Historical background to Crikvenica
First residents of Crikvenica and its surrounding area were Illyrian tribes, followed by Romans who named the town Ad Turres. After Romans, came Croatians who translated the name Ad Turres as "Kod Tor" meaning "by the towers". This expression further developed to "Kotor" which preceded the town's current name Crikvenica. Today one place near Crikvenica is named Kotor and it lies on the same called hill near the present town of Crikvenica. Kotor is mostly abandoned since most of its inhabitants moved closer to the sea.
Croatians settled in the area in the 8th century, and the town was heavily influenced by dukes from the island of Krk named Frankopani, especially during the Middle Ages. The law of Vinodolski dating back to the year 1288 was the first legal document in Croatia and one of the first legal documents in Europe.
The present town of Crikvenica was founded in the 15th century by duke Nikola IV Frankopan. In the past, local population mostly earned their living fishing while today the majority of people work in tourism.