The Komrčar Forest Park

Komrčar is the most significant and the most beautiful park designed by the head forester Pravdoje Belija who planted it in 1890. Its area, amounting to 10 ha, is larger than the town centre, making it unique in the world.

Overwhelmed by the beauty of Rab and the Komrčar Park, at the beginning of the 20th century, Prince Alois von Liechtenstein donated funds intended for the construction of the promenade by the seaside, at the foot of the park and the city walls

Next to the unique historical town centre, you will find the Komrčar town park and one of the most beautiful forest parks in the Mediterranean.

The interesting fact is that Belia initiated the afforestation of the Komrčar park on November 2nd, which is his birthday. Is this a mere coincidence or did he wish to make a symbolic act and plant a new forested land on the Island of Rab on that day, bringing the karst to life, it remains a secret to this day.

Spending time in the park improves the physical and mental health of each individual and throughout the year, the air in this park is filled with a pleasant scent of conifers and evergreens. The scent of pine reduces stress and has a relaxing and calming effect.

Figure: The Komrčar Postcard – In 1911, Franz Ferdinand, The Austrian heir to the throne, visited Rab, as evidenced by the postcard entitled: The view of Rab from the Komrčar pine forest, written by a tourist, which says: 'In Rab, on March 13th, 1911. I send you greetings from Rab, where we saw the heir to the throne who came to Rab from Brijuni'.

In this forest park, academician Dragutin Tadijanović, the 'Bard' of Croatian literature, wrote his numerous poems and verses. He preferred writing at the stone table situated at the centre of the park, with a view of the Bay of St. Euphemia and the Frkanj Peninsula.

In an article dating back to the year 1888, dr. Johann Frischauf, Professor at the University in Graz and one of the promoters of Tourism on the Island of Rab, mentioned the local people who contributed toTourism development on the Island, including the head forester Pravdoje Belia, whom he called a tourism worker.

The Komrčar Park was a haven for artists, watercolour painters, hikers, joggers, night swimmers and many others, and was an ideal gathering place where night parties were held, with a guitar and candles, where many summer love affairs were kindled.

The Komrčar Forest Park

Rab

THE UNIQUE TOWN PARK AND THE PEARL OF THE SUBURBS OF RAB

Next to the unique historical town centre, you will find the Komrčar town park and one of the most beautiful forest parks in the Mediterranean. It is the most significant and the most beautiful park designed by the head forester Pravdoje Belija who planted it in 1890. Its area, amounting to 10 ha, is larger than the town centre, making it unique in the world. It is equipped with numerous trails and forest paths, as well as rest benches. The Park is very important for the island in terms of recreation and tourism. It is a perfect place for jogging in the morning and in the evening. It is a gathering place for couples.

ARDUOUS AFFORESTATION OF THE FORMER BARE PASTURE

Komrčar has been a pasture since ancient times, but Belia saw it in a different way, knowing what the forested Komrčar will mean to future generations as the pearl of the town's suburbs, located next to the municipal beach. On October 2nd, 1890, at 4 o'clock in the morning, Belia came with 25 workers to plant the first seedlings. They were working at night because his vision of afforestation was not approved by the Town authorities nor by the islanders. He faced bitter opposition and his opponents uprooted the seedlings. Despite this, he did not relinquish his intention. He completed the afforestation in 1905, after 15 years.

THE PROTECTED FOREST WITH A RELAXING AND CALMING EFFECT

At the beginning, they used pine trees for the afforestation and later they used the local plants and vegetation. The lush Aleppo pine treetop foliage and other Mediterranean vegetation have grown and the Komrčar Forest Park was protected in 1965, 42 years after his death and 60 years after the afforestation was completed. Spending time in the park improves the physical and mental health of each individual and throughout the year, the air in this park is filled with a pleasant scent of conifers and evergreens. The scent of pine reduces stress and has a relaxing and calming effect.

THE MONUMENT AND BUST OF THE HEAD FORESTER BELIJA IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE PARK

The area of the park is larger than the one of the town centre, making it unique in the world. In the most beautiful part of Komrčar, at the very entrance to the park where the paths to the park, the town and the promenade branch off, the inhabitants of Rab erected a monument in his memory in 1924, a year after his death, and in 1974, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of organised forestry on the Island of Rab, his bust was also placed at the centre of the park.

ABOUT THE HEAD FORESTER BELIJA

Pravdoje (Justus) Belia, the local forester, was born on November 2nd, 1853 in the town of Sv. Križ, close to the town of Gorica in Slovenia. He completed the School of Forestry and came to Rab around the year 1885, where he started working as a local forester and later as a head forester. In addition to the said afforestation of the unique Komrčar park, Belia deserved credit for other afforestation activities on the island, particularly the Kalifront Forest that started in 1884, as well as the Frkanj Peninsula, Kokošica Hill and the areas in Lopar and on Kamenjak. Belia died in Rab on July 15th, 1923.

HOW DID THE PARK GET ITS NAME?

We do not know when or how the park got its name, but what we do know is that the Franciscan monks settled in Komrčar (Lat. Campus martii) in the 13th century, outside the city walls, next to the Church of St. Catherine (Cro. Sv. Katarina, Esp. S.Catarina de Comercio) or St. Francis (Cro. Sv. Franje) (Esp. S.Franciscus de Comercio) which is known today for being the town cemetery chapel.