Hvar Town is in the news once again. A destination which has changed a lot over the years, as this video tour from 1969 to 2017 on June 18, 2017 shows.

I recently received an email from my favourite teacher at school, the man who taught me how to say 'the having been stuffed dormouse' in Latin, and a very inspirational man. I had not seen him in almost 30 years and not heard from him in almost as long, and I was delighted that he tracked me down via Google, and very pleased that he had not only bought my two books and Hvar guidebook, but that he had enjoyed them enough to tap on his trusty keyboard.

He knew rather a lot about Hvar, as it happened, having discovered it long before I had ever heard of the place. His last visit was back in 2002 when he declared that Hvar Town was not once it once had been and he had decided never to return, but to seek island tranquillity elsewhere. I had to smile. I bought my house and move to the island the month before his last visit.

It got me thinking though - just how to show how much Hvar Town has changed as a destination over the years, and where to search for the answer? YouTube, of course. A look back at Hvar Town over the last almost 50 years. Incredible how it has changed. What will it look like in five years?

The 1980s looked like a truly idyllic time to visit. It actually reminds me of Jelsa, Vrboska and Stari Grad in 2017. If anyone has any videos in the 1990s or early 2000 (an era where the war disrupted all), please email through to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I would be delighted to add.

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