Hvar, Croatia
We began our voyage with a calm anchorage overnight at the island of Hvar. Like many of the Dalmatian islands, Hvar is very long (60km) and very narrow (11km narrow). We woke on the west end under the guise of the medieval fortress of Hvar, which overlooks the harbor of this beautiful town in the Venetian style.
We set out after breakfast on a local tender to explore the town. Our guides Barbara and Bernarda took us through the Franciscan monastery, with its rich Renaissance art collection, and then we walked along the limestone pavements to the center square. The signature arsenal (shown at the right of the photo) features a former shipyard, which shows how much the land has risen since Venetian times. The arsenal also houses the oldest operating theater in Europe, which is currently under restoration in preparation for the city’s 500th anniversary. We then walked up many of the shady side streets and past the dominating cathedral with its gorgeous bell tower. Some of us stayed in town for lunch, some went back to the ship for a swim, and we all enjoyed an afternoon cruising north under a light breeze.
We began our voyage with a calm anchorage overnight at the island of Hvar. Like many of the Dalmatian islands, Hvar is very long (60km) and very narrow (11km narrow). We woke on the west end under the guise of the medieval fortress of Hvar, which overlooks the harbor of this beautiful town in the Venetian style.
We set out after breakfast on a local tender to explore the town. Our guides Barbara and Bernarda took us through the Franciscan monastery, with its rich Renaissance art collection, and then we walked along the limestone pavements to the center square. The signature arsenal (shown at the right of the photo) features a former shipyard, which shows how much the land has risen since Venetian times. The arsenal also houses the oldest operating theater in Europe, which is currently under restoration in preparation for the city’s 500th anniversary. We then walked up many of the shady side streets and past the dominating cathedral with its gorgeous bell tower. Some of us stayed in town for lunch, some went back to the ship for a swim, and we all enjoyed an afternoon cruising north under a light breeze.
