Veliki Brijun, Island in Brijuni National Park, Istria, Croatia
Veliki Brijun is the largest island of the Brijuni National Park off the Istrian coast of Croatia, featuring forests, open meadows, and a long, indented shoreline. The island combines Roman ruins, medieval fortifications, a safari park, and landscaped parkland all within a relatively compact area.
The island was already inhabited in Roman times, as shown by the remains of a large villa in the Verige bay. In the early 20th century, Austrian industrialist Paul Kupelwieser had the grounds reshaped, which gave the island much of its present park-like appearance.
Veliki Brijun is widely known as the former retreat of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito, who used the island to receive heads of state and foreign guests. The White Villa and the surrounding parkland still carry traces of that era and are open to visitors today.
The island is reached by boat from Fažana, with the crossing taking around 20 minutes. Comfortable shoes are a good idea since the paths can be long; bicycles are available to rent on the island to cover more ground.
An olive tree on the island is thought to have been planted in the 4th century and still produces fruit today. Not far from the harbor entrance, dinosaur footprints are visible in the rock, left by animals that walked here around 125 million years ago.
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