Digital Heritage Museum of Karlobag

A view of Karlobag and the Adriatic Sea – peace and natural beauty in a single frame.

On the pier (molo), an old cannon recalls the rich history of this place, while small boats gently rock in the little harbor. In the background, the imposing Velebit peaks rise, lending the entire scene a dramatic yet gentle silhouette. Karlobag here acts as an ideal place where history, nature, and the Mediterranean spirit meet – a place that invites you to walk the waterfront, enjoy the view, and the silence of the sea.

The Church of St. Charles Borromeo was built in 1710 on the foundations of the older Church of St. John. The church was heavily damaged during Allied bombing in 1944. When the construction of the new main road (magistral road) began in 1958, the church's external walls were demolished and its remains removed. Only the bell tower and one section of the wall were preserved. The bell tower and the remaining wall were restored, and their ceremonial opening was held on the feast day of St. Charles in 2000. Today, they form a memorial site and are protected as cultural heritage.

The lighthouse in Karlobag has for decades accompanied ships, withstood the Bura wind, the Jugo wind, the sea, and the salt, and safely sent off and welcomed many crews. For years, it would send off and welcome our "Vanga" as it emerged from the Pag Channel and slowly sailed towards it, and we, the children, would jump on the top of the pier (brac) and joyfully shout: "...there it is...".

The lighthouse was built in the 1970s in the Strojna Tovarna in Livarna in Ljubljana, and in 2025 it was replaced with a new, modern lighthouse.

Translation of the Official Notice

NOTICE TO MARINERS.

(Br. 127.) — MEDITERRANEAN — ADRIATIC.

(1) Harbour Light at Karlobag (Carlopago). The Austrian Government has issued a notice that from the 15th of October 1873, a light will be exhibited at the extremity of the new mole at Karlobag.

The light is a fixed white light, elevated 16 feet above the sea, and should be visible in clear weather from a distance of 5 miles. Position: lat. 44° 31' 30'' N., long. 15° 4' 30'' E.

N.B. — During the "Bura" (strong northeasterly wind), the light cannot be exhibited.

These historical records from the British archives reveal the rise of Karlobag as an important trading port in the 19th century. The proclamation of the Austrian Government was published in The London Gazette, in the edition dated November 28, 1873.

Motor Ferry "Kačjak" – Serial Number PDS 707

M/T Kačjak Rijeka - Jadrolinija (1970-1994). This ferry, originally a Yugoslav Navy (JRM) landing craft with serial number PDS 707, was built in Pula in 1954. In 1970, it was purchased by Jadrolinija and was one of the first of six identical "rafts" converted into ferries. In 1981, it was overhauled at the Punat shipyard. It served on the Karlobag-Pag line, and later on the Jablanac-Stara Novalja and Prizna-Stara Novalja routes, eventually operating between the new ferry ports of Prizna and Žigljen. On February 24, 1993, it arrived at the Novigrad Strait, where it was hit and disabled on February 25, 1993. In 1994, it was scrapped for metal in Punat.

The "Vanga" Motor Ferry – The Story of a Lošinj Wooden Beauty

Various steamers have arrived in Karlobag since the beginning of the 19th century, among them the steamer Karlobag. During its rich history, the ship changed names and flags:

• Šumadija – the original name upon launching in 1937.
• Bruno Caleari – the name given to it by the Italians during the occupation in World War II.
• Bonn – the name under which the Germans used it as a hospital ship (1943).
• Šumadija – after the Allies handed it over to the Yugoslav People's Navy (Mornarica NOVJ).
• Kotor – 1948, in the Jadrolinija fleet.
• Karlobag – 1965, until the end of its service in 1966 – when it was sent to the scrapyard.

The town beach at Punta in Karlobag has a history stretching back to the Austro-Hungarian period. A modest sea bathing facility already existed in the late nineteenth century: Dragutin Hirc described it during his visit to Karlobag in 1895.

Plans for a new, better-equipped bathing facility date from February 1913, when royal engineer Stanko Flögl prepared drawings entitled “Bathing Facility at Punta in Karlobag”. Alongside the existing old bathing facility, the plans provided for a new building with changing cabins and space for future expansion. An inspection followed in 1915, and the approval process continued until 1918. Historical accounts give 1920 as the year of construction.

The development of the new bathing facility thus links the final years of the Monarchy with the period after the First World War. The surviving drawings identify Stanko Flögl as the designer, while Anton Mollinary’s suggested role in conceiving the project has not yet been substantiated by documents.

Over the decades, the bathing facility became an important place for relaxation, recreation and gatherings of residents and visitors. The renovated town beach was ceremonially reopened in 2023, continuing Karlobag’s long tradition of seaside bathing.