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”.