ČAVLE
The municipality of Čavle is the place to come, stop, look, listen and smell. We are located just 8 km from Rijeka. In the hinterland of Rijeka at the bottom of Gorski Kotar.
One has to see for your own eyes when we climb the old Louisiana road to the Buzdohanj plateau that offers a view of the “Grobnik Alps” which, depending on the season, change colour from grey, green, blue to purple, to make them white in winter and invite us to winter pleasures on the slopes of Platak.
If we listen better, we will hear the hum of enginesthen it is the Automotodrom Grobnik, which is always alive at any time of the year. Engines and their owners that come from all over Europe have become an integral part of the “music” that every inhabitant of our area quickly becomes accustomed to.
Due to the specificity of the relief and geological structure, the municipality of Čavle encompasses different types of soil and vegetation, reflecting different climates, so here we can smell different types of herbs from that of the typical Mediterranean such sage to the smell of linden and elder in the higher regions.
This region also stands out for its rich history, as evidenced by the remains from prehistoric times. Walking over Grobnik Field, we come across the remains of Roman limes. Many armies passed through this turbulent region, many battles took place here, and today the most famous is the one with the Tatars of 1242.
THE TOWN OF GROBNIK
Above Grobnik Field is the old town of Grobnik, still in stone today, as if defying all adversity, but also vigilantly watching everything that is happening in the valley. The old signatory of the Vinodol Law of 1288 is famous. The Frankopan family, who at one time owned the old fort, also left their mark, and also mentioned is the first transcript of the Bible in the Croatian language, ordered by BernardineFrankopan of Grobnik and written by 5 friars in Grobnik’sscribe’s office. The rich history and early Christianity is also witnessed by the Church of Sts Philip and James, which has been standing here for 900 years.
From the viewpoint of the old town of Grobnik, there is a beautiful view, and if that is not enough for us, we can descend to Grobnik airfield and by plane we can see all the beauty and splendour of the Čavle municipality, and beyond.
Čavle from the air
Čavle gained its first video recorded with a radio-controlled aircraft, a Hexacopter and a GoPro Hero3+ camera. The scenes were films by Obrad Đuric and Dean Jakovac during March 2014.
Events
As early as the first days of January, we start with interesting events. First up is an unusual event called the Kobasica Open, where we evaluate the best-cooked sausages. This continues into the carnival period, the Grobnik Masquerade weekend, which unites the Grobnišćina Rings and the Platak Masquerade events. On 1stMay we organise the Day of Wine and Beauty, an exhibition and wine tasting in the beautiful castle of Grobnik. Summer is reserved for the Festival of Polenta and Cheese, the Folk Theatre Festival and the Bartojski Kotlić cooking festival. All of this is already enough for you to visit the municipality of Čavle, where quality accommodation is on offer and our caterers ensure a superb gastronomic selection.
Geographical location
In the hinterland of the city of Rijeka, at the bottom of GorskiKotar is Grobnišćina, the area where two local self-government units are today, the municipalities of Čavle and Jelenje. On the eastern part of this plateau is the town of Čavle, which by its geographical position also makes it the northern road entrance to Rijeka.
The territory of the municipality of Čavle extends from the Rječina valley (210 m above sea level) across the plateau of Grobnik Field (260-320 m above sea level) and the terraced slopes of Obruč (1,378 m above sea level), Grleš (1,332 m above sea level), CrniVrh (1,335 m above sea level), Jasenovica (1,338 m above sea level) the region of Platak, Veliki and Mali Snježnik to the slopes of Snježnik, Guslica (1,490 metres above sea level), Međuvrh (1,460 metres above sea level) to VelikiRisnjak (1,528 metres above sea level), east of the Rijeka-Zagreb motorway to Kukuljanovo. It borders with the city of Rijeka and the town of Bakar on the southeast side.
Municipality of Čavle
The municipality of Čavle, as a unit of local self-government, includes 10 settlements: Čavle, Buzdohanj, Cernik, Grobnik, Ilovik, Mavrinci, Podčudnić, Podrvanj, Soboli and Zastenice. The town of Čavle is located along the Louisiana Road, the former artery and the main road Rijeka-Karlovac-Zagreb route. All goods, passengers, resting places and inns could be found on this route. In the wake of these historical facts and traditions, today’s excellent gastronomic offer and the quality of the accommodation facilities in the municipality of Čavle are not surprising. According to the last census in 2001, the municipality has a population of 6,749 and covers an area of 87 square kilometres. It consists of two parishes: the Parish of St Bartholomew in Cernik and the Parish of Sts Philip and James in the old town of Grobnik.
Climate
The climate is extremely Mediterranean, with a noticeable influence of continental climate elements that cause frequent weather changes. Due to the specific nature of the location, the northernwinds feel much stronger than the southern.
Soil
The soil of this area is fertile and suitable for cultivation, whilst the rock is limestone and porous. In the past, agriculture and animal husbandry were the main source of income for the population. Before World War Two the rural population prevailed, and when it ended the rapid urbanisation and industrialisation of the country saw great changes. A marked transformation of the municipality followed the formation of local self-government units.
