Dragon's Cave

The Dragon's Cave sits on the slope above Murvica on the southern side of Brac, and its interior walls carry reliefs cut directly into the rock, probably in the fifteenth or sixteenth century by Glagolitic monks who lived here: a large dragon with an open mouth, a crescent moon, a figure usually read as an angel, saints, and other forms whose reading is disputed. The mixture of Christian iconography with what look like older Slavic motifs is what makes it interesting and what keeps the interpretation open. The cave is locked and can only be visited with the guide from Murvica who keeps the key, on a steep unshaded climb.

What you actually see

• Reliefs cut into cave walls - a dragon, a moon, saints and figures.
• Probably fifteenth or sixteenth century - carved by Glagolitic monks.
• Christian and older motifs mixed - the reason the reading is argued over.
• A locked cave - visited only with the local keyholder.

When to go

April to October; arrange the guide in advance. Three hours.

Honest expectations

Turning up without booking the guide means not getting in. The climb is about forty-five minutes, steep, rocky and without shade. The cave is small and the visit inside is short. Not suitable for poor mobility.

Nearby

Murvica is below; Bol and Zlatni Rat are east along the coast.