Travel
On the island of vitality: how Lošinj in Croatia brings summer back to autumn and turns into an oasis of well-being
—
Hrvoje Serdar
The Croatian island of Lošinj attracts with first-class wellness offers, top-notch gastronomy and brings summer back into autumn.
—
Croatia has 1246 islands, islets and reefs, of which only about 50 are permanently inhabited. Each island is a world unto itself, surrounded by the vastness of the sea, open to the world and at the same time closed in on itself, shaped by the wind, by atmospheric agents and by history. One of these islands is Lošinj on the northern Adriatic in the Kvarner Bay. Together with the island of Cres, from which Lošinj is separated by a canal dug by the Romans in ancient times, Lošinj forms an archipelago with a unique microclimate.
As the name suggests, Melissa Mettler has Swiss roots. Her father from Ticino once emigrated to her to work as a chef in the United States. “Unfortunately, I hardly speak German,” the 53-year-old apologizes, with the dog “Schnitzel” sitting on her lap. In his 30 years as a spa consultant, Mettler has recommended hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, the island of Aruba, the United States and Switzerland. Ever since she helped the 5-star Hotel Bellevue to receive the “World’s Best Hotel Spa in 2021” award, everyone on Lošinj has called her “our queen of spas”.
Now, on a mild July night, Mettler is seated in the Laterna Grill restaurant and lets his gaze wander over Cikat Bay, which was once the entrance gate for sailors and where today a small pilgrimage church remembers the golden age. The crystal clear water shines with a clear turquoise. Mettler goes into raptures:
“I have worked in many places, but Lošinj is truly unique”.
And it also explains why: 1,200 types of herbs bloom on the island, which measures only 75 square kilometers, and where the sun shines 300 days a year.
–Healthy Relaxation: People with chronic lung disease find relief here.
–
Unlike many Adriatic islands, which are mainly made of stone and rock, Lošinj enjoys lush vegetation created by man. At the end of the 19th century, the botanist Ambroz Haracic had about half a million (!) Of ancient Aleppo pines planted. Then as now, they not only protected Lošinj from the offshore wind of Hurricane Bora, which made it difficult to grow fruit and vegetables, but also helped the island to achieve its unmistakable microclimate, which contributes to the evaporation rich in seawater minerals.
Where Roger Federer went on vacation with his family – and why
A unique combination that also inspired the Austrians. In 1892 they declared Lošinj a spa town, promising relief for asthmatics with breathing difficulties, people with allergies and people with chronic lung diseases. The magnificent villas built by the chic imperial-royal people of Vienna still recall the first heyday of tourism. They are mostly located in an exclusive location in the bay of Cikat, directly on the sea, surrounded by pine forests.
Villas with names such as Augusta, Mirasol or Villa Hortensia, which in recent years have been carefully restored by the Losinj Hotels & Villas hotel group, are available to guests for whom privacy is the top priority. Like tennis player Roger Federer, for example, who in the summer of 2021 was on vacation with his family in one of the villas and not only enjoyed absolute discretion, but also has his own swimming pool, private chef, butler, private beach and cinema.
–Fresh, steamed, grilled or salted fish, along with homemade pasta, elaborately served in a cheese loaf – all this is available in the Cigale Restaurant overlooking the Cikat Bay.
–
Also in Cikat Bay are the only two 5-star hotels, the Bellevue and the Alhambra boutique hotel, which is part of the “Small Luxury Hotels of the World”, where modern luxury meets Austrian architecture of the imperial era and where the first 27- One-year-old Austrian Michael Gollenz offers a culinary offer in the “Alfred Keller” which earned him his first Michelin star after only four months.
–Those who reside in the “Bellevue” in Cikat bay have a view of the crystal clear water and direct access to the beach.
