Discover Polje

Polje is one of the older settlements in Dobrinjština. It is the birthplace of Ivan Črnčić, a priest, educator, philologist, Slavist and historian. He is associated with the study of the Baška Tablet and other Croatian Glagolitic cultural heritage. The history of the village therefore encompasses both education and the region’s written heritage.

Ivan Črnčić and the history of schooling

Dr. Ivan Črnčić initiated the first organised primary school in Polje; he funded the building. This adds a concrete local dimension to his scholarly work: alongside his engagement with Glagolitic cultural heritage, he also represents the establishment of an educational institution. Those interested in the village’s history will thus encounter two different areas of activity associated with the same person.

Threshing floor, festival and hiking trail

At the exit from Polje, a threshing floor stands beside the path. It is a circular, levelled platform bordered by a low stone wall. Historically, a threshing floor was used for threshing grain. Harvest festivals, community gatherings and local decision-making were also among its former functions. The structure thus illustrates both agricultural work and a communal gathering place.

The Putevima Dobrinjštine circular trail passes through Polje and continues on to Žestilac. If you are considering this route for your plans, check the current trail conditions locally. Mala Gospoja is celebrated in Polje on 8 September. If you are planning your visit around the celebration, it is advisable to check the programme for the relevant date.

Polje and the wider destination of Općina Dobrinj

Polje is very close to Šilo and is associated with rural tourism by the municipality. Šilo is considered an attractive summer holiday resort. These are two distinct points of reference for understanding the destination: Polje’s positioning as a rural tourism destination and Šilo’s described role as a summer resort.

Churches and collections in the wider destination of Općina Dobrinj offer further cultural and historical themes. In Dobrinj, the Church of the Holy Trinity is used as an exhibition space for artefacts from the Dobrinj area. It also houses the Maskeron, an impressive sculpture of a man’s head, attributed, probably, to a local folk artist and dated to 1738. The parish church of St Stephen is one of the oldest parish churches and is mentioned in a Glagolitic document from 1100; its sacred collection includes liturgical objects, paintings and sculptures dating from the 14th to the 19th century.

The Ethnographic Collection in Dobrinj can also be included in your visit plans: it can be visited during the summer months; at other times, you must register in advance by telephone with the Municipality of Dobrinj. In Klimno, the Church of St Clement contains a protected wooden Renaissance polyptych depicting the Madonna and Child and the saints.

In Soline, Glagolitic documents from 1379 and 1465 recall the Bay of St Peter. Above Soline, the medieval Church of St Philip and St James also stands on a small, remote hill. Soline is considered the only place on Krk with medicinal herbs. The regional context thus extends from Polje’s educational and written history to sacred art and historic sites in other parts of Općina Dobrinj.

Discover more destinations: Kras, Sužan, Soline, Dobrinj, Žestilac, Rudine, Gostinjac, Zupanje

For the wider travel overview: Općina Dobrinj.