Hvar Souvenirs For Everlasting Memories

If you are looking for Hvar souvenirs probably you want to have something that will remind you on  your memorable moments from this fabulous island.

Hvar island has some unique local products typical for this territory. I’m sure that Hvar island isn’t a place to fall into the ‘souvenir trap’ shopping for junk souvenirs that have little to no meaning.

The key to buying a great souvenir is to ensure you get something that will mean something to you.

On this page I’ll give you a few tips how to purchase small pieces not considered a traditional souvenir but something that capture your stay on Hvar island and it gives you chance to relive it every time you want.

Hvar Souvenirs From The Lavender Island

The fact is that the most of local products on the island are exclusively related to its nature and Mediterranean position.  That’s way Hvar souvenirs have a tight authenticity allocate to natural environment.

Hvar is an island of sunshine, lavender, palm trees, figs, agave, pine trees, wine, olives and rosemary.

There is an old saying ‘rose is the scent of heart, lavender is the scent of soul’. In June and July the island turns purple just like the color of lavender blooms.

Driving from Stari Grad through Selca and Brusje villages all the way to the town of Hvar you can enjoy the lavender fields on the hills slopes, breathing the lavender scent.

Lavender souvenirs are widely available in the boutique shops and waterfront stalls and make an ideal gift.

The two most popular are lavender oil, sold in small, stylish bottles, and fragrance bags of Lavandula Croatica, filled with dried lavender flowers.

This souvenir is practical and useful and should have its place everywhere: in cars, in offices, in apartments, in wardrobes or by pillows for a good night sleep.

Honey With Scents Of Rosemary And Lavender

Honey has a long production tradition on Hvar island. Honey and bees were mentioned in 1331. The famous poet Petar Hektorovic has mentioned honey in his work „Fishing and Fishermen talking“ in 1566.

Hvar island is an aromatic garden of herbs ideal for keeping honeybees. The best honey quality comes from sage, rosemary and lavender plants.

Rosemary honey is clear and bright, pleasant taste and is one of the best types of honey.

Sage honey is pale slightly greenish and smells like flower plants. It has long been held in liquid form used in the treatment of respiratory diseases.

Lavender is the bee’s favorite plant. Lavender honey has a strong smell and is one of the best quality.

Have you ever seen the lavender harvesting? Do you know that you have to get up at 05:00 in the morning to go and harvest lavender on the island. Read this harvesting lavender with Jadran Lazic article.

Hvar Souvenirs Idea – Wines and Liqueurs

Hvar island has a long wine growing tradition particularly in some parts of the island.

• Central part with picturesque villages  Svirce, Vrisnik, Vrbanj, Pitve and Dol
• In the fields of the Stari Grad plain, where the island’s wine story really has started.
• South-facing slopes of the Hvar island with the settlements of Ivan Dolac and Sv Nedelja with “vineyards facing the sea”.

For wine lovers there are some top location for growing Plavac Mali wines.

As Hvar souvenir I suggest wines from the Plenkovic winery in Sveta Nedelja, the only Croatian Grand Cru and winner of several international awards in 2003.

Ivan Dolac location is top quality dry red wine environmentally controlled origin, which is produced from Plavac Mali from remote location on the southern slopes of the island.

This noble wine has a dark ruby color, slightly tart flavor, rich bouquet and aroma.

Andro Tomic, the owner of winery in Jelsa is one  of the most popular tasting destinations. Beside traditional wines he has introduced to  visitors to an unusual rose and award-winning prosek (a sweeter dessert wine made from dried wine grapes).

There is a wide choice of local bandy drinks on Hvar (rakija),  made from herbs.

The island Hvar is famous for grappa (rakija) with the addition of Myrtus (mrtina — bitter and dark brown).

Hvar Souvenirs Shopping Guide

Hvar town has been always a fashionable center of Hvar island with its historical town center and tiny streets, filled with small boutiques, jewelery shops, art galleries and shops selling local handicraft.

Searching for some shops that are not traditional souvenirs boutique, I recommend two with some particular offers:

The Coral Shop is much more than a ordinary souvenir shop. It has become internationally famous shop, with some highly individual offers.

The owners, Aron and Lukrecija also offer coral workshops, where you can learn more about the techniques and traditions, or even design and make your own jewellery.

If you are looking for a highly authentic and unique Hvar souvenir, the Coral Shop is well worth visiting. It’s much more than a shopping experience.

Coral Shop
Burak bb
Hvar
tel: 021/742 -442

Green House Hvar is another shop, opened in 2012, hidden in the small street parallel to Hvar’s main waterfront, close to Coral Shop. This small shop will provide you with the entire range of wines and olive oils.

There you can find wines from Dubokovic world-class quality winery and famous, cold-pressed oils (scientifically proven to regenerate damaged cells of the whole organism).

The Green House is also an organic shop offering the highest world quality organic cosmetics Dr. Hauschka. There you can also find a wide range of bio products, food for vegetarians and vegans and highly demanded (not easy to find) gluten free products.

Green  House, Kroz Burak 27, Hvar
Tel+385-92-1307-808; Website

Local products with healthy taste and smell

Traveling around Hvar island, you will have a chance to come across on some local homemade producers, using exclusively raw materials from the island of Hvar. Some of these delicacies are based on old grannies recipes.

In Jelsa town, a newly founded women cooperative Faria (2014) has presented some indigenous products in purpose of conservation of local tradition and promotion of Hvar island.

Their address is Jelsa town, Hvar island. Phone +385 21 761 287, mobile +385 92 1424 841, email: [email protected]. Visit their website!

Some of their products include sweet Hvar souvenirs based on local products like:

• Orange peel with sugar – called Arancini
• Ground figs with dark chocolate – called Figolini
• Figs, tangerines & tomatoes jams
• Olives in salt water
• Traditional cookie from island of Hvar – called Cviti
• Traditional cookie from Stari Grad town – Called Paprenjok

Quality Hvar Souvenirs From Agave

While Island Pag in Northern Dalmatia (Zadar County) is well-known for the authentic lacework, Hvar town Benedictine monastery nuns have perfected unconventional way of handmade lace using agave threads.

They  have been making lace for more than 150 years exclusively behind the walls of their convent established in 1664. Originally this lace technique was imported from Tenerife.

During the centuries Hvar’s laces has become prettier and richer than those from the Canary Islands. Today these handmade laces are unique in the world, inserted on UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

There are no agave lace pattern rules, but each lace is the original nun’s imagination. The patterns are mostly full of sun, flower, bright and luxurious.

Laces mustn’t be washed or ironed and for the best preservation should be kept under glass panels.

Among Hvar souvenirs agave laces are the most valuable ones but only by looking at the lace itself is it possible to appreciate the hard work, creativity, and patience that is necessary to produce each unique piece.

Find out more about history of Croatia lace making and watch this interesting video!