The Island, the People, the Experience Discover Korčula! FREE COPY!
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Discover Korčula™! the island, the people, the experience FREE COPY! 2 Korčula Old Town Discovering this marvelous walled old city and its narrow herringbone streets is a delight 3 Old Town/Island maps There's a lot to see and do on Korčula and it's easy to bike, bus or drive around! 4 History and culture From a 3rdC B.C. Greek stone tablet to the Moreska sword dance, Korčula's cultural heritage is unique. 5 Discover Lumbarda One amazing island! 20,000 years of history Eat, drink and be Korčulanin! This seaside hamlet, surrounded by vineyards, is famous for its beaches and wines A fabled history, rich cultural Korčula's history is extraordinary. Gastronomy is a quintessential traditions, gorgeous bays, lovely Let's begin with Vela Spila (“Big part of being here. Breakfast is just 6 Discover Smokvica villages, a rugged, wild interior Cave”) overlooking Vela Luka espresso. But come mid-morning, Rugged and wildly beautiful; and some of the best wine where archeologists have it's marenda, a sort of early lunch. stone houses, idyllic streets and Pošip, anywhere on the planet make discovered human artifacts dating The main meal is mid-afternoon. Korčula's signature white wine Korčula a unique jewel among back more than 20,000 years! Families gather to enjoy garden Mediterranean islands. There's so Lumbarda's treasure is its veggies, their own olive oil, grilled 7 Discover Blato much to see and do it really Psephisma, a 3rdC BC stone tablet meat or fish, wine--heaven! Try Blato has history, charm and 40km doesn't matter where you start. in Greek, the oldest written record brodet, a great fish stew; pohana of gorgeous coastline Whether you arrive by ferry or in Croatia! In 1214, Korčula Old hobotnica, fried octopus, goat sailboat to the island's western Town established a Statute cheese in oil, lobster, anything 8 Discover Vela Luka port, Vela Luka; or land at Korčula abolishing slavery—making it the grilled, slow-cooked peka. Grk, Korčula's “Big Harbor”, framed with Town, almost 50 km away, the first town in the world to do so Rukatac and Pošip --the island's magnificent hills, 100,000 olive trees and a marvelous physical beauty here is (only the cities of Venice and terrific whites, or Plavac its red. mysterious 20,000 year old cave! evident everywhere. London did so earlier). Živjeli (“to your health!”) Korčula Old Town the legendary birthplace of Marco Polo is a world of its own To experience what it must have symbolic not just of Korčula's Three Saints, St. Mark, St. Jeremy been like to enter the Old Town importance but how privileged its and St. Batholomew) but modern during the grandeur of its Venetian inhabitants were to live within. As pieces by Ivan Mestrović, Croatia's rule just walk up the splendid 19thC you begin your walk (use the map most famous sculptor (1883-1962). staircase, over what used to be a on page 3!) notice how the streets Just off the square are 16thC drawbridge and through the on the left, western side are steep? decorative pillars (and another in majestic 14thC Revelin Tower. This draws cool sea breezes into the front of Korčula Town Hall). center during the hot summer-- Designed as city ornaments, they while the streets on your right are include coat of arms carvings of purposely curved to take the chill some of the town's most families. out of the cold northeast winds! Other notable buildings here are the Built on its own, compact oval- 17thC and 18thC Opatska Riznica shaped peninsula, the entire Old or Abbey Treasury, in the Bishop's Town is a remarkable ensemble of Palace, with its collection of 12th to churches, museums and public and 15thC religious paintings, coins, private buildings beautifully pottery, manuscripts and more and decorated with friezes and many The Gradski muzej or Town other adornments. Both artistic and Museum, opposite St. Mark's in the whimsical, the sheer diversity of Gabrieli's palace, a famous Korčula stone carvings and masonry is family representing the cultural, wonderful. Look up, around, under social and economic past of this and inside--doorways, courtyards, historic town. staircases and more to enjoy all of The Three Saints by Tintoretto this frozen beauty. Even the city's And of course, there's Kuća Marka tourist board, located outside the Pola or Marco Polo's House. walls near the sea entrance to the Whether or he was a famous The grand entrance to the Old Town Old Town, enjoys an historical past. explorer or a legend, Korčula Emblazoned with the coat of arms It's inside a 16thC loggia once used proudly claims to be his birthplace. of the Venetian doge and local as a covered rest area as well as Surrounded by the sea, with such Korčulan governors, this stunning place