St. Michael on Ugljan, a breathtaking spot

The island of Ugljan lies directly across from Zadar, reachable by frequent boat and ferry lines in just 20 minutes. Although it is not as talked about as some of our more popular islands, it hides a handful of assets that will enchant you.

One of them is certainly St. Michael (265 m), a hill on whose summit stands a fortress of the same name from the 13th century, built by the Venetians. It is a place that at first leaves you breathless and that, once you visit it, is remembered for a lifetime.

The fortress itself is nothing special. It was built in the 13th century by the Venetians after the capture and destruction of Zadar. On that spot there had previously stood a Benedictine monastery of St. Michael from the end of the 11th century.

What is incredible about this place are the nature and the views that stretch 360 degrees in every direction! From this position you can see Zadar as if in the palm of your hand, and towards the south and west the view extends over the multitude of islands of the Zadar archipelago and parts of Kornati National Park in the distance.

The island of Pašman, connected to Ugljan by a bridge, is within arm’s reach. To the northwest you can see the whole of Ugljan with its highest peak Šćah (288 m), Sestrunj, Rivanj, Iž to the side, and Dugi otok behind…

The nature that graces the approaches to the fortress on all sides is incredible. The olive groves along the road that starts from the village of Preko (the ferry port) and leads towards the summit of Mihovil over a length of 3.5 km, slowly give way to wild vegetation and pines. The karst landscape is here in its finest expression. Many decide to climb St. Michael on foot or by bicycle, but a decent road leads all the way to its summit, where there is a spacious car park.

The fortress has known better days too. In recent years archaeological works have intensified, after which restoration is planned. You climb onto the walls, for the most part without handrails, at your own risk, of which the posted signs will also warn you.

Pećina

To make an outing to St. Michael even more interesting, you can decide to explore the hiking trails in its surroundings.

This time we decided to set off from the fortress towards the northwest in order to visit the Pećina (“the Cave”). Pećina is a smaller speleological feature, interesting for the fact that it is the first in Croatia for which a written record exists. It is not hard to guess that here, once again, the Benedictines from the already mentioned monastery had a hand in it.

The path towards the Pećina is not difficult. The already mentioned manifestations of karst are most visible here and are reminiscent of Kamenjak above Lake Vrana. For the most part the trail leads over karst stone blocks that the forces of nature have sculpted for thousands of years. It seems incredible that the path was not carved on purpose. The sea vistas act hypnotically, so that time passes quickly, and the way to the cave, which is visible in the distance and from the fortress too, melts away fast. Željina bay, which is right below us, beckons for a swim. The descent to it is steep and not on our agenda this time. The story of the cove and the monastery reminds us a little of the story of another hard-to-reach cove and monastery on another island. That is the Blaca Hermitage on Brač. Each of these locations is incredible and special in its own way.

Realistically, it takes no more than half an hour to reach the Pećina. The return will take a little more, because the trail gently ascends towards the summit of St. Michael. In the trail information, the length is given one way, and the elevation difference for both directions combined.

As you approach the cave the landscape becomes even more incredible. In that part around the cave you will surely lose another half hour admiring the views and exploring the various stone formations. Here the sense of wilderness is heightened by the silence, broken here and there by the screeching of the birds of prey that nest here. A few metres of steeper descent lead to the cave. A little help from your hands adds an extra dose of adventure, but realistically, the trail is suitable both for children and for “pensioners”.

If you have the time, on the way back turn right onto the marked circular trail around Mihovil that passes below the Željina litica climbing crag. The trail comes out below the fortress car park.