St. Stephens Cathedral in St. Stephens Square at night, Hvar Town, Hvar Island, Dalmatian Coast, Croatia, Europe

Getty Images/Robert Harding World Imagery

Trg Sv Stjepana

Hvar Town


Stretching from the harbour to the cathedral, this impressive rectangular square was formed by filling in an inlet that once reached out from the bay. At 4500 sq metres, it’s one of the largest old squares in Dalmatia. Hvar Town's walled core, established in the 13th century, covers the slopes to the north. The town didn't spread south until the 15th century.

Look for the well, which is hidden among the umbrellas of the restaurants closest to the cathedral. It was built in 1520 and has a wrought-iron grille dating from 1780.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Hvar Town attractions

1. Arsenal

0.05 MILES

Mentioned in Venetian documents as ‘the most beautiful and the most useful building in the whole of Dalmatia’, the Arsenal once served as a repair and…

2. St Stephen's Cathedral

0.05 MILES

Providing a grand backdrop to the main square, this baroque cathedral was built in the 16th and 17th centuries at the height of the Dalmatian Renaissance…

3. Benedictine Convent

0.05 MILES

Playwright and poet Hanibal Lucić was born here in 1485, but this town house has been home to a community of Benedictine nuns since 1664. Over the…

4. Episcopal Museum

0.06 MILES

Adjoining the cathedral, this treasury houses silver vessels, embroidered liturgical robes, numerous Madonnas, a 13th-century icon, an elaborately carved…

5. Fortica

0.16 MILES

Looming high above the town and lit with a golden glow at night, this medieval castle occupies the site of an ancient Illyrian settlement dating from…

6. Franciscan Monastery

0.28 MILES

Overlooking a pretty cove, this 15th-century monastery has an elegant bell tower, built in the 16th century by a well-known family of stonemasons from…

7. Pokonji Dol

0.89 MILES

This large pebbly beach is literally at the end of the road if you're following the coast east from Hvar Town. There's a large restaurant here.

8. Jerolim

1.02 MILES

The closest of the Pakleni Islands to Hvar, the island of Jerolim is entirely clothing optional.

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