Rudina is characterized by two rural settlements in different locations: Velike Rudine on the ridge of the Kabal Peninsula and Male Rudine on the slopes facing the Hvar Channel. They lie about 500 meters apart. Churches, a chapel, four named beaches and an official cycling route provide a tangible connection to the area’s history and practical planning. To find your way around, it is useful to distinguish between the settlements and their routes.
Two Settlements, Two Orientations
Rudina comprises Velike Rudine and Male Rudine. Velike Rudine lies on the ridge of the Kabal Peninsula and faces Stari Grad Bay. Male Rudine lies on slopes facing the Hvar Channel, opposite Bol on BraÄŤ. Their different orientations provide a clear geographical reference when locating the two settlements on the peninsula: the Kabal ridge and bay on one side, the hillside and channel on the other.
Their timelines also differ. Velike Rudine dates from the 15th century, although it is mentioned as early as the 14th century. Male Rudine was established in the 17th century by settlers from Gdinj. For Velike Rudine, an earlier mention and a later date of establishment therefore stand side by side; for Male Rudine, the settlement by people from Gdinj is the historical reference point. This makes it possible to understand the development of the two settlements in a nuanced way.
Churches, Beaches and Routes
The Church of Saint Roch stands in Velike Rudine; Male Rudine has a chapel dedicated to the same saint. The buildings and ruins of Rudina are considered protected cultural heritage. Saint Roch is therefore present in both settlements, but in different types of buildings. Together with their different periods of settlement, this offers a tangible cultural and historical perspective on Rudina.
From Male Rudine, you can walk to the beaches of Žukova, Lisna, Duboka and Trovna in about ten minutes. This is an approximate time and may vary depending on your exact starting point and the path conditions. If you are heading to one of these beaches, take your starting point and the route conditions into account.
For cyclists, official Route 21 crosses the Kabal Peninsula to Rudina after passing through Vrbanj, Svirče and Grebišće. The tourism board provides a GPS file and notes that some sections of the route are not perfectly marked. Check the route markings and conditions before setting out; the GPS file provides an additional guide. Unlike the walk from Male Rudine to the four beaches, Route 21 is a different kind of undertaking: it is described as a cycling route passing several named settlements, while the beach information gives an approximate walking time from Male Rudine.
In the Wider Stari Grad Destination
The Kabal 706 loop starts in the center of Stari Grad, leads to the settlement of Rudina and returns to Stari Grad via Kabal and Arkada. This is another, clearly distinct route description. While Route 706 starts and ends in Stari Grad, cycling Route 21 continues to Rudina after passing through Vrbanj, Svirče and Grebišće. These different routes are a useful reference point if you are comparing them.
The cultural landscape and architectural history also offer distinctive themes for the wider Stari Grad destination. The Stari Grad Plain (Starogradsko polje) is a cultural landscape shaped over millennia; its rectangular plots are bounded by dry-stone walls. The Dominican Monastery of Saint Peter Martyr was founded in 1482 and fortified with two round towers after the Turkish attack on the island of Hvar at the end of the 16th century. The monastery museum preserves the oldest inscriptions in Greek found in Croatia. The region’s cultural heritage thus ranges from landscape features and dry-stone walls to monastic architecture and a museum.
Discover more destinations: Vrbanj, Stari Grad.
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