HulahulaHvarMagazine_2014_9 11. 06. 14 19:02 Page 8
8
Jennifer Capriati, Jodie
Foster, Jimmy Lee, John
Malkovich, Kevin Spacey,
King Abdullah of Jordan,
Ivana Trump, Orson
Welles, Owen Wilson,
Pierce Brosnan, Prince
Claus of Holland,
Princess Caroline of
Monaco, Prince Harry,
Roman Abramovich, Saif
Al-Islam, Sean Connery,
Stephen Spielberg,
Michael Schumacher,
Nicky Hilton, David
Morales, Michael
Douglas, Vladimir
Klitschko ... and many
more will follow!
for its two pebble beaches
and nice for a family trip
(4 km from Hvar). The
almost deserted village of
Velo Grablje (7), lying next
to the completely deserted
village of Malo Grablje (0)
in the breathtaking interior
of Hvar, is well-known for
the Lavender Festival which
takes place here every year
on the last weekend of
June. Last but not least,
a village that is also called
»Little venice«: Vrboska
(554), a romantic small town
with stone houses, narrow
streets, complete with small
picturesque bridges.
Towns
and
Population
Eating
and
Drinking
10.648 people live on
the island, but up to
200.000 visitors come
here every year.
Another great treasure of
Hvar is undoubtedly its
light and healthy cuisine.
Local specialties or musttry dishes are goat's
cheese in olive oil, black
risotto, which takes its dark
color from the cuttlefish's
own ink sac, wild cabbage
(very healthy and tasty),
octopus salad (give it a
try!), gregada (originally
a poor man's dish using
boiled whitefish, potatoes,
onions, and wine),
pašticada (also known
as »Dalmatian goulash«,
normally prepared for
weddings and special
occasions) and rožada
(a fine caramel dessert
made of eggs and milk).
Hvar has a long tradition
of wine-making too: The
Greeks planted the first
vines here in 384 BC and
people from Hvar, who
emigrated to the USA at
the end of the 19th century,
The three largest and most
important towns on Hvar
are all located on the
western side of the island:
The capital Hvar town with
a population of 3827, Stari
Grad (1848), one of the
oldest harbour towns in
Europe (much quieter
then Hvar, but no less
interesting) and Jelsa
(1798), a charming small
town with an idyllic port,
also famous for its
production of excellent red
wines. A long way off, on
the very eastern tip of the
68 km long island, lies the
lonely village of Sucuraj
(378). Brusje (127), 6 km
east of Hvar town is good
for a quick trip for those
who want to experience an
authentic rural suburb of
Hvar. Milna (105) is notable
were pioneers of winegrowing in California.
The island’s greatest wines
are zlatan Plavac, Ivan
Dolac, Sveta Nedilja and
Faros, which are all deep
red wines made from the
local Plavac Mali (Small
Blue), a relative of
zinfandel. You should also
try home-made Dalmatian
prošek: a sweet dessert
wine, similar to sherry.
The
Lavender
Island
Lavender: known for its
stress relieving effects.
On Hvar it blossoms in
June and July.
Lavender products, such
as lavender bags packed
with dried flowers or
lavender essential oil in
miniature bottles, are to
find on nearly every corner
in Croatia. But only
lavender from Hvar is of
highest quality among all
sorts of that aromatic plant
grown throughout Europe.
As well, on this island you
can be sure that it is
ecologically cultivated –
far away from a factory
chimney! Once on Hvar,
you should not miss to visit
the breathtaking lavender
fields in the island's interior.
The best way to discover
this fascinating lilac
hanging gardens is by
offroad tours organized
by Secret Hvar. An annual
Lavender Festival takes
place on the last weekend
of June in velo Grablje,
a village with only seven
inhabitants. Once a year
people come together to
celebrate this ethereal