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Eco -Ethno Village Dol

About the village

Dol on the island of Brač is a picturesque medieval village, which today has about a hundred inhabitants and is situated two kilometres south of Postira.

This oasis of peace and silence is indispensable for numerous tourists, including hiking and cycling lovers, since Dol can be reached by arranged roads and paths from various directions.

At the entrance, houses traditionally covered by stone slabs and numerous caves of grain hrapoćuša were once human dwellings. Today, are cattle shelters, firewood tanks and the habitat of pigeons, owls and vivers*.

*When the silence prevailed in the late hours of the night from numerous Dol caves, an unusual rushing can be heard. Vivers is rushing, Dol inhabitants will seriously tell you. Vivers are mystical beings that no one knows what they really look like. Witnesses describe them as large dark shadows that overflow Dol hollows in the night darkness or hide in the cave cavities. Some claim that they are wild beings who lived in these caves before the arrival of the people and later escaped to the plateau of Brač, from which they still get down at night in Dol. Dol inhabitants believe that they are silent and patient guards who protect them and greet them with their night rushing.

A village of caves, hrapoćuša and vivers

The phenomenon of natural, shallow caves (spile) highlight the natural and cultural landscape. They rise over the gorge on both sides, and, like a natural fort, surround the village. There are about thirty of them in Dol thus this village is also called Brač’s Bethlehem. They’re overrun with Mediterranean vegetation, yet there’s a layer of fertile soil on their western slopes where the olive trees grew.

The caves were carved out of reddish hrapoćuša (breč) grained stone, which was used as a building material.

Dol is a small village easy to explore on foot. Its cultural heritage is hidden in stone, house facades, small gardens, bread ovens and wells. Dol’s architecture, despite its lack of spectacular landmarks, is a testament to traditional Dalmatian construction and island life. On the “Viver’s Path” which runs through the village, you can visit the following locations: