May 28, 2019 - Stari Grad is the 2400-year-old town of my grandmother; a gem located on the glorious island of Hvar. While the island itself is recognized most for the glitz, glamour, and party culture of Hvar town, Stari Grad is an ancient sanctuary located just under 30 minutes away from its better-known sibling. It is a quiet escape from the buzz on the other side of the island, and a paradise when you need to flee from the swarms of tourists already hitting the city of Split. 

With May nearing its end and a month of peculiar spring weather almost over (we hope), we inch closer to the heart of the tourist season in Croatia. But before the scorching summer heat, sweaty tour groups and long queues ensue, I opted for a preseason getaway to Stari Grad for a moment of meditation; a chance to enjoy the calm before the storm. 

While my grandmother hails from Stari Grad, and specifically the village of Dol, I’m ashamed to say I seldom visit. If I make it once or twice a year, I consider myself lucky, and it’s usually thanks to family visiting during the summer. I have, however, been fortunate to visit Stari Grad a handful of times in the preseason, specifically in May - and it is a tradition I intend on keeping. 

So, with the weather a gamble, sea temperatures not quite up to par, and a 50/50 chance that anything will be operating, why is Stari Grad a preseason paradise? 

Quiet streets, empty squares, and no crowds in sight

And dare I say it - peace. Living in Split, I’ve grown accustomed to the tourist boom hitting earlier each year, which is really beginning to take its toll. How rare it is to be able to navigate your way through a narrow alleyway, not cramped or behind a group of umbrella-clad tourists who sometimes seem to forget that others exist.

Stari Grad, on the other hand, had none of that. And it felt as if we were the only ones in town. 

The restaurants are just beginning to open for the season

While one might assume this comes with sides of good and bad, for our weekend, it was perfect. Sure, the staff might still be working out the kinks, the menus might still be developing, and you’ll most likely be sitting in an empty restaurant or alleyway with no way of gauging whether it's good or bad; however, the positives prevail. 

For starters, you receive the undivided attention of the restaurant staff. You’re able to get personal and learn about the biography behind the business, and, well, you’re probably treated a bit better than when hundreds of hungry and screaming tourists jump in asking for orders of ketchup and pomfrit. It’s an intimate experience you’ll be hard pressed to find in the peak season, and one you should never take for granted. 

You can buy local 

Namely, a French couple with a ‘passion for gastronomy, wines, culture and beautiful places around the world’ opened the alleyway treasure ‘Za Pod Zub’ a few years ago - and TCN even met Chloé and Yvan last year. Bringing together more than 70 producers and 250 products from the islands and all over Croatia, Za Pod Zuub showcases the best that Croatia has to offer - and you get to take it home with you, too. 

We opted for a fresh goat cheese made from the ‘goats around the corner’, red-wine soaked prosciutto from Drniš, and sage and onion crackers to create our charcuterie lunch at home. To drink, we couldn’t pass up the Rosina by Master of Wine, Jo Ahearne of Ahearne Vino on Hvar. 

They even carry a creative collection of Croatian gin, which we went back to buy before our ferry home.

And an impressive selection of hot sauces which warms any Californian girl's heart.

And you can swim

If you’re brave enough, that is. And there were a few. 

There’s even entertainment 

How lucky were we to find that the Evening of Singing - Večer od kantonjo - was held in St. Stephen's Square on the Saturday we visited. Organized by the Faroski Kantaduri, this was the sixth meeting of the island klapa, conceived as an evening of original singing. Each klapa group performed two old original songs, and the groups included female klapa Frecija (Jelsa), Klapa Kaštilac (Vrboska), Klapa Galešnik (Hvar), female klapa Bodulke (Hvar), Klapa Pharia (Brusje), Klapa Priženca (Svirče), and Faroskikantaduri (Stari Grad). The guest of the evening was Klapa Mela from Murter.

This klapa meeting officially opens the tourist season and the cultural summer in Stari Grad. 

A picture-perfect paradise before the chaos of summer hits on the coast, why wouldn't you escape to Stari Grad?

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page. 

