An island with only four inhabitants where swimming is prohibited

On Košljun, an island in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea, there are no cafes, restaurants or other facilities to spoil its atmosphere. It is worth setting aside about two hours for the tour and surrendering to the silence and rhythm imposed by the monastery, the forest and the sea.

On the southwestern coast of Krk, in the quiet bay of Puntarska draga, lies Punat, an old coastal town whose identity is shaped by the sea, olive groves and narrow cobblestone streets, writes Punkufer.hr.

Along with its pebble beaches, promenades and hidden coves, Punat also preserves one of the most interesting cultural gems of the Krka archipelago. From its harbor, the view stretches to the green island of Košljun, just 750 meters from the coast. The island, which the Punt residents also call Mostir, is a protected forest park, but also a real little treasure trove of cultural and sacred heritage. Boats departing from the harbor in the center of Punat will take you there, and the cruise itself takes ten minutes.

More than 540 plant species have been recorded on this island.

It was the Franciscans who transformed Košljun into an important religious and cultural center over the centuries, but the island's history begins long before their arrival.

Košljun is a de facto inhabited island, because the Franciscan monastery there is continuously inhabited by a religious community, currently consisting of four Franciscans. 

From Benedictines to Franciscans

Archaeological finds trace the history of Košljun back to the pre-Christian period. The Benedictines later founded a monastery on the island, and the shrine of St. Mary of Košljuska gradually gained an important place in the religious and cultural life of Krk and its surroundings.

After the Benedictines, Košljun was taken over by the Franciscans, with the support of the Frankopan princes. They are renovating the monastery and developing it according to the ideas of St. Bernardine of Siena, who supported the life of monks away from large urban centers. The peace and isolation of Košljun corresponded perfectly to such an idea. The Frankopans left a strong mark: in the church, we can still see their coats of arms and the tomb of Katarina Frankopan with the original tombstone.

The monastery as a treasure

Today, the monastery preserves about 30,000 books, as well as a number of valuable old manuscripts and publications. Special attention is paid to old Glagolitic books and manuscripts, incunabula and parchments from the monastery's music library. Thus, Košljun preserves an exceptionally rich written heritage in a very small area.

The ethnographic museum is also worth a visit. Its exhibits tell the story of the everyday life of the inhabitants of Krk: there are ship models, wooden household utensils, tools for working in the fields and making cheese, awls, weaving accessories, folk costumes and ceramics. The collections also include numismatic items, as well as old geographical atlases. 

The legend of the island

A walk along the island leads through a dense forest of holm oaks to small shrines, and along the coast there is also a distinctive sculpture of St. Francis. At the entrance to the monastery, visitors are greeted by the Franciscan greeting "Peace and peace", written in the Glagolitic alphabet.

There are no cafes, restaurants or other establishments in Košljun that would spoil its atmosphere. It is worth setting aside about two hours for the tour and letting yourself go to the slow pace of the forest and the sea.

And Košljun has its own legend. According to legend, the fertile field of two brothers once lay on the site of Puntarska Draga. One brother tried to deceive the other, who was blind, when dividing the harvest. After the call for justice, the sea flooded the field, while the part of the land belonging to the blind brother remained above the surface - today's Košljun.