Blaca Hermitage: The Extraordinary Settlement Unreachable by Road

May the 20th, 2026 – The bizarre and eerily beautiful Blaca Hermitage on the island of Brač is impossible to reach by road, and it’s a settlement that was cut off from the world for a reason. Hidden between the rugged, rocky cliffs and dramatic southern coastline of the island of Brač lies one of Croatia’s most unusual historical sites. Putni kofer writes that it’s an old, silent place so isolated that, until relatively recently, people there lived almost completely cut off from the rest of the

Known as the Blaca Hermitage (Pustinja Blaca), it’s a truly remarkable complex was built over centuries by hermit monks who created a self-sufficient community in one of the harshest and most inaccessible landscapes on the entire Adriatic. a “pustinja” that has absolutely nothing to do with a desert Despite its name, the Blaca Hermitage has nothing to do with deserts in the traditional sense. The Croatian word pustinja in this context refers to a hermitage or isolated monastic settlement rather than sand dunes or barren wilderness. The settlement developed on the southern side of Brač beneath the slopes of Vidova Gora, between Bol and Milna, in an area surrounded by steep stone terrain and difficult coastal access. the refuge of hermit priests on the run from the ottoman invaders The origins of Blaca date all the way back to the 16th century, when Glagolitic priests fleeing Ottoman expansion sought refuge inside a cave known as Ljubitovica. Over time, they transformed this strange and totally isolated location into a surprisingly advanced settlement that included a monastery, residential buildings, agricultural structures, vineyards, olive groves and even an observatory. What makes the story particularly extraordinary is the environment itself. The monks managed to survive for centuries on difficult karst terrain with very limited access to the outside world, relying largely on their own labour, knowledge and the surrounding natural environment. Blaca was not only a religious settlement, it also became an important scientific and intellectual centre. One of the most remarkable parts of the complex is its observatory, which reflected the monks’ deep interest in astronomy. Serious scientific observations were carried out there at a time when such research was rare in the region. The final hermit and administrator of the monastery, astronomer Don Nikola Miličević, maintained contact with European scientists, while his measurements and astronomical work gained international attention.

Key points

• Known as the Blaca Hermitage (Pustinja Blaca), it’s a truly remarkable complex was built over centuries by hermit monks who created a self-sufficient community in one of the harshest and most inacc…
• a “pustinja” that has absolutely nothing to do with a desert Despite its name, the Blaca Hermitage has nothing to do with deserts in the traditional sense.
• The Croatian word pustinja in this context refers to a hermitage or isolated monastic settlement rather than sand dunes or barren wilderness.
• The settlement developed on the southern side of Brač beneath the slopes of Vidova Gora, between Bol and Milna, in an area surrounded by steep stone terrain and difficult coastal access.
• the refuge of hermit priests on the run from the ottoman invaders The origins of Blaca date all the way back to the 16th century, when Glagolitic priests fleeing Ottoman expansion sought refuge ins…