Ruta Cres
The unique authentic products and artistic creations of the Cres Ruta Association are a brand of the island of Cres – its recognisable, must-have souvenirs, which can now be found on every continent of the world. Through 20 years of work, the Ruta Association has successfully made use of discarded wool and popularised working with wool. It promotes artistic expression, creative work with children and young people, as well as wool and island traditions. It also contributes to the island’s tourism offer by organising creative felting workshops for domestic and foreign guests.
The wool processing carried out by the Ruta Association is time-consuming and painstaking work, but at the same time creative and valuable for the whole community. The process includes the gathering, washing, sorting, combing, dyeing and felting of wool. Through the processing of island wool, education activities and its artistic felting products, Ruta preserves traditional values and promotes sustainable development and the cultural, environmental, tourist and social identity of the island of Cres, in accordance with the island’s sustainable development programme.