The island of Lastovo has been permanently inhabited for several thousand years. The first famous inhabitants were Illyrians, and in ancient times, they were first colonized by the Greeks, who called him Ladesta, and then by the Romans.
In the bay of Ublim (on the southwest coast), there were archaeological finds from the Early Middle Ages and medieval ages.There is something about those islands in the southern Adriatic that just gives you this Robinsonesque fantasy of running away from your routines, thoughts, daily stress triggers, and negativity. The more south you go the islands seem more and more distant from the continent and more into the open sea while being smaller and smaller and way more intimate.
What is it around this archipelago, with islands like Korčula and Mljet, that give you that hope that you can spend time somewhere in peace with nature, tranquility but still have the best of the food, wines, and starry skies?
We don’t know the answer to that question but as long as we have that luck to have places like those on our planet, we will be grateful.
And that also goes for the star of this post- Lastovo island! Like Korčula and Mljet stand as proud parents, a bit down beneath them lies this green heaven on Earth. Haven’t heard about it? Well, you’re about to!
The island itself is so small that you won’t believe your eyes – 10km long and 8,5km wide!
Like the other Adriatic islands, and in the case of Lastovo, it often changed power over the island. After the Greeks and the Roman Empire, the island was under Byzantine rule. With the arrival of Croatians on the Adriatic coast, the island was occasionally located within the Croatian Kingdom, occasionally within the Venetian Republic. From the 13th century, it became part of the Dubrovnik Republic. With the end of the Dubrovnik Republic, at the beginning of the 19th century, Lastovo entered the Illyrian province in the short run by the French. After the defeat of Napoleon, Lastovo, along with other parts of the former Dubrovnik Republic, became part of the Habsburg Monarchy, since 1867, Austro-Hungarian.
Since the 20th century, it was under Croatian rule.
So what can you see in Lastovo?
Interesting sights include the Basilica of St. Peter from the 6th century, several old lighthouses, Rača cave – an archaeological site with remains from the stone age, and lots and lots of nature which made Lastovo a protected park of nature!
One of the symbols of this mysterious island is the Lastovo chimney – fumar. It is a characteristic and unique architectural expression of the 17th and 18th century, a bit strange and interesting in its looks. In each other’s competition, the Lastovo locals themselves, in their inner competitions decorate their chimney to kind of mock the neighbor. Therefore, every chimney doesn’t look as near as the other, every new fumar would get more unusual and original with ornaments that range from birds to angry faces.
The Greek god Poseidon was wondering which island was the most beautiful one, Lastovo, Mljet or Korčula.
And the legends – they walk among the coast of the island. A small nearby island which goes by the name of Glavat has a legend from the far, far past. The oldest one is related to the island’s emergence. According to this legend, the Glavat has created thanks to the gods of Olympus.
The Greek God Poseidon was wondering which island was the most beautiful one, Lastovo, Mljet, or Korčula. Poseidon sent his envoy to discover it on the spot. Poseidon’s envoy watched for days, admired, and could not decide. God because of his indecision hardened his envoy and transformed him into a small island of Glavat.
And who knows what more this little island of mystery hides among its woods and chimneys….even on a space that small?
We might pay a visit, and you?
