Osor: The Open-Air Museum at the Junction of Two Islands
Osor (Italian: Ossero) is a small village situated on the isthmus connecting the islands of Cres and Lošinj, administratively part of the municipality of Mali Lošinj (Primorje-Gorski Kotar County). With only 26 permanent inhabitants (2021 census), Osor contrasts sharply with its glorious past: for centuries it was the capital of both islands and an important port on the route along the Dalmatian coast towards the northern Adriatic.
History The first walls at Osor date from the 9th century BC. Its ancient name, Apsoros, is mythologically linked to Absyrtus, brother of Medea, whose dismemberment —according to the Argonaut legend— supposedly gave name to the islands Apsirtides. The Romans excavated the artificial channel separating Cres from Lošinj to allow vessels to pass without circumnavigating the islands, making Osor the most important maritime hub of the northern Adriatic. At its medieval peak, the city had 30,000 inhabitants. The bishopric was founded around 600 AD. Malaria outbreaks and the arrival of larger vessels unable to navigate the narrow channel determined the decline from the 15th century, when the island capital moved to Cres.
Heritage Osor is routinely described as an "open-air museum" because of the density of its monuments within such a small space. The Cathedral of the Assumption (15th century), the Town Hall with loggia (15th century, now the Archaeological Museum), the Bishop's Palace, the remains of the Roman walls, and fragments of an early Christian basilica coexist with modern sculptures by artist Ivan Meštrović. The swing bridge over the channel connecting Cres and Lošinj is one of the village's emblems. Each summer since 1976, Osor hosts the Osor Musical Evenings, a classical music festival held in the cathedral courtyard.
Points of interest: - Population: 26 permanent inhabitants (2021 census). - Distances: 18 km from Mali Lošinj, 35 km from the Porozina ferry. - Getting there: Via the main road of the Cres-Lošinj islands.