Читать книгу The Islands of Croatia - Rudolf Abraham - Страница 11
ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
A view of the Kabal peninsula – which stretches north from Stari Grad on the island of Hvar – from Brač (Walk 19)
Croatia’s myriad islands form an outstandingly beautiful landscape, stretching along the coast in a fragmented arc from the Kvarner Gulf in the northwest to the walls of Dubrovnik in the southeast. Bare limestone ridges, toothy knolls and rock-strewn plateaus alternate with olive groves, vineyards and areas of lush green forest; sundrenched beaches and rocky coves are punctuated by spectacular sea cliffs; and remote, uninhabited islets protrude, just barely, from some of the most crystal-clear waters anywhere on the Adriatic.
Along with the rest of the country, the islands are incredibly rich in history, having witnessed the rise and fall of cultures, kingdoms and empires across well over two and a half millennia – from Bronze and Iron Age hill tribes and Greek colonists to imperial Rome and mercantile Venice, Croatia’s medieval kings and the Dual Monarchy of Austria–Hungary. There is a wealth of architecture to be seen here – medieval walled cities, Roman ruins, Venetian palaces, Romanesque churches and opulent Austrian villas – and colourful festivals are spread throughout the year, several of them inscribed on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, preserving local tradition and culture. Croatia’s islands are also home to a staggering array of wildlife and plants – from birds of prey to butterflies to bottlenose dolphins, including numerous species that are rare or endemic.
The islands are covered by a network of superb hiking trails. Paths are almost uniformly clear and well marked, and the views are frequently spectacular. Yet remarkably, despite many of the paths being almost no distance from busy tourist hot-spots, most see hardly any walkers at all.
The walks in this guide cover 14 islands spread fairly evenly along the length of the Croatian coast, visiting better-known places such as Hvar, Brač and Mljet, as well as less well-known spots such as Dugi otok and Lastovo. The walks can all be completed within a day, and are almost all easy, with no technical difficulties or scrambling. They range from short, easy coastal strolls with minimal elevation gain to more challenging full-day outings over rocky ridges and summits. The majority of the walks are on footpaths, rather than on unsealed roads and 4WD tracks, and most have access to shops and other facilities (and generally, public transport) at one or the other end of the route.
CROATIA: KEY FACTS AND FIGURES
| Country name | Republika Hrvatska |
| Capital | Zagreb |
| Language | Croatian |
| Currency | kuna (kn or HNK) |
| Population | 4.29 million (2011 census) |
| Land surface area | 56,594 sq km |
| Length of coastline (including islands) | 5835km |
| Number of islands, islets and reefs | 1185 |
| Time zone | GMT +1 (CET) |
| International telephone code | +385 |
| Electricity | 220V/50Hz |
| Main religion | Roman Catholic (87.8%) |
The islands
Croatia’s Adriatic coast and islands are the most popular part of the country with visitors, both foreign and domestic. Neveretheless, population density on the islands is low, particularly outside the main holiday season when they return to their sleepy Mediterranean selves. And while there are several extremely popular spots on the coast of the islands, which attract a huge number of visitors during the summer, inland the islands remain largely rural and remarkably little visited.
Even the most popular towns on the coasts of the islands are quite small, and almost universally have outstandingly well-preserved historic cores, often with narrow cobbled streets and lovely Romanesque, Venetian and Hapsburg architecture clustered around a sheltered harbour.
Landscapes and terrain vary considerably between islands, from olive groves and scattered forest to saltwater lakes, rocky ridges and plateaus crisscrossed by ancient drystone walls.
Given the islands’ popularity there is no shortage of accommodation, and there are supermarkets, banks and other facilities in the main towns. There are regular ferry services to all 14 islands in the guide, and there are bus services to all but three of the walks described.
The islands follow the same regional divisions as the Adriatic coast, and the walks in the guide are arranged from north to south – starting with those in the region of Kvarner in the north (including Krk, Rab, Cres and Lošinj, Walks 1–12), then covering Northern Dalmatia (including Pag, Ugljan and Dugi otok, Walks 13–18), Central Dalmatia (including Brač, Hvar and Vis, Walks 19–24) and Southern Dalmatia (including Korčula, Lastovo and Mljet, Walks 25–30).
Geography
There are some 1185 islands, islets, isles and reefs on the Croatian Adriatic – the precise figure varying somewhat depending on whether some of the smaller islets and reefs, submerged at low tide (it’s easy to forget that the Mediterranean has a tide – albeit a very minimal one in the Adriatic), are included or not. Of these islands 67 are inhabited, the two largest being Krk and Cres, each with an area of around 405km2, followed by Brač (395km2), Hvar (297km2) and Pag (284km2), while at the other end of the scale many of the smaller islands such as Susak, Lopud and Koločep have surface areas of less than 5km2.
Evening light on the rocky island of Prvić, just off the southern tip of the island of Krk, near Baška
Generally elongated, the islands follow the northwest–southeast orientation of the coast, and represent all that remains above sea level of a low, outlying range of hills which once formed part of the coastal ranges such as Velebit, Mosor and Biokovo, collectively known as the Dinaric Alps. Terrain (and vegetation – see ‘Plants’ below) on the islands varies considerably, from relatively flat and low to knobbly hills and crags, long sinewy ridges and spectacular sea cliffs, together with an endless succession of secluded coves, many of them accessible only by boat.
The hills on these islands are not particularly high – the greatest elevation on any of the islands is Vidova gora (780m), on the island of Brač; other prominent ‘island highs’ include Sv Nikola (628m, on Hvar), Osoršćica (589m, on Lošinj), Hum (587m, on Vis) and Obzova (568m, on Krk). While these figures may not seem very high, bear in mind that in most cases climbing them involves starting from just above sea level. In contrast, some of the islands are much lower – the highest point on Unije is only 95m above sea level.
