In Korčula’s Old Town, even the street plan reveals a distinctive pattern: the lanes are laid out in a herringbone design. Walls, towers and bastions surround the Old Town; the fortifications were gradually expanded from the 13th century through the 1870s. Some sections were demolished in the 1870s.
Old Town and Island History
The Cathedral of St. Mark is a Gothic and Renaissance building. It houses works by Ivan Meštrović and Fran Kršinić. Another stop for culture enthusiasts is the City Museum in the Renaissance Gabrielis Palace. It preserves the Lumbarda Psephisma: an ancient stone inscription from the 4th century BC documenting the arrival of Greek settlers on the island. The cathedral and museum offer different ways to explore Korčula’s history—through architecture and through a specific record of settlement.
In the Sveti Antun district, a cypress avenue leads to a stone staircase with 101 steps. It leads to the Church of St. Anthony of Padua and a 15th-century hermitage. This route thus connects an avenue, a staircase and two historic buildings in a clear sequence.
The Lastovo Carnival is also part of the living tradition of the island of Lastovo: it is celebrated every year with costumes and masks and preserves an oral tradition. The festival thus offers a different emphasis from the buildings in the Old Town—one on customs passed down through generations and their recurring celebration.
Islands and Trails
Near the town of Korčula lies an archipelago of twenty uninhabited islands, densely covered with maquis and with an accessible coastline. On some islands, smooth rock slabs by the shore are suitable for sunbathing. The island group thus offers a different perspective on the coastal landscape from the town’s lanes and fortifications.
One island in the archipelago is Ošjak. The wooded, uninhabited island is encircled by a hiking trail that runs across the entire island. If you are interested in a route rather than the island group as a whole, this offers a specific option: a circular trail on a single island.
For longer routes, Korčula has two circular trails with different profiles. The 160-kilometre Camino Korčula starts and ends in front of the Cathedral of St. Mark in the town of Korčula. It passes through all the island’s settlements as well as its central, southern and northern regions. The Island Challenge, by contrast, is a 131-kilometre circular cycling route. These details provide an initial guide to the route, activity and distance; check the latest route information before setting out.
KorÄŤula offers several ways to explore side by side: the herringbone street plan, individual architectural and historical landmarks, island coastlines and routes of varying lengths. Which one shapes your trip depends on whether you are more interested in urban history, traditions passed down through generations, or landscapes and routes.
Discover more destinations: Općina Blato, Općina Korčula, Općina Vela Luka, Pag, Međimurje County, Međimurska, Losinj, Istria County
Return to the main travel overview: Croatia.
