The Town of Crikvenica
Crikvenica is situated in the Kvarner bay at the Adriatic
sea, at a distance of 35 kilometers from Rijeka, a big road and railway junction
and the centre of the district of Primorje and Gorski Kotar, a part of which
is also the town of Crikvenica. The whole town
of Crikvenica is in fact a riviera with a row of almost connected small tourist
resorts: Selce, Crikvenica, Dramalj and Jadranovo.
The town spreads on about 28 square kilometers in the coastal zone, which is
about 15 km long and about 2 km wide, and is squeezed between the sea and the
elongated Iittoral reef of an average height above sealevel of about 300 m.
The neighbourhood of the airport on the island of Krk,
the passenger and the cargo sea ports in Rijeka, as well as a good road and
railway connection with Middle Europe contributed to an early development of
tourism which has in the region of the present Riviera of Crikvenica a tradition
of more than one hundred years.
History And Culture
The natural particularities and the exceptionally favourable
geographical position for traffic between Middle Europe and the Mediterranean
have brought about an early settlement of these regions. That has been confirmed
also by the discovered remains of numerous settlements of the prehistoric inhabitants,
Liburnians.
In antique times a diverging road of an important Roman road leading from Italy
to Dalmatia spread along the seaside. Alongside the roads there were resting
stations and stations for changing horses, agricultural estates, commercial
ports and rural houses. The settlement of the Croatian tribes on these territories
was completed by the end of the 8th century. The
Croatians brought a specific spiritual and material culture, which can be testified
by exceptional examples of jewelry found in the Old Croatian necropolis Stranče-Gorica
near Crikvenica. The family of the princes of Frankopan ruled in the principality
of Vinodol for nearly 450 years. During their rule the Frankopans controlled
not only the economic but also the cultural development. It is their merit that
one of the oldest European Laws, the Law of Vinodol, was passed in 1288. In
that Iaw the main legal and democratic principles of the social life of the
inhabitants of the littoral region were defined. The
Frankopans were also considerable donors and constructors of churches. Thus
it was in 1412 that prince Nikola IV had a monastery built for the monks of
Saint Paul the Hermit close to the very ancient small church situated near the
place where the river Dubračina empties into the sea, in which way the future
Crikvenica was founded. The monks cherished the national language and used the
Croatian Glagolitic alphabet, they cured the populace and ran a school which
was attended also by Juraj Julije Klović, later the most famous painter miniaturist
in the world. The small resorts constituting the
present town of Crikvenica were originally ports of medieval towns in the valley
of Vinodol. Most developed was the port in Selce, and about the end of the 19th
century new ports were built with strong stone break-waters, which have subsisted
until this day. They prove the skill of the constructors and stone-masons, by
which the inhabitants of this region were known and respected all over the world.
By the end of the Iast century the first tourists began
to visit Crikvenica, and subsequently also the other parts of this Riviera.
This stimulated the construction of hotels, bathing establishments, villas and
the Iaying down of parks and promenades. During the Iast one hundred years the
resorts of the Riviera have considerably changed.
Nowadays they appear as a mixture of modern buildings with the tourist architecture
of the Iast century and the traditional popular architecture, representing integral
parts of particular harmony andcharm. At present
in the resorts of the Riviera of Crikvenica, especially during summer, various
events take place from exhibitions and concerts to performances and sports events
and competitions. The visitors can get acquainted with interesting popular customs,
while gourmets will appreciate certain dishes prepared in a manner typical for
the region.
Climate And Health Tourism
Due to the favourable position of Crikvenica and its
being sheltered from strong winds from the north thanks to the slopes of the
mountain of Kapela and from the south thanks to the island of Krk - its climate
is mild and relaxing. The characteristics of the climate of this region are
dry, fair and pleasantly warm summers and mild winters with a healthy local
system of winds. The amplitude between the average
annual temperature maximum and minimum is small. The centenary average of temperature
is 14°C, and the average summer temperature is 23°C.
Snow, fog and a temperature below 5°C are very rare. The
temperature of the sea reaches in summer not more than 27°C. The sea air distinguishes
itself by purity and by dispersed desirable oligominerals and there are no noxious
pollen allergens or waste gases. Among the biometeorological data it is important
that the TWH index (reIation between temperature, speed of the wind and humidity)
expressed as the feeling of pleas antness is very favourable for the most part
of the year. Owing to such climatic and ecological
conditions the first tourists began to arrive in Crikvenica, on an organized
basis more than one hundred years ago primarily for medical reasons.
Recreation, vacation and entertainment were only additional
reasons. In 1906 Crikvenica was officially proclaimed a health resort and a
seaside resort. The fact that balneotherapy,
climatotherapy and thalassotherapy are highly valued in the most famous medical
centres of Europe has prompted the construction of medical centres and establishments
in Crikvenica. First a medical establishment for Austro-Hungarian officers and
the children's home "Ladislavovac" were completed, ollowed by hy- dropathic
establishments in the hotels "Therapia" and "Miramare" and the sanatorium of
Dr. Seidl, then also the "Czech colony" and the teachers' home "Vila Ružica".
After the second world war establishments for thalassotherapy for adults and
children were founded with in patient clinics for curing and rehabilitation,
particularly for illnesses or respiratory organs and rheumatism.
The present "Thalassotherapia" is a well organized establishment equipped with
most modern apparatuses and equipments. It offers to in clinic patients and
tourists a wide range of medical services in curing and rehabilitation. This
institution serves for teaching purposes to the Medical School in Rijeka.
Hunting Tourism
Nature has bestowed upon these regions various
and abundant conditions for the life and the development of game. Various kinds
of game Iive in the fields, in the rocky ground and in the mountains, some of
which are ararity in Europe. The hare, the par
tridge, the pheasant, the fox, the marten and the badger live in the zone of
low wood, in the rocky, ground and in the fields. The doe, the deer, the wolf,
the boar, the wildcat, the Iynx, the bear and the big rouse live in the zone
of high wood, which includes also the high hills of the mountain Viševica with
the maximal height above sea-level of 1,428 m and the climate is continental.
All the regions of the woodland are connected by traffic
with the main asphalt road, the diverging roads eing good macadam roads. In
the zone of woodland there are also several hunters. lodges and inns, in the
hunting grounds there are enough open and closed shooting stands, all of which
contributing to a pleasant stay of the hunters. Hunting
is especially interesting in spring, autumn and winter and numerous hunters
have wonhigh medals for shooting game. The hunting-grounds may interest also
the tourists who Iike to take a walk and pick trawberries, raspberries, blueberries,
hazel-nuts and various kinds of medicinal herbs which can be found in the woods.
How to come to the hunting-grounds? It is necessary to
contact in writing, personally or by phone one of he hunting associations and
ask for the price-list for a given arrangement, after which a written answer
will be obtained.
source:
Crikvenica Exclusive