Lukoran
The village of Lukoran is located on the northeastern side of the island of Ugljan, which is opposite to Zadar, occupying the central part of this island which is the closest to the city of Zadar of the entire Zadar archipelago. This picturesque place together with the places of Preko, Poljana, Sutomišćica, and Ugljan belongs to the municipality of Preko, as well as the neighboring islands of Ošljak, Rivanj and Sestrunj. Lukoran is located between Sutomišćica and Ugljan, and consists of several little hamlets: Mali Lukoran, Turkija, Zmorac, Primorje, Punta and Rančićevi-Sikirićevi.
The port in Lukoran is known for its excellent position and shape, which protects it from most winds. Beautiful beaches are surrounded by crystal clear blue sea and forests full of centuries-old pine trees.
According to its rich history, this place was mentioned for the first time in the 11th century under the name Laucarani or Lukorano. In the Middle Ages, this village was owned by the Zadar Benedictines. At that time, the parish of St. Lovre the Martyr from 1075 is also mentioned, and in that century the Romanesque church of St. Lovre was built. This church is also considered the oldest church on the island of Ugljan. In 1878 a new parish church of St. Lovre was built near the main road above the Lukoran, into which the baroque altars from the old church were transferred. Underneath place of Zmorašnji Lukoran there are also remains of Gothic churches and buildings, which supposedly date from the 14th century. The rich history of Lukoran is also evidenced by several country houses built for noble families from Zadar, so in Mali Lukoran the noble family De Ponte built a summer house in the 17th century, which has been preserved in its original form to this day together with a park where the famous poet Petar Preradović allegedly courted a member of that family and admired the sunsets, during which he wrote the famous Croatian patriotic song “Zora Puca”. After such a story, it is not surprising that the park is named after the poet himself, and his monument adorns it today.
In Lukoran, there are all the necessary facilities for everyday life and enjoyment, such as markets, taverns that offer a rich gastronomic offer of authentic Dalmatian dishes, cafes and the like. During the summer days, while the tourist season is on, fun events are organized in Lukoran such as the festival of St. Lovre or popularly known as Lovrinja in Veliki Lukoran, festival of St. Ante in Mali Lukoran, sailing regattas for children, Crnilo Cup or squid hunting competition, Gremo na Šćah or climbing to the highest peak of the island of Ugljan and the like.
If you are in Lukoran, it would certainly be nice to explore the beautiful destinations that are offered on the island of Ugljan, so it is inevitable to go to the De Ponte summer house built in the baroque style located in this place, to visit the fortress of St. Mihovil from the 13th century which is only 8 kilometers away from Lukoran, to see the archaeological zone of Muline with the remains of ancient buildings, visit the summer house of the Califfi family or the so-called Brčića dvor from the 17th century, see the House of Vrgada which is part of the old Renaissance summer house Damiani-Vergada from the 16. century, visit the summer house of the Lantana family from the 17th century with baroque features, visit the memorial to the laundress women of Preko which hides the interesting and difficult past of women from Preko, and many other.
In the past, the population of this place was mostly engaged in agriculture (predominantly viticulture, olive growing and vegetable growing), fishing and sheep farming, while today the locals are increasingly engaged in tourism, which is even more developed year by year. It is for this reason that this place is developing better, and every year more and more accommodation units are provided for guests. According to the last available population census from 2021, the village of Lukoran with all its hamlets has 478 inhabitants in an area of 9.8 square kilometers.