SPLIT: a city and port in Central Dalmatia; population 189,388. Situated on a peninsula

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1 THE CROATIAN ISLANDS & THE ADRIATIC SEA ITINERARY 5 EMBARKATION: SPLIT DISEMBARKATION: VENICE (Italy) Split Brac - Trogir (30 miles) Trogir Veli Drvenik Sibenik (30 miles) Sibenik Murter Pasman (37,5 miles) Pasman Ugljan - Zadar (37,5 miles) Zadar Silba Mali Losinj (52,5 miles) Mali Losinj Rab Krk (45 miles) Krk Cres Pula (45 miles) Pula Venice (75 miles) Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 SPLIT: a city and port in Central Dalmatia; population 189,388. Situated on a peninsula

2 between the eastern part of the Gulf of Kastela and the Split Channel. A hill, Marjan (178 m), rises in the western part of the peninsula. The ridges Kozjak (780 m) and Mosor (1,330 m) protect the city from the north and northeast, and separate it from the hinterland. Split has the Mediterranean climate: hot dry summers (average air temperature in July reaches 26 C) and mild, humid winters (average annual rainfall is 900 mm). Split is one of the sunniest places in Europe: the average daily insulation during the year is about 7 hours (in July about 12 hours). Vegetation is of the evergreen Mediterranean type, and subtropical flora (palm-trees, agaves, cacti) grows in the city and its surroundings. Marjan is covered with a cultivated forest. Development of steam shipping, construction of railroad connections with the hinterland before and between the World Wars, and particularly industrialization underlie the economic prosperity and increase of the population in Split. Split is a business, administrative and cultural center of Dalmatia. Apart from shipbuilding industry, other manufacturers include processing of plastic masses, cement industry, food and other products. Vegetable, fruit and flowers are grown in the surroundings. Split is an important Croatian port in terms of passenger and goods traffic. It is the center of the maritime connections with the ports on the coast and the islands and terminal railway station of the rail connections with the hinterland. Ferries operate regularly between Split and the central Dalmatian islands, as well as to Ancona in Italy. Ship connections are established, except with the islands, with Pula, Venice, Dubrovnik and Greece. The airport of Split is situated in Resnik (Kastela). Split has many cultural and educational institutions and schools: the University of Split (established in 1974), the theatre, museums, galleries, institutes, and recently a specialized UN institution for protection of environment in the Mediterranean (Regional Activity Center for the Priority Actions Program). The Spit Summer, a cultural event (open-air operas, plays and concerts), as well as music performances (Melodies of the Croatian Adriatic, Split Festival of Pop Music) take place every year. Split disposes of a variety of sports facilities, swimming pools and piers for sports boats and similar. Both stationary and transit tourism record a permanent increase. New port, hotel and tourist facilities have been constructed. The coves within the city offer several public beaches. Split has four marinas: Split ACI Marina in the north-western part of the City Port; the sports boats pier Spinut on the northern coast of Marjan; the sports boats marina Poljud in the Poljud Port; the sports boat pier Zenta on the eastern coast of Split. The City Port of Split in the center of the city is used only for passenger and ferry traffic. Split is not only an urban, cultural and traffic center of Dalmatia with road and sea connections to Dalmatia's numerous summer resorts, but it is itself often a tourist and excursionists destination. A city with a 1700-year old tradition, a variety of archaeological, historical and cultural monuments, among which the well-known Palace of Diocletian, inscribed into the UNESCO World Heritage List, certainly occupies a special position, and the warmth and offer of a modern Mediterranean city. The first detailed tourist guide through the town and its surroundings, published in 1894, bears witness to the long tourist tradition in Split. To be able to grasp the historical significance of the city, one should first visit the museums of Split: the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments - a capital Croatian cultural project, established in 1893 in Knin; the Archaeological Museum from 1820, one of the oldest in Croatia; the Treasury of the Split Cathedral, including a valuable collection of religious art; the Ethnographic Museum, founded in 1910; the Museum of Marine History; the Museum of Natural Science. The Art Gallery, established in 1931, the Collection of the Franciscan Monastery in Poljud, the Mestrovic Gallery, and other are also worth visiting.

