Vrbnik old town on its cliff above the harbour, drone, daytime

Village · The Krk Map

Vrbnik

A clifftop wine village of stone lanes, cellar doors and a small working harbour, best early in the morning and after the day-trippers leave.

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Quick answers

Where should I eat in Vrbnik?

Nada, open since 1974, has the cliff terrace over the channel, and Gospoja is the polished table, with a chef's surprise menu and the house Žlahtina (book early: it closes around 21:00). For something casual, Buffet Namori in the harbour does fried calamari and sardines, and Pizzeria Gospoja is an easy family dinner.

Where can I swim in Vrbnik?

Zgribnica is the full-service town beach, with the easiest entry for older guests and children, and Vajavina next to it has a ladder into deep water. Secret Beach, through a gap in the rocks by the harbour pier, has sun in the morning and shade from early afternoon; Kozica is a wild pine cove on a path lit at night.

Where can I park in Vrbnik, and what does it cost?

Three paid zones (2026): Trg sv. Ivana at the old-town entrance costs EUR 3 an hour (1 May to 31 October); the Vajavina and Gospoja beach lots EUR 2 an hour or EUR 15 a day, and the harbour EUR 1.50 an hour (both 1 June to 30 September). Parking is free outside those times; for Nada in the upper old town, park at Trg sv. Ivana and walk about 300 m up.

Is Vrbnik good with small children?

Vrbnik is steep: cobbled lanes and steps rule out buggies, and the climb back up from the water is hard work in summer. Zgribnica has the easiest way into the water; for sand and shallows, drive to Sv. Marak or Soline bay.

How long should I spend in Vrbnik?

A half-day is enough only if you skip the coves and cellars. Coach wine tours fill the lanes at midday in summer, so come for the bakery and a swim in the morning and return from about 19:00 for a glass at Placa Šipun and dinner; Vrbnik faces east, so there is no sea sunset.

Vrbnik is a lived-in village on a 48 m cliff, not a resort. The old town is a half-hour loop of lanes, and almost everything that matters (the bakery, six cellar doors, the harbour and three swims) is a short walk from anywhere in the village. Coach wine tours fill the lanes at midday in summer, so the rhythm that works is bakery and swim in the morning, shade at noon, and back into the village from about 19:00 for a glass and dinner. It suits couples, wine people and multi-generation groups who like to walk; it does not suit buggies (steep cobbles and steps) or anyone after nightlife. A half-day is enough only if you skip the coves and cellars.

When to come: Year-round village. Summer programme July–August; Gospoja's tasting room open about 1 April-1 November, Nada with shorter hours out of season; paid parking May–October in the centre and June–September elsewhere.

What to do

Sunrise over the mainland from the east side of the village

Vrbnik looks north-east and east across the Vinodol channel, so the sun comes up behind the mainland mountains rather than out of the sea, and its first light hits the old-town cliff. Two places to be: the Vajavina headland, stone terraces with steps and a ladder into deep water (a sunrise swim), or the small lookout reached through the passage between the parish church and the 1527 bell tower.

Where
The Vajavina headland, or the lookout through the passage between the church and the bell tower, at the north edge of the old town.
When
Dawn, May–September. In midsummer the sun comes up to the north-east, roughly over Novi Vinodolski; around the equinoxes it rises due east, and in winter further south, towards Senj.
Time
30–45 min (plus a swim)
How
Vajavina: through the village to the headland, about 100 steps down, then a ladder. The church lookout is at the north edge of the old town.

Tip: Because the sun has to clear the mainland ridge, first light on the town comes a little after the official sunrise time.

Bakery run, then coffee on the square

Pekara Vrbnik on Trg sv. Ivana is where the Čubranić family started their bakery in 1981; it has since grown to 19 shops on Krk and around Rijeka. It sells white, rye and cornmeal breads, burek, pastries, and walnut and poppy-seed rolls. Take them across the square to Caffe bar Dubravka for an espresso with the locals.

Where
Trg svetog Ivana 6 (bakery) and Trg sv. Ivana 1 (Dubravka), at the entrance to the old town
When
Morning. Bakery Mon–Sat 06:30–13:00, Sun 07:00–13:00 (2026). Dubravka opens 07:00.
Time
20–30 min
How
At the entrance to the old town. There is motorcycle parking on the square; by car it is Zone 1, EUR 3/h from 1 May to 31 October (2026).

Tip: On Sundays the bakery is open until 13:00, but Market Draga can be closed, so buy Sunday's bread and basics here or on Saturday.

The Secret Beach swim (Pod Kovač)

A tiny pebble cove under the cliffs on the outer side of the harbour, entered through a narrow gap in the rocks by the pier; you only see it once you are through. It faces east: sun in the morning, deep shade from early afternoon.

Where
Below the old town, on the outer side of the harbour, next to the pier
When
07:30–11:00 for sun, 14:00–17:00 for shade (June–September)
Time
1–2 hours
How
Walk down to the harbour and through the rock passage at the pier. Harbour parking is Zone 3 (EUR 1.50/h, June–September).