Goli otok and Prvić, with storm clouds over Gorski kotar, from Kamenjak summit on Rab (Walk 5)
The Croatian coastline is spectacularly indented, with a total length of some 1777km over a distance of only around 526km (the latter figure measured as a straight line from the Slovenian to the Montenegrin border). This figure rises to 5835km when all the islands are included – the coastlines of the islands alone accounting for over 4000km of this figure. The coastline is rocky, with beaches made up of either rocks or, less frequently, pebbles. Fine shingle or true sandy beaches are rare, some of the best known – and consequently the most popular – being Zlatni rat (at Bol, on the island of Brač), Vela plaža (at Baška, on the island of Krk), Rajska plaža or ‘Paradise beach’ (at Lopar, on the island of Rab), Sv Duh (near Novalja, on Pag) and Saharun (on Dugi otok).
The islands are formed mainly of Cretaceous limestone – laid down on the seabed in the form of shells and other marine life when the Adriatic, along with the rest of this part of Central and Eastern Europe, was submerged beneath a shallow tropical sea some 66–145 million years ago. The Croatian Adriatic had become a coastal plain by the Pleistocene Era (2.5 million–11,700 years ago), with the gradual flooding of this coastal plain during the Holocene leading around 7000 years ago to the creation of the islands and the Adriatic Sea as we now know it.
The beginning of the trail from Kamenjak, with Goli otok ahead, on the island of Rab (Walk 6)
Croatia is karst country. Karst is formed by the gradual dissolving of the limestone rock by rainwater – or, more specifically, by the combination of rainwater and carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere and the soil, which results in a weak solution of carbonic acid. Over millennia this process gradually enlarges surface drainage holes, as well as horizontal and vertical cracks and fissures in the rock, as the water percolates downwards, creating distinctive surface features such as vertical fluting (karren), solution pans, limestone pavement and sinkholes (doline), while beneath the surface it leads to the formation of an extensive network of caves and underground drainage channels, with all rainwater rapidly disappearing underground.
Collapses in the roof of these subterranean voids leads to the formation of larger sinkholes and cenotes. (Most of the deeper caves and sinkholes in Croatia are on the mainland, and some of these are extremely deep – Lukina jama on Velebit is among the 15 deepest sinkholes in the world.) Polje – large, level-floored depressions up to several kilometres in size, where a thin layer of alluvial soil has gradually accumulated – often form the only suitable areas for growing vegetables and the cultivation of crops.
Many of these features will be encountered while walking on the islands – for example Jama Komoračišće, a prominent sinkhole on Kom, Korčula (Walk 27), and limestone pavement on Šćah, Ugljan (Walk 15), to name but two. On the island of Rab a number of such karst and other geological features are highlighted on marked geological trails (Walk 7).
The island of Susak (and part of Unije) is unusual in being composed largely of sand and loess laid over a limestone base; while the quarries of Brač have long been famed for their white marble, much prized by sculptors and used to build Diocletian’s palace in Split during antiquity and, more recently, part of the White House in Washington DC.
Climate
The Croatian coast and islands experience a Mediterranean climate, and this is distinct and separate from the inland continental climate, which is significantly colder during the winter. The islands are protected from this colder climate by the mountain barrier of the coastal ranges (the Dinaric Alps).
Evening light on the east slopes of Sv Vid, seen from Pag town (Walks 13 and 14)
Summers on the coast and islands are hot and dry, with average mean temperatures of between 21°C and 22°C on the northern and central Dalmatian islands in June and September, and average mean temperatures of between 24°C and 25°C for the same area in July and August. At least half the days in July and August reach 30°C or above, although the highest temperatures recorded are not above 37°C–38°C. Even outside the summer months it is a balmy 18°C and 17°C in October and May respectively, and 14°C in April. Expect temperatures to be slightly higher in the south (Korčula, Dubrovnik) and very slightly cooler further north (Cres, Rijeka) – although these differences may be minimal. Hvar is supposed to have the most hours of sunshine on the Croatian Adriatic – around 2715 per year – with most other islands in central Dalmatia not far behind. Sea-water temperatures in central Dalmatia are usually around 22°C in June and September, and up above 24°C in July and August – most Croats would consider sea-water temperatures of anything less than 20°C decidedly chilly.
Whereas the heat can frequently become intense in early August on the mainland coast and in cities such as Split and Dubrovnik, summer temperatures on the islands are generally moderated by a light breeze, making them significantly more pleasant. These general observations do not hold true on islands with less vegetation, such as Pag or Goli otok (‘naked island’), where the heat during the summer months can be well and truly fierce.
Winters on the coast and islands are relatively mild, although frequently rainy (with less rain on the islands than the coast). January is the coldest month, with an average mean temperature of around 8.5°C on northern and central Dalmatian islands. November tends to be the wettest month. Snow is rare in the mainland coastal area (not so the mountains just inland from the coast, which see significant snowfall during the winter months) and rarer still on the islands – even Split and Dubrovnik are unlikely to see more than one day of snow, on average, in January.
Several winds can buffet the Croatian coast and islands at any time of year, the strongest (and most disruptive) of which is the bura – a cold northeasterly, which descends upon the Adriatic from the cols and high passes of Velebit in gusts which frequently reach gale force. The Venetian traveller Alberto Abbé Fortis, writing in the 18th century, even claimed that on occasions the bura would pick up young children and dash them against the walls of houses, and throw down horses loaded with salt. There is a saying in Croatia that the bura is born in Lika (the region behind the Velebit mountains), lives on Velebit and dies on the sea – but you can expect it to give the eastern coasts of Krk, Rab, Pag and some other islands a pretty good battering, too. When the bura really does blow, expect choppy (and cooler) seas, possible disruption to ferry and catamaran services, and possible closures of bridges to traffic (including buses) on the main coastal highway.
Trees bent by the bura wind, on the rocky northeast coast of Rab (Walk 6)
Other winds include the jugo, a moderate southerly (jug meaning ‘south’) that typically brings cloud and rain to the coastal mountains and is traditionally associated with bad temper and ill health. (In the Republic of Dubrovnik during the Middle Ages, crimes committed when the jugo was blowing generally earned a more lenient sentence for their perpetrator, following the belief that the wind had, at least partially, driven them to commit the crime or induced their fit of rage.) The maestral is a brisk sea breeze that tends to blow from the morning to the early afternoon; the široko is a warm, dry southeasterly from north Africa, roughly equivalent to the sirocco in other parts of the Mediterranean.
