The town of Hvar on Hvar Island has a classic Mediterranean seaside promenade, lined with palm trees and yachts catching the the afternoon sun that will later set over the Adriatic Sea.
From the Spanjola Fort, or Spanish Fort, we had a splendid view of the harbor and our cruise ship. We recommend a small cruise ship for a first visit to the Dalamatian coast, as the coast is very curvy, hilly, and has islands such as Hvar and Korcula that are certainly must-see destinations. A small cruise ship can reach these locations, and the large cruise ships that stop only in Dubrovnik will miss a lot.
This is a view of the interior of Hvar. The present population of Hvar is only a fraction of what it was 100 years ago. The soil is rocky and the land is steep. The primary crop is lavender, although wine is also produced locally. Most of the residents of this village have moved away to the town of Hvar, although they will return at times to the village church from which their families came for weddings and other special events. (One of the houses in this photo has no roof as you can see.) We were told that the people whose families came from this town continue to play on a football (soccer) team, even though they no longer live together in the village. The name of the team is called the Lavenders. I am sure they play a lot tougher than their name.
This is a small seaside village that we reached by hiking down from the hills to the coast.
This is the main town square of Hvar, with the Cathedral of St. Stephen, built in the 1600's. On this square is one of the oldest theaters in Europe and the Venetian arsenal. During the height of the Venetian empire, each of its towns had an arsenal with an inventory of interchangeable parts for its ships so any Venetian ship could come into any Venetian port and be quickly repaired.
This is a small seaside village that we reached by hiking down from the hills to the coast.
This is the main town square of Hvar, with the Cathedral of St. Stephen, built in the 1600's. On this square is one of the oldest theaters in Europe and the Venetian arsenal. During the height of the Venetian empire, each of its towns had an arsenal with an inventory of interchangeable parts for its ships so any Venetian ship could come into any Venetian port and be quickly repaired.
9 comments:
I am in awe of the amount of traveling you have done. How wonderful that you bring your photographic skills with you wherever you go and share these images with us. I will never be able to travel to most of the places you have seen. This is the closest I'll come to having these experiences. Thank you.
I have always heard such nice things about Croatia, the Adriatic coast is so beautiful and photogenic, definately a place to visit. Your pictures have made me more curious:)
Great pictures indeed!
This is a wonderful destination and your photos are picture postcards. Makes me want to visit in person.
What a beautiful island! Croatia is on top of my list of european countries I have not visited yet. Fantastic shots!
Excellent photography. I am glad your blog.
With best wishes from Lithuania.
Jonas
Good pictures! I like Croatia very much. This year, on April, I went beyond Hvar to Lastovo Island, a beautiful and more secluded place, especially in that particular moment of the year.
It is a truly wonderful place, we will definitely have to go back there one day
Wow!
Thank you for steering me to these photos. My mother was born on Hvar but they moved when she was 3. My grandfather was a tax collector and got another position in Dalmatia. They had an apartment in one of the stone buildings along the waterfront. My grandmother's born in the interior of Dalmatia (Knin) and when she moved to the island in 1929, her mother proclaimed that she would become a drunk because their water was not drinkable while the wine was. She did not as she made sure to have a fresh water supply delivered daily from the mainland by a ship-captain friend.
My mother disappeared once and everyone was in a frenzy to find her. They did finally find her, calmly washing her doll in the sea on the steps leading from the quay.
Thanks for the photos and for bringing back my grandma's stories.
I have not been south of Sibenik and one of these days will take your advice and go on a small-ship cruise.
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