Croatian Islands: Antique Festival on Lošinj

Apoksiomen festival will start on April 24 at the popular Croatian resort of Mali Lošinj, which is located on the island of Lošinj in the Adriatic Sea. This festival will be held for the first time and is dedicated to the ancient athlete Apoksiomen - the model of power, strength and beauty among the ancient Greeks. Apoksiomen bronze statue was found in 1999 in the coastal waters of the island at a depth of forty-five meters. The statue (which age is more than two thousand years) was delivered to the surface and after a long and painstaking restoration at the end of the last year began to be permanent displayed at the Kvarner Palace in Mali Lošinj. Apart from with the Croatian Apoksiomen there are survived only seven survived statues of the Greek athlete.

During the festival, which will last four days, residents and resort guests can visit the exhibition of ancient pottery and jewelry, take part in numerous events devoted to the ancient Greece, including the ancient hairstyles competitions, Greco Roman wrestling, presentation of Greek gastronomy and underwater archaeological tours in the coastal waters of Lošinj for the divers. During the festival many hotels will offer their guests special programs - Roman baths and massages.

A small resort of Lošinj is located in the northern part of Croatia in the Gulf of Kvarner. Due to the mild climate, warm sea and developed infrastructure Mali Lošinj is very popular among European tourists. The resort has already become a fashionable holiday destination in the times of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, Prince Rudolph, and many other members of the European royal families came to Mali Lošinj to improve their health.

The main beach of the resort Veli Žal is marked by the blue flag of the Federation for Environmental Education. In 1957 Mali Lošinj hosted the first Underwater Fishing World Championship. In honor of this event a unique monument to the underwater hunters was installed at the resort.