The city of Krk - a popular travel destination

Tourism began developing in the early 20th century, and a considerable impetus towards further the development of tourism and the island came from the construction of the Krk Bridge in 1980. The town of Krk and the whole island are a favorite tourist destination not only because of the abundance of natural beauty, rich cultural heritage and favorable climate but also because of its traffic connections and accessibility.

Today, the town of Krk with its surroundings has about 5,600 inhabitants. That number is doubled in the summer. Krk has spread beyond the remarkably preserved town walls, and most of the private accommodation, apartments, rooms and holiday homes, are located in private homes in newer neighborhoods outside the Old Town.

Beaches in Krk

The well-kept swimming areas, sandy, rocky and paved beaches as well as the partly sandy seabed and exceptionally clear water attract many visitors. The town of Krk alone has 6 Blue Flags, recognizing the clean sea and the accompanying sanitary, catering and sport facilities on the beaches. 

Activity events in Krk

I love autumn in Krk is another reason to visit Krk in late summer and early autumn, considered by many as one of the most pleasant times for a vacation. Mid-September a cycling tour Bodul Bike takes place and at the end of September you can take part in attractive guided hiking tours through the island's extraordinary landscapes. 

• A walking tour through Krk's asparagus trails takes place mid-April. This event encompasses a guided walking tour through the beautiful olive groves where you can see where wild asparagus, a renowned island delicacy, grows and at the same time enjoy the taste of this delicacy because the participants of the event have the opportunity to try the tasty asparagus frittata prepared on Krk's promenade. 
• Spring on Wheels takes place in early May and offers the possibility to discover the beauties of the island through three different professionally guided tours on bikes, scooters and quads.

Events in Krk

During the summer the town of Krk hosts numerous concerts, performances, events and festivals, while a characteristic event in wintertime is the Krk Carnival. Here we have selected several events that have become renowned and very popular among our guests. 

• Krk Fair Lovrečeva – a three-day festival (8- -10 August) with lots of events organized through the town, a rich tourist offer and tradition since 1524. On the last day of the fair, visitors can enjoy a reenactment of a sea battle between a pirate ship and the Count's merchant galley. During Lovrečeva, visitors have the opportunity to go treasure hunting, ie to embark on a new adventure trip offered by Krk’s excursion boats. 
• An eco, ethno and wine festival takes place in late May and gives visitors the opportunity to enjoy a variety of excellent wines and other ecologically and locally grown and made products. This event is accompanied by folklore performances and a rich entertainment program. 

Splendissima Civitas Curictarum - The Glorious Town of the People of Krk

According to belief, the founders of the town of Krk were members of an Illyrian-Liburnian tribe, the Curicta, and the town was thus named after them. The town was an urban center 3,000 years ago and proudly bore the title Splendissima Civitas Curictarum - The Glorious Town of the People of Krk, as can be read on the stone inscription from the beginning of the 4th century. During the expansion of the Roman Empire, the town of Krk became a Municipum. It is assumed that Krk had no less than 2 thermae and their floor mosaics are in part still visible today.

Parts of the town’s walls in the northern part of the town, next to the Franciscan monastery have been preserved from the Roman period, while the walls one can see today date mainly from the Middle Ages. The Counts of Krk, the House of Frankopan, also left significant traces in the history of the town and the island of Krk. A vast number of landmarks stems from the time when Krk was under direct Venetian rule (1480-1797), and the town of Krk, along with the entire island and the Republic of Croatia, shares a very interesting and tumultuous history. 

Krk city walls, streets and squares

The Volsonis bar shelters early Roman city walls, archaeological excavations from the Roman Forum and an altar from the 1st century BC from the Temple of Venus. The remains of the alleged Temple of Venus have been discovered in the nearby Mahnic Street. The distinctive layout of the two main streets, Cardo and Decumanus, ending in four city gates, of which only the small south gate has been preserved, also dates from the Roman period. 

On a hill near the northern entrance to the town, the newly renovated Glagolitics Square with the Romanesque Church of St Michael, now a popular sanctuary of Our Lady of Health, is also worth visiting. In the past, the church was part of a Benedictine Abbey, and in the vicinity there was once a Poor Clares convent. Still standing erect today are a Franciscan Monastery with the Church of St Francis and a Benedictine convent with the Church of St Mary of the Angels.

Frankopan Castle in Krk

Among cultural monuments worth mentioning is the Frankopan Castle, which was built by the Frankopans from the 12th to 15th centuries. Nowadays its unique ambiance hosts numerous cultural events and is a must-see landmark for anybody visiting Krk. The Frankopan Castle is located on Kamplin Square, where the Romans built a training area next to their thermal baths, the foundations of which were used to build the early Christian basilica and the current Cathedral. 

Among the fortifications, the old town hall from the 15th century with a unique sundial stands out, as well as the hexagonal tower on the shore with a Roman stele, which was built by Count Nikola Frankopan in 1407.

Krk's sacral heritage

The town of Krk had very early on, in the 5th century, become the center of the Krk Diocese. Also in the 5th century, the oratorium of the early Christian community was transformed into a basilica. Parts of the basilica, like various ornaments and unique capitals with motifs of the Eucharist (birds feeding on fish) can still be seen in Krk Cathedral. The Cathedral arose from the thorough remodeling and expansion of the basilica in the 12th century and was upgraded during later centuries.

The dual Church of St Quirinus and St Margaret from the 12th century creates a complex with the Cathedral. The church is unique because it spans 2 floors and has an unusual south-north orientation. This unique religious complex, which is also the most famous cultural monument of Krk, is completed by the bell tower from the 16th century, which was restored to its final form in the 18th century. On the top of the bell tower is a statue of the Archangel Michael, showing the direction of the wind.