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Brijuni National Park Croatia. Croatia

Population The Brijuni archipelago in Croatia is staffed by the park and hotel.

When to go: May - September.

How to get there: By ferry from Fazana, a town on the Istrian coast, to Veliki Briona. You can get to Fasana by plane from Venice, Trieste or Pula. From Venice there are sea/bus services to Fasana, and from Trieste and Pula there are buses. Fazana is located only 8 km from Pula.
Things to do: Gradina Hill - a prehistoric settlement. Verigskaya Harbor is a Roman palace, an outstanding example of Roman architecture. Church of St. Germain from the 15th century with frescoes. Dobrik Bey is a Byzantine settlement with a 5th-century basilica and a 6th-century church. Mali Brion - 19th century fortification. Travel around the island of Veliki Brion by tourist train.
Important: Tito received famous guests on the islands, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Fidel Castro.

Brijuni Archipelago It was once a place of exile, then it became an aristocratic resort, and during the time of Broz Tito it became a national park. These are tiny islands with beautiful green forests inhabited by wild animals, picturesque meadows, Omsk ruins, and all around - blue Adriatic Sea.
Brijuni is an archipelago of 2 islands and 12 islets with an area of only 42 square meters. km lies 3 km west of the Istrian peninsula. These islands of Croatia are composed of white limestone with amazingly fertile soil and red clay. The shores of the islands are indented, and the surrounding waters are a protected area, rich in sponges and crustaceans, as well as all kinds of fish and even turtles and dolphins.

Veliki Brion And Mali Brion have been inhabited since prehistoric times, there are preserved monuments from Roman and Byzantine times. For centuries, the islanders suffered from pirate raids and wars, but it was a malaria epidemic that almost completely survived the population. In 1893, Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelweiser purchased the islands with the goal of turning them into a vacation spot for European nobility. He drained the stinking swamps where mosquitoes lived, brought in exotic tropical plants and thinned out the thickets of Veliki Brion, turning the area into a park area. After World War II, Marshal Tito expropriated the islands. He was building a safari park here and made it clear to arriving guests that he expected gifts from them - animals for his collection. This is how zebras, camels, elephants, ostriches and deer appeared here, which still roam freely around the islands.

With a curious history, stunning surroundings and exotic wildlife, this is the most unusual and... romantic place The Khorzati coastline is not to be missed.

North of Pula lies Brioni (Italian: Brioni), 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 only allowed on two islands: Veli Brioni and Mali Brioni, and under strict control. You can visit the archipelago as part of a tourist group - there is a tourist train to the island of Veli Brijuni - or in one of the expensive hotels on Veli Brioni. In the latter case, you will be able to freely walk around part of the island on your own, without a guide.

Most visitors arrive to the archipelago through the small fishing town of Fažana, which lies 8 kilometers northwest of Pula. From the city you can get there by bus number 18. The Brijuni National Park office 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; October to April Monday -Saturday 8:00-15:00).

The office sells tickets for day trips around the city. big island and transportation of travelers to hotels is organized. Fažani Tourist Office (Riva 2; from June to August daily 8:00-22:00; from May to 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 out private rooms and apartments on the mainland. The Tito Festival is held in Fažana.

This comic event is timed to coincide with May 25, that is, the official birthday of the leader. The festival includes folk music concerts, performances by brass bands and processions. local residents dressed in pioneer costumes. Tito in Istria is revered not so much for his participation in the creation of the Yugoslav state, but 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 daily from Fažana. In the remaining months, with the exception of January, there is one per day. Tour guides do not work in January. The walk takes 4 hours. Prices depend on the season: in July and August - 180 kn, in June and September - 170 kn, in April, May and October - 150 kn, and in February, March, November and December - 100 kn. Tickets are sold at the Brijuni National Park office on Fažana promenade. If you are staying in Istria, in a hotel for tourist groups, then you will pay about 250 kuna for a trip to Brijuni.

This amount includes the cost of excursion services, transportation costs, and sometimes the price of lunch. They also conduct boat excursions to Brijuni (a ticket costs about 200-250 kunas), however, as part of such a trip, the route to explore 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 inflated to maintain an aura of “exclusivity”. Neptun-Istra is a standard three-star hotel. Rooms with TV, minibar and bath. Hotel Karmen is a little better, but generally offers almost the same thing.

