Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

Our cloistered Benedictine nun friends have been using agave to make lace for hundreds of years. This method of lace production is unique to Hvar. In a small part of the nun’s convent is a museum that displays examples of agave lace as well as artwork and artifacts from the history of the convent itself.

       i Admission 10 kn

       FRANCISCAN CHURCH AND MONASTERY MUSEUM

      Šetalište put 13; 021 741 193; church open daily 24hr, museum open M-Sa 9am-3pm and 5pm-9pm

      The world’s most famous Last Supper may be in Milan, but Hvar’s own rendition in the old refectory of the Franciscan Monastery is nothing to scoff at. Inside, there is a small cloister with the church entrance on the right. The church is an agglomeration of different styles with both Baroque and Gothic influences. For more artwork and Roman artifacts, the museum has a medium-sized collection. Don’t miss the massive Last Supper painting and the works by none other than Ivan Meštrović.

       i Church admission free, museum admission 35 kn; limited wheelchair accessibility

STARI GRAD

      If your World War II history is a little mixed up, let us set the record straight for you. Stari Grad is not Stalingrad. The only battles waged here are wealthy French tourists competing over a bill at a restaurant. This is the type of town where wine is served by the liter over dinners that last long into the night. It’s where the lowkey yachters and upper-middle-class Western European tourists come to get away from the hubbub of their real lives. They’re attracted like moths to a light to the historic architecture, relaxed nightlife, and plentiful vineyards, but in numbers much less than neighboring Hvar. So don your striped sailor shirt and do as the yachters do: visit the many breathtaking churches, bike through Ancient Greek vineyards, and stroll along the stone corniche.

      GETTING THERE

      Stari Grad is on the island of Hvar, which is commonly reached by boats. The Port of Stari Grad is the largest island port on Hvar and is not far from Stari Grad itself. It receives frequent ferries from Split. If you are traveling to Stari Grad from Hvar, you can also take a 20min. bus.

      GETTING AROUND

      Stari Grad is best explored by foot and you can easily walk to all of the town’s sites on foot. The town is situated at the end of an inlet and has characteristically narrow streets.

       Swing by…

       DOMINICAN MONASTERY OF ST. PETER THE MARTYR

      Ul. kod Svetog Petra 1P; open daily 9:30am-12:30pm and 4pm-6:30pm

      Art history nerds should know two things about Tintoretto: he was Venetian and he’s famous. How did one of his paintings end up in this obscure Dominican monastery on a remote Croatian island? Well, a few centuries back this part of the world used to be controlled by Venice under the rule of the Doge (and most definitely not by a doggo or pupper). Beyond Tintoretto’s Pietà, the church and courtyard of the monastery are beautiful, complete with flower-covered columns and arches. The museum, included with admission, lacks significant English descriptions, but displays important Greek and Roman artifacts from the nearby UNESCO World Heritage site, Stari Grad Plain.

       i Admission to church and museum 20 kn

       Check out…

       TVRDALJ CASTLE

      Priko b.b.; 922252391; open daily 10am-7pm

      Tvrdalj Castle is an innovative take on the cliché rich-people-building-whimsical-castles theme. We expected lots of Renaissance faire kitsch, but were instead rewarded with the melodious poetry of Petar Hektorović and an ethereal fish pond. Without a doubt, ten minutes in this fifteenth-century palace will turn you into a true Andrea Bocelli-loving troubadour ready to sing longingly about your days in this most beautiful of Croatian villas. But we’re warning you: inspired locals and travelers alike have written many a poem about this place, so the bar is pretty high.

       i Admission 15 kn

       Grab a bite at…

       CAFÉ BAR ANTIKA ($)

      Donja Kola 34; 021 765 479; open daily Feb-Oct noon-3pm and 6pm-1am

      Tucked in a side street near the main square, Antika is everything you’d expect from a restaurant in a town called “Old Town.” Vintage pepper mills, traditional foods, and plenty of wine are exactly what you’ll get here. Grab a wooden menu and squeeze into the dining room or sit outside and enjoy the company of smokers on wooden benches. The offerings are similar to most restaurants in Dalmatia with fish, meat, and pasta.

       i Starters from 25 kn, entrées from 80 kn

       Don’t miss…

       STARI GRAD PLAIN

      Open daily 24hr

      It’s all Greek to me—at least at Stari Grad Plain, that is. After creating the first settlement at Stari Grad (Pharos), the Greeks divided up the nearby fields into small family plots that have been used continuously for 24 centuries. Within the fields, there is a grid system of roads and dirt trails that connect chapels and ancient ruins that makes hiking or biking easy. Alternatively, you could check out the village of Doland and the Church of St. Michael Archangel for a view of the entire plain. Bike rentals start at 60 kn for half a day. A detailed guide to the ruins and sights of the plain is available from the tourist office.

       i Free; limited wheelchair accessibility; bike rentals from 60 kn

       Top it off at…

       EREMITAŽ ($)

      Obala hrvatskih branitelja 2; open daily noon-3pm and 6pm-midnight

      With the best waterfront views in town and a location in a sixteenth-century hermitage, we’re unsure how Eremitaž stays in business with entrees starting at 80 kn. But when something’s good, don’t question it. Eremitaž is across from the main part of town and a relaxing walk (or dare we suggest, Vespa ride) will get you there in 10 minutes (or less…we didn’t actually take a Vespa).

       i Starters from 25 kn, entrées from 80 kn

      OUTDOORS

       HVAR’S BEACHES

      Open daily 24hr

      Walking to east of the Riva, past the ferry landing, you’ll find a small pebble beach. If you continue to walk east, there are plenty of rocks and ladders that make swimming and sun-tanning effortless. Another option is to take the 40 kn water taxi to one of the beaches on the Pakleni Islands. But why pay, when the water is just as crystal clear in Hvar?

       i Beach entry free; water taxi 40 kn; limited wheelchair accessibility

       FOOD

       MIZAROLA ($)

      Vinka Pribojevica 2; 098 799 978; open daily 11am-11pm

      Eating on a budget in Hvar is hard. Eating good food on a budget is damn near impossible. Fortunately, Mizarola is here to help with 55 kn pizzas and 80 kn pastas, which makes it as friendly to the wallet as it is to the stomach. But don’t get us wrong: we’d come here even if the prices were the same as the rest of Hvar. The terrace is next to the red-tiled roof of an old chapel and the food is blissfully well-seasoned. Plus, the servers are genuinely nice human beings.

       i Pizza from 55 kn, pasta from 80 kn, other entrées from 90 kn; vegetarian options available