Island's destinations
Stari Grad
Stari Grad ( Pharos ) is the oldest town in Croatia . It has been founded in the year 384 B.C. by Greek colonists and it is the historic heart of the island of Hvar .
Things to see:
The parish church in Stari Grad, with its characteristic horizontal cornices. The fortified Dominican Monastery of St Peter the Martyr was founded in 1481.
T he church of St Nicholas on the way to the cemetery, the church of St Jerome , next to the town swimming centre, and the church of St Rocco .
The best-known building in Stari Grad is The Tvrdalj , the fortified building of the poet Petar Hektorovic.dating from the first half of the 16th century. Hektorovic's Tvrdalj is an exceptional work of architecture which differs from similar buildings of his time, as does his long poem Ribanje i ribarsko prigovaranje (Fishing and Fishing Complaints) surpass any other literary textes in the Croatian language of the 16th century. In the centre of The Tvrdalj, there is a tower above the fish-pond. This pond was constantly stocked with grey mullet. He kept chicken on the ground floor enjoying the natural way of life.
Thing to do:
Stari Grad patron saint - town protector is Saint Roch (Sv. Roko). The celebration of the patron takes place in Stari Grad August 16th .
International championship in long distance swimming - Faros marathon - will take place in Stari Grad, the first sunday in September.
Jelsa
The village Jelsa is located in the middle of the island of Hvar and is mild, clean and open hearted to the guests. Jelsa is surrounded by the two highest mountains on the island - in the west St. Nikola , and in the east Hum .
Things to see:
The first houses were built around the Gothic church of St Michael on the northern side of the bay.
Another group of houses developed around the Baroque church of St John on another rock.
St. Mary's church dates back to 1331.. The brotherhood of Sts Fabian and Sebastian ordered a painting by Veronese in 1576 for the high altar, which was sadly destroyed later in the fire caused by a thunderbolt on December 26, 1771., together with the miracle statue of Our Lady ("Gospa Stomorena"), which was later restored. The sacristy houses a collection of church vestments, liturgical vessels, valuable crucifixes, etc.
The picturesque peninsula of Gradina is the location where an Augustinian hermitage was established in 1599, and replaced by the cemetery in 1807.
Tor - a Greek reconnaissance tower built of megalithic (Cyclopean) blocks in the 4th and 3rd centuy BC, overlooks the whole area of the islands of Hvar and Brac as far as Šolta and the Makarska littoral.
Things to do:
Every year during the last weekend in August a traditional Wine fair is organized in Jelsa. The best wines from Hvar are on display as well as a variety of local gastronomic specialties.
Event will take place in Jelsa from 28.06 - 11.07 .
Every year Jelsa plays host to musical, drama and folklore events called the "Nights of Antun Dobronic".
Vrboska
Vrboska , the smallest town on the sunny island Hvar . Vrboska has a beautiful little island in the middle of the bay connected with bridges, and therefore it is named Little Venice .
Things to see:
One of the sights for which Vrboska can be proud of is the fishermen's museum . The Museum collection includes all traditional fishermen's equipment. There is also an old reconstructed fishermen's house which leaves an impressive image of the hard life of the former inhabitants. The most outstanding object is the church (fortress) of St. Mary of Grace from the 16th century , built from the local people for the defense against the Turks. It is the most beautiful fortress in Croatia . In the western direction from the church- fortress is the parish- church of St. Lovrinac from the 15th. The interior of the church of St.Lovre keeps a inestimable painting treasure ascribed to the renaissance maestro Tiziano Vecellio , Veronese , Jacopo de Ponte Bassano , Giuseppe Alabardi , Antonio Scuri , Tiziano Aspetti , and the filigran- artist Benvenuto Cellini .
Things to do:
A Fisherman's night is organized in Vrboska in early August with delicious fish and other local food being offered.
Vrboska is known for its beautiful gravel and sandy beaches, clear air, crystal blue sea and untouched nature
The ACI marina Vrboska opened for the yachtsmen during the whole year.
Sućuraj
Sucuraj is located on the eastern part of the island not far from the mainland (three nautical miles). It is the most important port on this side of the island.
Things to see:
The church of St. Anthony , founded by Franciscan monks in 1633, contains a collection of fragments of stone architecture. In the porch can be seen a grave inscription in Cyrillic letters which points to the continental descent of part of the inhabitants.
In one of the now empty graves of the old church lay the body of Bishop Bartol Kacic , the spiritual leader of the people during the wars of the period, who after fleeing from Makarska settled in Sucuraj and died there in 1645.
Things to do:
Between Gdinj, Bogomolje and Sucuraj, there are numerous attractive coves and beaches. The following is a list of those which due to their natural attractions have been proclaimed protected natural areas: Mlaska , Krivodolac , Studenac , Divlja Vela , Divlja Mala , Gornja Didina , Donja Didina , Mala Mosevcica , Vela Mosevcica — on the northern coast, and on the southern: Perna , Židigova , Rasohatica , Slivanske Lucice , Prapatna , Martinovik (mooring place) and Arižišce .