The island of Korčula in Croatia

Korčula is a beautiful wooded island full with charm (60% of its surface are occupied by the forest); its landscapes are varied: forests of pines, maquis, fields of lavender and rosemary. The air feels good wild aromatic herbs, thyme or rosemary, the sap of pine or, in spring, the suave odor of the white flowers of a variety of citrus.

Korčula profits from a soft climate, be like winter: the temperature is very lenient there, going down only seldom below 10 °c in January, and not exceeding the 26 °c in July.

Only the littoral is inhabited. The villages cling to the hillside rocky, furrowed stone low walls and strewn with huts of vine growers capped with roofing stones. One cultivates there the vine and the olive-tree, the fig tree and the almond tree; each slope is carefully arranged to accommodate the vineyards which descend the slopes in broad stone steps dug in the mountain and piqués of high dark green cypresses.

In Korčula, the Dalmatian traditions remained original and very alive.

Korčula is also at approximately 4:00 of ferry of the island of Hvar located at north.

The first colonization - rather peaceful - by the Greeks of this area, which took the name of Korkyra, goes back to the IV^e century before J. - C.

Thereafter, they are the Romans who took possession of the island as of the 1st century apr. J-C., in 35 of our era, in the movement initiated by the emperor Auguste to widen the borders of the Roman Empire.

After the 5th century and the fall of the empire, they are initially Goths which seized the area. Then the Croats arrived on the Adriatique coast as from the 7th century, accompanied by Slavic and Avars, and it is only as from the 9th century that they seized the islands Korčula, Hvar, Brač and Mljet.

With Xe century, in fact the tribes Neretva and Venice disputed the control of the island, ideally located in the middle of the Adriatic.

As from the year thousand, Korčula was under the aegis of Venice which, after having lost it, imposes its sovereignty again to him in 1125. It is especially starting from 1420 that Sérénissime imposed its seizure for its fourth conquest of Korčula, after the island had become a possession of Croatia-Hungary, then of Dubrovnik. The Venetian presence involved a considerable growth, the creation of a true fleet and the arrival of many capital. This particularly beneficial domination lasted until 1797.

To the fall of the Republic of Venice, the island passes in 1797 under the Austrian domination.

After being disputed with the Russians, it becomes French in 1806 with the arrival of the Napoleonean troops, which allowed a great boom.

In 1813, after a short English transition, it goes back to Austria. At the 19th century, the island lived mainly of naval construction.

Italy preserves it only of 1918 to 1921. Then, Korčula becomes Yugoslav.

The stone extracted with Korčula was used for construction from many monuments and buildings, locally, but also in Split, Dubrovnik or elsewhere in Croatia, Italy and a little everywhere in the world (one speaks even about the White House, in Washington).

Each year, approximately 700 ships left the building sites of Korčula. Unfortunately, the boats out of wooden started to disappear at the beginning of the 20th century, and Korčula had to turn to tourism.

Since, the development of tourism supplanted these activities, without however making disappear agriculture (viticulture, culture of olive and the fruits at the head), another paramount sector, since the Greek occupation.

A boat for pedestrians connects Orebić to the town of western Korčula-quay (5 to 13 per day according to the season, 20 min).

It is also possible to come by bus at the beginning from Dubrovnik (1 to 2 per day). The ticket includes the price of the crossing in boat since Orebić. The bus station is located on the quay is town of Korčula.

Information on: www.korcula-agent.com.

• Vela Luka Korčula, via Žrnovo, Pupnat, Čara, Smokvica and Blato (6 per day, 3 Sundays).
• Lumbarda, via Dominče (9-10 per day except Sunday).
• Lumbarda-Račišće (6 per day in week, 2 saturdays, not Sunday).

Since the port of Dominče, the coastal line Rijeka-Dubrovnik makes stopover with Hvar (1 to 4 per week) and Mljet (2 to 3 per week in July - August).