3 Split is a major sports center (the 1979 Mediterranean Games) with many famous and popular sports clubs and competitors. There are also many sports facilities for recreational purposes. The sports offer includes almost all types of water and other sports, from football, basketball and tennis to mountain climbing and rifle shooting, water skiing and rowing. Worth visiting is Marjan Forest Park, the green oasis the citizens of Split have been proud of for generations, carefully maintained and cherished. The park includes promenades, vista points, solariums, nature paths, playgrounds and the Split zoo. A marvelous view is offered from the top of Marjan on the old and new parts of Split. It takes only 15 minutes of pleasant walking to reach Marjan from the historical core of Split through the old quarter Varos. The Marjan stairway, running along the crest of the hill, leads to another, higher top of Marjan, Telegrin, with a vista point offering prospect on the Split peninsula, Kozjak, Mosor, the Kastela Gulf, Salona and Klis, Trogir and Ciovo, and the islands of Solta, Brac, Hvar and Vis. The southern cliffs of Marjan represent in recent times a very good training ground for mountaineers and free climbers, who gather here every April on the occasion of the traditional Marjan Cup. Split has a variety of restaurants and wine cellars, offering domestic specialties. There are many beaches and public beaches in the city and its surroundings, the most popular of them being Bacvice, a sand beach almost in the very heart of the town. The cultural and entertainment offer of Split is extremely rich, particularly in the summer, when the city squares, yards and other areas turn into a large open-air stage. The Split Summer, a traditional festival in the middle of the summer season, includes dramas, operas and concerts (from mid-july to mid-august). The Split Saturday Nights are de-voted to classical music. Split also hosts pop-music events, the Art-Summer, folklore shows, the folk feast Day of Radunica, and many others. Major cultural events during the year are the Days of Marulic (in April), the Book of the Mediterranean (in October), and the traditional events include the Day of the Holy Cross, the Flowers Show, the Ball of Split, wine show and other. The Day of St. Doimus (Duje), who is the patron saint of the city, is commemorated on the 7th of May. Split has several theatres, among which the Croatian National Theatre, established in 1893, deserves a special mention as a house hosting theatrical festivals, the Split Summer and the Days of Marulic. There is also the Youth Theatre, and the Split Puppet Theatre.

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5 BRAC: Just out to sea from the city of Split, lies the island of Brac, the highest and third largest island in the Adriatic. Pine forests, olive groves, and vineyards are plentiful. The white stone of Brac has been used in many famous buildings, including the White House in Washington, DC. The Glagolitic stone "Pustinja Blaca is the most peculiar architectural monument on the island and above Murvica there is the Drahonja Cave with valuable relieves carved into stone.

6 Traditional seaside pleasures are to be found in the numerous bays, on sandy and gravel beaches that form the long and well-indented coast of Brac. The beaches have something special, particularly the Zlatni Rat beach -- their gravel promontory shifts from side to side as the wind and waves constantly change their shapes. There are many seaside resorts on the island, such as Postire, Milna, Supetar, and especially Bol, one of the biggest attractions and the largest tourist center on the south of the island. TROGIR: a town and harbor on the coastal strip of the Kastela Gulf, 27 km west of Split; population 10,266. The old core is situated on a small island between the island of Ciovo and the mainland; connected with the mainland by a small stone bridge, and with the island of Ciovo by a drawbridge. The town spreads to the northern coast of Ciovo, opposite the small island. Chief occupations include shipbuilding, tobacco, pharmaceuticals and tourist trade. Trogir lies on the main road (M2, E65). Split Airport is in nearby Resnik. Trogir Marina is situated on the northern coast of the Ciovo island, between the bridge of Trogir and Cape Cubrijan. Trogir is a town-museum in the very meaning of the word. Lovers of cultural and historical monuments, art, original architecture and nice alleys are given the opportunity in Trogir to learn about the manifold and complex heritage - from the Romanesque yard to the modern interiors. The unique historical core, Radovan's portal, the art collections which have been arousing excitement among visitors and travelers for centuries offer a tourist beauty, personified in the relief of Kairos as an appropriate souvenir. The wider surroundings of Trogir (Trogir - Seget - Ciovo Riviera) are characterized by lavish green vegetation, numerous islands and islets, rocky and pebble beaches. Apart from the high quality accommodation - hotels, boarding houses, apartments, campsites, delicious domestic food, fish dishes in particular, the sports and recreation offer includes many opportunities - tennis, boccia, bowling, jogging, surfing school, diving. Entertainment includes lively fishermen's nights and folklore show but also classical music concerts in special scenic sets of the town.

