Apartments Cres Juretic

Island of Cres

Cres is the biggest Croatian island, situated at the northern tip of Kvarner gulf. Island Cres is long and narrow mountainous island stretching 66 km in length and only from 2 to 12 km in width. The coast is indented with the total length of 248 km. This means plenty of coves, bays and fine mainly pebbly beaches for you to explore on its western and southern side, while northern and eastern shore is rather steep and rocky, with some spectacular scenery, inhabited only by the biggest bird in Europe, the endangered griffon vulture, which could be often seen gliding in the clear skies.

Island Cres is also famous for its self-sufficient water supply: a huge freshwater lake Vrana has enough water to comfortably supply both islands, Cres and Losinj with potable water of excellent quality. Immediate access to the lake is not allowed for obvious reasons, but there is plenty of scenic spots around offering breathtaking views of the lake. Numerous ancient (Iliric) remains in the area indicate the lake was important not only as a water resource, but was also used for fishing and transport.

The origin of the lake is still a mystery, attracting local and international researchers. Research results lead to the two main theories. First one, based on limestone phenomenon, indicates the water comes from underground all the way from the mainland. The second, more substantiated theory, sees this lake as being native to the island, with its whole water supply coming from the rain.

Another interesting phenomenon about island Cres is the absence of poisonous snakes, even though they are common in the Kvarner area.

Events

Lubenice music evenings

Lubenice is a breath-taking village due to its puzzling streets, arched doorways and gardens. Located 378 metres above the sea level Lubenice prides itself on a charming beach – Lubenice itself is a real pearl and Lubenice Music Evenings add to its beauty. Since 2010 a renowned Croatian female soprano Lidija Horvat-Dunjko has been arts director and Walter Salković executive director. A well coordinated team led by the mayor of Cres himself stages eight concerts every year that are put on every Friday in July and August.

Cres culture evenings

Classical music concerts, gospel concerts performed by harmony singing groups, museum night and other culture events have attracted a large number of visitors and filled their hearts with joy. Concerts agreed in advance and confirmed arrival of guests from Italy and other parts of the world have ensured high-quality culture programme year in year out.

The CREScendo Music Festival

The CREScendo Music Festival gathers world-class domestic and foreign jazz musicians: since the CREScendo Music Festival insisted on artistic interdisciplinarity from its very beginnings, besides great music, visitors can be amused by a various culture offer including the exhibition of paintings and photographs by artists from Cres as well as the exhibition of projects carried out by the Ruta Association.

Summer carnival

Besides the group from Cres an ever larger number of groups from abroad (Italy) also take part in it. The carnival is also well frequented by tourists and media who covers this event carefully and thus promotes Cres as an entertainment destination.

Gourment events

Fish Stew Festival

The Cres Fish Stew Festival is designed as a team competition in making a traditional dish – fish stew. The motif of this festival is “People from Cres for Cres”: the local teams show their culinary skills and compete with other teams. The earnings made by the selling of fish stew go to humanitarian purposes.

Goulash Festival

The Goulash Festival is a competition in making game meat goulash held in June. This festival promotes allochthon game on Cres; thus the Cres Tourist Board has been marketing the pre season within the scope of Cres gourmet offer. The aim of the project is to brand the island of Cres as a gourmet destination offering numerous delicacies from fish to game meat. At the same time, the board is trying to place a true value on allochthon game on Cres and make it one of Cres idiosyncrasies. The earnings made by the selling of goulash go to humanitarian purposes.

Days of Cres lamb and olive oil

In April the Ulika Association and Cooperative Farm of Cres together with the Cres Tourist Board stage this event in which all the restaurants on the island take part. Restaurants offering various lamb delicacies make this event particularly popular. The last day of this event is held in the city of Cres. Besides lamb delicacies visitors can taste olive oil and different olive products.

The miths of Cres

To establish the origins of the of archipelago's name, which encompasses Cres, Lošinj, and around thirty smaller islands, we need to examine the myths of the Greek Classical period and in particular the story of Apsyrtus. While searching for the Golden Fleece, the found death on these shores from the hand of Jason betrayed by his own sister Medea. Because of the story the islands were named - Apsyrtides. Not counting the Neolithic settlements, the first people that found their homes here were the Liburnian - Illyrian tribes, followed by Greek seamen.

During its long, distinguished history, this region experienced not only all the splendour and opulence of the Roman civilization, but also the tragic consequences of the Roman Empire 's demise and the emergence of the Byzantine Empire .

However, the Croat migrations to the area and the later serfdom to the Republic of Mljet , left the most indelible marks on the spiritual and material culture of these islands. Despite these historical events, it is the intertwined relationship between man and nature, which can be cruel and generous at the same time, that accounts for this strange symbiosis, making the human endeavor look like the natural progression of nature itself. Everywhere you can feel the magical effects of this relationship. Beginning with the island's northern ridges, impassable, and worn down by the wind, continuing by way of the central plateau, wrinkled, rocky and barren, and finally, arriving to the southern edges of the island, open to the >maestral< wind and the sea washing its shores. One can also see these effects on the stone walls called >gromačas<, and more over on the houses and ancient churches. Stone to stone, stone that reaches towards the velvet sky where the white - headed condor flies proudly and defiantly in all its boundless freedom.

Crepsa

Already populated in the Neolithic period, the town becomes known as "Res Publica Crepsa" under Roman rule. The most significant remains of the era can be seen in and around the Liburnian - built structures an the nearby Hill of St. Bartholomew. Everyone will most likely be impressed by the "gromačas" terraces of short stone walls built without using mortar, with which the Cres inhabitant was able to preserve, through years of patient and exhausting work, at least that little land that mother nature had given him. The cultural monuments in the historic center of town testify as to the achievements of a well - developed culture: the "loggia", the clock towers, and the city doors, are all certainly worth mentioning. Continuing through the Parochial Church of St. Mary of the Snow, built in the Gothic - Renaissance style, which holds the valuable wooden Pieta from the XVI. century, and the altar painting of St. Sebastian, by the noted Antonio Vivarini. Especially interesting is the simple functionality of the residential quarter, where you will find the XII. Century Church of St. Isidore, named after the bishop who was considered the town's protector, which has among its possessions the statue of a saint in Late - Gothic style, and many other wooden statues. Of the many noble houses, the one that stands out by its beauty is the house of the Petris family, a jewel of Gothic - Venetian architecture and the birth - place of the philosopher Franciscus Patritius (1521 - 1567), today housing a museum. On reflection, we can say that the whole town is a sort of a big museum in which not only the old town walls and doors, but also the town's churches provoke admiration. Also deserving mention is the Church of St. Francis with its monastery and two arches. The museum within the church has various paintings, sculptures, an ethnographic collection, a number of incunabulums, and a rare Senj Prayer - Book from 1493. written in the Glagolic Alphabet. From behind the church, the garden extends all the way to the Roman built "Villa Rustica".