About us

Gingerbread and candlemaking

Crafts or arts? In any case it’s a craft with soul. The golden age of gingerbread craft in Croatia was in 18th and 19th century, but nowadays this craft is barely surviving. Thanks to family tradition and love for this craft, even today it still exists in Špičko family.
When Vinko Špičko took over business 1937. from famous Koprivnica craftman Josip Sulimanović, nobody thought that the soul of this craft will live so long in his family. He died in 1972 and his wife Ljubica, then inherited the business with help of their son Ivan. After that, the business was lead by Ljubica, her daughter-in-law, who is her youngest son Vinko’s wife. And today their son Mihael is leading the business.

Church feasts

It is impossible to imagine a church feast without gingerbread makers. This event is unthinkable without a glass of mead with ice and gingerbread cookies, and many colourful licitar. Beside of church feasts, you can reach all our poducts at our gingerbread and candle maker’s shop in Koprivnica. We hold a great assortiment of various candles and various gingerbread products, that are also used as Easter and Christmas decorations. In our shop you can also have a cold glass of mead, holding the sentence: “Strenghtens and cleans the heart, Špičko’s mead”.

Honey

Honey is the main ingredient of all products of gingerbread and candlemaking craft. There are two ground products made of honey: honey biscuits (gingerbread cookies) and mead (called: gverc). Gingerbread cookies are made from first class honey, flour and spices after an old proceeding. Besides honey biscuits and mead, there are also other gingerbread products called „licitar“ – hearts, babes and horses, rosaries… Mead is made using old technology, also from honey. It is a fully natural drink.

Where are we?

Our gingerbread and candlemaking craft shop is situated in the center of town of Koprivnica, near the parochial St. Nicholas church, only a hundred meters away from main town square.

We would be honored if this small review became a stimulation to all who come to Croatia, to visit our shop in Koprivnica and to sweeten your stay with our honey biscuits and mead. On that way, You will take a remembrance to our beautiful region of Podravina in northern Croatia.