June 11, 2019 – It is the most aromatic month of the year to visit Hvar, and what better occasion than the 11th Lavender Festival in Velo Grablje?
Hvar is an island blessed with a multitude of treasures like no other. The most UNESCO heritage in the world, the oldest public theatre in Europe, the most island sun in Europe to name but three.
And lavender.
While there is sadly nowhere near as much lavender on Hvar these days due to various factors including fire and emigration, the months of June and early July are a joy to behold.
Nowhere is this more so than on the old road from Stari Grad to Hvar Town, where the must abundant and accessible lavender fields can be found.
The small and picturesque village of Velo Grablje is the heart of the Hvar lavender story. Once the centre of lavender production for the whole of Dalmatia, emigration hit Velo Grablje very hard, and the permanent population was just five over a decade ago. There has been an impressive revival since then, as local association Pjover has breathed life into the village with its mission to focus on the heritage and traditions of Velo Grablje.
By far the biggest event of the year in the village is the annual lavender festival which takes place each June. This year’s event will take place on June 28-29, and the programme has just been released.
It is a lovely time to visit Velo Grablje and learn more about the traditions of Dalmatia.
You can even take part in the harvesting of lavender, and then follow the whole process through to the distilling and production of lavender oil in the old traditional manner.
Harvesting lavender is hard work. Take a look at how it is done on the top of the island in the fields of celebrity paparazzi, Jadran Lazic, below.
To learn more about the island, check out the Total Croatia Hvar in a Page.
