Vrboska’s Picturesque Little Bridges

Man has been building bridges throughout history, in wood, stone, metal. Old bridges get enlarged to suit changing times, derelict bridges get renovated. Some bridges show their history through the phases of their reconstructions.

Vrboska has been called Croatia’s ‘Little Venice’ because of its charming little bridges. Of course it’s all on a much more modest scale than ‘Big Venice’!

Vrboska is defined as the smallest little town on Hvar Island. Possibly because of its small size, it is truly a jewel. Founded in the 15th century, its visual beauty has made it the subject of lots of paintings, also a joy to photograph and film. As it is so small, it doesn’t take long to walk around, and at every corner you can come across a new delight.

It consists of two parts: the eastern part is the square or Piazza (‘Pjaca’ in Croatian), surrounded by Renaissance and Baroque houses, and the western part is called ‘Podva’, which has churches, narrow alleys and houses in Renaissance and Gothic style. The two shores are connected by the aforementioned little bridges. Reconstruction of the main bridge started in 2020.

In the centre of the bay is a tiny islet called ‘Škojić’, which in summer is used as a stage for cultural events such as concerts and playlets. An outstanding annual event is the concert showcasing Hvar’s fine a cappella (‘klapa’) singers.

Vrboska offers numerous cafés and restaurants for relaxation and restoration during or after your walk. There are also two prized wine-tasting bars, Vinoteka Carić (website in English) and OPG Matković. (this web page is in Croatian)