Hvar Town's growing reputation as an exclusive party destination was further enhanced by the arrival of royal raver Prince Harry on August 27 2011, who made quite an impression at top nightclub Veneranda by jumping fully clothed into a swimming pool.
Video of Prince Harry Jumping Into the Swimming Pool Fully Clothed
Dressed in blue shirt, jeans and baseball cap, the prince danced barefoot by the poolside at one of Croatia's top open-air nightclubs, before plunging into the water. The event was captured on video by Croatian daily Dnevnik.
After a brief soak, the prince climbed out and continued to dance, to wild roars of approval from fellow party goers, who were clearly enjoying the royal show. Veneranda has a capacity for a 1000 guests, including a VIP area for 200; Harry ignored the VIP zone, preferring to dance under the stars with regular guests.
The Prince is believed to have arrived on an easyJet flight to Split and to be staying on a yacht off Hvar, voted among the world's top ten most beautiful islands by readers of Conde Nast. His presence was confirmed by local mayor, Pjerino Bebic:
"I did not meet him personally," said Bebic, "but it is logical that he would want to visit the capital of tourism, which Hvar is, and I want him to feel comfortable. Last night he was in a club. He has not asked anything from the town, and we want him to enjoy himself, as we do with all our guests, to see the sights of Hvar, and to come back."
Hvar Town: Respecting the Privacy of Celebrities
One of the attractions of Hvar for celebrities is the relaxed approach to the rich and famous. Far from being hounded by papparazzi, celebrities are able to enjoy their stay without being constantly harassed. Indeed the local tourist board has a policy of not commenting on celebrity guests while they are on the island, to protect their privacy.
It is a policy that seems to be appreciated by exclusive visitors, given the large number of celebrities that do visit Hvar Town, recently voted the top destination in Croatia by Croatian media. The yachts of Roman Abramovich, Bill Gates and enigmatic Chinese billionaire Jimmy Lee are often seen in the harbour, while some of the celebrities who have visited Hvar include Brad Pitt, David Beckham, Stephen Spielberg and Sean Connery.
Paul Bradbury - Author of Hvar: An Insider's Guide to Croatia's Premier Island, and Lebanese Nuns Don't Ski
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