Stari Grad

Stari Grad is Pharos, founded by settlers from Paros in 384 BC at the head of a long inlet, and it is generally counted the oldest town in Croatia on the basis of continuous occupation from that date. At its centre is the Tvrdalj, the fortified house the poet Petar Hektorovic built for himself through the sixteenth century, with a walled fish pond at its heart, a dovecote, and inscriptions in Latin, Croatian and Italian carved into the walls - a building meant as a refuge for the town in a raid and as a working statement of its owner's ideas. The car ferry from Split lands here, so many arrivals to Hvar start in this town.

What you actually see

• Pharos, founded 384 BC - the oldest town in Croatia by continuous occupation.
• Hektorovic's Tvrdalj - a fortified house around a walled fish pond.
• Inscriptions in three languages - carved into its walls.
• The Split car ferry port - the island's main vehicle arrival.

When to go

May to September. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The Tvrdalj keeps seasonal hours and closes in winter. The town is much quieter than Hvar town, which some visitors read as dull. Ferry arrivals make it busy in bursts. Beaches nearby are stone.

Nearby

The Greek field grid runs inland behind the town; Hvar town is over the ridge.