A Bit of History

Viganj is a beautiful place on the Mediterranean, ideal for enjoying a peaceful holiday, nature and recreation. It is nestled in a charming cove on Pelješac peninsula, west of Cape St. Liberan and 6km from Orebić, the largest town on the peninsula. It is mentioned for the first time in the 14th century. However, it has existed for much longer as archeological remains of ancient Illyrians from the 5th century BC, the location near the ancient settlement of Nakovana, as well as Roman remains show. Although the name Viganj means bellows, according to the legends it comes from either a blacksmith’s son’s inheritance, the winds that constantly blow in the region, or an aristocrat named Viganj who lived in the area.

From the 17th century onward rich maritime families from the Republic of Dubrovnik abide there. Pelješac was under Dubrovnik’s rule since 1333. We are reminded of those glorious days of Pelješac’s mariners by the beautiful stone houses and the villas of the rich captains and sailors from Viganj, whose flowered gardens are filled with indigenous Mediterranean flora. It is worth mentioning that in the mid 19th century Viganj’s own shipping company “Braća Kovačević” (Kovačević Brothers) had its headquarters in Marseilles, France. When the Dominican monastery and the church of Our Lady of the Rosary were built in 1671, Viganj got its town centre.

Viganj’s has a pleasant climate and warm seasons. It is sheltered by hills from north winds and faces the always warm south. It averages 3,600 hours of sunlight per year, sea temperature is never below 15°C, and from early spring to late autumn mistral, a refreshing northwest wind, blows often (average wind speed is 5 on the Beaufort scale, rising up to 8). This is the reason why Viganj has become a popular destination for windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving, cycling, and even hiking and hunting because of its proximity to the highest peak on Pelješac – Sveti Ilija, 961m – rich in herbs and wildlife (mouflon, boar, pheasant).

The town alone has a few bars and restaurants. It is perfect, genuine, and made for you to spend a wonderful and restful Mediterranean summer holiday, enjoy seafood and first-rate olive oil and taste the famous Pelješac wines.

Good thing come in small packages

Charming small town

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Eol apartments Viganj

Eol Viganj apartments are situated by the sea and just a few steps from the beach. The ground floor features a huge storage room for surf equipment so that all surf lovers can enjoy their favourite sport practically from the porch, without carrying around all the equipment. The building has many green areas and horticulture receives a great deal of attention. In addition to beautiful plants, our garden has orange, lemon and pomegranate trees. The big central terrace features deck chairs and a swimming pool for a quick dip. There is also a barbecue at our guests’ disposal for their summer dinner parties. We offer 8 luxury apartments; three two bedroom apartments, four one bedroom apartments and one studio apartment. The building next-door has a grocery store and a cash machine, and a little dock from which the boat departs three times a day is right across the road.

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    A Surfing Destination

    Viganj is one of the best wind spots in Europe. Aeolus (Eol in Croatian) is the Greek god of wind and its spirit is certainly a part of Viganj since the warm maestral wind, which blows so often in Viganj, is one of its main characteristics and the reason why Viganj is such a popular destination among windsurfers. Viganj has everything you need for an ideal vacation, clear and warm sea, relaxing nature and a number of activities you can do while there. We wanted to share this unique space, its nature and warm sea with everybody. Viganj has a windsurfers’ soul – its carefree, youthful, unrestrained and a bit on the wild side. During the summer it is filled with surfers, cyclists, skateboarders and active people of all ages. Well known for its many days of sun and great wind conditions, this destination attracts surfers from all around the world. Viganj was the host to the Windsurfing World Championship in 1989, and the European Champioship a year later. Today it hosts most of the national championships.

    On Ponta, Viganj’s most popular beach, you can find windsurfing schools which also rent surfing equipment and bicycles. If you book classes with surfing school, you will get all equipment included in the price. Two most popular windsurfing and kitesurfing schools in Viganj are Liberan and Water Donkey.

    Aeolus lives here

    The best spot for windsurfing

    Korčula

    Island of Korčula is a pearl of the Adriatic Sea. It is situated across from Pelješac and consist of villages Lumbarda, Žrnova, Pupnat, Račište and Čara. The city of Korčula is situated in the southeastearn part of Korčula. In the 4th century B.C. Greek colonizers named it Korkyra Melaina (black wood), and Romans called it Korkyra Nigra. The city was built on a tiny peninsula jutting into the Pelješac channel. It is surrounded by towers and walls and watched from afar, it looks like a city-fortress.

    Korčula had the Statute in the early 13th century, which regulated life in the medieval city, built by strict urbanistic rules. The town raster, based on a fishbone pattern, has been preserved until today. Korčula’s finest examples of residential and sacral architecture in Gothic-Renaissance style date back to the 15th and 16th century. Built from the stone from Vrnik and Korčula, almost all palaces and houses were adorned with bishop’s or noble coats of armes. The same attention was paid to the parks and squares maintenance and beautification. Marko Andrijić was one of the famous builders, and he built the bell-tower of the Cathedral of St Marco.

