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Captivating Croatia: Part 13 – Shopping in Rovinj, Croatia

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    Emily:  I’ve wanted to go to Croatia for the last several years.  I heard wonderful things about the country and how beautiful (and relatively affordable) it was compared to the rest of Europe.  It’s located in Eastern Europe and is just a few hours from Venice, Italy, making it a great side trip.

    Last year, my friends and I organized a group trip to visit Rovinj, a small coastal town on the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.  It’s a gorgeous town full of romance.  Everything is stunning there, from the streets to the houses.  The food is also excellent.

    We went for a kizomba dance festival.  Later in the trip report series, I will introduce you to kizomba and describe what an incredible dance it is!  The dance festival was amazing and Croatia is definitely a place I want to return and spend more time exploring!  The trip’s retail cost was ~$17,000 but I paid ~$900.

    Rovinj Has Inexpensive Shopping – With All the Typical Touristy Items!

    My Dance Family

    Jeff (the only guy who came with us) and Sarita are both kizomba dancers in my city, and Sarita also teaches the dance.  Gissell (above photo) manages a local dance studio and teaches fitness classes.

    Robbie (pink hair) teaches salsa, bachata, kizomba, and an array of other dances.  I got lucky to travel with such an amazing group of friends!  We became family during our short time together in Croatia.

    Captivating Croatia Trip Report Index:

    Shopping in Rovinj

    You won’t find any luxury stores in Rovinj, and that’s part of the allure of this town.  You will find lots of handmade crafts and art.  And the art is absolutely gorgeous!  It’s another reason why I love Rovinj so much!

    Ready to Support the Local Economy…Now Bring on the Bargain Hunting! 🙂

    One of the 1st shops we visited was a local handmade jewelry shop.  They made beautiful, delicate necklaces and charms with semi-precious stones.

    The Handmade Jewelry Was Beautiful and Reasonably Priced

    You could wear the charms as a necklace.

    Pretty Charms Made by Local Artisans

    I bought a few for gifts, and may even be giving 1 away (along with other goodies!) in an upcoming giveaway, so stay tuned!

    You Could Win a Pretty Charm From Rovinj!

    The man who owned the shop was very friendly, and told us about his experience being lost for 5 days and 5 nights in the ocean.

    The Shop Owner Kept Us Entertained With His Survival Story

    He was wearing his lucky red bracelet, which helped bring him to safety.  He gave us each a red bracelet to thank us for our purchases.

    These Red Bracelets Are Supposed to Bring Good Luck!  It Can’t Hurt, Right?

    Down the street was another small art shop.  The paintings were incredible!  One really caught my eye so I decided to purchase it.

    I Liked the Artwork So Much, I Purchased It Even Though (Sit Down for This) the Shop Didn’t Accept Credit Cards!

    Handmade art makes the best souvenirs!  It was ~$50.  Most shops accept cash only, so bring a healthy stash for shopping.

    Interesting Paintings and Artwork of All Kinds

    The quality of art was very good!

    You Could Pick up a Unique Conversation Piece to Bring Back Home

    That same day, we went shoe shopping.  Sarita and Gissell needed to buy shoes anyway, and they found some they really liked.

    You Can Never Have Too Many Pairs of Shoes

    They were pretty cheap, too, at~$20 per pair.

    Get Your Dancing Shoes On!

    If you stroll through the main village, you’ll see lots of art shops.  I much prefer these beautiful, handmade pieces of art to the souvenirs made in China!

    I Love Picking out Locally Made Items as a Memory of My Trip!

    I wanted to bring back all of it!

    If I Wasn’t Careful I’d Be in Trouble With Excess Baggage!

    You can also make a trip to the supermarket, but you won’t find much for souvenirs besides chocolate and liquor.

    Bring Back Sweet Treats or Local Wine for Your Friends Back Home

    We chose a few different kinds of chocolate to keep at the apartment.  I love trying chocolate from different places when travel!

    I Admit It!  I Have a Weakness for Chocolate!

    Local Outdoor Market

    There’s a local outdoor market by the sea which has fruit, vegetables, honey, truffles, olive oil, and more.  Rovinj is famous for its truffles, and we were lucky enough to try a sample at the market.

    Yummy Free Samples of Local Food at the Outdoor Market

    Items at this market are also great locally-made gifts to bring back.

    The Foodies in Your Life Would Love Gifts From Here!

    Bottom Line

    Rovinj has a lot of high quality, handmade arts and crafts, as well as delicious truffles and grappa (liquor).  It was fun exploring the town to find the best shopping!

    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)