The National Park “Kornati” has so much beauties and specifities, both dealing with its natural and cultural heritage. What is worth seeing in the national park?

We will point some, mainly the most visited values. We have to stress that this is not all Kornati are offering. Other values are left for you to discover on your own – no matter if they are in the park or within yourselves.

We must point out that the continental part of the park is completely private property, so we require that you act like kind and thoughtful guests!

"CROWNS"
Some of the geological occurrences during the past can be viewed very imposingly through the Kornati “crowns”. Vertical cliffs of the Kornati islands facing the open sea are the most popular phenomenon of this park. The "crowns" represent a large tectonic fault surface that extends from the Istrian peninsula and ends somewhere in the middle of Dalmatia (maybe even southern), and it was caused by a global movement of Africa to the north and its "driving" into Europe.

The longest “crown” above the sealevel is situated on the island of Mana (1350 m) and the highest on the island of Klobucar (82 m). The “crowns” strech under the sea, too. The deepest “crown” is situated on the island of Piskera (over 90 m).

The “crowns” are homes for some very brave organisms: peregrine falcon, coemorant, swift, plant community of Centaurea ragusina.

Climbing on the “crowns” is not allowed!

MAGAZINOVA SKRILA ON THE ISLAND OF KORNAT
Magazinova skrila is a special type of land-slide site, where a “pack” of limestone slid on its – litologically same – cradle. The cause for this occurrence is most likely an earthquake. It is difficult to say when the earthquake took place, how strong it was, or where its centre was. There are numerous speculations about this information, but there are no concrete evidence about the time or the conditions required for this phenomenon to occur.

To get to Magazinova skrila you will have to “traspass” a private property. We ask of you to be extra careful and considerate toward the owners, so, please, do not endanger their land in any way (jumping and/or demolishing  painfully built drystonewall fences, picking fruits, disturbing animals, ets.).

As a starting point for visiting Magazinova skrila we recommend Kravjacica, Striznja, or Vruje on the island of Kornat.

BELVEDERES (Metlina, Otocevac, Opat, Vrujsko, Litnji vrh, Ravni Zakan, ...)
To extract one of these belvederes and to say that it is better than others would be impossible. Every belvedere will bring you special joy and excitement.

Metlina on the island of Kornat is the highest and most impressive peak in the National Park “Kornati” (237 m), but it is also the hardest one to reach. The peak of Opat (on the SE of the island of Kornat), as well as the Litnji Vrh on the island of Vela Smokvica, gives you an incredible view over almost the entire area of the National Park “Kornati”. The peak of Levernaka is simple to reach and it is worth of enjoyment.

We must mention again that the continental part of the national park is completely private property and that we ask of you to be extra careful and kind as guests while climbing to these Kornati peaks.

UNDERWATER OF KORNATI “CROWNS”
Diving visits to the National Park “Kornati” are only allowed in oraganized and authorized diving groups.So, if you intend to dive in the National Park “Kornati” (which we definitely recommend), please consult with one of ours diving centres which have the authorization for performing this activity in the National Park  “Kornati”.

In the area of the national park there are seven zones assigned for diving visits. Which of these zones is to be specially recommended is very difficult to say. Every one of them brings different excitement and experiences. Let your diving centre pick a destination for you – you won’t be disappointed.

ILLYRIAN RUINS
The first confirmed colonization of the Kornati islands is traced back to the Illyrian time. Little square dwellings, individual or in groups (like under Pedinka, above Željkovac, Podselo by Trtusa and Grba on the island of Žut), ruins (Scikat, Stražisce, Tureta, Grba) and tumuli (almost on every hill on the island of Kornat and Žut) testify of the population of the islands during the prehistoric times. Cattle breeding was the main economic branch, and fishing also played an important role in the economy of residents at the time.

TURET FORT
The time of Byzantine left, according to a lot of people, the most imposing building today in Kornati: Turet fort on the island of Kornat (architecture of late Antique and early Middle Ages – probably 16th century). It is assumed that the fort had a military purpose to secure and control sailing on the Adriatic Sea which was quite insecure at the time.

