Issue 35
19.6.2008.
The Bacina Lakes
T
he town of Bacina is located in the southern part
of Croatia in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
This is an area 2.5 kilometres west of the city of
Ploce, situated along the slopes of the Biokovo
mountain range and is exactly at the half-way
point between Split and Dubrovnik on the Adriatic Highway.
The Bacinska lakes are located near the town of Bacina. This is
a series of six connected and one separate lake: Ocusa, Crni-
sevo, Podgora, Sladinac, Vrbnik, Sipak and Plitko lakes. Their
depths range from 5 to 35 metres. They are freshwater lakes
and their source is directly connected to the sea. The lakes
are the result of a cryptodepression. A 2 kilometre tunnel was
dug from the Vrgorac fields to the Bacinska lakes in order to
drain the Vrgorac and Stasevac fields from excess water in
order to prevent flooding. Bacina Lakes are a frequent tour-
ist destination. They abound in freshwater fish but there are
also grey mullets, which made the Lakes their natural habitat
after the tunnel drilling. The area is a true promised land for
Brsecine beach
The Dubrovnik Times 13
NATURE
CROATIA
VINEYARDS
C
roatia boasts more than 300 geographically-
defined wine regions which produce 67 per-
cent white, 32 percent red and the remaining
1 percent rose wines. In the harsher, more arid
continental part of Croatia, more than 90 percent of the wine
produced is white. In coastal areas, the main attraction is
red wines , some of which are very outstanding. Just under
10 percent of production is classified as superior wine, a
little under 70 percent as quality and around 25 percent as
table wine. The grapes used for whites may not be familiar
to Westerners. Grasevina grapes (sometimes referred to
as Graševina) are better known as Welschriesling and the
Frankovka grapes you may know as Blaufränkisch. Coastal
Dalmatia’s reds are made from Plavac Mali named for the
small blue fruit the vines produce. Plavac Mali is an offshoot
of the true Zinfandel wine grapes. Most of the wine world
agrees that the Zinfandel variety is a native Dalamatian
grape variety, although Italy was long thought to be the
place where it originated. The coastal red wines produced
from this grape are bringing the most attention and awards
from the international wine community. Some of the names
you’ll soon know well are Babic from the island of Hvar as
well as Dingac and Postup from the Pelješac Peninsula in
Dalmatia. Some of the sparkling wines produced in Croatia
according to the methode championoise make an excellent
and nicely priced choice for celebrations something to keep
in mind around the holiday season.
The serene lakes of Bacina
nature-lovers and anglers. On the locality of Sladinac are the
remains of antique walls and mosaics belonging to the Roman
habitation Praetoria. The remains of an early Christian basilica
from the 6th century have been found here. A necropolis of
stelae, mostly sarcophagi and slabs, has been found next
to the ruins of the church of St. Andrew. Their names are:
Ocusa, Crnisevo, Podgora, Sladinac, Vrvnik and Plitko jezero.
Trade brought the ancient Greeks to this area, and during
the time of ancient Rome the area was a part of the province
of Dalmatia. The city of Narona was then one of the largest
economic end cultural centres on the Adriatic Coast. The
migration of people here brought Croatians principalities.
The Neretva principality had dominance over the sea and
from the 11th Century was a part of the Croatian Kingdom.
This region is most famous for its gastronomic specialities.
Eels, black water hens and frogs legs, amongst others, are
specialities of the Dalmatian kitchen and present an excellent
reason to visit the area.
Hidden
beaches
B
rsečine is a village in the north-western part of the
Dubrovnik littoral in Croatia, about 1 m from the
cove bearing the same name, 25 km northwest
of Dubrovnik. Economy is based on farming and
fishing. Brsečine is protected from cold, northerly winds by
the limestone crests of Kondulo. It is located on the main road
Split - Dubrovnik (M2, E65). Brsečine is one of the favourite
excursion destinations of the citizens of Dubrovnik. In the
cove southeast of Cape Osmolis is a nice shore. In the cove
is the summer mansion of the Zuzorić family from the 16th
century and above the cove the fortified mansion of the
Ohmucevic-Bizzaro family, with a chapel and a park, from the
17th century. The village also features the church of St. George
and next to it the ruins of a small church of St. Stephen.