Across the road from Dubrovnik’s historic Gruž pool, where the echo of whistles and water polo balls forms a kind of local anthem, sits a modest café with a name as unassuming as its façade: Giro Caffe. But step inside and it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary espresso stop. This is the meeting point of a sport and a city—a living archive of water polo history, curated with quiet devotion by former VK Jug player Tomislav Njavro.
For over two decades, Giro has slowly transformed into what locals affectionately call the “water polo café.” What began with a single string of caps strung above the bar is now a kaleidoscope of water polo memorabilia: caps, trunks, balls, old newspaper clippings, signed gear from Olympic champions, and photographs that capture the spirit of a sport woven into the soul of this Adriatic city.
“I used to beg players for their caps,” Njavro recalls, smiling. “Now they’re the ones asking me to hang them up.”
A Gruž Institution
Giro’s location is no coincidence. Founded in 2003, the café sits directly across from the swimming pool that is home to VK Jug, one of Europe’s most storied water polo clubs. Njavro played for the club during Croatia’s turbulent 1990s—when caps and trunks were hard to come by, and victories were measured as much by resilience as results.
“Back then, we barely had gear,” he says. “I still remember how we scraped together our first full set of caps. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.”
But he kept them. And then kept more. Friends, teammates, rivals, even visiting legends began to contribute. One by one, the walls filled with stories stitched into fabric—each cap and costume a thread in the tapestry of Giro’s identity.
The Olympic Wall
Today, Giro feels more like a grassroots museum than a café. There are caps dating back to 1964, including one worn by Croatian great Zlatko Šimenc—donated via a friend of a friend, and now hanging just above a faded photograph. Trunks from Jug’s post-war cup win in the 1990s. A ball from London 2012, courtesy of Nikša Dobud. Even a match ball thrown by Rino Burić to his mother after Croatia’s 2022 European Championship win in Split—she, in turn, gave it to Njavro.
One of the most touching additions came from Hungarian legend Dénes Varga, who visited Dubrovnik while coaching BVSC. “He stood there for ten minutes, just staring at the caps,” Njavro remembers. “Then he asked whose place it was. When I told him, he said, ‘Would you like mine up there?’ The next day, he came back with it signed and hung it himself.”
More Than Memorabilia
What elevates Giro above simple nostalgia is how each relic is carefully contextualised. Every item is dated, often accompanied by press clippings or photographs—sometimes even the stories themselves are scribbled on napkins and tucked beneath the displays.
And the collection continues to grow. Alongside elite caps and Olympic balls are now those from the Divlja Liga—Dubrovnik’s famed amateur water polo competition, where beachside teams like Porporela, Penatur, and Copacabana write their own summer folklore. Giro has become the official registration point for teams, a watering hole for fans and players alike.
“It’s not just a sport here. It’s a way of life,” Njavro says. “When we used to play in the summer, everyone came after a swim to watch. The beaches, the games, the city—it was all part of the same rhythm.”
He’s convinced that bringing back a summer competition calendar could reignite a golden age. “If we went back to summer seasons, like it used to be, water polo would explode again here. It belongs to the sun and the sea.”
A Living Legacy
With the Croatian national team preparing to defend its world title this summer in Singapore, more golden mementos may soon join the walls of Giro. And as the demands of the modern water polo calendar continue to grow, this café—humble, heartfelt, and handmade—offers something rarer than a signed cap: a sense of belonging.
Dubrovnik may be a city steeped in history, but in the corner of a café in Gruž, its sporting future hangs quite literally from the rafters.
And if you find yourself in town, don’t just order a coffee. Look up.
Giro Caffe, Vukovarska 34, Dubrovnik 20000 Croatia
Editor’s note: This article draws extensively on quotes and material originally reported by Rafael Barkiđija for Dubrovački Dnevnik (published 10 June 2025). Credit and thanks to the original author.