I visited the Stari Grad Plain early August 2023 as part of my Balkans summer tour.  I stayed in Split (a WHS) for 6 nights and decided to add a day trip to the island of Hvar and its WHS Stari Grad Plain. Before visiting, I read the reviews on this site on this forum. Previous visitors found this WHS to be quite underwhelming. To be honest, my experience was quite positive and I was pleasantly surprised. 

From Split one can take a ferry operated by Jadrolinija. This ferry departs from the Marina, which is conveniently located very close to the city centre, the central bus and train station. Ferries go multiple times a day, especially in the summer season. For a visit to this WHS, it is important to take the ferry to Stari Grad, a very quaint and quiet village, instead of Hvar, the largest settlement on the island with the same name, which is more popular with tourists and which is where the clubs and resorts are located. 

The ferry takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. Travellers can board 45 minutes before departure, so there is no need to arrive 1 to 2 hours earlier as Jadrolinija suggests. I don’t know about travellers who bring their car, though. Perhaps it’s best for them to be at the marina at least 1.5 hours before departure. The ferry costs about 7 euros one-way, 14 for a return ticket, which is very reasonable. I took a ferry at 8:00 AM and my return ferry departed at 8:00 PM. I found it very manageable to visit the town and WHS in this time. 

Arriving in Stari Grad, the old town is about 2 kilometres walking from the point of arrival. There is a very nice and easy walkway, so there is nothing to worry about. The village is part of the WHS and is quite nice, but nothing too special. 

Visitors to the WHS plain usually rent a bike for the day, but I decided that I would also be able to just walk around. The plain is located around 2 kilometres from the old centre. You do have to walk on the road, though, so beware for cars in this section of the walk. From the start of the plain, there are almost no cars, but mostly bikes. 

I walked around for about 2 hours and visited some of the plain’s sights, such as the chapels, walls, vineyards and olive gardens. I also visited the windmill and Roman remains, but there was nothing much to see. 

All in all, this WHS is exactly what it is according to UNESCO: an agricultural landscape what was created 2400 years ago and that is still in use. It’s nothing more, nothing less. It’s quite peaceful to just walk around and look at the walls. I could definitely imagine Ancient Greeks working on the fields 2400 years ago. I think the historical value is clear, as the Greek agricultural practices and land division practices were transferred from this site to sites all over the Mediterranean. So while it might be true that you can find such landscapes throughout this part of the Mediterranean, it still felt kind of special to take a walk around ‘the first’. 

I would definitely recommend visiting this site if you’re in Split and have an extra day. The ferry ride and the small village of Stari Grad are worth it anyways. Don’t expect much from the WHS, just go with an open mind and enjoy the walk/bike ride! Take some pictures of 2400-year old stone walls and just imagine how this landscape is still unaltered after being used for so long!