Svelte and majestic, the lighthouse of Veli Rat dominates the crystal waters of the Adriatic above the central Croatian town of Zadar, providing an unusual perch for vacationers on their summer holidays.

"To spend a vacation here you have to make a reservation a year in advance," said Zvonimir Skorcevic, the lighthouse keeper who has seized the opportunity to become a tourist guide as well.

Veli Rat lighthouse, on Dugi Otok island, has two apartments for rent. For the past few days, Zvonimir, his wife Alenka and their daughter, Ivana, have been hosting two Dutch families.

"If they want, tourists can climb 164 spiral stairs to the top of my 40-metre lighthouse to enjoy a striking unobstructed view of the sea," said Zvonimir with a smile to a panting visitor at the top of the stairs.

State-run company Plovput, which is in charge of maritime security including some 50 lighthouses scattered along Croatia's 1770-kilometer Adriatic coast, is responsible for the new open-house policy for tourists.

"Since 2000 when we launched this idea we have renovated and opened 12 lighthouses to tourists, situated on the islands and the coast," said Neven Seric, a Plovput official.

Don't light my fire

The vast majority of the lighthouses were built in the 19th century, when Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and the oldest dates back to 1810. Some are proclaimed national monuments, said Seric.

But spending a vacation on a lighthouse also means respecting certain rules including strict light discipline at night — no bonfires on the beach after dark.

Most tourists bring their own food but Plovput can take care of that as well for an extra fee. All the lighthouses opened for tourists have electricity and running water. Plovput also takes care of transfers to and from the islands, along with fishing trips with the lighthouse keeper.

Each lighthouse is a unique mixture of history and legend. In Veli Rat, Zvonimir explained that the lighthouse still looked clean and fresh inside because when it was built in 1849 it had been decorated with a special paint. "It's a mixture based on thousands of egg-whites in order to resist rough sea winds," he said.

Located on the edge of a pine forest, Veli Rat dominates an emerald green bay and is surrounded by beautiful pebble beaches.

Croatia hosted some eight million tourists last year, almost double its population. Tourism is a mainstay of the economy, generating revenues of up to €7-billion last year.

A lighthouse apartment costs up to €1000 a week to rent in high season, but Plovput officials claim profit is not their motive.

"The income is used only to maintain and renovate our lighthouses," said Seric.

AFP

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