July 1, 2025 – Croatia’s most aromatic festival is back for the 17th edition – the Hvar Lavender Festival.
One of the many advantages of following Croatian tourism over the years is being able to watch a story unfold. And there are fewer stories than the gorgeous and (what was) largely abandoned village of Velo Grablje, a few kilometres from Hvar Town on the old road.
When I first came across the village back in 2003, it was beautiful but rather sad looking. Its full-time (and elderly) population was just 5, including a chap called Sinai, who took his name from the Egyptian desert where he was born as a refugee during World War II. There were no facilities.
It has a romantic feel and, of course, a legend. Once the centre of lavender production in all Dalmatia, legend has it that the village’s lavender fortunes had in its roots our old friend – unrequited love.
A peasant boy was in love with a girl from a higher social status in the village, but her family forbade any interaction with this boy from a lower class. Desperate to find a way to be with his love, he consulted the village priest for advice, and he received the most surprising response:
“Plant lavender.”
The boy asked the priest if he was mocking him, to which the priest explained the potential riches in high-quality lavender oil. So the boy did as the priest suggested and planted lavender, to the ridicule of the entire village.
Time passed, but his love remained true, and slowly, ever so slowly, he started to see some success. And then some big success, exporting his precious lavender oil as far away as Paris. And you can see where the story ends – with the biggest house in the village, which he shared with his beloved new wife.
True or not, Velo Grablje became world famous for its lavender, until emigration and forest fires decimated the Hvar lavender industry. And so too, life in Velo Grablje. But then, soon after my first visit, things began to change. A bunch of enthusiastic locals with roots to the village but living elsewhere, started to clean up the village, repairing some of its dry stone walls and other initiatives to celebrate Grablje’s traditions and heritage.
The cornerstone of this was a lavender festival, celebrating all aspects of the aromatic bush for which Hvar is widely known. Lavender dishes, historical exhibitions, live music, and the chance to take part in the lavender-producing process – here I am jumping in the steel vat to compress the lavender bushes, my feet smelled great for days.
It was a huge hit, and the young locals formed an NGO called Pjover and increased their efforts to revive the village. Then an excellent restaurant, Zbondini, opened, offering authentic Hvar cooking, as well as cooking courses, a winter pub appeared which was VERY popular with Hvar Town locals. Houses were renovated.
And the population increased, from that initial 5 to 14 (last time I checked a few years ago), including a young child – the first time the laughs of an excited young resident had been heard in the village for years. Velo Grablje has been listed as an eco-ethno village, and its revival continues apace. Its football team won the highly competitive Forska Liga back in 2012, and there is an excellent documentary following them throughout the season.
I fondly remember the early days as I drive past Velo Grablje on my occasional visits to the island these days, and it is heartening to see that the lavender festival has gone from strength to strength. And it is that time of year again, as the 17th edition of the Hvar Lavender Festival is about to kick off. From the organisers…
The festival begins on Thursday, July 3, in the town of Hvar, where the Pjaca and Veli Đardin will be filled with children’s laughter, lavender workshops, fairy tales about lavender fairies, cookie and lemonade tastings, and numerous entertainment activities for the youngest from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The evening in Hvar concludes at 8 p.m. with the cheerful family circus show of the World of Magic.
The central part of the festival moves to the picturesque Velo Grablje, where on Friday, July 4, the day begins with the traditional lavender harvest, and continues with a fair of local products, workshops, presentations, lectures, and a rich gastronomic offer. In the evening, you can expect a book launch, a theater performance, and a music program with a DJ.
The festival culminates on Saturday, July 5, with a day-long fair.
A special part of the festival is also made up of numerous exhibitions, which are set up in Velo Grablje, and bring a rich story about lavender, life on the island, the tradition of dry stone walls, and the legacy of great people like Lorenzo Tudor – the lavender king.
The town of Hvar and Veli Grablje become the heart of lavender magic, and you are invited to be a part of this fragrant story!
Admission to all programs is free.
For more information about this and other events on Hvar, check the Hvar Town Tourist Board website.
