Stari Grad - Tourist guide

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Starigrad is a town and harbour on the north-western part of the island of Hvar. The island of Hvar can be reached by ferries from Split, Drvenik and Dubrovnik, as well as from Ancona during summer. Chief occupations include farming, viniculture, olive growing, fruit growing, grapes proces-sing, fishing and tourism.

Stari Grad is one of the oldest European towns and the oldest town on the island inhabited already in the 4th century B.C. by Greeks who called it Pharos. Greeks had built giant 9 kilometers long walls to protect the town. Its very rich history is visible today in many historic monuments, like large mosaic in Srednja ulica, that is covered with pavement, which presents the remains from the Roman and Early Christian period. There is an early Christian baptisery in the medieval church of St. Ivan from the 12th century and the remains of villa rustica on the site "Pod Dolom".

Tvrdalj, fortified summer residence of Petar Hektorovic, has inscriptions in Croatian and Latin chiseled in the stone, and a fish-pond surrounded with arcades, park and etnographic colection. There is the sculpture of Hektorovic in front it. The dominician monastery founded in 1482 keeps the old library, archive, collection of paintings, collection of stone monuments, numismatic collection and collection of fossils. The baroque parish was built in the 17th century. There is also the renaissance church of St. Rok from 1569 and renaissance church of St. Jerolim.

Starigrad offers a variety of accommodation facilities in hotels, apartments, or private rooms, and in the restaurants and wine cellars domestic specialities are offered, especially seafood and the top quality wines of the Stari Grad wine-makers who have skilfully combined their centuries-long tradition with the modern technology. If you like outdoor activities you have many sports and recreational opportunities like tennis, basketball, football, boccia, including water sports like surfing, diving which attract many visitors to this corner of the Adriatic Sea.

The summer months offer numerous cultural and sports events such as the Summer of Stari Grad, concerts, recitals, shows. Stari Grad hosts the International Summer Music School in July and August. The celebration of the patron saint takes place in August the 16th. The first Sunday in September attracts many swimmers on the Faros Marathon, International Croatia Cup in long-distance swimming.

Stari Grad is enclosed on the one side with the land and the fields of lavender and vineyards, and on the other side it is protected by the sea and has a special tourist attractiveness. It is one of the most visited holiday resorts on the Adriatic. The surrounding sea is well-known for its rich fish world, and the beaches are rocky, concrete and pebble. Smaller beaches are located in the coves inside the bay, and the underwater fishing is possible along the northern coast of the bay.

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