Brijuni national park. All about holidays in Brijuni Brijuni National Park

And they are considered one of the most important and most significant sights of the country.

Beautiful as a legend, the edge

A well-known legend is connected with the origin of this magical in its beauty corner of the world. Sometime in time immemorial, God set out to create on Earth a semblance of Paradise, so that every mortal could see unearthly beauty in reality and know the happiness from its contemplation. This is how Istria came into being : like a garden of paradise, covered with magnificent forests and endless meadows, surrounded on all sides by deep blue sea waters. But the evil devil decided to destroy the work of the Creator. He tore apart the canvas bag in which the angel was carrying stones unused in the creation of earthly Paradise. At the same moment, thousands of rocks scattered across the land of Istria, turning it from a paradise abode into a land of contrasts : sophisticated and rude at the same time ; fertile, but in places deserted and barren ; sunny, but sometimes cloudy and rainy. Then the saddened angels decided to collect the pieces of Paradise that remained among the rocks scattered across the lands of Istria and hide them from evil eyes among sea ​​waves... So it appeared archipelago Brijuni- one of the few truly heavenly places on Earth.

Geographical position of Brijuni

In fact, the islands are a continuation of the western part of the peninsula, the so-called "Red Istria"... Scientists suggest that about 10,000 years ago the islands were an integral part of Istria. Their coastline is heavily indented and is 46.8 km. The largest rocky islands - Veli brijun(25.9 km²) and Mali brijun(8.3 km²). except them Brijuni archipelago has 12 more islands with beautiful, romantic names: С-Mark, Gaz, Okrugljak, Supin, Supinić, Galija, Grunj, Vanga (Krasnica), Pusti (Madona), Vrsar, С-Jerome and Kozada (Krasnica).

The archipelago lies on limestone deposits interspersed with layers of red earth and porous brownish stone. Basically, the rocks on the island are white, resemble marble in structure and abound in clay and silicon. The stone is very hard, and therefore the ancient Romans highly appreciated it as an excellent building material and was widely used in the construction of cities on the Adriatic. All buildings on Briony, besides the White Villa, are built from this wonderful local white material.

Climate on the islands of Brijuni

The climate of the islands practically does not differ from the rest of the western coast of Istria with its temperate Mediterranean type. The abundance of sun and warm days, as well as high humidity, contribute to the growth of rich vegetation. The average air temperature in winter is + 6.3 ° C, in spring + 12.2 ° C, in summer + 22.2 ° C and in autumn + 14.8 ° C. The sea temperature in summer is from +22 to + 25 ° C.

This guarantees an extremely pleasant stay on the islands all year round, but it is especially pleasant here in the summer. No wonder during the Roman Empire archipelago Brijuni was famous resort and was visited by the Roman nobility. The attractiveness of the islands is evidenced by the fact that the German king William II rested here six times! A Yugoslav leader Marshal Josip Broz Tito founded a summer residence here and spent half of every year of his life in this magical corner.

Flora of the Brijuni archipelago

Lush and varied vegetation is a very important feature that makes Brijuni archipelago even more valuable than other areas with a similar climate. On the Veli Brijun island (Veli Brijun) an extraordinary unity of natural and human-made beauty was achieved. The nature of the islands was initially not perfect. It took a lot of work to transform the archipelago into a beautiful landscape park with vast meadows. : drain swamps and clear Mediterranean scrub from forests.

As a result of the hard work of many people, a unique landscape has been created on the Croatian Adriatic coast. Here, along with shady majestic relict oak forests and a tall, light pine forest saturated with the aroma of needles, you can find about 650 species subtropical plants including holly, ash, laurel, palm, bamboo, eucalyptus, strawberry tree, turpentine tree, sequoia, rosemary and other exotic trees. If you happen to visit here on an excursion, then you will definitely be shown an interesting specimen - long-lived olive tree... For 1600 long years, one generation of people replaced another, and the olive tree kept rustling with its crown, indifferent to life and death, proud, majestic and beautiful!

It is interesting that the islands are widespread and lushly grow some species of plants that are on the verge of extinction in Istria and mainland Croatia: sea ​​poppy, wild cucumber, some varieties of herbs.