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8 VELI DRVENIK: This islet close to Trogir is an attractive location for vacation without too much noise and crowds of tourists and there is not much local population either. In winter, in Veli Drvenik there are hundred persons at the most. If you go to visit the place on foot, this can also be an adventure because there are many neglected paths so one needs to be very careful where to put a foot. Veli Drvenik has an architecturally interesting church with two facades - the old one and the new one - that overshadow one another. However, there is no priest in the village. Gallery Tramontana is also an attraction because apart from the possibility of purchasing original souvenirs you can buy homemade products such as olive oil, lavender oil etc. That is all about Drvenik. For the lovers of quiet, past times and more psychologically than physically distanced civilization, Drvenik is nevertheless a good choice. SIBENIK: a city and port in northern Dalmatia, not far from the estuary of the Krka river into the Bay of Sibenik, connected by narrow straits with the Sibenik Channel; population 41,012. The city is arranged amphitheatrically around the natural harbor and on the surrounding hill slopes. The climate is mild. The average air temperature in January is 6.5 C and 24.2 C in July; around 2,750 hours of sunshine a year. Economy is based on industry (non-ferrous metals, aluminum), textiles and food processing as well as on shipbuilding and tourism. The city, with the old fortresses of St. Anne, St. John and Subicevac overlooking it, consists of the Old Town, characterized by narrow

9 and steep alleys in the west, and the modern part in the north and southeast. Sibenik is a cultural center: the International Child's Festival. There is a department of the Faculty of Economics of the Split University. Chief occupations in the Sibenik surroundings are viniculture, vegetable and fruit growing. Natural beauty of the region (Skradinski Buk, Roski Waterfall, the small island of Visovac on the Krka, the Kornati Archipelago) as well as the rich cultural and historical heritage of the city attract many tourists and excursionists. Sibenik lies at the intersection of the main roads Zadar - Sibenik - Split (M2, E65) and Sibenik - Drnis - Knin (M11.02); the railroad over Perkovic connects Sibenik with the railroad Zagreb - Knin - Split. Ferry connections with the neighboring islands (Prvic, Zlarin, Zirje, Kaprije, Obonjan). The historic town of Sibenik, connected with the expansion and development of the early Croatian state, is rich in cultural and historical monuments. The most representative among them is the famous Cathedral of Sibenik, one of the most original architectural projects of the late Middle Ages, primarily linked to the local master Juraj Matejev Dalmatinac (George of Dalmatia). Sibenik is today a tourist center situated in the area where the best-indented archipelago in Europe (Islands of Kornati) and karts hydrographical phenomena (Skradinski Buk, Visovac, Roski Waterfall) merge into the ecologically and aesthetically most attractive tourist and recreational zone on the Croatian Adriatic. Sibenik is the birthplace of one of the greatest world basketball players Drazen Petrovic. There are many recreational sports grounds, and Jadrija has beach-volleyball facilities. Water sports offer includes yachting and rowing. There are several diving clubs organizing diving courses and underwater photo-safari. The Dubrava Hawking Center organizes falconry courses lead by top experts. Hunting of small game (hare, pheasant, etc.) is organized for advanced participants. There is a horseback riding school in Jadrtovac. Restaurants offer domestic specialties (lamb, grilled dishes, baked dishes - especially turkey). In the quarter called Dolac, in the town center, there are about a hundred cafés with music. The most popular cultural events include the International Child's Festival (last week in June and first week in July), the Summer Organ School (in the second half of August) and the Sibenik Summer. The Day of St. James (25th of July), the patron saint of the city, is festively commemorated.

