Pag Town
A historic town on the south of Pag Island, with a Renaissance grid of streets, UNESCO-listed Pag lace, ancient salt pans, and the salty, savory Pag cheese, all set on the Adriatic bay.
Pag Town lies in the mid-south of Pag Island in Zadar County, Croatia, on the southern shore of Pag Bay, which cuts deep into the island. It is the island's historic centre, about 25 km south of Novalja. The present old town was built anew from 1443 on a 'ideal city' plan, with the Croatian architect Juraj Dalmatinac (Giorgio Orsini) involved in its design. Its chessboard streets radiate from the main square, which is lined by the Church of the Assumption of Mary and the Ducal Palace. The original old town, about 2 km to the south, survives only as the ruined walls of a church and a monastery.
The town is famous for three local specialties: Pag lace, a handmade needlework tradition inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list; Pag cheese, made from sheep's milk and flavored by the island's salt-laden pastures; and sea salt, produced in the large salt pans southeast of town, which are among Croatia's largest salt-producing areas.
The best way to explore is on foot. Wander the old town and the lace museum, watch older women making lace in doorways, and in the evening walk along the bay to the ruins of the old town before a swim at the city beach. The northern destinations of Novalja, Zrče Beach, the Lun olive grove and the Gligora cheese factory belong to the Pag Island-Novalja area and can be visited as day trips.
The best seasons are June to September, when the sea is warm enough for swimming and the Pag Summer Carnival takes place in July and August. Spring and autumn are quieter and more pleasant. In winter the bora wind blows strongly, the Pag Bridge is sometimes closed, and most shops close.
Getting there: the Pag Bridge links the island to the mainland. The town is about 60 km from Zadar, roughly one hour by car. From Rijeka, you can take a ferry to Žigljen and then head south. Plan to stay 1 to 2 days.
Note: the island has little vegetation and strong summer sun, so bring sunscreen. When buying lace, look for genuine local handmade pieces.
Top sights
- Pag Town – A stone town newly built in the 15th century on a Renaissance plan, with grid-patterned streets, a square with a church, and handmade lace.
- Stari Grad (Old Pag) – The medieval Old Town ruins south of Pag town, with the surviving Church of St. Mary and the remains of a Franciscan monastery.
- Pag Salt Pans – Centuries-old sea salt pans on Pag Bay, where rows of square basins glow pink and gold in the setting sun.
- Pag Lace Gallery – A small gallery showcasing Pag lace, a UNESCO-listed craft; in summer, you may see artisans weaving on site.
- Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, Pag – A 15th-century church on the main square of Pag's old town, with a blend of Romanesque and Gothic façade and an exquisite rose window.
- Pag Town Beach (Prosika) – A fine pebble-and-sand beach on the western side of the old town, in a shallow, calm bay; you can swim just a short walk from the old town…
- Benedictine Convent of St. Margaret – A still-active nunnery in the north of the old town, housing antique lace and religious art; the nuns' hand-baked 'baškotin' biscuits are a…
Where to eat
- Konoba Bodulo – A Gault&Millau-listed tavern in a stone-walled courtyard by the old town walls, featuring Pag lamb, bell-roasted squid…
- Bistro Na Tale – A small bistro in an old-town courtyard at the end of the harbor promenade, where the lamb and Pag truffle-cheese pasta…
Itineraries
- Kvarner Coast, Krk & Pag Islands – An island-hopping self-drive route heading south from Opatija along the coast, via Krk and Pag islands, to Zadar.
- Northern Dalmatia: Zadar to Split – Use Zadar as a base to sail the Kornati Islands, then head south via Šibenik and Krka to Trogir.