for public meetings and other splendid architecture and history; entrance, flanked with stone walls gatherings. OK, let's continue. As cafes, art galleries and shops, mostly from the 15thC that you pass through the Revelin Tower, picture perfect Korčula Old Town is surround the entire city, was keep walking straight until you come a world of its own! to a small hill—it's the Old Town's LD’s seared tuna with vegetable marmalade main square, called Pjaceta where Seba Design’s stunning filigree jewelry the town's most famous church is, the 15thC Sveti Marko (St. Mark’s Cathedral), built from Korčula limestone by Italian and local masters. The lovely ballustraded bell tower with its ornate cupola as well as the ciborium above the main altar are the supreme works by Korčulan Marko Andrijić. Inside are not only works by Tintoretto (The Hand-made Korcula filigree jewelry Our family has been making authentic silver filigree jewelry for three generations here. Each piece is unique—custom orders too. Daily filigree-making workshop to see how this centuries old tradition is kept alive! SEBA DIZAJN Ulica de Polo (under the Marco Polo Tower) in Old Town Korcula, Open 9 to 23 daily We accept credit cards / www.sebasilver.com E: [email protected] / T: +20 715080 2 Discover Korčula / Korčula Old Town The Tourist Board of Korčula welcomes you! For the Korčula Town calendar of events, please go to www.visitkorcula.eu Korčula Town Tourist Board Turistička zajednica Grada Korčule Obala dr. Franje Tuđmana 4 20260 Korčula Phone: ++385 (0)20 715 701 Fax: ++385 (0)20 715 866 www.visitkorcula.eu [email protected] twitter.com/VisitKorcula DiscoverKorčula© 2013 Radionica Ideja, d.o.o.OIB 60557291459. All rights reserved. The publisher does not assume responsibility for any errors or advertising claims. Printed by Slobodna Dalmacija, 40,000 copies. Discover Korčula / Old Town Map For information: [email protected] 3 History and culture from Stone Age flints, sword-dancing and unique gastronomy to a world-class international festival of baroque music It was during this time that the indefatigable spirit of its natives. importance to Korčula and its "Statute of the town and the island The religious fervor of the Middle people are indelible. Shipbuilding, of Korčula" of 1214 was written. A Ages, for example, gave rise to a for example. Korčulans were famed remarkable document that not only number of confraternities still active for their skill in designing and prohibited slavery but defined the today—the Sasvetani, Mihovilci and building wooden boats with great very nature of Korčulan citizenship Rokovci. With their own churches, strength, grace and utility and even and the independent spirit of the taught their craft as far away as island and the town. But with the North and South America. growing Ottoman onslaught, even In addition to shipbuilding, stone Venice wavered. In one of the many masonry and carving were also an heroic battles still recorded here, integral part of Korčula life There the Korčulans rallied men, women are still some quarries on Vrnik and children to defeat an Ottoman island and in the surroundings of naval armada in 1571, aided by a Žrnovo. And laying up walls without serendipitous shift in the wind that mortar, meja, is still done even wreaked havoc on the Turkish fleet. today. All around the island you can After a brief period of Hungarian- Wonderful local seafood at Konoba Komin see small stone barns called kucice Croatian kings, Venice returned that were made for farm animals. triumphant to rule here and some of which are also museums, Although simple, the skill and The Moreska sword dance throughout Dalmatia until the wars and congregations, these patience required to make them with Napoleon and the fall of the confraternities lead festive often results in some stunning Korčula is still discovering its rich Venetian Republic in 1797. After processions during Easter and on sculpture. Wonderful examples can th historical past. At Vela Spila (“Big St. Todor's Day, the 29 of July. be found in the hills of Forteca, Cave”) in the hills above Vela Luka, Korčula's most famous tradition is Sveti Anton and in Grubinjac. archeologists have unearthed the the Moreska sword dance, a highly One of the island's newest cultural oldest figurine ceramics in southern choreographed dance with real treasures is the Korkyra Europe, more than 20,000 years swords that first appeared in Spain International Baroque Festival, this old! In Lumbarda, a 3rdC BC tablet in the 13thC and spread throughout year from Sept. 6-15th, featuring was found that describes the the Mediterranean. Scholars feel some of the world's most founding of a Greek colony there, the word moreska describes its celebrated ensembles and choirs, the oldest written record roots—the dance of the Moors.