Municipality of Lišane Ostrovičke: Village Culture and Landscape

The village of Lišane Ostrovičke lies at the edge of a field on a sun-facing slope, next to a drinking-water spring. A typical village of the Ravni kotari, it stretches in a semicircle and forms a natural boundary between the Kotari to the south and the karst plateau of Bukovica to the north. The edge of the field, the slope, and the karst upland give the place a distinctive landscape profile.

Village and Landscape

The Trolokve area also lies partly within the Municipality of Lišane Ostrovičke. It contains swamp and lake sediments of sand and mud. The area's marshy character is due to its impermeable muddy subsoil. Thus, different landscape features sit side by side within the municipality: the village's location by the field and on the slope, and the partly enclosed marshland.

Singing, Dance, and Traditional Instruments

“Lišanska misa” is a religious folk singing tradition related to the secular singing of the area around Lišane. The cultural association KUD “Sv. Nikola Tavelić” is committed to preserving local traditions, including this singing tradition. In the Kukulešće, men and women hold hands and dance in a circle. They place their feet fully on the ground and jump to the rhythm set by the Cvitara player. If you are interested in local forms of music and dance, the Kukulešće shows how movement and musical rhythm go together.

Cvitare are harmonica instruments that were played in Lišane during the circle dance. Traditional wind instruments also include the Diple: they are played with six fingers and made from specially treated goat or sheep skin. Svirale, also called Dvojnice, are wooden shepherds’ instruments with two pipes. The right pipe is used to finger the melody, and the left to provide accompaniment.

Churches and Dates

The parish church of Sv. Nikola Tavelić was built from 1975 to 1977 as a votive sanctuary, to designs by architect Vinko Galić, and consecrated in 1978. The church, with its bell tower and landscaped surroundings, was completed in 2003. Another historical landmark is the old Baroque parish church of Sv. Mihovil arkanđel, which dates from 1663. Together, the churches provide different points of reference for the area's history, from the Baroque parish church to the more recent parish church of Sv. Nikola Tavelić.

Getting There

The Zadar–Benkovac–Kistanje–Knin road and the Zadar–Knin railway line run through the municipality. The “Pirovac” motorway exit on the Adriatic Motorway is 15 kilometres from the Municipality of Lišane Ostrovičke. If you plan to travel by train, check the timetable for your travel dates.

Wider Context: Pasman

Within the wider travel destination of Pasman, the broader regional focus is on Zadar County. Among the Adriatic counties, it has the longest coastline, at 1,300 kilometres. Its landscape includes a deeply indented coastline, numerous islands, fertile plains, karst and mountain terrain, as well as abundant water and forest resources.

Protected landscapes are also part of this regional context: Paklenica National Park lies mostly within Zadar County and includes more than 150 kilometres of hiking trails, as well as the Velika Paklenica and Mala Paklenica canyons. Vransko jezero Nature Park is also in the county and is an ornithological reserve for 251 bird species.

Discover more destinations: Lišane Ostrovičke, Municipality of Ražanac, Municipality of Poličnik, Municipality of Polača, Municipality of Škabrnja, Municipality of Benkovac, Municipality of Pakoštane, Municipality of Starigrad.

Back to the main travel overview: Zadar County.