Brijuni- Croatian National Park

Description:

Brijuni are a group of fourteen small islands in the Croatian part of the northern Adriatic Sea, separated from the west coast of the Istrian peninsula by the narrow Fažana Strait. The islands have had very rich history stretching back to prehistoric times. At four sites on Veli Brijun, over 200 dinosaur footprints were discovered. These can be traced to the Cretaceous Period, from where Brijuni's Cretaceous Park gets its name.

There are also several archeological sites worth seeing. There is the 13th century AD St. Mary's Church which was built by the Knights Templar. There are also two ancient Roman villa remains, from the 2nd Century BC and remains of a Byzantine palace. The last remain is a hill-fort which indicates a Bronze Age settlement on the island dating back to 14th century BC. Brijuni National Park has many attractions to see, the most well know is Marshal Tito's (Former Yugoslav leader) summer residence and its exotic collection of animals.

The islands are famous for their imense collection of flora and fauna.The majority of the flora on the archipelago of Brijuni are typical Mediterranean species. The most important plant associations of Veliki Brijun are: Maquis shrubland, Holm Oak, and Laurel forest, and Conifers.

Besides the indigenous animals species, the island has been enriched over the years by many imported species which, thanks to the almost ideal microclimatic conditions, have flourished. So various exotic animals can be seen on islands today including:nilgai, zebu, asian elephants, plains zebra, waterbucks and many more.