2012 Kroatien

The beautiful panorama over the sea to the island of Korcula which can be enjoyed from the monastery.

The city and island of Korcula, a popular tourist destination on the southern Dalmatian coast . Its dark pine forests inspired the ancient Greeks to call it Black Corfu.

after a racy departure from the monastery to our boat, we are now on our way to the island of Hvar where we will anchor in the little town of the same name.

The Royal Clipper is anchored in front of the harbour entrance. Royal Clipper a five mast cruise ship with full rigging The ship is considered to be the second longest sailing ship in the world with a capacity of 227 passengers. The Royal Clipper also served as the location for the film series Under White Sails.

View from our anchor place to the small town Hvar The town is situated in a small bay on the south coast of the island of Hvar. Surrounded by karstic hills that rise steeply from the sea. Since the soil consists mainly of limestone and dolomite, groundwater is scarce on the island. Olives, wine, lavender and rosemary are cultivated where the soil conditions permit. The island of Hvar The island of Hvar is also called the queen of the Croatian Dalmatian islands. Since ancient times, it has been famous for its important strategic and nautical position, the richness of its various historical eras, its culture, natural monuments and literature. Because of the mild climate, warm winters and pleasant summers many guests come to Hvar.

View over the town of Hvar Hvar is a small town and port on the island of Hvar, it is the largest settlement on the island. Located on a bay on the south coast, the towns of Stari Grad and Jelsa are very close by.

The town of Hvar has a long and important history as a centre of trade and culture. As part of the Venetian Empire in the 13th to 18th centuries, it was an important naval base with a strong fortress above it, surrounding the city walls and the protected port

Hvar ist der Ort eines der ältesten erhaltenen Theater Europas, das 1612 eröffnet wurde. Die siebenhundert Jahre alten Mauern sind noch heute erhalten, ebenso wie viele der Adelshäuser und öffentlichen Gebäude aus dem 15. und 17. Jahrhundert.

Franciscan monastery Hvar The 15th century Franciscan monastery has an elegant bell tower, built in the 16th century by a family of stonemasons ausKorčula In the garden of the monastery there are rarities that make the monastery famous, there are 300 year old cypresses.

Panorama Stephansplatz and surroundings The elongated Stephansplatz between Arsenal and Loggia is with its area of 4.500m2 the largest square in Dalmatia. It leads into the impressive Sveti Stjepana Cathedral, which dominates the square with its 16th century Renaissance façade and five-storey bell tower. Next to the church is the Archbishop's Palace, the seat of the bishops of Hvar since its construction in 1249. City loggia and clock tower on the left side of the picture At the harbour opposite the Arsenal, the last remains of the once spacious residence of the city commander are still enthroned today. The Stadtloggia was integrated into the former Kurhotel Empress Elisabeth at the beginning of the 20th century. The arsenal and theatre on the right in the picture The first municipal theatre in Europe was opened in 1612 in the Venetian arsenal directly at the port of Hvar. The then prince Semitecolo succeeded in making a brilliant move to finally create peace between the nobility and the common people. At that time Hvar still had about twice as many inhabitants as today, many of whom belonged to the wealthy aristocracy. To this day, the inhabitants of Hvar have held on to their theater - and the times were as bad as they may have been. Today the theatre can be visited at the 19th century architecture stand, the best occasion for this is of course a performance by a local folk music group.

Church of the Holy Spirit The late Gothic church of the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit was built at the end of the 15th century. In the bell tower there is the oldest bell of Hvar from 1487. The building served as the main church for the inhabitants of the nearby village Grablje, who only had their own church at the end of the 17th century. The Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit was dissolved during the French government and replaced by the Brotherhood of Saint Nicholas, founded in 1861.

on a discovery tour in the alleys of Hvar, with these magnificent stone houses

Before we saddle our steel horses ;-), a little shopping tour on this colourful and well-equipped small market

over the hills at Hvar through a landscape crossed by thousands of small dry stone walls which are supposed to keep the wind from the olive trees and the grape vines

here you can see the walls, in the background on the left Stari Grad a quiet town which we will leave on the left and drive on to Jelsa.

we have reached Jesla and enjoy a nice view on this place in the background you can see the St. Mary's Church which is also the monastery church.

Walk in the alleys of Jelsa The town of Jelsa lies on the north side of the island of Hvar. It is surrounded by the two largest peaks of the island, Nikola and Hum. Depending on the weather you can see the neighbouring island Brač and the mainland. The area where Jelsa lies today was inhabited during the Stone Age.

St. Ivan's Square is considered to be the most beautiful in Jelsa. The church of St. Ivan is first mentioned in a document from the 15th century. Today the square and the church stand out due to its octagonal shape and its Baroque appearance, which has been preserved since the adaptation and extension of the church in the 17th century.