Ston Things to Do

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Distracted with the beauties of Peljesac coast, we suddenly arrive to a small town, with a long wall perched in the hills. More than 5 km long, this remains of Ragusa republic is an invitation - and a health test.

I passed the test, climbing to the top, where the award is... good views, and the pleasure to fell in good condition.

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, Joan and I drove by car to the nearby village of Ston, which has a stone wall circling the hills second in length to the Great Wall of China. Strings that are used to farm mussels fill the water of Ston’s inlet, and a salt works is still functioning, distilling the densely salted sea water into industrial-grade salt. The salt works is largest in the Mediterrean region and contains several ponds processing the same way for hundreds and hundreds of years.
Admission is $1.76 USD!, but worth every penny of it....

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Joan and I drove by car to the nearby village of Ston, which has a stone wall circling the hills second in length to the Great Wall of China. Strings that are used to farm mussels fill the water of Ston’s inlet, and a salt works is still functioning, distilling the densely salted sea water into industrial-grade salt. The wall, which was built in only 18 months during the 1300's, was needed to keep out invaders who came for the valuable salt, unavailable throughout much of Europe. Joan walked the wall, whose stone steps seemed to ascend at about a 45-degree angle, dipped into a valley and again ascended to Mali Ston (Little Ston) and back. Upon her return 2 hours later, the ticket agent was so amazed he gave her a gift book of the region!

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The Dalmatian Coast is famed for its islands and if you're not actually visiting one - maybe you're based in Dubrovnik, for instance - Pelješac, joined to the mainland only be a narrow neck of land, is the next best thing. And, of course, you have access from the peninsula to an island: Korčula (and the fascinating town of the same name). But it is worth spending a little time exploring Pelješac, especially at quieter periods of the year and, better still, staying there. The north coast around Drače is low lying and looks across to the Croatian mainland (with a few small islands in between). It can be very peaceful but the nightingales singing in the Spring could keep you awake at night! (There was one in the bushes behind our apartment and others in the gardens of the properties on either side.)
The south coast can be more dramatic, around Trstenik or as you approach Orebić, for instance. Orebić itself is not very big and, maybe if you have a little time waiting for the Korčula ferry, is worth a little exploration for its sea captains' house and lanes. There are further little bays beyond Orebić with some striking mountain scenery towards Kučište - which, again, has sea captains' houses and the delightful little Holy Trinity church of 1752.
These are just a few thoughts about the peninsula: there are many more bays, villages and viewpoints to be found with a leisurely exploration.

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When you walk down, you will get another kind of reward if you happen to find on the main place of Ston, a restaurant grilling a lamb (janjetina). That is what we were lucky enough to get. And the chef had got a gorgious pair of moustaches! (photo 1)

I highly recommend tasting janjetina (photo 2). It is delicious ! It cooks slowly, several hours. We had seen it before we were to climb the wall and we feared that none would be left when we would come back. Actually, when we came back it was not completely cooked yet !

As these photos were taken in 1990, I felt that I could not build a restaurant tip. In 2009, I did not find the restaurant where we had janjetina. It seems to have closed.

Locals claim that the great Ston wall is almost equal to China’s great wall but this is pure bragging as it is a thousand time shorter! Nevertheless climbing along the great Ston stonewall by a hot afternoon of August is a challenge. The reward will be a magnificent landscape. However, if you can, you would better advise to make that trip in the morning !

The wall is dotted with10 round and 31 rectangular towers. It was an important fort for the Republic of Raguse (Dubrovnik). It is 5.5 km long and is likely to be the longestfortification in Europe. It was built in 1333 to protect the salt fields that were a source of income for Raguse.

Until I arrived in this little town, I had no idea that there were walls anywhere in the world that might be compared to the Great Wall of Chine. Ston, however, has such walls and they are second in the world to those of China.

They can be seen from quite a distance as you approach the area (not sure, though, if they can be seen from space).

There are lots of walk (apart from the wall). One favourite was to a tiny hamlet farming community - Cesvnica. We replenished our water bottles at the local fountain which must have been there for centuries, a lovely antique feature. Talking, (no communicated - not much English spoken here) to a local guy he told us the water was fresh from the mountain, the very best, and we could not agree more.