Baška Voda: Where Biokovo Meets the Sea, and Local Legends Meet Global Icons

Baška Voda, nestled where the Biokovo mountains meet the Adriatic Sea, offers a picturesque blend of natural splendor and intriguing local lore. The town captivates visitors with its mountain grays, lush green pine forests, and palm-lined riviera, creating a scene of idyllic beauty.

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Do you know what connects Jim Morrison and Baška Voda? The pride of our town is a monument by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin dedicated to Saint Nicholas, located at the entrance to the Baška Voda harbor and blessing sailors, passengers, and us locals with its raised hand.

Beyond its visual appeal, Baška Voda holds a rich tapestry of stories. Locals recall former President Ivo Josipović spending his youth playing chess on the Ikovac beach. The town is also a hub for prominent figures, with streets named after families like Josipović and connections to former politicians Mate Granić and Jure Radić, described by residents as the "cream of our politics."

A unique cultural link connects Baška Voda to the iconic rock star Jim Morrison. The town proudly displays a monument to Saint Nicholas, sculpted by Mladen Mikulin, which blesses seafarers and locals. Notably, Mikulin is the same artist who created the monument at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris for the frontman of The Doors. "Our Nicholas cannot be moved, so there is no fear," a local chronicler, Rajko Jurišić, remarked, contrasting it with the theft of Morrison's bust.

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The author of that monument is the same man who made the monument to the frontman of the group The Doors at his Parisian grave Père-Lachaise.

The town's musical heritage is also celebrated. Vedran Božić, father of Croatian rock guitar, once performed here with a guitar gifted by Jimi Hendrix himself. In the 1960s, Baška Voda's Borik venue was a prestigious stage for top bands from the former Yugoslavia, including Bijelo Dugme and Parni Valjak. Even Goran Bregović is mentioned for a whimsical anecdote involving buying watermelons and returning with a boat instead.

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And Vedran Božić, otherwise the father of Croatian rock guitar, played right here, in Borik, on a guitar that Jimi Hendrix himself gave him in Germany, with whom he was partying at the time.

Walking along the vibrant promenade reveals more local character: a monument to a washerwoman, an old white poplar tree serving as a gathering spot, and original houses preserved in their historic dimensions. The town, which has carried names like Fontana and Fontanadi Basca, is distinct from Baška on Krk island, a point of occasional confusion for tourists, as Rajko Jurišić humorously recounted with an anecdote about mistaken palm trees.

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We are full of stories and anecdotes, the place is...