Vrboska

Vrboska is a small town on the north coast of the island of Hvar, set at the head of a narrow, deep inlet that cuts inland, crossed by several small stone bridges. The inlet gives the town its character and its nickname, “little Venice”, and the old houses that line it on both sides are among the finest on the island.

Vrboska was a fishing and shipbuilding settlement, and it was once the richest of the Hvar towns, which shows in the architecture. The most distinctive building is the fortified church of St Mary, a 16th-century church built with defensive walls and a tower, used as a refuge during pirate raids. There is also the parish church of St Lawrence, a fishing museum and a small Renaissance loggia.

The town is quieter than Hvar Town on the south coast, and it makes a good base for the quieter side of the island, with the inlet for swimming and the nearby beaches of the north coast, including the long sandy cove of Soline. It is also a centre for the island’s wine country.

For photographers, the stone bridges over the inlet and the fortified church are the shots, best in the morning calm when the water reflects the houses. Use Vrboska as the calmer alternative to Hvar Town and explore the interior of the island from here.

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