Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

historical and cultural monuments because until the construction
of the first modern roads, three hundred years
ago, this area was covered by uninhabited forests. However,
even here we can find Frankopan forts, beautiful castles
and churches, while most other parts emphasise the picturesque
traditional architecture (43). Villages are mostly located
along the roads, either on the mountain high ground,
as Crni Lug (41) at the front of the National Park Paklenica,
or on the plains in inland areas, as the extremely elongated
Ravna Gora (42). Among the castles stand out the Zrinski
castle from the 17th century (46) and a romantic castle in
Stara Sušica close to Ravna Gora (45) from the late 19th
century, wile among religious monuments is the Orthodox
monastery in Gomirje, from the 17th century (44).
Let's go now to the sea again, this time to the island part of
the Kvarner Bay, which offers plenty of gems to enthusiasts
of cultural heritage. The most valuable monuments are in
the island's main historic towns, such as Krk, Cres and Rab,
but not only in them. On the islands of CRES and LOŠINJ,
the historical town of Osor, situated at the point where the
two islands merge, is richest in cultural and historical monuments.
Up until the 15th century, it was the capital of both
islands and the seat of the diocese, which we can witness in
the almost completely preserved medieval core (47).
Other villages, such as Nerezine on Lošinj (49), and more
villages on the small islands belonging to the Cres-Lošinj
group of islands are also very picturesque. There are no
cars on those islands and life there resembles life in the an-
31