The town of Bol, island of Brač in Croatia

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Presentation

General information

Escutcheon of Bowl. Click to enlarge the image.

Bowl (Marin0110 author). Click to enlarge the image.

Bol is a seaside resort and a port of approximately 1700 inhabitants, located on the southern part the island of Brač in Croatia.

Bol is also a commune which understands, in addition to the town of Bol itself, the village of Murvica; the commune of Bol is part of the county of Split-Dalmatia.

The seaside resort of Bol extends on several kilometers along the coast and profits from many beaches, of which most famous is the Gold Horn (Zlatni Rat); that makes the most attended locality of it island of Brač.

Bowl seen since the sea. Click to enlarge the image.

Beach of Zlatni Rat. Click to enlarge the image.

Etymology

The toponym “Bol” comes from the Latin name “vallum”, a kind of Roman fortification made of ground surmounted by a palisade (“been worth” meaning “pile”). There exists, in fact, of many traces of a colonization of the area by the Romans.

Under the Republic of Venice Bol named, in Italian, Vallo del Brazza.

To note that “bol” means “Croatian pain”.

Situation


The town of Bol is located in the middle of the southern part of the island of Brač, isolated a little moreover from the island. Bol faces the island of Hvar, located on the other side of the channel separating Brač de Hvar. Bol is in the center of an amphitheater of hills called the “Crown of Bol” (Bolska Kruna), of which the hill of Draževo (Draževo brdo) (627 m) and the hill of Koštilo which surmounts the ruins of a fort illyrien. Beyond draws up the mountain of Vidova Gora, more the high summit of the island and, even, all the Croatian islands of the Adriatic (778 m).
The city is thus in the middle of a fertile area having of the permanent sources of drinking water supplied with this mountainous solid mass. It developed there a vineyard which produces a famous wine, Bolski Plavac. Bol is distant of 35 km of the capital of the island, Supetar, by the regional road D113, while forking on the right in Gornji Humac where the small international airport of the island is (to 15 km of Bol).

Visits

Bol is a charming small town, with inclined lanes descending the slopes of the hills in the direction of the port and of its animated quay. The beauty of its stone-built houses inspired the large Croatian poet Tin Ujević. Close to the sea front align the parish church with its “pjaceta”, a palace rebirth, a viticultural co-operative… West of port the resorts are; in the east, a walk leads to a Dominican monastery.

The Church Our-Lady-of-Carmel (Crkva Gospe od Karmela)
The parish church Our-Lady-of-Carmel was built in several stages: started at the 17th century, in 1668, it was completed at the end of the 18th century, in 1788. Its frontage with volutes, with decorations baroques and keys clearly rococo, is the work of sculptors of the island of Brač; it was ordered by the family patrician of Vužić, with the bread-winner Andreis and of rich inhabitants of Bol.
The Chapel Saint-Anthony (Crkvica Svetog Ante)
The Saint-Anthony vault, in the beginning chapel Saint-Bernardin, was built at the beginning of the 16th century. Until the beginning of the Second World War, the dance of Bol, the “cola”, was danced in front of the chapel the feastday of Stipon saint.

The Palace (Palača)
This beautiful Renaissance palace of the end of the 17th century presents characters of the Venetian baroque; it is decorated on its southern frontage with splendid balconies on which the symbols of the sun and the armorial bearings of the nobility are represented; on the door is a Latin inscription going back to 1694 who, translated, said: “That it is always under the protection of Its name”. The palace, located opposite the port, shelters the Croatian modern art gallery “Branislav Dešković” (Galeriju Branislav Dešković).

Peninsula of Glavica
East coast of Bol, while following the coastal path, one arrives at the peninsula of Glavica where draws up a very old chapel and a Dominican monastery.

The peninsula of Glavica is surrounded by beautiful beaches less attended than that of Zlatni Rat.

The Chapel Saint-John-and-Theodore (Crkvica Svetih Ivana I Teodora)
The chapel Saint-Jean-and-Theodore is the oldest church of Bol: it goes back to 9th and Xe centuries. This church préromane was built on the foundations of a building, going back to the late Antiquity (6th century), of which a part, with frescos and a cistern, is in the foundations of the vault.

The Dominican Monastery (Dominikanski Samostan)
Bol is mentioned for the first time in 1184 in the Charter of Povlja (Povaljska listina) which indexes a building called “episcopal palace” (Biskupija) built on the peninsula of Glavica. In 1462, the Dominicans found a community with Bol. On October 10th, 1475, in a donation, prince Zacharie de Brač gives the peninsula of Glavica to Dominican which begins the construction of a monastery there. The monastery will include the oldest church of the village, the chapel Saint-Jean-and-Theodore. Visit: The Dominican monastery is on the peninsula of Glavica located east of Bol. Schedules: 8:00 at 12:00 and 17:00 at 20:00 Tariff of entry: 10 kunas. The monastery also has a beautiful garden.

