Lubenice

Lubenice sits on the western cliff of Cres at about 378 metres, directly above the sea, and it is old - the site has been occupied since prehistory and the stone lanes are medieval in plan. The permanent population is now about six people, which makes it one of the emptier inhabited villages on the Adriatic. Below the cliff is Sveti Ivan beach, white shingle in clear water, reached only by a steep footpath of about an hour down and considerably more coming back up, or by boat. Concerts are held in the village square in summer.

History

Lubenice sits on a ridge 380 metres above the sea and may have been lived in as long as 4,000 years ago; part of the village goes back to Roman times, and most of it is built from the same stone as the cliffs around it. It was once walled, though little is left beyond two gates and part of the eastern side. Its nine churches are a high number for so small a place, explained in part by the village's relative wealth and independence in the late Middle Ages. Folk etymology links the name with the Slavic word for watermelon, but the local dialect uses another word for the fruit, and the linguist Petar Skok proposed instead a link with the Roman name Hibernitia, after the cold winters. Today around forty buildings stand and six people live here all year (Wikipedia, Lubenice).

What to look for

• A village 378 metres above the sea - on the western cliff of Cres.
• A population in single figures - among the emptiest inhabited villages here.
• Sveti Ivan beach below - an hour down on foot, longer back.
• Summer concerts in the square - the village's main event.

When to go

June to September, when there is anything open. Half a day.

Good to know

The path to the beach is steep, hot and unshaded and people underestimate the return. The village has almost no services. The road across the island is narrow with sheep on it. There is nothing to do here in winter.

Nearby

Cres town is north-east; Osor and the Losinj bridge are south.

Key facts