Fauna of the Brijuni Islands

From time immemorial Brijuni were inhabited. Generations of people who have inhabited them for thousands of years could not help but influence the fauna of the islands, regularly bringing many different animals to these blessed lands. For some species, such a habitat at first turned out to be not entirely favorable, but gradually they took root due to the almost ideal conditions of the local microclimate. So, in 1893, they brought to the archipelago European hare, deer and mouflons... Today, their descendants walk through forests and parks. Big Brijun.

In the north of the island is a 9-acre fenced-in area where Safari Park... It is inhabited by wild animals: Indian elephants, South American camels, zebras, antelopes, sacred cows, donkeys... This living creature is a "legacy" Josipa Broz Tito, who very often received as a gift live exotic souvenirs brought from different parts of the world by his numerous friends and eminent guests. Now a special a train for tourists, from the windows of which you can look at the inhabitants safari park... Those specimens that were unlucky enough to acclimatize ended up in the museum and are presented in the form of stuffed animals. Among them were lions, giraffes, monkeys, tigers and many other exotic animals.

Rich enough here and world of birds... You can observe them without interference at the largest lake islands which is overgrown with reeds and has become an excellent nesting place tirkushek, ducks, quail... Here you can find such rare species of birds as great egret, black stork, bittern.

Underwater world in the waters of Brijuni

Coastal underwater world no less diverse than the animal world on land. The waters washing Brijuni islands represent a huge marine park plants and organisms typical of the northern Adriatic. The bottom is replete with blooming algae, sponges, molluscs, sea shoots, crustaceans and a variety of fish. The most numerous representatives of ichthyofauna are sea ​​bass, gray mullet, conger eels, catfish, black umber... From time to time you can meet here sea ​​turtles and dolphins... In the waters surrounding Brijuni archipelago, there are also species included in Red Book... Off the coast Brijuni some species of the inhabitants of the underwater world were discovered that had not previously been found anywhere in the Adriatic, as well as some species unknown to scientists, such as soft coral Alcyonium brionense and sponges Ircinia variabilis fistulata.

History and sights of the Brijuni archipelago

Brijuni interesting both in natural and historical terms. So, on the island Veli brijun the ruins of a Roman city from the second century BC have been preserved. Walking among the ruins of once beautiful villas, you can come across rainwater collection tanks, whose tightness has not been broken to this day, as well as many other interesting buildings: an old abandoned quarry with an artificial corridor and very high walls, Roman prison, Temple of Venus, Byzantine castrum, Basilica of St. Mary of the 5th-6th centuries, Church of St. Herman XV century.

Since 177 Brijuni islands were in the power of the Romans, then passed to Byzantium and the Franks, and from 1331 they fell into the possession of Venice... At the end of the 19th century, they were acquired by the owner of an Austrian metallurgical enterprise. Paul Kupelwieser... At first, he thought to use the acquired territory as a place for family vacations, setting up something like a summer cottage there. But later his plans changed. Inspired by the romance of these places, magical in their beauty, Kupelwieser left business related to the plant, and devoted himself entirely to the islands. First of all, he decided to rid the area of ​​malaria mosquitoes. To this end, he invited the Nobel laureate bacteriologist to the islands Robert Koch... He did an excellent job, spilling oil in the swamps, which led to the death of dangerous vectors of infection.

Three were built here hotels — Brioni, Karmen and Neptun, as well as a 2 km long water pipeline along the seabed, through which water from the continent was delivered to the islands. There were erected marinas, an indoor pool with heated sea water, sports grounds, walking and cycling paths 80 km long, golf courses, hippodrome. Kupelwieser I was not mistaken, having invested my capital in this enterprise, it really turned out to be very profitable. Soon, through his efforts Brijuni became one of the most fashionable and visited European elite resorts. This prosperity lasted quite a long time, but due to the constant rise in prices, the popularity of holidays in Brijuni began to gradually decline and the islands ceased to bring profit to their owner. In 1930, son and heir Kupelwieser committed suicide, realizing that things were going to ruin.

After the end of World War II, he founded his residence here Josip Broz Tito... By his order, subtropical vegetation was planted on the islands and White Villa, where the marshal received high-ranking guests. It was here that Tito, Nasser and Nehru signed Briune Declaration... Later, this document formed the basis for the creation of the non-aligned movement. During this period, the famous Safari Park and a museum of stuffed animals. After the death of Tito, the islands gradually lost their role as a government residence and again turned into a wonderful vacation spot for everyone who wants to have a good time.

