November the 28th, 2025 – Gorgeous Stari Grad is a former Greek colony once called Pharos, and it was actually founded the year when Aristotle was born.
As Putni kofer/Antonio Ivcevic writes, along the west coast of the globally famous island of Hvar, right in the very heart of a peaceful and protected bay, lies Stari Grad. It’s an ancient settlement which has a history going back so far into the past that it is difficult to accurately scale just how old it is. Not everyone realises however that Stari Grad, the former Greek colony of Pharos, was actually founded in the same year that Aristotle was born!
Yes, you read that correctly. That year was 384 BC. Back in ancient Greece, in the small town of Stagira, Aristotle was born. He grew into a man who would go down in history as one of the greatest philosophers and thinkers in the entire history of mankind. Ancient Greek settlers from the island of Paros first arrived in the spacious bay of Hvar and began a new life there, creating the colony of Pharos, today’s Stari Grad.
one of croatia’s oldest settlements – by far
Stari Grad is considered one of the oldest settlements in all of Croatia, with an uninterrupted period of human life spanning over 2,400 years. Its sheer uniqueness is not only reflected in its impressive “antiquity”, but also in the fact that traces of that ancient Greek colony can still be clearly seen and recognised today.
Ancient streets, stone houses and fertile fields cultivated over the centuries still preserve the memory of the time when the first Greek settlers began a new life here, working hard to establish themselves. Strolling along the quiet alleys, it’s very easy to feel the soul of past eras echoing through into the present day and imagine the world as it was when those first Greek settlers docked there.
the home of one of the oldest agrarian landscapes in the entire mediterranean
Just a few minutes from the very heart of Stari Grad lies the Stari Grad Plain, a fascinating ancient land parcelling system that is still used today. It’s actually one of the oldest and best-preserved agrarian landscapes in the entire Mediterranean, created thanks to the hard work and smart thinking of those ancient Greek colonists who arrived more than 24 centuries ago.
This unique landscape is under the protection of UNESCO as the best-preserved Hellenistic cadastral system on Earth, which confirms its exceptional historical value. In other words, the fields we see today are almost identical to those that existed in the time of Aristotle’s birth.
A wander through fascinating old Stari Grad will reveal many faces of history and periods of time – often turbulent, but one of the most special sights to behold is certainly Petar Hektorović’s Tvrdalj. This famous Croatian poet spent his entire life constructing this stunning 16th-century Renaissance summer residence, with the aim of creating a space where people, animals and plants would all come together and live in harmony. Its pond, inscriptions carved into stone and idyllic gardens exude the spirit of times long gone by, and today they are one of the most photographed locations on all of Hvar.
from greek settlers to venetian masters
One of the main city stages is St. Stephen’s Square, where the parish church of the same name is located. It was built on the site of the first Hvar cathedral, and its current appearance is due to construction that lasted almost a century. Inside, it boasts altars and works of art by ancient Venetian masters, while from the outside it dominates the heart of Stari Grad and gives it a very special tone indeed.
Not far from it lies Škor Square. There used to be a shipyard here, which is where the name comes from, because “škor” means shipyard. Today, it is one of the most charming squares on not only Hvar, but in all of Dalmatia. It’s a place where concerts and plays are held in the heat of the summer, and during the off-season it is ideal for walking and discovering local history and admiring authentic Dalmatian architecture. Old stone houses with pretty terraces, windows and ancient narrow streets create the impression of a scene from a bygone era, where you will easily indulge in the Mediterranean atmosphere and flick through the proverbial pages of Hvar and Stari Grad’s truly incredible history.
