Starigrad - the oldest town in Europe.
Stari Grad is situated in the north-western part of the island in a deep and protected bay which is a safe shelter for boating people.The town of ancient times and cultural heritage was known as the Greek Pharos, and it is believed to be the oldest town in Europe. The Tvrdalj is the most prominent building in the town which was a home of the famous local poet Petar Hektorovic. Today, Stari Grad is a modern tourist resort. Hotels, appartments, bungalows, traditional dishes, especially fish dishes, famous Hvar wines, various possibilities of sport and recreation, bring visitors to this part of the Adriatic, chosen by the Greeks in the ancient times.
In summertime many cultural and sport events are organized: Starogradsko ljeto, concerts, recitals, entertainments, International music summer school, and Faros marathon - Croatian international championship in long distance swimming.

Beaches

LANTERNA (Lantern) - bathing place situated 800 m from the centre of Stari Grad. It consists of pebble bay and part which is  paved with concrete.

MASLINICA - sandy bay located near the ferry harbour, about 2 km from centre of Stari Grad.

BANJ - bathing place situated 500 m from the centre of Stari Grad. It consists of pebble bay and part which is  paved with concrete.

HOTEL BATHING PLACE - a bathing place situated below the hotel complex in Stari Grad. Bathing place is paved with concrete and has a pebble beach.

PAKLENA, BABA, ZAVALA, ZUKOVA - beaches situated along the peninsula  closing the bay of Stari Grad. Peaceful pebble beaches, flatly shaped stones, shadow from pine trees make these beaches so particular...

Sights

On the site of the present-day town of Stari Grad stood the Greek city of Pharos, founded in 384 BC. The remnants from the ancient time is mosaic which is below the level of the pavement. Near Stari Grad, in Dol, we can see the remains of the Roman summer house complex and the Cyclops' Walls of Illyrian-Helenistic construction.

One of the oldest and of great value monuments of Stari Grad is the church of St John. This is complex of the double basilicas is the oldest cultural centre of the island. When the diocese was established in 1147 the church of St John was its see. Next to the church the archeologists found in 1957 an early Christian baptismal font in the shape of the Greek cross belonging to the 6th  or 7th century. Today the font is filled with sand for protection.

The Tvrdalj is the most prominent building in Stari Grad, a fortified palace built by Petar Hektorovic in 1520. Particularly interesting are inscriptions engraved in stone in Latin and Croatian language, fish pond, arcades, park and ethnographic exhibition. Next to the Tvrdalj, Petar Hektorovic had the church of St Rocco built in 1569.

The church of St Stephen was built in the 17th and 18th century. Stone blocks of ancient buildings and the relief of a ship are now part of the tower bell. Near the church you can see the antic relief of Eros with a turned torch.

The Dominican monastery was built in 1482. It was burnt and destroyed in 1571 during an attack by the Algerian pirates. The defensive walls were erected immediately after the event. The old archive and books, the collection of paintings and sculptures, coin collection and fossile collection are kept in the monastery.

In the close vicinity of the swimming beach you can encounter a former late Gothic church of St Jerome which used to be a Glagolitic hospice. It was turned into an attractive exhibition area...

The naval collection of Stari Grad was founded in 1666. The collection takes place in the house of Juraj Biankini. It exhibits the paintings and photos of the captains from Hvar, sailboats, nautical literature and charts...

VRBANJ  is the biggest island village and dominates over large part of the Hvar plain. Right in the middle of the village there is a square around which many houses have found their place and so called Kraljevi dvori from the 12th century is the most impressive.

BASINA and MUDRI DOLAC are among the most beautiful bays of the island of Hvar. They are situated on the northern part of the island, only few km from Stari Grad, Jelsa and Vrboska... An ideal place for relaxation having beautiful beaches, mild climate and pine woods...

DOL is only 6 km from Stari Grad. The settlement is divided into the settlement Dol of St Mary and Dol of St Barbara. The church of St Peter, which is in the settlement of St Mary, is famous for an icon of Madonna from the 15th century, probably the work of Maestro di Stratonice, a painter belonging to theTuscan Renaissance circle.

DISTANCES:

STARI GRAD - VRBOSKA  5 km
STARI GRAD - JELSA 10 km
STARI GRAD - HVAR 20 km
STARI GRAD - SUCURAJ 63 km
STARI GRAD - ZAVALA  17 km
STARI GRAD - SV. NEDJELJA 27 km

Photo gallery