Vrboska

Vrboska runs along both banks of a long narrow inlet on the northern side of Hvar, joined by small bridges, which is why it gets called the little Venice of the island. Its church of St Mary of Mercy is genuinely a fortress: after Ottoman raids burned the village in 1571 it was rebuilt in the following decades with thick walls, a battlemented parapet and a defensible roof terrace, so the parish church doubled as the refuge for the population. It can be climbed. The village also has a fishing museum, one of the older of its kind in the country, and the Stari Grad Plain runs behind it.

History

Vrboska grew up as a fishing harbour in the Middle Ages; its oldest building is the church of St Peter, built before the 14th century between the lands of Pitve and Vrbanj, and a Roman country villa lies nearby on the Stari Grad Plain. Matija Ivanić, the leader of the Hvar rebellion of 1510-1514, had a house here, and Venetian troops did great damage to the village in 1510; in 1571 it was attacked again, by the Ottoman fleet under Uluç Ali, and in 1575 the church of St Mary was fortified, becoming the only church-fortress in the islands. The village prospered on fishing and trade, and by the early 20th century it had a sardine factory, wooden boatbuilding, a hotel, a fishermen's association and regular boats to Split and Brač (Wikipedia, Vrboska).

What's there

• A village on both banks - joined by bridges along a narrow inlet.
• A fortified church - rebuilt with battlements after the raid of 1571.
• A roof terrace to climb - the defensible top of the church.
• A fishing museum - among the older ones in Croatia.

When to go

May to September. Half a day.

Good to know

The church and museum keep seasonal and limited hours. The village is small and quiet, which is either the appeal or the problem. Moorings fill in summer. Beaches are stone and concrete.

Nearby

Jelsa is east; Stari Grad and its plain are west.

Key facts