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Aerial view of Brijuni Islands. Picture By Ex13.

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Brijuni Islands

The Brijuni Islands (also known as the Brionian Islands; same as Italian: Brioni) are a group of fourteen small islands in the northern Adriatic Sea in Croatia, separated from the west coast of the Istrian peninsula by the short Faana Strait.

Veliki Brijun Island (5.6 km2) is the largest and is located 2 kilometers (1 mile) off the coast. Mali Brijun, is the second largest island, with an area of 1.07 km2 and twelve smaller islets.

The islands are a holiday resort and a Croatian National Park known for their beautiful beauty. The islands rose to international prominence in 1956, when the principal leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement convened with the host, Yugoslav President Tito, to produce the Brioni Declaration, which served as the foundation for the movement’s objectives.

The 1991 Brioni Agreement was another event that occurred on the islands. Interesting facts about the Islands are discussed in this article;

1. On the Brijuni there are several archaeological and cultural sites

Dinosaur footprints in Brujuni Islands. Picture By KatarinaBF.

Over 200 dinosaur footprints dating back to the Cretaceous Period have been discovered in four locations on Veliki Brijun Island, giving rise to the park’s name, Brijuni Cretaceous Park.

There are other archeological sites worth visiting as well. The Knights Templar constructed St. Mary’s Church in the 13th century AD.

There are also the remnants of two ancient Roman villas from the 2nd century BC, as well as the foundations of a Byzantine fort. The final surviving structure is a hill-fort, which shows a Bronze Age presence on the island from the 14th century BC.

There are additional exhibitions of natural history and art, as well as archaeological collections.

2. The Island has a park with autochthonous animal species

zebras in the safari park Brijuni Islands. By Silverije.

Because of the millennial presence of humanity on the Brijuni archipelago, the animal world on the islands, particularly Veliki Brijun, has been enhanced by numerous imported species that are not suited to this habitat but have adjusted to it due to the almost optimal microclimatic conditions.

An ethno park is a section of the Safari park that depicts a typical Istrian farmstead with its indigenous animal species. Istrian ox (Aurochs descendent), Istrian sheep, donkeys, and goats It is intended to serve as both a habitat and a showcase for Istria’s domestic animals.

Furthermore, chital deer, fallow deer, and mouflons were imported to Veliki Brijun Island in the early twentieth century. Their numbers grew in the ensuing decades, and they can now be seen freely roaming the island.

3. The Island initially had the Roman settlement

The Brijuni Islands had some Ancient Roman towns, but up until the late 19th century. The islands were primarily used for their quarries, which had been worked on for generations.

The islands belonged to Venice since the Middle Ages, and stone from the islands was used to create the city’s palaces and bridges. After Napoleon’s brief occupation, the islands became part of the Illyrian Provinces.

In 1815, the islands became a part of the Austrian Empire, which eventually became Austria-Hungary. During this time, the islands’ quarries initially provided the stone to Vienna and Berlin.

With the establishment of a naval station in Pula’s harbor, the Austrians constructed a substantial castle, “Fort Tegetthoff,” on Veliki Brijun Island, as well as lesser fortifications on other islands.

4. Robert Koch conducted malaria eradication on the Island

Robert Koch. Picture Courtesy of public domain.

The Austro-Hungarian Navy abandoned the stronghold, and in 1894, Viennese business magnate Paul Kupelwieser purchased the entire archipelago and developed it into an exclusive beach resort. Kupelwieser asked famous microbiologist Robert Koch to conduct malaria eradication trials in Brijuni in 1900. Koch and his colleagues were successful, and the island was pronounced malaria-free in 1901.

5. The Brijuni islands became popular as a destination for the Viennese upper class 

The estate was expanded with first-rate hotels, restaurants, beach resorts, a casino, and a yacht harbor. It became a social hub on the Austrian Riviera. Kupelwieser also established a sailing regatta, a golf course, and, as Austrian culture flourished, a variety of musical concerts and literary activities.

The Brijuni islands became a popular resort for the Viennese upper class, and members of the Imperial family as well as other wealthy European bourgeois and aristocrats visited.

During World War I, the Austro-Hungarian navy maintained a submarine facility here.

6. Bishop Marshal Josip made Brijuni Islands his personal State Summer Residence

Josip Broz Tito. Picture By public domain.

After World War II, the Brijuni Islands became part of Yugoslavia, and President Marshal Josip Broz Tito made them his personal State Summer Residence.

Tito’s pavilion was designed by Slovenian architect Joe Plenik. Almost 100 international heads of state, as well as film stars such as Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Carlo Ponti, and Gina Lollobrigida, paid Tito a visit to his islands.

Tito died in 1980, and by 1983, the islands had been designated as a Yugoslav National Park. President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India, and President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia met here in mid-July 1956 to discuss their resistance to the Cold War. These ideals eventually coalesced into the Non-Aligned Movement.  

7. Brijuni Islands was an International Conference Center after Croatia gained Independence

Croatia won independence in 1991, and the Brijuni Islands were designated as an International Conference Center (see Brioni Agreement). On Veliki Brijun Island, four hotels were reopened, as well as a Safari Park, which houses animals gifted to Tito, such as Sony and Lanka, two Indian elephants provided by Indira Gandhi. Sony, who was given to Tito as a two-year-old calf in 1970, died in 2010. The International Brijuni Polo Tournament has been held since 2004 and dates back to Karl Kupelwieser’s Austro-Italian Brijuni in 1924.

8. Flora on Brijuni islands has the typical Mediterranean characteristics

Most of the flora on the archipelago of the Brijuni islands has typical Mediterranean characteristics. On Veliki Brijun Island there are over 600 indigenous plant species. Cedars, bamboo, and the pyramidal yew have adapted here, while the dwarf spruce thrives on Vanga.

Tito also received a lot of exotic plants from foreign statesmen. Veliki Brijun Island’s most important plant associations are Maquis shrubland, Holm Oak and Laurel forest, and Conifers, which are very characteristic of the region.

It is worth noting that several plant species on the islands are among the endangered plant species of Istria (marine poppy, wild cucumber, some grass species, etc.), yet they are relatively widespread and develop freely.

9. It is home to a variety of exotic animals

There is also a Safari Park on the island. It is home to a variety of exotic animals that were given to the park as presents by diplomatic relations. The nilgai, zebu, and Asian elephant came from India, the plains zebra and mountain zebra came from Guinea, and the waterbuck arrived from Ethiopia.

10. Brijuni became part of the State of Italy after world war I

Brijuni became part of Italy following World War I in 1918. Karl Kupelwieser, the estate’s founder’s son, attempted to restore the estate’s previous splendor, but the estate became bankrupt following the 1929 Wall Street Crash, and Karl committed suicide. Due to bankruptcy, the Italian government took control of the islands in 1930, and they remained part of Italy until the capitulation in 1943.