Projects and events Konavle Agrotourism Association

Scents of Christmas in Konavle is a tourist event that has been traditionally held since 2008. Thanks to its meaningful and interesting program, it has become a recognizable tourist product and was awarded the Golden Charter "Sunflower of Rural Tourism of Croatia" for the best event of its kind in Croatia in 2010. Scents of Christmas in Konavle is held every year in late December when it attracts many visitors, tourists and journalists. The multi-day program has educational, cultural, traditional, competitive and humanitarian aspects. It is an opportunity to visit the growing number of Konavle agrotourisms and wineries and taste traditional dishes, especially Zelena Menestra, and try the best Konavle wines. Listen closely as your host shares their stories of life in Konavle and get to know this beautiful part of Croatai on a deeper level.

Spring in Konavle is a traditional event that promotes this area as ideal for an active vacation and stay in nature. Local agrotourisms, winemakers and others participate in several weekends of various activities and events. Hiking routes that include visits to interesting sites and local agrotourisms, cycling and racing, games and competitions for young people, outdoor schools, art colonies, presentations of Konavle wines and winemakers, astronomy workshops are just some of the many activities in the spring organized by the Konavle Agrotourism Association.

Agrotourism Konavle has been organizing a grape harvest event every September since 2012, which symbolically marks the grape harvest season in the wine-growing region of Konavle. It is a day when Konavle winemakers and locals, dressed in Konavle folk costumes with tools, present the traditional way that grapes were harvested and wine was produced. Tourists gladly get involved, pick ripe grapes, and the most attractive is the traditional process of wine production. With music and to the delight of those gathered, the women then tuck in their dresses and enter the so-called reapers, wooden pots, in order to, as before, knead the grapes with their feet.

The acquisition of new knowledge and exchange of experiences with other developed regions of rural tourism are carried out systematically every year and contribute to the development of the destination and raising the quality of service. Entrepreneurs from Konavle have recently visited all regions with developed rural tourism in Croatia, but also southern Austria, Slovenia, Tuscany and the Marche region in Italy, North Macedonia and northern Greece, Slovakia and southern Hungary. Educational trips were also an opportunity for cooperation. Konavle is regularly visited by prominent experts who organize workshops and lectures with the aim of creating new ideas and acquiring the skills needed for successful business. Gastro workshops, presentations of wine and cured meat products are also attractive for visitors, as in addition to being educational, they often have a promotional character.

The educational - competitive gastronomic event "Gusti od sausica" is held with the aim of encouraging local entrepreneurs, raising the quality of traditional cured meat products and enriching the tourist offer of Konavle. On this occasion, professional educational workshops are organized on the topic of production and processing of dried meat products with an emphasis on the production of sausages. A competition and selection of the best home-made sausages in the Dubrovnik area then takes place. All sausage producers from the Dubrovnik region who produce sausages for their own needs or for the needs of the market participate in the competition. The evaluation of the received sausage samples is carried out by an expert jury. Along with the product tasting and an entertainment program, the winners are announced and prizes are awarded for the best home-made sausage.

The regular activity of the Association, which is carried out throughout the year, contributes to encouraging the local population to engage in rural tourism, but also raises awareness of the local community about the presence of tourists and coexistence with them, and raises the overall quality of life in Konavle. "I'm watching my Konavle" is a project that aims to raise the awareness of the local population about the importance of preserving the orderliness of backyards and public areas as well as preserving traditional architecture and the natural landscape. “Themed evenings” are events that blend culture with local gastronomy. "Evenings of agrotourism and folklore" take place in the middle of the tourist season, to introduce tourists to Konavle's traditions and local products. "5 com informally" are winter gatherings for members and friends of the Association when new ideas and a project are created in a relaxed atmosphere. To this should be added the numerous guest appearances and receptions that are organized and which have been helping create a beautiful image of Konavle as a region of excellence in Croatian rural tourism for more than a decade.