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11 MURTER: The picturesque island of Murter, with an area of 18 sq. km, has a significant place. It is connected to the land by a 12-meter long bridge near Tisno. This island of fishermen, olive growers and shipbuilders is the largest and most densely populated island in the Sibenik region. The coastal resort of Hramina lies sprawled around the vast and forested bay with its sandy cove of Slanica backed by a pinewood, in which there is a hotel and camping site. Murter is the largest tourist town on the island. It has three other tourist resorts: Betina, Tisno and Jezera. Prvic, close to the Vodice resort, is an oasis of Mediterranean plant and animal life.

12 PASMAN: The neighboring Island of Pasman is in fact fused with the Island of Ugljan. The narrow sea channel of Zdrilac could be forded in earlier times. In 1883 it was dug up and made navigable for small ships, and a bridge was added in Pasman is quieter than Ugljan, but as both are covered with silver- green olive trees, they are almost identical. Real twins. The old fishing village of Tkon is on Pasman, with a naturist campsite. There are many nice small beaches on the sandy coastal strip known as Sovinja. The picturesque church of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows stands on the hill above Tkon.

13 UGLJAN: The Island of Ugljan is the garden suburb of Zadar. It has been settled since Roman times, and the name derives from an abundance of oil. There are towns all along the 22-kilometer long island. The main center and summer resort of Preko is also the ferry port. In front of the Jaz beach, known for its fine sand, lays the verdant islet of Skoljic, thick with pine and palm trees, a frequent target for swimmers. The Franciscan monastery there dates from the fifteenth century. The small island Osljak, covered by cypress trees also has an idyllic appearance. There is a small picturesque village of fishermen and sailors. The tourist resort of Kukljica has beautiful beaches on both sides of the island. Every August there is the famous feast of Our Lady of the Snows, with a pageant and fishing boats' convoy from the village to the church in the Zdrilac strait, where, says the legend, it snowed in early August some four

14 hundred years ago. The ancient fishing village of Kali, whose patron saint is St. Lawrence, boasts the best fishermen and sailors in the whole of the Mediterranean. ZADAR: a city and port in central Dalmatia; population 76,343. The old town, located on a sheltered peninsula with a suitable natural harbor, had good opportunities for establishing of traffic connections with the hinterland. Zadar had the most favorable

15 combination of heavy sea routes from Ravenna, Venice or Trieste with the Eastern Adriatic system of channel traffic. More difficult navigation conditions for sailing ships at the open sea in regards to channel navigation have rendered Zadar a port of rest, where ships can be repaired and get their supply. Together with the development of steamships and motor ships, the port of Zadar became too narrow and too shallow for large vessels. Also, along with the concentration of traffic in the ports of northern Adriatic and with the development of Split and Sibenik, Zadar began to lose the advantage of its relatively easy connection with the hinterland. The development of traffic connections (the Adriatic Highway, 1959: the railroad Knin - Zadar, 1966, the port of Gazenica, 1968, and the airport, 1969), under new circumstances, has pointed out the advantages of the geographical position of Zadar. The location of Zadar on the low littoral greatly contributes to its climate. An average air temperature in July is 25 C and 6.5 C in January; with 200 sunny days a year. Due to climatic conditions, the Mediterranean vegetation prevails (in town parks grow exotic subtropical plants). The oldest part of the town had developed in the northwestern part of the peninsula (4 km long and 500 m wide on average), closing the Old Port and the Jazine bay. New suburbs, Vostarnica and Brodarica, are located mainly along the northeastern coast of the Old Port, outside the peninsula. In the northwestern part of the town is the tourist zone with hotels and restaurants (Borik). In the southeast, around the port of Gazenica, a new port-industrial zone is developing. Many cultural institutions are located in Zadar: Faculty of Arts (1956); Historical Archives (main archives for Dalmatia, 1625), Institute of the HAZU (Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences), numerous museums, the Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art (1976), Musical Evenings in the church of St. Donat (initiated in 1961). Zadar is located on the main road (M2, E65). Ferry pier; ferry lines with Preko, Zaglav, Mali Losinj, Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, Ancona. Zadar Airport is located in Zemunik Donji. Zadar and the tourist region of Zadar are located in the very center of the Croatian Adriatic, in the most indented part of the Adriatic archipelago. At a smaller or greater distance from Zadar are the national parks Plitvice, Paklenica, Krka and Kornati, nature parks Velebit and Telascica, as well as more than 300 islands and islets. Natural beauties, numerous coves and beaches, cultural and historical monuments, restaurants and hotels offering selected national specialties make Zadar and its surroundings one of the most attractive tourist regions in Croatia. Tourism in Zadar has a long tradition. More recent annals note that in June 1879 a group of tourists from Vienna visited Zadar; in 1892 the Society for the Embellishment of Zadar was established (it remained active until 1918), while "Liburnija" Hiking Club and the Tourist Association were established in Early in the 20th century, in March of 1902, Hotel Bristol (today's Hotel Zagreb) opened to the public. Tourist attraction of Zadar is also based on the combination of yachting tourism, various types of accommodation and catering services, atmosphere, charming beaches and promenades, excursions to closer and farther surroundings, as well as interesting cultural, artistic and entertainment events and programs and on especially valuable cultural and historical monuments. The historical part of Zadar is fascinating to all those who respect historical monuments and cultural heritage. The church of St. Donat, the symbol of the city, is a must in each itinerary, as well as the museums of Zadar: the Archaeological Museum (established in

