. I make a variety of items to order \u2014 nothing is impossible to forge from metal. I\u2019ve crafted pieces inspired by the \u0110akovo Cathedral, the Lipizzaner horses, traditional headscarves and hats, swords\u2026 To mark the 1100th<\/sup> anniversary of the Croatian Kingdom and King Tomislav\u2019s coronation, I\u2019ve been invited to lead workshops making replicas of his crown and early Croatian swords. I\u2019ve made Templar swords, Roman spatha<\/em> replicas for the Vinkovci City Museum\u2019s Roman Days, and sickles in collaboration with the \u0110akovo Heritage Museum. I\u2019ve even been asked to restore wooden chests for the Me\u0111imurje Museum in \u010cakovec. My metalwork can be seen all around \u0110akovo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Culture gave you permanent authorization for working on immovable cultural heritage…<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– That opened doors to work on historical and sacral buildings and museums. I\u2019m currently restoring the metal parts on windows for the Archdiocese of \u0110akovo-Osijek. I\u2019ve worked on the cathedral crypt\u2019s fence, the fencing in front of the Bishop\u2019s Palace, made a new fence for the Strossmayer Park, and handled various museum orders. My craftsmanship extends beyond my smithy, adding value to my shop and my tourist offering..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u0110akovo is also the city of Lipizzaner horses \u2014 and the relationship of horses and blacksmiths is everlasting\u2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Absolutely. It\u2019s a connection rooted in the history of this craft and horses. In addition to horseshoes as souvenirs, I also make branding irons used at the Stud Farm. Can there be a more beautiful tourism story than that of the historic bond between blacksmithing and horses, as seen in \u0110akovo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your craft is also a story about family, right?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Yes. Out of my four sons, two are following in my footsteps. Goran is a second-year mechanical engineering student, while Franjo trained to become a blacksmith and we work together. It\u2019s fulfilling to see my sons envision their future in the forge. Visitors love the fact that this is a family, craft, and tourism story \u2014 and that the blacksmith\u2019s fire won\u2019t die with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Facebook: Majstorski kova\u010dki obrt “Vinkovi\u0107”- \u0110akovo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written by: Suzana \u017dupan<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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