Page 139 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

D ALM A TIA  137

k Pelješac slope until they reach Mali
Peninsula Ston. The 41 towers, seven
bastions and two forts make
Map E6. @ Metković, (060) 365 365. this one of the largest and most
Ston: * 580. 4 (020) 754 026. interesting defensive structures
n Pelješka cesta 2, (020) 754 452. in the Adriatic and indeed
∑ ston.hr Orebić: * 2,500. the world. Some of the best
4 (020) 743 542 (Trpanj). n Zrinsko
Frankopanska 2, (020) 713 718. military architects, such as
∑ visitorebic-croatia.hr Michelozzo Michelozzi, Župan
Bunić, Bernardino of Parma,
The peninsula of Pelješac juts Juraj Dalmatinac and Paskoje
out 65 km (40 miles) from the Miličević, contributed to its
mainland, but it is only 7 km design and construction.
(4 miles) wide at its broadest The walls have been under
point. A mountain chain forms renovation since 2001. The
its backbone, which peaks at work on a section from Ston Franciscan monastery between Orebić
Mount St Elijah (961 m/3,152 ft). to Mali Ston has been finished and Lovište
The slopes and plain are and it takes about 45 minutes
covered with vineyards and to walk the route. Orebić
fruit trees, and the shallow The main structures are at Towards the tip of the peninsula,
coastal waters are given over Veliki Ston, which is built on Orebić is the boarding point
to oyster farming. an irregular pentagonal ground for ferries to Korčula. It has a
The peninsula was first plan. The buildings include the Maritime Museum (Pomorski
colonized by the Greeks, then largest fort (Veliki Kaštio); the muzej), which illustrates the
by the Romans and later by the Neo-Gothic Church of St Blaise history of its inhabitants, who
Byzantines. From 1333 to 1808 (Sv. Vlaho), built in 1870 to were the most sought-after sea
it belonged to Dubrovnik. replace a cathedral from the captains in the Mediterranean.
14th century which was At the end of their careers these
destroyed by the earthquake seamen invested in villas along
of 1850; the Governor’s Palace the coast or in the hills.
(Knežev dvor), enlarged in the Just outside the village,
same century, and the Bishop’s towards Lovište, is a massive
Palace (1573). The Church and Franciscan Monastery
Franciscan Monastery of St (Franjevački samostan), founded
Nicholas (Sv. Nikola) was built in the 15th century. In the
between the end of the 14th church alongside are two reliefs:
century and the 16th century. one is a Virgin with Child by
Mali Ston, the other focus of Nikola Firentinac (1501), who
the town, is dominated by Fort was a pupil of Donatello.
Koruna, which dates from 1347,
with two arsenals and a fortified E Maritime Museum
The Pelješac coast, a centre for warehouse for storing salt. There Trg Mimbelli bb. Tel (020) 713 009.
oyster farming are wonderful views across Open Jun–Sep: 7am–10pm Mon–
the peninsula to the north of Fri, 6–10pm Sat & Sun; Oct–May:
Ston the town from here. 7am–3pm Mon–Fri. &
The town closest to the
mainland, Ston was formerly
called Stagnum because of its
shallow waters. There have been
salt pans here since the time of
the Romans, who built a castrum
on the site. It was enclosed by
walls prior to 1000 AD.
The present defensive
walls, still impressive above
the town, were begun in the
14th century and completed
in the 15th century on orders
from Dubrovnik. There are
more than 5 km (3 miles) of
walls climbing from Veliki Ston,
the main heart of the town,
to St Michael’s Mount and
descending the opposite Overlooking the circle of walls connecting the two parts of Ston

136-137_EW_Croatia.indd 137 20/10/16 12:32 pm