Walking Tours of Central Hvar

So you’re here on Hvar Island for just a short time and you want to see as much as possible?! Then join us for a half-day trip which will introduce you to the exquisite central parts of the island in all their natural beauty, with fascinating glimpses of their historical past.

Stari Grad’s history dates back to 384 BC, when Greek settlers from the island of Paros sailed into the Stari Grad bay and founded the town. Every street, house and stone in the heart of Stari Grad tells a lively story of its past, witnessing the lives of our hardworking forbears and the millennia of tradition nestling in this western part of Hvar Island.

Cyclopean walls, St. John’s Church (Sv. Ivan), the Dominikan monastery, the Renaissance fortified villa called ‘Tvrđalj’, the small Baroque square named ‘Škor’, the Biankini Palace - these are just some of the interesting sights you will see when you walk round this exceptionally charming little town.

The Starigrad Plain stretches out between Stari Grad and Vrboska. In Greek times the plain was known as HORA, and later under the Romans it was AGER. In 2008 UNESCO Included the Plain in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The layout of the vineyards and olive groves has remained virtually the same since the first Greek settlement, and it is a unique example of the Ancient geometrical organization of land plots among the Mediterranean countries.

Vrboska grew up from a fishing village and port called Vrbanj. In the 15th century Vrboska became a small town. It lies along an extended narrow winding fiord with a little islet in the middle and bridges linking the fiord’s banks. Its particular geography has earned this tiny town the title of ‘Little Venice’.

Vrboska’s charm resides in its little stone houses, romantic bridges, narrow twisting streets and its truly relaxing atmosphere. Of particular interest are the fortified church of Our Lady of Mercy (Sv. Marija od Milosrđa), St. Lawrence’s church (Sv. Lovro) and the fishing museum.

Modern-day Jelsa is first mentioned in the Hvar Statute of 1331 as the port for nearby Pitve. Jelsa expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries as more Gothic- and Renaissance-style houses were built along both sides of the bay, and the churches and squares were renovated. St. John’s chapel (Sv. Ivan) and its tiny square conjure up exactly how Jelsa looked at that time. In 1571 when Hvar Island was almost entirely overrun by Turkish invaders, Jelsa was the only place which they failed to conquer, thanks to the defence organized by its citizens in the fortified church of St. Mary.

As you walk round the relaxing Jelsa park you will learn more about Hvar Island’s wealth of attractions, including Jelsa’s rich nautical history, the Grapčeva cave which is a few kilometres away, the megalithic citadel called ‘Tor’ above the town and the Maundy Thursday overnight Procession ‘Za Križem’ (‘Following the Cross’), which is also on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

After all this educational visual and aural stimulation you will have earned a treat: Dalmatia’s finest ice cream and pastries are waiting for you together with hot and cold drinks of your choice on Jelsa’s beautiful square. The return route passes through the picturesque villages of Pitve, Vrisnik, Svirče, Vrbanj and Dol and their surrounding countryside, a peaceful blessing for your eyes. Enjoy!

WALKS: 9.00 - 14.00 or 16.00 - 21.00

The starting point is arranged by agreement.

PRICE: 250.00 kunas per person

For more information and to book, contact Hvar Touristik. 

With grateful thanks once again to Vivian Grisogono for the translation.