Have you ever been to Krk island? A selection of five quirky facts highlighting the island's records in several categories on February 5, 2018
Located on the northern Adriatic, the island of Krk is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the Croatian coast. It boasts incredible cultural and historical heritage, providing enough sightseeing material for a month's stay - but even a couple of days should suffice to experience its many qualities. Summer 2018, anyone? In the meantime, here are five facts about the island inspired by some of its renowned traits:
1. It's the former champion in size
For a good part of Croatia's history, Krk was known as the largest Croatian island. With a competition of around 1200, that's a title to be proud of, right? And then, a couple of years ago, the champion was dethroned as the latest measurements showed its neighbour Cres was slightly larger in size.
While the available sources cite a surface of 405.78 square kilometres for both Krk and Cres, the latter officially comes out as the winner; some will tell you the margin tipping the scale in Cres's favour equals the surface of the bridge connecting Cres and Lošinj. Considering that Cres has steeper cliffs than Krk, its surface is slower to decrease with the sea level rising as years go by - and the residents of Cres would be very pleased to tell you their island won't have to hand over its champion title any time soon.
2. It houses the oldest Croatian marina
Marina Punat / Yacht Rent on Flickr
The town of Punat on Krk is home to the oldest marina in Croatia which opened in 1964. These days, Marina Punat disposes of 800 wet berths and 400 dry berths, making for an impressive sight as you're driving towards the lovely destination town. One more fact: the marina is also the first in Croatia to have been awarded the Blue Flag for the outstanding sea water quality, clean environment and its overall contribution to the tourism industry.
3. It's home to the largest painting in Croatia...
Just across the town of Punat, you'll find the islet of Košljun, a gorgeous little oasis housing a Franciscan monastery and church. The latter is a treasure trove of outstanding religious art, including the largest painting in all of Croatia, save for frescoes: displayed on the wall above the altar, this stunning work measures 9.7 metres in width. It was painted by the Venetian master Francesco Ughetti in 1653, with the grandiose composition depicting purgatory, heaven, and hell.
4. ...and an incredible library
Speaking of Košljun, the monastery library counts around 30.000 manuscripts and books, including some 100 incunables. The collection is composed of countless valuable examples, but a certain priceless gem stands out nonetheless: a rare edition of Ptolemy's atlas, printed in Venice in 1511. The ancient work was written by Claudius Ptolemy in Greek around AD 150, containing all geographical knowledge of the Roman Empire in the 2nd century. The atlas preserved on Košljun is one of the three surviving copies of its 16th-century edition.
5. It boasts the narrowest street in the world
The splendid town of Vrbnik on Krk is a labyrinth of charming narrow streets, some of them causing trouble for drivers, some of them presenting a challenge to pedestrians as well. The Klančić street in Vrbnik is often called the narrowest street in the world, measuring around 40 centimetres in width at its tightest spot. While the German town of Reutlingen actually holds the official record in this particular category, nobody seems to care - Klančić remains one of the most popular photo-points in the entire town, with many a tourist unable to resist the challenge of squeezing through the narrow passage.
