June the 28th, 2024 – They’re not quite on everyone’s radar – and that’s precisely what makes them so special. Don’t miss these things when visiting Brna and Smokvica, sitting somewhere half-way between Korčula and Vela Luka.
smokvica’s wines
Smokvica is an old village in central Korčula. It’s actually one of the five original settlements mentioned back in the 13th century in the famous Korčulan Statute. It was at its most populous right after World War I, when it had almost 1500 inhabitants, but that number fell rapidly when phylloxera hit the vineyards of Korčula, including the ones around Smokvica. Vines and the production of wine remain one of the major “exports” of the large and fruitful Smokvica field. That’s especially true for the local indigenous white wine variety Pošip (and Rukatac to a somewhat lesser extent). In more recent years, the quality of the wines has improved quite a bit, and there’s no excuse not to visit the wineries of Smokvica and taste some of their remarkable fresh white wines.
nautical tourism in brna
Brna is a deep bay on the southern-facing side of Korčula. In more recent times, it has become increasingly popular with tourists – especially nautical tourists. The sea is quite deep in the bay, and it provides protection from almost all kinds of weather conditions for your yacht or boat. That’s why in the afternoon there are always numerous boats moored in the bay, and people from the boats come up to the shore either for a swim on the small pebbly beach at the bottom of Brna bay, a dip in the mud in Istruga, or a dinner in one of the restaurants in Brna. They can be sure that their boats will be safe – if anchored properly!
istruga and its famous mud
Istruga is a slightly longer bay which stretches about 500 metres. It sits right next to Brna Bay, and boasts some rather unexpected characteristics. The bottom of the shallowest part of the bay is covered in what’s known as liman mud. This mud is a type of peloid and is used all over the world for medicinal purposes, especially for skin conditions and various rheumatic disorders. Many people come to Istruga just for the mud, and many others come because of the tennis courts located there. It’s not exactly where you’d expect to find infrastructure like that, but still, you can come to Istruga and play some tennis should you so wish. Various events are also often held in Istruga bay, including concerts. The chances are that if you come to Istruga during the summer, something will be happening there at the time!
the museum of gold and silver in smokvica
Although small, the churches in Smokvica and Čara are home to extremely valuable collections of silverware used during services in the past: crucifixes, candlesticks, vases etc. Most of those object were made in the 17th and 18th centuries in Venetian workshops. They’re highly representative of similar objects distributed throughout Dalmatia at the time. Gold handmade filigree jewellery was made in Smokvica in 18th and early 19th centuries (some of it also came from Venice), and was used as a decoration by wealthy women.
diving and sea urchin hunting in brna bay
Brna is one of those places where you’d expect diving to be popular, and you’d be right. There are several diving centres in Brna, offering you various options for single day-dives in the bay or in its vicinity. This includes dives around the ultra-dreamy Prišćapac. Local divers will gladly take you hunting for sea urchins, which are a delicacy not to be missed out on trying. If you’re more into fish, ask around in Brna and you’ll have no problem finding a local fisherman who’ll take you fishing on their boat and show you how it’s done in their neck of the woods (or sea, rather).
