Here's a story about how Hvar became a lavender island, how locals remember it, and how we ventured to the village where it all began.
How Lavender Was Grown on Hvar
From time to time, we heard stories from old-timers about how lavender used to be cultivated on Hvar. Lavender cultivation on Hvar began relatively recently, in the last century. Today, locals don't dedicate themselves to lavender as much as before; it's hard work and certainly doesn't yield as much as it once did. Back then, money from lavender oil was used to buy apartments or houses right by the sea or in towns. However, this came at the cost of hard work – due to the difficult terrain, lavender on Hvar is still harvested manually, and the harvest takes place according to the weather at the end of June or beginning of July, i.e., under the strongest sun.
If you have a few minutes, watch a short film about lavender processing on Hvar in the 1970s here:
The Beginnings of Lavender in the Village of Velo Grablje
The entire lavender history began in the village of Velo Grablje. And surprisingly, it started with rosemary oil at the end of the 19th century. At that time, the first cooperative was established here, dealing with the production of rosemary oil. It was actually the very beginning of essential oil production in Croatia. And the beginning of lavender oil production on Hvar is associated with the name barba Borti, who was the first to start growing lavender and came from the village of Velo Grablje. At that time, grapevines were mainly cultivated, but after constant difficulties with growing grapevines, barba Borti looked for something else he could grow. And so, he planted lavender. He was already 57 years old, and everyone around him laughed that he was growing flowers. But they soon changed their minds, and others also started growing lavender. This entire golden lavender era lasted briefly, roughly from the mid-20th century to the late 1980s. Lavender money was used for studies, opening restaurants, buying houses and apartments. And then tourism began to develop, bringing easier and faster earnings. And grapevines and olives spread again in the fields.
Lavender Processing Today
“My parents' generation grew lavender on a large scale. In my youth, oil was produced for several days, continuously; we wouldn't go to sleep until all the lavender was processed. And then, with that money, my parents bought a house in Makarska,” told us Mr. Miro Rudan from the village of Bogomolje, who still produces lavender oil today. He processes lavender now just for his own pleasure. Like many others, he wouldn't be able to make a living from it anymore, so besides lavender, he also dedicates himself to olives, from which he produces high-quality olive oil.
Lavender Festival
But let's return to the village of Velo Grablje, from which lavender has not completely disappeared. At the end of June, a lavender festival takes place here annually, even before the lavender harvest itself. As soon as the festival ends, the harvest begins, most often at the beginning of July. At the festival, it is possible to buy local lavender products: lavender jam, lavender creams, lavender ice cream, lavender honey, and many others. Here too, one can see the transformation lavender cultivation has undergone – once, only oil was produced from lavender, which was bought by cosmetic manufacturers. Today, a wide range of souvenirs are made from lavender. If you want to see the lavender fields on Hvar in all their purple glory, visit in June.
How We Ventured to the Village of Velo Grablje
We arrived at the village in the morning. We took the road from Milna, which leads you through Malo Grablje to Velo Grablje. Right upon entering the village, there's Konoba Zbondini, where we took a break for refreshments. The village itself was deserted. Some houses are nicely renovated, so it's clear that someone still lives there occasionally. But others are completely dilapidated, to the point where it's painful to look at them. One can't help but think that if they had a house in such a place, they wouldn't let it fall into such a deplorable state. Besides the lavender oil distillery, we found no other traces of lavender history. Somewhere in the village is barba Borti's house with a memorial plaque on the wall, but after an unsuccessful search, we postponed finding it for next time. Hopefully, we'll manage to visit the lavender festival here someday.
A View Worth Seeing
But what is definitely worth the trip is the view from the road above the village. A magnificent view of the island of Vis opens up to you, and with good visibility, also the island of Sv. Andrija to the right. And if you continue towards Brusje to Hvar, like us, a view of the opposite side will also open up to you. Sea on both sides and the tip of Hvar island before you. You simply can't get enough of that view, judge for yourself.
