The Fortica, also called Španjola, looms over Hvar Town from the hill behind. Built by the Venetians in the sixteenth century on the foundations of a Byzantine fort, it commands a view that takes in the harbour, the Pakleni Islands, and Vis on a clear day. The walk up takes twenty minutes along a stone-paved path that climbs through pine and rosemary.
Inside, you can wander the bastions, look down into the prison vaults (with a small collection of amphorae from local wrecks), and have a coffee in the cafe terrace built into the walls. Open daily 8am to about 9pm in summer; entry is a few euros. Best at sunset, when the light turns Hvar Town pink and the Adriatic blue.