Brijuni
The picturesque National nature park is located on the 14 islands of the Brijuni archipelago. Nature here is virgin and primordial with fresh air and crystal clean sea, blooming meadows and parks, and oak and laurel groves. Many subtropical plants have taken root here: bamboo, eucalyptus, sequoia, and palm tree. Especially amazing is the long-lived olive tree, which has been growing on the island for more than 16 centuries.
There is a safari park in the northern part of Veli (Big) Brijun, where elephants from Asia, South-American camels, zebras, antelopes and even Indian holy cows walk freely. All of them arrived in the park thanks to the President of Yugoslavia, Josip Broz Tito, who was given exotic presents by high-ranking guests. The residence of this former leader still stands on the archipelago, today it’s a museum and worth a visit.
Medulin
Medulin city-archipelago is located on the southern end of the Istria peninsular. The irregular coast with numerous bays of various kinds and grottoes attract a lot of tourists and yacht owners. The city itself is small and there are just a few medieval architectural ensembles. Medulin is appreciated for its beaches – pebble, rocky, sandy, well-equipped, wild and always in shade of pine trees.
There is the Vižula archeological monument on a small peninsular within the limits of the city. Its main sight is the Roman villa of the 1-2 centuries A.D. Many years ago the view of the sea opened from the veranda of the villa, floors were decorated with bright-coloured mosaics, and there was a swimming pool and a pier. Now, research is being carried out, and once finished, a proper archeological park will appear.
