St. Michael's fortress

On the hill of St Michael in Preko on the island of Ugljan, there are remains of the medieval fortress of the same name, which played a very important role throughout history, especially during the Venetian siege of Zadar in 1345. and 1346. Due to its hard-to-reach location, it was suitable for reconnaissance and contributed significantly to the city's defense from the sea. The fortress was mentioned for the first time in the middle of the 14th century, but it was probably built on the foundations of an older fort from the 6th century. The fortress once housed the Benedictine monastery of St Michael with the church of the same name. After the sale of Dalmatia to the Venetian Republic, the fortress began to decline. It was bombarded during World War II, and it was shelled during the Croatian War of Independence in 1991.

In the past, the locals of Preko and other places on the island, on the occasion of the feast of St. Michael the Archangel made a pilgrimage to the church of St Michael where St. Mass (the church was demolished in World War II), and the hill of St Michael is still a favorite picnic spot of many locals and domestic and foreign visitors.

The fortress of St. Michael has a 3 km long asphalt road suitable for cars, bicycles, or pedestrians. The fortress is special for its view of more than 200 islands of the Zadar archipelago and the Kornati National Park. On the southwest side, there is the Željina hill, where more than 30 climbing routes have been set up. Željina is open all year round, and autumn, winter, and spring are the perfect seasons for climbing due to mild temperatures and slightly rainy days.

Church of St. John

The Church of St. John the Baptist, built in stone at the end of the 11^th century, is located on the ferry dock in Preko. The first mention of the church of St. John the Baptist dates from 1 March 1377, when its chaplain, Grgur, is mentioned. It is preserved in its original form, with plenty of stone church furniture, and it has been explored and restored. It is the most valuable example of early Romanesque architecture.

The Crnica family's summer manor

Preko was one of the favourite summer retreats of the Zadar nobility. The Crnica family’s summer manor, with its beautiful Renaissance garden –Jardin – adorned with laurel, myrtle, and pines, has been preserved to this day. The estate also included an olive grove and an olive mill. Construction began in the 15th century by Vuko Crnica, a Venetian army captain, and was finally completed in 1666. The house was later acquired by the Zadar painter

Franjo Salghetti Drioli, who loved painting the views of Preko and its locals. Jardin remains privately owned, but it can be visited in the summer months.

Old church of Our Lady of Rosary

The old parish church was built in 1765 on the site of the older church in the local cemetery. It was sanctified on 24 January 1774. It is a single-nave building with a sacristy and three marble altars. The main altar with the tabernacle and the altarpiece of Our Lady of the Rosary, with St. Dominic and St. Clare: side altars: right altar of the Holly Cross with an altarpiece: the Crucified, Our Lady, John the Apostle and Mary Magdalena; left altar of the Souls of Purgatory with an altarpiece of Mila Wood; in the niches at the bottom of the church are wooden statues of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Our Lady of Health; holy water stoup built in stone. The bell tower with four bells was built in 1844. The altarpiece Souls of Purgatory of the family Salghetti-Driolli has been restored and is now in the parish church.

New church of Our Lady of Rosary

The three-nave church, built in 1965 based on the design of Mladen Fučić, was consecrated in 1967. It features a mosaic in the sanctuary, a stone altar facing the congregation, and a large bronze crucifix created by sculptor Joseph Poljan. Bishop Josip Marčelić is buried there. In 2010, the new altar, part of the restored sanctuary, was consecrated by Archbishop Želimir Puljić of Zadar.

Church of St. Paul the First Hermit

The Church of St. Paul the First Hermit in Galevac was built before the Monastery of St. Paul the First Hermit, and the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit abided in the same until they moved to Hungary at the end of the 14^th century. On 4 December 1443, the Archbishop of Zadar, Lovro Venier, handed over the Monastery with the Church of Saint Paul to the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. In 1912, the stone cave of Our Lady of Lourdes, with a statue of the Virgin Mary of Massabielle, was built in the courtyard of the Monastery. In the memorial park, there is a replica of the stone sanctuary in Lourdes. On the coast of Galevac, in 1900, a monument was erected to the washerwomen who lost their lives on their way to Zadar, drowning in 1891 near the island. The Monastery has a rich collection of Glagolitic scripts, and there is also the ritual of friar Šimun Klimantović from 1492, “Regula pokornih bratje i sestar ot kajanja tretoga reda blaženoga Franciska, ku potvrdi Mikula papa četvrti”.

There are two memorial sites on the islet with busts of Dalmatia's historical figures and an 18th-century monumental cemetery.

Church of St. Peter

The Church of St. Peter in Poljana was built from the ruins of a church at St. Michael’s Fortress in 1297. According to legend, priests transported the remnants of the stones from the fortress using their

hands and donkeys, and constructed a new church dedicated to Saint Peter at a beautiful location. To this day, the feast of Saint Peter, known as Petrova, is celebrated in Poljana on June 29th.

The laundrywomen

In the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, many local women from Preko made a living for their families by doing laundry for the noble families of Zadar.

The tragic life of the laundrywomen from Preko is testified by the tragic death of 16 laundrywomen who died on November 2, 1891, in a shipwreck while transporting clean laundry to Zadar, ready to be delivered to its owners. On Mondays, the laundrywomen would pick up the laundry in Zadar, and on Saturdays, they would return the clean and ironed clothes to the owners in traditional boats - fishing boats with sails or oars. The laundry was washed in wooden buckets with the help of ash and homemade soap. After being washed in buckets, the laundry was taken to the seashore to a wellspring where it was rinsed.

