Vrgorac is a town atop a mountain, made famous by its people and their industrious hands. Today it is best known for agriculture and for the poet Tin Ujević, yet the full appreciation of its rich history still lies ahead. It was founded in the Middle Ages, though traces of life here reach all the way back to prehistory. It is distinctive for its medieval Gradina fortress, Ottoman towers, an Austro-Hungarian park and a water reservoir dating from 1929. Through the toil of its forebears the harsh karst was cultivated, and in this little corner of the Mediterranean a dynamic and original language, culture and identity were born. This is how Branko Radonić, president of the Society of Friends of Vrgorac Antiquity, introduces Vrgorac and its Austro-Hungarian park, where on 20 and 21 June summer will open with the Days of Dalmatian Pršut and Wine (pršut being the region’s air-dried, prosciutto-style ham). 
Alongside the Dalmatian hams, there will be protected pršut from other parts of Croatia, such as Istrian and Drniš pršut, and once again we are collaborating with the Prosciutto Festival from Parma. Although our hams differ, we are bound by friendship and a shared love of tradition and a good feast. The wines, meanwhile, come from Croatia’s most respected wine districts, including our own Vrgorska Krajina. We are also staging additional events in the very centre of Vrgorac, so every lover of good food can enjoy the gastro corner at the Town Fountain, announces Željka Opačak, director of the Vrgorac Tourist Board. 
On Friday 20 June, a team from ŠKMER, the Association of Chefs of Mediterranean and European Regions, will also arrive in Vrgorac. The legendary Stevo Karapandža will be there alongside Željko Neven Bremec, while on Saturday the culinary baton passes to local masters of the kitchen, the team from the Split-Dalmatia County Chamber of Trades and Crafts and their guests. There will be an exhibition ham-carving contest for the pršut carvers, and visitors too will be able to show off their slicing skills. 
Vrgorac is one of Croatia’s largest food producers, and its vineyard area is among the country’s biggest. Across the fertile fields of Rastok, Jezero and Bunina, more than 10 million vines of Zlatarica Vrgorska, Trnak and Plavka have been planted. Here the Mediterranean and continental climates meet, and young people often return after their schooling to carry on the tradition. That story can be told by Jelena and Drago Nosić of the Poetica distillery, who offer signature cocktails and their multi-award-winning Ginspiration gin. You can also cycle through the vineyards to the Franić or Gašpar wineries for a taste of wines made from Trnak, the local Vrgorac name for the variety otherwise known as Trnjak, or from Zlatarica.
On two wheels you can also reach the Matica Vrgorska, a sinking river that for half the year flows from southeast to northwest and for the other half in the opposite direction. It meanders through the field, making it fertile, and along one of its courses offers a unique kayaking course. The team from the Illiria Kayaking agency leads tours along this remarkable river, nicknamed the Croatian Amazon, offering wonderful refreshment during the summer days. 
Prepared by: Alma Premerl Zoko
Photographs: Nikola Zoko
16.06.2025.
