Culture

About Baška

Baška was inhabited in prehistoric times, and later developed into a Roman settlement by the sea; on the basis of the archaeological remains found at the chapel of St. Mark, it may be surmised that the latter dates back to the 2nd century BC.

The Baška settlement only began to develop in earnest on the hill of St. John from AD 418, while Baška's castle was mentioned for the first time in AD 1232 as Castellum Besca.

Throughout its long history Baška belonged to Byzantium, Venice, was part of Napoleon's Illyria, and under Austrian rule, and after World War 1 it became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia; after the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1991 it came under Croatian jurisdiction, and it has been an independent municipality on the island of Krk since 1994.

In a historical perspective, Baška's claim to fame is the recovery on its territory of the Baška tablet, one of the important monument of Croatian history and culture; this ancient Croatian document is a vital source to gain insight into the development of the Croatian Glagolitic alphabet, and holds special significance as the first document in which the name of a local ruler was written in the national language.

Baška has established itself as a must-see place for all sunshine and sea lovers. Its incredible nature is compounded by hiking trails, cycling routes, climbing slopes and many outdoor activities, all of which are intertwined with tradition, history, gastronomy, and century-old experience with tourism; a holiday spent in Baška will not be easily forgotten.

Reaching Baška is easy, as it is only a short drive from all the major European cities: Prague is 829 km (515 mi) away, Munich 587 km (364 mi), Budapest 542 km (336 mi), Vienna 555 km (344 mi), Graz 370 km (230 mi), and Ljubljana 184 km (114 mi). Once in Baška, visitors will simply not want to leave.

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The History of Tourism in Baška

Tourism in the Baška Municipality began to develop in 1904, when what had until then been mainly a fishing and trading place decided to focus on the alternative economic potential offered by foreign visitors. Two years later the hotel "Zvonimir," the first of such establishments to appear in Baška, was opened, and in 1909 Emil Geistlich, the director of a Prague newspaper printing company who was to play a significant role in the development of Baška’s tourism, visited the area for the first time.  He became actively involved in the work of the Society for the Improvement of the Town’s Architecture and Tidiness; later in the year he opened the Zablaće Pavilion and the Hotel "Baška", and even printed the town’s first promotional brochures. Already in 1913 2,000 visiting guests were recorded in the area.

Despite some disruption during the two world wars, the development of tourism in Baška remained constant and significant; thanks to big investments, the expansion of the offer and its natural potential, this little town has quickly turned into a must-see destination for all sunshine and sea lovers.

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The Zvonimir Gallery

The Zvonimir Gallery is an important part of Baška's cultural life; it is open from May to October every year, and presents carefully selected exhibition programs in cooperation with various national museums and prominent Croatian and foreign artists.

Galerija Zvonimir
Ulica kralja Zvonimira 114, Baška

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• Gallery Zvonimir - Exhibition 2023.

Baška's Heritage Museum

The Heritage Museum is owned by the Baška Municipality and was opened in 1970 in the refurbished home of teacher Nikola Pajalić. It houses a collection of local ethnographic items, such as folk costumes, old-fashioned utensils, kitchen accessories and other tools.

On the first floor a memorial room for Dr. Zdenka Čermak (1884-1968) has been set up: a Czech tourist who spent her working life in Baška acting as the local doctor, she bequeathed her working inventory to the Baška Municipality after her death.

THE MUSEUM IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO VISITORS DUE TO RECONSTRUCTION.

Baška's Heritage Museum
Ulica kralja Zvonimira 28, Baška

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The Baška Tablet

The Baška Tablet is one of the most precious Croatian monuments. It dates to around AD 1100, but it was brought to the national attention only in 1851 thanks to the initiative of Pastor Petar Dorčić. It was originally the left partition panel in the stone railing that separated the congregation from the altar in the nave of the Benedictine Church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor.

Its historical value and significance is mainly associated with the language and the script it contains: indeed, it is the oldest known document in which a Croatian name is written in the Croatian language and in the Croatian Glagolitic script.

Since 1934 the Baška Tablet has been preserved in the building of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts; the one on display at the church of St. Lucy in Jurandvor is thus a replica.

The text of the Baška Tablet is engraved in 13 lines containing almost 100 words, and reads as follows:

„In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, I, abbot Držiha, wrote this concerning the land which Zvonimir, the Croatian king, gave in his days to St. Lucia. And the witnesses [were] Župan Desimir in Krbava, Martin in Lika, Piribineg in Vinodol and Yakov in Otok. Whoever denies this, let him be cursed by God and the twelve apostles and the four evangelists and Saint Lucia. Amen. May he who lives here pray for them to God. I, abbot Dobrovit, built this church with nine of my brethren in the days of prince Cosmas, who ruled over the entire province. And in those days [the parish of St.] Nicholas in Otočac was joined with [the parish of] St. Lucia.“

For more information please advise:

„AZ“, AGENCY FOR CULTURE AND TOURISM

Bašćanska ploča – Jurandvor
Baška 51523, Jurandvor b.b.
tel/fax: +385 51 860 184,
mob. 00385 91 511 39 43
e-mail:azjurandvor@yahoo.com
www.azjurandvor.com

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