The summer day’s heat was blown away by a fresh sea breeze. These winds make the strait between the island of Korčula and Pelješac so popular with surfers and sailors. The low evening sun made the natural stone walls of the buildings in the medieval old town of Korčula shimmer in gold. Read more
Whichever way you approach the town of Korčula, whether by boat across the sea or coming down the mountain on the road from Vela Luka, Korčula offers a breathtaking sight from every angle. The Old Town of Korčula, well-preserved with its medieval buildings, is situated – once strategically favourable – on the hill of a small peninsula. The narrow alleys fan out across the compactly built-up area like the veins of a leaf, appearing to have grown organically. As if that weren’t impressive enough, the karst mountain massif of Sv. Ilija rises 961 m above the strait between the two islands on the nearby Pelješac peninsula. Read more
I stand curiously on the upper deck of the ferry from Split and take in the first impressions as we enter the bay of Vela Luka. While a typical Croatian rocky coastline with beautiful swimming coves passes by, the harbour draws closer. The town surrounds the entire rear area of the bay. Above the long harbour promenade, the houses stretch up the slopes of the surrounding hills. In the days of ancient Greece, the island was still lushly covered with dark forests, which is why it was called Korkyra Melaina, Black Island. The name Korčula was later derived from this. The name remained, and fortunately (dark) forests are present once again. Long, green hill ranges with macchia and pine forests, fertile valleys with olive groves, vines and fruit orchards define the island’s landscape. Read more
During an early walk through the harbour in Cres Old Town, I experience the relaxed morning atmosphere shortly after sunrise. The fishermen sell their fresh catch directly at the quay to restaurant owners and other customers. The cafes, bars, and restaurants along the promenade, still empty, are tidied up, cleaned, and their terraces hosed down, then tables are quickly set for the first early guests. Read more
Sunset on Cres. As the sun goes down, the glowing rays of the midday heat give way to a velvety warmth. The sea is refreshing and the air pleasantly caresses wet skin without causing a shiver. During the evening sunset, the temperature is in a pleasant balance between the paralysing summer heat and the anticipation of a refreshing nightly cool-down. So the evening invites you for a swim, which many children are still taking advantage of. A small diving tower with a springboard catches my attention. Time and again, a boy tirelessly climbs the steps, jumps and dives into the refreshing water. The first day of our journey along the Croatian coast ends atmospherically.
More pictures in the Croatia gallery.
The trip along the Croatian coast came about spontaneously after looking at the weather forecast, which predicted a long period of cold and bad weather for the route we originally planned to take north. Besides, we were very impressed by the country and its people during our first visit to Croatia last year – on Mali Lošinj – and really loved it. We wanted to cover a large part of the route by ferry. This allowed us to experience the island worlds from the sea and get as many varied impressions of the Croatian coast as possible.
The island of Lošinj extends far into the Kvarner Bay on the Croatian Adriatic coast. Right in the south-east, almost at the end of the island, lies the picturesque town of Veli Lošinj. The old town, with its colourful house facades, is clustered around the natural harbour in a sheltered bay, surrounded by pine forests. The harbour entrance and old town are dominated by the massive nave of the parish church of S. Antonio Abate and its separate bell tower. Built in the 15th century, what we see today is the Baroque facade from the reconstruction at the end of the 18th century. Besides the architecture, the interior of the church is particularly worth seeing for its valuable paintings. Read more
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