Have you ever heard about sailing stones, a natural phenomenon that moves up rocks weighing up to hundreds of kilograms hundreds of meters away or about the beach that changes its shape? Meet the island of Brac, Croatia and its famous Golden Horn beach.
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Brac is the third largest and the highest Croatian island situated in the Adriatic Sea in the central Dalmatian archipelago. The island has numerous picturesque villages and things to see and it is best known by the unique phenomenon, the Golden Horn beach situated in town Bol. Golden Horn is the biggest attraction of Bol and it is the only beach in the world positioned vertically to the shore with its top changing the shape and direction to one and another side, depending on the direction of winds and waves.
Bol is the most famous jet set seaside resorts and a favourite windsurfing destination that offers many different windsurfing competitions, while WTA tournament Croatian Bol Ladies Open brings women tennis elite every year. Mount St. Vid, the highest island point, is not just a true heaven for paragliders and kite gliders but also for everybody who likes climbing or trekking. Take a seat at the mountain house and treat your stomach with prosciutto, cheese, a spit-roasted lamb and wine and, if the weather is favourable, enjoy splendid views on the central Dalmatian archipelago islands all the way down to Italy.
The west side of the mountain hides Monastery Desert Blaca where friars lived in tight community for 400 years. They also built the observatory in the early 20th century and had instruments, telescopes and rich library. One of those telescopes was the largest telescope in Croatia for a long time. When the last friar has passed away all the buildings were transformed into the museums with furniture, kitchen, an open fireplace and objects used throughout centuries.
One of the island's attractions is Dragon's cave. Back in the 15th century a Dominican priest found dragon's remains inside and hence the name. A big figure of the dragon dominates the west side of the cave while most of the reliefs present a battle between good and evil. Enjoy the magnificent views from the plateau in front of the cave's entrance and on your way back visit the east side of Bol where Dominican monastery is situated. The monastery has extensive collection of the 15the century prehistoric items and underwater archaeology while Renaissance-Baroque style palace hosts stone monuments and paintings.
Return back to the centre of Bol followed by pleasant smell of garden sage, rosemary and song of crickets and leave the most ancient town on the island for a while and take a trip to visit Supetar, the main town of the island situated on its northern side that hosts 19 well preserved early Romanesque churches. Stroll through its medieval streets and take a look at its small charming shops and attend to some of the numerous events. The same side of the island hides Pucisca, the town known by extracting and carving famous snow-white Brac stone. Tourists adore Pucisca because of its beautiful, isolated bay, its peacefulness and a certain rustic ambiance.
The western coast hides beautiful white Milna, a small town built of Brac stone and protected by a marvellous bay. In the past Milna was a secure harbour for ships of the Roman emperor Diocletian and Russian fleet during the Napoleonic wars and was the island capital under the supremacy of the Russian Tsar for a year. Today Milna offers a view on its beautiful architecture and it is a winter home for sporting-boats and yachts and to some of the most amazing sandy and pebble beaches. Regardless of a place you will choose to visit you shall certainly enjoy beautiful sceneries and delicious tastes on one of the most beautiful islands of the Adriatic Sea. ■
