Aschi "Freestone"'s photos

Maslinica is the only settlement with a port on the west side of the island, it is considered one of the most beautiful places on the Adriatic. In 1708 a castle was built by the noble Marchi family. Today the castle is a carefully renovated hotel with luxury suites, a helideck, a marina and an exquisite restaurant.

after a comfortable descent from Donje Selo down to Maslinica we reach the anchor place of our boat. Maslinica is the only settlement with a harbour on the west side of the island. one of the most beautiful places on the Adriatic.

Donje Selo, the parish church of St. Martin is an old cemetery church that has been renovated several times over the years. Donje Selo, the lower village, is a simple farming village without tourism. Farmers and fishermen live in the village. The surroundings of Donje Selo are considered to be the best hunting area on the island during the hunting season.

View to the church of the village Grohote the name means "crumbled rock". Grohote is the main town, the oldest and largest village, the economic centre of Šolta. It is the seat of the administration, school town, with a farmers market, two supermarkets, a pharmacy, post office, a permanently occupied fire station and an island hospital with doctor and helicopter landing field.

Gornje Selo (the upper village) is a small village at about 100m above sea level. The village has a distinctive church tower, which is very dominant even from the sea side from the channel of Vis. Thanks to the fertile fields and the nearby bays on the south side of the island, the locals have always been winegrowers, olive growers and fishermen.

By bike we go through the woods and olive groves to the culmination point of the island.

Stomorska, a cosy village situated on the island of Solta The small fishing village has 250 inhabitants and accommodation for 500 tourists. The place is a perfect blend of contrasts: old stone houses, sailboats and just a few metres away "kaići" (small wooden fishing boats), Dalmatian taverns and modern cafes. Stomorska is the oldest coastal settlement on the island, where qualified sailors lived, owned sailing boats and used them to transport wheat, lime and other products.

Hff my Ipernity friends, enjoy the weekend and the spring weather :-)

Passing these coastal landscapes which are illuminated by the morning sun, we are on our way to the island of Šolta.

very early in the morning the sun appears again behind the hills and announces a new day, soon the anchors are lifted and we aim for our next island.

Shortly before the sun disappears behind the hill, we reached the port of Stari Grad and our boat. Stari Grad translates Old Town The original settlement (Pharos) was founded in 384 BC by Greek colonists. In 2008 the plain of Stari Grad east of the city, which has been used for agriculture since ancient times, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Since we should reach our boat again before dark there are still a few kilometres to cycle and to make a visit in Vrboska. The idyllic small town of Vrboska lies on the north-eastern coast of the island of Hvar. The town is also called "Mala Venecija" (small Venice) because of the numerous bridges connecting the districts of Pjaca and Podva.

St. Ivan's Square is considered to be the most beautiful in Jelsa. The church of St. Ivan is first mentioned in a document from the 15th century. Today the square and the church stand out due to its octagonal shape and its Baroque appearance, which has been preserved since the adaptation and extension of the church in the 17th century.

Walk in the alleys of Jelsa The town of Jelsa lies on the north side of the island of Hvar. It is surrounded by the two largest peaks of the island, Nikola and Hum. Depending on the weather you can see the neighbouring island Brač and the mainland. The area where Jelsa lies today was inhabited during the Stone Age.

we have reached Jesla and enjoy a nice view on this place in the background you can see the St. Mary's Church which is also the monastery church.

here you can see the walls, in the background on the left Stari Grad a quiet town which we will leave on the left and drive on to Jelsa.

over the hills at Hvar through a landscape crossed by thousands of small dry stone walls which are supposed to keep the wind from the olive trees and the grape vines

HFF and a relaxing weekend to all my Ipernity friends and visitors.