Cres Old Town: Venetian Traces
Cres town feels like a small piece of Venice on the Kvarner Gulf. No coincidence: Venice took control of the island as early as the 10th and 11th centuries, and in Italian the town is still called Cherso.
How to explore the heritage:
• Start on the main square by the harbour. Here stands the loggia, where proclamations were once read, contracts signed and goods traded. Wrongdoers were displayed at the pillory, and the marks of the shackles are still visible.
• Then wander into the maze of lanes with tall, narrow houses. Look for old coats of arms on the facades, which once showed the trade of the residents.
• The old town was once walled and entered through three town gates.
Our tip: come in the morning. Farmers then sell fruit, vegetables, olive oil and homemade goods under the loggia, and the square is full of real island life.
Good to know: Cres has one of the longest tourism traditions on the Adriatic. As early as 1845 about 200 travellers arrived by ship from Rijeka, and the first hotel, the Miramar, opened at the end of the 19th century.
After the walk, stroll along the deep harbour bay to the marina in the south-east of town.