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Island of Pag

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  • Island of Pag
  • Pag is a fascinating island with unique geographical features, a colourful vibrant community, rich cultrural heritage and an exciting tourist offer. It is home of eponymous cheese, lamb and lace, all universally acknowledged, appreciated and celebrated around the globe!

    DON'T MISS

    Get a beautiful handcrafted lace for your home / Cycle to the Moon

    Party like a rock star

    Try the famous Pag cheese

    Landmarks

    The Lace

    Buy or make the most beautiful souvenir

    Learn to love the Pag lace and learn about it!

    UNESCO protected Pag lace is a finely crafted product of beauty and delicacy that many grateful owners frame and regard as artwork. Thanks to the nuns of the local Benedictine monastery, who were the first to start perfecting and teaching fine-thread ornamental lacemaking in the 15th century, Pag lace has been an important source of income for many skilled and industrious local women ever since.  Some of them were even invited to the court of Empress Maria Theresa to hand-weave for her exclusively! Fully learning the craft of Pag lacemaking is a lengthy and complex process. However, you can also test your skills by enrolling in the beginner course under the guidance of some of the most experienced and talented lace-makers on the entire island.

    The Cheese

    Love at first bite

    Not so sound cheesy, but you will fall in love with this cheese!

    Pag has a long and proud tradition of artisan cheese making and its sheep-milk type is considered one of the best in the world! Pag cheese is regularly awarded and included on various top lists of prominent experts and food critics. It is often proclaimed the best in many categories, even ahead of the most outstanding French cheeses. It is usually rather hard and has a very distinctive flavour which comes from resilient sheep grazing on the aromatic shrubs of sage and thyme covered by sea salt scattered by the gusts of the strong bura wind. Famous Gligora Dairy is one of the most awarded dairies in the world and offers exciting educational and tasting tours to its numerous visitors who get a chance to try exceptional cheese. Find out more about its greatness and fall in love with it at first bite!

    Pag Beaches

    Beach, please!

    If you are looking for the perfect beach, come to Pag.

    Pag has many lovely coves and stunning beaches, wedged between the unique moonlike landscape of the rugged island and the crystal-clear coast of the calm Adriatic Sea. Ideal for enjoyment, leisure and all sorts of fun activities, they range from larger bustling locations to smaller private havens of both sandy and gravel texture. Make sure to visit exceptionally beautiful beaches in Kolan and Povljana and relish the nature of the island.

    Town of Pag

    Get to know Pag

    The town of Pag, might be small, but it has a long history.

    The Town of Pag, the largest settlement on the eponymous island, is a typical medieval town built in the 15th century according to the project of George the Dalmatian, an ingenious master builder, hired by the Venetians who ruled the area. The first cornerstone was laid in 1443. In accordance with what were the latest ideas in town planning back then, the main streets and the cross streets intersect at right angles and lead to four city gates. The sober central square, the Petar Krešimir Square, includes the Church of St. Mary and the Ducal (Rector's) Palace. In 1449, Dalmatian began working on the city walls but only the Skrivanat Tower of the nine original towers remains. The best way to get to know the town is to take a walk through it and create your own history.

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    The sacred triangle trail

    Sacred Triangle Trail

    Nature & Adventure

    The Sacred Triangle of Pag is a very popular tourist site that links three sacred spots where the Christian churches were built on the foundations of pagan places of worship. This rugged inaccessible area poses quite a challenge to all those who love to hike and presents a unique adventure, while offering wondrous views of the surroundings from the highest point of the island. 

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    Party heaven

    Festival & Parties

    Pag is home to several traditional festivals that faithfully promote intangible heritage of the area. However, it has gained a global attention because of its spectacular dance music festivals. Over the last 15 years, the Zrće Beach hosted countless universally acclaimed and globally popular DJs and it has acquired a lasting reputation of the place to be, with over a million partygoers visiting each year!

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    Try the Pag salt

    Pag Salt

    History & Culture

    Pag salt has always played a very important role in the lives of the local people. There is evidence that organized production by natural evaporation started one thousand years ago! Visitors can learn more about its rich history in a lovely onsite museum that is the largest manufacturing plant of its kind in entire Croatia today.

    Stories

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    The Lamb & Bura

    Came with the wind

    The bura wind has shaped the island, its traditions and even its food!

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    The Stories of Stone (The Moon-Island)

    To the moon and back!

    That is the answer to the question of how much you will love Pag. And to describe what Pag looks like!

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    Story of Lace, Benedictine Nuns and the Women of Pag

    When a craft becomes art

    The story and women behind Pag lace is as interesting as the lace itself! 

    Stories

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    The Lamb & Bura

    Came with the wind

    The bura wind has shaped the island, its traditions and even its food!

    The two most famous Pag dishes are so special thanks to the bura wind – the internationally awarded Pag cheese, and the relished delicacy of Pag - lamb meat. To be more precise, it is the breed called Pramenka not more than 45 days old that has made Pag a gastronomic “must see“ or better, a “must try“ point. But what makes the meat so special? The secret is in the mixture of the salty Mediterranean vegetation which is a product of the bura that blows from the Velebit Mountain and the blue Adriatic Sea. You can taste this unusual combination in both the traditional recipes, such as spit-roasted lamb and lamb under the bell, or in new modern combinations. Maybe even with the Pag cheese!

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    The Stories of Stone (The Moon-Island)

    To the moon and back!

    That is the answer to the question of how much you will love Pag. And to describe what Pag looks like!

    Perhaps it will be possible to travel to the moon soon, but until then, travel to Pag. The surface of Pag resembles the pictures of the moon. This is thanks to the bura wind that blows during winter from the Velebit Mountain and creates a special look and feel of the vegetation. An equally important part are its white stones. It is a part of the Pag history whether it is about the thousand kilometre long dry stone walls or as the material Juraj Dalmatinac used to shape the town and its most amazing architectural treasures. Whether you like it more in nature or when it’s made into art – Pag will show you the many wonders of stone.

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    Story of Lace, Benedictine Nuns and the Women of Pag

    When a craft becomes art

    The story and women behind Pag lace is as interesting as the lace itself! 

    Pag lace has fascinated for centuries – it used to be valued by emperors and now it is valued by the whole world. Probably mainly due to the fact that only a few women know how to make it. Pag’s lace-makers say that not even a computer could repeat the pattern they create each time. It comes from a time long before computers – the 16th century. The Benedictines of Saint Mary were the first teachers in the town and they formed a school for girls where they taught, among many other things, lace making. Since then, they have been praised for their hard work which was passed on from generation to generation. If you are looking for a different kind of souvenir, this is it! The lace can be purchased in one of the gift shops in the town of Pag, and we recommend you visit the Benedictine nuns at the Convent of Santa Margherita, who were the main initiators of the lace craft in Pag and its style.  The nuns have always been protectors of heritage and besides lace, they also protected a rich collection of sacral art presented in a Permanent exhibition. In honour of the 700th anniversary of the establishment of the Benedictine Convent of St. Margarita in Pag, a permanent exhibition of sacral art was opened. Besides being able to see lace and interesting exhibits such as relics, paintings and sculptures at the Benedictine convent in Pag, this is also the ideal opportunity to experience the lifestyle of the Benedictine nuns who follow the motto "ora et labora". For example, they make the famous baškotin, which is a type of sweet toast made according to the Benedictine nuns' special recipe, which has been made for more than 300 years. Sweeten up your excursion of traditional Croatia art with an authentic Croatian delicacy!