Bell Tower of St. Stephen Cathedral

The bell tower attached to Hvar's Cathedral of St Stephen was built by local stonemasons in 1549–1550, rising in four tiers that each get more elaborate toward the top — a fairly typical Dalmatian Renaissance design. The cathedral itself stands on the site of a much older church, dating back to a 6th-century Christian building and later a Benedictine convent, before the bishopric moved here from Stari Grad in the 13th century.

Inside the tower are two much older pieces built into the structure: a stone relief of a Roman ship and a small monument to the winged Erote, both dated to the 2nd century AD. There's also a 16th-century Venetian triptych depicting St Mary, St John the Baptist and St Jerome — a reminder of how closely tied Hvar's religious art was to Venice during the centuries the island spent under Venetian rule.

The square in front of it, once one of the busiest spots on the island, is a quiet corner today — but it's still one of the better places in Hvar Town to get a sense of how old the place really is, especially if you're stopping in briefly during a gulet cruise along the Croatia coast.