OSOR, a town and port on the south-western coast of the island of Cres. Situated at an artificially dug-up straits which connect the islands of Cres and Losinj, and separates the Osor Bay in the north from the Losinj Channel in the south; a drawbridge spans over the narrow strait. The islands of Cres and Losinj are found in the earliest sources under a common name Apsyrtides, and the main settlement was called Apsorros. These names were brought into connection with the legend of the Argonauts, i.e. with the name of Medea's brother Apsyrtos who was supposedly killed here.

A well-protected port called Bijar lies north of the village, with a small pier and several concrete bollards. The port south of the village accommodates, due to its shallows, only small boats. The tides cause powerful altering currents in the canal, whereby "stiga" (tide) - influenced by sudden changes of the direction of the winds and air pressure between Kvarner proper and Kvarneric - occasionally results in a sudden change of the direction of currents, accompanied by powerful noise and high speed.

Once the key crossroads of the ways of the islands (both waterways and mainland routes), today a peaceful town famous for the Osor Musical Evenings which are held traditionally in the summer season. During the summer exhibitions of paintings and sculptures are organized in the Lapidarium (collection of stone monuments and fragments).

The region of Osor has been inhabited ever since the prehistoric times. In the Roman period Osor (Apsorus) was a municipality and an important trade centre on the way which lead, over the even then dug-up canal of Osor, from the ports in the northern Adriatic to Dalmatia. The seat of the diocese from the 6th century, in AD 841 burnt down by the Saracens, acknowledged the rule of the Croatian rulers in the 10th century, from the year 1000 under the Venetian rule. In 1105 the Croato-Hungarian king Coloman confirmed the privileges of the town; in 1409 became a part of the Venetian property on the Adriatic. During the 15th and 16th centuries the town saw its gradual decline due to discovery of new sea routes, and epidemic plague and malaria.

The archaeological collection of Osor, housed in the old city hall, includes a collection of stone monuments in the atrium, and the first floor accommodates a collection of grave artefacts.

Native personalities to Osor are St. John, the bishop of Trogir (1062-1111) and the archbishop of Split, Lawrence (11th c.), counsellor to the Croatian kings Kresimir IV and Zvonimir.