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We began in Dubrovnik, as sumptuous a walled city as you will find. Like much of the Dalmatian coast, its-architecture has a Venetian flavour — a legacy of being ruled by the old Republic during the 13th and 14th centuries. Dubrovnik is hardly a well-kept secret even among conservative holidaymakers, but in recent years it has enjoyed an unexpected boon as the setting for King’s Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms in Game of Thrones. Guides give Game of Thrones tours in-dozens of languages, and selfies are taken against the backdrop of key scenes.
Even with this celluloid pedigree, however, Dubrovnik seems almost soulless compared to the islands off its coast. They comprise an archipelago to rival any in Greece, with more reliable ferries. It’s a mystery that they are not better known — or some of them, at least. Hvar is the most famous: a favourite of film stars, Prince Harry and, increasingly, 20-year-old Brits.
You can hardly blame them, though: cars are banned, so almost everyone arrives by boat, stepping off on to quays lined by appealing-looking bars. In Hvar town, the Hotel Adriana has views across the harbour and a terrace for breakfast — which, among other delights, offered something in the region of eight different butters. You really don’t realise just how important a butter bar is until it’s in front of you. For the most part we were content to lounge at Bonj les Bains, an art-deco beach club round the corner from the harbour. Again, I was suspicious of the beach club as a concept until I arrived.
From Hvar we went on to Korcula, which feels like Hvar’s more worldly but less flashy big brother. We stayed in the Lesic Dimitri, an 18th-century bishop’s palace-meticulously restored by Michael Unsworth, a British former banker, and his Croatian wife Masa. It sits on a stretch of tree-shaded waterfront, where restaurants jostle for space. Aside from the Wi-Fi, there’s almost nothing that wouldn’t have been the same in 1955. We read, walked, looked at the buildings, sipped cocktails. Michael told me that the season has been starting later in recent years, and shared his plan to use food and the arts to maintain the island’s sophisticated positioning. It would be a shame if he was too successful.
From the seaplane back to Split (hairy, but recommended) we spotted dozens of tiny islands, begging to be explored: Rab, Susak, Silba, Murter. Next time, I thought, I’ll choose a sailing boat: the old-fashioned way to enjoy old-fashioned glamour.
Because you read about croatia
Also by Ed Cumming
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