Avgust

78 | Despitebeing the closest island to Split, Šolta has only 800 inhabitants and is essentially the opposite of Hvar andBrač. Modern tourismis somewhatmutedhere, so a kindof special tranquillity reigns on this island. Alongside the few inhabitants, peace has alsobeen foundon the islandof Šolta by rabbits andwildboars, while the Eurasian scops owl –which is just one of a hundred species that inhabit the island – has become the symbol of the islanders. Pristine nature and an authentic lifestyle are the essence of the slogan“return to innocence”, which is used to invite thosewho don’t crave crazy nights out andnoisy festivals. On Šolta there aremany surviving trees of the forgotten carob, whose longbrownpodswere once a delicacy in shermen’s homes. Densepinewoods, olive groves and crystal clear, turquoise seas are the greatest charms of this small island, which proudly protects its“innocence”. Althoughbene cial to theweary bodies and souls of urban folk, walks through thick green forests, fresh air andenjoyment of sea views don’t imply that Šolta o ers boredomas a formof holiday. On the contrary, its numerous bays are a paradise for divers, sailors and cyclists. It is on twowheels that youwillmost easily tour the settlements of Rogač, Grohote, Stomorska, Maslinica... All of themare located in a line that’s 19 kmlong – the lengthof this island. Along theway you should feel free topick gs, because g trees are everywhere, and in the village of Grohote try the famous Šolta honey, fromwild rosemary, whichhas been cultivatedonly hereby one family for generations. Honey is said tohavebeenproducedhere since antiquity, and the sweetness of the local honey is said tohave attracted Illyrian queenTeuta, who reigned in the 3rd century BC. Legendhas it that this queenhadher own castle on Šolta, where – after numerous warswithGreek colonies – she nally foundpeace. LikeTeuta, today’s sailors also ndpeace inŠolta’s numerous bays, whichhavebeen shapedbywaves to create natural protection against gales and tempests. On this islandof olives, wines, gs andhoney, Teuta’s regal peace is available to anyonewhodoesn’t nd it too tough to traversedensepinewoods in searchof their own slice of paradise inhidden coves. Iako najbliže Splitu, ostrvo Šolta ima tek 800 stanovnika i sušta je suprotnost Hvaru i Braču. Savremeni turizam je ovde nekako utišan, pa ostrvce živi nekim posebnim mirom. Uz ovo malo ljudi, mir su na Šolti pronašli zečevi i divlje svinje, a ptica ćuk, samo jedna od 100 vrsta koje naseljavaju ostrvo, postala je simbol ostrva. Netaknuta priroda i autentičan način života suština su slogana „Povratak u nevinost“, kojim se u goste pozivaju oni koji ne žude za ludim provodom i bučnim feštama. Na Šolti su opstala brojna stabla zaboravljenog rogača (engl. carob pods), čiji su dugi mrki plodovi bili poslastica u ribarskim kućama. Guste borove šume, maslinjaci i kristalno čisto, azurnoplavo more najveće su čari ovog malenog ostrva, koje s ponosom štiti svoju nevinost. Iako blagotvorni za umorno urbano telo i dušu, šetnje kroz guste zelene šume, svež vazduh i uživanje u pogledu na more ne znače da Šolta nudi dosadu kao vid odmora. Naprotiv, brojne uvale su raj za ronioce, jedriličare i bicikliste. Na dva točka ćete najlakše obići mestašca Rogač, Grohote, Stomorsku, Maslinicu... Sva smeštena u liniji od 19 kilometara, koliko je ostrvo dugo. Usput slobodno berite smokve, jer stabala ima svuda, a u seocetu Grohote probajte čuveni šoltanski med od samoniklog ruzmarina, koji se u jednoj porodici generacijama samo ovde proizvodi. Kažu da se ovde med proizvodi još od antičkih vremena i da je slast njihovog meda privukla ilirsku kraljicu Teutu, koja je vladala u 3. veku pre nove. Prema legendi, kraljica je imala dvorac na Šolti, gde je nakon brojnih ratova sa grčkim kolonijama konačno pronašla mir. Poput Teute, nautičari danas pronalaze mir u brojnim uvalama Šolte, koje su talasi oblikovali i stvorili prirodnu zaštitu od bure i juga. Na ostrvu maslina, vina, smokava i meda, Teutin kraljevski mir može da pronađe svako kome nije teško da u potragu za svojim komadićem raja u skrivenim uvalama krene kroz guste borove šume. ŠOLTA OSTRVO MASLINA, VINA, SMOKAVA I MEDA ISLANDOF OLIVES, WINE, FIGS ANDHONEY Savremeni turizam je ovde nekako utišan, pa ostrvce živi nekim posebnim mirom Modern tourism is somewhat muted here, so a kind of special tranquillity reigns on this island iStock / On The Wing UAV Ltd iStock / Vrabelpeter1

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