Poljana is a coastal town with rows of stone houses. At Čerenac Beach, pine trees provide shade on hot summer days. In the wider destination of Preko, the Romanesque Church of St. Peter, dating from the 13th century, stands on the St. Peter Peninsula in Poljana. The coast, beach and church offer different points of interest for planning a trip.

Local History and the Beach in Poljana

The Church of St. Peter is identified as a Romanesque building dating from the 13th century. This makes it a specific point of reference for anyone who considers architectural history when choosing a destination. Its location on the St. Peter Peninsula places it specifically in Poljana; it is a different local focal point from the coast and beach.

Čerenac is a beach in Poljana where pine trees provide shade on hot summer days. If you want to make a beach visit a focus of your trip planning and take natural shade into account, this offers a specific point of reference. The church and beach appeal to different interests: historic architecture on the one hand, and a beach with shade from pine trees on the other. The rows of stone houses add to the coastal town’s architectural character.

In the Wider Destination of Preko

For regional access, the Jadrolinija passenger line runs from central Zadar to Preko on Ugljan. There are numerous departures per day, and the crossing takes about 25 minutes. Check current sailing times before your trip, as schedules may change.

The remains of the medieval fortress of St. Michael are located on Mount Sv. Mihovil in Preko on Ugljan. From the fortress, the view extends across more than 200 islands of the Zadar Archipelago and Kornati National Park. A three-kilometre paved road leads to the fortress and is suitable for cars, bicycles and pedestrians. This makes it possible to consider the historic remains and the viewpoint as two aspects of the same regional destination, without equating the route’s length with a walking or driving time.

The stone Church of St. John the Baptist at the ferry terminal in Preko is also part of this regional context. It was built towards the end of the 11th century, has been preserved in its original form and has been restored. This gives the area a specific building at the terminal with a construction date considerably earlier than that of the Church of St. Peter in Poljana.

In the Bay of Muline on Ugljan are the remains of a Roman villa, a late antique mausoleum and an early Christian basilica. There are also the remains of a monumental structure used for olive oil processing, dating from the 1st century. These different buildings and uses give the wider destination of Preko an archaeological focus as well.

Cycling and Hiking Routes in the Region

Cycle Route 101, the Antiquity Trail, starts in Lučino selo in the centre of Ugljan. It is 16.2 kilometres long, and the journey by bicycle takes about one hour and 30 minutes. These details make it possible to assess the route as a cycling option in terms of both time and distance.

Ošljak has a circular route just over two kilometres long. The entire island is a protected park forest and a habitat for many protected bird species. There are no motor vehicles there; walking is recommended for getting around the island. The regional options are therefore clearly distinct: a cycling trip along the Antiquity Trail or a walking loop on Ošljak.

Discover more destinations: Sestrunj, Ugljan, Sutomišćica, Lukoran, Preko.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Preko.