The third international Gljivarijadi was held at Bedečkovec Lakes, bringing together mushroom and nature enthusiasts. Participants took part in a forest walk, expert lectures, a mushroom exhibition, and a mushroom identification contest, with the gathering rounded off by a meal, music, and dancing.
Darko Ban, the deputy of the Krapina-Zagor County, highlighted at the opening that a special atmosphere could be felt at the event. He stressed that community and togetherness were the most important aspects of the event. He expressed his satisfaction at having launched the first Gljivarijadi and that it had been a success.
The mayor of the municipality of Bedekovec, Željko Odak, said that Gljivarijadi was a fine example of the synergy between people and nature. He thanked the organizers and all the associations that had contributed to the organisation and quality of the meeting. He pointed out that the municipality of Bedekovčina continued to support the partnership and such events by all associations. He added that this was the second organisation in their municipality and that they could expect the municipality to support such an event next year. Gljivari was wished a successful tour of the forests with the help of a carriage and horse or on foot.
The mayor of the municipality of Stubičke Toplice, Josip Beljak, congratulated the organizers on the holding of the event. He stressed that they were expecting a beautiful Saturday filled with time in nature. He thanked the association of Zagor for its cooperation with the municipality of Stubičke Toplice, which had been in place for two years. He invited the gathered to a traditional event in Stubičke Toplice, on 17 October, when their 29th mushroom gathering, the largest in Croatia, would take place. He praised the work of the association of Zagor and its involvement in many events throughout the year, not only in the Zagor region but also in the wider region, with at least 50 events in the region and beyond.
The mayor of the town of Zabok, Valentina Đurek, said that she was particularly pleased with the cooperation between the town of Zabok and the association of the Association of Mushroom Pickers. She praised the work of the association and its participation in a number of events. She said that the best association in the Krapina-Zagor county, but also in Croatia. She thanked the host for the hospitality, the municipality of Bedekovčina, the county of Krapina-Zagor and the ministry for their support and the participants for their pleasant stay and successful mushroom picking.
The president of the Association of Volunteers and Veterans of the Homeland War in the Krapina-Zagor County, Josip Horvat, said that the town of Zabok had provided the premises for the work of the Association of Mushroom Pickers. He considered this an important contribution to the work of the association and to the event.
The director of the Directorate for the development of agriculture, Mladen Frk, said that people had been connected with nature and the forest since ancient times and that they had always been collectors. He stressed that climate change had affected not only agriculture, but also mushrooms. As a result, there were far fewer mushrooms in the forest, and some species that had not previously been common in our country had appeared. He stressed the protection of the white truffle. He said that the Ministry of Agriculture had protected the white truffle at the level of the Republic of Croatia and that a procedure had been initiated for the registration of the white truffle at the level of the European Union, which would make it the 53rd protected product with a label of origin.
The president of the Zagor Association of Horse Breeders, Dragutin Togni, said that the Gljivari was primarily a story, a tradition and the effort of its organizers. He said that they were there to take the mushroom pickers for a ride and allow them to enjoy the ride and the company. He thanked the friends of the horsemen from all over Croatia and Slovenia who had arrived with their horses and carriages, thus enriching the meeting with their presence.