Tip: Snorkel along the foot of the cliff: it is the Vrbnik dive centre's house reef, so expect divers in the mornings. Bring water shoes; nothing is sold on the beach, and Buffet Namori is two minutes away.

The Count's Palace library and the bell tower museum

The former Count's Palace on the square holds the Vitezić family library (founded 1898, 3,877 titles) with a 1718 Köhler world atlas, one of only two known copies (the other is in Cambridge) and a 1562 Glagolitic New Testament, plus a 2003 memorial printing house and the Neda Trinajstić ethno rooms. The 30 m bell tower of 1527 houses a Museum of Visual Identity, built up by the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts since 2000.

Where
Placa Vrbničkog statuta 4 for the library; the bell tower is at Pod Zvonik.
When
A rainy morning or the midday heat.
Time
About 1 hour
How
Ask at the tourist office in the same square (Mon–Fri 08:00–15:00; +385 51 857 479) or book through Mare Tours (1-hour visit, children up to 10 free).

Tip: Ask to see the Köhler atlas by name. The Etno Kuća on Saliž street opens in season; ask the tourist office for its hours.

The walkable swims: Zgribnica, Vajavina and Kozica

Zgribnica is the full-service town beach below Gospoja park (pebbles and concrete terraces, showers, loungers, a grill bar). Next to it, Vajavina is the grown-up option: stone terraces with steps and a ladder into deep water. Ten minutes further on a forest path, Kozica, known as the 'Silent beach', is a wild pine-shaded cove.

Where
Zgribnica, Vajavina and Kozica, south-east of the old town.
When
Mornings or after 17:00 in July–August; Kozica after dinner
Time
Half a day
How
Walk down from the village; for Kozica you can also drive to the end of Supec street and walk 10–15 min through the pines. Beach parking is Zone 2 (Vajavina and Gospoja lots), EUR 2/h or EUR 15/day, June–September.

Tip: The Kozica path is lit at night, so a swim after dinner works. Zgribnica's flat paved entry is the easiest for older guests.

Harbour aperitivo at Buffet Namori, and the cooperative's cellar door

A plain harbour buffet where locals meet: fried calamari, sardines and octopus salad with a glass of Žlahtina, at fair prices. In the same harbour building PZ Vrbnik, the village cooperative founded in 1904, sells its wines, including the sparkling Valomet and Valomet Podmorski, which is aged on the seabed.

Where
Namori 2, Vrbnik harbour
When
17:00–19:00. Open daily from 09:00 in season.
Time
About 1 hour
How
Down at the harbour; the walk back up into the village is steep. Zone 3 harbour parking EUR 1.50/h.

Tip: Ask for the Valomet Podmorski by name, not the ordinary Valomet.

The old-town loop: Klančić, Opjica and Pod Keštel

From the main square (Placa Vrbničkog statuta) take Potočina (the butcher's is on the corner) and pass the tiny Dverčić gate; Klančić opens on your left, about 43 cm at its narrowest. Keep going through to little Opjica square, with the view over the walls to Crikvenica and Novi Vinodolski, then follow Pod Keštel along the old walls above the sea and come back through the passage between the Assumption church and the bell tower.

Where
Klančić and Opjica square in the old town, starting from the main square.
When
Early morning or after 19:00 in July–August, when the coach groups have gone
Time
30–45 min at an easy pace
How
On foot only: cobbles, steps and very narrow lanes. Not for buggies or wheelchairs.

Tip: Don't stop at the Klančić photo: walk on through to Opjica. Add Šenoin put, the lane above the sea named after the writer August Šenoa, whose novel 'Čuvaj se senjske ruke' opens in Vrbnik.

A good evening in the village

After the coaches leave: Klančić and Opjica at dusk, then a glass at Placa Šipun, the wine bar on the main square where locals gather in summer. Dinner on Nada's cliff terrace or at Gospoja (chef's surprise menu about EUR 50 in 2025), and a last drink at Caffe bar Dubravka, open until 02:00 (2026).

Where
Placa Vrbničkog statuta and the old town
When
19:00–23:00, May–October
Time
3–4 hours
How
On foot. The lanes are steep and cobbled, so wear proper shoes.

Tip: Vrbnik faces east, so there is no sea sunset: the evening show is the lights of the mainland coast coming on. Book Gospoja early: its kitchen closes around 21:00.

A cellar walk through the village

Katunar Estate on the road into the village, where our welcome wine comes from; Kuća vina Ivan Katunar about 500 m away for the full seven-wine tasting (about EUR 27–29 in 2026); Gospoja's old-town tasting room, which takes walk-ins daily from 1 April to 1 November; PZ Vrbnik at the harbour; and a last glass on Nada's cliff terrace. Šipun (Ivica Dobrinčić's revived Kvarner grapes, Sansigot and Trojišćina) is by appointment.

