Gradac Croatia - Makarska riviera, Gradac holliday information

Gradac Croatia

Gradac is an old fisherman's place on the beautiful Makarska riviera situated under the steep slopes of Biokovo. It is the biggest tourist resort in the upper Makarska littoral. It is 40 km away from Makarska and it is halfway between Split and Dubrovnik. About 1700 inhabitants live there, and the economy if founded upon agriculture, wine-growing, olive growing, fishery and tourism.

Traffic connection
It is situated along the highway (M2, E65) that leads to a local road, so it is well connected to the inland as well as to the other places on the Adriatic coast. Construction of motorway A1 has significantly shortened the time of arrival to that place. Ploče is the nearest railway station and it is 13 km away from Gradac, Split airport is 100 km away, and the nearest port is Drvenik (10 km away) which connects the land to the island Hvar.

Gradac Beach
Tourist offer
As well as along the entire Makarska riviera there are also here beautiful pebbly beaches. Gradac is proud of Gornja vala, its most beautiful and biggest beach in Makarska littoral, which is situated south from the port. Marina is protected from all kinds of winds; it is also possible to tie smaller yachts from the inner side of the breakwater; the anchorage for the bigger yachts is in the bay Bošac (north-west from the marina).

The first hotel was opened in 1919, but people started dealing with tourism after the 60s. Apart from the private accommodation in houses, villas and apartments there are a few hotels in Gradac:
Hotel LABINECA ***
Hotel LAGUNA **
Hotel MARCO POLO *** - it won the prize called Adriana for 2009 as the best small hotel in Croatia and also the prize for the best ''boutique hotel'' for 2008, which are given by Croatian Chamber of Commerce together with Croatian Radio and Television (HRT).

Sport and recreational offer
The following are available: indoor football field, basketball court, tennis court (within the hotels Laguna and Labineca), water sports, diving club (in hotel Labineca), rent-a-bike, jet-ski...
One should not disregard one-day trips to the surrounding tourist resorts: daily boat trips on the islands Brač, Hvar, Korčula, the Pelješac Peninsula; daily bus trips to Dubrovnik, Makarska, Split, Međugorje-Mostar, Krka waterfalls, rafting on the river Cetina and trips to the mountain Biokovo.

The area of this mountain with its highest peak in Croatia (1762m) is the protected nature park, which will make each guest's vacation unforgettable by the attractive sights from its numerous belvederes (Staza, Ravna vlaška, Štrbina, Vošac, Sv. Jure). There are many marked hiking tracks on this area and you can also go to the organized trips with professional guides on Biokovo, rock-climbing and potholing tours, you can also hunt high game (chamois and mouflons) by means of travel agency ''Biokovo active holiday''

Gradac Restaurant

Gradac gastronomy offer is based on the traditional Dalmatian cuisine whose main ingredients are fish, home-made pasta, olive oil and Mediterranean spices. Most restaurants offer regional specialities, but also a delicious international cuisine and meat dishes.

Restaurants:
MARCO POLO, Obala 18
MALO MISTO, Stari Porat 1
D&B, Konopljike 7
VRISJE, Obala 31

Other services:
• infirmary, chemist's, dentist's office
• post office, bank, exchange office, market place and fishmonger's
• shops and baker's
• souvenir shops
• restaurants, coffee bars, pastry shops, pizzerias, fast food...
• petrol station
• Internetcafe
• disco (Orion and Vodice)

Special events
There are many folk festivals in the place during the summer, like the traditional ''ADIO LITO'', which attract the guests along the riviera. These festivals provide many tourist attractions, like the concerts of some local performers. Tourists can enjoy themselves in many catering establishments, where they can listen to music and dance on the terraces.
Every year on 29th September people organize a folk festivity in honor of St. Michael, who is the patron saint of this place. People attend mass and procession in the morning, and there is a big festivity in the evening.

History and the cultural sights
It is believed that Gradac was inhabited since the prehistorical times. This is supported by the sites of gravel piles from the Bronze and Iron Age. Gradac was first mentioned by its present name in 1649 and it was named after the fort which was situated on the high ground above St. Michael's church. In an abandoned hamlet Čista near Gradac there are the remains of the old tower, which was first mentioned in the 17th century, but it is considered to be older. One of the oldest structures in this area is St Paškval's chapel situated on the hill called Plana. This chapel has barrel vault and it is covered by the gabled roof.
There is a local graveyard next to the old church of St. Ante, but a new parish church of St. Michael was built in 1852. It is known by the old wooden statue of St. Roko and one can also see an old stone baptismal font, which is considered to originate from the old church.
There is the Museum heritage collection in Gradac, which is the property of Mr Miljenko Andrijašević.
A very stormy history and various conquests as well as different forms of government have marked Gradac, but it has managed to maintain its original spirit which is easily felt on each step and in every historical monument.

Gradac represents an extraordinary tourist destination because of its unique location next to the numerous tourist resorts. Mixture of entertainment, relaxing on the beach by the crystal clear sea, enjoying in gastronomy specialities as well as various sport possibilities and recreation will make every vacation unforgettable.