The birthplace of Marco Polo was built on the foundations of a Greek colony, and is the historical and tourist centre of the largest island in the Dubrovnik region. It is famous for its streets that are shaped in the form of a fish bone and well-preserved Gothic and Renaissance buildings.
Among them stands out the Cathedral of sv. Marko [St. Mark], whose rich interior guards the works of great Italian painters. The people of Korčula have preserved their customs and the medieval knight’s game “Moreška” that takes place on the town streets. The gentle Mediterranean cuisine will challenge the palates of even the most fastidious gourmets.
Along with the gifts of the sea (mussels, fish, crabs), delicious desserts such as Cukarin, the Dubrovnik cakes rožata and klašun go very well with the local Korčula wines - Grk, Pošip, Plavac and Rukatac.
Near the town of Korčula, there is an archipelago of 20 uninhabited islands covered with dense thicket, and an accessible coastline. Here is also the slightly larger islet of Badija with its pebble beaches and beautiful Franciscan monastery.
Ever since the time the great explorer Marco Polo sailed away from his hometown of Korčula (the house where he was born is available to visitors), an island in the Dubrovnik archipelago, the knightly town of Korčula, fully preserved and rich in history, has developed into a sort of an urban sculpture of regular lines. What makes it special is the architecture, the architects wanted to have the fishbone-designed streets bathe in the sun in the morning and in the afternoon, but not during the noon heat.
They say no island has more legends or monuments than Korčula, and it is also the woodiest island in Croatia along with Lokrum and Mljet.