Glagolitic Script Inscriptions

Glagolitic is the oldest Slavic alphabet, predating Cyrillic, and Vrbnik is one of its last surviving strongholds. The script appears carved into lintels, gravestones, church walls, and public monuments around the old town — a remarkable survival from a period when most of Europe was standardising its written languages.

The inscriptions are not labelled or interpreted for tourists, which adds to the impression of stumbling on something genuinely ancient rather than curated. If you want context, a small collection of documents and printed materials on Glagolitic history is kept at the local archive in the old town hall. The Church of Our Lady of the Angels, the main church in the old town, has several examples of Glagolitic stone carving around its entrance.

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A story
The Glagolitic script was invented in the 9th century by Saints Cyril and Methodius for writing Old Church Slavonic. While most of the Slavic world eventually switched to the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets, Croatian priests — particularly on Krk and in nearby coastal areas — continued using Glagolitic for liturgical purposes until the 19th century. Vrbnik is one of the last places where the script was in regular ceremonial use, which is why the stone carvings here survive in such number.