Cost of excursions to Brijuni National Park

Active holidays in Brijuni

Brijuni still remain a famous luxury resort, which is comparable to the fashionable French Cote d'Azur. The service staff make every effort to make your stay on the island as interesting and enjoyable as possible. To services of tourists are offered 4 hotels and several villas... Here you can take long walks along the coast, swim in one of the cleanest places in the Adriatic, breathe in the aromas of lush Mediterranean vegetation. In these places, every vacationer can find a pleasant pastime for himself during the rest in accordance with his interests.

Exciting excursions await guests of the island, during which they can see the footprints of dinosaurs, learn about the life of coastal birds, and get to know the rich underwater world of Brijuni, see the ruins of ancient temples and thermae, see Roman villa in Bay of Verige, Castrum(I-II century BC), Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary(VI century).

Those who love our smaller brothers, not in words, but in deeds, have the opportunity to take an active part in their life on the territory of the reserve:

• Friends of birds will be able to become members of a team that determines and controls the number of birds on the island, studies them in natural conditions.
• Lovers of tetrapods will be given the opportunity to admire wild animals up close, in the process of feeding them, which is absolutely safe and usually does not cause unnecessary excitement to either the animals or those who care for them.
• Avid photographers will have a rare chance to take close-ups of unique shots on memory of the moments spent in communication with animals in the bosom of the wild.
• Horse lovers, with the help of professional grooms, will be able to take part in the morning care of these beautiful and noble animals (cleaning, feeding), and at the same time learn more about their needs, preferences and habits.
• Cleanliness and environmentalists can join the ECO team and share their daily concerns for the wonderful park and its inhabitants.

Those who strive for self-improvement and health promotion will be introduced to ancient Indian medicine - Ayurveda which includes massage, aromatherapy using natural oils, cleansing the body, yoga, meditation. All of these techniques contribute to the overall strengthening of the body, as well as stimulate the movement of blood and lymph, regulate the supply of nutrients to tissues, heat and relax muscles, regulate energy, and calm the body and mind.

Outdoor enthusiasts have the opportunity to play golf, tennis and polo, do archery or diving, rent a bike, electric car, boat or yacht... It all depends on interests, preferences and financial capabilities.

Whatever you do during holidays in Brijuni, the extraordinary beauty of nature and the wonderful microclimate of the islands will leave an unforgettable impression for a lifetime.

The first Croatian excursion was a trip to the Brijuni archipelago. Brijuni National Park is located on an archipelago of 14 islands off the western coast of the Istrian peninsula. The park is famous for its subtropical climate and the fact that it was the residence of the head of socialist Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito and his makeshift zoo. If you are interested in the history of Yugoslav socialism or love safari parks, then Brijuni is a must-see. You can also admire on it beautiful places archipelago and buildings of various historical eras. The places there are pretty pretentious.

It all started with gathering on a circular patch near the hotels of the turgorodok, where all the excursion buses came. We sit down on our bus, which takes us to Porec.


We go through the embankment of Porec to our ship, which will take us to the Brijuni archipelago.


The island of St. Nicholas is seen in the distance. There are only a few hotels on it; it is unpopular with our tourists. There is a free boat from the island to the pier in the city.


When selling excursions, the travel agency cheated a little that "we never transfer our excursionists to another office, we only have our own excursions." In fact, it did, but it did not cancel the good quality of the excursions.


For a trip to Brijuni, one large liner was ordered, where, in addition to representatives of the CIS, there were Germans, British, Italians, Croats ...
Our boat was named Dora.


We hammered the ship quite significantly and sailed to Brijuni. On the way, we dropped in to the town of Rovinj, where the ship was hammered to capacity. Many people blew up to photograph the city of Rovinj from the ship, but I didn’t - I had an excursion here in the future.

About an hour on the way and we arrive at Brijuni. Pier and waiting for the local guide.


The embankment is very beautiful. Local hotels are visible. They say that it is very expensive to rest here and that only "ilita", including those from Europe, rest here. Brijuni is not inferior to various famous French and Italian health resorts.

We immediately study the map of the island located nearby.

Our guide comes - an elderly woman who speaks Russian with a big accent. Our first stop with her is the museum of Joseph Broz Tito, the Yugoslav socialist leader.

