Two kilometres southeast of Korčula town centre, the pudding-shaped St Anthony's Hill looms over the road to Lumbarda. An alley lined with cypress leads to a 102-step stairway that scales the hill. At the summit is a small chapel dedicated to St Anthony, and thrilling views of Korčula's surroundings, including the islets and the more distant Orebić shore.
Arranged around a series of small bays, the village of Lumbarda, 6km from Korčula town, is thought to be the oldest settlement on the island. A stone inscription dating from the 4th century BC (a replica of which can be seen in Korčula Town Museum) refers to an ancient Greek colony at Lumbarda – however no evidence of a Greek city has ever been found here, suggesting that the Greeks never put down firm roots on Korčula. However the Greek presence lives on in the name of the local wine, Grk, a unique dry white that flourishes in the sandy soil of Lumbarda but which can’t be grown successfully anywhere else.
