This Cavtat one day itinerary focuses on two cultural stops: the House of Vlaho Bukovac and the Bogišić Collection at Rector’s Palace. Cavtat is the setting for both, and Hotel Seventh is about a 7-minute walk from the city centre; the linked hotel in Cavtat is a starting point for the day.
- First stop: the House of Vlaho Bukovac, with seasonal opening hours and an admission charge.
- Second stop: Rector’s Palace, where the Bogišić Collection is open on weekdays by prior notification.
- Plan ahead: the collection’s weekday hours are 9:30–13:30, while the House hours change by season.
Start your Cavtat day at the House of Vlaho Bukovac
The House of Vlaho Bukovac offers a close look at the painter’s life and work in the house where he was born. It stands at Ulica Vlaha Bukovca 5, in a typical two-storey, 19th-century Dalmatian bourgeois house with a central courtyard and back garden.
Inside, around 30 of Bukovac’s paintings sit alongside furniture and everyday and personal objects. The ground floor is also used for modern-art exhibitions. The house opened to the public in May 2004 after a ten-year closure and a three-year reconstruction.
Opening hours depend on when you visit. From 1 May to 31 October, the House is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm and Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
From 1 November to 30 April, it is open Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm and closed on Sundays. It is closed on holidays.
Admission is €7 for adults, €5 for schoolchildren and students, €5 for seniors, or €16 for a family. Guided tours in Croatian or English can be arranged with advance notice for €20. Photography requires permission and is allowed without flash; the House lists no access for people with special needs.
Arrange your visit to the Bogišić Collection at Rector’s Palace
The Bogišić Collection at Rector’s Palace is a substantial collection of prints, coins, books and other historical objects. It has been housed in the palace since 1958.
Its holdings include 8,185 sheets of prints and drawings dating from the 16th to the 19th century, 2,674 coins and medals, archaeological items, and legal and symbolic objects. The library contains 15,000 books and brochures, 66 incunabula and 164 manuscripts.
Plan this stop in advance: the collection is open to visitors and researchers Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 13:30, and prior notification by email is required. A selection of artefacts is exhibited to the public, while the collection is also accessible for scientific research.
The official Cavtat–Konavle tourism site says that only part of the Bogišić inheritance can be visited because of poor conditions in the ground-floor rooms and reconstruction work. Its holdings include paintings, graphics, photographs, furniture, pottery, ethnographic items, books, manuscripts and documents.
How should you plan the timing and tickets?
Put the House of Vlaho Bukovac first if you want a visit with broader daily opening hours, then schedule Rector’s Palace only after arranging access. The collection’s weekday window ends at 13:30, so it needs a little more advance planning than the House.
Cavtat’s heritage sights also include the Račić Family Mausoleum, built in 1921 on the site of a 15th-century church; a guide to Cavtat’s churches, mausoleum and local history puts it in context.
For current opening hours and ticket details at the House, check the official site before you go.
FAQs
What can you see at the House of Vlaho Bukovac?
The House displays around 30 of Bukovac’s paintings, along with furniture and everyday and personal objects. The ground floor is also used for modern-art exhibitions.
Can you visit the Bogišić Collection without arranging it in advance?
Prior notification by email is required for visits. The collection’s visiting hours are Monday to Friday, 9:30–13:30.
When is the House of Vlaho Bukovac open?
Its hours change by season: from 1 May to 31 October it opens on Sundays as well as weekdays, while from 1 November to 30 April it is closed on Sundays. It is closed on holidays.