8 Best Sights in Kvarner, Croatia

In terms of its importance and the pride of the 4,000 locals, the island's capital could perhaps even be called a city. It's not completely clear when the old city walls were first built, but the oldest mention of the walls dates back to the 1st century BC. The present-day walls, however, date mainly to the Middle Ages and have four gates. The seafront has a pleasant green area that takes you past cafés and a fish market, while the main square, Vela Placa, sits just behind the first row of houses. There's a beach underneath the town walls with a lovely view of the town.

The old town hall on Vela Placa was built in the 15th century. Its clock shows all 24 hours: daytime on the upper part, nighttime on the lower. Krk Town has two well-known visual anchors. The first is the imposing citadel that sits on Trg Kamplin. The bell tower of St. Quirinus is the other, with its angular onion dome typical of Krk.

If you're looking for a more secluded spot, head to this town that sits just above the beaches that trim a wide cove and peninsula. The road here is a single track through the tiny village, so you may find yourself performing intricate maneuvers in your car should you be unlucky enough to meet the water truck that keeps the village's houses supplied. Unless you arrive by boat, it is best to park in the first empty spot you see and walk into town or down the hill to the beach.

This clifftop town on the northeast coast of the island offers majestic views of the Velebit Mountains and a bird's-eye view of the crystal clear waters far below. Clustered on a hilltop 157 feet above a small harbor, it's a mass of confusing winding streets. As you traverse the town on foot you will find many corners where long staircases suddenly arise due to the steep terrain. As one of the oldest settlements on Krk, Vrbnik can feel a a little ramshackle, but this more lends to the charm than distracts from it. The fragrance of old wine barrels is ubiquitous on Vrbnik, and it is likely that they were once filled with Žlahtina, a local white wine that some claim is the best from the Kvarner region. The vineyards are just a short hop from town.

On the southern end of the island, this town has a great beach as well as the conveniences of civilization. However, this means that you must sometimes fight to find a spot in season. The 2-km (1-mile) beach is fronted by colorfully painted houses (and hotels at the southern end) and adorned with interesting nooks and stairways, all lending a fun and slightly eccentric air to the town. Cute backstreets behind the houses offer a selection of cozy cafés and a plethora of ice-cream shops.

Driving into Baška, you'll pass through Draga Bašćanska and then find yourself in Jurandvor. While on this road, take the chance to visit the Church of St. Lucy, which has achieved cultlike status since the discovery of the Glagolitic Baška Tablet on its grounds in 1851.

If you like Communist history, consider a day trip to this uninhabited island that was a Yugoslav prison just off the coast of Rab. Goli Otok means "naked island," a name aptly given for the lack of vegetation and inhabitable conditions on the island. After Tito broke ranks with Stalin in 1948, the island became known as the place where Yugoslav political prisoners were confined. Men were incarcerated here while women were taken to nearby Sveti Grgur island. The treatment of these prisoners is wholly unknown, as very few prisoners lived to tell of their experiences, but a stone quarry indicates that prisoners were forced to do hard labor quarrying stone. Conditions on Goli Otok were harsh, with blistering temperatures in the summer and brutal bura winds ripping across the barren island in the winter. Any mention of Goli Otok was strictly forbidden in Yugoslavia until after Tito's death. The prison was completely abandoned in 1989, but prison barracks remain there. You can make a short trip to this legendary gulag by taxi-boat with one of the many charter companies in Baška or Punat on Krk.

At Katunar Winery on the island of Krk, you can sample the Žlatina varietal, which is indigenous to the island. Individual visits and group tours can be arranged to sample the dry white Žlahtina Katunar, the Černo Katunar (a dry red), or the "pearl wine" Biser Mora, a dessert wine produced from 100% žlahtina grapes. This dry white wine is famous around the world.

North of Vrbnik, near Rudine, this cave is only one of many caverns on Krk; however, it's the only one open to the public. The stalactites, stalagmites, and calcine pillars inside are lit for easier exploring.