January the 12th, 2026 – There are 7 mystical and utterly bizarre labyrinths hidden away on the largest Croatian island, and there’s symbolism galore to admire…
As Putni kofer/Ivana Vasarevic writes, a heavily indented and incredibly beautiful coastline packed with secluded beaches, pastures with grazing sheep, centuries-old, gnarled olive trees, fragrant fig trees, ancient dry stone walls and aromatic herbs – Cres has it all. This Kvarner island is also one of the final habitats for the magnificent and critically endangered griffon vultures, and the forbidden freshwater Vrana Lake (Vransko jezero) supplies it with drinking water. Cres is certainly something entirely unique, even by the standards of Croatia’s 1,000+ islands.
In addition to the crystal clear waters that lap its shores, this northern Adriatic jewel also hides Tramuntana in its northern part, an area rich in old, dense oak and chestnut forests, full of mushrooms, moss-covered rocks and animals such as rabbits, deer, wild boars, moles and more.
Beli, one of the larger settlements on the island, is located right in the heart of Tramuntana, and you’ll also find Ivanje, Filozići, Dragozetići and Porozina. In this part of Cres, you’ll also come across numerous ponds for watering sheep, pastures, and beautiful (if not utterly strange) labyrinths. These odd labyrinths in the forest of the largest Croatian island were created within wide meadows with the aim of deepening the connection between man and the calming, ever-present spirit of nature.
There are 7 of these labyrinths on this Croatian island in total, with 5 of them in Tramuntana having been created based on famous global labyrinths, and dedicated to ancient mythologies and deities of nature and fertility. They all represent something unclear and unknown, and each ends where it begins. Labyrinths, logically, have only one entrance, which is also its exit.
A stroll through the weird and wonderful labyrinths of the largest Croatian island is often compared to meditation in motion, where everyone determines their goal and in the process achieves a balance of spirit, body and environment. Without a doubt, the magical north of Cres is an ideal place to enjoy peace, relaxation and enjoy merging with nature.
Of course, each of the labyrinths in Tramuntana has its own name and meaning. The first is Vesna’s labyrinth, dedicated to the ancient Croatian goddess of spring, fertility, love and harmony. The Slavs believed that it was Vesna who harmonises the heart and mind and makes people good and kind. Her labyrinth on Cres is actually a replica of the labyrinth of the Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral in France.
The second, Ishtar’s labyrinth, dedicated to the goddess of love and fertility, symbolises Mother Earth, while the third, Tara’s labyrinth, celebrates the Hindu goddess of compassion and wisdom, whose name in Sanskrit means star or saviour. There is also Isis’s labyrinth, dedicated to the ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, love and healing. Throughout history, Isis has been depicted as a darker-skinned woman, so she is often associated with the figure of the Black Madonna, whose statue adorns the parish church in Beli.
The fifth is the so-called Osiris’ labyrinth, dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god of fertility, abundance, vegetation and the underworld of the same name, i.e. Isis’s consort. It is the smallest and the only labyrinth that, instead of stone, is made of various wild plants (sage, immortelle, thyme), typical of the beautiful island of Cres.
Finally, there is the equally attractive Rusalka Labyrinth, dedicated to the Rusalke water faries, who, in ancient Croatian mythology, dance in forest glades on the night of the new moon. Last but by no means least is Lada Labyrinth, a replica of the ancient Roman labyrinth in Pula. Incidentally, Lada was worshipped in Slavic mythology as the goddess of summer, beauty and youth.
