A prestigious award for Korčula.
Korčula, a town of magical beauty, is the winner of this year’s Touristic Patrol by Večernji List daily, the oldest tourist award in Croatia, established in 1975. Korčula won the title of the tourism champion in the competition of 23 destinations in Croatia which were visited by Večernji List reporters over the summer. Out of the maximum of 100 points, Korčula received 95, reports Večernji List on August 9, 2018.
The journalists were highly impressed by this town of sailors, sculptors, artists and shipbuilders with streets surrounded by walls and towers which make it the most beautiful medieval town in Croatia. They enjoyed the Korčula beaches and the cultural events, nightly walks in narrow streets, climbing the massive stone stairs to enter the old town through the Great Revelin Tower and admire the two symbols of Korčula’s history – St. Mark’s winged lion, representing the reign of the Venetian Republic, and the memorial plaque put on the occasion of the thousandth anniversary of crowning the first Croatian King Tomislav.
In addition to the being one of the landmarks of Korčula, this 13th century tower is the place where tourists most often have their pictures taken. On the top of the tower is a viewing platform and the exhibition area inside the tower presents the history of Moreška, a knightly sword dance that was born in the Mediterranean around the 12th century and has been performed on Korčula since the 15th century. All visitors of Korčula want to see it, so the dance is performed at least once a week during the tourist season.
Other landmarks are the St. Mark’s cathedral, whose construction was completed in the 15th century by Marko Andrijić, the most famous Korčulan medieval builder, the Gabrielis palace which hosts the Town Museum, the birthplace of world traveller and the most famous local Marco Polo…
The Lešić Dimitri Palace is a hotel which has received awards for architecture and hospitality. The hotel was listed three years ago by Forbes as one of the ten most exotic and most romantic island destinations. And the Lešić Dimitri restaurant has recently received a Michelin recommendation. This year’s Michelin guide includes two other restaurants on the island. A recommendation was also given to the Filippi restaurant from Korčula, while the Mate Tavern from Pupnat, some fifteen kilometres away, received the Bib Gourmand label, which is awarded to restaurants which are not eligible for the prestigious Michelin star, but still offer top-quality, well-prepared dishes.
All in all, the combination of tradition and modernity makes Korčula a highly-desirable tourist destination, with streets full of guests from all over the world. Last year, Korčula had the best tourist season ever, with record number of arrivals and overnight stays.
“The Little Dubrovnik” – as many call Korčula – attracts guests with clean sea, rich historical and cultural heritage, and a superb gastronomic offer. In addition, Korčula, just like all of Croatia, is a safe destination which guests are well aware of, so they are happy to return there year after year.
Translated from Večernji List (reported by Marina Borovac).
