Hvar is a town and port on the island of Hvar, part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. The municipality has a population of 4,251 while the town itself is inhabited by 3,771 people, making it the largest settlement on the island of Hvar. It is situated on a bay in the south coast of the island, opposite from the other nearby towns of Stari Grad and Jelsa.
The town of Hvar has a long and distinguished history as center for trade and culture in the Adriatic. A commune, part of the Venetian Empire during the 13th to 18th centuries, it was an important naval base with a strong fortress above, encircling the town walls and protecting the port. Cultural life thrived as prosperity grew, and Hvar is the site of one of the oldest surviving theatres in Europe, opened in 1612. The seven-hundred-year-old walls still survive, as do many of the noble houses and public buildings from 15th – 17th centuries.
By the 19th century, the port of Hvar was no longer a military base, and The Hygienic Society of Hvar, celebrating 150 years in 2018, took the economy of the town and the island in a new direction.