Let me start by saying that we have mostly agreed that a foreigner doesn’t really have a right to an opinion on Hvar, much less one who no longer lives on Hvar, so if that is your viewpoint, there is no point reading any further.
Let me continue by saying that my opinion (for those who care for it) differs considerably from many locals, including some good friends, and that makes me a little sad. I don’t get sad very often, and so I guess today’s unhappiness must be a reflection of how much I love this island which was my adopted home for 13 years.
after I started Total Hvar, there was a story about someone about to concrete a part of one of the gorgeous Pakleni Islands, Jerolim. I wrote a small article on it, but it was due to the exposure in the Croatian national media that the plans were halted. A good thing.
Over the years, one of the many things I have appreciated about life here has been the lack of progress. When those useful yellow signs appeared everywhere telling people where the towns and villages were, I had to concede that it was useful, but something changed that day. Just a little.
I have always loved the lack of building here, although it used to frustrate the hell out of me as a real estate agent a few years ago – the largest construction on this sought-after tourist island in the last 15 years has been a block of 12 apartments. There is something glorious about that, especially as one looks at the coastline of places like Montenegro go to hell through bribery and over-construction. That could never happen on Hvar.
Or could it? I am still reeling from the shock of the dynamiting of the hill by Hotel Podstine a few weeks ago, an act which not only destroyed part of a neighbouring house and blocked the road, but was officially approved and all has gone VERY quiet since… Check out the pictures yourselves (there is so much more I could and want to write on this one, but I may get into trouble).
Where does one draw the line between tourism and progress? The more accessible the attraction for the modern traveller, the better. That brings in more tourists, which brings in more money. Everyone is happy.
But are they? More than a million visitors to Plitvice Lakes these days every year, with the impact on the destination leading UNESCO to threaten to remove its World Heritage Site status. Some destinations only require a fraction of that number in terms of visitors to permanently change the very factors which make it unique.
Like Velo and (especially) Malo Grablje. Two of the most magical places not only on Hvar, but in all Europe, and with two quite amazing stories. Not easy to reach, despite their proximity to Hvar Town, their very isolation is one of the keys to their charm.
Malo (Little) Grablje – a totally abandoned village, where not only nobody lives, but no property is ever for sale. Legend has it that the village was founded by a bastard son of Henry VIII (hence the only surname around – the very non-Croatian sounding Tudor), a hauntingly beautiful abandoned village full of old Dalmatian charm and artefacts, and one working building – the ultimate Dalmatian authentic experience at Stori Komin (no Coca Cola here). Just one kilometre from the new road to Stari Grad, but off the beaten path (even more so until one of those yellow signs came a few years ago). A place for hikers, cyclists, gourmet fans, off-road safari travellers in search of the Dalmatia as it once
Velo (Big) Grablje, my favourite Croatian tourism story of all, and a sign of what can be achieved by dedicated locals. Once the centre of lavender production for all Dalmatia, until recently this largely abandoned village had just five permanent residents. Today the number is 14, there is an EXCELLENT restaurant (Zbondini), a winter pub, an annual lavender festival, and the sound of resident children playing for the first time in generations. The village has eco-ethno status, and EU money is coming in. It is a divine place, not so easy to get to from Hvar Town (10 mins on the old road), but also not that hard either.
But now it is a lot easier, for after an apparent ten years of promises, an asphalt road is being constructed, making both Malo and Velo Grablje very accessible. No more fighting over the stunning turns on the old road through Brusje, now tourists will be able to drive towards Milna from Hvar on the fast road, take a left turn and speed through tranquil Malo Grablje up to Velo Grablje, absorb their 10 minutes of ‘authentic Hvar’ and move on to the next adrenaline fix.
One of my favourite advertising slogans of all time was Stella Artois’ ‘Reassuringly Expensive’. I felt the same about Malo and Velo Grablje. Not only Reassuringly Authentic, but also Reassuringly Hard Enough to Get to that most tourists with a 2-minute attention span won’t bother.
Until today.
But let’s not stand in the way of progress. After all, Hvar Town has gone from no youth hostels to 29 in just 8 years, meeting the needs of the younger and drunker tourists who are now defining the brand of this once magnificent destination.
I don’t expect the locals who are delighted with this ‘progress’ to agree with me – it would not be the first time… But let’s have a chat in ten years, shall we, and ask where is the Mediterreanean as It Once Was?