The Church Our-Lady-of-the-Mercy (Crkva Gospe Od Milosti)
The church of the Dominican monastery is the Church Our-Lady-of-the-Mercy (15th - 17th centuries) which results from the enlarging, in 1650, of the chapel Saint Dominic. The church shelters works of the rebirth and baroque; in particular, above high altar, an invaluable retable of the 16th century allotted to the Venetian Master of the Rebirth is, Tintoret (Jacopo Tintoretto), the “Madonna with the Child with the Saints” (1563). The church has a coffered ceiling with, above chorus, a representation of the “Apotheosis of saint Dominique” (Apoteoza svetog Dominika), a work of the 17th century of an artist local baroque, Tripo Kokolje (1661-1713). The side furnace bridges appear among most beautiful of the island of Brač, in particular the furnace bridge Our-Lady-of-Rosary.
The Museum of the Dominican Monastery (Muzej Dominikanskog Samostana)
Founded in the years 1860, the museum of the Dominican monastery of Bol preserves many invaluable objects collected during centuries. The museum presents collections of prehistoric archeology and ancient, underwater archeology, architecture and Roman and Croatian sculpture early, numismatics, and collections of incunables, charters and decrees dating from the 15th century, and some paintings and icons. The collection of crowned objects understands chasubles, religious books and liturgical objects. The museum preserves a cupboard - coming from the monastery glagolitic of the port of Dračeva (Draceva Luka) - having glagolitic inscriptions describing the color of the dresses of the priests. It preserves also the vestiges of a specimen of the first Croatian book, printed in characters glagolitic, also coming from the hermitage of Dračeva Luka. This book - a missal - was printed in 1483, that is to say only 28 years after the Bible of Gutenberg, the first of all the printed books; only 11 specimens of this book exist in the world.
The Marine Cemetery (Groblje)
Because of the prohibition of the burials inside the churches for reasons of hygiene, and under the influence of the reforms of the French administration, the construction of the cemetery of Bol (kapošanto) began in 1828. This marine cemetery, located in an attractive split, is a good place to spend one moment of contemplation.

The Wine Cooperative (Vinski Podrum)
On the port the beautiful building of the first cooperative wine cave of vine growers of Dalmatia is, created at the beginning of the 20th century. It is opened today with the public and makes it possible to appreciate celebrates it wine Plavac de Bol.
The Port (Luka)


The Beach of the Gold Horn (Plaža Zlatni Rat)
Bol has many and splendid beaches which extend over an overall length from approximately 15 km (starting from the handle of Martinica in the east to the handle of Blaca in the west). But most famous of these beaches, and probably most beautiful of the Adriatic, is the beach of Zlatni Rat; its name means the “Cape d’ Or”, but one also speaks about “Point of Gold” and, touristiquement, of “Gold Horn”. The Or Cape is a headland made up of a rock, cover of stones, sand and clay, which advances of more than 500 m in the sea, with right angle with the coast. The characteristic of the Gold Horn is that its point, in the form of language, moves each day on a side or other according to the direction of the winds and the marine currents in the channel of Hvar which separates the island from Brač of the island of Hvar. In a spectacular way, pines push in its medium, and, on each side, a beach borders it. This single geological phenomenon - which would go back to a million years -, its exceptional beauty and its particular form made of it the brand image of Bol and Croatia.
Zlatni Rat is a very pleasant beach with a turquoise water and so crystalline that the stones which are to 10 m basic appear within reach; however water is a little colder than elsewhere because of the force of the current in the strait of Hvar.
The beach of the Gold Horn is crammed in July and in August, with a rather family and sporting frequentation, but attended by nudists in his western part. It is also a true paradise for the surfers because of the favorable wind which blows unceasingly. An alley pedestrian and paved stones of Brač, broadside of and hirer out souvenir shops of bicycles, makes it possible to reach it easily from the city; boat-taxis, such crammed, also convey the holiday makers since the wearing of Bol.
Sites of Diving
The southern part of the island (west of the Konjska handle) gives excellent opportunities of diving and underwater fishing (see the booklet of OCT.).
The Mount Vidova Gora
The mount Vidova Gora dominates the town of Bol of its 778 m of altitude. A very abrupt mountain lane makes it possible to go there since Bol, via the Koštilo Mount.

Ruins of Strong Illyrien de Koštilo (Ilirska Gradina Koštilo)
On the Mount Koštilo (660 m), above Bol, are the ruins of a fort illyrien.

History, literature, arts, traditions, legends, religions, myths, symbols…

History
Bol would be the oldest city of the island of Brač. Many archeological sites and monuments testify to the long story of Bol which draws its origin from antiquity: they are Roman water tanks, tumulary steles and reliefs, as well as early Christian sarcophagi.

Economy
The saving in Bol is traditionally based on agriculture, the viticulture and fishing (salting of anchovies). The city is today especially a tourist destination.

Practical information

Weather and forecasts

The Tourist office of Bol
Addresses: Porat bolskih pomoraca b.b. (on the sea front, at the end of the quay) - HR-21420 Bol Schedules: 8:30 - 14:00 (22 H in summer). Telephone: 00,385 (0) 21,635,638 Website: www.bol.hr
Road transports
One joined Bol conveys some by a sinuous road. Arrived at Bol, it is to better avoid engaging in the narrow lanes of the old port: one is likely there to remain wedged or to lead on the pier. The bus station is located west of the entry of the port, to 15 min on foot of the beach of Zlatni Rat.
The Maritime transport
Bol is connected several times per day to Split and Jelsa (island of Hvar) by a line of catamaran of Jadrolinija between Split and Jelsa, which makes stopover with Bol; it is about a fast ship for passengers only. Schedules on the site of the Jadrolinija company. Car-ferries between Split and Supetar (to 35 km) make it possible to arrive by car to Bol.

Air transports
Bol is located at only 15 km of the small international airport of Brač (Zračna luka Brač). Some connections exist - especially in summer - with Zagreb and some European cities (Graz etc). It is about a military aerodrome built in 1993 during the war of Yugoslavia, and used for the commercial traffic since 1995.

Visiting times

Hotels
The Hotel Bluesun Elaphusa
A higher hotel 4 stars located near the beach of Zlatni Rat.

Restaurants
On the coastal path which leads to the Dominican monastery this coffee is a true haven of peace.