Infrastructural works of the Blue Cave Visitor Centre project – Biševo are completed. The City of Komiža together with its project partners Public Institution More and Karst, the Blue World Institute and the Tourist Board of the City of Komiža on started the renovation project back in 2016 one of the most remote inhabited Croatian islands, which is visited every year by more than 150,000 tourists.

City of Komiža together with  Public Institution More i krš, Institutom Plavi svijet i Turist Boar of city of Komiža started the project of establishing the Blue Cave Visitor Center – Biševo in order to offer additional content related to the very popular visit to the Blue Cave. The project revitalizes the cultural and natural heritage of the island of Biševo. The project is financed in accordance with the Grant Agreement signed with the Ministry of Regional Development and Funds of the European Union and the Central Agency for Financing and Contracting European Union Programs and Projects from the European Fund for Regional Development, through the Operational competitiveness and cohesion program Promotion of sustainable development of natural heritage (reference number: KK.06.1.2.02).

As part of the project, the reconstruction of the old school building from the time when about three hundred inhabitants lived in Biševo and its conversion into the Blue Cave Biševo Visitor Center were made. The centre includes multipurpose spaces for the interpretation and presentation of the natural heritage of the island of Biševo and the Vis archipelago, office space for volunteers and research centre, a restaurant for visitors and accommodation facilities for employees.

In this Centre, visitors will be brought closer to underwater, terrestrial and geological phenomena together with the rich past of the island in a unique way. In addition, educational and themed trails for pedestrians and cyclists connecting the Visitor Centre with Mezoport, Porto, Gatula, Salbunar and the highest peak Stražbenica have been arranged, and the coastal artillery barracks on Cape Gatula with rest areas for visitors and informative content have been renovated and illuminated.

Conceived as an integration of natural diversity, exceptional karst phenomena, cultural heritage, economically rational management of resources and modern ecological and tourist efforts, the Blue Cave Visitor Center – Biševo will contribute to the sustainable development of the island of Biševo, which with its 13 permanent residents and hosts more than 150,000 visitors.

In addition to infrastructural activities, a study of the natural heritage of the island of Biševo with a proposal for educational and informative content, a study of sustainable management of the Blue Cave, branding strategy and visitor management was prepared. With expert guidance, the Centre’s website and mobile application were created.

 

The Blue Cave – Biševo visitor centre opens on August 18, 2022. at 1:00 p.m. with the appropriate Info Day program – Open Door Day, which includes guided tours along an educational themed trail, tours of the centre, lectures and workshops.

 

 

The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Fund for Regional Development.

 

 

———————————————–
The project “Visitor Center Modra – Biševo” aims to contribute to the economic and social development of the islands of Biševo and Vis and to increase the quality of life of the local population with the sustainable use of natural heritage. The total value of the project is HRK 27,130,650.97, and the EU’s share in financing the project is HRK 18,470,061.85. The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Fund for Regional Development. The project was also co-financed by the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union funds from the Fund for Co-financing the Implementation of EU Projects at the Regional and Local Level, the Ministry of Tourism and Split -Dalmatian County The project implementation period is from December 13, 2016 to August 31, 2022.