I was born in a little town on the shore of a strait. The town faced the sea with its sailers and steamers, the boats and ships passing by, not entering — for the most part — the port; on the far side of the strait, a violet stretch of the distant mainland, a long mountain slope; behind the town, a craggy terrain, speckled with vineyards and olive grove greenery.
Vladimir Nazor, Angel in the bell-tower, 1926.
Postira is one of the rare places where seemingly irreconcilable contrasts blend into a sweet harmony. The harmony of sound and silence, of the bora wind and romantic sunsets, where pounding waves meet gentle pebble stones and where hard work is accompanied by Dalmatian songs. The devotion to the traditional Dalmatian way of life has not disappeared. It is strong and alluring. Accept the call, experience the way of Postira and you will surely yearn to revisit this shore. The place that will spoil all of your senses …
History
The meaning of the name of Postira could possibly be explained in two ways. Local records first mention Postira in 1347 as Postirna (from lat. pastura = pasture). The other explanation, derived from the local oral tradition, associates the name with the traditional way of doing the laundry. Apparently, women from the neighbouring village of Dol would come to Postira to do their laundry and they would spread their washing to dry on the shore (from the Croatian word prostirati = to spread). Postira was established in the 16th century. The first inhabitants were the people from Dol and Pojice who left their villages in search of a better life. Numerous stone houses in the port speak to us about the local landowners of the past. The most notable among them is the Lazanit family’s castle in which the Croatian poet Vladimir Nazor (1876 – 1949) was born. The Parish Church, built in mid-16th century, is consecrated to John the Baptist. It stands on top of the remains of an early Christian basilica from the 6th century. Numerous other archaeological sites testify to the long history of settlements in the area. For example, Mirje, an early Christian monastery complex was found on the Mali brig hill; an early Christian church from the 5th/6th century is located in Lovrecina, on one of the most beautiful sand beaches in Croatia.
Culture
If you take a walk through the old part of the village, you will surely feel like you are going back in time. Moored boats rest around a small dock from which families would wave good-bye to their fathers and brothers only to eagerly await their return from sea. Streets paved by pebble stones called kogule inspire admiration for local masters who crafted their designs so cleverly, instilling higher meaning into the paths leading to the holiest of all places in the village – the parish church. Here at Pjaca (square) people danced, sang and passed their time watching the world go by. The closed shutters on the noble houses around the square keep secrets about love meetings which occurred by the fresh water well. You can almost hear it all: the laughter, the squabbles and whispers from the past. This small Dalmatian square is particularly resplendent at the time of the local fiesta, the so-called fjera and on other holidays. And if you go to the top of the village and look to the sea, you will notice the old tiled roofs of Postira. Not only that the beautiful vista will speak of a unique, local building style, it can introduce you to enchanting local legends. Believe it or not, but you may be overlooking the hiding places of fantastic Macići werewolves, marinorgoti and fairies. The local stories about these creatures from the attics are sure to tickle your imagination. As you walk about, you have to go through the narrowest street in the village. Located in Skarić courts, it is aptly called “Let me pass”. In the same neighborhood you will also find a large number of picturesque konobe (areas used for storing food and wine in Dalmatian houses) where friendly hosts will invite you to enter and admire our cherished tradition.
Gastronomy
A number of restaurants and konobe (taverns) will satisfy even the most demanding palate. Magic of tastes and scents is reflected in every dish and what is definitely recommended are salty anchovies, Grilled sardines, pasticada (traditional meat dish), grilled lamb and lamb prepared under the baking lid, mendule u cukar (sugar roasted almonds), as well as Dol’s homemade vitalac prepared of lamb’s entrails (typical dish of lamb or goat offal) and hrapocusa cake included in the list of protected cultural goods of the Republic of Croatia. Island’s treasure – olive oil is the unavoidable ingredient of our gastrorwmic offer. Complete your experience by tasting the quality local wines among which is worth recommending Plavac mali