Savar brings together several distinct cultural traces: the pre-Romanesque Church of St. Peregrine on a small islet in a quiet bay, Strašna Peć Cave and its tourism history, and a tradition of stone quarrying linked to buildings in several cities. This gives the area a clear focus on architecture and local history. The wider destination of Općina Sali offers separate nature, cycling and festival themes.
Churches and history in Savar
The Church of St. Peregrine is dated to the 7th to 9th centuries. It is pre-Romanesque and stands on a small islet in a quiet bay; a causeway connects it to the settlement. It is considered a monument of global cultural heritage. The parish church of Savar dates from 1670. A Baroque baptismal font with a Glagolitic inscription was transferred into it. Different periods therefore come together in the local history: the early dating of the Church of St. Peregrine and the later date of the parish church, complemented by a baptismal font with a Glagolitic inscription.
Strašna Peć and the history of stone
Strašna Peć Cave shifts the focus from sacred architecture to cave history. It is a visitor attraction associated with Savar and is regarded as the site of the region’s first organised tourist excursion destination. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary visited the cave in 1904. A specific historic visit is thus linked with the region’s early tourism history.
Another trace is Savar’s history of stone quarrying. Its stone was used to build the Roman Forum in Zadar, palaces and churches in Rome and Venice, and the United Nations building in New York. These examples range from a Roman forum to a United Nations building, giving Savar’s stone history a significance extending far beyond the locality.
Nature and cycling in the wider destination of Općina Sali
In the wider destination of Općina Sali, Telašćica Bay was declared a nature park in 1988; its landscape includes quiet beaches and steep cliffs. In the wider destination of Općina Sali, Sali is the settlement closest to the nature park and the easiest access point from the mainland. Another natural feature in the wider destination of Općina Sali is Saljsko polje: it was protected as a special botanical reserve in 1969. Olive trees growing there are up to 700 years old. The coastal landscape of Telašćica and the botanical reserve with its ancient olive trees thus represent distinct nature themes.
A cycling route is also described: cycle route No. 13 is 7.9 kilometres long and runs from Sali via Vela Ploča and Čuh Polje to Dugonjive and Mala Proversa. Check the condition of the route locally before setting out.
Churches and festival culture in Općina Sali
Sali offers further points of interest in church history. The Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary has a monumental wooden main altar from the 17th century. The Church of St. John in Sali, in Stivanje polje, is first documented in 1064 or 1065. The two details highlight different historical periods: a 17th-century altar in one case and an early documentary mention in the other.
Saljske užance is a three-day local festival in Sali that has been held for more than 50 years. Tovareća mužika features various drums and old iron irons filled with pebbles and used as percussion instruments. Its Budnica is performed on Sunday morning during Saljske užance. During the festival, Tovareća mužika parades through the entire village, stopping at several places to perform its programme. Both the instruments and the sequence of performances are distinctive aspects of the festival.
Sali also has designated berths for boats where water and electricity are available.
Discover more destinations: Veli Rat, Zapuntel, Luka, Zman, Brgulje, Brbinj, Zaglav, Bozava.
For the wider travel guide: Općina Sali.
