This is a list of 10 unique things to do in Hvar Town including restaurants, bars, sights, and more according to Svadore.
Every person will have a different experience in Hvar Town. Essentially it’s all about the things you do and how you do it. You can find yourself in the wilder, summer version of Hvar Town or you can do it Sveva’s way–the Svadore way–and visit the real, authentic Hvar Town during shoulder season. Craving some flatbread with Hvar’s renowned local figs? Want to know where the cutest streets within the walled fortress city of Hvar town can be found? Want to know where to get traditional Hvar cake or where you can get the best view of Hvar town? I’ve done all the work for you. Below you’ll find a list of things to do in Hvar town from my favorite streets to must-eat restaurants and experiences.
1. St. Stephen Square
St. Stephen Square is Hvar Town’s old historic beating heart or piazza. It’s where the ferry drops you off and it’s where the energy of the city begins and ends. After dropping our bags off at our Airbnb located at the top of Hvar Town, Pat and I made our way down to St. Stephen Square. It’s surrounded by Hvar Town’s most renowned structures. The Cathedral of St. Stephen is at the center and houses 11 baroque altars and a 16th-century clock tower. On the corner of the square towards the riva, or sea shore, is the Arsenal, which is Europe’s oldest municipal theater. This is the perfect place to grab aperitivo, or happy hour, before lunch or dinner and people watch as the locals move about their day.
From the piazza, Patrick and I made our way up to the Spanish Fortress. Being a walled in fortress city, Hvar Town is built on top of a hill so you’ll be walking up and down a lot of cobblestone stairs. The views became more and more rewarding as we made our way up the hill surrounded by flora and fig trees poking out from people’s properties and spilling onto the cobblestone stairs.
2. Dr. Mate Milicica
You can’t visit Hvar and not explore its back streets, hidden treasures, quirky galleries, and local clothing shops. Patrick and I walked up Dr. Mate Milicica street, that had a wonderful store named Kristy with public benches for people to stop and take a breath from the September heat. Some streets in Croatia are named after a business or industry that was once founded there. In this case, I guess a doctor must’ve had his profession on this street.
2. Trdava Fortica or Spanish Fortress
People skip the Spanish Fortress and go straight to Napoleon’s Fortress, the highest point to view Hvar Town. But in my opinion, the best view is actually from the closer Trdava Fortica or Spanish Fortress. Getting to the fortress involved many…many steps…and a walk through an uphill garden rich in fig trees and flora (and mosquitoes). Once we reached the top, we paid a small admission fee to walk inside the fortress. We spent some time exploring the maze-like insides of the fortress and climbing into the small prison cells, then made our way outside for the stunning views. Be careful when moving around, I hit my head real hard when in the prison cell and had to sit down for a bit till the pain from the bump on my head went away!
From the tip of the Spanish Fortress you can see why Hvar Town was an ideal location. It was the perfect location to view any incoming attacks. We had sweeping views of Hvar Town below and the Pakleni islands in front of us. On a clear day, which Hvar has many, you can see the neighboring island of Vis in the distance. After we were done taking in the breathtaking views, we got under a canopy for some shade at the bar located in the center of the Spanish Fortress. We ordered a juice and glass of water to re-hydrate and took it all in (and to be honest, to recover from my head bump in the prison cell! I turned out to be ok, no concussion protocol necessary).
3. Skaline Od Gojave
On our way back down from the Spanish Fortress, we walked made our way all the way down to St. Stephen Square via the Skaline Od Gojave steps. Skaline Od Gojave was by far one of my favorite streets in Hvar Town. This street has plenty of restaurants, Konobas, and bars tucked away within it. One of my favorites was Restaurant Park. The restaurant was lush with tropical plants. The chairs and tables were simple with a hint of pink decor and reminded me of something you’d see in Mykonos. A vine and floral-covered pergola strung with lights completely shut out the noise from Skaline Od Gojave. It was definitely one of the most stunning restaurants in Hvar Town.
Right before you reach the end of Skaline Od Gojave and find yourself back in St. Stephen Square, you walk through Central Park Club Hvar. The club and bar spills out into the streets, so you can’t miss it. In fact, your forced to walk through it. The green-enveloped bar and club is framed by palm trees, pink and green flora, and the blue Adriatic sea.
