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Croatia: Summer Vacation, Day 10: Zrmanja, Krupa Monastery and Pag

Hiking part of our vacation was over, so we decided moved to the seaside in order to relax a little. We spent the morning around the Zrmanja river, then we explored the Krupa Monastery and in the end, after lunch, we moved to the Pag island, where we found a spot on the seaside, ready for our tent. The spot was in the middle of corn filed, great for our wild camping night.

Previous days of our Summer Vacation 2024: Day 9 - 16214, Day 8 - 16213, Day 7 - 16212, Day 6 - 16211, Day 5 - 16210,  Day 4 - 16209, Day 3 - 16208, Day 2 - 16207 and Day 1 - 16206.

Bronco missed me in the tent.

Morning walk with Bronco over the Zrmanja river,  known to the ancient Romans as Tedanius.

View to Berberov buk.

The Zrmanja River is a 69 km-long river that originates in the Velebit mountains and flows into the Adriatic Sea. The river is famous for its clear waters and picturesque canyons, making it a popular spot for rafting and kayaking. Berberov buk is one of the smaller waterfalls along this river, contributing to the scenic beauty of the region.

Time to say goodbye. I'm glad that they survived the last 3 stages of our Velebit hike.

 

Swimming in Zrmanja. Cold and refreshing.

Bronco is still trying to find the courage to join me in the water.

Let's find a geocache in a cave near the waterfall.

 

Geocache found and then I had to swim back to the land.

 

Back in the campsite, reading the manuals how to move on.

The Krupa Monastery / Manastir Krupa (Serbian: Манастир Крупа) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on the Krupa River. It is one of the oldest Orthodox monasteries in Croatia, alongside Krka and Dragović monasteries.

 

According to the folk tradition, the monastery was built in 1317 by monks from Bosnia with the financial support from the Serbian king Milutin, later renovated by King Stefan Dečanski and Emperor Dušan, and in the 15th and 16th centuries endowed by Saint Angelina of Serbia. However, as the monastery has Gothic-style windows which was uncommon for the Orthodox Church, it was suggested the monastery was probably built by immigrating monks only around 1642.

The surrounding konaks were burnt to the ground by the Ustaše during the World War II, who also destroyed the interior of the monastery turning it into their military post.

The interior of the monastery is adorned with beautiful frescoes and religious icons. Many of these date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and are significant examples of Orthodox Christian art in the region.

 

The monastery is set in a picturesque valley near the Krupa River.

 

Today, Krupa Monastery remains an active religious site, with a small monastic community maintaining the religious traditions and conducting services. It is also a place of pilgrimage for Serbian Orthodox Christians and visitors interested in its historical significance.

Relaxing near the monastery.

Above Krnjeza river, that feeds the Krupa.

 

Lunch break.

Karla took us over bridge Paški most to island Pag.

Ljubačka Vrata seas strait.

Day for orange by Nada and Tuši.

Chapel on island Pag, the fifth-largest island of the Croatian coast.

The Pag Bridge (Croatian: Paški most) is the bridge that connects the island of Pag to the Croatian mainland. It is a 301 meters long, 9 meters wide bridge whose 201 meters long arch rises 35 meters above an Adriatic Sea strait called Ljubačka Vrata. It was opened in 1968. In a 2019 spring storm, the top wind speed on the bridge was 198 kilometres per hour.

Geocaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "MissJenn’s 5 Cents", TB9K7R9 and "Second Angel of peace", TBA8B55):

- Zrmanja Grotto, GC61TCT

- Chapels of Pag #5, GC5CGQ5, where I spotted trackable item "Cestovní brouKivík", TB8HH6A

#CatahoulaLeopardDog #SummerVacation #geocaching #Adriatic