Pakoštane: a sweet and salty story by the sea, by the lake

Imagine waking up in a camp cottage on the shore of Vrana Lake National Park to the sound of birdsong and the sunrise over the lake. Imagine staying at a destination that allows you to go bird watching in the morning, swim in the lake, and enjoy the afternoon on one of 15 unique beaches. Imagine a day exploring the Kamenjak viewpoint, and then taking a short catamaran ride to the spot that thrilled you from the viewpoint - Vrgada, a car-free island.

Imagine, and then experience the destination of Pakoštane, which is interesting and unique in many ways, a genuine pearl of central Dalmatia. This oasis will delight you before and after the primary tourist season. Here, the story is about salty and sweet (the combination of lake and sea), relaxation in nature, and active vacations with beautiful nature and sunsets. The destination of Pakoštane on the sea by the lake has as many as 17 hiking and 10 cycling trails, unique experiences, gastronomy that combines tradition and modernity, and which is topped off by chilled Maraština, Debit, Merlot, and olive oil immortalized by gold medals.

"This is a region rich in salt and fresh water, a fertile hinterland, an archipelago of islands and islets, springs and caves, which slowed down the steps of various tribes until they finally stopped on the isthmus between fresh and salt water. We say of this area that it is a place where the murmur of fresh and salt waves caresses you, the rustling of seashores and lake reeds, a place where all opposites have gathered and harmoniously united," says Danijela Vulin, director of the Pakoštane Tourist Board, who is responsible for making this destination a unique place in the pre-season where modern travelers will stop and enjoy.

To fully explore the destination and 'take' the best of what it offers every time, Danijela and her team created an excellent tourist product a few years ago - Slano Sweet Adventure, which offers nature lovers the opportunity to explore in various ways. Looking at the wealth of content, it is easy to conclude that Pakoštane is always a good idea and that this destination can always offer something new and unique.

"Come for the adventure, stay for the peace, and leave with memories that last a lifetime" is the motto of the Vrana Lake Crkvine Campsite, located on the shores of Vrana Lake in the shade of a pine forest. Renovated in 2017, it is now an ECO-CAMPING certified four-star site, and a unique place to stay for all who want to experience the salty-sweet story of the destination.

In this place, in the beauty of untouched nature, you can sleep in the peace of the Ornithological Reserve, and enjoy the beauty of Lake Vrana. Within a radius of just a few kilometres that you can travel by bike or car, you will experience the combination of lake and sea, the beauty of the destination, and excellent gastronomy. The camp has 150 pitches and 23 mobile homes of a high ecologically acceptable standard with a view of Lake Vrana, which are intended for modern travelers and families. The camp has a restaurant, shop, beach bar, and points with sports activities (kayaking, SUP, tennis, mini golf, bicycling).

Few areas, like the Municipality of Pakoštane, can boast such natural diversity; an indented coastline with a view of a garden of islands and islets, a dreamy lake landscape with floodplain meadows and reeds, water springs from which the Roman aqueduct started, all the way to viewpoints offering a unique view. Lake Vrana is the largest natural lake in Croatia, the northwestern part of which has been declared an Ornithological Reserve, and the entire lake, with its coastal part, a Nature Park. To learn more about Lake Vrana, you can explore it in various ways.

With one ticket, you can set off on the Vrana Lake Educational Trail, which will take you along a wooden bridge above the lake and meadows where over 260 different species of birds live. Bird watching is very popular here, so when you settle down at one of the viewpoints of this park, you will be greeted by many of them. One of the most dominant birds is certainly the Danguba Heron, which is also the trademark of this reserve. The Danguba is also the name of the electric boat that will take you to the other side of this lake, but also to spot the next destination - the Kamenjak Lookout, which offers a unique view of the lake and beyond to the sea and the Kornati Islands.

While standing on one of the educational trails of this locality (Tavern Kamenjak, Kapelica), you will understand where the inspiration for the most beautiful wallpapers in the world lies. On this path through nature, there are other unique points where you should stop - numerous seers, including Čelinka above Draga, the water source of the Caves in Vrana near the place where the unique event Knights of Vrana is held, and also passing through the Open-Air Museum that tells the story of the Three Islands Trail, its heritage, and the unique flora of the island. For those who want to experience island life, the island of Vrgada is recommended, where wonderful hosts will welcome you with their stories that will complement the natural phenomenon - the orchestra of crickets. You can get there easily by catamaran, which operates all day long and is often greeted by dolphins.

"Field and garden are words that resonate with a motherly closeness in the Pakoštane region. The inhabitants of this region have always had a close connection with the land, as it is the beginning of their history and survival, a nurturer. A long farming story is written on the fertile fields near Lake Vrana. Today, people in this region are less involved in agriculture than they used to be, many of them have turned to tourism, but each of them still grows local products for themselves and their needs," says Vulin proudly, adding that there is no house in the Pakoški region that does not have its own garden, vineyard or olive grove... That is why you will toast local varieties of wine here during the day, but also taste the 'golden treasure' of the destination - olive oil, which is often crowned with gold medals.

