Island Hvar

On the southern side of the island the Pakleni islands archipelago lies off the western tip of the island, while the island of Šćedro faces the central portion. Hvar boasts a mild Mediterranean climate and is known for the largest number of sunny hours per year, as many as 2,718. Its main sources of income are tourism, the making of wine, olive products, lavender products and fishing.

Due to its geographical location, Hvar has a much richer history than any other Adriatic island.

Successive rulers, however short their period of rule, each left a lasting and specific impression which makes the island so attractive and interesting to explore today.

Neolithic findings on ceramic shards, including the earliest European depiction of a boat, in the Markova and Grapčeva caves attest to the presence of inhabitants in the prehistoric era. Later the island was inhabited by the Illyrians who fought the Greeks when the latter began to colonize the island in the 4th century. In 385 B.C. Ionian Greeks founded the town of Pharos, today Starigrad, and sub-divided the fields around the town – one of the only remains of Greek land partition which remains documented in the world.

The town of Hvar lies in a bay at the western end of the island, sheltered by the Pakleni islands to the south and a low mountain with a fortress to the north. The core of the town is the “old town” with its square, while the newer areas stretch along the shore around the harbour. It is one of the most visited places on the Adriatic, and has recently become a destination for the domestic and international jet-set.

The core of the town is the “old town” with its square, while the newer areas stretch along the shore around the harbour

Of the many architectural landmarks, the most remarkable are the remains of the town’s fortifications, the town loggia, the Arsenal and the 16th-century cathedral, and campanile as well as some palaces, such as those of the Hektorović, Grgurić, Lucić, and Vukašinović families. In 1612 a theatre was built above the Arsenal which is the oldest public theatre in Europe.