Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
century, most of the palace was torn down to build the town's first resort hotel; today, that
building—appropriately called the Palace Hotel—still stands just behind the Loggia.
Walktowardthecathedral,stoppingatthefirstbiggapontheleft.Youcanseethetopof
a
Venetian palace,
with its distinctive Venetian-style windows. A descendant of the former
owner recently bought back this palace and has restored it. The renovation took longer than
expected whenworkersbegantouncoverlayerafterlayerofHvar'shistory:blocksofstone
from the Greek island of Paros, Illyrian coins, and Roman mosaics. If you were to head two
blocks up this street, you'd run into the yellow
Benedictine Convent
and its loveable lace
museum; if you continued beyond the convent, you'd reach the trailhead for the
fortress
up
above (all described later). But before leaving the square, visit the cathedral (see below).
ThenpokearoundHvar's
back streets.
Asyouwander,especiallyontheleft(north)side
of the square, look up to find more characteristic Venetian windows. You'll also spot stone
tabs jutting from house facades. The ones with holes were used to hang color-coded cur-
tains: white for a birth, black for a death. Also notice the gleaming white limestone every-
where, which is quarried locally. An often-repeated (but false) legend that the US White
House was built of this same stone is temptingly plausible.
Cathedral of St. Stephen (Sv. Stjepan)
Hvar's centerpiece is its Renaissance-era cathedral, with a distinctive three-humped gable
(representing the Holy Trinity) and open-work steeple. The interior comes with a few tales
from Hvar's storied past; you can see the bronze doors (described below) without buying a
ticket.
Cost and Hours:
10kn,daily9:00-13:00&17:00-21:00exceptclosedtotouristsduring
services Sun 10:00-11:00 year-round plus Mon-Sat 20:00-21:00 June-Aug and 18:30-19:30
Sept-May. If you'd like to attend a service, pick up the English outline inside.
