Brac

Brac is the largest island in central Dalmatia and the source of the luminous white stone used to build Diocletian’s Palace in Split, the White House in Washington, and the Reichstag in Berlin. The quarries at Pucisca still operate, and a stonemason school keeps the craft alive — you can visit and watch apprentices carve blocks with the same tools their predecessors used centuries ago.

The island’s icon is Zlatni Rat — the Golden Horn — a white pebble beach that extends like a tongue into the turquoise channel between Brac and Hvar, its tip shifting direction with the wind and currents. It is Croatia’s most photographed beach for good reason. The town of Bol behind it is low-key and pleasant, with waterfront restaurants and windsurfing that draws enthusiasts from across Europe. For a different pace, climb Vidova Gora, the highest peak in the Adriatic islands at 778 meters, for views stretching from the Italian coast to the mountains of Bosnia. The interior villages — stone houses, olive groves, abandoned churches — are silent and haunting.

When to go: June for long days and warm water before the July rush. September for excellent swimming and the grape harvest at the island’s small wineries.