When to visit
On balance, the best time to visit Croatia’s islands is between April and October, with May, June and September being the best for walking, and July/August being the hottest and busiest (most Croatians take their holidays on the Croatian coast in early August). Wildflowers will be at their most impressive in June. Many hotels and private rooms close during the winter, although prices will be lower than in high season at those which do remain open, and competition for rooms much less. Some ferries operate a reduced service outside the summer months. On public holidays (see ‘Croatian national holidays’ below) expect shops to be closed and public transport to be considerably restricted.
Wildlife
Croatia has an incredibly rich biodiversity for a country its size, with over 38,000 known species of plants and animals, including around 1000 which are endemic, and many species that are threatened or endangered. The Croatian islands are particularly interesting for the profusion of reptiles and invertebrates that can be seen, and for their extraordinarily rich plant life, while the surrounding waters of the Adriatic are inhabited by a wealth of marine life.
Mammals
Mammals including Red and Roe deer, Wild pig and Fox can be found on various islands on the Croatian Adriatic, along with smaller species such as Red squirrel, Pine marten and Common dormouse. There are several species of bat (at least five species on Lastovo alone), including Greater and Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Savi’s pipistrelle and Long-fingered bat (the latter classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List). Mouflon (wild sheep, ancestor of modern domestic breeds) can be seen on Dugi otok and Lastovo, having been introduced for hunting in the 19th century, and a few of the islands are home to an elusive and little-known carnivore, the European jackal (Canis aureus, also known as the Golden jackal). None of the other large carnivores present in small numbers on the Croatian mainland – Brown bear, Grey wolf and Lynx – are found on the islands. The island of Mljet is conspicuous as the only place in Europe where the Indian grey mongoose is found in the wild, having been introduced in the early 20th century to exterminate the island’s burgeoning native population of snakes. Incidentally, Croatia’s currency (the kuna) is named after the Pine marten – kuna in Croatian – the pelts of which were used as a unit of trade and measure of currency in the Middle Ages.
Istrian cattle at the edge of Unijsko polje, on the island of Unije (Walk 12)
Domesticated livestock includes large numbers of sheep and, in declining numbers since they are now little used to work the land, donkeys (the best place to see the latter is around Mir jezero on Dugi otok).
Reptiles and amphibians
Croatia’s rocky limestone landscape provides a superb habitat for reptiles, of which Croatia has 41 species (nine of them endemic), with the greatest concentration of these being on the Dalmatian coast and islands.
Croatia has an impressive number of snakes, most of them harmless. Venomous snakes are absent entirely from some of the islands (Lastovo, Mljet, Vis), and on those islands where they are found they are less common than on the mainland. Non-poisonous species include the Four-lined snake, one of the largest European snakes, although completely harmless and easily recognisable by the yellowish-brown stripes along its back; the Leopard snake, which has distinctive brownish-red, dark-edged markings; and Balkan, Western and Large whip snake.
Two venomous species of snake are found on the islands in Croatia: the Nose-horned viper (Vipera ammodytes, known locally as poskok), which is highly venomous and has been recorded on several islands including Pag, Krk, Brač, Hvar and Korčula; and the Common viper or Adder (Vipera berus). The Nose-horned viper is either light grey or brownish copper, with a dark-black zigzag pattern along its back, and is easily recognisable by the soft horn at the end of its snout. It is found on rocky hillsides, under low bushes and around drystone walls. The Montpellier snake, while also venomous (although much less so), has fangs at the back of its jaws rather than the front, so it is extremely unlikely for a human to be bitten unless the snake is actually picked up. Walking boots and hiking poles will usually alert a snake of your approach and give it time to slither off, and snakes will usually only bite in self-defence.
Italian wall lizard in a village near Paški most (near Zadar, on the mainland)
A number of lizards are common (several of them endemic), among them the Balkan green lizard (easily recognisable by its sheer size, up to 16cm or more in length, as much as by its striking green colour) and only slightly smaller Green lizard. Smaller, more commonly seen species include the Common, Italian and Dalmatian wall lizard – the latter two species are quite hard to tell apart, both having black and green stripes along their bodies – and the darker-coloured Sharp-snouted rock lizard. The Lastovo wall lizard is endemic to the island of Lastovo. Other species of reptile include Turkish gecko, European glass lizard and Hermann’s tortoise.
Hermann’s tortoise in the village of Jovići, near Paški most (Pag bridge)
Amphibians inhabiting the islands are less commonly seen, but include the European green toad (recognisable by its distinctive marbled pattern), Agile frog (pale brown, with a slightly pointed snout), the smaller (less than 5cm) European tree frog and a subspecies of the common newt.
A useful resource for identifying the reptiles and amphibians of Europe is www.herp.it.
Birds
The cliffs at Beli on the island of Cres constitute the last remaining habitat of the enormous Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Croatia. The birds are huge, with a wingspan of some 2.5 metres, and feed on carrion (historically, sheep carcasses, although a decline in sheep farming has meant there are fewer of these today). If approaching the cliffs by boat it is essential that engines are switched off and that the boat doesn’t get too close, otherwise it’s not uncommon for the young birds to try to escape their nests before they’re able to fly – and fall into the sea and drown. Smaller birds of prey include Common buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine falcon and Eleonora’s falcon.
Waders and wildfowl can be found in areas of brackish marshland such as Saline on Veliki Brijuni and Veliko blato among the saltpans of Pag, including Little egret, Grey heron, Purple heron and Great crested grebe, as well as rarer species such as Great white egret. Seabirds and shorebirds include Black-headed and Yellow-legged gull, Eurasian black tern, Cory’s shearwater and Pygmy cormorant, as well as the rare Audouin’s gull on the islets of the Lastovo archipelago.
Other species of bird include the Eagle owl (Europe’s largest species of owl, recognisable by its size and its prominent ear tufts), Eurasian hoopoe (recognisable by its distinctive black-and-white striped wings and prominent crest), European bee-eater (which has particularly bright-coloured plumage), Alpine swift (an extremely fast-flying bird, distinguishable from the Common swift by the white patch on its breast), Rock thrush and Rock partridge (the latter listed as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List).
For more information on birdlife in Croatia see www.croatiabirding.com.