16 1830), one of the most important in Croatia, with about 80,000 exhibits from the Stone Age to the late Middle Ages, the National Museum with the Art Gallery and the Department of Natural Sciences, the Maritime Museum with exhibits of the development of navigation in northern Dalmatia, as well as the Permanent Exhibition of Sacral Art with about a thousand valuable exhibits from the past centuries, known under the popular name The Gold and Silver of Zadar (Zlato i Srebro Zadra). In numerous restaurants and taverns of Zadar tourists should taste homemade specialties. Among drinks, the first place belongs to the famous liqueur Maraskino. As early as the 19th century, this unique drink was a favorite drink at European courts (London, Vienna, Moscow) and has been produced in Zadar since Zadar has top conditions for sports and recreational activities. It has numerous tennis courts, as well as a football field, basketball and handball courts. It offers great opportunities for water activities, such as sailing, windsurfing, rowing, scuba--diving, angling. Numerous and rich cultural and artistic programs are also organized. They include the traditional Music Evenings in St. Donat, New Theatre Performances, Zadar Theatre Summer, as well as various visual arts exhibitions. The city celebrates the holiday of St. Krsevan, which is, at the same time, the day of Zadar (24th of November). Excursions are regularly organized. Zadar offers top yachting opportunities and services. Borik Marina is located inside the Borik Hotel Complex, in the Borik bay; it has 200 berths in the sea and 100 places on the land; it also owns a charter fleet.

17 SILBA:The island of Silba is an oasis, maybe one of the last in the Adriatic. Silba still cannot be reached by car. This very fact makes it different and more attractive than other destinations. If the island were crowded with tourists it would no longer be what it presently is - a place with few restaurants and attractive beaches accessible at tenminute walking distance. Promenades along low houses hidden in the greenery do not disclose their number, so it seems that there are less houses than they really are. The number of churches and chapels is surprising - this is a consequence of hundred-year tradition of navigation (navigation used to be the principal activity of the local people) and their happiness after their return home after countless storms. Namely, seafarers frequently built votive chapels and churches, so that today the number of these buildings is disproportionate with the population figures. The belvedere, a real tourist attraction, also witnesses this maritime tradition. Although it is rather old and in poor repair, it is an unavoidable spot for watching the surroundings from this highest point. In a similar way, seaside women used to watch the ships sailing with their husbands on board. Tractors parked by the houses show that people are engaged in agriculture, which the local market cannot confirm. Namely, the offer of vegetables and fruit should be much better. Very limited possibilities for coming and leaving the island combined with the problem of finding a place to leave the car on land will for some time leave Silba in a class of undiscovered paradise.

