Jurandvor: The Baška Tablet, churches and the trail to Zakam

Jurandvor brings together the history of the Baška Tablet and the starting point of a hike to Zakam. It is also home to St. Lucy’s Church, with its historic surroundings, and a large sculpture at the entrance to the village. Local attractions therefore range from cultural history to a tour through the landscape. These offer different options for planning your trip, which you can consider separately or together.

The Baška Tablet and St. Lucy’s Church

The Baška Tablet originally served as a partition inscription between the monks’ choir and the nave of St. Lucy’s Church in Jurandvor. It was found in this church in 1851. Today, a full-size replica is displayed there in its original position. The original has been housed in the atrium of the Palace of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts since 1934. This distinguishes the findspot, the original location and the current location of the original. Check the church’s local access conditions before your visit.

St. Lucy’s Church was built at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries on the remains of an early Christian basilica. The St. Lucy’s Abbey complex also includes the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary and a restored residential building from the monastery. The remains around the church were brought together as an archaeological park in 2000. The complex therefore encompasses both the later church building and evidence of the older predecessor building, as well as other parts of the abbey complex.

Glagolitic art and the hike to Zakam

At the entrance to Jurandvor stands a sculpture of the Glagolitic letter L, dedicated to St. Lucy. It is 4.45 metres high and weighs 20 tonnes. This single character offers another way to explore the history of the Glagolitic script; it differs from the path sculptures that define the wider travel destination of Općina Baška.

One way to plan some time outdoors is to take the Baška Tablet–Zakam hiking trail. It starts in Jurandvor and climbs through a pine forest towards Zakam. The route reaches a viewpoint overlooking Baška, the Church of St. John and the island of Prvić. Jurandvor thus offers both a specific starting point for a hike and several cultural-historical landmarks. The trail provides a different way to experience the surroundings than looking at the church, tablet and archaeological remains.

More trails in the wider travel destination of Općina Baška

Within the wider travel destination of Općina Baška, the Baška Glagolitic Trail runs through the Baška landscape. It is marked by 35 stone sculptures representing the letters of the Croatian Glagolitic alphabet. This regional trail art should be distinguished from the single letter L at the entrance to Jurandvor: here, one sculpture is dedicated to the script, while the trail takes a series of letters through the wider landscape.

The selection of marked routes is also part of Općina Baška: eleven officially marked trails start in Baška, Jurandvor, Zarok and Draga Bašćanska. They range from a two-hour walk by the river to a full-day crossing of the Moon Plateau. This comparison helps put the different time commitments of the regional hiking options into perspective when planning your trip. The trail to Zakam remains a distinct option, with its starting point in Jurandvor and a viewpoint along the route.

Discover more destinations: Baska, Stara Baska, Draga Bašćanska, Batomalj.

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Općina Baška.