Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

CROATIA 473

of which were laid by the

poet Andrija Kačić Miošić

(1704–60).

Environs

The long island of Šolta, to

the northwest of Brač, was a

holiday resort for the nobility

of Roman Salona. After the

attack on Salona in 614, some

of the refugees fled and

estab lished villages. It was

later aban doned in favour

of Split and left uninhabited

for over a cen tury due to

frequent Turkish raids. Traces

of defence towers can be

seen, as well as the ruins of

Roman villas.

E Brač Museum

Škrip. n (021) 646 325.

# summer: 8am–8pm Mon–Sat;

winter: by appt.

The façade of the Church of Our

Lady of Spilica, Vis

KEY

Ferry terminal

Visitor information

Beach with facilities

Minor road

Ferry route

0 km

0 miles

4

4

Vis 9

220 km (137 miles) NW of

Dubrovnik. * 4,300. g from Split.

n Šetalište Stare Isse 2, (021) 717

17. Komiža n (021) 713 455.

Further out to sea than the

other Dalmatian islands, Vis

was a military base until 1989

and closed to tourism. Now

gradually being rediscovered

by intrepid travellers, it has a

jagged coastline with beaches,

and an inland mountain chain

with Mount Hum reaching a

height of 587 m (1,925 ft).

The island was chosen by

Dionysios of Syracuse as a

base for Greek domi nation

of the Adriatic. The Greeks

founded the town of Issa here.

The island was later ruled by

the Romans, the Byzantines

and, from 1420, the Venetians.

Vis played a key role during

World War II – in 1944,

Marshal Tito used it as a base

for partisan military opera tions.

The main town of Vis has

Venetian Gothic buildings

and the Renaissance church

of Our Lady of Spilica (Gospa

od Spilica), with a painting

by Girolamo di Santacroce

(1516–84). In the town of

Komiža, on the western coast,

there is a tower built by

the Venetians.

Environs

The island of Biševo, to the

southwest of Vis, has a Blue

Grotto (Modra Spilja), where,

at midday, the water takes on

beautiful colours. Day-trips by

boat depart from Komiža in

the mornings. The ruins of a

monastery, built around AD

1000, can be seen; it resisted

raids by pirates and Saracens

for 200 years.

Beautiful coastline near Komiža, on the island of Vis

Stončica

Podstražje

Komiža

Vis

VIS

Biševo

Split

58 km (36 miles)