Just last week, TCN announced a new catamaran connection between Split Airport and Bol on the island of Brač, but did you know you could travel to Stari Grad on Hvar, too? Meet Split Express.

Namely, from June 1 this year, travelers will be transported between the Split Airport and the islands of Brač (Bol) and Hvar (Stari Grad), and the city of Split with a new fast catamaran line branded as Split Express (splitexpress.com), reports HRTurizam on May 24, 2019. 

This new service will significantly shorten the voyage to the islands of Brač and Hvar from the Split Airport concerning the trip so far available with public transport.

This direct connection from Split Airport to the islands via catamaran is years in the making, and it’s safe to say no one is complaining.

"When we first had the chance at the beginning of this year to buy the right catamaran, we decided to launch this unique service," says Alan Klanac, one of the founders of Adriatic Fast Ferries Inc., a shipping company behind Splitexpress.com.

“Opening this line is a remarkable addition to the close opening of the new passenger terminal building at the Split Airport. The ‘new’ airport's increased capacity, coupled with an efficient and fast trip by sea to faraway destinations, will enhance the overall experience for all travelers visiting the area of Split and the islands this year and over the coming years,“ said Klanac.

Bol on the island of Brač will be connected five times a day, while Stari Grad on the island of Hvar and Split town will be connected thanks to the new catamaran line two or three times a day.

Ticket prices range from 199 kuna for the Split - Bol connection, 99 kuna between Split Airport and Split town, and 199 kuna between Split Airport and Stari Grad on Hvar.

For more information, visit Split Express at https://splitexpress.com

To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

Valamar Riviera has announced that it has paid 22.8 million kuna for the recapitalisation of the Helios Faros hotel company in Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. The recapitalisation process will also include PBZ Croatia Osiguranje pension fund, creating conditions for Helios Faros to leave the bankruptcy proceedings, reports Večernji List on May 8, 2019.

“In accordance with the decision to increase the share capital, as part of the approved bankruptcy investment and recapitalisation plan, Valamar Riviera has paid 22.8 million kuna to Helios Faros in order to register 2,280,000 shares. At the same time, PBZ Croatia Osiguranje will register 6,840,000 shares for 68.4 million kuna,” the statement reads.

This will increase Helios Faros’ share capital from 5.36 million kuna to 96.56 million kuna. Following the increase in the share capital, Valamar will own 23.61 per cent of Helios Faros’ shares and PBZ Croatia Osiguranje 70.83 per cent.

“The increase in the share capital will create the prerequisites for Helios Faros to leave the bankruptcy proceedings. Through the partnership between Valamar and PBZ CO, a new phase of tourism development in Stari Grad on Hvar will commence,” Valamar said.

Helios Faros is the most important hotel company in Stari Grad. It has been in the bankruptcy proceedings since 2016. In mid-May 2017, Valamar Riviera and PBZ Croatia Osiguranje submitted a joint bid for the investment and recapitalisation of the company.

In July 2017, the Helios Faros creditors’ assembly accepted the joint offer by Valamar Riviera and PBZ Croatia Osiguranje, and it also adopted a decision on the development of a detailed bankruptcy plan that would allow the company to leave the bankruptcy proceedings and continue its operations.

In early November 2018, the creditors’ assembly accepted the bankruptcy plan based on the joint offer by Valamar and PBZ Croatia Osiguranje. The Commercial Court in Split also issued a first-instance ruling confirming the bankruptcy plan for investing and recapitalising of Helios Faros.

Translated from Večernji List.

More Hvar news can be found in the Lifestyle section.

November 11. 2018 - The road has been long and complicated, but Valamar seems to be one step closer to its plan of transforming Stari Grad's ailing hotels into a 4-star paradise.

An important milestone for the future of the hotels of Stari Grad on Hvar this week, as the Zagreb Stock Exchange reported on Valamar Hotels announcement that the court has accepted the bankruptcy plan of the Helios hotel group submitted by Valamar and PBZ. Speaking to sources familiar with the discussions, it seems that the high trade court is expected to ratify this decision early next year, after which Valamar can move forward with its plans to completely redevelop Stari Grad's hotels which are located in prime positions in the historic island town. 