The main exhibits of the museum are memorable photographs from the life of the marshal. He was very fond of taking photographs, and representatives of the authorities of many world powers visited him. Also, the photographs capture the hobbies and interests of Tito, his life and activities here in Brijuni.

From the "barrel with a door" one could get into the chief's wine cellar.

Tito loved to hunt.

Take pictures.

Collected animals. The elephant in the photo is a gift from Gandhi.

Soviet guests.

In the large hall there are plaques with images of the flags of the countries with which Yugoslavia maintained diplomatic relations (read who was a guest here on Brijuni).

Apparently it is on the map.

Some of the animals donated to the marshal have already died due to their short life cycle. They were stuffed and put on display in the Tito Museum in the last exhibition. I don't like stuffed animals.

Finally we leave the museum in the air, waiting for the next train. We still have time. While he is gone, we are considering all sorts of sculptures there.

We also go to a small Catholic church.

The walls are painted with rough quality frescoes on the theme of life, death, the last judgment, mortal sins, etc.

We leave and finally wait for the locomotive that will take us on the safari. Yes, yes, the island is home to many animals donated to Marshal Tito. Including antelopes, horses, donkeys, goats, llamas, zebras and even one female elephant. We went to see all of them as the next item on our program. Feel like you are in Africa.

On the way we see golf courses. Visitors to the islands love to play it.

So they reached the elephant. The elephant is tired and hides behind a fence, so the photos are not very successful.


Initially, two elephants were presented to Marshal Tito from Gandhi - an elephant and an elephant. The elephant at the age of 42 has already died, the elephant is living out her days alone. On the plate there are donations from various organizations and people to maintain the conditions for the elephants - feeding, caring, etc.

We are getting ready to board the locomotive, we have 3-5 minutes to visit the local kiosk.
But it's not enough for me, while the tourists are eating ice cream, I burst into the center of the safari park to take more photos of zebras, horses and other animals.

The tourists finished their ice cream, I ran back, we were going from the center of the island to the embankment. Judging by the map, somewhere there is also a botanical garden with many unique plants. But as part of the excursion, there was not enough time for it.

But the tennis court is visible from the window.

Some kind of ancient houses.


During the Roman Empire, the local nobility also rested here. The ruins testify.

On the way, the last stop is a century-old olive tree.

While tourists are taking pictures in front of it, olive oil and all sorts of tinctures are pushed in a tent nearby.

We walk along the path to the embankment on foot, past some kind of medieval house ala villa.

A formidable monument.

We had a little more than an hour free time before the ship left (I can't remember now). In any case, they would not have had time to walk or get to the botanical garden, so we went to explore the beauty of the embankment and then to the beach near the embankment.


The climate in Brijuni is subtropical, so even palm trees are in bulk here.

We got to the shop. Nothing interesting.

There are simply gorgeous views from the beach.

We sat there almost all the remaining time by the sea.

Villa for the most affluent. A view of the sea and a piece of Paradise on Earth.

We came across a marshal's garage. The leader of Yugoslavia rode in a bourgeois Cadillac. Actually, here it is.

We returned to the pier, and there Dora is already sailing. Loaded and home to Porec. On the way to Porec, they photographed their own hotel and the chapel above it.

In Porec, through the afternoon heat, we make our way along the embankment to the bus station, where a bus is waiting for the hotels.


Of course, one could have lunch somewhere in the town and then take a small train to the hotel, but there was no longer any strength. The bus is so the bus.

We turn from the heat to the narrow streets of Poreč.

On the way, I quickly take pictures of local stalls with funny pictures.

White kote mimimi.

Next bus and hotel. Sleep and an afternoon stroll around the area. There were still a few days before the next excursion, so we decided to go to Porec itself and go through it in more detail.
Keep for updates.

To the north of Pula lies Brioni (Brioni in Italian), a small archipelago of fourteen islets that once served as Tito's personal residence. The area was then declared a national park and opened to tourists in 1983. Visitors are still allowed on only two islands: Veli Brijuni and Mali Brijuni, and under strict control. You can visit the archipelago as part of a tourist group - a tourist train goes to the island of Veli Brijuni - or in one of the expensive hotels on Veli Brijuni. In the latter case, you can freely walk around part of the island on your own, without a guide.

