Page 255 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Croatia

SHOPPING IN CRO A TIA  253

Another little-known fact is DIRECTORY
that the inventor of the fountain
pen was an engineer from Shopping Centres
Zagreb. In 1906, one Eduard Avenue Mall
Slavoljub Penkala patented a
mechanical pencil and a year Avenija Dubrovnik 16,
later a pen with a reservoir of Zagreb.
ink, called the “mechanical pen”, Tel (01) 659 10 50.
which revolutionized the way Open 8am–10pm daily (cafés,
people wrote. restaurants and cinema
The inventor opened the first stay open longer).
factory for the production of
fountain pens in Zagreb in 1911. Paški sir, the sheep’s cheese of Pag, sold on Importanne Centar
Within a short space of time it the island Starčevićev trg 7, Zagreb.
became an enormous success Tel (01) 457 70 76.
and developed into one of the stalls near the port, where Open 9am–9pm Mon–Sat.
most important manufacturing you can buy any number of
centres for writing instruments, cosmetic products made Importanne Galerija
producing fountain pens which with lavender. Iblerov trg 10, Zagreb.
were exported all over the world. The gastronomic specialities Tel (01) 461 95 03.
There could not be a more of Croatia also make excellent Open 9am–9pm Mon–Sat.
appropriate place to buy this souvenirs. Many places have Nama
everyday item than Zagreb itself. their own particular speciality.
Among many items worthy of Ilica near Trg bana Jelačića,
mention are the mustard (in Zagreb.
traditional containers) made in Tel (01) 480 31 11.
Samobor, near Zagreb, the Westgate Shopping City
honey from Grohote, on the Zaprešićka 2, Jablanovec,
island of Šolta, and cukarini
biscuits from Korčula. Croatia Donja Bistra (free bus service
is also famous for olive oil. Uje from Zagreb).
oleotecas, a chain of stores Tel (01) 555 33 33.
that sell olive oil, wines, jams,
traditional Croatian sweets as Shops
well as olive wood products
and ceramics, can be found Boutique Croata
in Zagreb, Osijek and many Prolaz Oktogon, Ilica 5,
coastal towns Zagreb.
Another unmissable delicacy Tel (01) 645 70 52.
is the delicious truffle found
around Buzet, overlooking the Etno butik Mara
Ties on display in a shop in the Mirna valley in Istria (although Ilica 49, Zagreb.
centre of Zagreb these are only available in Lace gallery and shop
season). Other delicacies include
Local Produce pršut (a type of smoked ham) Trg Petra Krešimira IV, Pag.
The gastronomic specialities and kulen (a type of smoked Mala Galerija
and local produce of Croatia sausage) found in Slavonia. Užarska 25, Rijeka.
are as varied as the landscape However, the most highly Tel (051) 335 403.
of Croatia. valued product is cheese.
Among the country’s best- Croatia produces a range of
known natural products, its own cheeses, and the most
one of the most important well-known is paški sir, a mature
is lavender. Lavender is sold cheese made from sheep’s
dried in small bags or as milk, produced on the island
essence in bottles. It can be of Pag (see pp104–5). It is still
found more or less all over made according to traditional
the country but is particularly methods and the grazing pasture
linked with the island of for the sheep, full of aromatic
Hvar (see pp130–33), where its herbs, is said to give it a
colour and scent can nearly distinctive flavour.
overwhelm the senses when To buy the cheese on the
the shrubs are in flower. The island just look for signs with the
scent is particularly pungent name of the cheese, “paški sir” Seller of essence and lavender bags on the
when you browse the lavender outside the farmhouses. island of Hvar

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