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Krk:
Golden Island
June 12, 1998, p.8.
Croatian Information Centre
PRESS CUT - Croatian Press News in English - June 26, 1998
Rich in olive-groves and vineyards, nature and
monuments, beautiful bays and sand beaches, Krk is attractive not only to
sailors, but also to others who can reach the island by land or plane Krk
has been called the "golden island" since Roman times for it has always been
a symbol of wealth. While abundant olive-groves and luxuriant grapes grew
here, cattle were scattered over lush pastures and pubescent oak trees
(Quercus pubescens) rose up to the sky. Fish scales shimmered on fishing
nets, sea salt smelled of iodine and rich cloths were woven. This is what it
was like during the Roman times. Although Krk is proud of other riches
today, it still deserves to be called "the golden island."
The largest Croatian island, Krk is situated in
the Kvarner region on the northern Adriatic. Connected to land by a bridge,
it is easily accessible. In addition, it has a large airport which can
receive airplanes from all over the world. Once you reach the island, all
you have to decide is where to go. The possibilities are numerous: nautical
Punat, monastic Kosljun, the Roman town of Krk, Glagolitic Vrbnik, wooded
Malinska, the swimming centre of Baska, gentle Njivice or perhaps the town
of Dobrinj, situated on the hill in the interior of the island from where
you can see the entire island of Krk.
The town of Krk was already an urbanised
settlement during the Roman times, and it has been the island's main town
ever since. The remains of the Roman walls can even be seen today. The four
twelfth-century towers of the Frankopan castle rise up over the seaside.
Meanwhile, the cathedral was built on the remains of Roman baths in the
fifth and sixth centuries.
Today's cathedral is the result of multiple
reconstruction and rebuilding efforts. St. Quirinus, a two-story Romanesque
church, was built besides the cathedral's façade. The town is described by a
fourth-century stone inscription which mentions Krk as "spendissima civitas
Curicratum," or the "magnificent town of the Krk residents." The first
tourist organisation, the Society for the Embellishment of the City, was
already established in this magnificent town in 1866.
The largest marina on the Croatian Adriatic is
situated nearby in Punat, a deep bay protected from the wind and capricious
winter waves. As a result, Punat is known for being a reliable winter resort
for numerous European sailboats and other boats. The oldest Adriatic
shipyard for the construction of wooden ships was once located here. A
superbly-equipped marina developed out of the shipyard, and it still
contains a shipyard which is suitable for the repair of modern boats. In
addition to the marina, Punat is also famous for its excellent olive oil
which is still produced in the traditional way.
The small island of Kosljun, situated in the
middle of Punat Bay, should be visited at all costs. Inhabited since the
Roman times, the Franciscans have been living on this island since the
fifteenth century. The gothic Franciscan monastery is an important cultural
centre, for sacral, ethnographic, library, archaeological, numismatic,
scientific and musicological collections have all been gathered here
throughout the centuries. In addition to the Ptolemaic Atlas, many other
fourteenth-century manuscripts on parchment, incunabula and missals are kept
here. A beautiful flora and fauna natural reserve is situated around the
monastery.
On the other stony side of the island, facing
the land, the town of Vrbnik is nested on a cliff overlooking the sea. This
naturally protected position favoured an early development of the
settlement, which was founded in prehistoric times. Today's town is the
preservation of the features of a medieval settlement which was raised by
the Krk dukes of Frankopan. By the fourteenth century, the town had its
charter written in the Glagolitic script. In the famous fifteenth-century
library of Vrbnik resident Dinko Vitezic, five thousand volumes are held,
including the most valuable Glagolitic manuscripts from the fourteenth and
fifteenth centuries as well as several incunabula. Thus, Vrbnik is a strong
Glagolitic center; engraved Glagolitic inscriptions can even be found on
numerous churches in Vrbnik and in the surrounding areas. At its foot,
Vrbnik has a beautiful little port, while deep fertile vineyards and fields
are found in the hinterland.
In the autumn, when young wine is racked, the
entire city smells of this golden drink. Vrbnicka Zlahtina is famous in the
world. Today, Baska is famous for its two-kilometres of gravel beach. It is
considered the most well-known tourist settlement on the island. One of the
oldest Croatian-language written monuments, engraved in stone, the Baska
Tablet was found nearby in the Benedictine Church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor,
in Baska Bay. The Baska Tablet has a special meaning for Croatian culture
and literature.
For those who decide to spend their summer by
the sea, yet are still looking for some forest shade, they should definitely
go to Malinska, which is located in an area called Dubasnica, named after
the dub or oak forests.
In the woods surrounding Malinska, sea waves
and treetops murmur. This can be enjoyed by the guests of the Haludovo hotel
complex, which includes a "Fishing Village" which was built after a model of
old island villages by the sea. Omisalj and the remains of the Roman
settlement of Fulfinum are situated near Malinska. While Njivice is famous
for its culinary specialities, all of these places have beautiful beaches.
To reach the isolated picturesque beaches, boats can be rented in some
tourist centres.
When you are on Krk, it is important to
discover the interior of the island as well as the coast. Green on one side,
the other side of the interior offers beautiful sights of the karst areas
where the diligent hands of the islanders have been raising dry stone walls
for centuries, dividing fields and pastures, as well as arid soil in which
natural pools guaranteed survival. The vistas spreading out from the heights
of Krk to the Kvarner region will remain in your memory for a long time to
come.
Vesna Kusin
Sources:
- Dalmatia.net -
http://www.dalmatia.net/croatia/tourism/krk.htm (no longer online)
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