The edited version of my piece on Korcula, one of the prettiest islands in Croatia, published in Business Standard Newspaper Weekend edition. Publishing the full piece on the blog.
There’s magic in the sunset of Korcula (pronounced Kor-chu-la). Behind the silhouette of the mountains, the flaming orange-red sun lends a soft glow on this picturesque island, which could easily vie for the top spot in all of Croatia as one of the most beautiful places to visit. The warmth of the last rays of the sun casts a glow on us – three school friends of more than two-and-a-half decades who have come on a vacation to Croatia to celebrate, among several other things, the strong bond of long-lasting friendship. It is in that moment, while walking in one of the narrow alleys of Korcula, that we feel blessed to soak in the magic, experiencing for ourselves the mysticism of Korcula, the Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, which, as legend has it, was founded by Trojan hero Antenor in 12th century BC.
The centuries-old limestone walls and cobbled pathways are bathed in a saffron hue, giving this historic town its distinct character, its timeless personality. At night, when the streetlights shine on Korcula’s medieval towers and walls, it seems like the relics of the past are waiting to share, with the present moment, the rich history of the town. Rated among the greenest of Croatia’s islands, Korcula, located just off the Dalmatian Coast with roughly 16,000 inhabitants, is slowly getting discovered by enthusiastic travellers. In the dead of the night, as we friends sit on a bench overlooking the harbour, parked with sailing boats, ferries and yachts, watching the starry sky, it’s not tough to understand why, even 2000 years ago, Korcula was considered a favourite Greek holiday spot. Interestingly, a stone inscription found in Lumbarda on the oldest written stone monument in Croatia, records that Greek settlers founded a colony on the island and gave the island its name, Korcyra Melaina (Black Korkyra) for its dense Mediterranean vegetation. Such was the beauty of the island that post the Venetian and Austrian rule (for several years, Korcula provided timber for wooden walls of several buildings and palaces in Venice), in the 20th century, during World War I, the island (among other territorial gains) was promised to the Kingdom of Italy in the 1915 Treaty of London in return for Italy joining the war on the side of Great Britain and France.
Through centuries of ups and downs, sieges and control by various establishments, today the town – a mini-fortress enclosed with ecru-coloured stone walls – is dotted with bars, cafes, restaurants that line the pathways of this historic place. The town itself has roughly 4000 inhabitants; it is believed that Korcula is where Marco Polo, the famous merchant-traveller who discovered the Silk Route was born. It’s another matter that Italy has been reportedly miffed at Croatia staking claim on the merchant traveller. If, however, Korcula is the birthplace of Marco Polo, as several historians and experts now suggest, it is indeed a fitting pilgrimage of sorts for passionate travellers.
The town with several churches, museums, and galleries has architecturally-rich homes, which have been converted to bed and breakfast abodes and studio apartments; in every nook and cranny of the town’s narrow, cobbled streets, it’s easy to find hidden treasures – right outside Kanavelic Place, our studio apartment, for instance, stands majestically a centuries-old church, a glorious structure, mysterious and charming, both at once. Interestingly, Kanavelic Place, it is believed, was originally the home of Petar Kanavelic, the famous poet in 16th century Croatia.
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While many tourists visit some of Croatia’s ‘obvious’ destinations, including Zagreb, Split, Hvar and Dubrovnik, a stop at Korcula truly beckons. One recommends, if not more, at least one night in this charming town. Arrive by the evening catamaran (we came from Split), admire the lavish sunset, and use the next day to do a wine-and-walk tour of the old town before catching the catamaran to another place (in our case, we continued our trip to Dubrovnik, another landmark destination). The four-hour wine tour (€56) will, in fact, allow you to discover the entire island of Korcula in a panoramic vehicle, passing through stunning viewpoints, lagoons, hamlets, and interiors.
Our first stop is Smokvica (pronounced Smokvitza), a village in Korcula with roughly 1000 inhabitants, roughly 30 kms away from Korcula. En route, we pass lush green forests of indigenous cypress trees, thick pine woods, olive and lime trees that have grown for centuries, towering over mysterious prehistoric caves and grottos, some of them accessible to the public even today. Look out for ‘meje’ or limestone stone fences along the island that make for an even prettier picture.
For wine aficionados, Smokvica is a must-visit – it is, after all, the place where the Croatian white wine Posip originates from. Toreta, the family-run winery, one of the best known in the business, was started roughly five decades ago by winemaker Frano Banicevic’s grandfather. For the record, Banicevic, in 2010, won the award for the Best Youngest Wine Maker. “Life,” Banicevic says while serving us eight kinds of wines, including white, red and dessert rose, “without wine, is useless”. The taste of sweet, flavoursome and aromatic wine lingers even as we proceed to Blato to sample more wine tasting. Unlike Toreta’s family-run winery, where we see several antique tools of the trade (grape crushers, wooden barrels, grape seed sifters, transfer wagons, field tools, among other objects), Blato 1902 is among Korcula’s largest producers of white wines, olive oils, and figs. If in Toreta’s wine tasting room, we relished our wine with cheese, in Blato 1902’s tasting room, we break bread with extra virgin oil for our wine tasting. “This year,” says Diana Petcovic, a senior official of Blato 1902, while pouring us a remarkable, full-bodied red wine, “unseen low spring temperatures have led to frost that has destroyed our crop.” She’s glum but hopeful that the worst is over. We pick up bottles of extra virgin olive oil, figs and premium wines (Blato 1902, for the record, brings out only finest quality wines, much of it exported to Australia, a place where more and more Croatians are relocating).
With our heads buzzing happily with the delicious wine tasting, our next stop is Barilo, a family museum that showcases some of the most ordinary but essential tools that were used by the ancestors of the Marinovic-Barilo family. Members of the family continue living here with their wonderful four-legged member, Juno, who will wag his tail and run with his toys to get your attention. While we see several objects (the 16th century baby pram becomes a personal favourite) from the family collection, it’s the outside garden area with wild rosemary, dried figs, jars of liquors fermenting in the sun, which catch our attention. Juno, by now, has dug some mud, chased butterflies and proceeded to rest in the garden.
That evening, back in the town of Korcula, after we have walked through several streets, including ‘the street of philosophers’, lit candles inside the 14thcentury, Gothic Renaissance-styled St Marks Cathedral, and seen other imposing monuments, we three friends watch another spectacular sunset in Korcula. Giving us company is Plavac Mali, Croatia’s most popular and best known red wine. There’s banter, there’s conversation and there’s gratitude for the fact that we are together in Korcula. We’re happily high – not only on the delicious wine but also on our friendship, on this journey, on all the moments this majestic town of Korcula offers.
Happiness, Home & Health 