Holiday home Lum­barda House

For cen­turies, the island of Korčula has been shaped by the wind and the ele­ments. Anyone strolling through the narrow streets of the medieval town of the same name will realise that archi­tecture here has never been mere deco­ration, but has always been a deli­berate inter­action with the climate, the local stone and the sea. From the wind-shel­tered, her­ringbone-pat­terned alleyways to the sturdy stone towers and the dry stone walls that have struc­tured the island’s olive groves and vineyard ter­races for gene­ra­tions.

The Lum­barda House, situated on the south-eastern tip of the island with views across the Adriatic Sea and the small islands off the coast, has also grown out of the island’s history and land­scape. For the beach house, the Chilean-Croatian architect Antonio Zani­nović drew inspi­ration from a structure that once belonged to the coastline as much as a dry stone wall belongs to a vineyard: the Dal­matian watch­tower – a massive structure visible from afar, from which one would keep watch for pirates. His con­tem­porary inter­pre­tation is a mono­lithic tower clad in local stone. Alongside it, he has placed a second, hori­zontal structure, which appears lighter, more open and more modern in its pro­por­tions. It serves as a coun­ter­point to the archaic pre­sence of the stone tower. Much of the stone used in the con­s­truction comes from farmers on the island – frag­ments of old dry stone walls that have been given a new lease of life here.

The garden here is no mere aftert­hought: a system of ter­races follows the natural topo­graphy down to the bay. It is home to olive and pine trees over 120 years old, as well as lavender, cypresses, fra­grant citrus trees and Medi­ter­ranean herbs. Tucked away amongst them is a swimming pool where you can swim a few lengths with a view of the sea even before your first coffee.

The interior also fea­tures stone, com­ple­mented by wood and mineral sur­faces, as well as fur­niture designed spe­ci­fi­cally for the building.

With four bed­rooms and three bath­rooms, the house can accom­modate up to eight guests. All rooms are arranged to make the most of the views and open out onto the varied ter­races and the garden. Those who stay in the master bedroom on the top floor of the tower can look out over the bay, just as the watchmen once watched over the sea. An indoor and outdoor kitchen, a fire­place and a sauna ensure comfort in all seasons; the pool invites you to stop off on your way to the sea, whilst a boccia court beneath the pine trees extends those shared summer evenings. A tower with the finest views.

What to do

Bathing and swimming in the pool or on your own private beach, in the other bays around Lumbarda, at Pupnatska Luka beach or on the island of Proizd; diving, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, cycling and hiking, boccia, exploring the region’s wineries and restaurants – including numerous wine festivals – as well as trips to Korčula, one of the best-preserved medieval towns on the Adriatic

Why we like this house

A holiday home nestled between stone and sea, Dalmatian history and the modern day.

This house is great for

A seaside holiday for up to 8 people, with a pool, well suited to families.

Sustainability

Electric vehicle charging point right by the house

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with white background the accommodation is still available. On days with dark gray background the accommodation is not available.

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