Hvar: UNESCO Cultural Landscape and Island Traditions

Jadrolinija’s catamaran line 9603 can also play a role in planning your trip: it connects Split with Stari Grad and Jelsa on Hvar, as well as with Bol on Brač. First consider which place name and travel theme matter for your choice—for example, cultural heritage, local traditions or a connection from Split.

The cultural landscape of the Stari Grad Plain

The Stari Grad Plain on Hvar is a UNESCO cultural landscape and nature reserve. Its features include an agricultural system dating back to Greek times, significant parts of which have been preserved: vineyards, olive groves, dry-stone boundaries and rainwater infrastructure. Together, these elements convey the character of an agricultural landscape shaped over a long period. The plain is therefore of interest not only for its individual features, but also for how they come together as a cultural landscape.

If you are primarily interested in history and landscape, the plain offers a specific focus to help you choose your destination. Viticulture, olive groves and dry-stone walls are among the visible elements of this inherited system; the rainwater infrastructure is another part of it. This combination of agriculture and landscape sets the World Heritage site apart from a focus on individual historic buildings.

Traditions and cultural summer programmes

Hvar’s intangible cultural heritage includes the Za Križen procession and agave lace. These two traditions point to different aspects of cultural life: a procession on the one hand, and a craft on the other. Alongside the Stari Grad Plain, they give the island’s history another distinct focus.

Hvar also features in the cultural summer programme of Split-Dalmatia County: among the events specifically highlighted are the Hvarske ljetne priredbe. Dates and programmes vary from year to year. If a particular cultural programme is a deciding factor in your trip, check the latest dates before planning your journey.

Stari Grad, Jelsa and the connection from Split

Jadrolinija’s catamaran line 9603 connects Split with Bol on Brač, as well as with Stari Grad and Jelsa on Hvar. Stari Grad and Jelsa are two specific place names that you can consider separately when searching. The connection describes the route, not the current timetable: travel times and prices may change. Check the carrier’s latest information before travelling.

If you consider Hvar alongside other destinations in the county, different places and cultural heritage sites come into view. The county’s listed World Heritage sites include Diocletian’s Palace and medieval Split, historic Trogir, and the Stari Grad Plain. The World Heritage complex in Split includes the palace together with medieval cathedral structures, Romanesque churches, medieval fortifications, and Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque palaces. Trogir, in turn, features a Hellenistic street plan, Romanesque churches, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, narrow lanes, local limestone architecture and Kamerlengo Fortress.

Regional cuisine and wine

Culinary traditions also offer a glimpse beyond Hvar to Split-Dalmatia County. Regional dishes include forska and komiška pogača, buzara with crayfish, sausages called luganige, Sinjski arambašić, Brački vitalac and the Hrapoćuša cake. Their names reflect the diversity of regional cuisine without attributing every dish to a single place.

The county’s wine culture includes plavac mali, vugava and other grape varieties. Olive growing is considered an important part of regional identity; Brač also has two olive oil museums. These themes can broaden your view of the wider region as you plan your trip, while the Stari Grad Plain and Hvar’s own traditions give your search its Hvar focus.

Discover more destinations: Municipality of Sućuraj, Municipality of Jelsa, Municipality of Hvar, Stari Grad, Brod-Posavina, Međimurje County, Brač, Lika-Senj.

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