The hill overlooking the town of Hvar is a magnificent viewpoint. From there, you can look down on the town itself, watch the comings and goings in the harbour, see the Pakleni islands and the sea beyond. On a clear day (which they mostly are), you can see right over to Vis. The benefits of…
In Hvar’s Napoleon Fortress is a seismological station, part of a network covering the Adriatic coast from Rijeka in the north to Dubrovnik in the south. In fact they are all part of a larger international network that is responsible for monitoring earthquakes throughout the entire Mediterranean. Set up in 1973, the HVAR station contributes…
The ancient Greek colonists of Faros were not altogether firmly settled, despite their clear legacy of agriculture on the island. In fact the Stari Grad Plain was constantly under threat from the local Illyrian tribes who really didn’t want them there. High above the town of Jelsa, the Greeks built a big strong watchtower with…
Vrboska’s Ribarski muzej (Fishing Museum, or Fisherman’s Museum) is a tribute to the fishermen of the past, a wonderful collection of artifacts that tells of a way of life that still echoes today.
Always on the lookout for some authentic island happening, we were delighted to read about a folklore evening this Saturday in Jelsa. Thank you to the excellent Total Hvar Blog. So on with the long trousers and insect repellent and off to Jelsa. The Pjaca square was already bustling, and we snagged the last two chairs…
The tiny settlement of Vrboska is best known for two things – the upper harbour which looks just like a miniature canal complete with 16th century stone houses, and the somewhat unusual fortified church of Sveta Marija – or St Mary of Mercy in English. I say somewhat unusual, as there are a couple of…
After finding our way to all the other sites on the Archaeological Paths map provided by the Stari Grad tourist board, we thought it would be a doddle to visit Hum – Sveti Vid. Who needs signposts, anyway? You can see the hill perfectly well, it’s just a matter of working out which path takes…
Tucked away in a little backstreet of Hvar town is a lovely walled garden. Back in 1530, it was built as the summer residence of Hannibal Lucić, spent a good few years derelict and is now coming back to life as the Hvar Heritage Museum. Hanibal Lucić was a lawyer, in charge of local works…
Following my previous blog on Hvar’s drystone walls, I’m moving backwards in time beyond the Greek colonists to the Illyrians, who lived here before them. Between 2,000 and 1,000 B.C. the population began to settle on hilltops. Their huts were defended by ditches and stone ramparts some of which were massive. One of these hilltop…
Set here and there amongst the walled fields of Hvar’s agricultural landscape, you’ll see stone shelters. I’m not talking here about the newer type of weekend houses that have sprung up – complete with BBQ and shady terrace for Sunday lunch. No, the ones I mean are much older, of drystone construction, and some have…
Go Hvar 
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