HARVESTING LAVENDER IN CENTRAL DALMATIA, A NATURAL PARADISE

Of all the traditional harvests in Central Dalmatia, none is surely more aromatic than the lavender harvest, which takes place at the end of June and early July. Although lavender grows in different parts of the region, it is most famous on the island of Hvar. Indeed, the village of Velo Grablje has its own lavender festival at the end of June every year.

We are delighted to share some video footage of this year’s harvest on the top of Hvar, in the fields of celebrity photographer, Jadran Lazic. In the video above, Jadran tells us a little about his fields and how he started, before giving us a demonstration of how to harvest.

Some of the lavender pickers have been brought up on the crop. Jurica, above, explains that he first started harvesting lavender at the age of nine.

And when Dalmatians work, they sing. Listen to some wonderful traditional a capella song from two of the lavender harvesters.

A wonderful day in the field, and the 300 bushes yielded just over 4 litres of precious lavender oil.

To learn more about the island of Hvar, click here.