EARLY CHRISTIAN THREE-APSES BASILICA AND CHURCH OUR LADY OF TARAC
A very interesting building from the Byzantine times is an early christian three - apses basilica which is situated at the foot of the fort Turet, and whose main part of apses and former foundation still can be seen. Considering the size of the church (30x13m), it is assumed that Kornati had a respactable number of residents at the time. Very close to the church (in today’s sheepfold), you can find traces of a building whose purpose hasn’t yet been explained. It could have been a Templer’s Monastery or a Benedictine monastery. It is interesting that the island of Kornat was called names like Insulae Sanctae Maiae, Stomorin, etc. just like this church throughout the history.

Some very interesting cultural buildings in the area of the national park date from the Middle Ages, among which the most impressing is definitely the church Our Lady of Tarac. It is a modest one-apse sacral building (rural lateromanic church), built on the place of an old christian basilica and most probably from the remains of that same old christian basilica. The time of building of Our Lady of Tarac is not completely clear, so there are several assumptions, like 12th/13th century, 14th century, 15th/16th century. Masses are held in this church even today (every first Sunday in July). The meaning of this Mass has overgrown religious boundaries and become a part of tourist attractions in this area.

SALT PANS IN LAVSA
Remains of a salt warehouse and submerged ruins of salt pans in the bay Lavsa date back to the Middle Ages (most probably the second half of the 14th century).

VENETIAN CASTLE, PISKERA, CHURCH ON THE ISLAND OF PISKERA
On an islet called Vela Panitula a Venetian castle was built at the beginning of the 16th century, which served primarily as a place for tax collection from the Kornati fishermen. The Venetian administration ordered Kornati fishermen in 1532 to bring all of their catch to the island od Vela Panitula for tax collection. Very close to this Venetian castle(on the island of Piskera – Jadra) the fishermen founded a settlement with 36 houses and warehouses, eight piers and a drawbridge between Vela Panitula and Piskera, which was enormous considering place and time. A one-apse church with gothic construction elements was built as a part of the settlement, and it was consecrated in 1560. The fishermen spent time in the settlement only during the summer “darkness” (the most appropriate time for catching oily fish – when there is no moon in the sky). According to all this, the castle and the whole settlement of Piskera vanished suddenly with the fall of the Venetian Republic. It is interesting that today you can hardly see traces of the settlement, while the castle has been reduced to remains of remains. On the other hand, the church has been restored, and is still functioning.

APARTMENTS, PORTS AND DRYSTONE WALL FENCES
Since the arrival of new colons (residents of Murter, Betina, Zaglavac in the 17th century) and all the way to the end of the 19th century, the conditions in Kornati were not changing at all. Documents about life on the Kornati islands are very scarce. At this time the first worker and shepard dwellings (apartments) were built – small rural complexes situated by the edges of fields in Kornati. In the cadastre from 1824 – 1830 187 colons had been registered with Muter as their domicile settlement. These entries are mainly situated in the continental part of the islands (not by the sea). However, it is inportant to emphasize that already in 1682 residents of Murter, Pašman are mentioned as a “disturbance” for fishermen from Sali. Since then confrontations about fishing rights in Kornati have been increasing.

At the end of the 19th century, the noblemen from Zadar as former owners of the Kornati land, were no longer able to pay taxes and levies because of the new agrarian policy in Dalmatia, so they sold the Kornati islands. In the year 1885 the residents of Murter bought the island of Žut, and in 1896, together with residents of Betina and Zaglavac, they bought the islands of Kornat with all the belonging islands. In this way they became owners of over 90% of the Kornati land. The peasants were still taking care exclusively of the sea considering their traditional and written fishing rights they have had through the entire history of the islands.

At the end of the 19th anf the beginning of the 20th century the economy and life on the Kornati islands have gained a completely different meaning. That was the time of the strongest agrarian activities. Purely pasture areas experienced the biggest transformation when speaking about the increase of the cultivated surfaces (the area of clear land became ten times larger). At the same time a complex mosaic made out of  drystonewall fences sprang, and today we consider it to be one of the most interesting cultural attractions in the park area. Life was slowly relocating from the interior of the islands to the seaside. The ports, settlements in marine suitable bays, gained their full importance in the 20th century