Korcula

Korčula from land

Korčula from the water

The scent of pine mingles with salt air on island of Korčula. It's only three hours by ferry from Dubrovnik but a world away. However, we arrived on the other end of the island having taken a ferry from Hvar, and then a bus across the island passing forests of scrub oak and pine, and vineyards.  The island claims being one of several alleged birthplaces of Marco Polo.  The town of Korčula is a mini version of Dubrovnik, with a compact historic quarter encased within stonewalls but in a more picturesque setting jutting out into the sea with water on 3 sides.  One can see the Italian influence but in contrast to Dubrovnik, the architecture is quite rough-hewn and everything is on a decidedly smaller scale. The streets in the old quarter are so narrow that you feel that you could leap from roof to roof, in contrast to the pine-fringed promenade circling the old town lined with restaurants.  Away from town enjoy a swim or sun on the rocks, clothing optional, sorry no sandy beaches.  The harbor is full of small yachts, many chartered from a company called Croatia Yachting, but cruse ships bypass Korčula as too small and not enough glitz.  One could spend months here and never tire of the routine, morning cafe, explore a little, lunch, siesta, take a bit of sun and a swim, then a stroll around town before dinner.

The pine-fringed promenade circling town, lined with restaurants

Sun on the rocks then plunge into the sea

The small harbor caused a bit of musical chairs sort of shuffling

Here's how to make a return visit

Hvar

Hvar, once a fishing village but now the latest international playground

Of Croatia’s 3,600 miles of coastline, most famous is its southernmost region: the Dalmatian Coast, where limestone cliffs plunge into the sea and islands are scattered just offshore.  Split, with its impressive Roman ruins, makes a good starting point for visiting the islands, and here we go by ferry to visit the most appealing, Hvar and Korčula.  Looking at the map we leave Split near the top left, pass between Šolta and Brač to reach the town of Hvar on the island Hvar.

St Stephen's Square, Hvar, Croatia

Looking the other direction

Walk up to get views of the harbor

By far the most glamorous of the Adriatic islands, Hvar, once a fishing village but now the latest international playground (think Beyoncé, Tom Cruse, and Prince Harry), can still be pleasant for those of us with more modest means.  Walk up to the fortress and take in the view, so relentlessly gorgeous it makes your eyes ache.  After a swim off the rocks, it's time for midday cocktails at a quayside bar.  Truly a place for 'dolce far niente'.  As for the island of Hvar, it is unusual in the area for having a large fertile coastal plain, and fresh water springs. Its hillsides are covered in pine forests, with vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and lavender fields.  There not a lot of tourist sites, museums, etc. but in town on the way to the fortress there is a Benedictine convent with a small museum featuring lace made from agave fiber.

With the cool breeze from the sea I could spend the rest of my life right here.

The sisters of a Benedictine convent make lace from agave fiber.

Their convent has a small museum with examples of their work.

Split

View of Split from the Cafe Bar Vidilica in Park Šuma Marjan

Facing the harbor is the Riva, the town's promenade.    

Split (Italian: Spalato), the second-largest city of Croatia and the largest city of the region of Dalmatia, lies on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea.  Split, one of the oldest cities in the area, traditionally considered over 1,700 years old counting from the construction of Diocletian's Palace in 305 AD, archaeological research reveals the original founding of the city as the Greek colony of Aspálathos in the 4th century BC.  Diocletian built his palace in preparation for his retirement on 1 May 305 AD.  The Diocletianic Persecution, the empire's last, largest, and bloodiest official persecution of Christianity, did not destroy the empire's Christian community; indeed, after 324 Christianity became the empire's preferred religion under its first Christian emperor, Constantine.  Indeed, Diocletian's mausoleum became the Cathedral of St Dominus.  But not immediately, first the palace was abandoned as people favored the southeast side of the bay living in a place called Salona but the Avars sacked it in 639 AD.  

The excavation ends when you can see plastic pipes from a current residence

After living in huts on the islands they moved into the old palace that was easier to defend than Salona, now a ruin.  They built what we now visit, the old center of Split, from the castle and for centuries threw their garbage down into the lower level now mostly excavated and useful for housing dragons in Game of Thrones. Through the following centuries, until the Fourth Crusade and the Sack of Constantinople, Split remained a possession of the Byzantine Empire.  In this period, an independent Dalmatian language developed from Latin, with a distinct local dialect and the city became known as Spalatro.  Split later gradually drifted into the sphere of the Republic of Venice.  From here on its history pretty much parallels Pula's so we can now go on to other things.

Every Dalmatian town has an a klapa or a cappella singing group

The Peristil or main court of Diocletian's Palace and entrance to the Cathedral of St Dominus

Looks like this lamb laid down with the lion and died. 

The Alter of the Cathedral of St Dominus

Back side of the alter 

Nice mix of early Roman and later Christian art

Jupiter's Temple now St John's Baptistery with St John by Ivan Meštrović    

Ferries to the islands or Italy

Split makes a good starting point for visiting some of the islands along the Dalmatian coast.  One can walk through the old town built on the remains of Diocletian's Palace.  Facing the harbor is the Riva, the town's promenade.  Above town and extending to the end of the peninsula is Park Šuma Marjan providing nature and fabulous views, both of Split and out to sea.  Below the hill on the edge of the park closest to town visit the Galerija Meštrović, the former home of Ivan Meštrović.  Ivan Meštrović is Croatia's Rodin.  His work is found around town as well.

Bishop Gregory of Nin by Ivan Meštrović

The 16th Century poet Marko Marulić considered the father of the Croatian language by (you guessed it) Ivan Meštrović