History of Brna and Smokvica village

Brna developed in 19th century as a port for the transport of wine from Smokvica to other destinations on the Adriatic and Mediterranean coasts. 

The name of the settlement comes from the Latin word ‘tavern’ which means a ships workshop.

Brna is the safest harbour on the southern side of the island and was an important import-export center not only for Smokvica but also for other villages on the island. In 1860 the Maritime Government built the large stone jetties on the waterfront which handled over 200 ship movements yearly.

Everything that the inhabitants of Smokvica and the island needed was brought in through here. Exports included wine, olive oil, pine logs for ship building and fire wood also pine bark which was used in traditional medical remedies. 

At a high land in the middle of the bay there is a small church of St. Stephen built in 1971.

The legend says that Odysseus during his journeys visited Brna, anchored several days in front of the bay and enjoyed its beauty.

It is possible that the mermaids kept him company during his stay. According to a legend they are hiding at the bottom of the sea and are sun-bathing in nearby bays.

This beautiful, well protected locality enabled development of this settlement from a fishing into a tourist centre. In 1960 the Tourist board was established and mainly dealt with the renting of private accommodation in Brna and Smokvica.

With an increase of numbers of tourists arose a need for the expansion of the tourist capacity.

Therefore in 1971 hotel Feral was built. The hotel was renovated in 2005 and awarded four stars. With construction of the hotel the people from Smokvica began building apartments and weekend houses in Brna, therefore starting developing private accommodation. Today, Brna is a tourist destination with numerous facilities.