20 Mar Spring in Dubrovnik
No matter how long the winter is, spring is sure to follow! Though blessed with the pleasant Mediterranean climate, Dubrovnik warmly welcomes its spring every year. From traditional spring dishes to some old and colorful Easter customs, and various cultural and gastronomic events, Dubrovnik in spring is a festival of life renewed. It is also the best time to visit Dubrovnik if you want to evade tourist crowds.
DISHES THAT SAY SPRING IN DUBROVNIK
As the earth awakens, a fertile Dubrovnik countryside fills up with wild asparagus and young shots of bryony, which are the must-include ingredients of the traditional regional spring omelet. If you find yourself around during Easter time, you’ll bound to hear about “pengana“ eggs. Instead of applying industrial dyes, Dubrovnikers like to decorate their Easter eggs the old-fashioned way, using a technique similar to batique. All you need, claim the locals, is a calm hand, a little bit of patience, beeswax, a few onion peels, and a small branch of laurel or vine. And make sure to prepare them before Big Friday! The church bells on Easter announce the break of the fast, as the locals attend religious ceremonies in beautiful old churches- After the mass, families, and friends gather for a festive meal that includes “pengana“ eggs, homemade cottage cheese, spring onions, lamb and traditional sweet bread called “pinca“. In the afternoon hours, Dubrovnikers stroll around the Old City, attending a local fair with handmade Easter souvenirs as well as local food delicacies, such as prosciutto, goat and sheep cheese, and honey.
GLORIOUS FOOD AND WINE FESTIVALS
Traditional Dubrovnik cuisine is one of six distinct culinary traditions in Croatia. Local customized food tours are arguably among some of the best in Croatia. Spring is the start of the harvest season of European oysters, a rare and sought-after delicacy that has been grown in the same manner in Mali Ston Bay ever since antiquity. Oyster season in Ston takes place at the same time as Pelješac Vineries Festival when wine cellars across the picturesque Peninsula of Pelješac open their doors to visitors, allowing them to sample both new and vintage premium vines and enjoy simple traditional dishes made exclusively from fresh ecological local produce.
SOUND OF SPRING IN DUBROVNIK
Spring has always been considered the start of the warm season in Dubrovnik, celebrated with various cultural events. One of those is Aklapela. The festival name is a pun, a blend of words “a cappella” and “klapa” – traditional Croatian singing that is not accompanied by instruments. Inscribed in UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, “klapa“ singing will take you straight to the unplugged time, before commercialization and amplifiers.
ENJOY YOUR COFFEE “NA ŠTEKATU“
Bask in warm spring sun on one of the city‘s many coffee bars’ terraces while having your coffee “na štekatu“ – which is a dialectal phrase for having your coffee on a terrace. Croatia boasts a very distinct and vibrant coffee culture. It is not limited to the type of coffee or the mode of preparation – equal parts of the population love Turkish coffee, Italian espresso, or other coffee-based beverages – as much as it’s the coffee ritual itself. “Let’s grab a cup of coffee” means a lot of things in Croatia, but never a quick coffee-to-go. Coffee bars are places where you meet your friends and family to catch up and talk, for however long or short it takes. You may be surprised that the coffee ritual in Croatia is not limited to small talk, as business people regularly do their business over coffee as well. Just remember, an invitation to coffee does not mean that you cannot drink juice, beer, liquor, or wine, on contrary!
WHY SPRING IN DUBROVNIK IS A GREAT IDEA
Taking Dubrovnik’s latitude and longitude into regard, it’s probably not surprising that some locals swim in the sea all year round. For all the others, the official swimming season begins in spring, as sometimes April temperatures kick right into summer highs. Besides exquisite weather, spring is the time when Dubrovnik is still not burdened by tourist crowds. If you want to roam around Dubrovnik in April or May, you can still do it with no one around you. This is also a great time to take advantage of many available outdoor activities like biking or hiking. Or to sail aboard Galleon Tirena to the magical islands of Lokrum Lopud or Mljet. Last but not least, if you’re planning your wedding abroad in Dubrovnik, spring is the perfect time for your wedding inspection trip.
