The Dobrinj area has always been densely populated since the prehistory. The earliest dated findings originate from the early iron age, but the area is assumed to have been inhabited even before, during the Neolithic, and according to some indications even during the Mesolithic.
The village Dobrinj is situated in the central part of the island of Krk, at the peak of a steep hill which stretches out as a natural border, a shield, on its north-western part. Today’s Dobrinj is a typical Mediterranean village, with a prominent bell tower above the house roofs, rising against the view of the forest on a high ground. It is characterized by narrow alleys, so called kalete, leading to the main square, Placa, the place of social, public and sacral life. The age of the Dobrinj parish is confirmed in several documents, among the most important ones being the Glagolitic script by the prince Dragoslav from the 11th century, witnessing about the construction of the church of St Vitus. The Dobrinj parish, which registered numerous Glagolitic clergy, cherished the Glagolitic tradition.
The Medieval village Dobrinj was formed in accordance with the economic-political trends on the northern Adriatic. The city had a strategic importance as a surveillance point over the bay Soline and the Vinodol Channel, a significant seafaring and commercial route.