Invertebrates
Croatia has a vast number of invertebrates – over 15,000 land-dwelling invertebrates have been recorded, plus another 1800 or so freshwater invertebrates and over 5600 seawater invertebrates. Over 600 of them are endemic, with underground karst habitats being particularly rich in endemic species. Invertebrates are also the least studied group of Croatian animals, and several new species have been discovered in recent years – which suggests that there are many species which are as yet undiscovered.
The large and exotic Two-tailed pasha on the summit of Kom, Korčula (Walk 27)
Croatia has over 180 species of butterfly (compared to 56 in the UK), and many of them can be seen on the islands – including such exotic, localised species as the Scarce swallowtail (easily recognisable by the distinctive, very long protruding ‘tail’ at the back of each wing), Southern swallowtail (with shorter ‘tails’), Two-tailed pasha (a large, fast-flying dark butterfly with orange wingtips and two prongs or tails at the back of its wings, which can be spotted on some island hilltops) and endemic Dalmatian ringlet. Croatia also has 71 species of dragonfly and damselfly (compared to 38 species of dragonfly in the UK), and those on the islands include Small spreadwing, Small red damsel, Winter damselfly and several classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, such as Bladetail and Black pennant.
Winter damselfly on Dragodid, the headland north of Komiža, on the island of Vis (Walk 24)
The European garden spider (also known as Cross-web spider) is common, its web (as the name implies) frequently slung between trees and branches across hiking trails, although it is completely harmless (and, thankfully, larger individuals tend to have their webs above head height). The European black widow spider (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus), the bite of which can be extremely dangerous, is also found in Dalmatia, albeit highly localised and in very small numbers (for example, in some areas around Zadar). There are also numerous species of ant – some 35 species on the Kornati islands alone.
For more information on butterflies, including photos for identifying different species, see www.eurobutterflies.com (and the Lepidapp app www.lepidapp.co.uk), www.lepidoptera.pl and www.leps.it.
Fish and other marine life
The waters of the Croatian Adriatic are abundant in fish and other marine life, including several species found only in the eastern Adriatic. Nevertheless, overfishing has resulted in several of these species becoming quite rare or even threatened – including some, such as John Dory and monkfish, that appear on menus at most seafood restaurants. (The Marine Conservation Society publishes a handy booklet on which fish you might want to consider avoiding eating, which can be downloaded for free at www.fishonline.org.)
Bottlenose dolphins are a not uncommon sight on the Croatian Adriatic, which is also home to the critically endangered Green turtle, as well as the Loggerhead turtle, and there have been sightings of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal in Croatian waters.
The Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation (www.blue-world.org) runs several scientific, educational and conservation projects from the islands of Lošinj and Vis, including the Adriatic Dolphin Project. The Marine Education Centre at Veli Lošinj (opened in 2003) was the first marine education centre on the eastern Adriatic coast, and the Cres-Lošinj Marine Protected Area was the first such area for dolphins in the entire Mediterranean. They also run an ‘adopt a dolphin’ programme.
Plants
Croatia has over 8800 recorded plant species and some 4500 recorded species of fungi (the actual number in both cases is likely to be significantly higher), making it one of the richest areas of plant life in Europe in terms of species in relation to land area. The number of species on the Adriatic islands is particularly high (for example, there are 810 species of plant on the small island of Lastovo alone, between 700 and 800 on the Kornati islands, and around 1300 on the island of Cres), and the islands also have one of the highest proportions of endemic species in the country.
Wild sage on the trail to Kom, with Lastovo in the distance, Korčula (Walk 27)
Much of the vegetation on the islands consists of maquis – dense hardy shrubs and bushes, including the Strawberry tree (easily recognisable by its distinctive red, strawberry-like berries), Myrtle, and Prickly and Phoenecian juniper – and low evergreen trees, most characteristically Holm oak (also known as Holly oak) and Downy oak, interspersed with Oriental hornbeam, Manna ash and stands of Aleppo pine. Wild herbs such as rosemary, lavender, bay, sage and thyme grow in profusion, along with fennel and wild asparagus, augmented by olive trees (there are several different varieties), carob and fig.
Some of the islands have more extensive areas of forest – the most heavily forested islands on the Croatian Adriatic are Mljet, the western half of Rab, and Korčula. At the opposite extreme are islands such as the appropriately named Goli otok (meaning ‘naked island’) and Pag, where vegetation is extremely sparse. Rab is a good illustration of these extreme contrasts – the lower western half of the island, and in particular the Kalifron peninsula, is incredibly lush and green, while the higher eastern side of the island, and in particular the steep slopes above the east coast, is rocky and largely bare. The little that does grow there is bent double by the harsh northeast wind, the bura.
Alpine sea holly, near the summit of Obzova, Krk (Walk 1)
Plants on the islands include Alpine sea holly, Dubrovnik knapweed (also known as Star thistle, endemic to Croatia), Illyrian cottonthistle, Immortelle, Spanish broom, Spiny spurge, the so-called ‘Curry plant’, several species of bellflower and numerous species of orchid.
National parks and nature parks
Croatia has eight national parks (nacionalni park, usually abbreviated to the prefix NP) and 11 nature parks (park prirode, or PP). The islands are home to five of these:
Kornati Islands National Park (NP Kornati, www.kornati.hr)
Mljet National Park (NP Mljet, www.np-mljet.hr)
Brijuni Islands National Park (NP Brijuni, www.brijuni.hr)
Telašćica Nature Park (PP Telašćica, www.telascica.hr)
Lastovo Islands Nature Park (PP Lastovsko otočje, www.pp-lastovo.hr)
There are also many reserves and specially protected areas, including Dundo Forest Reserve (Kalifron peninsula, Rab), Koćje (Korčula), Veliko blato (Pag), Kuntrep Ornithological Reserve (Krk), and the Kruna and Podokladi Ornithological Reserves (Cres).
The lush green of Mljet National Park (Walk 29)
An entry fee is payable on entering a national park (and some nature parks), and you should hang on to your ticket as you may be asked to show it later. Camping is prohibited in national parks and nature parks.
While the wildlife and geological features of a natural/nature park are undoubtedly of exceptional interest and beauty, this does not necessarily in itself make an island the best destination for hiking. In fact, some of the best hikes are on islands that are not designated national/nature parks.
