What is the Stari Grad Plain?

It's a UNESCO World Heritage agricultural landscape outside Stari Grad, Hvar, laid out by Greek colonists from Paros in 384 BC. The original geometric field divisions, built from dry-stone walls, are still farmed today — mostly with grapevines and olive trees — making it one of the best-preserved ancient agricultural systems in the Mediterranean.

Why is the Stari Grad Plain UNESCO-listed?

UNESCO inscribed it in 2008 because the 2,400-year-old Greek chora — the original land-division system, including field boundaries, drainage channels and stone shelters — survives largely intact and is still actively cultivated in the same pattern, which is exceptionally rare anywhere in the world.

How do you visit the Stari Grad Plain?

On foot or by bike from Stari Grad, following the marked paths through the vineyards and olive groves. Most visitors combine it with a wine tasting at one of the small family cellars along the way. A guided e-bike tour is the easiest way to cover meaningful ground in a morning.

How long do you need for the Stari Grad Plain?

Two to three hours covers the highlights on foot or by bike, including a stop for wine or a coffee. A half-day tour that adds a proper tasting is worth it if you're already staying in or near Stari Grad.

The Stari Grad Plain: Hvar's UNESCO Site, Explained

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The short answer: the Stari Grad Plain is a 2,400-year-old Greek field system outside Stari Grad, still farmed in its original geometric pattern, and it’s the single best reason to spend a morning inland instead of on the water. Greek colonists from the island of Paros divided this plain into rectangular plots — called a chora — in 384 BC, using boundary stones and dry-stone walls to mark each parcel. Remarkably, the same divisions are still visible and still under cultivation today, which is why UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2008.

What you’re actually looking at

Unlike a ruin you view from behind a rope, the Plain is a living landscape — real vineyards and olive groves worked by real families, laid out on lines drawn before the Roman Empire existed. The details worth slowing down for:

The geometric field boundaries themselves, best appreciated from one of the low rises at the plain’s edge or, ideally, from a bike moving slowly through it.
Drystone shelters (trims), small stone huts farmers historically used for shade and tool storage, scattered through the fields.
Small family wine cellars, several of which welcome visitors for a tasting of the local Bogdanuša and Plavac Mali grape varieties grown on the plain itself.

The best way to see it

Walking works if you have a couple of hours and comfortable shoes — start from Stari Grad’s old town and follow the marked trails inland. For most visitors, though, a guided e-bike route is the better option: it covers more ground before the midday heat, and a local guide will point out details (boundary stones, the old irrigation channels) you’d otherwise walk straight past.

Stari Grad Plain by E-Bike, with Wine Tasting

UNESCO

★ 4.9 · 4 hours

Stari Grad Plain by E-Bike, with Wine Tasting

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When to go

Go early morning, ideally before 10am in July and August — the plain has little shade, and the geometry of the fields photographs best in low, angled light. Spring (April–May) is arguably the most beautiful time, when the vines are freshly leafed and the light is softer; it’s also when the fields are least crowded.

Where to stay if the Plain is your priority

If the Stari Grad Plain is a main reason for your trip rather than a half-day detour, base yourself in Stari Grad rather than Hvar Town — you can walk into the fields directly from town instead of adding a drive. Our Hvar Town vs Stari Grad guide breaks down that decision in full, and property picks near the Plain are on our Luxury Stays page.

What you’re actually looking at

The best way to see it

Stari Grad Plain by E-Bike, with Wine Tasting

When to go

Where to stay if the Plain is your priority

Frequently Asked Questions