Krk: Where
History Lives on in the Present
Zagreb, December 24, 1999
Plentiful natural tourist attractions, a rich
historical treasury and a dynamic everyday life have never negated each other,
but have rather merged to create a singular tourist destination appreciated, in
particular, by contemporary nomads.
If you ever ask yourself why you like islands, one
of the main reasons will undoubtedly be their ability to offer the more than
necessary occasional escape with its feeling of departure and the abandoning of
everyday worries. If you come to the largest Croatian island of Krk, which
boasts an area of over 400 square kilometers due to the numerous pleasurable
attractions and particularities on offer, choosing the holiday program best
suited to your tastes and wishes will not be an easy task.
So that your uncertainty does not overwhelm you,
it should be said that Krk guarantees a truly unique experience with its mixture
of classical vacation possibilities and its ties to the past. This experience is
a part of the tourist, historical and cultural image of Croatia. You can reach
the island of Krk by bridge, not to mention by sea routes, and since the island
has an airport, it can be reached by plane as well. Plentiful natural tourist
attractions, a rich historical treasury and a dynamic everyday life have never
negated each other, but have rather merged to create a singular tourist
destination appreciated, in particular, by contemporary nomads. You are free to
chose from all of its particularities: the large and small towns and villages,
the contrast between its gentle green promenades and its wild barren rocks, its
islets with numerous hidden coves and beaches that you can enjoy completely to
yourself. Krk is also an island of historical towns juxtaposed against
contemporary marinas and tourist settlements.
In addition to the Krk of today, on which you
will find pleasant wine cellars and konobas, luxury villas, hotels and houses by
the sea, and desirable sea havens during a sail or cruise along the Adriatic,
there is also another, historical, life to Krk. This is the island itself a
treasury through which all those who want to understand the history of Croats
and their literacy, as well as the achievements of civilization, find
inspiration. Life on Krk is measured by a thousand-year history. Bearing
testament to this fact are the mosaics of Roman thermae and the distinctiveness
of small Early Christian churches, the extravagance of Glagolitic monuments, the
heritage of the Krk Frankopan dukes and the paintings of Venetian masters.
The island of Krk is the center of Croatian
Glagolitic literacy, the routes of which lead to Omišalj, the town of Krk,
Vrbnik, Jurandvor and the islet of Košljun. Omišalj is one of four medieval
citadels on the island. It has a Romanesque parish church with a rich collection
of Glagolitic inscriptions dating back to the thirteenth century. The town of
Krk is fortified by city walls and fortresses from the Roman and medieval
period. In addition to other valuable monuments and artifacts, the Cathedral of
the Assumption of the Virgin Mary from the twelfth century should be mentioned
as a particularly valuable part of its heritage. The town of Vrbnik, built on a
50 meter high cliff, is particularly attractive to historians and painters who
go there to find inspiration. If you walk down its cobble-stone streets, you
will find Glagolitic inscriptions above front doors, and carved into the
cornerstones of houses. This is irrefutable evidence that the Glagolitic script
was present in the everyday life of the island.
You will be able to better understand the
importance of these and many other monuments to Croatian history if you join us
in our journey into the past. It all started over a thousand years ago, in the
ninth century. The Salonika brothers, St. Cyril and Methodius, to facilitate the
christening of pagan Slavs composed the Glagolitic alphabet. Although the
alphabet was intended for the entire Slavic world, the Croats preserved it to
the greatest degree. In addition to the Valun Tablet, a monument discovered on
the island of Cres, a Glagolitic inscription on the Baška Tablet, dating back to
the twelfth century, is of particular importance. It was found in the Church of
St. Lucia in Jurandvor on the island of Krk. The Baška Tablet, which is an
acknowledgement to Croatian king Zvonimir for the donated church estate, is also
significant because it mentions the Croatian name in the Croatian language for
the first time in history.
For all those who are interested in the history
and culture of this region, an unavoidable destination is the nearby islet of
Košljun, overgrown with coniferous trees and the only inhabited islet of the Krk
archipelago. Rare samples of Glagolitic manuscripts and incunabula are kept in
the museum of the Franciscan monastery. The museum collection also includes a
Hebrew Bible from the eleventh century, one of only three preserved Ptolemaic
Atlases dating back to 1511, and about 30 thousand other books. So small and yet
so rich, Košljun is also known for its hundred year old grammar school,
well-stocked library, museum, other collections and rarities. Another curiosity
is that one of the first European financial institutions, the so-called
Košljunska posujilnica (the Košljun Money-lending Institution) was established
there and was active between the 17th and 19th centuries. It was a kind of a
monetary institute aimed at insuring poorer inhabitants from usurers. Copious
evidence of this past life can be found on the islet, with items such as a
paraffin projector and a wooden iron attesting to this.
No matter whether you take a break in a café by
the sea or in a wine cellar where you can enjoy figs and home made brandy, or
try fresh shell fish sprinkled with home made olive oil, or sample Krk's world
renowned wines in one of its elegant restaurants, you will always be aware of
the unique island atmosphere. Krk's contagious melodies will help you feel this
uniqueness, as will the cultural manifestations and waterfront fishing
celebrations held for all those who enjoy good parties.
If you wish to exchange the island's vivacity and
developed tourist settlements for a more solitary and a direct encounter with
nature, you will find what you are looking for on the nearby isolated islets.
You can then return to the tourist destinations of Malinska, Njivice, Baška or
Punat with their large marinas, or to the other island towns and villages with
their own distinctive traits. When you get to know all of the aspects of the
island of Krk, you will know why it was worth exploring the treasury of its
natural, cultural and tourist values. Namely, to know Krk is to love it!
Silvana Jakuš
Source:
- Croatia, Croatia Airlines Traveler's
Magazine
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