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Besides being a favoured spot for sailors, the island of Lastovo has also become a new destination for mini cruisers. The island issituated to the south of the island of Korcula in Dubrovnik-Neretva County and is on account of its luxuriant vegetation numbered among the most wooded islands on the Croatian coast. Because of its rich landscape and culture and biological diversity the Lastovo archipelago, which included 46 islands and rocks was last year proclaimed the 11th nature park in Croatia.

And while the oldest existing written documents concerning Lastovo date to the 6th century, traces of human presence date back to the Stone Age. There are currently as many as 46 chapels on the island, dominant among which are the late Medieval chapels of St. Martin, St. Anthony and St. Blasius and the parish church of SS. Cosma and Damian dating from the year 1473.

Because of its projected position in the Adriatic Sea, traditional Mediterranean architecture and the wealth of its flora and fauna, both of the islands and of the surrounding waters, the Lastovo archipelago is the ideal place to offer all kinds of submarine sports and the various attractions that are offered in the setting of a nature park.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

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The August issue of the well-known US tourism magazine Travel + Leisure, the magazine‘s faithful readers declared Croatia and it Dalmatian islands among the most beautiful tourist destinations in the world in 2007.

According to the votes cast by readers Croatia took second spot in the Mediterranean in the category of this year‘s most beautiful global destinations, and seventh spot worldwide.

The Dalmatian islands faced the competition of world famous destinations like Bali, Phuket in Thailand, Hawaii, Maui and others.

The magazine is a monthly with a circulation of about 2.5 million copies. Every year the editors select finalists among hundreds of nominated global tourism destinations, and the readers vote for the best among them.

In the selection of the best numerous criteria are taken into consideration like the ecology, cultural heritage and other specific attractions.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

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One of the largest islands in the Croatian part of the Adriatic – the Island of Krk – is unique for many a reason. Arriving on the island and situating yourself in one location is a big mistake because in this was you miss out on the opportunity of getting acquainted with the rich island heritage which can also be easily explored by bike.

Krk has a surface area of about 400 square kilometres, its highest peak Obzova is located at a height of 569 metres, and the whole island has 68 settlements. Given the abundance of island locations and activities, the bicycle track construction project which is about 130 kilometres long is drawing to a close and will in this simple way connect nearly all the island attractions.

The “Island transversal” which is the name given to the track, is actually a synthesis of all existing walking-bicycle tracks which with additional construction, mutual linking, marking and mapping with the aid of the GPS system, have resulted in the creation of a very attractive bicycle track. The majority of the track passes through the most attractive areas of Krk – pristine nature in whose vicinity many cultural-historical monuments and archaeological localities are located.

Krk abounds in many natural phenomena, caves like Biserujka near Dobrinja. The coastline is also well indented – with numerous coves, sandy beaches and bays of which the bay Soline particularly stands out with its medicinal mud.

There are two lakes on the island – Jezero and Ponikva, and three rivers – Veli or Dobrinjski potok (stream), Vretenica and Vela Rika. Also especially attractive are the Krk ornithological reserves which are home to the griffon – on the small island of Prvic which is located right next to Krk and on the north-eastern steep part of the coast of the Island of Krk.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

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The old town of Osor on the Island of Cres, known among classical music lovers also for the Osor musical evenings, which have been taking place in the cathedral and on the central square of the old town for more than 30 years, is also unique for the number of cultural monuments. The town is lies on the south-western side of the Island of Cres on a narrow strip which connects the Island of Cres and Lošinj in the Primorje-Goranska County. A long time ago these islands were joined, however because of the needs of trade and the Amber path they were separated by an artificially dug out canal at Osor, which today does not serve any function. The town is surrounded by old walls from which the history of Osor can be read which reaches back to ancient times. The centre of the town is dominated by the Parish Church of St. Mary (cathedral) from 1498 and is ranked among the most beautiful Renaissance monuments in Croatia. It is a three-naved structure with a three-leafed façade and Early Renaissance portal with the statue of the Mother of God in a niche, which is the work of the great Croatian sculptor and builder Juraj Dalmatinac. The bell tower of the cathedral is the work of a Krk master Jakov Galeta from 1575, but it was later reconstructed and in 1901 raised to today’s height. In the cathedral there are three altars and pictures from the time period from the XVI to the XVIII centuries, while the treasury guards a wooden gothic sculpture from the XV century, golden and silver liturgical items and dress from the XIV to the XVIII century and in the capitular archives illuminated codices from the XV century. Aside from the beautiful cathedral in Osor there are also a series of structures which were built in the surrounding area in the gothic era and a few Romanesque churches – St. Mark and St. Catherine, Churchof St. Lawerence on a hill to the southwest of the town, the small church of St. Petar at the foot of the Osoršcice and on the peninsula Supaton the pre-Romanesque church of St. Plato with a richly decorated weave, while in the Bijar cove are the remains of a Franciscan monastery and church from the XV century.

Source: ?Croatia Tourist Board?

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