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VIDOVA GORA (Mount St Vitus). At 2,560 this is the highest
peak in the
Adriatic Islands, and the summit is accessible either on foot
or by car from Bol.
MILNA was founded at the beginning of the 18th Century
and faces a sheltered
bay. The exterior of the Church of the Annunciation of Mary (Velika
Gospa) is
Baroque and the interior is decorated in the Rococco style. It
is one of the few
places that have so far escaped development. All of the classical
Dalmation
components are there. A higgledy piggledy old town, a crumbling
old church,
a wide waterfront and some excellent seafood restaurants.
BRAC SUMMER CULTURAL FESTIVAL runs from June to September
where
traditional folk music and classical concerts are held in Brac's
main towns -
most of them are free.
EXTREME SPORTS in BOL start in August an Extreme Sports
Festival is held
on Brac. One of the main events is 'Sky Running' in which competititors
run
from sea level at Zlatni Rat right up to the 2,560 summit of Vidova
Gora:
Other events include 'Free Diving', similar to scuba diving
but without the aid
of an oxygen tank.
WATER SPORTS on BOL: Croatia is the perfect place for
water sports.
The sea is azure blue and crystalline with none of the pollution
that may be
found in other Mediterranean and Adriatic countries.
TENNIS on BRAC: The Croatian Bol Ladies Open Tennis Championship
is
played out annually in Bol. The local tennis centre is situated
at Potocine.
Ex-Wimbledon champion, Goran Ivanisevic who lives in Split, is
well known
here as he regularly visits the island.
The Major Attraction of Bol on the southern coast of Brac
is its famous long
beach, Zlatni Rat (meaning Golden Horn), a triangular spit of
shingle which
reaches out into the sea and changes shape with the seasonal tides.
Bol has its own small beach which is situated next
to the Catamaran dock.
The Monastery beach, too, is well worth a visit. This is five
minutes out of Bol
along the Coastal Path that begins beside the Tourist Office in
the Venetian
building on the harbour.
Lovrecina Beach, a short distance from Postira, is also
a lovely beach with its
own little restaurant, but there is never a difficulty finding
somewhere to swim
& enjoy the sun on Brac as there are many little beaches all
around the island.
The BRANISLAV DESKOVIC Gallery was founded by Branislav
Deskovic, a
native of Brac. It lies within a charming Baroque building on
the seafront in Bol.
This gallery concentrates on 20th Century Croatian artists who
have been
inspired by Dalmatia, and includes works by Ivan Rendic, Ivan
Mestrovic
and expressionist painter, Edo Murtic.
NUDIST BEACH. As well as Zlatni Rat there is a stretch
reserved for nudists
known as Paklina, this is just 200 metres west of the Cape (of
Zlatni Rat).
DOMINICAN MONASTERY was founded in 1475 and stands on
a charming
headland at the edge of Bol. The beautiful church is decorated
with paintings,
including a 'Virgin With Saints' attributed to Tintoretto.
A rich treasury includes liturgical objects.
DRAKONJINA SPILJA (Dragon's Cave) is a pleasant 5km walk
west of Bol
brings you to the hamlet of Murvica. Just 200 mtrs above this
tiny settlement
the Drakonjina Spilja is a 20 metre long cavern divided into four
halls by a
series of walls. The first hall is decorated with bizarre reliefs
carved into the
stone, depicting dragons and other fabulous creatures. It is said
to be the work
of the monks from Blaca and kept locked. However, if you ask the
Bol Tourist
Office they can arrange for someone to open it for you!
PUSTINJA BLACA, a little way down the coast from Bol is
Pustinja Blaca, an
impressive 16th Century monastery built into the cliff face which
is accessible
by boat from Bol: The last monk to live here, Father Niko Milicevic
Mladi was a
keen astronomer who set-up an observatory in 1926 - besides his
astronomical
tools, left behind a collection of old clocks. Visitors can see
these, along with
the old-fashioned kitchen, an armoury, and a display of period
furniture.
Local tourist agencies organize trips.
SELCA; In Selca, quarrymen can be seen at work, and the
roman quarries
where they extracted extracted stone can also be visited. The
romans loaded
the solid blocks onto ships at the port of Pucisca, a lovely peaceful
spot similar
to Sumartin further east, which was built around a monastery founded
by the
Franciscans of Marcarska in 1645. The monks brought with them
a treasury,
and many of the paintings are now preserved in the monastery.
SCRIP is probably the site of the first settlement on
the island (although Bol
claims this, too) and is the presumed birthplace of Helen, mother
of the
Emperor Constantine. The Church and painting by Palma il Giovane
on the
main altar, are dedicated to Helen.
BRAC MUSEUM is a fortified stone house in Skrip houses
the Brac Museum
and exhibits archaeological finds, evidence of Mankind's presence
on the island.
NEREZISCA in the centre of Brac was for a long time the
main town on the
island. The Governor's Palace, the Loggia and a pedestal with
the Lion of
St Mark are signs of its former status.
ART IN BOL;
En route, around Bol Harbour, to the Venetian building that is
the Tourist Office
you pass a one-storey stone building on the harbourside. This
has arched
windows and if you venture inside you discover some really fine
sculptures
and paintings by famous Croatian artists.
Right next door to the Tourist Office is a stone courtyard that
also contains
fine sculptures. Walk through the little alleyway beside the Tourist
Office and
you come to the Coastal Path. 5 minutes walk brings you to the
Dominican
Monastery which has some fine Works of Art!
RESTAURANTS in Bol:
If you walk through the little alleyway beside the Tourist Office
you come to
the Coastal Walk. Five minutes along this and you arrive at the
Monastery
beach with it delightful restaurant, situated in a restored fisherman's
house.
The beach is lovely and the Monastery is worth a visit to as it
has some
notable Works of Art.
A good restaurant to visit is Gust.
You find this just around the corner from the Cocktail Bar up
a little alleyway.
Reasonably priced, the food is good and their fish is especially
recommended.
At the other end of the harbour is a Pizza Restaurant.
GUST, Frane Radica 14, Bol
RIBARSKA KUCICA, Kucica, Bol
TAVERNA RIVA, Frane Radica 5, Bol
BARS in BOL:
There are many little bars in Bol and probably the best known
is the Cocktail Bar
which is on the harbourside close by the main church in Bol. Here
you can sit
under straw rotunda and sip rum punches or Singapore slings to
your hearts
content whilst gazing out at the azure blue sea. A good place
to retreat to in
the heat of the day.
The Moby Dick, in the Loza just back from the Harbour, is a very
popular
watering hole. From its vantage point you can look out over the
whole of the
harbour whilst enjoying a drink or cappuccino. Another popular
bar is the
Three Palms Bar on the Harbourside.
INTERNET CAFÉ;
If you wish to use the internet there is an internet café
in Bol.
It is just by the Church in the centre of Bol, almost next to
the Post Office.
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