Many of Croatia’s other national/nature parks are on, or easily accessible from, the mainland coast, and you can easily combine your stay on the islands with a visit to one or more of these: Krka, Paklenica, Plitvička jezera, Risnjak and Sjeverni Velebit national parks, and Biokovo, Učka and Vransko jezero nature parks.
History
Evidence of the presence of Neolithic man is widespread on the islands of the Croatian Adriatic, where they hunted for game, fished in its waters, and sheltered in its many limestone caves.
The Croatian Apoxyomenos – an intact life-sized bronze Roman statue, discovered in waters near Lošinj
Settlements grew during the Bronze Age and Iron Age, and from around 800BC the history of the eastern Adriatic becomes synonymous with the Illyrians, an Indo-European people, composed of numerous tribes scattered throughout the region from the Veneto to Albania. Among the most important of these tribes were the Liburni (famed pirates, who originally controlled the coast and islands from Istria to the River Krka), as well as the Delmatae, the Japodes and the Ardiaei. Traces of many of their hill forts still remain on the Adriatic islands, and a number of them have left their names in the region (‘Dalmatia’ from Delmatae; ‘Adriatic’ from Ardiaei).
Greek settlers arrived in the fourth century BC, establishing colonies on several of the islands including Korkyra meliana (Korčula), Issa (Vis) and Pharos (Hvar), as well as on the coast at Epidaurus (Cavtat), Tragurion (Trogir) and elsewhere.
Rome launched a series of campaigns across the Adriatic against the Illyrians, beginning in 229BC and leading to the establishment of the Roman province of Illyricum, with its capital at Salona on the edge of modern Split. The remains of Roman villas, palaces and other buildings are widespread on the coast and islands, including the incredibly well-preserved amphitheatre at Pula and the UNESCO-listed Diocletian’s Palace in Split.
Diocletian’s Palace, Split, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
After the fall of Rome in the fourth century AD the region witnessed a succession of invasions – Visigoths, Huns, Ostrogoths – until Byzantium gained control of the Croatian coast and islands, ushering in an a spell of relative peace and prosperity from the sixth century until the arrival of another horde, the Avars, at the beginning of the seventh century.
The Slavs arrived on the Adriatic some time in the seventh century, having crossed the Danube and gradually settled in the rest of Croatia over the preceding two centuries. Most of the Dalmatian coast and islands were ceded by Byzantium to the Franks in 812, although Byzantium regained its control of Dalmatia around half a century later, when it became one of a number of Byzantine ‘themes’, with its capital at Zadar.
The second half of the ninth century saw a gradual increase in the power and autonomy of local Croatian dukes, reflected in a move towards religious autonomy and the adoption of Glagolitic (the written form of Old Church Slavonic) instead of Latin by the local priests. In 888 Duke Branimir pledged his loyalty to the Pope and assumed the title Duke of the Croats; Tomislav became the first king of Croatia in 925; and during the reign of Petar Krešimir IV (1058–1074) Dalmatian and Pannonian (inland) Croatia were for the first time unified into a single state, although it is not certain that all the islands were included in this.
Petar was succeeded by Zvonimir (1075–1089), who had the title King of Croatia and Dalmatia conferred upon him by Pope Gregory VII, but his kingdom more or less fell to pieces during the power struggles which followed his death, and in 1091 Hungary invaded Croatia, with the Hungarian Arpad dynasty inheriting the rights of the Croatian kings in 1102.
It was during this period that the city of Dubrovnik (or Ragusa) rose to power. Founded in the first half of the seventh century by refugees from Epidaurus (Cavtat), a city recently devastated by the Avars and the Slavs, Dubrovnik soon grew rich on maritime trade, and in the 12th century developed into an independent republic. In 1190 Dubrovnik signed treaties against external enemies, in particular Venice, and by the 14th century its territory stretched from the Kotor inlet in Montenegro to the northern tip of the Pelješac peninsula, and included the islands of Lastovo and Mljet.
The Roman forum, ninth-century Church of St Donatus and the bell tower of the 12th–13th century Cathedral of St Anastasia in Zadar
In the 12th century Venice launched a series of attacks on the coastal cities of Dalmatia, as well as on a number of its islands, sacking Zadar in 1202 as part of the infamous Fourth Crusade (which would go on to sack Constantinople two years later) and taking Dubrovnik in 1205. Venice is credited with having sourced much of the wood for its magnificent fleet from the islands of the Croatian Adriatic.
The Mongols arrived on the Adriatic coast during the 13th century, which they ravaged while in hot pursuit of King Bela of Hungary. There was a brief return to Hungarian rule in the 14th century, with Venice temporarily relinquishing its grip on Dalmatia, but by 1420 Venice controlled the whole of Dalmatia – with the exception of Dubrovnik, which became an independent republic with its own government from 1358 – a grip it would not relinquish until the arrival of Napoleon.
The Ottoman conquest of the Balkans during the second half of the 15th century saw the displacement of large numbers of people. Some of them, such as the Glagolitic priests from the Poljica Republic (the mountainous area inland from Split), took refuge on the islands, the latter on Brač, where they founded a monastery at Pustinja Blaca. Others became famed pirates – the Uskoks of Senj, scourge of Ottoman (and Venetian) shipping for years (‘God keep you from the hands of Senj’, went an old Venetian saying).
Relief sculpture in the town of Vis
Napoleon extinguished the Venetian Republic in 1797, and his victory over Austria in 1805 resulted in Dalmatia being ceded to France, and the creation of the Illyrian Provinces. He dissolved the Republic of Dubrovnik the following year. Napoleon instigated a number of reforms in Dalmatia, including the establishment of schools and the University of Zadar to combat illiteracy; the draining of the marshes to combat rampant malaria; even a tree-plantation programme, in an attempt to restore the denuded forests. Yet these reforms remained largely unpopular, due in part to French opposition to the clergy, and to the fact that new taxes were introduced upon the locals in order to pay for the reforms.
Dalmatia was returned to Austria in 1815 following the Congress of Vienna, with the Istrian coast and the island of Lošinj developing into favourite resorts for the well-heeled Austrian elite, while ship-building boomed in Rijeka and Mali Lošinj. However, the ongoing imposition of Hungarian language and culture in Croatia, and the fact that most upper-class Dalmatians spoke Italian, led to the rise of the Illyrian Movement, with calls for the teaching of Slavic language at schools, and for the unification of Dalmatia with Slavonia (inland Croatia, which was now under Hungarian control again).
