Historic Town of Korcula Walking Tour
A historical stroll through the past and present of Korčula’s historic part.
Kerkyra Melaina for the Greeks, Curzola for Venice, and Korčula for the Croatians, the town that soars above the Adriatic been called different names throughout the ages. Yet all treasured the one important thing that the island offered. This gleaming floating fortress guarded the major shipping route across the ages, accumulating wealth from crafts, trade, and agriculture, making it a real historical gem to discover.
Our tour by qualified local guides will make you not only see Korčula from the outside but discover its numerous secrets from the inside. The tour will give you a truly authentic experience that weaves the past and present into one exciting story.
Tour Details: Introduction to Historic Town of Korcula Walking Tour
Itinerary
A nice stroll through the historic part of Korčula. In case of inclement weather, we will stop somewhere and wait for the weather to get better or reschedule the tour.
Meeting place
The recommended meeting place is in front of the land entrance to the historic town. Cruise ship guests can be met at the western port.
Duration: 2 hours
We are aware that tours tend to develop their own momentum and time dynamic depending on the group or the individual. For curious travelers with many questions, we are perfectly comfortable going longer than the suggested two hours.
Transport
Walking tour. Please bring comfortable shoes.
Included in price
Walking tour through the historic part of Korčula
Popular Routes: Split to Korcula, Korcula to Split, Dubrovnik to Korcula, Korcula to Dubrovnik
Money required
For additional supplements such as ice cream, souvenirs, and snacks, it is recommended to have about 400 Croatian Kuna. We also accept euro, US dollars, and £ sterling.
Languages
Tours are available in English, Croatian, French, and German.
Price:
385 HRK for up to 4 persons (Equivalent to 58 US Dollars, 52 Euro or 43 GBP) Special rates for groups.
Detailed Tour Info
Perched for centuries on the border between different empires and countries, Korčula’s island status, bountiful natural beauty, and high strategic significance have attracted numerous settlers like ancient Greeks and Romans as well as large empires such as Venetians, Napoleon’s revolutionary France, and the multinational Habsburg Empire.
Although much has changed since the medieval period when the historic town was built, some of the historical-geographic features of the town have remained the same. In this tour, we will guide you through the town’s exciting past, colorful culture, and intriguing present. You will gain an insight into the various historical periods, geographical features, and cultural elements that have made the town what it is today.
Built-up around an island that was a key entrance point to the northern Adriatic, Korčula’s historic center is today on the tentative list of UNESCO. To understand Korčula’s essence, our well-versed, multilingual guides will explain the importance of the island position for practically all the major powers in the Mediterranean. You will find out about which entities challenged the Greek and Roman dominance in this part of the Adriatic.
Moving into the medieval period, the guide will explain the development of the current urban center and its various craftsman guilds, some that have maintained continuity for over seven centuries, outliving every entity that has ruled Korčula. The tour will spend time examining the significant cultural imprint of the Venetian Empire, whose numerous intimate links to Korčula led to it being given the name città fidelissima or ‘most faithful city.’
Touring through the historic sections winding lanes, the guide will tell you stories related to the particular relationship of the city dwellers to the rural dwellers, the links between the nobles and the governing classes.
Stopping in front of the most important administrative buildings of the main municipal square, the group will learn about the town’s various institutions in the realm of politics, economics, and culture and how they have left an imprint on the town in the past and in the present. The tour will examine the legacy of the city’s innovative legal charter that is one of the oldest in this part of Europe and has pride of place in the city planning structure.
Continuing the tour through the piazza in front of the cathedral, the tour will explain the source of the town’s wealth during the early modern period and how some of these things are still visible in a sculpted form on Korčula’s cathedral, noble palaces, and public spaces. You will hear stories that bring back to life the legacy of the town’s most famous travelers, talented architects, Renaissance writers, and gifted sculptors.
The latter was responsible for carving the largest amount of winged lions in Dalmatia, taken from locally quarried limestone offshore. The dramatic history of the town’s numerous winged lions of St Mark is one of the permanent features of Korčula that have enjoyed a particularly intimate relationship with the city folk throughout the ages.
Leaving behind the medieval and early modern eras, the tour will give an insight into the long 19th century when Korčula was under the Habsburg Empire. We will see why this was important for local identity in the form of cultural organizations and schools.
As Korčula entered the 20th century, we will find out how the town and island were affected by the fall of the Habsburg Empire, the two World Wars as well as the post-war history that brought about new development and challenges that have continued into the 21st century.
