island
of cres

about island of cres

Cres it is one of the northern islands in the Kvarner Gulf. With an area of 405.78 km² Cres is, together with Krk which is the same size, the largest Croatian island. Island of Cres is long and narrow mountainous island stretching 66 km in length and only from 2 to 12 km in width. The coast is indented with the total length of 248 km. Its western and southern part has a plenty of bays and pebbly beaches while the northern and eastern part are characterized with steep and rough rocks. The highest peak on the island is Gorice (650 m).

The Island of Cres is island of phenomena. The Vrana Lake is one of the most interesting karst water phenomena within the Dinaric karst and Adriatic Islands. The lake depression contains approximately 220 million m³ of fresh and extraordinary clean water. The lake is a source of potable water for the islands of Cres and Losinj. Cres is also one of the last habitats of a rare bird species - griffon vulture. A great richness of the botanical and animal world, which boasts more than 1300 species and an exceptional number of endemic species, is a genuine challenge to all nature lovers. Another interesting phenomenon about island Cres is the absence of poisonous snakes, even though they are common in the Kvarner area.

The history of Island of Cres dates back to the 4th century BC when it was settled by the Illyrian tribe, the Liburnians, who built numerous hill forts on the island. During history Cres was ruled by Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Venetians, Hungarians, Austrian, French, Italian and finally 1947 Island of Cres with other islands and Istria were returned under Croatian rule.

Cres offers a great variety of cultural and historical sightseeings:
- The Museum In Cres – offers a large collection of amphorae from the 2nd and the 3rd century BC and a collection of stone monuments on the ground floor.
- The Museum in Osor – located in the former Town Hall building. It offers a collection of stone monuments from the Roman times, Old Christian times and from the Middle Ages.
- Glagolitic lapidary in Valun – This is an anthology of copies of Glagolitic signs from Croatia. It offers the signs from 11^th and 12^th century, and the monuments from newer times. The original Valun plate is placed in the Valun parish church.
- The church of Our Lady of Snow – the most remarkable church in Cres. It was built in the 16^th century and the bell tower next to it dates from the 18^th century.

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