If you really want luxury, then rent one of the stylish old villas. They can be booked through the national park office in Fažana. The villas are located on the beach, in secluded places on the south side of Veli Brioni. 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. During 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 the area by renting a golf cart (500 kn/5 hours) or a bicycle (100 kn per day) from sports center next to the Neptun-Istra hotel. There is a 22-hole golf course to the north of the hotels. It is created according to ecological principles to minimize watering and pesticide treatment. The grass is eaten by deer, so there is little need to mow the lawn. You can pay for using the playground and rent equipment at the sports center. There are cafe-restaurants Neptun-Istra and Karmen on the island.

Veli Brijuni island in Croatia

A tourist boat from Fažana crosses the Gulf of Brion in fifteen minutes and arrives at the Kupelweiser hotel complex on east coast Veli Brioni. 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 that were presented to him as gifts by the leaders of other countries. The elephants Sonny and Lanka, gifted by Indira Gandhi in 1975, still enjoy posing for photographers. You can also see zebras, antelopes and local long-horned cows (boskarin) brought from the interior.

The train then continues along west coast islands to the White Villa and other official residences, including the Villa Jadranka, where Queen Elizabeth II and Gina Lollobrigida were guests. The train stops at the southwest corner of the island to allow passengers to explore the ruins of a Byzantine fortress. Its bleak gray walls stand in stark contrast to 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, tourists can visit several more local ones located near 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, there is an exhibition “Tito na Brijunima”; in July and August every day 8:00-20:00; in June and September every day 8:00-19:00; in May and October daily 8:00-18:00; for tourists arriving on an excursion by boat, admission is free).

On the ground floor are stuffed animals presented to the Yugoslav leader by high-ranking foreign guests. Animals were stuffed after death. Particularly poignant are the four seven-week-old giraffes who died of 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 photograph shows the Yugoslav leader talking to the fishermen of Fažana, and the next shows him exchanging jokes with his artistic guests: 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 gives Ho Chi Minh a ride on a motorboat. For some reason, both leaders were wearing vulgar Panama hats, and the expression on the face of the Vietnamese leader shows that he likes what is happening much less than the marshal himself. On the lawn opposite the exhibition building there is an aviary that serves as a “summer apartment” for one of Tito’s favorite pets, the white parrot Koki. Koki still loves to repeat the banal phrases that his owner taught him. It’s strange to think that the voice of the Yugoslav leader still lives in the beak of a feathered pet.

In contact with

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 housed 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 it beautiful places archipelago and buildings of different historical eras. The places there are quite pretentious.

It all started with a gathering in a circular area near the hotels of the tourist town, where everyone came sightseeing buses. We get on our bus, which takes us to Porec.

We walk across the Porec embankment to our ship, which will take us to the Brijuni archipelago.

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

The travel agency, when selling excursions, lied a little: “we never transfer our excursionists to another office, we only have all our own excursions.” In fact, she did, but this did not cancel the good quality of the excursions.

One was ordered for the trip to Brioni big airliner, where, in addition to representatives of the CIS, there were Germans, British, Italians, Croats...
Our boat was named Dora.

They clogged the ship quite significantly and sailed towards Brioni. On the way, we stopped by the city of Rovinj, where the ship was packed to capacity. Many were blown 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 road and we arrive at Brijuni. The pier and waiting for the local guide.

The embankment is very beautiful. Local hotels are visible. They say that it is very expensive to relax here and that only “ilitas” vacation here, including those from Europe. Brioni is not inferior to various famous French and Italian health resorts.

We immediately study the map of the island located nearby.

Our guide arrives - an elderly woman who speaks Russian with a strong accent. Our first stop was the Joseph Broz Tito Museum, 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 he was visited by representatives of the authorities of many world powers. The photographs also capture Tito’s hobbies and interests, his life and activities here in Brijuni.

From the “barrel with a door” one could get into the leader’s wine cellar.

Tito loved to hunt.

Photograph.

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

Soviet guests.

In the large hall hang plaques with images of the flags of countries with which Yugoslavia maintained diplomatic relations (read who stayed here on Brijuni).

Apparently it's the same on the map.

