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Sacral buildings

Churches and chapels

  1. Parish church of the Holy Trinity (Sv. Trojica) is the parish church from the year 1853. Its construction began in 1767 and it was consecrated for the first time in 1777. The church was expanded twice, and the second time two more naves and a cupola were added. The main altar is one of the prettiest baroque altars in the Kvarner region and it was made by Paulus Reidl, sculptor, wood engraver and a Paulist monk.  During the consecration of the altar and the church beside the other holy powers and along the altar were positioned also the powers of the blessed Marko of Križevci, member of the Society of Jesus. Near the northern wall of the church there is a valuable sculpture with the representation of the Mother of God with St.  Anna and a little Jesus, work of the engravers from Tirol from the 16th century.
  2. Church of St. Roch (Sv. Rok) – with the church of St.  Roch (Sv. Rok) there is a legend that says that during the cholera plague in Punat, St. Roch appeared to a Punat resident named Jakov Ragužin his sleep. St. Roch told him that the cholera in Punat will stop if the inhabitants of Punat build a church in his honour. Jakov gave the land for the church and the inhabitants of Punat gave the money. The church of St. Roch was erected on the Nova Placa (part of the town of Punat) in 1855.  On the façade of the church there is a slab on which in the Latin language is written that the church was built on the holy glory of St.   Roch and St. Sebastian (Sv. Sebastijan). The altar in the church is decorated with the columns and statues of Mary mother of Jesus, St.   Roch and St. Sebastian with a relief that shows the Holy Spirit and Angels. All that is a work of the Croatian artist Valentin Petrovčić.
  3. The church of St. Nicholas (Sv. Nikola) situated on Buka, was built in 1911. St. Nicholas (Sv. Nikola) is the patron saint of the sailors and because of that the sailors from Punat wanted to build this church in honour of St.  Nicholas, their bishop and patron.
  4. The church of St.  Andrew (Sv. Andrija) was built near the sea in the proximity of the current hotel „Park“. The exact year of its construction it is not known but it is thought that this church existed already in 1565 in the early Romanesque period as a chapel. This shows that it is the oldest and the most prominent church on the island of Krk. Two small heads of a small pillar made of Greek marble are evidence to this fact. These two heads are originated from this church. Today they are shown in the archaeological collection of the Franciscan monastery on the island of Košljun.   With a progressive expansion of the village of Punat and with the growth of the number of inhabitants of Punat, the church of St.  Andrew became the parish church. Around the church was situated the first cemetery of Punat.
  5. The chapel of St. George (Sv. Juraj) has its origins in the early Christian period or of a pre Romanesque period. It is situated near the sea in the locality of Mala Krasa. Nowadays of the church can be seen only the remains, four high walls and apsides.  Near the church have been found graves, remains of dishes made of clay from the roman period and fragments of the Croatian wattle.
  6. The church of St. Donatus is a valuable example of the late Croatian architecture built in the byzantine style in the 9th century. Built in the form of three cores with a cupola, with a layout in the form of a cross, covered with sculptured rock in the forms of small squares. It was in use until the 16th century and before the World War 1 was reconstructed thanks to the Austrian conservator from Pula, Gnirs.  Unfortunately at the end of World War 2 the church was severely damaged by a munitions explosion that was kept near the church.   The cupola was also damaged. In 1948 the architect Freudeureich reconstructed the cupola but only partially. This little church is scheduled for further restoration and reconstruction in the near future.
  7. The chapel of St.  Peter (Sv. Petar) is situated in Kanajt, on the former property of the bishops. The church was mentioned for the first time in 1419.  The bishops of the island of Krk also built the building Kanajt where the Sisters of the third line of St. Francis (Sv. Franjo) from Maribor lived. In the chapel of St. Peter the church functions were also performed.  Today, unfortunately there are only the remains of the chapel of St.  Peter, behind the building Kanajt that today is the property of the “Marina Punat” and it was converted to a high-quality hotel. Today on the remains of the chapel of St.   Peter on the holiday of St. Peter gather the parishioners of Punat for the High Mass.
  8. The chapel of St.  Andrew (Sv. Andrija) is situated in the monastery of the Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus. The Sisters came to Punat in 1960 and in 1961 they were given a house from a benefactor that became their convent. In the beginning the nuns took care of the old and weak women and from 1964 took care also of children. The chapel and monastery of St. Andrew were blessed on February 14th 1975.

Beside the mentioned sacral buildings in Punat and its surroundings exists also al large number of the remains of sacral buildings that are witnesses of an extraordinary Christian history of the people who once lived in the region of Punat. The hard life in this karst area conditioned the birth of the faith and Christianity that gave hope in a better life but also the gratitude for the created goods.

Monasteries in the region of Punat

  • Franciscan monastery “Košljun” , tel.: 00385 (0)51 854-017;
  • Convent of the Carmelite Nuns of the BSI (Holy Heart of Jesus) Punat, tel.: 00385 (0)51 854-010;
  • Parish office Punat, tel.: 00385 (0)51 854-148;