–
Also in the Alhambra, “Spa Queen” Melissa Mettler has set up an inhalation bar where the jars are filled with heated seawater and essential oils of rosemary, myrtle, sage and pine. It is one of those offers that she adapts to the island and its conditions, such as combining meditation and deep sea diving. Those who love the classic will find their money in the 2,500 square meter spa area of the “Bellevue”. There are not only massages, saunas and steam baths, but also manicures, pedicures and nutritional advice.
Losinj Hotels & Villas is part of the Jadranka group, which has existed for 75 years and only on the island. It controls not only luxury tourism, but also campsites with 7,000 pitches, mid-range hotels and mobile homes. Jadranka is the largest and most important employer, even the supermarket chain, a radio and the small airport that will be expanded in the next few years are part of the empire, which for several years has been controlled by a pair of Russian brothers.
Good to know
getting there: Losinj can be reached by ferry from Brestova (near Pula) or via Porozina on the island of Cres. There are flights from Geneva and Zurich to Pula every Wednesday and Saturday: from Geneva until September 3 and from Zurich until October 22. Jadranka turizam transfers take guests from Pula to hotels by car, plane or boat.
There are year-round connections between Zurich and Zagreb and the journey to Lošinj takes between three and four hours. Twice a day there is a bus from Zagreb to Lošinj, at 07:55 (arrival 14:15) and at 14:15 (arrival 20:15).
accommodations: From campsites to luxury hotels, Lošinj has accommodations to suit all budgets. Hotel Bellevue, Boutique Hotel Alhambra or Vitality Hotel Punta are recommended for well-being and high-class cuisine.
—
But the focus is on luxury tourism. A Losinj Hotels & Villas is a Swiss hotelier: Peter Schoch, known from the “Bürgenstock” and the “Waldhaus Flims”. His mission is to attract guests who want to extend the summer. Because from the end of August the beaches are empty, but the temperatures remain mild.
–Sea water and countless pine trees: At the end of the 19th century, the Austrians declared the island of Lošinj a health resort.
–
Hiking trails, cycle paths, dolphins and a “naked man of bronze”
Crystal clear water, well-being for body and soul, as well as top-notch gastronomy: there is hardly any reason to leave the bay of Cikat. But the island has much more to offer: 250 kilometers of hiking and cycling trails and two picturesque towns: Mali Losinj and Veli Losinj. With nearly 7000 inhabitants, Mali Losinj is the largest city and was once an important maritime and commercial center. Today, the promenade with restaurants, cafes and small shops invites you to stroll. To see the museum dedicated to Apoxyomenos. This is a bronze statue of a Greek athlete (naked, of course) from the 1st or 2nd century BC recovered from the sea in 1996.
Those who prefer to experience something outdoors can follow the dolphin trail, which leads from Borik bay along the coast to Krivica bay with a bright green mini fjord, high up to the top of the St. Ivan mountain, which, beyond at picnic breaks in the shade of pine trees, it also offers a panoramic view of the offerings of Veli Losinj.
If you want to go higher, go up the Osorscica. An easy-to-follow mountain path leads to the ridge, on which, after a short climb, you reach the highest peak (588 meters above sea level) of the island. The reward is a breathtaking panoramic view of Lošinj and the Adriatic Sea. If you prefer exclusivity, book a scenic flight. And during a water safari you can see the 200 wild dolphins that inhabit the island.
If Mali Losinj is the cultural, economic and social heart of the island, Cikat Bay is its lung.
–From the Providencia viewpoint, you can enjoy the sunset over Mali Losinj with a drink and small delicacies on hand-made wooden tables and benches.
–
At the end of September (from 23 to 25 September) it will be transformed into an oasis of wellbeing on the occasion of the first “Wellness Weekend”. On the program: conscious qigong of the five elements, underwater massages toxic to the sea and apnea meditation. The hustle and bustle of the island is a blessing and a curse at the same time: a blessing for residents and guests, a curse because Lošinj probably won’t be a tip for insiders for much longer.
This trip was made possible by Losinj Hotels and Villas.
–
