We talked a lot about recently unveiled cable-stayed bridge which gracefully spans the Adriatic between the village of Komarna on the Croatian mainland and the Pelješac Peninsula in front of her. After decades of having to cross parts of Bosnia to get between the main Dalmatian hubs of Split and Dubrovnik, motorists can now completely bypass it, avoiding border crossings to and from the EU.
Then there is the bridge itself, a marvel when surrounded by the sea and the rolling vineyards of Pelješac. Anyone who has been to Podgorica in Montenegro will recognize the work of Slovenian engineer Marjan Pipenbaher – his cable-stayed bridge over the Morača looks similar in appearance, although much smaller in span.
Driving on this huge construction, however, toll-free and well signposted, is quite another matter. Leaving behind the crescent moons of beaches, bars and konobas that line the waterfront of a previously little-visited part of Dalmatia south of the Makarska Riviera – there is now even a Bridge Restaurant in Komarna 97 – you head towards Pelješac as 98 meter high pylons rise above you. Dramatic is the word you are looking for.
It is then that we realize that the bridge, 2.4 km long, now gives access to the vineyards, windsurfing spots and oyster beds of the Pelješac peninsula, without having to take the little ferry frequent from Ploče or Korčula. More than just a shortening of the road between the familiar centers of Split and Dubrovnik, it opens up a whole new part of Dalmatia that only intrepid oenophiles may have explored before.
Roughly as long as Hvar in the north and extending farther than Korčula which lies along its southwestern tip, Pelješac lacks the recently developed tourist infrastructure of either and s far better.
Locals have long been drawn to its lack of visitors, fine wines, long pebble beaches and, above all, the best mussels and oysters in Croatia. They are raised to Rock, one of the peninsula’s two flagship destinations, close to the mainland to the south. The other is Orebić, a resort in its own right, a short walk from Korcula and a windsurfing hub. A road runs the length of the peninsula, and with your own transport you can travel the 65 km of road lined with vineyards, stopping at wine cellars serving the famous local Postup and Dingač reds.
Dingač refers to a seven kilometer long stretch of coastal land where Plavac mali grapes grow – an indigenous Dalmatian grape variety. Only grapes harvested in this small area, on the belly of the peninsula approximately between the towns of Podobuce and Trstenik, have the right to be called Dingač. And as with any other world-famous piece of land for wine, the reason farmers cling to this geographic distinction is the precious convergence of conditions here.
First and foremost, the land faces south-west, which means the grapes take full advantage of Dalmatia’s long sunny days. Secondly, the soil in which the vines grow is calcified and rocky, which gives the plants a double advantage: a second sunburn due to the reflection of light on the rocks and an evolutionary advantage because only the most hardy can grow there. . Finally, the hill on which the fruit grows is incredibly steep, which means that the harvest time is difficult, but in return, the land receives a third slice of sunlight reflected directly on the sea.
The result is a powerful, full-bodied red with a massive bouquet that resembles great wines of the genre: Sangiovese, Pinot Noir or Red Zinfandel. The difference being that the flavor of the best bottles of Dingač is, some would say, more robust, both in taste and smell. According to a winemaker from the peninsula, the trick is not to grow big grapes here, the trick is to learn to control their strength without controlling too much. Another compared grapes to wild horses, which you want to tame – a little, but not so much as to destroy the innate qualities that make them wild.
A wine route connects 11 marked vineyards along the peninsula. One is Miličić. “People think that only the French make good wine, but the wine here is excellent,” says Goran Miličić, whose vineyard is located on the outskirts of Potomje, the heart of Dingač production. “The biggest difference is that the French have four, five or more generations but we are only at our first generation, which means we have to start everything with ourselves.”
Excellent beaches also extend on either side of the main road. To the north, Divna, near the small village of Duba, about 6 km from Trpanj, is isolated and sandy. Prapratno, 3 km west of Ston, is also sandy. To the south, Žuljana, before Trstenik, is a pretty village in a bay where you will find several beaches. The most beautiful is Vučine, almost immediately opposite Brijesta 5 km as the crow flies, where the bridge drops you off.
Further north, Orebić alone is worth a weekend. A major commercial center until the end of the 19th century, it is home to large villas festooned with greenery, built by retired naval captains. A maritime museum details this maritime history. The other main site is a hilltop Franciscan monastery a 20-minute walk from Hotel Bellevue. Built at the end of the 15th century, it houses Our Lady of the Angels, an icon believed to protect sailors from the Pelješac Canal that sprawls picturesquely below. Before reaching it, another path leads to the top of Sv Ilija, with views of 961 meters high.
Locals come to Orebić and nearby for its beaches. The most beautiful is Trstenica, sandy, with a few bars and a section for naturists. Viganj is also nearby, a popular place for windsurfing and kitesurfing, with schools, rental offices and campsites.
At the other end of the peninsula, the natural lake-like bay of Ston has been home to mussel and oyster farms since Roman times. In the summer, the locals sell oysters individually, by the roadside, but you will also find them at the family and traditional farm. Restaurant Kapetanova kucaoccupying the house where lived the captain in charge of the historic city walls lived once. Built to protect the salt shakers there, these historic fortifications date back to the 1300s and connect the twin towns of Veliki and Mali Ston along three kilometers of towers and bastions.
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