Culture of Racisce

Racisce is one of the youngest settlements on the Island of Korcula. The bay was completely uninhabited before becoming the safe haven for refugees from Makarska and neighboring Herzegovina in 17th century. There are lot of old, typical Dalmatian houses around the bay as well as couple of old churches. The oldest church is church of Sveti Vlaho with it's Baroque loggia from 1682. Other, newer church is Sveti Nikola which serves as parish church too.

Racisce is well known in Croatia for it's capable sailors and fishermen. Sailing and fishing was for long centuries the main profession of its inhabitants. In late 19th century and beginning of 20th century, Racisce used to have about 40 wooden schooners with huge and gorgeous masts and sails, locally called trabakula.

Bearing in mind that Racisce has only about 500 inhabitants, the fleet of 40 large boats was indeed something to be proud of. These schooners would sail around Adriatic Sea as well as Mediterranean, but later they got rid of them and they bought modern ships by which they carry on sailing around the world.

The only thing is that, large and long breakwater as well as stone quay that was built in Racisce to protect it's wooden schooners, couldn't do that any more for new and gigantic ships that sailors from Racisce sail on now days, so now it harbours tiny little fishing and sailing boats only (see photo here)