With the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of the First World War in 1918, a Croatian delegation made an agreement with the Serbian government for the establishment of a parliamentary monarchy ruling over the two countries, and in December 1918 the first communal Yugoslav state, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, was founded. It was to last until 1941, although it was never recognised by the Treaty of Versailles. However, the Treaty of Rapallo in 1920 gave Istria, Zadar and a number of islands to Italy, and a new constitution abolished the Croatian sabor (parliament) and centralised power in Belgrade, leading to opposition to the new regime.
Germany invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941, installing the Ustaše as rulers of the Fascist NDH (Independent State of Croatia), headed by Ante Pavelić, who between 1941 and 1945 implemented a range of decrees against the ‘enemies’ of the regime (primarily Jews, Gypsies and Serbs), including the establishment of several extermination camps. However, the Ustaše drew their support from only a minority of the population, centred around Lika and western Herzegovina, and owed their authority largely to the support of Hitler and Mussolini. That their support would remain minimal in Dalmatia was guaranteed by an agreement to cede large chunks of the coast and islands to Italy. Armed resistance to the Ustaše was taken up by the Četniks, soon to be superseded by the National Liberation Partisans under Josip Broz Tito, to whom Allied support was channelled and who by 1943 controlled much of Croatia. In 1944 Tito made a cave on the remote island of Vis his clandestine base for operations.
Titova špilja, used as a base by Tito during the Second World War, on the slopes of Hum, Vis (Walk 22)
Following the end of the Second World War, the Federal Peoples’ Republic of Yugoslavia was established on 29 Nov 1945, consisting of six republics and two autonomous provinces. Tito initiated a number of constitutional reforms and formally broke with Stalinism in 1948. But the perceived over-representation of Serbs in government positions and the security forces, combined with the suppression of organised religion, led to increasing dissatisfaction in Croatia, culminating in the ‘Croatian Spring’ of 1971. Following Tito’s death in 1980, discontent and nationalist aspirations which he had largely driven underground in 1971 slowly rose to the surface.
Free elections were held in April 1990, with Franjo Tuđman and the HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) elected to office with 40 per cent of the vote. Mass dismissals of Serbs from the public service sector, combined with an unrelenting Serbian media campaign heralding the rebirth of the Ustaše, prompted Croatia’s 600,000 strong Serb community in the Krajina and eastern Slavonia to demand autonomy. In May 1991, following the deaths of 12 Croatian policemen near Osijek, a referendum was held, with over 90 per cent voting in favour of Croatian independence, which was formally declared on 25 June 1991. In response, the Krajina Serbs held their own referendum and voted to remain part of Yugoslavia. JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army) forces entered Slovenia, which had also declared its independence, but were comprehensively defeated in five days. In Croatia, the so-called ‘Homeland War’ was to take a very different course.
In June 1991 heavy fighting broke out in the Krajina and eastern Slavonia, after which the Serb-dominated JNA increasingly intervened on its own authority in support of Serbian irregulars. European Community mediation persuaded Croatia to freeze its declaration of independence to prevent the country spiralling into further bloodshed, but in the three months following 25 June a quarter of Croatian territory fell to Serb militias and the JNA. In September, the Croatian government ordered the blockade of federal military installations within Croatia; in response the JNA blockaded the Adriatic and laid siege to the historic town of Vukovar on the Danube. The United Nations declared an arms embargo on all republics of the former Yugoslavia.
In October the JNA and Montenegrin militia positioned themselves on the hills above Dubrovnik, beginning a siege that would last until June the following year and draw widespread international media attention. In November Vukovar finally fell, having been almost razed to the ground by relentless air and artillery bombardment, and many of the surviving inhabitants were massacred. By December, thousands of people had died in the fighting in Croatia, and more than half a million fled their homes.
Korčula town, said to have been the birthplace of Marco Polo
A ceasefire and UN negotiations in early 1992 were accompanied by the withdrawal of the JNA, although significantly it did not mark a return to pre-war borders or provide for their future settlement. In May 1995 Croatian forces took matters into their own hands and entered occupied western Slavonia, quickly regaining control of the area; the Krajina Serbs responded by shelling Zagreb. In August Croatia retook the Serb stronghold of Knin. In December 1995 the Dayton Accord was signed in Paris, and Croatia’s international borders were recognised.
The years since 1995 have seen most of the physical scars of the war repaired, at least on the coast – although many parts of Vukovar in eastern Slavonia still remain in ruins. Tourist numbers and foreign property buying have soared, and local salaries have risen. Croatia achieved candidacy status for EU membership in 2004, finally joining the EU in July 2013.
Language
Croatian is a South Slavonic language, closely related to Serbian and Bosnian. The relationship between Croatian and Serbian is variously seen as similar to that between British and American English, or as that between two wholly separate and distinct languages, depending on one’s point of view. The standardisation of language while Croatia was part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1991) resulted in the amalgamation of Croatian and Serbian (as the two dominant languages within the Federation) into Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat. This was written in the Latinised Croatian alphabet in Croatia, and in Cyrillic in Serbia. Since independence, there has been a concerted effort on both sides of the border to untangle, and in some cases polarise, the two languages.
English is widely spoken in Croatia, particularly in Zagreb and major tourist centres on the coast (although less so in smaller towns and villages off the main tourist trail). However, as anywhere making the effort to learn at least a few words of the local language will be appreciated by locals and make travel more rewarding.
Road sign at Križići, on the island of Cres (Walk 8)
Croatian is a phonetic language – that is, every letter in a word is pronounced, and the pronunciation of a given letter is always the same (which makes it far more consistent than English). A number of letters occurring in English are pronounced completely differently in Croatian, most notably ‘c’ (pronounced ‘ts’) and ‘j’ (pronounced ‘y’), so learning the correct pronunciation of these will greatly improve your chances of being understood properly.
See Appendix E for a list of useful Croatian words and phrases.
