Panorama at Sveti Salvadur Church

From the town of Cres, on the island of Cres in Croatia, a scenic circular hike leads to Sveti Salvadur Church. The small, whitewashed church sits on a hillside and offers a magnificent panorama over the Bay of Cres, towards Valun and as far as the Istrian coast. 

From Cres, the path first leads northwards along the road, past Camping Kovacine and then turns right uphill through old, sparse olive groves. The individual plots are bordered by painstakingly built dry-stone walls. Many locals farm the karst land, producing a few litres of their own olive oil from their small harvest. Olive oil from Cres is renowned for its high quality and its distinctive, peppery taste. 

After three quarters of an hour, you reach the small church of Sveti Salvadur on the viewing plateau. You can rest in the shade of the loggia and enjoy the magnificent view. The church is far away from the hustle and bustle of the town and the coast. If you want to hike further, you can follow the path from here to reach Sveti Blaz Church and the dreamlike swimming bay below it. You’ll be rewarded with peace, fantastic views, a beautiful swimming spot and wonderful nature.

A man is sitting by the church, and I get into conversation with him later. He tells me he’s a local; although he now lives on the mainland, he owns a small flat and an olive grove in Cres. That’s why he visits often. At first, he vividly described the beauty of the island and shared anecdotes about boat and fishing trips in the bay below us. Soon he also touched on less pleasant experiences, as that day, 5 August, is a day of remembrance for Croatians for the victims of the Balkan War in the 1990s, the Victory and Homeland Thanksgiving Day. He had been an active soldier himself, he said, and pulled a photo out of his wallet. Four soldiers in combat uniform can be seen in it. The other three men are all dead, having fallen in the war, but he survived. In Dubrovnik, he had held out in the catacombs and withstood the sieges. But he is scarred by memories. For instance, once long after the war, while shopping in a supermarket car park, the sound of an approaching plane sent him into a panic, so he sought shelter under his car.

For the way back to Cres, I finally followed the path downwards towards the sea, which soon meets the rocky coast. Passing beautiful bays, you reach the campsite and follow the coastal path into the harbour of Cres.

More pictures in the Croatia gallery.