    Marco Polo, a famous traveler and explorer in the 13th century and the first European to reach the Far East and China, is one of the most important historical figures from Korčula and his house has been turned into a museum. Main occupations at the time were shipbuilding and stonemasonry, famous around the world. In 1301 Korčula established the diocese and fraternities which had a significant religious, social and cultural influence. From the middle 18th century onwards, the Day of St. Todor has been celebrated on 29 July as the town’s day. However, Korčula’s patron saint is St. Marco. Over the last 500 years, Moreška, or the knight’s game has been one of the major attractions of Korčula. It used to be performed on the whole Mediterranean, but Korčula is the only town where it has been preserved until today. It follows the story of the conflict between the White King and the Red King, Osman and Moro, fighting for the love of Bula – the Red King’s fiancée. Kumpanija is a sword dance, performed in Vela Luka, Pupnat, Čara, Žrnov and Blato, which represents the fight between Korčula’s inhabitants and the pirates.

    You can reach Korčula by a passenger boat from Viganj which operates 3 times a day both ways. Korčula is ideal for an evening of enjoyment, a walk or dinner, while during the day you can visit one of the beautiful beaches. There are excursion boats from the harbour to the isles of Badija and Vrnik, Lumbarda or the sandy beach Bilin žal, as well as bus lines which cover destinations on the island. If you want to go by car, the ferry line operates every 30 minutes from Orebić, 6km from Viganj. Additionally, there are passenger boats from Orebić to Korèula which connect to the catamaran for Split.

    Korčula offers an abundance of restaurants and clubs, a summer movie theatre, a culture centre, as well as numerous museums, churches and galleries.

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    Pelješac

    Pelješac is the second largest peninsula in Croatia. It is located in South Dalmatia in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, 60km from Dubrovnik and 170km from Split. The peninsula is 65km long, with an area of 358km2 and a population of 8,000. Due to its geographic location at the heart of the Mediterranean, exquisite beauty, pleasant climate and the rich flora and fauna, people have lived here since the dawn of ages; there are remnants of human settlements from the Neolithic Era. In the 5th century BC the Illyrians were the first tribe that inhabited the peninsula. After them came the Romans, followed by the Slavs in the 7th century. The peninsula prospered greatly under the Republic of Dubrovnik, which bought it from the Serbian Emperor Dušan and the Bosnian Ban Stjepan II. Kotromanović in 1333. After the demise of the Republic of Dubrovnik in 1808 its history is the same as the region’s.

    Pelješac is tailored to every tourist’s taste. For those who enjoy food and wine it is widely known for its production of olive oil and Dingač and Postup, first-rate red wines made from an autochthonous grape species Plavac mali. There is a wine road in the interior of the peninsula with a large number of private wine-cellars where you can taste local specialties and fine wines, while oysters, mussels and fish are farmed in the Bay of Mali Ston.

    Tourists keen on history can visit the mystic Nakovana and see the remains from the Bronze Age. Nakovana tells us intriguing stories: from an Illyrian shrine, Spila cave – a place for taking oaths and ritual dancing, the stone burial mounds, Norin – a fay spring, the oldest chapel on Pelješac, to the home of Ivan Lupis – the man who invented the torpedo, and much more. Among others, there is Ston, which had the first salt pans in the region and the longest city walls in Europe built in the 14th century.

    Orebić is the largest town on Pelješac. It boasts a Franciscan monastery from the 15th century with the church of Our Lady of the Angels, a maritime museum and the marvellous architecture of the villas and houses of the wealthy sailors and captains.

    Sveti Ilija is the highest peak of Pelješac, rising above Orebić, at 961m. Hiking trails with two hiker’s huts lead up to it. The view, of the islands and the sea on the one side and the snowcapped peaks of the Dinaric Alps on the other, is breathtaking.

    Žuljana has one of the most beautiful beaches on the Adriatic with a few hulls of old sunken ships which divers love to explore. Divna is a wonderful natural sandy beach west of Trpanj.

    For those who enjoy nature, whether hiking or hunting, Pelješac offers lush flora – except vineyards there are numerous herbs like lavender, marshmallow, mint and marjoram; wildlife also flourishes with mouflons, boars, pheasants, mongooses and golden jackals. For adventurers and those who enjoy sports there is Viganj. Other places include Janjina, Lovište, Kučište, Mokalo and more. Each place tells its story, and all together they weave a fairy tale for your peaceful holiday with your friends, partner or family. A fairy tale oasis dedicated to getting you away from the turbulent existence and the bustle of the city, with beautiful beaches upon which the waves of the clear, warm Adriatic Sea break.

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    Our apartments in Viganj

    Boreas 1

    This spacious 2 bedroom apartment has a balcony with a sea view and a private yard.

    Boreas 2

    Large 2-bedroom apartment with a spacious living room with sea views.

    Boreas 3

    Stunning 2-bedroom attic apartment with two balconies.

    Notus 1

    One bedroom apartment right next to the pool and a few meters from the sea.

    Notus 2

    Charming attic 1-bedroom apartment with amazing sea views from living room and bedroom.

    Zephyr 3

    This spacious apartment has an amazing balcony with a sea view.

    Zephyr 2

    A large 1-bedroom apartment with a lovely balcony overlooking the sea.

    Zephyr 1

    Our largest apartment has 2 bedrooms and a lovely yard just a few meters from the beach.