Marun (lat. Castanea sativa)

The marun sweet chestnut is larger and of better quality and taste than other varieties. The most famous of Lovran’s fruits, it was one of the town’s main export products. The sweet chestnut locally known as marun is a specific type of this fruit, endemic to Lovran and its surroundings. It differs from ‘ordinary’ chestnuts in size, the lighter colour of its easily removable shell, and distinctive sweet taste.
There are several theories about the origin of marun. The most accepted is that it was created by crossing indigenous horse chestnuts with seedlings brought by Lovran sailors from the Far East.
Marun is an important element of the history of Lovran as it fed generations of local people. It was cultivated in large private estates in the hinterland as one of the main foodstuffs of this area.

Asparagus (lat. Asparagus officinalis)

This delicious wild plant is extremely healthy for the liver, kidneys and lungs. Growing in abundance in the forests of Učka, it is a common ingredient in local specialities.
Wild asparagus is a culinary delicacy known for more than three thousand years. Its beneficial effects were known to the ancient Egyptians and Romans. It is often referred to as ‘the royal vegetable’. It got its name in Roman times, when commoners spent spring days in the woods, picking asparagus for patrician dinners.
It is native to the Mediterranean area and grows abundantly in the surroundings of Lovran and in the forests on the slopes of Mount Učka. However, this does not mean that it is easy to find!

Cherry (lat. Prunus avium)

If summer had a taste, it would be cherry. This sweet juicy fruit with a high nutritional value was one of the main export products of Lovran.
Cherry is an original Mediterranean fruit. It probably arrived in the Lovran area from Greece even before the beginning of the Common Era, when this sweet fruit was discovered by the Romans, who had their villae rustica on the coast of Lovran. Cherries are the sweetest introduction to the summer, because in June Lovran’s gardens are full of these large, dark red fruits.
The cherry has been one of Lovran’s main export items for centuries. Ships from Lovran harbour often carried this fruit, which was known for its quality, size and taste.

Laurel (lat. Laurus nobilis)

The aromatic plant gave Lovran its name and fills the air with its intoxicating scent. Celebrated as a symbol of victory since ancient times, laurel is used today as a spice and a medicine.
Laurel, the plant that gave Lovran its name (Latin name Laurus nobilis), grows in abundance in this area, filling the air with its inimitable scent. The first time Lovran was mentioned in historical books – in the seventh century – was under the name of Lauriana. This could be due to the Romans who built their residences on this coast because, in ancient cultures, laurel was considered a sacred tree. The Greeks believed that this plant was sacred to the god Apollo, while the Romans adopted the symbolism of the laurel wreath as an emblem of victory and success.

Laurel is a Mediterranean plant, used as a spice but also as a medicine because it has an antiseptic effect, strengthens appetite, and improves digestion. It is also used in the treatment of bronchitis, cold, and flu. This provides an added symbolic association of this aromatic plant with Lovran as a town famous among the Austrian and European elites of the late 19th and early 20th centuries as an outstanding health resort for respiratory diseases.