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

Finally we leave the museum for some air and wait for the next train. We still have time. While he’s gone, we’re looking at 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 go out and finally wait for the locomotive that will take us to the safari. Yes, yes, there are many animals on the island that were given to Marshal Tito. Including antelopes, horses, donkeys, goats, llamas, zebras and even one elephant. We went to see all of them as the next item on our program. Feel like you're in Africa.

Along the way we see golf courses. Guests of the islands love to play it.

Now we’ve reached the elephant. The elephant is tired and hiding behind the fence, so the photos didn’t turn out very well.

Initially, Gandhi gave Marshal Tito two elephants - an elephant and a female elephant. The elephant at the age of 42 has already died, the female elephant lives out her days alone. On the sign are donations from various organizations and people to maintain conditions for elephants - feeding, care, etc.

As we prepare to board the locomotive, we have 3-5 minutes to visit the local kiosk.
But it’s not enough for me, while tourists eat ice cream, I rush to the center of the safari park to make more photos zebras, horses and other animals.

The tourists finished their ice cream, I ran back, we were driving from the center of the island to the embankment. Judging by the map, somewhere else here Botanical Garden with many unique plants. But there was not enough time for it during the excursion.

But you can see the tennis court from the window.

Some ancient houses.

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

Along 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 infusions are being pushed into everyone in a tent nearby.

We walk along the way to the embankment, past some medieval house ala villa.

A formidable monument.

We had a little more than an hour of free time before the ship departed (I don’t even remember now). In any case, we wouldn’t have 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 on Brijuni is subtropical, so there are even palm trees here in bulk.

We reached the shop. Nothing interesting.

The views from the beach are simply stunning.

We sat there for almost the rest of the time near the sea.

Villa for the wealthiest. View of the sea and a piece of Heaven on Earth.

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

We returned to the pier, and Dora was already swimming up there. We loaded up and went home to Porec. On the way to Porec we photographed our little 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 to the hotels awaits.

Of course, we could have had lunch somewhere in the town and then taken a train to the hotel, but we no longer had the strength. A bus is a bus.

We turn away from the heat and into the narrow streets of Porec.

Along the way, I quickly photograph local stalls with funny paintings.

White cat mimimi.

Next is the bus and the hotel. Bedtime and an afternoon walk 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.
Stay tuned.

Where and how to relax on the Brijuni islands in 2020. Sights and entertainment, accommodation and hotels on Brijuni. Photos, reviews, map, routes.

The Brijuni Islands are a real piece of paradise, hidden in the azure expanses of the Adriatic Sea. Majestic oaks, fragrant pines, delicate rosemary and olives create an atmosphere of natural harmony and incredible beauty on the islands. Luxurious hotels, expensive villas, and a huge number of beach activities guarantee tourists an elite class holiday.

How to get to Brijuni on your own

Brijuni National Park occupies almost the entire territory of the archipelago and is located off the coast of Croatian Istria. The most convenient way to get there is by ferry or boat from Pula (more precisely, the village of Fažana in its vicinity). There is a sea connection with Porec, but this is already quite a long journey. Boat trip, often organized by travel agencies.

Flights from Fažana are regular transport links. Read more about how to get from Fažana to Brijuni.

Brijuni Islands on the map of Croatia

Pay attention to how Fazana is positioned in relation to Bryony. The national park is separated from the village by a strait named after it. Its width is about 3 km.

History of the archipelago

Mankind's first acquaintance with the islands occurred in the Bronze Age several thousand years ago. For many centuries, the Celts, Romans, Illyrians, Ostrogoths and Byzantines fought for this beautiful natural area. In 1893, the islands came into the possession of Paul Kupelwieser. He began to develop the infrastructure of the islands and laid the foundation for their resort development.

The beauty and charm of the islands did not leave famous world personalities from different countries. At one time, many royals, statesmen and art stars preferred to spend their holidays in Brijuni.

Sights of the Brijuni archipelago

Archaeological excavations in national park Brioni

This Croatian archipelago has a lot to see and places to go during your free time. beach holiday time. The main attraction of the Brijuni Islands is the National Park of the same name, which unites 14 islands of the archipelago. Getting to know this Croatian park will turn into a real adventure for you, during which you have to unravel the secrets of the charm of this wonderful corner and its main secrets:

Safari Park will give you an exciting journey on a train, during which you can get acquainted with its exotic inhabitants.
Looking at ancient roman villa, you will be able to see archaeological finds found on the islands.
Walking through the park, you can enjoy its amazing natural beauty and even take a swim in the sea.
Museum of Stuffed Animals will introduce you to the animal world of our planet, and also tell you about the life of Joseph Broz Tito, who collected these unusual collections.
Ruins of an ancient Roman city in Brijuni National Park will allow you to travel back in time and touch mysterious artifacts.
Will give a lot of delightful emotions walk through the ancient quarry, stones from which are still used today for the construction of objects in the park.

