We will start our adventure by visiting anolive tree garden in Lun. This is the most northerly positioned in town. It is popular for its natural olive tree reserve, a real exotic, Mediterranean oasis. This olive grove is about 23ha large covered with about 80,000 trees. The oldest tree there is over 1,600 years old, which makes it one of the three oldest trees in the world. The local guide will tell us about the garden’s history and we will have a chance to walk amongst the oldest olive trees in the world.

Our next attraction is a visit to a production site of the best Croatian cheese in the world. Pag’s sheep breeding has a long-standing tradition. There is a special sheep breed created by crossing sheep Pramenka and sheep Negretti and Bergamo. Today, the sheep are mainly bred on the island for milking. As they feed themselves with aromatic and medicinal plants that are naturally salted with sea salt brought over by the winds, their milk tends to have a characteristic taste and aroma, typical of the region. This is why the cheese made from that milk is unique and distinctive all over the world. After the visit to the production site, we will have an opportunity to taste the products as well. The best taste comes with a glass of fine white or red wine.

The attractions are not over today. The last item on the agenda, the so-called icing on the cake, is Pag town. The local guide will engage us in talking about its history and will show us the most fascinating historic sites. We will also visit the museum of salt. Pag is proud of thermal baths, where the world’s best salts are extracted. Thermal bath was first mentioned in Pag in the 9^th century. It was owned then by one of the princes on Rab island. Later, it was in the hands of Zadar, the Republic of Venice and Austria-Hungary.

Back in old times, most of the works in the saline water was performed manually and in the hottest season of the year, which is the summer, during the harvesting season. The salt has always played a key role during this period. Not only did it serve as a spice, but also was used as a preservative in times when fridges were not known. It was also served as a means of payment and often described as ‘white gold’.

At the museum, we will seethe salt extraction process and will find out why paška salt is of such high-quality and is recognised all over the world.

Next, we will visit the Convent of St. Margaret and we will learn why the Pag’s Benedictine sisters are so exceptional.

The Benedictine Convent of St. Margaret was formed in the 15^th century. It was the only women’s monastery in the town, which was joined by girls from noble families. With time, the sisters formed the first school for girls, where they were taught  the right behaviour, reading, writing, prayers, and the art of lacemaking. Over time, this has become a source of income for many local families. Today, paška laces are on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Besides, from generation to generation, the sisters mastered the baking of the so-called baškotina cracker, which has also become the symbol of the island and city. During the visit to the convent, we will have a chance to learn about the history and tradition of the convent as well as try specialties prepared by the Benedictine sisters – i.e. liquors and juices prepared naturally from the herbs grown in the nearby convent garden.