Hvar

Hvar needs 3 days: the Spanish fortress above town, with views of the Pakleni Islands offshore, on one, a boat day among the Pakleni Islands and their hidden coves on another, and an excursion to the island's interior lavender fields on the third (if it coincides with the June-July bloom). May-September brings peak season. It's expensive, Croatia's most exclusive destination, often compared to Saint-Tropez or Ibiza for its yacht clientele. It's one of the sunniest towns in all of Europe, with a historical record of over 2,700 hours of sunshine a year, and its Hvar Theatre, from 1612, is one of Europe's first public theaters open to all social classes, not just nobility.