September the 29th, 2022 - The gorgeous Brijuni islands which are also one of Croatia's several stunning national parks have had an excellent season, with excursions still being very well booked throughout the month of October.

As Morski writes, the beautiful Brijuni islands have never had a better main summer season and post-season. All excursions for this particular national park are sold out, and the boats heading there from the mainland are all full. Special events are being prepared for the month of October, which will further attract visitors to the Brijuni islands and promote their astonishing beauty.

The location in Fazana on the Istrian mainland from which you can hop aboard a vessel to the Brijuni islands is always crowded, and people are having to wait in lines. Every day, up to a thousand excursionists come by boat. During the four-hour guided tour, visitors get better acquainted with history of these unusual islands, see their cultural monuments, and get to spend time in their natural beauty.

Organised groups of visitors are making frequent returns to the Brijuni islands, and every single day there are many people who want to visit the National Park even as the season winds down.

''It would be good to make a reservation a few days earlier, especially for weekends when we have a larger number of visitors,'' pointed out Marija Stokovic, head of the Department for Visiting, Sport and Recreation of the Brijuni National Park.

''This year, we managed to reach a 40 to 45 percent increase in the number of visitors, which essentially means that we managed to reach 240 visitors from 180,000 visitors, which is the park's maximum record,'' said Marno Milotic, the director of NP Brijuni. In order to extend the season, NP Brijuni is preparing numerous recreational and sporting events, such as open days and a family golf weekend.

''Throughout the year, we hold various events through which we try to educate our visitors, work on the sustainability of tourism and promote the interesting parts of this national park,'' pointed out Reanna Bajkovic Relic, a spokeswoman for NP Brijuni. Autumn will therefore be a very active one on the Brijuni islands, and many events and excursions will be available at affordable prices, reports HRT.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated travel section.

January the 9th, 2022 - Is Brijuni e-mobility next on the agenda for this stunning national park? As environmental care is continually put in first place, it seems so.

As Poslovni Dnevnik/Suzana Varosanec writes, the director of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, Sinisa Kukic, recently signed an agreement with the director of the Brijuni National Park, Marno Milotic, on co-financing electric tourist vehicles worth a massive 1.9 million kuna. As part of this praiseworthy Brijuni e-mobility project, the Fund will co-finance twenty electric vehicles intended for rent for Brijuni, and a further four intended for the transport of guests, with a total value of over three million kuna.

The Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency and Brijuni National Park are continuing their close cooperation, which has so far resulted in the implementation of 18 projects worth over 50 million kuna in total, through this new project aimed at introducing a Brijuni e-mobility system.

These are the agreements concluded over recent days by the representatives of the two sides, the director of the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, Sinisa Kukic, and the director of the Brijuni National Park, Marno Milotic. According to Kukic, Brijuni e-mobility will come in handy as e-mobility is already a highly placed strategic goal of the European Union (EU), especially in areas that are oases of biodiversity, such as national parks, which Croatia has many of.

"We're glad that tourism on the Brijuni islands is really being considered in terms of sustainability and we'll be more than happy to continue to be available for all quality ideas that will contribute to the goals of environmental protection and energy efficiency," said Kukic.

Considering the Green Plan and the climate and energy policy of the Republic of Croatia, it can be expected that all activities that contribute to sustainability and green infrastructure will continue to be encouraged and likely financed, which will be accompanied by the Fund's new co-financing programmes.

Milotic also confirmed that sustainability must be a priority in the management of national parks, emphasising that the purchase of new electric vehicles will enrich the tourist offer of the island, and also preserve its beauty and biodiversity. As he said, that was their goal and the implementation of an EU Brijuni project, where they also achieved excellent cooperation with the Fund, saying: "This will continue to be our goal"

It's worth noting that the aforementioned Brijuni EU project (Novo ruho Brijuna) is one of the projects regarding national parks and nature parks that was successfully nominated for the tender of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds called "Promoting the sustainable use of natural heritage in national parks and nature parks".

For more, check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

April 21, 2021 – A total of 24 dinosaur fossils in Croatia have been declared a protected part of nature, making them the first protected fossil in Croatia.

As Glas Istre reports, the decision to declare dinosaurs and their locations as protected parts of nature were published in the Official Gazette on April 15 and comes into force eight days after its publication, on April 24.

