By boat to the monastery island of Košljun
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Punat
- 9.9/10 based on 7 reviews
- Tour category: Krk tours and excursions
- Travel style:
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Culture & Heritage
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Sea & Boat
Highlights
- Duration: 2 hours
- Transportation: Boat
- because You will enjoy exploring rich flora and fauna of islands protected forest park
- because the islet hides rich cultural heritage sights
- because You will enjoy a short panoramic ride with taxi boat and an amazing view of the island while approaching it from the seaside
Why visit the island of Košljun?
Overview
Košljun - an oasis of peace and spirituality
Košljun is an islet in the bay of Punat, famous for its Franciscan monastery. Košljun captivates visitors with its amazing nature and rich cultural heritage.
Košljun, in firm but gentle embrace of the island of Krk, is the tiny island in Puntarska Draga bay, between Punat and the city of Krk. The island is tiny and covers an area of only 6 hectares. Its coast is 1075 m long, and its highest point is only 6 m above sea level.
The inhabitants of the island of Košljun are the Franciscans, whose Franciscan monastery dates back to 1447. Even at Roman times, there was a fortified Villa Rustica on Košljun, and the island was named Košljun by the Latin word castellum, meaning a castle, a fortress.
In the 11th century, Košljun was inhabited by the Benedictines. After the island was abandoned by the Benedictines, the dukes of Frankopan invited the Franciscans to inhabit the island, and the Franciscans have been permanent residents of Košljun since the 15th century.
The Franciscans have shared a turbulent history with the islanders. Therefore, their ethnographic collection is very interesting and reveals a lot about life on the island and its inhabitants.
The church of St. Bernardine, built by the Benedictines, is home to a permanent collection of sacred art that is certainly worth seeing. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Crkva Navještenja Marijina) was completed in 1523, at the site of the former Benedictine Church.
The 10 m wide and 4.6 m tall painting on a canvas by Francesco Ughetto, dating from 1654 and clearly depicting hell, purgatory and paradise, will definitely capture your attention.
A polyptych by Girolamo da Santa Croce from 1535 is also a masterpiece. It depicts both St. Quirinus, the patron saint of the nearby town of Krk, and other saints as dukes of Frankopan, who donated the Franciscans financial funds for completing the construction of the church. The artfully painted beams on the open church ceiling also make an impression.
In addition to the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the church of St. Bernardine, there are 3 chapels and Stations of the Cross on the island. Of them, the Birth and Manger chapel (Porođenje s jaslicama), first mentioned in 1651, is the most famous one.
Košljun is also known for its valuable library containing as many as 30,000 books, some of which are as old as the monastery. One of only three remaining copies of the Ptolemy Atlas, published in Venice in 1511, is kept on Košljun.
Košljun also captures visitors with its nature. The island is protected as a forest park, primarily because of the forest of centuries-old holm oaks (Quercus ilex). There you can also see genuine laurel trees (Laurus nobilis), as well as the lavish manna ash forest (Orno-Quercetum ilicis).
At only 6 hectares there are as many as 389 plant species and 151 mushroom varieties. The islet is imbued with the scent of the sea and its abundance of aromatic plants. We certainly recommend exploring some of the many trails leading to the heart of the island and enjoying the peace, the scent of herbs and plants and the atmosphere of spirituality...
Upon arrival in the harbor of Košljun, you will be greeted by the figure of St. Francis with the wolf, which refers to the legend about St. Francis taming the wolf. At the entrance to the atrium the Franciscan greeting Mir i Dobro (Peace and All Good), written in Glagolitic script, welcomes you to the island!
The nearby town Punat is 800 m away and only 10 minutes of pleasant boat ride takes you to the oasis of peace and spirituality: the island of Košljun with its Franciscan monastery. Do not miss the opportunity to visit that unique island that has a lot to reveal, and which will surely inspire and delight you.
The Franciscan monastery on the Island of Košljun is open every day (from 1st April until 31st October) from 9:30 - 17:00 and on Sundays & holidays from 10:30 - 12:30. The winter working hours (from 1st of November until 31st of March) are from Monday to Saturday from 9:30 – 15:00 and on Sundays & holidays from 10:30 – 12:30.
On Sundays, there is mass at Košljun at 9:30, and on Sundays the boat leaves at 9:00.
Included in the price: panoramic ride with a taxi boat from Punat to the islet of Košljun and back.
The entrance ticket is not included in the price. You can buy the entrance ticket to the Islet of Košljun upon your arrival to Košljun. The entrance ticket can be paid in cash at it costs 5 Euro for adults and 3 Euro for children. The entrance ticket includes visiting the Franciscan church and monastery and four captivating collections: Ethnographic, Sacral Art, Natural History and Archaeological Collection.
We have a special offer for groups of adults and students visiting Košljun - on request.
The recommended duration for visiting Košljun is about 1,5 hours.
Pax et Bonum - Peace and All-Good!
Departures
| Days | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Monday | Punat 10:30 | Punat 11:30 | Punat 12:30 | |
| Tuesday | Punat 10:30 | Punat 11:30 | Punat 12:30 | |
| Wednesday | Punat 10:30 | Punat 11:30 | Punat 12:30 | |
| Thursday | Punat 10:30 | Punat 11:30 | Punat 12:30 | |
| Friday | Punat 10:30 | Punat 11:30 | Punat 12:30 | |
| Saturday | Punat 10:30 | Punat 11:30 | Punat 12:30 | |
Location
Itinerary
- The recommended duration of the visit to Košljun is about 1.5 hours.
What's included
- Boat ride
Discounts
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Children (100%)
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Youth (50%)
Important information
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Important information
Payment information:
- If the date of the booked excursion/experience is the same as the reservation date, the total amount must be paid immediately by credit card in order to confirm the reservation.
- If the date of the booked excursion/experience is the next day, ie one day after the reservation date, the payment must be made on the reservation date until 20:00.
- For all other dates, the payment must be made 24 hours from the moment of reservation.
- Payment is made by credit card (Mastercard & Visa & Maestro)
- In case the organizer has to postpone the booked excursion/experience, guests have the choice to receive the paid amount back or to accept an alternative date.
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General terms and conditions
Payment information:
- If the date of the booked excursion/experience is the same as the reservation date, the total amount must be paid immediately by credit card in order to confirm the reservation.
- If the date of the booked excursion/experience is the next day, ie one day after the reservation date, the payment must be made on the reservation date until 20:00.
- For all other dates, the payment must be made 24 hours from the moment of reservation.
- Payment is made by credit card (Mastercard & Visa & Maestro)
- In case the organizer has to postpone the booked excursion/experience, guests have the choice to receive the paid amount back or to accept an alternative date.
+385 51 604 400
+385 91 516 78 58
info@mare-vrbnik.com
