Stari Grad, on the island’s north coast, is a quieter, more cultured and altogether more sober affair than Hvar Town, its stylish and sybaritic sister. If you’re not after pulsating nightlife and thousands of people crushing each other along the streets in the high season, head here and enjoy Hvar at a more leisurely pace. That said, you can easily see all of the little town's sights in half a day.
The name Stari Grad means 'Old Town', a reference to the fact that it was founded in 384 BC by the ancient Greeks, who knew it as Pharos. The surrounding fields are still divided into parcels of land demarcated in antiquity. The town sits at the end of a deep inlet, with the narrow lanes of the old quarter spreading out on its southern side. The waterfront promenade continues along the northern bank to a small beach.
Top sights in Stari Grad
The Faros' Cantors:
In its rich and varied cultural history, the island of Hvar is the holder of the finest Mediterranean cultural heritage and tradition. The beginnings of its culture date back to ancient times, from the Greeks, the Romans, the Illyrians to the Croats.
This wealth is expressed through all forms of art amongst which music holds a special place, as one of the forms of popular expression. Representing this rich cultural, ecclesiastical heritage of popular musical tradition, and unique in the world, Faroski kantaduri present just one part of the rich popular musical tradition of the island of Hvar.
Faroski kantaduri have saved numerous original melodies from oblivion by their continuous activities and by cherishing tradition in particular of polyphonic klapas singing. Kantaduri has cherished this musical world heritage as well as of a religious character so we may say that they cherish those melodies created “from the altar to the tavern”. Faroski kantaduri, have been cherishing these popular and sacral melodies, performed in Croatia and in 20 countries within Europe and America as well as at leading world festivals of ancient and sacral music amongst which the performance in 2000 at the Sacred Voices Sacral Music Festival in London should certainly be selected.
Picollo Theatre:
Almost fifteen years of hard work with excellent Croatian theatre professionals – producers, actors, drama writers (Želimir Orešković, Tahir Mujičić, Miro and Mladena Gavran etc.) and cooperation with the Slovak producer Michal Babiak have resulted in the establishment of a theatre ensemble – the Picollo Theatre. Experience with the modern works of Miro Gavran but also of world-famous authors (Bengt Ahlfors, Vinko Möderndorfer, John Millington Synge, Theodore Rogert, etc) are shown to the island’s audiences as well as numerous guest performances in Croatia and abroad, who receive them with great enthusiasm – mostly because they talk about current themes, about problems of modern human lives and about themes that are current now.
The Picollo Theatre with its experienced actors who long ago passed the standards of an amateur theatre have the necessary skills and capacities to carry on this dialogue with modern artistic trends. The island’s young audience find these performances a place where their problems are articulated whilst the older audience, finds the Picollo Theatre to be a place of broadening their cultural minds. In the dialectics of these artistic lines, a very rich base of justified existence and activity is being created.
Petar Hektorović Theatre:
The amateur theatre “Petar Hektorović” was founded back in 1880, based on the theatre life from the XVI century when renaissance poet, Petar Hektorović, was alive. Then, theatrical life took place in the open air (miracles), whilst with the foundation of the Amateur theatre, a permanent drama scene both before and after the Second World War was established. This tradition successfully continues to the present. Of course, thousands of shows have been performed and more than a hundred performances practiced and executed in front of numerous spectators. From 1973 to 2011, 28 premieres were staged that was repeated in hundreds of performances.Besides performances, participation at meetings, field-days, festivals and guest appearances, this theatre has also distinguished itself with the very successful preparation of the Dalmatia theatre amateurs and Croatian Theatre Amateur Festival.
Faros Marathon:
The reason behind the organization of the famous FAROS MARATHON was the theatre show dedicated to the sea called “Domagojada” which was performed by Relja Bašić’s "Histrioni" theatre company in the summer of 1974 on the Škor Square in Stari Grad. Stimulated by the show’s content, an idea came to Vicko Šoljan to organize a swimming marathon in Stari Grad thanks to the perfect formation of the bay, and by doing so amuse and entertain tourists. He immediately confided the idea to his closest collaborators. They invited the famous publicist and journalist from Split, Frane Jurić to Stari Grad as well as the period‘s world champion marathon swimmer, the legendary Veljko Rogošić who also joined the project. They agreed to begin organizing the Mini Marathon from the town’s port to the Baba cape and back. The marathon was 3,620 m long and the organizers were interested in seeing the reaction and interest of local inhabitants and in particular of its young people.
Stari Grad Brass Orchestra:
Stari Grad Brass Orchestra, established back in 1876, celebrates 140 years of continuous activity. The Orchestra, with its tradition, is proud of inhabitants of Stari Grad. The first bandmasters were Czech - Sanitrak, Fronek, Svoboda, and Jelenek. Stari Grad Brass Orchestra has had many guest performances outside Croatian borders (Rotterdam, Praha, München, Beč, Velek Opatovice, Letovice, and Boskovice), takes part in all state, folk and church holiday celebrations.
Many generations of Stari Grad inhabitants have expressed their love for music in the so-called mužika (Town Music Stari Grad) whilst some of them began their professional careers right there. Today’s bandmaster, Luki Gamulin, also grew up in Stari Grad Brass Orchestra. During your stay in Stari Grad, you will surely see and hear the Stari Grad musicians at least once while they entertain visitors.
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