Things to see and do Îles Croates

The first Croatian museum of viticulture and oenology opened in 2019 in Putniković, on the road leading from Ston to Žuljana. The project originated with the village's agricultural cooperative, founded in 1911 and still in operation today (the cooperative's wine can be purchased at the establishment). Covering some 800^m2, the museum consists of three collections that tell the story of wine tradition and the historical development of the vine in the Pelješac region.

This religious complex, of which certain elements are in ruins, is composed of a medieval basilica (12th-12th centuries), the monastery and its cloister (15th-16th centuries). The Benedictine monks, who had been living on the island since the 11th century, left it for good in 1787. The Romanesque-Gothic style convent was partially destroyed in the earthquake of 1667. Today, only the east and north wings and the cloister remain. Inside, a large permanent exhibition on Game of Thrones will allow fans of the American series (but also the curious) to learn more about the behind-the-scenes filming in Croatia, with testimonies and interviews with actors in free listening.

In the courtyard of the convent, Maximilian of Habsburg had his residence built in 1860, complete with gardens and a park. The monarch had already started a small botanical collection, but it was in 1959 that the garden was institutionalized to study the adaptation of tropical and subtropical plants to the Mediterranean climate. The years of war 1991-1992 inflicted much damage to the garden. Since 1993, the garden has been rebuilt and planted again. More than 800 species are now listed, including many cactus, eucalyptus, palm trees. Some trees are more than three centuries old! You can enjoy a beautiful walk to the large reservoir that passes through the olive grove of the Benedictines. The city of Monaco has financed part of the work!

This ruined fort was built at the beginning of the 16th century on the highest point of the island... it climbs! The effort is worth the reward because once you reach the top, you won't forget the panorama. You will get a wide angle frame and will take beautiful pictures of the sea, the archipelago, the relief and the vegetation around you. You might even meet some goats wandering around the fort. A few meters away from the fort stands the Church of Our Lady of Sunj.

On its promontory, the monastery of St. Jerome, the patron saint of Dalmatia, was founded in 1430.

In the inner courtyard, there is still the epitaph to Šimun Kožičić-Benja (1460-1536), the primate of Rijeka who had the first book printed in glagolitic. In the cloister, his tombstone remains, as well as a beautiful colonnade with capitals carved with plant, animal or human heads. It is possible to stay in this calm and soothing place.