Cheeses of Pag
A bare, windswept Adriatic island whose sheep graze salty sage and make Paški sir, Croatia's best-known cheese.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: May to June and September.
Pag is a long, rocky island off the Dalmatian coast, scoured by the bura, a cold north wind that carries sea salt onto its pastures. Its small, hardy sheep graze between stone walls on sage, immortelle and other herbs dusted with salt. Their milk makes Paški sir, a hard, salty, aromatic cheese with a protected name, and the island's lamb is just as prized.
Paški sir
Paški sir is made from the milk of Pag sheep, set with rennet, pressed, salted and rubbed with olive oil as it ages, often for a year or more. It is hard, crumbly and pale yellow, with a salty, nutty, herbal taste. It is served in thin slices with olives and prosciutto, or grated over pasta.
The island
Pag town was planned in the fifteenth century on a grid, with a square, a church and salt pans at its edge. The town is also known for Pag lace, a needlepoint lace made by local women. Novalja, at the north end, is a beach resort. The bare landscape of white rock and stone walls looks almost lunar from the bridge.
A trail idea for Pag
- Pag town The planned old town and its salt pans.
- A cheese dairy Taste Paški sir where it is made, if tastings are offered.
- Lace makers See Pag lace in the town's lace gallery.
- Pag bridge The view over the bare white island from the mainland.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Pag (town)" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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