Shopping in Croatia is a fun and interesting experience. Some of the more exotic food items that are worth shopping for are olive oil from Brac, delectable almond nougat, dried fig jam and prsut or air dried ham. Maraschino cherries originated in Dalmatia and the sour cherry syrup made from them is worth carrying home. Most establishments in Croatia accept Visa and MasterCard.
Shopping in Croatia is fun, especially in the shopping districts and local markets!
This Croatia Shopping Guide tells you all you need to know about shopping in Croatia. And after all your shopping adventures, why not pull up a chair and enjoy some of the sensational local cuisine mentioned in our Croatia Restaurants Guide. For more specific information relating to shopping in a particular city or region, check out our following destination sites:
- Dubrovnik
- Kvarner
- Split
Croatia Shopping Guide
Zagreb has many shopping centres, which stock an array of things. Some of the noteworthy shopping centres of Zagreb are Rotanda, Plaza, Nama, Importanne Centar and Center Kaptol. Importanne Centar is one of Zagreb's largest shopping malls with a very wide range of merchandise. Even those least interested in shopping will pick up something here.
Staccato at Center Kaptol is an ideal place to pick up Diplomat pens, umbrellas, leather goods and other Croatian accessories.
Split, an important hub in the south of Croatia, is a good place to shop for authentic and contemporary Croatian products. Marmontova Ulica (Street) is a prominent shopping centre in Split, where tourists can pick up both typically Croatian mementoes as well as international brands like Versace and Dolce. Cafés and restaurants around Marmontava Ulica provide the much needed replenishments after some hectic shopping!
Speciality foods and wines are ideal souvenirs to bring back from Croatia. Dubrovnik and Split have many shops that cater exclusively to Croatian wines and delicacies, but the local supermarkets also stock an impressive range of these.
Ajvar, the ubiquitous Croatian relish, is quite literally Croatia packed in a jar! It is made from aubergine, roasted red peppers, garlic, a bit of chilli and oil. Home made ajvar is preferable to the mass produced one.
Another Croatian speciality that is worth carrying back home is Paprenjak. This is a biscuit made from a hundred year old recipe and flavoured with walnuts, honey and pepper! There are also ‘seizis', which are nut-coated biscuits filled with strawberry jam.
Supermarkets
Konzum is the main supermarket chain in Croatia. It has outlets all over the country and stocks almost everything from canned goods, cheese, meat and cold cuts to spirits, wines and toiletries. The supermarket also has a facility where visitors can choose their bread and pick out the filling of their choice for the sandwiches. Konzum outlets have long shopping hours and accept all major credit cards. The only drawback with this department store is that the people manning the counter do not speak English.
Outdoor Markets
All the major cities as well as small towns in Croatia have their own outdoor markets where the local farmers sell fresh merchandise right from home made foods and cheese to indigenously brewed spirits and wines. While the goods may not be packed fashionably, their quality is first-rate. The bigger markets sell not only food items but also household accessories, trinkets, sunglasses, shoes and clothes at very reasonable prices.
