Pag - lace in the Adriatic Sea

The construction of today's city began in the 15th century under the leadership of one of the most famous Renaissance sculptors, Jurij Dalmatinac. On the main square (Trg kralja Petar Krešimir IV.) stands the parish church, the most venerable part of Dalmatinč's legacy. Pag is not the oldest town on the island, about a kilometer to the south are the remains of the Old Town, which was abandoned in the fifteenth century. The former warehouses of the old salt pans of Pag are located near the well-kept city beach. Salt has been the most important economic industry for centuries, and even today we can see the traditional way of extracting salt in clay basins. In addition to the salt pans, Pag is also known for its medicinal Pag mud. In the area called Lokunja, you can feel the healing effects of the mud wraps yourself. Of course, we must not forget the beaches, because with 270 kilometers of indented coastline, Pag is the island with the longest coastline in the Adriatic. The largest, the bay of Pag, is surrounded by 20 kilometers of sandy beaches. The second largest place on the island is Novalja, which developed on the remains of the ancient settlement of Novalja. Some Roman remains are still visible today, and there are particularly attractive beaches around Novalja, some quiet and hidden, others notorious.

For under the teeth
Salt is an important ingredient on the island of Pag, which can also be felt when eating the most famous Croatian cheese, which comes right from Pag. The sheep that graze on the sparse vegetation give the cheese and also the meat - the lamb from Pag is considered the best in Croatia - a special taste. Konoba Bile is famous in Pag for its good lamb and other traditional delicacies, and the local population also swears by the restaurant Na Tale. Near Novalja, there is a restaurant of the Boskinac Hotel, known for its specialties, which is open even if you are not a guest of the hotel if you make a reservation in advance. In addition to Pag lamb and cheese, excellent prosciutto, sage honey, excellent wines and brandy are also produced on the island. In the small town of Pag, we stop at the entrance to the monastery of the be sisters - non-dictating nuns, who preserve the tradition of preparing baškotins, a hard pastry that is best when dipped in white coffee.

For spendthrifts
The most famous product of the island, which partly belongs to Dalmatia and partly to Kvarner, is Pag lace. In addition to lace, women especially like to look at traditional jewelry from Pag. Authentic jewelry of the island of Pag is perujini, jewelry with a typical filigree treated ball with a series of small ornaments.

Nightlife
Two kilometers from Novalja, on the road to Pag, the road turns towards the infamous ZrÄ?e beach. Due to its 24-hour parties, it has earned the nickname Croatia Ibiza, and on hot summer days, it seems that the entire Croatian, Italian and, increasingly, Slovenian population, eager to have fun, flocks to the wide beach overlooking Velebit. In the summer, Zagreb's meeting places for fans of long parties transfer the action to ZrÄ?e. Papaya and Aquarius are just two of them, although Kalypso Club has the longest tradition on the beach. They serve food and pour drinks 24 hours a day, so the most persistent can really dance all day and night.

For active
From the top of the highest point of Pag - the 342 meter high Sveti Vid, we are offered a wonderful view of the entire Pag Bay. The easiest way to get to the top is from Dubrava. The view of the Velebit Channel and Mount Velebit can be admired from the top of Sveti Jurje, which we climb from the Bašaca area. High-rise walls of unusual shapes attract free climbers, who practice their skills on the steep parts of Sveti Vid and in the walls above Ručica beach on the northwestern side of the Pag Bay. We will get to know the island best by bicycle, especially in the spring and early summer months, when the island's aromatic vegetation blooms. The Bay of Pag is favorable for diving, especially in the shallower and middle parts of the bay. The sea currents are not strong, and there are not many fluctuations in the water temperature either. Experienced divers will enjoy Slana Bay, where the underwater world is particularly attractive. Research carried out on the island in the late 1990s proved that the wind blows on Pag as many as 350 days a year. This means that the island is a true paradise for windsurfers. In the summer, a light mistral blows in the early afternoon hours, and in the later afternoons the mistral gets stronger, which allows for real windsurfing pleasures.

What's happening
The real fun on the island begins with chasing away winter during the Winter Carnival. The craziest party takes place from Shrove Saturday to Shrove Tuesday on Peter Krešimir IV square. in Pag, where they traditionally burn the Marko doll, which represents all the troubles of the past year. However, since the winter carnival is "off-season", in the 1960s they also started organizing the summer carnival, which usually takes place on July 27. In terms of the number of masks, it does not lag behind the winter one, but of course the revelry on a hot summer night is much more frequented. In addition to the summer carnival, the feast of the Assumption of Mary (Velika Gospa) is especially important during the summer days, on August 15, when locals and visitors gather for a big "fest". Since the preservation of tradition is an important part of the present, a folk drama called Paška sužnja (Paška robinja) is often performed on Pag. Apart from Korčula's Moreška, it has been preserved as the only game of its kind in Croatia. The costumes of Pag are particularly attractive and can best be seen when, especially during the summer, during various events, the inhabitants of the island dance their famous Pag dance, which shows the meeting of a group of boys and girls who show attention to each other by dancing and clapping. The dancers sometimes also sang during the dance, but today their role is taken by singers who gather in klapa and sing Dalmatian songs.