Getting there
By plane
Visitors can fly to Croatia and take a ferry to the islands from the Adriatic coast. There are several major airports on the coast – (north to south) Pula, Rijeka (the airport for which is actually on the island of Krk), Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. For the walks in this book, Split, Zadar and Rijeka (see Appendix B for information on these gateway cities) are the most convenient, as they are the main departure points for the islands by ferry (see ‘Getting around’ for more information on ferries and Appendix C for ferry routes). Visitors who plan to see a bit more of the country than just the coast and islands should consider flying to Croatia’s lovely capital, Zagreb, and making their way to the coast from there by bus or train (see ‘Getting around’ for more details on local transport).
Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.com) has direct flights from London (and other European cities including Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt) to Zagreb and (either direct, or via Zagreb) all major Croatian cities including Split, Zadar and Rijeka. British Airways (www.ba.com) also flies to Zagreb and Dubrovnik for roughly the same fare as Croatia Airlines. Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) flies from the UK to Zadar, Rijeka and Pula; Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) to Zagreb, Split and Dubrovnik; and Wizz (www.wizzair.com) to Split. Other airlines operating routes from the UK include Flybe (www.flybe.com), Jet2 (www.jet2.com) and Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk), and (via Cologne/Bonn) German Wings (www.germanwings.com). Flights get heavily booked in the summer – so book as far in advance as possible. Note also that schedules (especially those of the low-cost airlines) are subject to frequent change. Always check online.
By train
Visitors can get to Croatia by train from Western Europe. However, note that a train ticket from the UK will almost certainly be more expensive than a flight unless you’re willing to be very flexible with travel dates, and you’ll need to change trains a few times. The train is likely to be a more attractive option for those arriving from cities in neighbouring countries, such as Trieste, Venice, Ljubljana, Budapest, Belgrade and Sarajevo. See the Rail Europe (www.raileurope.co.uk) and especially the Deutsche Bahn (www.bahn.com) websites for possible routes and fares. Better value is an InterRail (www.raileurope.co.uk) or a Eurail (www.eurail.com, which must be bought outside Europe) pass, which allows travellers to stop off and explore several other countries on their way to Croatia. InterRail tickets, once the privilege of those under the age of 26, are now available to all age groups.
By bus
International coach services run to Croatia from the UK, Germany and other countries in Western Europe (see www.eurolines.com) – although the fare from London is not much less than a flight.
Catamarans in front of the harbour building and Diocletian’s Palace, Split
By ferry
There are several regular ferry crossings between Croatia and Italy – note that some of the following routes only operate in the summer.
The Croatian state ferry company Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr) sails from Bari to Dubrovnik twice weekly, from where the ferry continues up the coast via Korčula, Stari grad (Hvar) and Split to Rijeka. It also operates services between Ancona, Stari grad (Hvar) and Split, and between Ancona and Zadar. Azzurra Line (www.azzurralines.com) also sails between Bari and Dubrovnik. SNAV (www.snav.it) sails between Ancona and Split; Blue Line (www.blueline-ferries.com) sails from Ancona to Split, and Ancona to Hvar; Sanmar (www.sanmar.it) sails between Pescara, Hvar and Split. Venezia Lines (www.venezialines.com) sails from Venice to Pula, and from Venice to Poreč and Rovinj; Trieste Lines (www.triestelines.it) sails from Trieste to Rovinj and Pula; Commodore Cruises (www.commodore-cruises.hr) operates ferries between Venice and Pula, Rovinj Poreč and Umag.
Getting around
By ferry
Travelling by ferry along the Croatian coast and between the mainland and islands is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding ways of exploring the Croatian Adriatic, and in the case of the islands (with the exception of Krk and Pag, which are connected to the mainland by bridge, or unless you happen to have your own boat) it’s the only way to get there. All of the major inhabited islands – including all the islands featured in this guide – are accessible from the mainland by ferry or catamaran, the most convenient ferry-departure points being Split, Zadar and Rijeka (see Appendix B). Services between some of the major islands are not as comprehensive as they might be (in some cases inter-island services are non-existent). Ferry tickets are cheap (sometimes an absolute bargain) for those travelling on foot, but less so for those with a car. As well as the larger passenger ferries (which also carry cars) there are smaller car ferries, small passenger-only ferries and faster passenger-only catamaran services.
Ferry approaching the harbour in the town of Vis
Most routes are operated by the state ferry company Jadrolinija (www.jadrolinija.hr), and these are augmented by routes operated by a handful of smaller, private companies. Sailings vary from once daily to more than a dozen times a day, and are usually reduced out of season and over the winter (with some routes only operating during the summer). Book tickets for high-speed catamaran services at least a day in advance if possible (although sometimes ticket offices open only around half an hour before departures).
See the introduction to each island chapter for details of ferry routes from the mainland and other islands. For a complete list of ferry and catamaran services relevant to the walks in this guide, see Appendix C.
Flights
Croatia Airlines (www.croatiaairlines.com) operates flights between Zagreb and the cities of Pula, Rijeka (airport on the island of Krk), Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik on the coast. Fares are reasonable, and in all cases shuttle buses operate between the airport and city centre.
By train
There are regular rail services between Zagreb and Rijeka (4hrs) and Zagreb and Split (6hrs 30mins) – but no rail services along the coast itself, on the islands or between Zagreb and Dubrovnik. Rail fares are cheap in Croatia, and services reliable, although the high-speed train to Split is not as high-speed as might be expected (and suffered a major derailing in 2009). Faster, intercity trains are called brzi vlak; slower, local trains are called putnički vlak.
Buy tickets in advance (it costs more to pay on the train, and during the summer seats get booked up, especially the high-speed train to Split). Seat reservations are compulsory for international services and the high-speed service to Split, but not for local trains (note that if buying a return ticket, the seat reservation will be for the outward journey only – you’ll still need to make a seat reservation for the return journey at the departure station for that part of your journey). A return (povratna karta) is cheaper than two singles, and two people travelling together can get a joint ticket (zajednička karta) at a reduced price (but there’s only one ticket and you’ll both have to travel together for the full journey including the return). See www.hznet.hr for timetables and fares (click on ‘HŽ Putnički prijevoz’, then select language, then click on ‘timetables’).
