Travel Guide Valun

15 km southwest of Cres, this village was built at the foot of steep cliffs. Difficult to reach, it is located at the end of a road that ends in a dead end. It is therefore necessary to walk a little to reach it. It was here that the famous Valun plaque, dating from the 9th century, was discovered in the small church of the Saint Mark's cemetery. This well-preserved stone bears inscriptions and texts in Glagolitic. Translated into Latin, they are of great importance for the linguistic history of the Croats. This plaque was brought to the parish church of St. Mary. Copies of other similar inscriptions are kept in the stone museum in the Juna tavern. Another museum in the old oil factory shows the laborious activity of the peasant and naval populations of the island region. The traditional ways of fishing are shown (nets, boats, old navigation instruments). Nowadays, Valun lives more on reasoned tourism, thanks to the nature-loving vacationers. All the pleasures of the sea are nearby, starting with the beaches, which are rarely crowded. Lubenice, to the west of Valun, is another proud hilltop village overlooking the sea, guarding its beautiful beach and the entire central plateau of the island. This hamlet of less than 50 inhabitants is protected by steep slopes, held back by dry stone walls. It has always kept its medieval character and has a beautiful appearance. Below the cliffs, we discover the beach of Sveti Ivan, one of the most beautiful in Croatia, accessible only on foot, by mountain bike or by boat.