National park Brijuni

The islands are partly covered by rich Holm oak forests that were near the end of 19^th century deforested for the purpose of creating a park for at that time famous summer resort. In mid 20^th century fallow deer, axis deer and mouflon were introduced to the archipelago and today they are freely roaming and grazing the extensive grasslands or resting in the shadow of ancient Holm oaks. In addition to these and other introduced species, the Park’s area is also inhabited by autochthonous animals, among which birds are the most prominent group. The island Veli Brijun hosts one of the oldest olive trees in the Mediterranean, planted in the 4^th century, which even today bears fruit and as a witness of ancient past attracts many tourists. The waters of Brijuni, comprising almost 80% of the Park’s surface, retained their original beauty and value due to established protection and it is a habitat of numerous marine organisms typical for communities of the northern Adriatic.

The area of the National Park Brijuni hosts around a hundred sites and structures of archaeological and cultural-historical value. It is worth to mention footprints of the dinosaur Igvanodon on cape Ploče and Barban peninsula telling the life story of these reptiles in our region.

www.brijuni.hr