By bus
Local bus services operate on most of the major islands (including all but one of those featured in this guide) and in most cases provide a convenient, easy way to get around, at least between the main settlements. Some bus services connect neighbouring islands joined by a road bridge (for example, Cres and Lošinj), and continue to cities on the mainland via ferry (for example, buses from Cres cross by ferry to the island of Krk and continue from there to Rijeka and Zagreb on the mainland via road bridge).
Intercity buses cover most towns in Croatia and tend to be slightly more expensive than an equivalent train journey, while Croatia’s new motorway system, constructed over the past decade, has cut journey times between Zagreb and the coast to similar to (or in most cases faster than) the equivalent route by train.
As with train tickets, return journeys are cheaper than two singles, and a return ticket on intercity routes includes a seat reservation only for the outward journey, so you’ll need to pay for the return seat reservation once at your destination. There are no seat reservations on most short local routes. (Many ticket offices will tell you that a seat reservation for the return journey is not necessary, and often they’ll be right, but it is advisable to politely insist that in your case it is necessary, rather than risk missing a connecting ferry or flight should all the seats suddenly get booked up).
See the introduction to each island chapter for details of local bus routes. For timetables and fares see www.autotrans.hr (covering many of the islands) and local tourist information office websites (details below, in the introduction to each island); otherwise try www.autobusni-kolodvor.com, although this never lists all services. For routes to/from Zagreb also check www.akz.hr.
The dry, almost lunar landscape of the Furnaža peninsula, on the island of Pag
By car
When driving in Croatia, whether in your own or a hire car, be aware of the following rules and regulations.
Drive on the right and carry a driving licence at all times.
Speed limits are 50km/h in towns or any other built-up areas, 90km/h on the open road, 110km/h on dual carriageways, and 130km/h on motorways (and for drivers under the age of 24, the speed limits are 10km/h less than each of these figures).
Wearing seat belts is mandatory (including all passengers), as is the use of child seats for infants up to the age of six (children under 12 cannot sit in the front seat).
Headlights must be switched on at all times, including (dipped) during the day.
All cars must carry a reflective vest or jacket (which should be worn at the scene of an accident) and snow chains during the winter.
Driving while using a mobile phone is prohibited.
The blood alcohol limit is 0.05% (zero for drivers under the age of 24).
Motorways operate on a toll system, as does the bridge between the mainland and the island of Krk and the Učka Tunnel in Istria. Note that ferry prices for taking a car to the islands are much higher than for those travelling as foot passengers – another reason to use public transport. Drivers should note that the main coastal highway (Magistrala) is single lane, windy and gets extremely busy in the summer. In case of a breakdown, contact the Croatian Automobile Club (www.hak.hr, tel. 987).
Cycling
Croatia’s islands are great for cycling. Traffic is in most cases less manic than on the coast, the views are often wonderful, and most tourist centres of any size have at least one place where you can hire bikes. Several local tourist boards have made a concerted effort to promote cycling, with maps of cycle routes available and some degree of signposting. There’s also a national ‘bed and bike’ scheme, see www.mojbicikl.hr/bike-bed/.
Some of the best areas on the islands for cycling are the Kalifron peninsula on Rab; the Kabal peninsula and Stari Grad Plain on Hvar; the central part of Brač; the Bradat peninsula on Korčula; and Mljet. For more information on cycling in Croatia (including route descriptions for several islands, plus links to maps and other publications) see www.pedala.hr (website only partly in English; for routes click on ‘biciklističke rute’, then ‘regije’, where you can search by region).
Premužićeva staza hiking trail, Rab, where it joins the coast (Walk 7)
Hitchhiking
Hitching on the Croatian coast and islands is generally a rather unsatisfying experience – few people are likely to stop, and it’s not always easy to find a good place to stand where you’re not going to get mown down by passing traffic. You can also try looking for a ride (with a small charge) on the local hitching forum, www.gorivo.com. In Croatia, as elsewhere, hitching can never be recommended as entirely safe for those travelling alone, particularly women.
Accommodation
There is a wide range of accommodation on the Croatian coast and islands – from large resort-style complexes to small boutique hotels, pensions (pansion), private rooms and apartments, hostels and campsites – and even several lighthouses. Private rooms (sobe – similar to a B&B, but usually without breakfast) and apartments (apartmani – usually with a small kitchen) are generally better value than hotels. Some rooms and apartments have a minimum one-week stay, and most will charge a supplement for stays less than three nights. Local tourist offices usually have private accommodation listed on their website, and some will book it for you, while others will refer you to a local agency for the booking itself. In most cases the owner of the soba or apartman will come to meet you at the tourist office and show you to your chosen accommodation.
Hotels usually offer their best rates online. Try to book as far in advance as possible during the peak season (July–August), as places do get booked up. Prices are significantly lower during shoulder seasons (May–June and September–October), and many places close during the winter months (those which remain open tend to reduce their rates by as much as 50 per cent at this time). Prices are often quoted in euro and converted to kuna according to the daily rate. Hotels often only charge a small amount above their room rates for half-board. Wild camping, and camping within a national park or nature park, is prohibited.
A useful website to search for private rooms and apartments is www.gdjenamore.com. For youth hostels, see www.hfhs.hr; for lighthouses offering accommodation, see www.lighthouses-croatia.com. Local tourist board websites are listed in the introduction to each island.
Sculpture on a wall in Supetar, on Brač
Food and wine
Croatian food is delicious, and it’s worth coming here just to eat.
Perhaps not surprisingly, seafood features prominently on menus on the islands, from ‘premium’ white fish such as gilthead bream (orada) and sea bass (brancin), which are priced by the kilo, to a wide array of shellfish and more humble but no less delicious dishes like marinated sardines. Fish is typically served grilled (na žaru) or boiled (kuhano), topped with olive oil, garlic and parsley, and traditionally served with blitva (Swiss chard) and potatoes.
Ispod peke is a slow, traditional Croatian method of cooking octopus, lamb or other meat – together with potatoes, onions, wine, olive oil and other ingredients – by roasting it in a shallow dish which is covered with an iron ‘lid’ or ‘bell’ sprinkled with hot coals.
Lamb is another perennial favourite on the islands, usually spit roasted or cooked ispod peke (the best lamb is said to come from the island of Pag, where the animals graze on sparse herbs dusted with sea spray by the bura wind).
