Drop by Drop: Čatrnje and Lokve – Guardians of Water in the Neretva Valley

At the heart of the exhibition is water—its availability, collection, and preservation as a prerequisite for life in the karst landscape. Particular attention is devoted to čatrnje, stone water reservoirs that, in many settlements, were the primary and often the only source of drinking water, as well as to lokve, natural or man-made depressions used for watering livestock. The focus is on the Neretva Valley, a region of striking natural contrasts. The author of the exhibition Drop by Drop is Maja Alujević, Museum Advisor at the Ethnographic Museum of Split, while the curator of the Dubrovnik presentation is Branka Hajdić, Senior Curator at the Dubrovnik Museums. The valuable photographs of vernacular architecture were taken by Markica Vuica, head of the Baštinik Association from Metković, during many years of field research. The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by a performance by the Neretvanke singing group of the Metković Cultural and Artistic Society (KUD Metković). The exhibition will remain open until 30 October 2026 at the Ethnographic Museum.