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This is the largest of the Zadar archipelago islands with a surface area
of 144.44 km2, the seashore length being 179.75 km with eleven
settlements facing towards the mainland and a steep southwestern side
facing the open sea.
The most attractive for tourists are the southwestern and westerly parts
of the island. Telescica in the southwest was proclaimed a Nature Park
and is both in its relief and geology a part of the Kornati National
Park. The western part is renowned for its tourist resort Bozava, sandy
beach called Sakarum and the Veli rat lighthouse dominating the whole
area. Sali is a tourist and fishing town and is the administrative seat
of the island. The Zadar - Brbinj ferry line connects Dugi Otok with the
mainland.
Around 1500 inhabitants live on the
island in 12 villages
(Bozava, Sali, Zaglav,
Žman, Luka, Savar, Brbinj, Dragove, Zverinac, Soline, Verunić, Veli rat).
The road connecting all places on the island offers a magnificent view.
The island is well connected with the mainland by ferries and fast
ships.
Every place on Dugi otok has its
festivity. Hedonism and Mediterranean culture with specific traits of
different places, such as donkey races, folk dance kolo, theatre
performances and musical concerts in the environment of the island
architecture, makes even the farthest dreams come true.
History
The island of Dugi otok is a meeting place of people, nature and
interesting cultural monuments. On the island there are amazing puddles
with accumulated water that can be found in all places on the island of
Dugi otok, resembling antique theatres. Don't be surprised to see
remains of monuments from Paleolithic – remains of gravestones, Illyrian
period – stone mounds, or from Roman period – Villa rustica in Mala
Proversa.
The island of Dugi otok was first mentioned in the mid-10th century by
Byzantine emperor Constantine Porfirogenet, who refers to it in his work
“De administrando imperio”, under the name of Pizuh. Furthermore, at the
beginning of 11th century the island was called Insula Tilagus in
written documents and that name was preserved in the name of bay-cove,
today's nature park Telašćica.
The island was inhabited very early, which is confirmed by
archaeological excavations from Krševanje polje and Veli Rat, dating
back to the Old and Middle Stone Age (Paleolithic and Mesolithic). The
island has remains of Illyrian settlements (Omišenjak, Koženjak, Veli
Brčastac…) with or without castle ruins (Vrtlaci), there are also
numerous tumuli (Gominjak, Čuh polje…) and one graveyard on the flatland
(Dugo polje).
Numerous remains of scattered ceramic fragments, smaller monuments
(sarcophagi, votive monuments) and remains of farm buildings (villa
rustica) witness to the existence of Antique period. Among these,
special attention has to be paid to farm complex in Mala Proversa, as
well as to votive monument of Empire age of Euhemer in honor of Goddess
Diane that indicates the existence of imperial property on the area of
the lake Žmanjsko jezero.
Early Christian and pre-Romanesque periods are accompanied with numerous
churches, many of which are well preserved, such as the church of St.
Pelegrin in Savar.
As to secular housing architecture several examples from the period
between the 16th and 18th century are preserved. These buildings make a
valuable contribution to insular, as well as to secular architecture of
the city of Zadar from Mannerism and Baroque.
Nature park Telašćica
Nature Park Telašćica Nature Park Telašćica on the south-east part of
Dugi otok together with 13 surrounding islands and islets, makes a
marvelous harmony of the nature on the 70,5 sq.m.
There is a contrast of quiet bays with rough cliffs, the area of the
wood complex of the Alpine pine trees and holly oak macchia on side,
with bare rocky grounds on the other side, the area of cultivated fields
of vineyards and olive-trees, as well as the area of rocky grassland.
Mediterranean vegetation with more than 400 species of plants, numerous
rare and endemic.
Three basic phenomena distinguish the
Nature Park Telašćica:
• Telašćica bay, one of the safest, the most beautiful and largest
natural ports in the Adriatic. There are 6 islets and cliffs inside the
bay, and 25 small coves on the 69 km coast lenght. It is an attractive
anchorage for many boaters.
• The Cliffs of the island Dugi otok or locally called "Stene" rising up
to 200 m over the sea, and vertically falling down 90 m into the sea.
Great number of bird species nest here, as well as Falco peregrinus and
Falco eleonore.
• Salt Lake Mir with fine curative gray silt, is the residence of
endemic specie of eel called "Kajman".
Cave “Strašna peć” - opening July 1st
2006.
It was mentioned for the first
time in 1898 in the paper "Il Dalmata"; and in an article by dr. Luka
Jelic in "ILLUSTRIERTE ÖSTERREICHISCHE RIVIERA - ZEITUNG" in 1904 it was
popularized and tourists started visiting it.
It was visited by the emperor Franjo
Josip, who was fascinated by its beauty and adapted the cave, had the
iron gate put at the entrance, had made 2 lanterns, and stairway to the
sea was also built. Today the cave is neglected and has no approach
path. The tourist board and the local board are trying to revaluate this
attraction.
Its entrance is on 70m height above sea
level and it is formed in well-layered limestones of fossil shells from
Cretaceous. After the entrance, which most probably developed when a
part of the ceiling caved in, the channel starts descending (in the
first part) first mildly and then ever steeper to the bottom filled with
imploded blocks.
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