Town history and the beginnings of tourism

Town history

In its long history, Novi has changed its name several times: Novi Grad, Novigrad, Novi, Novi u Vinodolu, Novi Vinodol, and now Novi Vinodolski.

The area of Novi was inhabited in prehistory, which is evidenced by findings in the cave Vlaška peć, near Kozica, namely by the artifacts from the Eneolithic, Neolithic, Early Bronze and Middle Bronze Age. Material traces of living on this soil were left by the Liburnians and later by the Japods in the fort they had built on the top of the hill Veli Osap, on the site next to today’s water reservoir. During the Roman rule, Lopar fortress was built next to the springs in the Lišanj bay opposite Školjić.

Abandoned Lopar was inhabited by Slavs, early Croats. At the beginning of the 13th century, the dukes of Krk crossed the sea to the mainland from their castle Gradec, west of the Vrbnik field, acquiring Modruš and Vinodol through the royal charter of the King of Hungary and Croatia Andrew I. On the hill above the location where Ričina river (Suha Ričina) flows into the sea they built their castle and fortified Novi Grad, from where they expanded to the new acquis.

On January 6, 1288, the Statute of Vinodol was written in Novi, regulating the relations of Krk lords, as the new feudal lords of Vinodol, with nine Vinodol municipalities. It is the oldest legal text in the Croatian language and the oldest legal monument of the Slavic south. It was written in Glagolitic alphabet.

The seat of the Modruš or Krbava diocese was moved to Novi in 1493, when the bishop of Modruš or Krbava, Kristofor Dubrovčanin (Petančić), found refuge there. He also housed several clergymen in Novi, and the seat of the diocese remained there until 1969 when it was abolished and its area was incorporated into the newly established Rijeka-Senj diocese, with the seat in Rijeka.

Novi was attacked by the Venetians during Uskok wars in 1598 and 1613, and suffered particularly badly in 1615, during the absence of Nikola Frankapan and the military of the city in Lika during the conflict with the Turks. It was attacked by 3000 Venetian soldiers, the city tower was demolished, the city was destroyed, confiscated and set on fire, and three city cannons were taken away. The Pauline monastery and infirmary in the port were destroyed, as well as the Frankapan salt pans.

In 1650 birth records started to be kept in Novi. After the abolishment of Pauline Order and the monastery, in 1786 elementary school (two-year) was opened in Novi, bishop Ježić opened a seminary in 1806, and in 1808 reopened the gymnasium. He guided many young men from Novi and men from Primorje to priesthood.

Novi started to develop economically, culturally and politically in the 19th century: the exploitation of forests in the hinterland intensified, in 1845 Public Reading Room was opened and from 1851 the Municipality Novi, within Bakar district, obtained its municipal representation, i.e. municipal board with its own self-government.

Mažuranić brothers Anton, Ivan and Matija have greatly contributed to the development and prosperity of the town. Anton Mažuranić was in Novi from 1848 to 1850 as Jelačić’s (Ban) commissioner for Vinodol. During Matija’s administration, the road from Lukavica by the sea was built (1861) (under Baran) to the bridge on Ričina, and as an entrepreneur he began the construction of Vela riva (pier) in 1863. He built the bridge on Ričina which was destroyed during the war in 1943 and has not been in use ever since. He had worked on the reconstruction of Karolina and many other Primorje roads and in 1869 he built a road from St. Juraj to Krasno. From 1870 to 1874 he built the road from plain Pleteno above Novi to Ogulin named Rudolfina road. On the pass above Breza he requested to engrave BANSKA VRATA – IZVEO MAŽURANIĆ- 1872 (Ban gate – made by Mažuranić – 1872).

In 1875 renaissance began in Novi: Ivan Mažuranić (Ban from 1873 to 1880) signed the Order by which the seat of the Kotar district court moved from Crikvenica to Novi. In that year, tamburitza association Zvonimir was founded with the incentive from the district court judge from Kotar Ivan Obajdin, vocal ensemble Stenjak and a brass band were founded, Bribir seafront was built (designed in 1856), Novi got a pharmacy and a harbour office and the city wall along Rundel tower, with the entrance to the city known as Vela vrata, was demolished. Novi got its first aqueduct in 1884 from the spring Ivanj in Novljansko polje and in 1886 it became the headquarters of the Kotar district, which includes municipalities Novi, Bribir, Selce, Crikvenica, Grižane, Belgrad, Drivenik, Drežnica and Krmpote.

