Croatia Travel Blog

Archive for the ‘Peljesac Peninsula’ Category

It’s been a long process but finally the magnificent Ston walls are fully renovated and open to the public. The walls of Ston, on the Peljesac peninsula, comprise the longest fortress system in Europe and second only to the Great Wall of China internationally. The walls stretch for 5km and include 40 towers and five fortresses.

Renovation actually began 50 years ago but intensified in 2003. Why so long? Authenticity, that’s why. Each new stone was hand-carved just as the originals were back in 1334 when construction began.

Not only is it hoped that these amazing new walls will bring in tourists, but they just might make in onto the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Ston Walls would be ninth on the list of Croatia’s World Heritage Sites.

Meanwhile, visit Ston and Mali Ston to see for yourself.

The vineyards of Peljesac peninsula produce some of the finest wine in Croatia. Dingac, Plavac Mali, Postup are renowned throughout Croatia and produced in the dry soil of the Peljesac peninsula.

Now this centuries-old winemaking region has attracted an unlikely new vintner: AIG’s new CEO, Robert Benmosche. Reuters has reported that Mr Benmosche, who had recently come under fire for a 12-bathroom villa in Dubrovnik, has spent millions bringing California vines to his vineyard in Viganj to produce the popular Zinfandel wine. Recent tests have placed the origin of Zinfandel grapes squarely in Croatia, so for this CEO it’s just a return to the source.

While steering AIG back to financial health with taxpayer funds, Benmosche also hopes to put Croatia’s wine industry on the map. Rather than a lot of unknown vintages with unpronounceable names, Croatian wines will eventually be dominated by the well-known Zinfandel. Mr. Benmosche is sure that Croatian Zinfandel is a very good investment. Perhaps better than AIG.

It was one of Croatia’s more grandiose infrastructure plans. The idea was to construct a bridge connecting the Peljesac peninsula with the mainland thereby eliminating the need to drive through Bosnian territory. What? Bosnian territory? Yes, the Dayton Peace Accords signed in 1995 provided that Bosnia-Hercegovina should have an outlet to the sea. Bosnian territory extends down to the port of Neum which means that you must pass through Bosnian territory if you drive the coastal road from Split to Dubrovnik.

Although it worked well, Croatia became uncomfortable with the arrangement and came up with the idea of bypassing Bosnian territory by building the aforesaid bridge. It was to be four lanes wide and the second longest bridge in Europe. The plan came under criticism almost immediately as an expensive boondoggle design to line the pockets of politically-connected contractors.

Now with the Croatian economy sagging, plans for the Biggest Bridge have been put on the back burner. The government has just announced that construction will be slowed and a new bridge is not likely before 2015.

So for now, get your passports out for when you pass the Bosnian checkpoint at Neum. See more about driving the Croatian coast.

There are those that swoon over pearls and those who say that an oyster’s slippery flesh is more perfect than a pearl. Less durable, yes, but unquestionably more flavorful.  Croatian devotees of oysters make  regular pilgrimages to Ston, on the Peljesac Peninsula where oysters are cultivated to perfection.

Ston is 45 minutes from Dubrovnik, but residents of the walled city only needed to head downstairs to the main square this week to indulge their oyster passion. Eight thousand oysters from Ston were trucked to Dubrovnik and opened in front of St Blaise church for a special Oyster Feast. Delighted locals were able to eat three oysters for only 12 kuna (€1.75). Where I come from, that counts as an unbelievable value.

Ston oysters are at their very best right now; another good reason to spend March and April in Croatia.

Read more about Ston.