1700 year old olive tree on Brijuni
Brioni Islands are a group of 14 islands, located in Istria, at the northwestern outskirts of Pula. This archipelago has a total area of 36 km² covered with magnificent trees, meadows and washed by the deep blue sea. The biggest island is called Veli Brijun/Brioni Grande and lies just 2 km off the coast. This is the only island open for public. All the other islands are not available for visits, as they are mainly private property. Apart from being a famous holiday resort, Brioni are also one of 8 Croatian National Parks.
Right after the World War I, Brioni were part of the state of Italy. In 1945 they became part of Yugoslavia and a beloved summer residence of President Tito, along with numerous great movie stars: Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton. The island is also home to various exotic animals, gifted to the park from diplomatic partners from Inida, Guinea and Ethiopia. They are all gathered in a spacious 9 hectares Safari Park – refreshment for all animal lovers. The island is a residence for over 600 indigenous plant species. The most interesting inhabitant is however a magnificent 1700-year-old Olive Tree. And as if this wasn’t enough: Over 200 dinosaur footprints dating from the Cretaceous Period have been found on this island! Worth mentioning are also important archeological findings – Bronze Age settlements, ancient Roman and Byzantine palace remains.
As you can see, Brioni are much more than noble hotels, wild parties, yachts and rich jet setters…