Senj is a port and tourist town located in the Velebit Channel. It lies on the edge of a wooded slope at the foot of the Velebit mountain rock. Senj is exposed to strong winds and is therefore one of the coldest areas on the Adriatic in winter.
An old Illyrian and Roman settlement (Senia), a diocese in the 5th century, it was a stronghold of the Frankopan princes and a free royal city during the Middle Ages. In 1493, it had a Glagolitic printing house, and in the 15th century it became the headquarters of the captaincy and the fortress of the famous Uskoks from Senj, who pirated around the Adriatic for a whole century. The Uskoks even reached Venice in the Usko-Venetian War. The eastern and northern walls and three towers have been preserved, and outside the town of Senj is the monumental quadrangular Nehaj tower. It was built by Ivan Lenkovic in 1558, and today it houses interesting museum spaces. The medieval Nehaj fortress represents the symbol of the town of Senj.
The following attractions have been preserved in the town of Senj: Velika Placa with a classicist fountain, the Romanesque cathedral of St. Mary's from the 11th century, which was restored in the 13th century, the Gothic town hall on Mali plac - the square where the city lodge from the 14th century stands, the Carina Palace from the 18th century and more. Today, the palace houses a rectory, which houses a large library, a collection of sacred art and diocesan archives.