Where
Katunar Estate at Sveta Nedija; Kuća vina Ivan Katunar, Braće Trinajstić 3; Gospoja, Vitezićeva 9.
When
Late afternoon into dinner. Katunar Estate 09:00–21:00 June–September, 09:00–16:00 October–May.
Time
2–4 hours
How
All on foot; Katunar Estate is about 20 min up the entrance road from the village centre. Book Kuća vina Ivan Katunar and Šipun by phone or email.

Tip: Book direct with the wineries: it costs less than through tour resellers. Pours are generous, so walk, don't drive.

Wednesday concerts and the village's summer nights

'Srijedom u Vrbniku' (Wednesdays in Vrbnik) is a free series of Wednesday-evening concerts in July and August that moves around the village: the squares, the harbour, the beaches and the old fish-market building, usually at 21:00. Other summer nights: Ivanja on 24 June, a fishermen's fest at Namori harbour and a sunset party at the old harbour (Stari poret) in July, the Vrbnik-Sv. Marak swim in late July, the old-customs evening 'Vrbenske užance' in early August and the Wine Days in late August.

Where
Rotating squares, harbour and beaches in Vrbnik
When
Wednesdays in July and August, usually 21:00
Time
1–2 hours
How
Most venues are an easy walk in the village; free.

Tip: Venues and dates change every year: the tourist board posts the calendar in mid-June. The RiTeatar plays are in Croatian; skip them unless you speak it.

Out to sea on the Curicta from the harbour

Curicta is a traditional wooden boat based in Vrbnik harbour. Its roughly six-hour southern route runs under the cliffs to the remote bays of Mala and Vela Luka, the islet of Zečevo, the griffon-vulture cliffs of the Kuntrep reserve and a swim at Pod Črnice; there is also a northern route and a sunset dinner cruise.

Where
Vrbnik harbour
When
10:00 departure in summer; calm days only (bura cancels east-coast trips)
Time
About 6 hours
How
Walk to the harbour. Book directly with the skipper or through Mare Tours; the boat is hired as a whole, so ask for the price when you book.

Tip: A Vrbnik 'sunset' cruise faces east: it is golden light on the town and the Velebit, not a sun sinking into the sea.

Vrbnik with small children: a steep village and a climb back from the water

Vrbnik is steep: the climb back up from the water is hard work in summer, and the narrowest lanes are tight for cars.

When
Summer

Tip: With small children, drive to the sand at Sv. Marak or the shallows of Soline bay.

A half day here

  1. 07:30 Bread and burek from Pekara Vrbnik, espresso at Dubravka on Trg sv. Ivana.
  2. 08:30 Swim at the Secret Beach while it has the sun.
  3. 10:00 The old-town loop through Klančić to Opjica and along Pod Keštel, before the coach groups arrive.
  4. 11:00 The Vitezić library if the tourist office can open it; otherwise shade and a swim at Kozica.
  5. 13:00 Fried calamari at Buffet Namori, or pizza at Pizzeria Gospoja; siesta.
  6. 17:30 A booked tasting at Kuća vina Ivan Katunar, or a walk-in at Gospoja's tasting room.
  7. 19:30 A glass at Placa Šipun, then dinner on Nada's cliff terrace or at Gospoja; on a July or August Wednesday, the concert (usually 21:00).

Where to eat and drink

Where to swim

Practical

Parking when visiting (2026 prices)

Three paid zones (2026): Trg sv. Ivana EUR 3/h, 1 May-31 Oct, 09:00–24:00; the Vajavina and Gospoja beach lots EUR 2/h and the harbour (Namori, Dražica) EUR 1.50/h, day ticket EUR 15, both 1 Jun-30 Sep, 09:00–22:00. Free outside those times.

Shops, bakery and the Sunday problem

Market Draga (Varoš 1) and the small Dućan on Supec both open Mon–Sat 07:00–20:00; Draga can be closed on Sundays. The bakery opens Sunday 07:00–13:00. For a full Sunday shop, Šilo's Non Stop Market opens daily 07:00–22:00 (about 30 min away), or go to Krk Town.

Pharmacy, cash, post, charging

Pharmacy Mon–Sat 08:00–13:00, plus Tue and Thu 16:00–19:00; call before relying on it. ATMs (Erste, Euronet) on Trg sv. Ivana. Post office Varoš 21: Mon 08:00–17:00, Tue–Fri 08:00–15:00. EV chargers at Trg sv. Ivana (4 points) and at the harbour.

Tourist office and toilets

Tourist office at Placa Vrbničkog statuta 4 (Mon–Fri 08:00–15:00; +385 51 857 479, info@vrbnik.hr): it is the way into the library and museums. There is a paid public toilet at the harbour, and showers and changing rooms at Zgribnica.

Seasonality

The Gospoja tasting room runs about 1 April-1 November; check Nada's hours outside summer. The Wednesday concerts are July–August only. Katunar Estate shortens to 09:00–16:00 from October to May (2026).

Watch out

Curated by Benjamin Haller and our guests · Facts checked 31 Oct 2026 · How this map is made

The Krk Map is made by Marim Luxury Villas, a family company that hosts guests in Stara Baška and Vrbnik. No place pays to be on it; partners and our curators’ own offers are marked. Our villas

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