Visitors to Rijeka can enjoy a wide array of wonders in this beautiful Croatian port, from its superb architecture and great sea views to the mountains looming inland. The city also has some fine hotels, plus a range of fascinating visitor attractions – and none so fascinating as the Peek & Poke Computer Museum. It is, without doubt, the ultimate paradise for IT geeks whose interest extends beyond the latest fancy gadgetry from Apple or Microsoft. Instead, it focuses on vintage technology, showing off old computers and equipment from around Croatia dating back to the 1960s.
From consoles to calculators, 1990s PCs to game consoles, it traces the history of computing in the country in a way that will fascinate those who like to trace how the digital revolution unfolded, particularly in countries without direct access to western technology, as was the case for so long as Croatia was part of Yugoslavia under Communist rule. For western visitors in particular, it may be fascinating to see just what was going on in computing on the other side of the Iron Curtain at a time when the PC was becoming common elsewhere and games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders were capturing the popular imagination. At the same time, the museum showcases some western items, like the first home computer (Sinclair ZX800) and the Newton palmtop, which Andy Warhol used for his art. It also shows that not all the best technology came from the free world, as the Croatian city of Buje made the first European calculator in 1971 at the Digitron factory.
There are more than 1,000 exhibits spread over 300 square metres of space in the museum, which was founded in 2007 and run by volunteers who are always on the lookout for more items to put on display. As well as the gadgetry, there are also computer books and magazines from that time and there is a cafe, where visitors may be glad to learn there is a 21st century internet connection they can make use of. The museum is located on Ul. Ivana Grohovca, within easy walking distance from the city centre, with entry costing 20 Kuka (about €3).