If Valamar does succeed with its plans, it will be a major boost for Stari Grad, which is slowly emergy as a high-quality destination with a focus on quality not party. Mayor Antonio Skarpa recently prohibited the opening of any more hostels in Stari Grad, and the Valamar 4-star hotels would be one of three great additions to the town's hospitality scene, should they all come to fruition. 

On the other side of the bay, close to the main ferry terminal, construction on the luxury Olive Bay Resort, a residential complex with two boutique five-star hotels, has already commenced, while the 140 million euro Brizenica Bay resort, complete with the Four Seasons brand, is seemingly making a little progress, with an agreement on the access road finally signed. Should all three projects come to fruition, and with Stari Grad's intention to avoid being branded as a party destination, the future of luxury tourism on Hvar may move more from Hvar Town to central Hvar

For the latest news and features from Stari Grad and the island of Hvar, follow Total Hvar. 

In Stari Grad on the island of Hvar, it will no longer be possible to construct new hostels or turn existing buildings into hostels. The decision was made by a revision of the local spatial plan, making the town one of the first in Croatia to more seriously focus on the issue of tourism management and the development of local accommodation capacities, reports Jutarnji List on October 31, 2018.

Therefore, there will be no new hostels in Stari Grad. Such facilities usually attract guests who stay for a shorter period and spend considerably less money. They will still have available the two existing hostels, with a capacity of around 200 beds. Mayor Antonio Škarpa said that should be more than enough to accommodate hostel guests.

“We were not really sure whether the idea will be accepted, but we have realised that we do not want to have ‘issues’ like our colleagues in Hvar or Novalja have. We want to avoid the development of mass party tourism. Stari Grad is a town with 2,400 years of history and culture, the town centre is under the UNESCO protection, and we have decided to intervene in time in order to turn towards high-quality tourism and cultural tourism,” said Mayor Škarpa.

The decision to ban the construction or renovation of existing properties as hostels was made by the town authorities in Articles 89 and 90 of the amendments to the spatial plan, which state that “within the settlement, hotels, tourist resorts, camps and other tourist facilities can be constructed, with the exception of hostels.”

The decision was made unanimously by the town council following the Urban Planning Committee proposal, and Mayor Škarpa, who became mayor as an independent candidate in June last year, said that the decision was made in view of announced investments in the town.

“French investors will open two five-star hotels in the next two years, and the preparatory works have already begun. We expect the takeover of the Helios Faros hotels by Valamar and the PBZ Croatia Osiguranje Fund to be completed soon. These investments will move us towards the direction of more luxurious tourism, so we have decided to participate more actively in defining what type of guests we want. The existing 200 beds in hostels is quite enough for our destination,” said Škarpa, adding that hostel guests have not yet conquered Stari Grad but they still wanted to act preventively because potential damage to the destination would subsequently be very difficult to mitigate.

The town authorities’ efforts to influence the development of accommodation capacities are currently limited to the hostel sector, but they say they will soon begin to introduce measures to raise the quality of private accommodation facilities. As early as this winter, they will launch courses to increase the quality of accommodation and infrastructure.

“Of course, we also count on measures which the state provides for the categorization of private accommodation, and we as a local community are willing to subsidise the renovation of facades and similar projects. The plan is to help people prepare documentation for registration for the recategorisation projects,” said Škarpa, adding that much is expected from the new director of the local tourist board. The competition for the position will be announced on November 12.

Interested in more stories about Hvar? Click here.

October 13, 2018 - It is one of the oldest towns in Croatia, but how was life in Stari Grad on Hvar 50 years ago?

July 28, 2018 - As Stari Grad awaits the Four Seasons resort at Brizenica Bay, a new 4-star hotel has opened in close to the former Hvar capital, a building that has been the subject of some speculation over the years. 

March 10, 2018 - It celebrates 2400 years of existence recently, making it one of the oldest town in Croatia, and a wave of recent investment is bringing the good times back to Stari Grad on the island of Hvar. An interview with Stari Grad Tourist Board Director, Danijela Vlahovic. 

More great international column inches for the island of Hvar on February 20, 2018, as National Geogrpahic focuses on its ancient heritage.