Fourteen islands off the west coast of Istria, a national park since 1983, and before that the private summer residence of Yugoslavia's president. The result is one of the odder day trips in Europe: Roman villa ruins, dinosaur tracks, and zebras.
Getting there
Boats leave from Fažana, a small harbour town twenty-odd minutes north of Pula. The crossing takes about fifteen minutes. In July and August the sailings fill and you should book ahead rather than turning up; outside high season, arriving an hour early is usually enough.
You cannot take a car. You cannot wander onto the islands independently either — access to the main island is through the park, and the smaller islands are largely closed to visitors.
What is on the main island
Veliki Brijun is about seven square kilometres, and the standard visit is a tour on a small train that loops the island with stops. You can also hire a bike or an electric buggy, which is a better way to see it if you have the time — the island is flat and the roads are quiet.
The Roman villa at Verige Bay is the archaeological highlight: a large seaside estate laid out around a sheltered inlet, with enough standing structure to read the plan. There is a Byzantine fortress, a Venetian-era church, and an olive tree that is about sixteen hundred years old and still producing.
The safari park
Tito received animals as diplomatic gifts from visiting heads of state, and their descendants are still here: zebras, some antelope, Indian cattle. It is a small enclosure and it is a curiosity rather than a wildlife experience — but the history behind it is a genuinely strange piece of twentieth-century politics, and the photographs on display of world leaders on these lawns are worth the stop.
There are also dinosaur footprints on the shoreline at several points, preserved in the limestone. They are easy to walk past if you do not know where to look; ask.
Where to stay
Villa Karla
How long to allow
A whole day, comfortably — boat over in the morning, back in the late afternoon. Trying to do it in three hours means seeing the train tour and nothing else.
Bring water and a hat. There is food on the island but the walk between the sights is exposed, and the middle of the day in summer is hot with very little shade on the open sections.
Is it worth it
If you like history, yes, clearly. If you are coming for the beach, this is a day away from the beach — the swimming on Brijuni is limited and the point of the island is elsewhere.
It is the best rainy-day plan in Istria and one of the few sights here that a teenager who has had enough of hill towns will actually engage with.
