Pučišća and the Brač Stone School

Brač limestone has been quarried since Roman times and cut for Diocletian's palace, the cathedral at Šibenik and a great deal else, and Pučišća is where the trade still lives. The town sits at the head of a deep inlet, its houses, quays and church all built from the same white stone that comes out of the hills behind it. In the middle of it is a stonemasonry school where students still learn by hand, with mallet and chisel and no power tools in the early years, and the workshop can be visited when term allows. The quarries above the town are working sites, and their dust and noise are part of daily life here.

What to look for

• The masonry school workshop - students cutting capitals and rosettes by hand at rows of benches.
• The white stone town - houses and quays of local limestone wrapped around a narrow inlet.
• The quarries - working cuts in the hills above the town, visible from the road in.
• Carving around the town - balustrades, doorframes and rosettes made as school exercises.

When to go

The school opens to visitors during term on a limited schedule, so check before travelling; summer visits are usually possible but the hours are short. May, June and September are the best months on Brač generally. The inlet holds heat in August. Ferries to Supetar are frequent but fill with cars in high season.

Good to know

The school is a working classroom, not a museum, and it may be shut for holidays, exams or a booked group when you arrive. Visits are short. Pučišća is a quiet working town with a small pebble beach and little else to do beyond a walk and a swim, and the quarry lorries on the approach road are real. Without a car you depend on infrequent buses.

Nearby

Bol and Zlatni Rat are on the far side of the island, and Split is a ferry crossing away.