Sights on the island of Vis

The Modra spilja - that is the Croatian name of the blue grotto of Biševo - can only be reached from the sea, in small rowing boats. The entrance is formed by a low, inconspicuous hole in the rock, which soon afterwards opens out into an enormous cave. The cave has been accessible to private individuals since the year 1884, and for almost as long groups have been travelling here daily between 11 and 12 in the morning to let themselves be fascinated by the blue light inside. This natural illumination arises when, on windless days, the sun's rays are refracted by the surface of the water and partly reflected into the interior of the cave.

In the immediate vicinity of the town of Drvar lies the "Tito cave", named after the partisan leader and politician Tito. In the Second World War German paratroopers were to capture Drvar, but when they jumped over the supposedly empty terrain they found themselves surrounded by Tito's guerrilla groups: these had hidden in the caves and shafts of the mountains and now encircled the paratroopers, so that their situation was hopeless. Today anyone can visit the former hiding place, catch a whiff of history and explore the labyrinth of underground passages with a guide.

The green grotto (Zelena spilja) on the neighbouring island of Ravnik is called at daily by excursion boats. Much as in the blue grotto, the water surrounded by masses of rock glows here too - water that formed this cave in the first place through erosion. The entrance is somewhat higher, so more light falls inside as well, which explains the different colour and the greater brightness. This makes the green grotto especially interesting for divers, since visibility is still good here even at greater depths.

For some tourists the military airfield of Vis serves as a symbol of the transience of all conflicts in the face of nature's power. After all, the airfield was built in order to have a base in armed conflicts that was easy to reach but not easy to capture. Yet ever since peace came to Croatia and the island was opened to tourism, vines have run wild on the former runways: Trbljan, Kurtelaška, Vugava and other varieties are grown here, the first Vugava wines in the region having been pressed as early as the turn of the eras. For others, in turn, the old military airfield is simply a welcome excuse to let their gaze wander over the vineyards and take a short walk.