Krk Bridge

Why it is worth your time

The Krk bridge is the island's gate and a monument of engineering daring: two reinforced-concrete arches that since 1980 join Krk to the mainland across the islet of St Mark. The greater arch, of three hundred and ninety metres' span, was at its opening the largest concrete arch in the world and remained at the world's very top for decades; the builders executed it without scaffolding in the sea, cantilevered, from both shores toward the middle, a feat still taught to students today. For the traveller the bridge means a simple thing: Krk is reached by car without a ferry, which makes it the most accessible large island of the Adriatic.

But the bridge is worth it as a destination of views too: it is best experienced from the viewpoints by the old road on the mainland side and from the sea, from the coves beneath the arches, where it first shows how slender the structure is against its span. The crossing is free of charge. Stop at the car park before the bridge, step out to the viewpoint and take the arch in whole: rarely does concrete look this light.