Looming over the town from its lofty perch immediately to the north, Hvar's impressive fortress or Fortica lends an imposing background to many a classic postcard view. Although boasting 13th-century origins, the fortress owes its current appearance to a mid-16th century construction boom, when Hvar's population was in increasing need of protection from the threat posed by Ottoman naval raids. In 1579 the fortress was seriously damaged by a freak explosion caused when lightning struck the gunpowder store, but the place was soon restored, and a pair of barrel-like bastions were added in the century that followed.
The 15 min walk up to the fortress from the town centre is reward in itself, with the path zig-zagging its way through a park rich in spiky-leaved agaves, cacti and sweet-smelling shrubs. The park was laid out in the 1920s by a town council eager to beautify the island and attract more guests. As well as offering the chance to roam the battlements and soak up some sumptuous views, the fortress also harbours a museum display of Graeco-Roman amphorae, dredged up from the deep by Croatia's intrepid marine archeologists. Hvar island was an important stop-off on Adriatic trading routes, and its coastal waters are correspondingly rich in ancient wrecks.