Visting the Hvar fortress is an endeavor you must add to your bucket list when visiting the town of Hvar. Located high above the city, the Španjola Fortress was built for the purpose of defending the city from attacks, and today, its dungeons and walls hide numerous secrets and legends. Some are fictional, while others are not, but it’s enjoyable to think that they are all absolutely true.
How to get to the Fotica Fortress (Španjola) in Hvar town
4 minute read
You can reach the fortress by car (recommended for parents with children in strollers) via the road leading from the bus station (parking) uphill in the west direction. The road is well-marked, and the turn for the fortress will be on your left side. Parking in front of the fortress is free. If you go on foot, you will pass through a picturesque route often chosen for its beauty. Start walking north from St. Mark’s Square and pass through the main city gates, going uphill through the old part of the town. Here, you will find numerous restaurants and residential buildings, as well as the old town with palaces dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries.
The ideal time to visit the fortress is just before sunset, and it takes about 20 minutes on foot to reach the top. The intoxicating summer scents of aromatic herbs that adorn the path to the fortress belong to Josip Avelinij’s garden, a large enthusiast of botany and a Hvar entrepreneur who, among other things, worked tirelessly to promote Hvar’s position in tourism during the 19th century.
The entrance fee to the fortress is ten euros, and children under the age of seven enter for free. If you are visiting during the summer months when the sun is still high, be sure to bring water as there is not much shade along the way, and it can be exhaustingly hot. A similar view can be obtained even if you don’t enter the fortress, but the view from the walls is incomparably the most beautiful on the entire island.
Inside the fortress, there is a café bar and a souvenir shop, but it’s essential to check if entry is possible, as the space is often used for wedding ceremonies, festivals, and similar events.