With this proclamation, dinosaur fossils became the first protected fossil in Croatia, significant for their rarity, size, appearance, educational, and scientific significance. Each newly discovered dinosaur fossil and its location will be declared a protected part of nature under the Nature Protection Act.

Brijuni – the first location

The first find in Croatia's territory originates from Brijuni, dating from 1925 when A. Bachofen – Echt spotted traces of dinosaurs on Cape Ploče on Veliki Brijun. Another location in Croatia was also discovered on Veliki Brijun in 1965 on Cape Barban. Today, there is a Dinosaur Park available to the public and a sculpture of theropod dinosaur.

The third site is at Plješivac/Kamik, where fossils were discovered in 1987, and the fourth is at Trstike/Debela Glava, with a site from 2001.

More than 200 dinosaur footprints were found at four sites in Veliki Brijun, which inhabited the area of the future Brijuni Islands in the Mesozoic period. Within this broad period, the Brijuni dinosaur can be placed in the Cretaceous period (145 to 65 million years ago).

Dinosaur footprints on Brijuni / Copyright Romulić and Stojčić

Croatia's territory is part of the paleogeographic unit of the Adriatic-Dinaric carbonate platform. During the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, sedimentation occurred on the carbonate platform, i.e., ecological conditions enabled the survival and development of dinosaurs.

Poor preservation

The dinosaur populations that inhabited these areas are specific in the morphology and dimensions of the fossil footprints and bones, which differ from the simultaneous findings from other parts of the world. Footprints suggest the presence of sauropod, theropod, and ornithopod dinosaurs.

Fossil footprints and bones have been preserved in Mesozoic limestone deposits. The oldest footprint finds date from the Upper Jurassic period and the youngest from the Upper Cretaceous. A total of 23 sites of dinosaur footprints have been discovered and investigated in Croatia, as well as one site with discovered petrified bones.

Finding dinosaur fossils in Croatia is possible, but the preservation of such finds is small. Therefore, all the findings found so far, but also possibly newly discovered dinosaur fossil finds, have a significant educational and scientific value. These remains are the only witnesses to dinosaurs' lives that can be used in the interpretation and education, and popularization of geo-heritage.

To read more news from Croatia, follow our dedicated page.

April 6, 2021 – About 40,000 tourists vacationed in Croatia for the Easter holidays. Among them, the legendary Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve visited Brijuni National Park!

As the Brijuni National Park reported today, they had a special guest last weekend as the Canadian sports car driver, former world champion in Formula 1 Jacques Villeneuve stayed with his family in Istria for the Easter holidays.

Villeneuve and his family spent one day of their vacation in the Brijuni National Park, where they toured with expert guidance the natural and cultural-historical sights of the largest island of the Brijuni archipelago, Veliki Brijun.

Brijuni left a very positive impression on Villeneuve – the 1997 World Champion in Formula 1 with Williams Renault, winner of the 1995 Indianapolis 500, second in 24 Hours of Le Mans, namely the legend of motorsport.

As reported by the Brijuni National Park, Villeneuve was delighted with the many specialties of the archipelago. He especially liked the Boat House (Kuća za brodice) Education and Interpretation Center in the port of Brijuni. He also enjoyed the gastronomic delicacies of the Galija restaurant.

He praised the beauty of Istria, where he also visited the cities of Pula, Rovinj, and Motovun. Croatian Auto and Karting Association's president Davorin Štetner boasted on Facebook of dinner and wine with Jacques Villeneuve in Motovun, noting that such great world champions are thus promoting our country.

He also brought Villeneuve on the off-road track in the small Istrian settlement of Gambetići!

Villeneuve, who is currently driving for the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, was supposed to come to Croatia back in November 2020 and drive the NASCAR GP on the Grobnik runway near Rijeka. However, although he didn't manage to visit Croatia last year due to his commitments in the Formula 1 race in Turkey, he enjoyed Croatia's tracks and beauty this year in Istria.

