Raštane

Raštane is a small village in Zadar County, southeast of Zadar, at a distance of about 25 km. There are two places in this area: Raštane Donje and Raštane Gornje. These two places are located in the fertile Ravnokotar valley in the immediate vicinity of the well-known royal town of Biograd na Moru.

Raštane has been known since the 14th century when they were called Hrašćane, and they got that name from their dense oak grove. Raštane Donje and Raštane Gornje are an integral part of the Sveti Filip i Jakov municipality together with the places Sikovo, Turanj, Sveti Filip i Jakov and Sveti Petar na Moru.

These two places are ideal for a vacation far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, which is why they offer numerous furnished apartments, villas and rooms for tourists who come to enjoy the Mediterranean climate and untouched nature, which also testifies to the fact that tourism branche is more and more developed in this area in the last few years.

On the other hand, the nearest beaches with beautiful crystal blue sea are located in Sveti Petar na Moru, 4 km away from Raštane Donje and 7 km away from Raštane Gornje. Zadar airport is located at a distance of up to 17 minutes by car from these places. Raštane’s good position enables quick access to the largest natural freshwater lake in Croatia, as well as the nature park Vrana Lake, located 20 km away. In addition, in the vicinity, one can visit many untouched natural beauties that Croatia has to offer, such as: Krka National Park, Kornati National Park, Paklenica National Park, and Telašćica Nature Park.

In these areas, it is characteristic that the population is mostly engaged in the cultivation of agricultural land, so you can often come across vineyards, orchards, the cultivation of cereals, herbs, potatoes and other various vegetables.

Raštane Donje is a small, quiet and idyllic place surrounded by beautiful fields, pastures and forests. In this area, there is also a hill called Vrčevo, which the locals consider a special place since, according to the folk tradition, this place was considered strategically good for various armies, including the Croatian army in the Croatian War of Independence. Since then, the inhabitants call it Our Lady’s Hill, to which they added a stone chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Rosary (Our Lady of the Rosary). According to the last known population census from 2011, Donje Raštane had 499 inhabitants.

Raštane Gornje is a small place that offers beautiful nature and peace far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This peaceful place offers all the necessary facilities for everyday life, such as a market, the district school of Raštane Gornje, and the similar. The fact that they have the Dubrava-Osridak Hunting Association, the Raštane football club, and the Raštane veterans football club speaks volumes about the sports involvement of this place. According to the last known population census from 2021, this place has 425 inhabitants. What is different about this place compared to the others is that they have two local committees named Tičevo-Viterinci and Gornje Raštane.