Most visitors arrive at the archipelago through the small fishing town of Fažana, which is 8 kilometers northwest of Pula. From the city you can get there by bus number 18. The office of the Brijuni National Park is located on the main port square of Fažany (July and August daily 8: 00-22: 00, June and September daily 8: 00-20: 00; from October to April Monday -Saturday 8: 00-15: 00).

The office sells tickets for day trips to the largest island and organizes the delivery of travelers to hotels. Fažana Tourism Office (Riva 2; June-August daily 8: 00-22: 00; May-September Monday-Friday 8: 00-15: 00) provides information, maps and brochures, and the Stefani Trade Agency (Zupni trg 3; from mid-June to mid-September daily 8: 30-11: 00) rents private rooms and apartments on the mainland. The Tito festival is held in Fažana.

This comic event is timed to May 25, that is, to the official birthday of the leader. The festival includes concerts of folk music, performances of brass bands and processions local residents dressed up in pioneer costumes. Tito in Istria is honored not so much for his participation in the creation of the Yugoslav state, as for the fact that he brought the peninsula out of power.

How to get to the Brijuni islands

From May to mid-October, there are about eight excursions from Fažana every day. In the rest of the months, with the exception of January, there is one per day. The guides are closed in January. The walk takes 4 hours. Prices depend on the season: in July and August - 180 HRK, in June and September - 170 HRK, in April, May and October - 150 HRK, and in February, March, November and December - 100 HRK. Tickets are sold at the office of the Brijuni National Park on the Fažana embankment. If you are staying in Istria, in a hotel for tourist groups, then for a trip to Brijuni you will pay about 250 HRK.

This amount includes the cost of excursion services, travel expenses, and sometimes the price of lunch. They also conduct boat excursions to Brijuni (a ticket costs about 200-250 kuna), however, as part of such a trip, the route for exploring the national park is shortened. If you want to stay on the islands, you should keep in mind that prices in local hotels are deliberately overpriced in order to maintain the aura of “exclusivity”. Neptun-Istra is a standard three-star hotel. Rooms with TV, minibar and bathroom. Hotel Karmen is slightly better, but in general it offers almost the same.

If you really want luxury, then rent one of the stylish antique villas. They can be booked through the National Park office in Fažana. The villas are located on the beach, in secluded areas on the south side of Veli Brijuni. Primorka (1200/8800 kuna per day) is designed for eight people, Dubravka (600/4400 kuna per day) - for four, and Lovorka (600/4400 kuna per day) - for five. The most aristocratic of these villas is Lovorka. In the period between the two wars, the Duke of Spoleto loved to relax and play polo here.

If you are staying on the island, it is convenient to get around by renting a golf cart (500 kuna / 5 hours) or a bicycle (100 kuna per day) at the sports center next to the Neptun-Istra hotel. North of the hotels is a 22-hole golf course. It is eco-friendly to minimize watering and pesticide treatments. Deer eat up the grass, so the lawn hardly needs to be mowed. You can pay for the use of the playground and rent equipment at the sports center. The island has café-restaurants Neptun-Istra and Karmen.

Veli Brijuni island in Croatia

A tourist boat from Fažana in fifteen minutes crosses the Gulf of Brioni and arrives at the Kupelweiser hotel complex on the east coast of Veli Brijuni. From there, a miniature train with a guide heads north to the safari park, which is located at the northern tip of the island. In this park, Tito settled exotic animals, which were presented to him by the leaders of other countries. The elephants Sonny and Lanka, donated by Indira Gandhi in 1975, are still happy to pose for photographers. You can also see zebras, antelopes and native longhorn cows (boskarin) brought from the hinterland.

The train then continues along the west coast of the island to White Villa and other official residences, including Villa Jadranka, where Queen Elizabeth II and Gina Lollobrigida were guests. The train stops at the southwest corner of the island for passengers to explore the ruins of a Byzantine fortress. Its dark gray walls contrast sharply with the surrounding green paradise it was built to protect. The train then returns to the hotel complex, passing the remains of a 1st century Roman villa in Veriga Bay.

At the end of the tour, before returning to the mainland, sightseers can visit several more locals located near the hotel complex. The most important of them is the 15th century Gothic church, restored by Kupelweiser before the First World War and inaugurated by Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Nearby, in the exhibition hall, the exposition "Tito na Brijunima" ("Tito na Brijunima"; in July and August, daily 8: 00-20: 00; in June and September, daily 8: 00-19: 00; in May and October daily 8: 00-18: 00; for tourists arriving on the excursion by boat, admission is free).

