Top Sights around Split

bLACA Blaca is perhaps the most stunning sight on the Brač, and is certainly among the most incredible cultural monuments on the Adriatic. This inhospitable rocky gorge became the home of an order of Glagolitic monks who nurtured the Croatian language using the oldest Slavic alphabet. In 2007, the complex was entered on the tentative list of UNESCO monuments of cultural heritage. The hermitage remains very close to peoples’ hearts, with a pilgrimage taking place every year on the first Saturday after the Feast of the Assumption. This is a wonderful place to visit, this is a place that puts in focus the power of human endeavour, and a place of peace and hope that strengthens the spirit. How to get here: trips are organised from Bol approaching Blaca bay from the sea, from where you have a 25 minute walk. From Nerežišća it’s a 10 minute drive to Dragovode followed by a 30 minute walk. It is a must that you bring sports attire and water to keep

Blaca, Photo by Miljenko Katavić

you hydrated.QBrač, tel. (+385‑) 091 516 46 71, www. czk‑brac.hr. Open 09:00‑17:00; closed Mon. Admis‑ sion 40/10kn.

bLuE CAvE Located on the Island of Biševo, the Blue Cave is an amazing natural phenomena. The interior of the cave and the sea below are a silver-blue colour. Rays of sun peak through a crack in the cave, which reflect into the sea and create beautiful light effects on top of the water. It’s only a 15 min drive by speedboat from Komiža, a coastal town on the western coast of the Island of Vis.QBiševo.

CETinA RivER CAnyOn Thanks to this position at the mouth of the Cetina, Omiš and the nearby villages offer many activities which can turn your holiday into an unforgettable adventure. One of these is rafting on the Cetina. If you are a swimmer, experienced skippers will help you negotiate the rapids

and you’ll feel as though you’re flying along in the dinghy. Rafting trips start from the Pavić bridge, which was built during the time of the Emperor Franz Joseph. A speciality of this region is fried frogs’ legs wrapped in slices of prosciutto and cooked in red wine with rosemary. There’s also poljički soparnik which is a listed item of cultural heritage. You can try some of these specialities at the Radmanove Mlinice day trip site in the Cetina river canyon (6km from Omiš).QOmiš, www.visitomis.hr.

jAkšić GALLERy Jakšić gallery is an exhibition space in Donji Humac on the island of Brač. The artistic family Jakšić has a 115 year long tradition in stone shaping. Their story begins in 1903 when their ancestor opened the first stone - carving workshop. Dražen Jakšić, artistically educated, inherits a stone - carving workshop from his father and modernizes it according to time. Today Jakšić family consists of four members, all of whom are educated in the art, so it was necessary to create a space in which they can exhibit their works. Jakšić gallery was built in 2008, in the yard of the family house, where their grandfather first exhibited his works. Beside the gallery are workshops and ateliers where it is possible to see the artists in work, as well as the process of creating works of art and stone shaping. In the gallery you can find: unique jewelery from semiprecious stones and silver made by fashion designer Ida Stipčić Jakšić, stone sculptures by the academic sculptor Lovre Jakšić, paintings by dr.art. Dina Jakšić Pavasović and various usable and decorative objects made of stone.QDonji Humac 75, Nerežišća, Brač island, tel. (+385‑) 98 42 24 99, www. galerijajaksic.com. Open 09:00‑20:00; Sat 10:00‑19:00; closed Sun. Sunday is by appointment. A MuSEuM ALkA OF Sinj Nominated for European Museum of the Year, the Museum of Alka represents a 300 year traditional equestrian race where spearmen target their lances at a hanging metal ring in full gallop. Of note are the uniforms, equipment and weapons used, as well as historic statues and rules that have remained since the beginning. The procession preceding the Alka and the reconstruction of the Battle of Sinj from 1715 pays homage to the grand history behind this age old city.QPut Petrovca 12, Sinj, tel. (+385‑21) 44 47 30, www.alka.hr/. Open 09:00‑19:00; closed Mon. Admission 40/20 kn.

THE HvAR HiSTORiC THEATRE Welcome to Europe’s oldest public theatre which happens to be on an island, and not mainland. Over 400 years old, it has withstood battles and its Renaissance style makes it one of the finest kept in the Mediterranean. After further renovations, the doors have been reopened and now theatre shows and gallery exhibits give this building a true sense of spirit. QJurja Matijevića 20, Hvar. Open 11:00‑ 17:00.

THE STARi GRAd PLAin Croatia’s 7th location protected by UNESCO, the Stari Grad Plain is located on the Island of Hvar and is an agricultural landscape that was established by ancient Greek colonists in the 4th century BC. Remarkably, it still remains in its original form and is still in use today where grapes and olives are grown in the fields. It’s an amazing sight to visit and be able to view the ancient Greek system for agricultural production.QHvar, www.msg.hr/en/stari‑grad‑ plain‑stari‑grad‑unesco‑world‑heritage/.

THE vRAnjAčA CAvE (šPiLjA vRAnjAčA) The Vranjača cave is made up of two chambers. The first, the existence of which was already known in the 19th century, has no stalactites. The second was discovered in 1903 by Stipe Punda, who was the owner of this plot of land. This part consists of a system of nine smaller chambers in colours ranging from green through blue, some of which shimmer due to the presence of crystals. The cave is about 360m long and is at a constant temperature of 15ºC all year round. Vranjača is suitable for visits by tourists, with steps, rope handrails, walkways and lighting. It is supervised and has a car park. The cave is well visited by day trippers from Split and nature lovers from all over. The cave, Vranjača, is located in the foothills of the central part of Mosor, on the northern side. If you are coming from Split then take the paved road through Dugopolje to the village Kotlenica in the hamlet Punde (25km) and finally follow another 300m path to the entrance of the cave. The cave is open from April 1st to 1st November, 09:00 - 20:00 (June, July, August), 09:00 - 19:00 (May, September), 10:00 - 18:00 (April, October) and by prior arrangement (November - March). Guided tours, which last about 1 hour, are available in English, and cost 40kn for adults and 20kn for children. Please call (+385-) 098 74 90 00 for more information.Q50kn/20kn.

viA bRATTiA Via Brattia, a 140 km-long hiking trail, encircles almost the entire island of Brač making it an exquisite tourist attraction. The trail connects the 12 most attractive historical locations and some of the most picturesque places on the island, challenging the recreationists and mountaineers who can collect stamps at each of the 12 points. The trail passes through the center of Supetar, Mirac, Sutivan, Bobovišćanamoru, Ložišća, Milna, Murvica, Bol, Sumartin, Povlja, Pučišća, Postira, Škrip, and some of the island’s most beautiful beaches and bays (Zlatni rat, Farska, Murvica, Lovrečina, Smrka, etc.) Since the trail is circular, it is marked both ways and you can start your hike from any of the above-mentioned settlements, simply by following the blue-white blazes. If you decide to do the whole trail, it would be wise to plan a sleepover at some of the small towns on the map, where you can stock up on water and food supply. There is a map of the trail that will come in handy for all who decide to take up the challenge. Find the route map in the tourist information centers of the island of Brač.