Baska, Otok Krk

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Baska is a large village situated on the southern part of the island.

It has a very long beach of peebles and sand named Vela Plaza. Along the waterfront there are lots of restaurants, cafes, ice cream parlours and souvenirs stalls.

The local history museum in baška was opened in 1970 in the house where the pries Vinko Premuda (1870-1944) lived and worked. He was a scientist who espoused the Glagollitic script and secretary of the Old Slavonic Academy on Krk. There are more than 320 etnographic exhibits in this museum: articles of clothing from islands national folk costumes, various pieces of wooden furnitures, plates, cups, jugs, different metal, ceramic and glass disches, amphoras etc.

From the middle of the 11th century, monks – priests who said Mass from the Glagolitic missal – resided here alongside the church. These were later followers of St. Benedictine, the oldest Catholic order. In the middle of the 15th century, the Benedictines left St. Lucias abbey.

Baška was in the past situated on the present day hill of St. Ivan. It was, in fact, a castle (Rom. "castrum"), and according to some documents it was already known inn time time of King Zvonimir of Croatia as "Besca", and in some Croatian monuments as "Baška" (1375). In 1380, the Castel Baška was - in the war between the Hungaro-Croatian king Ludovic I and Venetians - burned down and the residents of that time had started to build their houses on the hill-side. The first house on the coast (on the photo) was built not earlier than in 1529. The house has got in int circle the written record - the Roman number I and the Latin inscription - Pax huic domui et omnibus habitentibus in ea (peace to this house and to a those who live in). There is also an Italian title showing that the house was built by the master Martin, the furrier from Senj.

Baska is situated in the southern part of island Krk, in the vast bay surrounded with stony hills. Nowdays Baska is well known tourist destination due its historical heritage and great, 2 km long sandy beach.

An ancient rural estate (villa rustica) built during the 4th century and transformed in the 6th century into a small early Christian church. In period between 11th and 15th century Benedictines lived here.

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I can only briefly remember my first stay in Baška when I was 6 or 7 and when it was still acceptable and probably safe to go sunbathing and swimming at noon! They teach us that if you do that today you'll get old prematurely and you risk cancer and all that... they can prove it with statistics and so on...
But if you go to Baška to see its longest beach, all gravel, nice enter to water... it's full all time even during the peak of heat, bodies are sardined and smell of sun lotion fills the air. We're talking about main season of course.

Luckily we came later in afternoon and had lunch with pasta and grilled squids, we mostly spent time in town sitting by food and cold drinks, walking the streets. It's kind of picturesque place if you don't get overwhelmed by crowds, better not to be confused with Stara Baška which is somehwere else.

Afford yourself some spectacular views to bare rocky shores of Krk and nearest islands. White slopes end in turqouise sea and are touched with blue sky. See some old Baška's architecture, typical for small towns by coast. Walk the promenade and sit down for drink - however, there are even bizzare tries to catch attention of potential customers. Yep, the competition is at edge, but nevertheless, friendly approach is lot better than no-matter-what-design.

If your time and condition allows, there are walking trails on the hills behind.

Excursions to islands and islets, including Goli island are possible from Baška, also so called fish picnics, paragliding, diving and so on.

More information on town can be found on the tourist union of Baška page.

Memory to Emil Geistlich - born Czech who is considered to be the founder of the turism in Baska in the early XXth century

Characteristic narrow street in Baška. The reason why the buildings are so close to each other is the protection from very strong wind (bora, local name: bura), especially during winter.

Bora (local name bura) is exceptionally strong wind very frequent on island Krk, especially in Baska. Do not forget to take a coat even during the season!