Veli Lošinj

 Situated in a narrow bay on the South-East part of the island of Lošinj, at the foot of the St. John's hill. High houses in the first row around the harbour, numerous villas with beautiful gardens are the main features of this lovely little town which is the second largest settlement on the island with a population of a 1000 people.

 It is interesting to mention that Veli Lošinj (meaning big Lošinj) used to be bigger then Mali Lošinj (small Lošinj), but through history Mali Lošinj developed faster but the names stayed the same.

  In the narrow streets of Veli Lošinj, through the «portuni» (specific gates) you can see luxurious villas owned by former sea captains, ship-owners and wealthy gentlemen. In the gardens you can see around 80 different kinds of plants and in the park, in front of the treatment center, which used to be the residence of the Archduke Carl Stephen, there are more than 200 botanical species.

 In the very centre of town there is a baroque parish church of St. Anthony with a high campanile. On the opposite side of the harbour is a tower dating from the 16th century built to defend the harbour from sea attacks. Tower is the motif of Veli Lošinj coat-of-arms. Not far from the centre is a quiet small harbour with fishing boats, Rovenska, surrounded with houses and restaurants, people with tradition of dedicating their lives to the sea and nature around it. The breakwater on Rovenska was built in 1856., the foundation stone was laid by the Hapsburg Archduke Maximilian.