With time, the promenade by the sea and park were constructed. Boarding houses and inns opened, as well as hotels and villas, so Novi has been making the best use of its natural beauty and favourable location. Apart from catering, the rich forests have been utilized in the hinterland. The harbour has been used for export, and woodworking industry has been developed.

Four road directions cross in Novi (to Rijeka, through Vinodol to Bribir – Križišće, to Ogulin and to Senj). Upon the construction of Jadranska Magistrala (Adriatic Highway), the connectivity has become even better. Schools open: Škola učenika u privredi – drvoprerađivački smjer (School of Economy – woodworking direction), Pčelarska škola (Beekeeping School) and Lugarska škola (Forestry School).

In 1962, municipality Novi was abolished and annexed to the municipality of Crikvenica, and only in 1992 by the Decision from the Croatian Parliament the municipality was returned, and Novi obtained the status of a town.

Beginnings of tourism

Novi has very early become an eminent tourist destination thanks to its beautiful nature – rocky coast, clear blue sea, walks by the sea, lush greenery, hinterland full of forests, accommodation, good transport connectivity and Mediterranean climate.

Tourism in Novi emerged in 1878 when Mrzljak family from Novi built the first wooden bathhouse on the piles in the harbour, along the so-called Bribir waterfront. The member of Mrzljak family was a senior official in Croatian Dicastery in Vienna and as such had the opportunity to interest his friends and acquaintances to visit Croatian coast and Novi. In its vicinity, retired priest Šegulja also opened a bathhouse, and little bit later the family of a timber merchant Nikola Srića built one in the harbour as well.

After first (private) bathhouses, built on the piles pushed into the muddy seabed, the municipality built a public bathhouse in the harbour in 1886. It was moved to Lišanj bay in 1889. Novi got its forestry, and first hotels were built: Hotel Lišanj in 1894 (expanded in 1906), Hotel Slavuj in 1896 and Hotel San Marino in 1900.

Promenade by the coast was built too, small bathhouses were expanded on several occasions, tourists were offered accommodations in boarding houses and villas and inns were supplied. The members Landscape and Beautification Committee of Novi and its surroundings bought the land above the bathhouse and turned it into a park and promenade by the sea. Through afforestation and later purchases of private land, the park from the Hotel Lišanj now reaches all the way to Lopar.

Villas and summerhouses were built and the city stretched to Lukavice and over Muroskva bay towards Gabrova. After first Potočnjak-Rusanova villa in Lukavice (area of todays’ hotel Tamaris), new roads and new villas were built. Social life and entertainment strive during the summer; actors, singers and musicians from Odmaralište kazališnih umjetnika Hrvatske (the so-called Actors’ villa) spend their holidays in Novi entertaining the public from Novi in inns with their couplets and one-act plays.

In 1932, Novi received water from the Žrnovnica spring and electricity from the city grid (since 1941 through a transmission line from the Skrad power plant). Fields have always had low yield, so the population has turned to renting rooms during tourist season. The construction of the Adriatic Highway started in 1953 and from 1989, after the demolition of an old supermarket, a housing-business complex was built, as well as a new square in Dolac along Korzo, a covered marketplace, playgrounds and parking spaces in front of school, and two football fields on Bahalin. Wood industry and hotel management developed, factories were built, as well as accommodation capacities in Novi and in small tourist spots and camps in Zagori and Povile.

NIn the area of a former tourist town Zagori, NOVI RESORT was built in the period from 1997 to 2006. It has 1806 beds. Hotel Lišanj was reconstructed in 2018, making the quality of accommodation change from two-star to four-stars. Today, in the area of Novi Vinodolski around 6000 beds are used for rent in family accommodations, while renting vacation houses is getting more and more popular.

Novi has been changing and developing rapidly over the years – communal infrastructure, public tourist infrastructure and roads were built, as well as two marinas, putting Novi Vinodolski on the nautical map of the Adriatic.

The economic empowerment of major tourist entities such as Hotel Lišanj and Novi Spa Hotels & Resort, and the construction of two marinas – Marina Novi and Mitan Marina, is accompanied by the growth of small and medium enterprises. In the last few years, there has been a dynamic development in the field of tourism, thus expanding and raising the quality of catering services, especially in the category of restaurants.

Literature for those who want to learn more
  • Bojan Zoričić, Moj stari Novi (Novi Vinodolski, u kronološkim natuknicama), Naklada Kvarner, 2018 (CIP data available in the computer catalogue of the University Library Rijeka under number 140315059)
  • Srećko Kabalin, Fotomonografija Novi Vinodolski, Tipograf, Rijeka 1995.
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