18 LOSINJ: The climate of Losinj is very mild, due to its forests among other things, so it has developed into a health resort. Many of Europe's crowned heads came here in search of health and vitality, among them the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph, Prince Rudolph, and the Austrian heir-apparent Franz Ferdinand. So the building of summer residences started as early as the last century. There are many reminders of the island's rich maritime past: strange vegetation brought from overseas, museums of sailing ships in Mali and Veli Losinj and rich island houses adorned with souvenirs of distant journeys. The oldest and most attractive tourist destination on Losinj is Cikat. Modern hotels stand in the shade of hundred-year-old pines, but there are also villas reminiscent of Monte Carlo built along classical lines by the last representatives of European aristocracy. Losinj's special feature is a colony of dolphins, and there are some 150 registered so far. Dolphins are one of the best indicators of the clean sea. Losinj was the first one in the Mediterranean to be proclaimed the dolphin reservation.

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20 KRK: The record of the thousand-year history of Krk lies in the mosaics of the Roman thermal baths and the simplicity of old Croatian churches, the wealth of Glagolitic monuments, the heritage of the Frankopan counts of Krk and the paintings of the Venetian masters. The island of Krk has a special meaning for Croatia. For centuries it was the center of Croatian literacy and the cradle of the Croatian language. The Baska Tablet (Bascanska ploca), one of the oldest Croatian written documents, is evidence of it. There are famous tourist centers: Malinska with its wealth of historic monuments dating from Illyrian, Greek and Roman times, Punat with the largest marina on the Adriatic, and Vrbik located on a 50 m high cliff and a real attraction for painters. The bestpreserved fortified town in Croatia, Vrbik abounds in Glagolitic monuments, carved in stone or inscribed in manuscripts. For centuries it was the center of Glagolitic literature on Krk. Baska is also an important tourist center on Krk with a history from the early years of this century. Kosljun, the only inhabited island in the Krk archipelago, lies close to the main island. So small and yet so rich in history, it is known for its Franciscan monastery, its hundred-year-old high school, the grand library, and other collections and rarities. Moreover, the Lending House of Kosljun, which operated between the

21 seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, was among the first financial institutions in Europe. Its purpose was to provide financial assistance to the poor, to protect them against usurers.

22 CRES: an island in the external range of the Kvarner group of islands. It stretches almost along a meridian, from Jablanac Cape (Glavina) in the north to Suha Cape in the south, in the length of 68 km; area sq km; population 3,238. The highest peak on the island is Gorice (650 m). Along poorly indented coasts, the most prominent place on the eastern coast of the bay is Koromacna, and on the western coast Creska Luka, Valun, Martinscica and Ustrine port. In front of the western coast are the islets Zaglav, Galiola, Zeca and Visoki, in front of the southeastern coast Trstenik and in front of the northeastern the island of Plavnik. There are no water streams on the island; in its central part is the large Vransko Lake (5.75 sq km), with its bottom 68 m below sea level. It contains about 200 million cubic meters of water. Vransko Lake is the main source of water for the islands of Cres and Mali Losinj. Along the coasts of the island are numerous submarine springs. Typical for the climate of the island are differences between the northern part, in which an average temperature in January is 5-6 C, and the southern part, where an average temperature reaches 6-7 C. The northern part of the island has an annual rainfall of 900-1,000 mm, while the southern part has mm. The western part of the island is warmer and more humid than the eastern part, which is exposed to the bora (cold north wind). In the northern part of the island, larger forest complexes have been preserved (oak, hornbeam, pine), while in the southern part forests have been preserved only at some places. East of Vransko Lake are the complexes of pine forests. Most of the settlements are located in the western part of the island; the eastern and central parts are considerably less populated. The major place on the island is the town of Cres. Chief occupations include farming (olive, vine, vegetables), seafaring and fishing (fish canning in Cres and Martinscica). Steep and inaccessible parts of the eastern coast are the natural habitat of whiteheaded vulture (ornithological nature park since 1986). Quality building stone is extracted on the island as well, in the vicinity of Osor. Along the island runs a regional road, as the main traffic artery, which connects all villages and towns of the island of Cres. It runs from Porozina in the north to Osor in the south and continues toward Losinj. In the southern part of the Osor Strait (100 m long, 6-8 m wide, about 2.5 m deep) a lift Railway Bridge with a road connecting the islands of Cres and Losinj has been constructed. Regular ship lines connect the island of Cres with Losinj, Rijeka, Pula and Zadar. Ferry lines are Porozina - Brestova, Porozina - Rijeka and Merag - Valbiska (Krk island). In recent times the island has become attractive to a number of tourists due to its improved communications. The island of Cres has been inhabited since the Neolithic (cave habitation Jami na Sredi). Older hill-fort settlements on rather inaccessible hilltops, encircled by a circular stonewall, date back to the Bronze Age. Hill-forts of a square ground plan, Lubenice and Ustrine, date back to the Iron Age, together with the necropolises with barrows (tumuli). The oldest known inhabitants of the island were the Liburnians. Ancient Greek sources mention a common name for the islands of Cres and Losinj, i.e. Apsirtides, which is related with the legend of the Argonauts. Among other ancient settlements mentioned are Krepsa (Cres) and Apsoros (Osor). The Romans conquered Cres during the reign of Emperor Augustus. On the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the island became part of the Byzantine properties on the Adriatic, and in the early Middle Ages the Slavs gradually inhabited it. The oldest Croatian monument on the island is the famous Valun Tablet, written in Glagolitic letters in the 11th century. From those times are also other Glagolitic monuments of the island (kept in the Lapidarium - collection of stone monuments and fragments - in Cres and Valun). From 1000 to 1358 the island was under Venice, then under the Croatian-Hungarian kings, and from 1409