Regarding the flavours of Pakoštane, this destination offers dishes prepared in the old-fashioned way, using traditional or homemade recipes. The aromas that waft through the restaurants will show you what hardworking people and chefs have grown, caught, gathered, and then cooked. This is precisely what the Pakoštane Tourist Board has revealed at its new spring gastronomic event - Lunch in Nature. This is one of the destination's contents, which is experienced in its segments in taverns and restaurants.

"Here, we cook according to traditional recipes, and our goal is for every guest from this region to leave full and satisfied. The wealth of nature surrounding these places, the resourceful, hardworking, and honest hands of the locals, have enabled a diverse and healthy diet that guests cannot resist, and to which the locals have been accustomed since ancient times. Among the local dishes, we highlight lamb with beans, snails, lentils, brudet with pulon, čučka, fritule, kroštule, mimice, and Vodenjak water cake" - emphasizes Danijela, who presented Lunch in Nature with salty and sweet flavours in the field of the Vrana Lake Camp.

The doors of the restaurants and taverns are open, and the hosts like to give you notice so they can prepare the best for you. A small destination, great gastronomy, Pakoštane offers something for everyone - a wonderful family story of agrotourism Plavica, where Slavo and his wife Branka, in their tavern, will serve you meat or fish peka, cold plates with several years of aged prosciutto and homemade sheep's cheese seasoned with the multi-award-winning olive oil of the Didovi vrtovi brand.

A savory story will be offered to you by the young couple Marina and Mate Rašin, who have transformed their ancestral home in the old town of Pakoštane into the Parparot restaurant with a view of the stars. Fresh fish and special local delicacies such as Pakoška pogača are served daily heres. Within a radius of just five kilometers from the Vrana Lake Camp - Crkvine, in addition to the aforementioned gastronomic addresses, there is another pearl of the destination - the Karaba winery with a beautiful sunset that is outlined in a glass of Maraština, Debit, and Plavac wine varieties from this region.

That this is a place where you always want 'one more glass' will be told by Nena and Šime Kurtov, who opened a winery in an idyllic location overlooking Lake Vrana that resembles one in Provence. There is another gastronomic address that will delight you at this destination. Within the medieval walls is the heritage hotel Maškovića Han and the recently opened restaurant Timar, which offers a unique blend of traditional and modern. In addition to excellent gastronomy, the location provides a special place to relax, but also tells the story of the history of this region, which is also said in mid-summer by the Knights of Vrana at a two-day event near the Pećina water source.

The Pakoštane region is filled with legends and stories that coo in the wind and echo through the fields of Vrana. Every corner hides its own secrets—about brave people, loves, battles, and miracles. Today, folk storytellers retell them in the tourist project 'Listen to the Stories'. It's up to you whether you want to hear more about the lives of knights, prophetesses, and fishermen or find out the stories told by the alleys, squares, and dry stone walls.

Did you know? The historical story of this region begins with Rome, the remains of Roman villas, roads and aqueducts that supplied water to Zadar and the villas rustica along the way. During the time of the people's rulers, Vrana was surrounded by royal cities: Nin, Biograd, Knin and Šibenik. Croatian nobles had estates there where they stayed during the Sabor. Vrana is also the place of the influential orders of the Templars and the Ivanovci, the place of origin of the famous Renaissance painter Francesco Laurana and his brother, the famous architect, Luciano Laurana.

During the Ottoman conquests, it was the westernmost Turkish fortress. From that time, the han of Jusuf Mašković, a monument of Islamic architecture, remains. In interesting tourist walks, the guides of this destination will tell you numerous legends and stories, among which the most interesting are the legend of the prophetess Vrana (related to the water source Pećina), the story of Jusuf Mašković, the Legend of St. Justinica (related to the construction of the church of St. Justina on the island of the same name), the Story of Dragarski svičari (Long fishing tradition in Draga, the Legend of Baba Dora (a small cave on the walking trail Put Baba Dora), the legend of the miraculous icon (the chapel of Our Lady of Health on Vrgada) but also of St. Andrew (related to the creation of the church of St. Andrew on Vrgada). Vrgada, one of the pearls of this destination, is always a good idea for a trip, especially in spring or early autumn. Then you can feel the peace and tranquility here, but also find out what the Dalmatian 'dolce vita' truly means.

And when you thought you had seen everything in Pakoštane, especially during spring when the destination turns into a wonderful green and blooming destination, delight yourself with an active vacation. Numerous hiking and cycling trails connect nature and cultural sights, as well as one of 15 attractive pebble, sandy and rocky beaches, in a typically Mediterranean setting or in the pleasant shade of pine forests. When you are in Pakoštane, get on your bike, enjoy the adrenaline park Vrana Lake, play golf, tennis, relieve stress with paintball, put on quality shoes and set off for the lookout points.

Photos: Nikola Zoko