Experience an unforgettable sailing adventure on the Nerezinac Lugger with the aid of virtual reality!

Get to know the stories about the life of the crew members who, through hard physical work, earned money to feed their families and live on the island. Let the “old” islanders walk by you and see from the waterfront how the port and the town looked like at the end of the 19th century. Set sail with sailors, experience the stormy sea and return to a peaceful harbour. 

The Sailing Interpretation Centre of Lošinj’s Maritime Heritage, NEREZINAC LUGGER – Open-air Museum, was restored to resemble local lugger ships from the late 19th century. The Dražica wooden motorboat, which was renamed Nerezinac after refurbishment, is a valuable example of traditional shipbuilding and since 2010, it has been on the list of protected cultural assets of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia. 

Moored at the Riva lošinjskih kapetana in Mali Lošinj, in front of the Museum of Apoxyomenos, it presents and interprets the long and rich maritime tradition of the island of Lošinj in a modern, interesting and interactive manner. The display consists of three parts: a part on the waterfront in front of the ship, the ship's main deck, and the steerage (former cargo hold). The multimedia display in the steerage presents life aboard a ship through five characteristic thematic units: crew, food, cargo, maritime routes and construction and maintenance of the ship.

The display on the waterfront and the main deck contains an educational board with basic information about the ship and a “workshop” area, where visitors can try out some of the traditional shipbuilding skills, ship maintenance, or sailing and steering skills on the main deck: caulking, sail repair, wood planing, sanding, nailing, steam bending planks, tying sailor’s knots, cleaning the main deck, blowing the horn, lifting visitors using pulleys, raising the sails, etc. Five characteristic stories about the crew, the ship, cargo, maritime routes and the construction and maintenance of the ship will introduce you to the entire experience. Become a part of the life of the sailors on the cargo lugger and sail the sea with them. You will see the shipyard and the port as they were more than a hundred years ago, learn about the life of sailors, their tasks, shipbuilding, trade and everyday life on the island and at sea. You will discover details about their diet, hygiene and funny situations from everyday life, the challenges they faced, worries, but also the happiness of returning to the port.

The thirty-minute virtual tour is available in Croatian and English at a price of 8 euros. Working hours in August are from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and in September also from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The ship also participates in tourist events that include traditional boat regattas, and the goal of this project is to bring the rich Lošinj maritime tradition closer to all visitors and interested groups in a modern, interesting and interactive manner. 

This project was co-financed by the Croatian National Tourist Board, for the purpose of the digitalisation of cultural heritage.