23 to 1797 again under Venice. During the Venetian rule the administrative and political center of the island was relocated from Osor to Cres. Osor gradually lost its importance and decayed. After the fall of Venice the island of Cres came under Austria and in the period it was under Italy. In 1945 the island was joined to the mother country Croatia. PULA: a town and port in the southwestern part of Istria; population 62,378. Situated in the inner part of a bay, divided by the islands of St. Catherine, St. Andrew and Uljanik into three port basins. According to the size of the constructed coast and level of equipment, Pula is the most important and biggest port in Istria, and the well-protected Pula Bay places it among the best natural harbors on the Adriatic. Due to its size, exposed location, two accesses (the one directly from the sea and the other through the Fazana Strait), low coastline and easy construction of fortification systems, provided the Pula Bay a special strategic importance. The landscape of Pula includes low and open relief largely covered by red soil. The original forests of oak have been reduced to low shrubs; the surroundings of Pula were reforested with pine. The average air temperature in January reaches 5 C and in July 23.2 C; the average annual rainfall attains around 800 mm. In winter, the bora and the sirocco blow; the bora is sometimes extremely strong, and blows in the outer port. Pula is the economic center with developed shipbuilding industry (Uljanik), textiles, metal industry and building trades as well as glass manufacturing. Tourist center (marina). The importance of Pula as a traffic intersection in the whole Istria has

24 particularly increased by the modernization of the airport. Situated on the main road (M2, E751), and connected with Divaca by a railroad. The first tourist excursions to Pula were recorded at the beginning of the 19th century. Giovanni Carrara, a conservator of antiquities in Pula, guided the sightseeing tours for distinguished personalities and organized groups in In 1832 Pula was visited by the Austrian emperor Ferdinand I. The first tourist guide on Pula (Cenni al forestiero che visita Pola - Tips for a Foreigner Visiting Pula), published by the Austrian Lloyd from Trieste, compiled by Pietro Kandler, was printed in The first public beach, Bagno Polese, for the citizens and tourists, located between the islet of Ulja-nik and the administration building on the coastal promenade, was opened in After that, two other beaches were constructed, "Sakordana" and the marine officers' beach on the islet of St. Peter, where men and women could swim at different times of the day. During the First World War the Zelenika beach was opened, and in 1936 the Stoja beach (Stabilimento bagni di Stoia). The first modern hotel in Pula - Hotel Riviera - was opened in Under the Italian rule, the hotels Miramare, Bologna, Milano and Centrale were operating as well as the children's summer camps Principe di Piemonte on Stoja and Sandro Mussolini on Vargarola. In the 1930s Pula had several travel agencies. Tourism in Pula experiences its peak in the 1960s, when on the beautiful, well-indented and green coast south of Pula the construction of modern tourist resorts was initiated (Zlatne Stijene, Ribarska Koliba, Verudela). Today Pula offers a variety of excellent opportunities for tourists. Together with wellequipped hotels and other types of accommodation facilities, the tourist offer includes many sports grounds, recreational facilities and entertainment programs, terraces with live music, discotheques, casinos, inns and restaurants, as well as diverse excursions. The town disposes of two marinas, so that yachting tourism is increasingly developing. Pula is also a well-known congress center (the large congress hall in Hotel Histria). The town can be reached by various means of transport, and there is an airport in the immediate vicinity of Pula (6 km), constructed to meet the requirements of international air traffic. Events: the Croatian Film Festival has been organized traditionally every year since 1954 in Arena (July), the Pop Music Festival "Arena" is also held in Arena (July), Art & Music Festival - the rock music festival (in August). Pula is also a center of sport tourism because domestic and international sports teams and athletes find the favorable climate; quality sports facilities (tennis courts, sports halls, football stadiums, football fields, track-and-field courses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, water sports facilities, etc.) suitable for winter training season. Apart from the traditional sports on the ground, there are opportunities to enjoy a variety of water sports.

