Brijuni was declared a national park on November 1, 1983. The Brijuni NP archipelago consists of 14 islands (Veliki Brijun, Mali Brijun, Sv. Jerolim, Kozada, Sv. Marko, Gaz, Obljak, Supin, Supinić. Galija, Grunj, Vanga, Pusti otok and Vrsar), islets and rocks. The history of the islands dates back to Roman times, and two more modern figures are key to the present-day look of Brijuni National Park: Paul Kupelwieser and Josip Broz Tito.

Paul Kupelwieser's influence on the Brijuni legacy

In 1893, Paul Kupelwieser became the first private owner of the Brijuni Islands, and he bought them during the malaria epidemic, which he managed to exterminate from the island with the help of the German scientist Robert Koch. Before his arrival on Brijuna, the islands were not arranged and cultivated. The situation changes after Kupelwieser's plan to turn the Brijuni area into a desirable European destination. After 20 years, 5 hotels were built on Brijuni, a swimming pool with heated sea water, rehabilitation was carried out and much more.

Kupelweiser's most famous legacy is the landscaped Mediterranean garden. It was created with the help of the Labin forester Alojz Čufar, and the garden used to be known as the first stylistically designed Mediterranean garden in Europe.

Josip Broz Tito in Brijuni

Josip Broz Tito, the president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, is certainly the most famous association next to Brijune National Park. He stayed here for almost 30 years (4-6 months a year). Brijuni was his official residence, which left a great cultural and historical mark on the islands. His favorite islands were Veliki Brijun and Vanga. Tito gathered people from different backgrounds in Brijuni - from politicians and kings to acting stars (e.g.

Elizabeth Taylor, Sofia Loren, Richard Burton, etc.). The last time he was in Brijuni was on August 29, 1979.

One of the biggest attractions – Safari park

The Safari Park on Veliko Brijun was founded in 1978, and Josip Broz Tito is responsible for its rich catalog of exotic animals. Numerous foreign statesmen gave Tito animals from Africa, India, South America and Europe. So in the park you can see steppe and mountain zebra, Indian cattle (or finch), llama, elephant Lanka, etc.

It is worth noting that exotic animals are no longer accepted at Brijuna. Today, the goal is to increase the number of autochthonous Istrian animals (Istrian cattle (Boškarin), Istrian sheep (Istarska Pramenka), donkeys, goats...), and they live in the Ethno Park, which is a representation of the Istrian rural economy.

The Minor fortress - once it was used for defense, today it is a cultural destination!

Velik Brijun is not the only island in NP Brijuni with an interesting historical heritage. At the end of the 19th century, an Austro-Hungarian defensive fort was built on Mali Brijun, which significantly influenced the appearance of the island's landscape. The original main task of the fortress was to control the northern approach to Pula through the Fažana Canal. The fort was used for various military purposes until 1990.

Despite its original purpose, Mali Brijun is now a desirable cultural destination - during the summer months, the Minor fortress is transformed into a theater stage under the direction of the Ulysses Theatre! Its founders are Rade Šerbedžija and Borislav Vujčić. In 2001, the first play was held on the island (it is still performed today!), and it was about the cult "King Lear".

Fun facts

• The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) can often be seen.
• A well-known attraction is a large yellow-crested cockatoo named Koki - Josip Broz Tito gave it to his granddaughter Aleksandra (Saša) Broz for her 9th birthday. Koki has been photographed with celebrities such as John Malkovich and Princess Caroline of Monaco.
• As many as 105 species of crustaceans have been recorded, and among them there are many rare and endangered species.
• The Cadillac with which Tito drove around the Brijuni islands can be rented today.