Vrboska has a very interesting fishing museum for those wanting to know more of this important part of the island’s heritage.
I like it when the folks from Go Hvar come and visit. A very nice couple, they have much more interest in the history and heritage of the island than my time will allow me to look into fully, so every time they post about their experiences, it is much easier for me to share than reinvent the wheel. And I really like the thorough and informative nature of their posts. Today’s trip is to the fishing museum in Vrboska…
I think Vrboska should be twinned with Crail or Anstruther in Scotland, and Monterey in California. The histories are very similar. This quiet little settlement on Hvar’s north coast grew up as a fishing community, and rose to prosperous heights last century with its own sardine factory. Just like the herring fleets of the North Sea, and just like the sardine factories of Cannery Row. And just like them, the fishing fleet here is no more. The vast shoals of sardines are gone from the Adriatic, along with many other kinds of fish. There is only one working fishing boat now in Vrboska, and that’s the Bako (or Grandfather in English). But just about everyone in the village has their own boat, and regularly goes out fishing for themselves. The spirit of the fisherman is alive and well here!
