A unique historical site worth visiting – Blaca Desert.
The Croatian coast hides many historical monuments that show us past times, so many of our islands hide historical pearls that could tell us many stories, the island of Brač hides a monument that is very unique. The Blaca Desert is a famous museum on the south coast of the island of Brač, between the towns of Bol and Milna, which in the past was a monastery for Glagolitic priests, an observatory and today is a museum institution.
The Blaca Desert is not an ordinary “desert” but was named after an isolated area in which hermit monks created communities that could dedicate themselves to prayer and spiritual life in peace. It was formed from a small cave “Ljubitovica” from which the priests built a monastery and a church and turned the forest around the monastery into vineyards and olive groves.
Since 1994, the Blaca Desert has been operating as a museum institution within the Brač Cultural Center, whose main goal is the development and maintenance of this important cultural monument. Within museum, there is a monastery and a church. In the monastery – “the desert apartment” there are salons with libraries and a piano, study rooms and musical instruments, but also fireplaces, open fireplaces with smoke where meat was dried, bread ovens and other storages.
An observatory was established in the monastery, where two asteroids were discovered and named Milićević and Brač in memory of the astronomer and his small observatory.
Some of the more important monuments located in the museum are the monk’s piano, telescope, old manuscripts, gramophone and printing press, convent kitchen, convent rooms, convent classroom, remains of convent hives and library.
You can reach Blaca by car to Dragovode and after parking, hike down to the monastery on the marked path. (Note: the monastery is a 20–40 minute away, and comfortable and sporty clothes and shoes are recommended.)
Opening hours and ticket prices can be found on the link: http://czk-brac.hr/index.php/radno-vrijeme