KRK

Na Krku raste 1300 poznatih biljnih vrsta, a radi
usporedbe spomenimo da ih na puno ve}em otoku Velikoj
Britaniji ima oko 1180 vrsta. Neke su vrste velika
rijetkost. To su tzv. endemi~ne biljke i reliktne (stare)
vrste. Borba{ova lazarkinja (Asperula barbasii) raste
jedino na bre~ama ju`noga dijela Ba{}anske uvale, i
vi{e nigdje na svijetu. Na livadama oko Solinskog zaljeva
u obilnim populacijama `ivi desetak vrsta
privla~nih ka}una ili orhideja. Prvi put u Hrvatskoj
upravo je ovdje otkriven prelijepi primjerak kri`anca
izme|u vrsta dvaju rodova orhideja: Serapias vomeracea
i Orchis laksiflora. Te{ko je negdje drugdje na}i
na tako malom prostoru kao na otoku Krku toliko
prirodnih ljepota, geografskih i biljnih raznolikosti,
vrijednih kulturno – povijesnih spomenika, specifi~nih
gospodarskih zna~ajki i takvu gostoljubivost.
Kontrasti `ivljenja stapaju se ovdje u skladu
prirode koja je svojom raznoliko{}u od surovih hridi do
pitomih polja obilno obdarila ovaj otok zemaljskim i
morskim darovima, plodovima srca i uma. I danas iz
ovog tla crpi snagu i `ivotne sokove uljna maslina,
slatka smokva i plemenita loza {to rodi dobrom
kapljicom, glasovitom Vrbni~kom `lahtinom. Kr~ka je
janjetina bila slastan zalogaj i na rimskim gozbama,
a nisu zanemarivi ni plodovi lova i ribolova. Jo{ u
antici na{i preci zahvaljivali su bogovima na
dare`ljivosti i prozvali ovaj otok INSULA AUREA -
ZLATNI OTOK - odnosno L’ ISOLA D’ ORO.
Povijesno i `ivotno iskustvo ne potvr|uje da je `ivot
na otoku uvijek bio “zlatan”, ali ima vjerodostojnih
spoznaja o zlatnim trenucima uzleta duha i dragocjenih
materijalnih tragova kojima se Kr~ani ponose.
Bogatu oto~nu kulturno - povijesnu ba{tinu stalno
oboga}uju i dana{nji nara{taji. Na tom jedinstvenom
otoku smjestilo se vi{e slikovitih naselja okamenjene
pro{losti, ~ija posebnost izaziva pozornost. Sva
va`nija naselja na otoku nisu nasumce izgra|ena,
locirana su na mjestima pretpovijesnih gradina, tj. na
mjestima koja su pru`ala sigurnost prirodne za{tite.
Danas je otokom razasuto 68 naselja, neka sa
starim ka{telima gra|enima od kamena, na kamenu
izme|u plavog mora i zelenog zale|a. Tu je drevnim
zidinama utvr|eni duhovni i administrativni centar
otoka grad Krk, glagolja{ki Vrbnik, frankopanski
Omi{alj, opjevani Dobrinj, romanti~na Ba{ka,
nauti~ki Punat, turisti~ka Malinska - sve su to
malene oaze pismenosti i svetosti, prave riznice kulturno-povijesnih
i duhovnih vrijednosti. Svi ovi gradi}i
izrasli na izabranom mjestu, uzvi{enim skladom
nadahnjuju ljudsku ma{tu i misti~no nas povezuju s
duhom pro{losti.
Koliko god toga imali zajedni~kog {to ih me|usobno
povezuje oni su kroz stolje}a nagla{avali i svoju
osobitost u no{nji, plesu i govoru. Na Krku i danas
govore ~akavskim dijalektom hrvatskoga jezika, ali
upitna zamjenica “{to” govori se ovdje na ~etiri
na~ina; ~a, ~e, ~o, ca; tako Vrben~ani i Omi{ljani govore
~ekavicom, Ba{}ani cakavicom, Dobrinjci ~okavicom,
dok Puntari, Duba{ljani i ostali govore ~akavicom.
Kr~ki govori ~uvaju mnoge starohrvatske jezi~ne osobitosti.
Jedan broj stanovnika grada Krka govori i
dijalektom talijanskoga jezika.
64
It is said of Krk that it is the most interesting and
most mysterious Croatian island, and as diverse and
rich as if it were a continent. One-thousand-threehundred
known plant species grow on Krk. For the
sake of comparison let us mention that on the much
larger island of Great Britain there are 1,180 species.
Some species are rare. They are the endemic plants and
relicts. Asperula barbasii, a type of woodruff, grows
only on the breccias of the southern section of the bay
of Ba{ka, and nowhere else in the world. On the meadows
of the gulf of Solin grow dozen types of orchids.
Indeed it was here that a beautiful specimen of a
hybrid between two species of orchids, the serapias
vomeracea and orchis laxiflora, was found for the first
time in Croatia. It is difficult somewhere else to find
within such a limited space as is the island of Krk so
much natural beauty, geographic and plant diversity,
valuable cultural and historical monuments, specific
economic features and such hospitality.
The contrasts of living become one here in the harmony
of the nature which has endowed this island
with terrestrial and marine gifts ranging from rough
cliffs to gentle fields, and fruits of the heart and the
mind. To this day this soil has been a source of
strength and life to the olive, the sweet fig and the
noble grape from which the famous Vrbni~ka @lahtina
is made. The lamb meat from Krk was a delicious
morsel at the Roman feasts, and the fruits of hunting
and fishing should not be disregarded either. Even in
the ancient times our predecessors thanked gods on
their generosity and named this island INSULA
AUREA – THE GOLDEN ISLAND - L’ISOLA D’ORO.
The historic and life experience offers no confirmation
that life on the island has always been “golden.”
Nevertheless, there exist trustworthy notions of the
golden moments of the rise of the spirit and precious
material traces in which the Krk residents take pride.
The rich cultural and historical heritage of the island
is constantly enriched by the present generations. Several
picturesque settlements of the petrified past are
situated on this unique island, and their singularity
commands attention. All of the more important settlements
on the island have not been built at random.
Rather, they are located on the sites of prehistoric
forts, on sites which offered the safety of natural protection.
Today, there are 68 settlements scattered on the
island, some of them with old castles made of stone,
on the rock between the blue sea and the green hinterland.
Among them are the spiritual and administrative
center of the island, the town of Krk, fortified by
ancient walls, Glagolitic Vrbnik, Omi{alj of the
Frankopans, Dobrinj praised in song, romantic Ba{ka,
nautical Punat, tourist Malinska, all small oases of
literacy and sanctity, true treasuries of cultural, historical
and spiritual values. All of these towns have
grown on a chosen spot; their elevated harmony
inspires human imagination, and they connect us
mystically with the spirit of the past. No matter how
much in common they had, throughout centuries they
have emphasized the distinctiveness of their folk costumes,
dance and speech.