Hiking
Dobrinj
Discovering the Dobrinj area
Breath-taking diversities of a unique rural region
Karakteristike
The Dobrinj area prides itself on distinct rural landscapes that make part of the spacious, gently undulating greenscape of the north-eastern part of the island of Krk. The stone houses and narrow alleys of its towns and villages are a true sight: there you can marvel at the picturesque folk costumes and let the sounds of sopele caress your soul. If you are yearning for a holiday filled with mysteries of old times, visit the Dobrinj area!
The loop trail ‘Following the Paths of the Dobrinj Area’ starts in Šilo, a small town nestled in a cove sheltered by a narrow peninsula that protrudes into the sea like a sharp rock (as denoted by its name, Šilo, which can imply a cape or a sharp point). It runs through Šilo’s outskirts, and crosses the hamlets of Žestilac, Gostinjac and Sv. Vid Dobrinjski, the small town of Dobrinj, and the hamlets of Gornja Hlapa and Županje.
Once a fishermen’s town, Šilo is today a tourist centre of the Dobrinj area. It is the home port of the first steamboat, and later the first ferryboat, in the Adriatic. The trail passes through a part of the town before switching to a rural roadway. After walking for a while, you will spot a signpost directing you towards the remains of a Roman villa rustica from the 6th century, when the Byzantines erected fortifications in the strategic positions to serve them as watchtowers. Although nothing but a pile of rocks is left behind, the viewpoint offering gorgeous vistas of the Crikvenica Riviera, the rocky barrier over the Vinodol Channel and the summits of nearby mountains, makes this site truly invaluable.
The trail further follows a rural roadway fenced by a drystone wall. It passes through a distinct rural area with small but quaint villages where the control points have been set up.
You will get to see a threshing floor – a flat circular plateau surrounded by a low stone wall, which was once used for threshing the grains. Besides being a place of hard work, it also served as a meeting point where the villagers would discuss important matters and make decisions, and organise festivities honouring a good crop. Although it is no longer used and has practically fallen into oblivion, it remains a valuable example of the island’s architectural heritage.
The village of Sv. Vid Dobrinjski is where you will reach the highest point on the trail. There you can visit the Church of St Vitus with a 14-metres-tall stone bell tower, before proceeding to Dobrinj, a museum town with an impressive cultural heritage. After an easy descent to Šilo, just pick a spot to your liking and get some well-deserved rest.
