Hvar Island

Greek colonists from the island of Paros founded Pharos, on the site of today's Stari Grad, in 384 BC, and divided the fertile plain behind it into regular plots bounded by dry-stone walls. That ancient field system, still farmed with grapes and olives, was inscribed by UNESCO as the Stari Grad Plain in 2008.

In the Middle Ages the islanders sought Venetian protection, and for long periods between the 13th and 18th centuries Hvar Town served as an important Venetian naval base. The town was sacked during an Ottoman raid in 1571, and the hilltop fortress was rebuilt after a gunpowder explosion in 1579. The arsenal by the harbour, rebuilt in the early 17th century, has a theatre on its upper floor that opened in 1612 and is regarded as one of the oldest public theatres in Europe.

When Venice moved its fleet elsewhere in the 18th century, the town declined, but under Habsburg rule in the 19th century a local hygienic society, founded in 1868, began promoting Hvar for visitors, marking the start of tourism on the island.

Island life follows the agricultural year: grape harvest in early autumn, olive picking towards winter, and lavender, grown for aromatic oils and soaps, which has earned Hvar its nickname as the island of lavender. Wine is central to local culture, with red Plavac Mali grown on the steep southern slopes and white wines from the central plain between Stari Grad and Jelsa. Villages keep strong parish traditions and a close-knit way of life.