Inhabitants of the island of Hvar are interested in renewing the life in small historical villages like Velo Grablje village, Zarace village and Malo Grablje village. They are a good place to develop the rural tourism on the island and protect valuable traditional architecture.
One of those islands is Malo Grablje. It is a beautiful hidden and abandoned village on the west side of the island, around 1.5 km away from Milna. The village is situated among the high cliffs and by the road that has always represented the natural access to the sea for villages in the inner part of the island.
The villagers moved to Milna during the second half of the 20th century because they were attracted by the beauty of the bay. The village impresses at the first sight with its stone houses, peaceful streets and unspoiled nature.
You can reach the Malo grablje by walking along the dried up stream from Velo Grablje. There is also a new road from Hvar to Stari Grad that passes through the Malo Grablje.
Village Velo Grablje is situated 11 km east of Hvar, 5 km away from Brusje. The village was founded in the 14 century. There, you can find preserved archaeological, historical and cultural monuments from prehistoric to modern times.
There is a small church of Saint Vid that is a good and preserved example of Croatian architecture from the period between 9th and 12th century. On the island of Hvar, one of the most beautiful churches is the Saints Cosmas and Damian church. It is famous for its beautiful wall paintings. Although the present church is built in the 19th century, the foundations are from an older church that was built in 16th century.
Village impresses with its architecture of stone houses and picturesque yards. The touch of past can be felt in the charming narrow streets. Today, the village is almost deserted with barely 10 permanent residents. Most of the villagers had moved to Hvar town. The village was a rich place in the past. It was known for the production of wine, olive oil, honey and lavender oil. It is interesting that the first bush of lavender was planted in Velo Grablje. Today, most of Hvar’s fields are covered with lavender.
Another small and beautiful village is located around 6 km away from the Hvar town. Two deep bays with pebbly shores are located there. There are called Velo Zarace that is located on the east and Malo Zarace that is located on the west. Those bays are 300 meters away from each other. The divers love Zarace because of its spectacular underwater scenery.
The island of Hvar is famous for its historical, natural and cultural riches. That sunny island became a part of the list of ten most beautiful islands of the world that was made by the Traveller Magazine. Those are some of the reasons why I love Hvar.
