Natural heritage
Area of LAGUR TRAMUNTANA is characterized by a rich and diverse natural heritage. In this unique area visitors get the opportunity to enjoy the mountain air at 924 meter altitude and go to one of the many sand beaches, all in the same day. According to the State Institute for Nature Protection data, LAGUR covers 15 protected areas on a total of 222.938,93 ha.
Based on the categories of protected areas, in LAGUR's juristiction, there are 7 special reserves (Štirovača, Visibaba, Zavižan – Balinovac - Zavižanska kosa, Kolanjsko blato - Blato Rogoza, Lun, Prvić and Grgurov kanal and Dundo), one strict reserve (Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi), one national park (North Velebit), one nature park (Velebit), three significant landscapes (Zavratnica, Zrće and Lopar), one horticultural monument (Velebit botanical garden) and one park forest (Komrčar).
It's important to mention the UNESCO-protection in LAGUR's TRAMUNTANA area. Velebit mountain area was pronounced world's biosphere reserve in the frame of UNESCO's „Man and biosphere“ programe MaB 1978. North Velebit National Park's beech forests are nominated for enrollment in the UNESCO's world heritage list.
In general, the natural characteristics of the area switch from typical island lanscapes (Rab, Lopar i Novalja) with the view of the most beautiful Croatian mountain - Velebit (Senj and Karlobag). It is hard to single out a specific interesting area, so we will start in due order.
Cultural heritage
Under the notion of cultural heritage we can place the common wealth of the human kind in all its diversity and uniqueness. Its protection is a crucial factor of recognition, definition and affirmation of cultural identity. According to the register of cultural heritage of the Croatian Ministry of Culture, cultural heritage under LAGUR's authority consists of the prevailing immobile material cultural goods (57 individual cultural goods and 9 cultural goods making one historical whole). Mobile cultural goods under LAGUR's authority consist of the museum materials of City Museum of Novalja and City Museum of Senj. Immaterial cultural heritage includes the Island of Pag Traditional Singing which aims to conserve the original form of Pag's singing performances.
Highlights of the material heritage are: Nehaj fort (built in 1558.), symbol of the defense of Senj against Turks and Venetians; Chathedral of the Assumption of Mary (in Rab), from the 12th century, abundant in architectural styles as well as precious pictures and relics; Archaeological locality Gradina-Vidovgrad with the remains of St. Vitus church (Karlobag borough), built at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century, and representing a unique example of an early Gothic architecture in the Croatian coast and the Antic water system "Talijanova buža" (city of Novalja), an underground water system built mostly in natural stone, in the 1st century, which carried water from the Novalja field to Novalja.
Speaking of marine localities, the most prominent ones are: hydro-archaeological area in Baška Draga cove (Karlobag borough); 6 hydro-archaeological areas in Jablanac and the remains of fishermen's dwellings for tuna observation in Malta peninsula in Lukovo (Senj); hydro-archaeological locality and Tunera in Caska cove; hydro-archaeological locality in Vlaška mala cove and the remains of sunken steamboats „Euterpe” and „Albanien” in Luna underwater and; underwater archaeological locality at Zakučenica rocks (city of Novalja).
In the next part of the text, we will present an overview of cultural heritage divided into LAGUR's parts TRAMUNTANA.
Events
History of LAGUR's area is rich and interesting, from the artistic, historical, archaeological to scientific significance. LAGUR's area has 29 associations in the fields of culture and arts which continually contribute to the reanimation of specific regional and local marks of identity. This area is abundant in traditional manifestations and events which promote fishing heritage, way of life and customs. During the summer, most prominent are fishing festivities or fishing nights, which are held in all of LAGUR's cities and boroughs and attract many visitors and tourists, presenting the best gastronomic offers and giving them the opportunity to get acquainted with fishing skills, such as patching and knitting nets. We can single out manifestations: Rapska fjera and Viteške igre (Knight's games), a manifestation which recreates the Middle Age history of Rab, traditional shipbuilding fair Rab Nautic Passion, Eko šetimana, Kantun, Novaljski fuštan - traditional fashion show with ethnographic elements, International Senj Summer Carnival, the greatest summer carnival with an over then 45-years tradition, Karlobag Culture Summer, a series of culture-artistic events which aim to preserve tradition and Lopar Night, recreation and remembering of folk customs with the aim of transferring them to younger generations and tourist display. All of the manifestations above present a crucial element of LAGUR's touristic offer, which has grown over the local boundaries long time ago, and became the place where visitors from all parts of Croatia and abroad come to gather. Unique combination of fishing tradition and fishing products is the basis for further development and tourism and its supporting activities investment, so tradition preservation and culture-history tendance keep a high position in the list of priorities od LAGUR's cities and boroughs.