Dobrinj

Dobrinj is a typical, small Mediterranean town. It is nested in the central part of the island of Krk, on top of the plateau overlooking Soline Cove. Such a position long granted it a strategic importance in keeping watch over the Vinodol Channel, a significant maritime trade route.

Although the town was frequently plundered and vandalised by pirates and rebels (Uskoks), the people of Dobrinj managed to preserve the valuable documents testifying to the life in this area. Dobrinj is rightfully called the birthplace of Croatian culture and literacy. Its parish has always nurtured the Glagolitic tradition, as testified by the deed of Count Dragoslav from the 11th century.This blend of traditional and modern, the past and the present, has defined the

Dobrinj area as a destination of diversities.But Dobrinj is so much more than a town on the hill with impressive cultural and historical heritage and a great view of the Vinodol Channel, the Crikvenica Riviera and the peaks of mountains in Gorski Kotar. This whole area is an important tourist destination that takes pride in numerous towns and villages, such as Šilo, Klimno, and Čižići. And the value of Soline Cove had been recognised by the Romans already, who used the mud from the shallows for medicinal purposes, in particular for boosting the immune system. Saltworks were once the main driving force of the economy. Salt was collected from the sea with the help of the sun and the wind. Although saltworks no longer exists, the mud is still extensively used.

One of such places is the Meline beach, where people walking around covered in a thick layer of mud is a usual sight.We also recommend paying a visit to the abandoned village of Dolovo, the remains of the Gradec castle, the prehistoric tomb mound Vela gromača, the nearby Biserujka cave, the site of the sunken ship Peltastis near Šilo, the Glagolitic Park in Gabonjin, and some of the many ethnographic museums and collections in Dobrinj.

See what the traditional Dobrinj folk costumes look like and let the sounds of sopele escort you to a local konoba, where you will get to enjoy delicious homemade food, prepared and served ‘just like our ancestors had been doing it’, as locals would say.