Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

CROATIA 465

is the Icon Gallery (Galerija

Ikona), famous for its collec-

tion of Byzantine icons from

the 13th to the 15th centuries.

Outside the walls are the

Church and Monastery of

St Nicholas (sv Nikola),

from the 15th cen tury, with

paintings by Italian artists.

E Abbey Treasury

trg sv Marka. n (020) 715 701.

# call for information. &

E Civic Museum

trg sv Marka. Tel (020) 711 420.

# Jun–Sep: 10am–9pm Mon–Sat;

Oct–May: 10am–2pm Mon–Sat, by

appointment on Sun.

E Icon Gallery

trg Svih Svetih. n (020) 711 306,

(091) 593 1281. # summer:

10am–2pm & 5–8pm Mon–Sat;

Winter & Sun: by appointment.

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST

140 km (88 miles) from

Dubrovnik. * 17,000. g

from Orebić, Split. @ 20260

Korčula. n Obala dr. Tuđmana

20, (020) 715 701, 715 867.

http://www.korcula.net. _ Moreška

(summer). Lumbarda n

(020) 712 005, 712 602.

Blato n ulica 31 br 2, (020)

851 850. _ Kumpanija

(28 Apr). Vela Luka g from

Split, Hvar. n ulica 41 br 11,

(020) 813 619.

http://www.tzvelaluka.hr.

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The beautiful rocky coastline of Korčula

Town of Korčula, on a peninsula on

the northeast coast of the island

the 14th century. Every April,

the central square plays host

to the folk festival of the

Kumpanija, dedi cated to the

patron saint, St Vincenza,

which is cele brated with

songs and music.

Lumbarda

Thought to have been founded

by Greeks, the village of

Lumbarda lies 6 km (4 miles)

southeast of Korčula town. In

the 16th century, it became a

holiday resort for the nobles

of Korčula. Some inscriptions

Blato

The central square of the

village of Blato, towards the

western end of the island, has

an 18th-century Baroque log-

gia, the Arneri Castle, where

the Civic Museum document-

ing local history is being

developed, and All Saints’

Church (Svi Sveti), of medieval

origin. Enlarged and rebuilt in

the 17th century, the church

has an altarpiece of the Virgin

with Child and Saints (1540)

on the main altar by Girolamo

di Santacroce and, in the

chapel, the relics of the local

focus of ven era tion, the mar-

tyr St Vincenza. The cemetery

church of the Holy Cross and

that of St Jerome date from

Vela Luka

Situated about 45 km

(28 miles) west of Korčula

town is Vela Luka, known

as “the oldest and the newest

town”, because it was built

at the beginning of the 19th

century on the Neolithic site

of Vela Spilja. One of the larg-

est towns on the island, it has

a number of industries that

coexist with attractive bays

and islands. The surrounding

hills shelter the town from

the winds from the north and

south. Vela Luka is also the

main port on the island and

there are regular ferry services

to Split (see pp466–9).

from the Greek period are

now kept in the Archaeological

Museum of Zagreb (see p493).

Today, the village is one of the

centres of production for Grk,

a liqueur-like, white wine

made from grapes of the

same name. The nearby

beaches are famous for their

golden sands.

RČULA

Čara Pupnatska Luka

Korčula

Lumbarda

Žrnovo

Zavalatica

Pupnat

Račišće Split

137 km (85 miles)

Dubrovnik

48 km (30 miles)

Orebić

7 km (4 miles)