About the Island
Many cultures have lived in this area from the old Greeks, Romans, Illyrians, and Croatians as it is today. Each generation left an indelible mark still relevant in modern culture. The traces of dynamic life are present all over the island, and the miles long dry walls in the idyllic landscape tell the story of immense human effort that shaped this karst area over millennia.
The Legend of Lošinj
The well-known legend is the one about tragic love, Medea’s love for Jason. Jason in Greek mythology was the leader of the Argonauts and son of Aeson. He was the one that stole the Golden Fleece from Medea’s father and ran from Greece deep into the North Adriatic Sea. Medea’s brother Absyrtus hunted them down and caught up with them, here where the future Lošinj is located. With Medea’s help, Jason waited for him, beat him, cut his body into pieces, and threw them into the sea. From these pieces arose the main island Apsyrtides and many small ones around it. But now we have two islands made from one old Apsyrtides. In Roman times they were divided because the archipelago of Lošinj was indeed a very important point of the trade route. The story will be told in the old city where you will be surrounded by the numerous archeological findings as a result of leaving untouched, an ancient space of medieval settlements. Now the small town of Osor that has survived for more than 4000 years, is famous for its evening music sessions and turbulent history.
Professor and Monarchy
Today, when we look at Lošinj we see a blue-green oasis, but that was not the case almost more than 135 years ago.
With the vision of professor Ambroz Haračić everything started to change. The question was: how can nature be beneficial for human health? This young, enthusiastic professor, born and dedicated to Lošinj, started his own meteorological measurements to prove scientifically the causal relationship between the climate and vegetation. But soon his passion attracted Dr. Schrötter von Kristelli, a famous Austrian specialist in internal medicine. He was instantly enchanted by the nature of the island and initiated founding of an afforestation society. Together they planted about 250,000 pine seedlings. Now this luscious green covers the island and the continual gardening spirit maintained by locals provides a litany of health benefits and fragrance to the island.
This has attracted many doctors across Europe and the island’s plethora of medicinal botanicals became the reason for the arrival of many members of the royal family from the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. Due to its renowned healing properties, Lošinj has become one of the favorite holiday destinations of the aristocracy, which has built numerous villas and summer houses on the island, which still adorn it today. There are promenades built in that period, on which even today, walking between the sea and the pines, you feel like members of the high aristocracy.
Why is it called Vitality Island?
The geographical position is crucial to range of natural healing factors here on this island of Vitality. The climate on Lošinj is mild Mediterranean with more than 2,500 hours of sunshine per year. The warm sea current that comes from Mediterranean on both sides of the island acts as a natural regulator of temperature. It splits two–ways on the southern part of Lošinj and heats island on both sides and determines a mild subtropical climate that is suitable for growing rich vegetation. There are more than 1,100 herbal species on the island, and 230 of them are medicinal plants. About 80 of them are mostly exotic brought by famous captains and sailors. Because of that, Lošinj is a fragrant oasis for all without exception.
Health tourism on the island of Lošinj is one of the oldest forms of tourism that uses natural healing factors in a controlled way. The air filled with sea-salt aerosol particles, extraordinary crystal-clear water and rich vegetation are responsible for 130-year long tradition of health tourism on the island of Lošinj, following the publication of the scientific study by the professor Ambroz Haračić. Even today, Lošinj is known as a climatic health resort for the treatment of respiratory diseases and allergies.
Fresh water is essential to every living being. Vitality Lošinj has exceptional water quality that comes from the lake and is suitable for drinking at its very source. However, that you will discover yourself by staying on this magical island.
For more information, please visit Mali Lošinj Tourist Board website.