Dubrovnik may be small, but it still has a healthy smattering of little shops for quirky gifts and hand-crafted one-off momentos. From open-air markets groaning with local produce, to a 14th-century Franciscan Monastery flogging secret formula face creams, here is the Telegraph Travel’s Dubrovnik expert Jane Foster’s ultimate guide to shopping in Dubrovnik.
Just inside the entrance to the Franciscan Monastery, the ‘Little Brothers’ Pharmacy’ dates back to 1317, when the monks first started concocting herbal remedies to administer to ailing believers. Today it works as a regular chemist, stocking prescription medicines and stand-by’s such as aspirin and elastoplasts. But most visitors come here specifically to buy the monks’ lush natural face creams, made to closely guarded secret recipes, based on either rose, lavender or rosemary, as well as hand cream and anti-cellulite cream. It is the oldest continually running pharmacy in Europe.
In the medieval St Dominik’s tower, near Ploče Gate, this welcoming gallery extends over three floors, stocking paintings and quirky ceramics by recognized Croatian artists. Look out for local scenes painted in oil on wood in lovely muted natural colours by Dubrovnik-based Rudolf Pater; colourful whimsical acrylic paintings by illustrator Ana Kolega from Zadar; handmade ceramic fish with raku glaze by Ljiljana Barbarić; and ceramic cups and candle-holders decorated with floral motifs by Andrea Bassi. The staff are knowledgeable and helpful and will tell you more about specific artists.
Next to the Cathedral, opposite the Rector’s Palace, this is the place to buy an unlikely Croatian memento – a sumptuous silk tie. In fact, this quintessential English gentleman’s accessory originated in Croatia in the 17th century, and was popularized by Croatian mercenaries who went to fight for Louis XVIII in France. Here, they come in various colours and prints, in presentation boxes, complete with a short ‘History of the Tie. The shop now also sells its own line of bow-ties, lady’s silk scarves, tie pins and cufflinks, and umbrellas.
Adjoining the Rector’s Palace, the Museum Shop stocks a tasteful selection of replicas of exhibits from Dubrovnik museums, making unusual gifts to bring home. Look out for copies of 17th-century ceramics jars and 15th-century stone reliefs, silver jewellery and key-rings bearing Renaissance floral motifs, silver cufflinks depicting St Blaise (Dubrovnik’s patron saint), and fridge magnets inspired by the city. They also have a colourful range of custom-made silk scarfs, leather wallets, placemats and coasters, plus a stack of local guidebooks, history and art history books (in various languages).
The museum shops stocks a varuety of custom-made silk scarfs, leather wallets, placemats and coasters, plus a stack of local guidebooks, history and art history books and many other items
For many visitors, the most memorable shopping experience is a browse round the open-air market in the old town. Although it’s become smaller over the years, you’ll still find several fruit-and-vegetable stalls, displaying local seasonal produce – cherries and strawberries in May, peaches and apricots in July, and grapes and mandarins in September – plus tourist-orientated stands selling lavender oil, lavender bags, arancini (candied orange peel), strings of dried figs and embroidered table linens. Nowadays, the main open-air market is near Gruž port, on a square set back from the seafront.