Local religious customs

General information

THE PROCLAMATION DATE: October 19^th, 1949

THE HIGHEST PEAKS: Vaganski vrh (1757 m a.s.l.) and Sveto brdo (1753 m a.s.l.)

INTERNATIONAL DESIGNATIONS:

- Velebit Mountain Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO MaB), February 10^th, 1978
- Ecological network NATURA 2000 December 1^st, 2014
- UNESCO World Heritage Site, July 7^th, 2017

"Manita peć" Cave

Among 115 speleological objects so far known in the Paklenica National Park, Manita peć is the most famous among the visitors, as it is the only show cave made accessible to the public through guided visits. The cave's broad chambers and the beauty of its speleothems have been enchanting visitors since 1937. It is located at an altitude of 570 m a.s.l, and the walk up from the parking lot at Velika Paklenica takes about 1.30 h.

Hiking trails

Hiking is the only way to truly get to know Paklenica. The Park area contains 150-200 km of trails and paths, from those characterized as tourist trails - leading from Velika Paklenica canyon to Manita peć cave, Lugarnica foresters house and Paklenica Mountain hut, to those characterized as hiking trails - leading to the highest peaks of the Velebit Mountain.

Climbing site

Paklenica National Park is the most visited climbing center in Croatia, also popular outside Croatia. The close proximity of seawater gives this climbing site a special charm, making Paklenica Riviera an ideal place to combine climbing and water sports. Today, there are about 500 well-equipped marked routes of different difficulty and length (from grade 3 to 8b+), set in the carbonate rocks, so each climber can find something to his/her liking.

Local religious customs

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

Mirila (Measures) are unique landmarks alongside the paths and trails of the Velebit Mountain. They were made in the period between the 17^th and the 20^th century, and are associated with a sepulchral custom of the local population who had to carry their dead to the cemetery because the church and the cemetery were far away. They consist of a headstone and a footstone, with paving between them. The length of the deceased was measured and marked with two stone tablets, so the measure was made after the deceased was buried. They were worshipped and visited more than the grave, where “only the body lies, without the soul that remained at the measure”.

Mirila, stone monuments to the departed, can be found along the mountain paths, passes, elevations and clearings of the Velebit Mountain. They preserve the memories of persons who died on the mountain slopes and had to be carried to the village church and then to the cemetery where they were buried. Today, Mirila are protected as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Croatia.

Visit exhibition "Mirila-resting places of the souls" in ethno house Marasović in Starigrad-Paklenica. This is the exhibition about the stone markers of a unique funeral cult, which convey the customs, way of life and creativity of an entire era, in a contemporary interpretation of scientist and artist (Siniša Reberski, Krešimir Rončević, Radivoj Simonović, Tomo Vinšćak, Mirjana Trošelj, Petar i Josip Strmečki, Josip Zanki).

mirila

Site Grabove doline

There is preserved location with Mirila on the locality Grabove doline inside the Paklenica NP. These monuments are connected to the nearby settlement.

Poučna staza Mirila

For more information, you can visit the Mirila Virtual Museum