To read more news from Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

February 6, 2021 – The legendary Canadian actor Christopher Plummer has died. In his most famous role, he played Zadar-born naval commander Georg von Trapp in 'The Sound Of Music'

The legendary Canadian actor Christopher Plummer has died aged 91. He passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family and friends, following a fall. In a seven-decade-long career, he came to be regarded as one of the greatest actors in the world. In his most famous role, he played the Zadar-born naval commander Georg von Trapp in 'The Sound Of Music'.

Born on 13 December 1929 in Toronto, Christopher Plummer grew up in Senneville, Quebec. He initially established himself as an actor on the stage and although he famously moved into film acting, he frequently returned to the theatre and also acted for television.

Christopher Plummer was the oldest actor in the world to receive an Oscar. He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 82 for a role in the Mike Mills film 'Beginners' (2010), in which he played opposite Croatian Goran Višnjić. He became the oldest actor to receive a nomination for an Oscar, aged 88, for the film 'All the Money in the World'.

Goran Višnjić and Christopher Plummer in Mike Mills' 'Beginners' (2010). Christopher Plummer received an Academy Award for the role © Olympus Pictures

Christopher Plummer was one of a very small number of actors to have won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award and a Tony Award. In America, this achievement is known as the Triple Crown Of Acting. Christopher Plummer is the only Canadian actor to have achieved this. Among his many decorations, he earned an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a British Academy Film Award.

Christopher Plummer's life as a famous actor began when he was in his early 20s. In 1953, he took a major theatre role in French playwright André Roussin's 'Nina'. He debuted both on Broadway and on television in the same year, the latter within a production of 'Othello'. He continued to be cast for roles in Shakespeare plays throughout the 1950s and subsequent decades. He earned his second Emmy nomination in 1964 for 'Hamlet'.

In 1958, Christopher Plummer's film career began when he played a young writer in Sidney Lumet's 'Stage Struck'. He played the Roman emperor Commodus in Anthony Mann's epic 'The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964). One year later, he appeared in a role that would make him famous forever all over the world.

Christopher Plummer in the Roman epic 'The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) © Paramount Pictures

Although he later had misgivings about the role, Christopher Plummer's depiction of Zadar-born, Rijeka-trained Naval commander Georg von Trapp in 'The Sound Of Music' (1966) ensured he would be recognised globally for his talent. The film received five Academy Awards and was so popular that many returned to the cinema time and again to watch it. It became the highest-grossing film of all time, eclipsing 'Gone With The Wind' which had held the title for 25 years!

Having conquered Broadway, he set his sights instead on European theatre and moved to London in the mid-1960s. He enjoyed simultaneously a successful stage and film career, appearing in several famous movies about the Second World War and was consistently hired for theatre roles by some of the leading directors of the day, including Laurence Olivier, Jonathan Miller, and Neil Simon.

In the 1970s the list of Christopher Plummer's blockbuster appearances included 'Waterloo' (1970), as the Duke of Wellington, 'The Man Who Would Be King' (1975), as Rudyard Kipling and 'The Return of the Pink Panther (1975). In 1975, he appeared as Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the movie 'The Day That Shook the World', directed by Croatian-Montenegrin filmmaker Veljko Bulajić.

Christopher Plummer as Archduke Franz Ferdinand in the movie 'The Day That Shook the World', directed by Croatian-Montenegrin filmmaker Veljko Bulajić © American International Pictures

In 1977, Christopher Plummer starred in the then-monumental television miniseries 'Jesus of Nazareth', playing King Herod alongside Laurence Olivier, James Earl Jones, Robert Powell, Anne Bancroft, Anthony Quinn, Rod Steiger, Peter Ustinov, and James Mason. He repeated his television success in 1983, taking a lead role in the five-time Emmy Award-winning series 'The Thorn Birds.'

Christopher Plummer was one of the rare actors whose fame and abilities never dwindled. He only ever seemed to get better and more popular. He remained in-demand as a film actor until his death, with a neverending list of successful film endeavours from the last three deacdes including 'Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country' (1991), Spike Lee's 'Malcolm X' (1992), Stephen King's 'Dolores Claiborne' (1995), Terry Gilliam's '12 Monkeys' (1995), Michael Mann's 'The Insider' (1999), Nuremberg (2000), Ron Howard's 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001), Oliver Stone's 'Alexander (2004), Terrence Malick's 'The New World' (2005), Spike Lee's 'Inside Man' (2006), the Disney/Pixar classic 'Up' (2009), 'The Last Station' (2009) playing Leo Tolstoy, 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2011), 'Beginners' (2011), Nazi/Holocaust thriller 'Remember' (2015), Ridley Scott's 'All the Money in the World' (2017) as John Paul Getty and in the universally acclaimed, Agatha Christie-inspired 'Knives Out' (2019).