On the ground floor, there are stuffed animals donated to the Yugoslav leader by high-ranking foreign guests. Animals were stuffed after death. Particularly touching are the four seven-week-old giraffes that died from salmonellosis shortly after arriving from Africa. On the second floor, there is a wonderful exhibition of photographic documents that reveal Tito's personality from various angles. One photo shows the Yugoslav leader talking to the fishermen Fažana, and the next one shows him exchanging jokes with his guest artists: Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Richard Burton played the role of Tito in the epic war film Sutjeska (1970). Pay attention to the funny photo where Tito drives Ho Chi Minh on a motor boat. For some reason, both leaders put on their vulgar panamas, and the expression on the face of the Vietnamese leader shows that he likes what is happening much less than the marshal himself. Opposite the exhibition building, on the lawn, there is an aviary that serves as a "summer apartment" for one of Tito's favorite pets, the white parrot Koki. Koki still likes to repeat the banal phrases that his owner taught him. It is strange to think that the voice of the Yugoslavian leader still lives in the beak of a feathered pet.

In contact with

The Brijuni National Park in Croatia is the most recommended destination for visiting with children. This archipelago of 14 islands opened to tourists in 1983. Vacationers have access only to the two largest islands of the sea constellation Brijuni - Mali Briun and Veli Briun. But here, guests always have something to entertain themselves and their little companions.

The essence of this fascinating excursion is as follows: tourists with children arrive on the island, get into a small train that takes them to the most interesting places in the reserve. So, you will visit a safari park, where you will introduce your young travelers to various animals (antelopes, horses, donkeys, llamas, goats, zebras, elephants), you will stop by an ancient Roman villa to view interesting exhibits in the local archaeological museum. In addition, tourists are allowed to swim in the Brijuni park - the islands of the archipelago have a transparent sea and pristine beaches.

Walks on the Brijuni Islands give incomparable pleasure: incredibly beautiful landscapes, exotic fauna in the local zoo, lush flora, cultural and historical monuments that will be of interest to admirers of antiquity - all this makes up the wealth of the Croatian national park.

Lush vegetation is the highlight of the Brijuni Islands. On Veli-Briun, it was possible to achieve an incredible symbiosis of natural beauty and miracles created by human hands. People here had to work seriously - to cut down a large number of wild bushes, drain swamps, plant empty lands with beautiful plants. Thanks to their talent and hard work, the Brijuni reserve today appears before guests in all its splendor.

It is important to note that the park is only a few kilometers away from Pula, so we recommend an excursion to the reserve, first of all, for those who are vacationing in Istria. However, a trip from distant regions is also not a problem - any hotel on Veli Briun is ready to shelter guests of the island for any number of days.

By the way, Veli-Briun is famous not only for its beautiful nature, but also for the fact that it once became a haven for a great man. The Yugoslav leader himself, Joseph Broz Tito, had a residence here. Tito spent almost half of his life on Veli Briun. It was here that his numerous guests brought animals from all over the world, so after several decades, tourists have the opportunity to visit the unique museum of stuffed animals. Giraffes, lions, monkeys, tigers, hares and many other representatives of the fauna are presented to the attention of the museum's guests. Coming here, you can also visit two photo exhibitions taking place in the same building. One of the exhibitions is dedicated to Tito's life on the island and his guests. There are many famous political figures of the second half of the 20th century among them.

Don't forget to stroll through the ruins of an ancient Roman city dating back to the second century BC. You will be able to acquaint your children with a large number of curious artifacts, among which the sealed containers for collecting rainwater are especially interesting.

The island's quarry is another very interesting place archipelago. While mining the stone, the ancient people carved out a large corridor with high walls in the ground. A walk along it promises to be unusual and memorable. I would like to note that all architectural structures in the park were built from the same stone quarried. The only exception is the White Villa, which today is the current residence of the President of Yugoslavia.

Not far from - the tourist, economic and transport center of Istria with many famous, one of which is the impressive ancient Roman Amphitheater, is National Natural Park - Brijuni Islands, to which you can swim along the Fazhansky channel.

