Krk Island

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People on the beach in the sunlight, Baska, Krk, Croatia, Europe

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Overview

Krk Island (Veglia in Italian) is connected to the mainland by a toll bridge. It is Croatia's largest island, and also one of the busiest – in summer, hundreds of thousands of central Europeans stream to its holiday houses, campsites and hotels. It’s not the lushest or the most beautiful island, though its landscape is quite varied, ranging from forests in the west to sunburnt ridges in the east. Vrbnik, on the east coast, is a charming village away from the tourist hordes. The island's northwestern coast is rocky and steep, with few settlements, because of the fierce bura (cold northeasterly wind) that whips the coast in winter. The climate is milder in the southwest and can be scorching in the southeast.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Stara Baška

    Stara Baška

    Krk Island

    For one of Krk's best beaches, head south of Punat on the lonely road to Stara Baška. It’s a superlative drive, through steep, parched hills and lunar…

  • St Lucy's Church

    St Lucy's Church

    Krk Island

    More than just a village church, little St Lucy's was the site of one of the most important cultural discoveries in Croatia – the 11th-century Baška…

  • Košljun Franciscan Monastery

    Košljun Franciscan Monastery

    Krk Island

    The tiny island of Košljun contains a 16th-century Franciscan monastery built on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine abbey. Taxi boats wait at Punat…

  • Cathedral of the Assumption

    Cathedral of the Assumption

    Krk Island

    This imposing 12th-century Romanesque structure was built on the site of Roman baths and an early Christian basilica. Inside, note the rare early…

  • Kaštel

    Kaštel

    Krk Island

    This crumbling seafront fortress guarded the old town from pirate attacks. Check out the inscribed Liburnian and Roman stones displayed in the courtyard…

  • Baška Beach

    Baška Beach

    Krk Island

    Baška's beach arcs around the coastline south of the main drag, with fine views over towards the mainland. It can get crowded in summer, but there's…

  • Bell Tower

    Bell Tower

    Krk Island

    At the summit of a hill, this bell tower has a Glagolitic inscription above the entrance stating that it was built in 1527 and was, for a time, used as a…

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