25 VENICE (Italy): or Venezia, is the capital of the region Veneto and the protagonist of the region's most historical events. Origin & Characteristics The foundation of this Adriatic city does recount that this seafaring city's ancient inhabitants were originally from the mainland. They were peasants who, during the 7th and 8th century, sought refuge from the Longobard menace in the Venetian Lagoon. Many great voyages were undertaken, it had a rich commerce & trade and it is rich of many great works of art that was the fruit of the contact with many different cultures. Truly remarkable of Venice is the colossal nature of the works through which its inhabitants managed to reinforce this fragile land, a land that in practical terms is the most unsuitable position for founding a great city with a multitude of grand buildings. However, in the last decades a gradual inland migration of many families took place, which lived for centuries in this city. This is due to the fact that despite the development of modern technological means of protecting it from the sea, its fragile ecosystem is at risk now more than ever before. Golden Years The city's golden years began with the 4th Crusade (1202), which was equipped with Venetian ships that the Doge (the head of the Venetian oligarchic state) ordered to change course to Constantinople and then conquer. The conquest of Constantinople laid the foundations for Venetian hegemony on all trade with the Orient, followed by over five and a half centuries of glory and richness, even though from the 16th century the decline of the Mediterranean's strategic importance and the rise of the Ottoman Empire progressively reduced the power of the 'Serenissima', as the Republic of Venice was known. During this period, the city was embellished with monuments of rare splendor that today make it a tourist attraction like none other in the entire world. Unique The city is absolutely unique because it has no roads, but canals, between which the various quarters are built, interconnected by narrow alleyways called 'calli', some of which lead to tiny squares called 'campi'.

26 Two Faces Venice has two distinct and equally fascinating faces: an intimate city, with tiny backwaters and the world famous monumental city, with its impressive squares. The Grand Canal, the world's most beautiful and famous waterway, offers an unending succession of the most incredibly beautiful buildings, among which the 15th century Ca' d'oro and the Baroque Ca'Rezzonico and Ca'Pesaro and the church Santa Maria della Salute (1631). The other famous monumental square is the Piazza San Marco, with the Libreria Sansoviniana (16th century), the Gothic Palazzo Ducale, the Clock Tower (Torre dell'orologio ) and the great basilica of San Marco. Its present-day appearance is the result of numerous restorations performed starting from the end of the 11th century to the 14th century, although its origins date back to the 9th century. Its overall appearance is a beautiful combination of styles, with its Romanesque plan, Gothic decoration and mosaic work of clearly Byzantine influence. Monuments In front of the basilica stands the Correr Museum containing significant works of the Venetian school and the Galleria dell'academia, with exquisite paintings. To the north of the Piazza San Marco complex lies another artistic-architectural complex of equal importance: the campo dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, dominated by its basilica, locally known as San Zanipolo. This is a veritable jewel of Gothic architecture. At one side of its façade stands the Scuola Grande di San Marco (school) and on the other side the Equestrian Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni. Nearby you can find the Renaissance church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (15th century). Another exceptional monumental complex is to be found on the opposite side of the Grand Canal, in the quarter known as San Polo, made up of two adjacent buildings: the church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. This church is one of Venice's greatest monuments for the impressing number of artworks adorning it. Its construction began in 1340 in the purest Gothic styles.