Here, between Pula and Rovinj, there are 14 islands in an area of ​​only seven square kilometers. Nature here, with the help of man, created a real paradise, which at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries attracted the attention of one of its owners, Paul Kupelweiser.

When, being the director of a metallurgical plant and a renowned specialist in the field of metallurgy, Kupelweiser bought Brijuni, he did not think that this acquisition would completely take his attention and change his life.

Planning to make something like a family summer house here, this fifty-year-old son of the famous Viennese artist and lithographer Leopold Kupelweiser decided to leave the metallurgical business and devote himself to the islands, which richly thanked him for such a sacrifice.

Brijuni became fashionable European resort and the most popular holiday destination for the European elite.

Brijuni has a rich history. The oldest settlement of the late Stone Age is located on the coast in the Javorika Bay. Fortified settlements appeared under Indo-European influence. From the village of Gradine, from the Bronze Age, once surrounded by three rows of fortified walls, the entrance to the second row of walls and the necropolis located on a plateau between the second and third rows of walls have survived to this day.

With the arrival of the Romans, a number of rustic villas and industrial facilities for the production of oil and wine were built on the islands. The complex of buildings for various purposes: temples, terraces, baths, a reservoir for keeping fresh fish were connected by a system of covered and open passages into one whole, and the length of the object was one kilometer.

The most historically multi-layered site is located on the west coast of the island. Goths, Franks and Croats left traces of their presence here. The last traces belong to the Venetians. Here are the ruins of a fortress from the 2nd - 1st century BC. XV - XVI centuries A.D. There is also the Church of St. Mary from the 5th - 6th centuries AD. There was a Benedictine monastery near the church, which the monks left after the first cases of plague on the island appeared in 1312.

During the times of Austria-Hungary, numerous civil and military facilities were built on the island. The construction of a complex of hotels and hospitals by Paul Kupelweiserm marked the beginning of the active development of the island. In 1902, reinforced concrete was used for the first time on the island, and ten years later a pool with heated sea water was built. Thanks to the efforts of Paul Kupelweiser, the Brijuni bogs have become an elite resting place for the European and world elite. Microbiologist Robert Koch was invited to fight malaria mosquitoes.

A luxurious resort was built on Briuny, which included several hotels, many beaches, and a magnificent park. Later, a hippodrome, a golf course, tennis courts and much more appeared.

Sailing regattas were held regularly. In 1918, after the First World War, the islands were taken over by Italy. Paul Kupelweiser's heir, his son Karl Kupelweiser, tried to save the resort, but after the economic crisis that followed Black Friday, he went bankrupt and committed suicide.

In 1930, the islands became state property of Italy.

The second half of the 20th century was marked by the state and political activities of Joseph Broz Tito, who often lived in one of the three resident villas on the island. More than 100 leaders of countries have visited Briuns, as well as many artists and stars, for example, Gina Lollobrigida, Elizabeth Taylor, Carlo Ponti, Sophia Loren and others.

Numerous fossilized dinosaur footprints are a geological and paleontological monument on Briuny.

In 1983, Brijuni was declared a national park of Yugoslavia.

Here on Briuny you will find a pleasant coolness in the shade of various evergreens. Or stop amazed at about century old olives. After all, they deserve it: for centuries they have withstood various adversities. And we are sure that here you will find your oasis of sleep and peace, which, as you thought, exists only in films and in the lives of holders of large bank accounts. You are mistaken: tomorrow all this can become your reality!

Safari Park Brijuni

Back in 1911, Paul Kupelweiser and Karl Hagenbeck, the owner of the zoo in Stellengen near Hamburg, founded an unusually beautiful and very high-quality zoo, primarily aimed at acclimatizing animals from tropical areas, for their further transfer to zoos in Europe.

Nowadays, herds of deer, mouflons, squirrels and hares gallop freely through the oak forests of Briun and picturesque fields, numerous flocks of birds nest in this hospitable area. The fenced area of ​​the safari park, with an area of ​​about 9 hectares, is home to about 50 descendants of animals donated by numerous foreign delegations to Joseph Broz Tito - Indian elephants, zebras, antelopes, llamas, camel, Somali sheep, Indian holy cows.

A pair of elephants Sonya and Lanka - a gift from Indira Gandhi to Brijuni park.

Video about Brijuni Park:

This page uses photos from www.brijuni.hr

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