Tragedy of November 2, 1891

Not far from the islet of Galevac (Školjić), under the hurricane-force wind scirocco (jugo) the ship leaned, capsized and sank to a depth of three meters. Out of 31 passengers, the ones who lost their lives were the laundrywomen who were in the interior of the ship, under the hatch cover which protected them and the laundry from bad weather. The oldest laundrywoman was 75 years old, and the youngest was 14, and among the dead laundrywomen, there were two pregnant women. This tragic event greatly marked the further history of Preko. In honour of all the laundrywomen and women from Preko, a sculptor from Preko, Anselmo Dorkin, made a memorial sculpture called ''Our Mother'' on the site of the wellspring where the laundrywomen washed laundry for years.

Church of St. Gregory

The Church of St. Gregory is first mentioned on 10 January 1398, and the cape on which the church is located was named after it. It is a part of the estate of the Zadar nobleman Lombardin de Soppe.

Church of Saint Euphemia

The Parish Church of Saint Euphemia is mentioned in 1349, while the new church is mentioned in 1679. The Venetian Late Baroque painter Giovanni Battista Augusta Pitteri, who lived and worked in Zadar for a long time, painted the medallions with scenes of the Mystery of the Holy Rosary for the Church of Saint Euphemia. The medallions are kept in the parish church, and they are a Cultural Good of the Republic of Croatia. The altar picture of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary with St. John the Baptist, St. Michael, and St. Euphemia of the Venetian Baroque painter Bartolomeo Litterini on the main altar is a Cultural Good of the Republic of Croatia.

Baroque summer residence Lantana

The Baroque summer residence Lantana of Marko Antun Lantana noble family from Zadar, dating from the 17^th century, is a wonderful example of Venetian urban architecture. The summer residence has a rich political history. The ceremony of handing over the duty of the Venetian duchy for Dalmatia and Albania was organized in it until the fall of Venice in 1797. Countess Lantana lived in the summer residence until 1945, and after she went to Italy, she left the castle to her housekeepers.

Church of St. Lawrence

The Romanesque Church of St. Lawrence is mentioned for the first time in 1057. but also in the Bull of Pope Celestin III from 1195. Its bell tower features a Glagolitic inscription. Lukoran is the birthplace of friar Šimun Klimantović (around 1460-1520), writer, Glagolitic priest. His Glagolitic collections are famous; two are kept in the Russian National Library in Saint Petersburg, and one in Zagreb in Ksaver.

Baroque summer residence De Ponte

The baroque summer residence De Ponte of the Zadar noble family De Ponte in Mali Lukoran has been preserved in its original form. The Croatian poet Peter Preradović, at that time an Austrian officer in Zadar, courted the beautiful countess Paola De Ponte, and on that occasion, he composed the famous Croatian patriotic poem “Dawn is Breaking, Day will Come” (“Zora puca, bit će dana”) in the park behind the summer residence. In the park is the pine under which Preradović sat while writing the Croatian patriotic poem.

The Salghetti summer manor

Veli Lukoran is home to the Salghetti summer manor, which was built in the 17th century by the Zadar canon Francesco Mazarachi. The residence includes a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Anthony of Padua

from the 18th century.

Church of Saint Helen

On August 18th, Rivanj celebrates the feast day of Saint Helen, the patron saint of the village. The church of Saint Helena dominates the village´s vista, and visitors can also see the remains of the medieval church of Saint Barbara.

Church of St. Peter

The island of Sestrunj is home to two churches. The Church of Saint Peter, the patron saint of Sestrunj, stands as the dominant landmark in the village. In 1603, the Church of Our Lady of Health was constructed, and it is associated with brotherhoods. These are local associations that care for the island’s community and support each other. The motto of the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Health was: “Those cursing or stealing will be excluded from the brotherhood.”

Church of St. Mary

Although small, the island has been inhabited since antiquity, as evidenced by the remains of an ancient Roman villa. Within this villa, there was an early medieval chapel from the 6th century dedicated to St. Jerome. The chapel was altered in the 15th century and is now dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. The islanders hold the Feast of the Assumption on August 15th in special reverence.

Church and Monastery of St. Jerome

Visit the Church and Monastery of St. Jerome in Ugljan, located in the Mostir area, which stands as the finest example of 15th-century island architecture in Dalmatia and serves as a model for other constructions in the Zadar region from that era. St. Jerome, known as the patron saint of Dalmatia, had his church and monastery built in 1430 with the support of noble families from Zadar. The Zadar family Benja, who produced many intellectuals and priests, took special care of this island gem. After its construction, the monastery was entrusted to the Order of Friars Minor, and since 1933, it has been managed by the Daughters of Charity. The monastery houses many treasures, including the Ugljan Polyptych, the most valuable Gothic painting of Croatian medieval art, by artist Ivan Petrov. The 16th-century cloister hosts concerts, and the monastery is open to visitors during the summer months.

Ancient Villa

The remains of a rustic villa from the 1st century, the era of late antiquity can be found in the charming hamlet of Muline. The estate includes areas for country and agricultural use, as well as an olive oil processing mill. The Muline olive press was one of the most significant olive presses in the Mediterranean. The oil mill operated until the 4th century, and the oil produced was known as Liburnian oil (Oleum Liburnicum). It was the most prized oil of the Roman Empire. The writer Apicius described it in the 4th century. Other producers had recipes for counterfeit versions and imitations, as they did not know the secret behind Liburnian oil. The tradition of Liburnian oil continues on the island to this day.