Visit island Brac, Croatia

The highest of all Dalmatian Islands

A little bit about island Brac

Brac island in Croatia, the largest island of the central Dalmatian group of islands, the third largest among the Adriatic islands; area of 394.57 sq km; the highest peak of the island, Vidova Gora (Vitus’ Mount) (778 m), is also the highest peak of all Croatian islands; population 13,824, who are living in numerous little places, which are (by alphabetical order): Bobovisca, Bobovisca N/M, Bol, Dol, Donji Humac, Dracevica, Gornji Humac, Lozisca, Milna, Mirca, Murvica, Nerezisca, Novo Selo, Postira, Povlja, Pucisca, Praznica, Selca, Splitska, Sumartin, Supetar, Sutivan, Skrip.

It is separated from the mainland by the island Brac Channel, from the island of Solta by the so-called Splitska Vrata (Split Gate), and from the island of Hvar by the Hvar Channel. The limestone part of the coast is rocky and steep, while the rest is rather low and sandy (on the southern side from Farska to Bol and the northern side from Sutivan to Supetar). The island landscape is dominated by a karst limestone relief, with numerous gullies, crevices, cavities, round valleys, and coves.

Island Brac is often found on top lists of places to visit in your lifetime; one such list states the island Brac is ideal for family trips is from The Telegraph, which you can read here.

Things to do on Brac Island

Get away from it all

Is there a better way to forget the rush hour and your daily routine than to escape to an island big enough to lose yourself?

Island Brac offers 395 square kilometers covered with forests, vineyards and olive groves, charming fishermen’s villages, early Romanesque churches, medieval monasteries, renaissance palaces, and kilometers of untouched coastline are all yours to explore and enjoy!

See life as it used to be

Island Brač farmers still travel to their fields by donkey, and agriculture is based on traditional technologies. The fisherman sells their daily catch directly from their boats. Shepherds in the mountains produce sheep and goat’s cheese, which can not be bought in any supermarket. Olives and grapes are handpicked, and almost everybody on the island produces their own olive oil and wine. The harvest season is quite an experience…
See Bol’s historical photos.

Explore the bays

Island Brač’s coastline is 118 kilometres long. It varies from dramatic rocks to gentle pebbles and sandy beaches. The most famous pebble beach is Zlatni Rat Beach near Bol on the south coast of the island Brac. Maybe less known, but beautiful is the sandy beach Lovrecina near Postira on the north side of island Brac. Yet you may prefer to find a little cove to enjoy on your own, whether you get there by boat, on foot, or by mountain bike.

Lie down by the sea, in the shade of Aleppo pine trees, and listen to the eternal song of the Mediterranean cicadas combined with the sound of waves rolling the pebbles up and down, up and down, as they did for millions of years. Here, you will surely find your piece of paradise.

Learn about the art of stone

Stone is part of the scenery wherever you go on the island of Brac. The force of nature has sculpted pebbles along the seashore. Drywalls along the roads and houses manmade all tell a story for themselves. Each builder has his own style, which is as recognizable as handwriting. Each wall is a kind of work of art to be admired as you walk by.

The white stone of island Brac has been used to construct many famous buildings worldwide, from the Diocletian Palace in Split to The White House in Washington. The stone-cutting tradition is still very much alive, and the stonecutters’ school in Pucisca is one of the few in the world.

Get the taste of healthy food

Most of the islanders live in ripe old age and are relatively healthy, even in old age. This has been attributed to the quality of local food. Excellent olive oil and delicious local wine are just part of the secret.

Discover hidden treasures

Some valuable pieces of art are hidden in the most unexpected places, which are sometimes even difficult to access, such as Blaca Hermitage (Pustinja Blaca), a Glagolitic monastery founded by the Franciscan friars in the 16th century in the midst of untouched landscape or the mysterious Dragon’s Cave (Zmajeva Špilja).

Mix with the locals

Each village celebrates the feast of its own patron saint with processions, street markets, and open-air concerts throughout the year. Besides, in summer months, all over the island, inside of and in front of churches, on town squares and in narrow streets, concerts, theatrical shows, art exhibitions, folklore evenings, and fisherman feasts are organized by local municipalities and tourist boards to make your stay even more interesting. Ensure you visit the event lists upon arrival to avoid missing anything.

Enjoy active holidays

Town Bol on Brac Island offers many possibilities for active holidays for those who do not want to lie on the beach. Windsurfing, diving, waterskiing, paragliding, kayaking, canoeing, mountain biking, cycling, walking, hiking, free climbing, panoramic flights, tennis, paintball, volleyball, and we probably missed to mention more of it…

Stay with us

With a 100-year tradition in tourism, Bol offers a variety of accommodations, from three and four-star hotels or hotel apartments to private accommodation (a room or apartment within a family house), from campsites in olive groves to modern wellness and conference centers, from fashionable bars to nice taverns in island Brac villages.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Places of interest on Island Brac

Hermitage Blaca (Pustinja Blaca)

Hermitage Blaca (Pustinja Blaca) – Island Brac, Croatia’s largest central Dalmatian island, rarely reveals all of its secrets, even to regular visitors. One of these is the sacred hermitage in Blaca and the monastery built under the cliffs of Brac in 1555 by Glagolitic priests who fled before the Ottoman conquests. On land granted to them by the prince of Brac, these Glagolites built an impressive structure that has been the center of culture and scholarly events on the island for centuries.

Dragon’s Cave (Zmajeva Špilja)

Dragon’s Cave (Zmajeva Špilja) – island Brac, Croatia. The Dragon’s Cave is the oldest abode of hermits from the Early Christian period. In the fifteenth century, it was inhabited by Glagolitic monks from ‘Poljice,’ where they found refuge from Ottoman invasions. An order by the local authorities in 1609 stipulated that the hermits could not be disturbed.

Frequently asked questions about island Brac