City Walls of Hvar

Construction of Hvar's medieval town walls began after 1278, when the town came under Venetian rule. They enclosed the medieval Groda quarter and largely reached their present form by the mid-fifteenth century. Four towers and four gates survive within the circuit, while crenellations and loopholes still make the defensive purpose easy to read. The walls gradually lost military importance with the development of firearms in the sixteenth century. They are best experienced by walking along the edge of the old town and climbing toward Fortica, which reveals how walls, gates, streets and fortress formed a single defensive system. The route is particularly rewarding for visitors interested in urban history and fortification architecture.