The island of Rab is a part of the Kvarner Bay archipelago in the northern Adriatic Sea. It is 22km long, and 3-10km wide. Apart from the town of Rab on the island are located seven other small towns: Barbat, Banjol, Palit, Kampor Mundanije, Supetarska Draga and Lopar.
The island belongs to a series of small islands, 27 islets and reefs surrounding it and thus contribute to its beauty: the island Lukovac, uninhabited island of Dolin, Sv. Grgur, Sv. Juraj, Veli and Mali Laganj, Trstenik, Veli and Mali Dolfin, Goli and others. As the island is protected by winds by the hill Kamenjak, temperatures seldom drop below zero. Rab is an island of sun because it has 2470 hours of sunshine annually.
The island is mentioned in the 4th century BC by the Greek geographer Pseudo Scylax and in ancient times by Pliny the Elder – under the name Arba. The foundations of the city's fortifications on Kaldanac, which is the oldest part of Rab, date back to the 1st century, from the time of Emperor Augustus Oktavian.
If travelling by ferry from Jablanac to Mišnjak on the island of Rab, the first image that appears is a part of the island that is covered with bare stone and it appears as though there is no life, just a stone. After a short ride from the pier in Mišnjak the landscape slowly changes as the stone is replaced by lush Mediterranean vegetation, oak trees, oaks, pines and cypresses. With a multitude of small and large parks, the largest green wealth of the town is the city's park Komrčar, one of the most beautiful parks on the Adriatic coast.
The town of Rab has a long history as a cultural and historical center. It was mentioned 10 years before Christ in an old Roman document by which the Roman emperor Oktavian Augustus proclaims municipium and gives it independence. The city earned the title Felix (happy), which means that it was already developed and civilized. The old part of town is surrounded by medieval stone walls built back in the 12th and 13 century that mostly stand to this day. The old city is dominated by four towers and numerous churches. One of the most important monuments in Rab is the church of St. Mary from the 12th century (the former Bishop's Basilica). The bell tower of the basilica from the 12th century stands away from the church, dominates the town and is one of the most beautiful examples of late Romanesque architecture in Croatia.
Visitors of the town are offered high quality accommodation in seven hotels, a campsite, numerous inns, villas, apartments and rooms in private houses, and there are also two marinas.
The island of Rab is an island of amazing diversity of landscape and the wonderful variety of beaches and the town of Rab is a place rich in historical heritage, long and pleasant walks, with a 120 year tradition of organized tourism.
The Tourist Board of Primorsko-Goranska County
www.kvarner.hr
The Tourist Board of Rab
www.tzg-rab.hr