Supetar is the main port of entry on Brac Island as well as its administrative centre. With around 3500 inhabitants, Supetar is the largest town on the island. The harbour is an attractive place for a stroll and is backed by a small network of medieval streets lined with local cafes and small shops.

Supetar port

Although many people only give Supetar a passing glance on the way to the much more touristed and beachy Bol, it merits more. Fertile surrounding countryside with vineyards, olive groves and orchards, pine woods all along the coast, the bay of Vlacica and its beaches make Supetar an excellent base to explore the island. The town itself is busy with tourists in summer but languid the rest of the year.

things to see & do

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Church of the Annunciation

Church of the Annunciation, Supetar

The most outstanding attraction in town is the Church of the Annunciation which is worth checking out for the altar painting of the Annunciation and monumental staircase. It stands on the site of an early-Christian basilica, St Peter's, from which a mosaic and a number of old tombs were preserved. The basilica burned down and was rebuilt in 1604. In 1729 that church was destroyed in a fire, to be rebuilt in 1733.

Ivan Rendic Gallery

Ivan Rendic Gallery, Supetar

This small gallery is an excellent way to understand the great sculptor, Ivan Rendic (1842-1939), who was born in Supetar. Photos, drawings, sculptures and documents illuminate his life and work. Watch out for occasional special exhibits and concerts as the gallery is also the center of Supetar's cultural life.

Supetar Cemetery

On a little promontory just west of town is a local cemetery that is well worth a stop and I don't mean a last stop! Now a graveyard, this site was once the heart of ancient Supetar. Just outside the cemetery doors are the remains of a Roman Villa Rustica, which typified Roman rural architecture. The crumbling walls date from the 6th century.

Inside the cemetery, make sure to check out the tombstones made by Croatia's great sculptor Ivan Rendic.

Franavosic tombstone, Supetar

Tombstone in Supetar cemetery

Rendic also began work on the Petrinovic family mausoleum but was, in effect, fired by the Petrinovic family who tried to hire Ivan Mestrovic. When the great sculptor declined, the commission was given to Toma Rosandic from Mestrovic's studio, who created the evocative white stone monument with Byzantine-Oriental features.

The Petrinovic family left Brac in 1900 and emigrated to Chile (as did many Brac inhabitants) where they made their fortune in saltpeter. Constructed of Brac stone, the form is Byzantine but the reliefs are Viennese secessionist. Above the crypt there is a cemetery chapel with a statue of the Crucifixion over the main altar.

Petrinovic mausoleum, Supetar

Supetar Beaches

Taking the beachside promenade west of town takes you to a large tourist complex, beach and water sports centre. The gravel and pebbly coves are long and narrow but provide a relaxing view of the mainland across the water. True beach-lovers will want to head to Bol.

Supetar beach

Getting to Supetar

Car ferries from Split to Supetar run nearly hourly in summer, less frequently the rest of the year. Still Supetar is an easy and pleasant day trip from Split.

See Getting to Brac Island for more transport info.