Slavica’s guidebook to reach Bol,Brač

Here are some useful tips for your travel to Brac island and Croatia. The easiest way to Brac depends on your means of transport, and the direction you are coming from. Generally, if you travel by car, bus or train, you need to reach Split or Makarska in central Dalmatia, where you can take a ferry to Brac or catamaran to Brac (from Split). Ferries Split - (Brac), and Makarska - Sumartin take cars. If you go by plane, the closest local and international airports are Split and Dubrovnik airport, and then you need to take a local bus, rent a car, or take a taxi to Brac. There is also an airport on island Brac. From there you can reach your destination by bus or taxi. Regardless of what transportation means you use to come, undoubtedly you will experience a sea journey to Brac island. When you see Brac and start to enjoy its benefits you will know that your journey has paid off. Bus lines connect all parts of the country. Regular international bus lines connect Croatia with all neighboring countries, as well as most of middle European and west European countries. If you are travelling Brac by bus - there are connections from all bigger cities and places to Split. Bus departures from Zagreb and Split are frequent (every half hour or every hour). For details visit Bus station Split and Bus station Zagreb. Bus station Split phone No: +385 60 327 327. Split main bus station is right across the ferry port. There you can choose one of the sea transports to Brac ferry to Supetar, or catamaran/hydro-glisser - to Bol or Milna), or you can continue by bus to Makarska (62 km from Split), where you can take a ferry to Sumartin on Brac island. When you arrive at Supetar ferry station, there are bus connections to other towns on island Brac. If you are travelling to Brac by car, depending on the direction (Austria, Slovenia, Hungary) you need to go through Zagreb to Split or Makarska with main Croatian highway A1, or along the Croatian coast from Rijeka to Split or Makarska. From Split you can take car ferry to Supetar on Brac (50 minutes), or from Makarska to Sumartin on Brac island (60 minutes). The choice of ferry might depend on where is your final destination on Brac, the price, the frequency of departures and the lenght of crossing. Supetar is closer to Split. Sumartin port is more suitable if you are coming from the direction of Makarska (departure port) and Dubrovnik. Also, you can take into account the frequency of departures. Out of season ferry from Split to Supetar sails 9 times a day and from Makarska to Sumatin 3 times. During summer season (july, august), ferry from Split to Supetar sails 14 times a day and from Makarska to Sumartin 4 - 5 times. More info about Brac ferryboat timetables and ferry lines to Brac Croatian auto club Information about highways, tolls, conditions on roads, maps, location of gas stations, tourist info for travellers on Croatian roads, multilingual - Website Documents When arriving in Croatia by car it is requested that you carry a valid driver's license, car registration card and your Green Card (proof of car insurance) Speed and alcohol limits Speed limit in settlements is 50 km/h and 80 km/h in out of settlements (unless stated differently). On highways a speed limit is 130 km/h. At this moment, the maximum permitted level of alcohol in the blood is 0,5 ‰. Petrol stations In Croatia, petrol stations are open from 7 am to 7 pm or 8 pm every day and during the summer until 10 pm. There are also petrol stations that are opened round the clock in the larger towns and on main international routes all petrol stations sell: Eurosuper 95, Super 98, Normal and Euro Diesel. In Brac island, car petrol stations are available in Bol, Milna and Supetar, and are opened whole day during the season. Rent-a-Car This service is available in all cities, tourist resorts and airports (Split and Dubrovnik airport), and in Supetar and Bol on Brac island. The closest international airports to Brac are the ones in Split and Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik is 165 km from Makarska and ferry Makarska - Sumartin). From Dubrovnik, frequent bus lines are available to Makarska or Split, or you can choose taxi or car rental. Split Airport is situated 30 km from Split ferry station. Transfer of passengers from the Airport is organised by buses, also there is a local bus every 20 minutes and taxis are available during the operating time of Split Airport. In Split you can choose one of the sea transports to Brac, Supetar or Bol, by catamarans or ferries. You can find more details on Croatia Airlines website. Croatia Airlines ticket reservation phone No: +385 62 777 777 Airport Split phone No: + 385 21 203 555 Airport Brač phone No: + 385 21 648 615 International airports Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Pula, Rijeka, Zadar and Osijek. Only smaller planes (charter) can land at the Brac airport. Information Zagreb 01 / 6265-222 Split 021 / 203-555 Dubrovnik 020 / 773-222 Pula 052 / 550-900 Rijeka 051 / 842-132 Zadar 023 / 313-311 Osijek 031 / 297-438 Brac 021 / 648-615 Losinj 051 / 231-666 Croatia Airlines The national airline company flying to and from Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Copenhagen, London, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Prague, Rome, Sarajevo, Skopje, Vienna, Zurich, Tel Aviv, and, seasonally, to Manchester.Croatia Airlines website. Other airline companies flaying to Croatia German Wings, Ryanair, Adria Airways, Aeroflot, Air Bosnia, Austrian Airlines, Air France, Avioimpex, British Airways, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Malev and Swissair. Bus lines connect all parts of the country. Regular international bus lines connect Croatia with all neighboring countries, as well as most of middle European and west European countries. If you are travelling Brac by bus - there are connections from all bigger cities and places to Split. Bus departures from Zagreb and Split are frequent (every half hour or every hour). For details visit Bus station Split and Bus station Zagreb. Bus station Split phone No: +385 60 327 327. Split main bus station is right across the ferry port. There you can choose one of the sea transports to Brac ferry to Supetar, or catamaran/hydro-glisser - to Bol or Milna), or you can continue by bus to Makarska (62 km from Split), where you can take a ferry to Sumartin on Brac island. When you arrive to Supetar ferry station, there are bus connections to other towns on island Brac.

Blaca desert - see it to believe it! Blaca desert is special in so many ways it’s sufficient to say you won’t find anything similar anywhere near or far. It stretches on fifty-six acres, between Dragovode and Blaca bay. It is considered a desert, because of the scarce nature which surrounds the lovely monastery. Blaca desert was a home to many generations of monks since the seventeenth century. For a time in history this was the main school attended by pupils from the small villages nearby. The monastery holds the second largest telescope in Europe, which hasn’t been used for ages. Today, this is one of the most favorite hiking destinations and picture worthy sightings. This amazing place is a part of our #bestofhistory tour, so check it out!

Location and name With the size of 394,6 km2, Brac is the most spacious island in Dalmatia. It is anchored like a huge ship in the picturesque archipelago of the Dalmatian islands. Brač today has some twenty settlements of which the most well known is Bol. Location and name Bol is a very large town; the first and oldest on the coast of Brac. The location was not chosen as the other coastal resorts on the amphitheatric slopes of sheltered bays, but on the separate south shore with its imposing cliffs. The jewels of Bol; the fortified Kostilo, the Illyrian fortress and Vidova Gora, the peak of the Adriatic rise steadily above Bol. The name Bol originates from Latin word vallum, meaning „rampart", "earthy settlement". Latin word vallum has the same meaning as old Croatian meaning of the world coast ("trench", "rampart"). The name was most likely due to the Roman army crossing of the Vallum and Slavic coast. Bol was first mentioned as a settlement in the building list made by the Povalja in 1184 (Monks of the Dominican monastery). Bol was also mentioned as a town on 10 October 1475 when Prince Zacharia donated the Glavica peninsula to the Dominicans.