Discover Top Posts Tagged with #hvar town

The beautiful Islands of Central Dalmatia - Part 2

Hvar Island

The Island of Hvar is one of the most beautiful and popular among the Croatian islands with its pine forest-covered hillsides, miles-long vineyards, olive groves and never-ending lavender field. It is also the sunniest place in the country. The island has been inhabited since prehistoric times but officially it was founded by the ancient Greeks in 384BC, who founded a colony on the site of today Stari Grad (meaning Old Town), making it one of the oldest towns in Europe, also the cultural and historical centre of the island.

Hvar Town

The stunning and luxurious town of Hvar is the island’s capital and busiest destination, with one of the most beautiful ports in Dalmatia, set in a picturesque natural bay. Here, you can explore magnificent Gothic and Renaissance architecture on the winding stone streets, have a dip at the numerous wonderful beaches and enjoy the several brilliant restaurants, hotels and pulsating nightlife. The prices tend to be on the high side though, but do not be put off if you are on a lower budget, as private accommodation and a couple of less expensive hostels are also available.

Hvar town has a long and distinguished history. In medieval times, it flourished as a major naval base under the Venetian Empire with two strong fortresses built on the hills overlooking the town and encircling town walls, both dating back to the 13th century. The current fortress, Fortica, also known as Tvrdava Spanjola (Spanish Fort) was constructed following a gunpowder explosion in 1579, which devastated the original fortress. Today, it includes a modern tourist complex and its Citadel provides fascinating views of the Old Town and the Pakleni Islands. In 1811, during the Napoleon Era, a second fortress was constructed, the Tvrdava Napoleon, which is home to an observatory today. The town walls enclose the northern part of the city and they connect with the Fortica Fortress.

As prosperity grew, under Venetian Rule, it brought culture and arts, with one of the first public theatres in Europe, opened in 1612, and having staged plays right until 2008, located in the Arsenal building. The auditorium and boxes are dated from 1803 when the Theatre Society was founded, thus present a neo-Baroque style.

At the very heart of the town, you can find the Pjaca (Piazza), the largest square in Dalmatia, leading from the waterfront to St Stephen’s Cathedral. The Cathedral was built in stages in Baroque-Renaissance style during the 16th and 17th centuries while the interior was completed in the 18th century. It has a Romanesque Bell Tower rising above the eastern side of the Pjaca. On the northern side of the square you can find many other Renaissance buildings, including the Paladini Palace and the unfinished 15th century Gothic Hektorovic Palace.

The Town Loza (Loggia), at the western side of the Pjaca, looks out onto the bay, and together with the Leroj (Clock Tower), they are the only remains of the former Governor’s Palace. Today, the interior of the Loggia is decorated in neo-Renaissance style and serves as a reception hall and exhibition room.

There is also a town well in the middle of the square, dating back to 1520.

For those, looking for a much quieter and leisurely-paced experience, I recommend the resorts of Stari Grad or Jelsa on Hvar Island with their intimate streets and squares, wonderful restaurants, secluded swimming coves and sandy beaches. The southern side of the island is also worth visiting, which has some of Hvar’s most beautiful and isolated coves.

Pakleni or Paklinski Islands

The Pakleni Islands are located just off the southwest coast of Hvar Island, on the Hvar Riviera. This gorgeous chain of 21 little islets is a popular destination for visitors with yachts, providing numerous peaceful coves, secluded beaches perfect for diving, swimming and water sports. On the main island of Sveti Klement (St Clement), visit the resort of Palmizana and its cove famous for its sandy beaches and shallow clear water and also known for its rare and magnificent botanical park.

Brac

Brac Island, the largest one in Dalmatia and the third largest in the Adriatic, is also a popular destination with its beautiful natural surroundings, vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and diverse landscape. It is mainly recommended for those preferring an active holiday as there are several opportunities here for swimming, snorkelling, scuba-diving, kayaking, wind-surfing, hiking and cycling, the most popular trail being from Bol to the Vidova Gora Summit. As the island is a renowned wine-making region, it is also possible to visit some of its wineries, including a wine-tasting, of course.