Active holidays on the Brijuni islands

You can walk around this park endlessly, in every sense - it is huge!

Panoramic view of the quaint islands of Brijuni (Istria, Croatia)

The coastal waters are simply created for diving - picturesque coral reefs, colorful schools of fish and mysterious underwater grottoes. By renting a boat, you will go on an exciting journey around the islands. You can also challenge friends on the tennis court, hit a hole-in-one on the golf course, explore the area on horseback, or tour the park in an electric car.

To explore the length and breadth of Brijuni National Park, by God, it will take your entire vacation! Therefore, it would be a good idea to immediately book a hotel in the islands area.

Where to stay: accommodation and hotels in Brijuni

The Brijuni archipelago is often chosen as a holiday destination. There are wonderful hotels and villas there, the main advantages of which are privacy, closeness to nature and interesting leisure time. But since Brijuni is a National Park in Croatia, booking these hotels is not so easy. If you decide to stay on the archipelago, take a look at the official website - http://www.np-brijuni.hr.

But we would recommend that you book a hotel in Fazana, which is located on the mainland, and from where regular boats run to Brijuni at intervals of 1-1.5 hours. The village is very picturesque and is suitable for both have a relaxing holiday, and for excursions. The main advantages of Fažana are: low prices, sparsely populated areas and proximity to a popular National Park.

Look what nice hotels we found in Fažana:

Villa Nina 3*. Villa with private pool close to coastline. The hotel has 25 comfortable rooms with good views. The Brijuni Islands are 3.5 kilometers away. His page on booking.com.
Villa Nina 3* in Fažana (Pula, Istria)

At the request of the moderator, I share my impressions and photographs from a visit to the Josip Broz Tito Museum in Croatia.

I was able to visit the museum of the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito two years ago as part of an excursion to the islands of the Brijuni archipelago. Not that I went there specifically because of the museum, but the visit was definitely worth it. We learned a lot about Yugoslavia and its famous leader.

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 housed the residence of the head of socialist Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, and his makeshift zoo. Now there is also a Tito Museum there.

Excursion ships bring tourists to the central island of Great Brijuni. The museum was located very close to the embankment and was the first stop on the excursion program.

From the “barrel with a door” one could get into the leader’s wine cellar. Usually he did this - he made the guest guess how many bottles fit in this barrel. After the guests tried to guess and evaluate, he opened the door “to the barrel” and led the guests into a huge cellar, where there was many times more wine than could fit in it.

Tito loved to hunt.

Photograph.

He collected animals. The elephant in the photo is a gift from Gandhi. Many leaders gave him animals from their countries. Some of the animals still live on Brijuni.

Soviet guests.

With the Queen of England.

The guests here were not only politicians, but also people of culture and art, movie stars of those times.

In addition to photographs, we were able to capture few other exhibits. There were really few of them.
Drawings of the mega-yacht Galeb (aka "Seagull"). Now the ship is purchased by an American billionaire living in France. At one time, Tito visited many countries on his beloved "Chaika".

old map with roads of Greater Brijuni.

Microscope. Apparently, it was used by the leader for agro-industrial research.

In the large hall hang plaques with images of the flags of countries with which Yugoslavia maintained diplomatic relations (read who stayed here on Brijuni).

Apparently it's the same on the map.

After visiting the museum and all the stories from the guide, I developed a significant respect for the Yugoslav socialist leader, who was still almost unknown to me. True, I would like to see more exhibits here besides photographs, although in general they conveyed the atmosphere.

The leader's favorite Cadillac is now also located in Brioni.

In addition to the Tito Museum, on the island there is a mini-zoo that he inherited, ancient buildings from the time of the Roman Empire, a small Catholic church, and a botanical garden. There were a lot of impressions from visiting the island. If you are interested, you can see the full story about the trip to Brijuni