Bakar

Bakar descends in tiers towards its deep namesake bay, with an identity shaped by seafaring, Frankopan heritage and an unmistakable industrial setting. Stone lanes climb from the waterfront to the Frankopan Castle and St Andrew’s Co-Cathedral, a three-aisled church with nine altars and a crypt containing 85 tombs. Near the shore stand Our Lady of the Port and St Margaret’s Church, while the Upper Town provides broad views across the harbour and the bay’s steep slopes. Opposite the town, the dry-stone terraces known as Bakarski prezidi recall the vineyards once associated with the rare sparkling wine Bakarska vodica. Bakar’s maritime story also has a flavour: bakarski baškot is a ring-shaped, twice-baked bread that remained edible during long fishing and sailing voyages. This is not a conventional Kvarner beach resort; its appeal lies in tracing churches, narrow passages, the Jaz freshwater spring and remnants of the working port. A floating promenade and a reconstructed tuna lookout at Žal ribara add new layers to the waterfront, while nearby Hreljin Castle, the intermittent karst lake at Ponikve and the Risnjak mountain area broaden the visit beyond the old town.

Bakar occupies an amphitheatre-like position at the head of its bay, so exploring the medieval core means climbing through the Upper Town rather than following a level seafront. The Frankopan Castle and St Andrew’s Co-Cathedral rise above tightly packed stone houses, while the harbour below preserves the town’s long association with trade and seafaring. Industrial structures and the steep vineyard terraces of Bakarski prezidi create an unusual visual counterpoint across the water. The wider municipal area includes eight other settlements, among them Hreljin, Praputnjak, Škrljevo and Zlobin, linking Bakar’s Kvarner shoreline with a distinctly mountainous hinterland.