4. Ulica Sveti Marak (Crkva Sv. Marka) + Lola Bar
Rather then head immediately down back to the harbor, Pat and I took a sharp right onto Ulica Sveti Marak towards Crkva Sv. Marka, or St. Mark’s Church. Ulica Sveti Marak is another one of my favorite streets. Big palm trees shade spill into the cobblestone streets shading it nicely from the sun. There are plenty of bars and places to stop for a drink or bite to eat with the stunning St. Mark’s Church as your backdrop.
One bar that stood out to me in particular is Lola Bar. Fancy an unusual cocktail or some street food while here? Simply stroll up to Lola Bar’s unassuming hatch and order a cocktail through the small window. Stickers take over the exterior of the hatch while the small interior is filled with eclectic and nostalgic accessories and trinkets. Enjoy a drink or some food al fresco on one of Lola Bar’s many high tops lining Ulica Sveti Marak or on one of their lounge chairs.
5. Lunch at Fig Cafe
At this point we were hungry so headed past the piazza for lunch towards Fig Cafe. We took a seat out on the quiet cobblestone alley and ordered two fig and farm cheese flatbreads. The waiter came back a couple of minutes later with two thin yet huge flatbreads with poached figs, roasted local walnuts, fresh farm cheese, fig jam, and mache. The flatbreads were big enough to feed two people and super affordable at just $10 each. The ingredients were insanely fresh. It was the perfect healthy and sweet dose of food I needed.
Patrick began to devour his flatbread. Meanwhile, I tried to explain to him why I chose Fig Cafe in the first place as our go-to lunch spot. Croatia has an amazingly fertile growing landscape and in Hvar sees plenty of fruit trees speckling the landscape. If Pat hadn’t noticed already, we had walked by hundreds of fig trees while exploring Hvar Town (and there were even more if we continued inland). Every backyard had an olive tree, citrus tree, or fig tree. Hvar’s fig season was in full swing late in September, which is why I chose to take him to Fig Cafe, so we can indulge in one of the local economies most coveted food staples. He nodded to show he was listening and continued to eat his flatbread. The meal was so good, when I got home I immediately proceeded to look for Dalmatia fig jam or spread so I could recreate the meal at home. Luckily I found it directly imported from Croatia, so you can try to make it at home as well!
7. Franciscan Monastery
Patrick and I finished off our lunch and continued down the riva filled with restaurants and gelaterias. There were occasional platforms that jutted out of the riva where people would sunbathe or jump in the Adriatic Sea to cool down mid-work day. The pace of everyday life was much slower here than in New York…you could tell they lived a much more relaxed life then us, just from how they spent their lunch break by the water. We continued till we reached the 15th-century Franciscan Monastery. It’s gardens and Last Supper painting are worth the visit.
8. Get Out Farther
Following the Franciscan Monastery, Pat and I continued down the riva till we got onto Robinson trail where we hiked to nearby coves. On our way back from Robinson trail we realized the view one could get of Hvar from afar. From here we could distinctly see the old city walls and how they hugged Hvar Town in the distance. If you get the chance, walk farther out of town for this spectacular view. It requires a bit of uphill hiking, but it’s well worth the trip.
9. Dinner and Nightlife
If it wasn’t obvious from wandering about Hvar Town before, there are plenty of dinner options in Hvar Town. There are plenty of high-end and fancy options in the area, but Pat and I wanted a more local tavern feel. Next to our Airbnb was Konoba Menego, one of the best go-to taverns in Hvar Town for authentic Dalmatian specialties. The restaurant was in an old traditional Dalmatian house giving it a very cozy vibe. Sea shells strung from the ceiling with light bulbs inside and old family portraits told the story of this old Dalmatian Konoba. The waiters served you in folk costume from Kvar and Dalmatian klapa songs played in the background. The family does its best to preserve the family’s authentic house and Hvar’s products–and it shows. It was exactly what we wanted, an authentic and local family run restaurant.
10. If You Have More Time…
If you have more time in Hvar Town, here are a couple of additional can’t miss places you should add to your list.
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