Poljica: Hiking Trails and Cultural Heritage

Two distinct themes stand out when planning your trip to Poljica: easy hiking trails with specific route details and a rich architectural heritage. You can compare the routes by length, elevation gain, and course; the church, bell tower, and ethnographic zone offer insights into different architectural styles and periods. This can help you decide whether hiking, nature, or cultural heritage will shape your stay.

Compare hiking trails

The H135 Put lokvi educational trail starts in Milohnići and ends in Poljica. It is 6.2 kilometers long, with 120 meters of elevation gain, and is rated easy. The route passes through predominantly wooded terrain and by karst ponds. Information panels explain the characteristics of the ponds, making them a specific nature theme along the trail. With Poljica as its destination, the route differs from H128, which starts and ends there.

H128, “In the shade of great oaks,” is also rated easy. It is 6.6 kilometers long, with 140 meters of elevation gain, and starts and ends at the central parking lot in Poljica. In a direct comparison of the figures, H135 is 400 meters shorter and has 20 meters less elevation gain. Both trails are rated easy; their different start and end points may be just as important as the distance when planning your route.

Nature along the trails and an MTB route

On H128, the route passes an approximately 400-year-old oak at Dolinji drmun puški. The tree is 20 meters tall; its crown has a diameter of 30 meters, and its trunk has a circumference of more than five meters. The trail also descends from Poljica to Čavlena Bay, where hikers can take a break and swim in summer.

For cyclists, B-425 offers a different kind of route: this 20-kilometer MTB loop is rated moderate and runs over gravel, asphalt, and trail. It passes through Poljica, and cyclists can see the church from the route. Alongside the two easy hiking trails, this offers a longer, moderately difficult cycling route and a variety of surfaces as additional points of comparison.

The church and its architectural history

The parish church of St. Cosmas and Damian has a single nave and a cruciform ground plan. It dates from the late 15th century; a Glagolitic date on a window frame gives the year 1497. Another historical milestone is the freestanding bell tower: an inscription gives the year 1768 and names Dominik Regini as its builder. The tower was completed in 1768, built from dressed stone, and designed with Baroque architectural elements. The Croatian Register of Cultural Property lists the church and bell tower in Poljica under code Z-2722.

Traditional architecture is also part of the village’s character. Poljica has well-preserved local architecture, including stone houses and Renaissance buildings. The traditional residential and courtyard complexes in the ethnographic zone are characterized by stone construction, exterior staircases, imposing chimneys, and indoor hearths. The zone is designated as a protected cultural and historical ensemble and dates to the 15th century; its reference number is RRI-0315-1972. When planning your stay, you can therefore consider architectural history as a focus in its own right alongside the routes.

Discover more destinations: Pinezici, Linardici, Muraj, Skrpčići, Žgaljići, Bajčići, Vrh, Brzac.

For the broader travel overview: Općina Krk.