Hiking
Baška
Vaclav’s Ridge Trail
The magic of water from the spring to the sea
Karakteristike
In the fertile Baška Valley you will find Vela Rika, the only perennial stream on the Croatian islands. Its meandering curves and waterfalls with shiny water drops gushing over the rocks all the way to the sea are truly magical. The trail leading to the source of Vela Rika will reveal the magnificent beauty of this stream.
It starts off at the Žanac water source by the Mošuna restaurant, located near Draga Bašćanska. Legend has it that you should ‘kiss the baba’ on your first visit to Baška. Of course, this is a metaphor for drinking cool water from the source, and the ‘baba’ (which may be translated as the ‘old lady’) is a monolith from which water springs. Locals say that St Jerome got thirsty while wandering around the island. He hit the rock with a stick, and water gushed out. As you need to put your mouth closer to the rock to drink the natural spring water, with time it became common to refer to it as ‘kissing the baba’.
Refreshed and supplied with cool water, continue uphill to Portafortuna, a famous climbing site where many climbers come to hone their skills. A forest path shaded by oak trees will take you to the Treskavac pass, the highest point of the road towards Baška. Here you will cross the road and turn in the direction of Vela Rika. It springs underneath the Mali Hlam peak, with rainwater feeding it throughout the valley. In the autumn and spring it turns into a river, while in the summer season it sometimes dries up. This is why it is also called Suha Ričina, meaning the dry river. The stream runs over two waterfalls, which add up to the magical environment: the first one is located right underneath the spring, and the other in the Žanac area. Enjoy the bubbling stream and peace that can be felt here. On your way back you will be attracted by the ‘baba’, a rock of an intriguing shape and beauty. The trail ends in Žanac, where you first started this hiking adventure.