The island is also well-known for its beautiful white limestone, often called Brac Marble, which was used for a number of world-famous buildings such as the White House in Washington, the Reichstag in Berlin, the Austrian Parliament and several Venetian Palaces. The only Stonemasonry School in Croatia, and one of only a handful in the world can be found in Pucisca. Here students master the art of manual stone works and visitors get a chance to learn about this ancient work of art and can even see students at work.

Most of Brac’s towns and villages are situated along the northern coastline or inland and as you go towards south, the landscape dramatically changes with the Vid’s Mountain dominating the scenery. Its highest peak is the Vidova Gora at 778m, from where you can have magnificent views of Brac’s famous beach, Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) and the islands of Hvar and Vis. (If you’re not that much into hiking, don’t worry, the summit is easily accessible by car as well.)

The scarcely populated southern shores of the island were designed as military zones in ex-Yugoslavia. Former sea tunnels can be found in Maslinova, Kruscica and Smrka bays, which serve today as shelter for local fishermen. They are also tourist attractions and unique swimming spots. The best way to explore them, though, is by boat.

The southern shores of Brac are also rich in hermitage sites dated from the 15th and 16th centuries. As the area wasn’t inhabited, it was a perfect solitary spot for priests where they could devote their lives to prayer and meditation. The most popular of them is the jaw-dropping Blaca Hermitage (Pustinja Blaca), a monumental complex situated on a steep hill in Bol, with a library featuring 11,000 books and the third biggest telescope in Croatia. Dragon’s Cave (Zmajeva Spilja) situated near the village of Murvica, although not as popular as Blaca, is well-worth a visit as it is the only hermitage on Brac entirely located in a cave.

The island’s top highlights, though, are definitely its beaches. Generally, beaches on the southern side are larger and much gentler, mostly made of fine pebbles that almost feel like sand, while beaches on the northern side are fewer and rougher, the coast is rockier, with the exception of the stunning Lovrecina Cove.

The horn-shaped beach of Zlatni Rat, situated 2km from Bol on the southern side of the island, at the foot of the Vidova Gora, is the most unique and beautiful beaches of Dalmatia. The appearance of this 500m-long white pebbled beach changes depending on the direction of the wind and sea waves. Due to the constant wind and special position of the beach, it is also a kite-boarders’ and windsurfers’ paradise.

Tip – Visit the Franciscan Monastery in Bol and taste their delicious homemade dessert wine, Prosek.

Beaches below the village of Murvica, further away from Zlatni Rat, are also popular and Povlja has gorgeous beaches, too.

Lovrecina Cove is also a must, when in Brac. It is a hidden little bay on the northern side of the island with a beautiful long red sandy beach and a pine forest behind it. It is also known for its precious archaeological sites – the remains of the St Lawrence Basilica can be found here, dating back to the 5th-6th centuries, visited by local pilgrims on St Lawrence Day, 10th August each year.

Supetar, the island’s capital on the northern coastline, is a charming town with a real Mediterranean feel to it and several medieval sights mainly situated on the town’s Main Square and the Sveti Nikola Peninsula. Here you can also find a wonderful, shallow, sandy beach with crystal clear water.

The historical village of Skrip, the oldest settlement on the island, is simply a must. Located inland, not far from Supetar, it is rich in history and offers a good alternative to the hustle and bustle of the beaches and coastline towns. Here, you can find in a 16th century tower building, the Brac Native Museum introducing you to the island’s history and the Olive Oil Museum, a small, family-run museum, housed in an olive oil mill dating from 1864, displaying old tools and equipment used for the making of olive oil and revealing traditional olive oil making processes. There is also a tasting room located on the top floor of the museum and a shop, where you can purchase home-made products like olive oil, vinegar, jams etc.

The lesser-known picturesque little village of Milna is also worth visiting for its quiet, deserted coves and beaches and crystal clear water, perfect for diving and snorkelling. Milna also has one of the most beautiful and secluded ports in Croatia, a true sailing paradise.

The beautiful Islands of Central Dalmatia – Part 2 was originally published on Freeminimaps - discover authentic experiences!