Korčula travel guide

Background

Legend has it that Korčula was founded by the Trojan hero Antenor in the 12th century BC, though there is no material evidence to back up such claims. The Venetians arrived here during the 10th century and came and went several times over the next 800 years, their final and most significant period of dominance being 1420-1797. The buildings they left behind are comparable to those in La Serenissima itself: Jan Morris, in The Venetian Empire, refers to Korčula as “one of the most Venetian of all its [Venice’s] sea ports”.

Korčula grew up as an extraordinarily compact settlement, built on a small but strategically important peninsula, controlling the passage of ships through the 1270-m-wide Pelješki Kanal (Pelješac Channel) between the island and the mainland. It was walled in the 13th century, further fortified during the 15th and, for defence reasons, dwellings were not permitted beyond the medieval perimeter until the 18th century. Extremely advanced for its time, a town statute was written in 1214, laying down strict rules about communal life, urban layout and human values (for example, slavery was banned). The most important period of artistic development, during the 15th and 16th centuries, bequeathed the town with many fine Gothic and Renaissance buildings, and Korčula became renowned for its skilled stone masons (notably members of the Andrijić family) and the high quality of its stone, quarried on the nearby island of Vrnik (which was also used on Diocletian’s ancient Roman palace in Split). At its peak, in the early 16th century, the town accommodated around 6000 inhabitants, but the population was seriously depleted by the plague in 1529.

The first hotel opened in 1912, under Austro-Hungary, attracting European gentry and intellectuals. During the 1970s, larger hotels were constructed on the edge of town, and Korčula entered the commercial market.

Bus

Korčula bus station, T020-711216.

A bus runs the length of the island to Vela Luka, 5 times daily (1½ hrs), stopping at Smokvice, Cara and Blato en route.

A once-daily bus service links Korčula to Dubrovnik (3½ hrs), with buses leaving the island at 0630 to arrive in the city around 1000, then departing at 1500 to arrive back at 1830.

Ferry

Jadrolinija, T020-715410, run a regular ferry service, winter 9 times daily, summer 14 times, from Domince (2 hrs 10 mins), 2 km from Korčula Town and served by a connecting bus, to Orebić on Pelješac Peninsula. Mediteranska Plovidba, T020-711156, http://www.medplov.hr, run a passenger service from Korčula Town to Orebić, with 10 ferries daily through summer, 5 in winter. The same company also run a once-daily summer service from Korčula to Drvenik on the mainland, just south of Makarska. Their boats depart from the quay opposite Hotel Korčula.

In summer G&V Line,http://www.gv-line.hr, operate a high-speed catamaran called Nona Ana, running from Dubrovnik to Korcula (Mon and Sat only), calling at the island of Mljet en route.