Christopher Plummer (left) and Martin Landau as Auschwitz survivors in Atom Egoyan’s Nazi/Holocaust thriller 'Remember' (2015) © eOne

Christopher Plummer married three times but had only one child, a daughter, the actress Amanda Plummer. She is a Tony winner, like her father, is famous for her role in Quentin Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction' and is a frequent visitor to Croatia – she is friends with Rade Šerbedžija and his wife Lenka Udovički and appeared in the filmed workshop, 'Core Sample - Goli Otok' with Vanessa Redgrave and Lynn Redgrave at Šerbedžija and Udovički's open-air theatre in the Brijuni islands.

Following the announcement of his death, Christopher Plummer's 'The Sound of Music' co-star Julie Andrews paid tribute to him, stating "The world has lost a consummate actor today and I have lost a cherished friend. I treasure the memories of our work together and all the humor and fun we shared through the years."

The world of theatre and film were united in their praise and mourning for the star, with other tributes coming from Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Russell Crowe, Katherine Langford, Rian Johnson, Chris Evans, Don Johnson (who worked with him on Knives Out), Elijah Wood, Vera Farmiga, Ed Asner as well as his longtime friend and former Shakesperian understudy William Shatner.

Lou Pitt, Christopher Plummer's longtime friend and manager of 46 years, said; “Chris was an extraordinary man who deeply loved and respected his profession with great old fashion manners, self-deprecating humor and the music of words. He was a national treasure who deeply relished his Canadian roots. Through his art and humanity, he touched all of our hearts and his legendary life will endure for all generations to come. He will be with us forever. ”

Saturday 11 September 2020 - With a trip to one of Croatia's most spectacular National Parks coming at half price in September, now is the time to visit the Brijuni islands!

A remarkable fish-shaped islet, part of the Brijuni islands © Croatian National Tourist Board

For a long time, beautiful Brijuni wasn't for the likes of you or me. Visit the Brijuni islands? I think not. The picturesque and peaceful collection of islands and islets were reserved for the select few. Once an exclusive beach resort catering only to the richest in Austro-Hungarian society, then the private summer residence of Tito, its stunning scenery and wonderful wildlife were off limits to most for close to 100 years.


© np-brijuni.hr


© Johann SUHM

These days, the Brijuni islands is a lot more accessible, although it maintains its exclusivity with a high cost of visiting independently by boat. However, the National Park runs daily boat services Fažana, just north of Pula. And with this all-inclusive boat trip coming at half price this September, there's never been a better time to visit the Brijuni islands.


© Romulić & Stojčić


© Romulić & Stojčić

During this month, a trip to visit the Brijuni islands comes at th promotional price of 115 kuna for adults and 57.50 kuna for children (aged four to 14). The ticket price includes the return boat trip from Fažana, an expert guide, a tour of the island by tourist train, viewing the Natural History Collection, current photo exhibition 'Tito on Brijuni' and more.


© Romulić & Stojčić


© Romulić & Stojčić

You can wander through the Brijuni Mediterranean garden or marvel at copies of frescoes and Glagolitic scripts at the exhibition in the 15th-century church of St. German. Or, you can just peel off and do your own thing.


© Neven Prasnikar


© Neven Prasnikar

The discount visit the Brijuni islands is available every day throughout September with departures of the ship from Fažana taking place at 10am, 11.30am and 1.30pm.


The islands are famous for their nature. As well as larger residents, there are almost 700 plant species and about 250 bird species on the islands © np-brijuni.hr


© Dguendel

Look out for special weekend activities also planned for this month and which will be part of any boat visit - on September 19th and 20th, you and the family can meet the elephant Lanka. On September 26th and 27th, a detailed guided tour of the Brijuni Mediterranean Garden will take place when you can learn about the secret life of plants and insects.


A tourist train takes visitors around the island's safari park © np-brijuni.hr


© Logica olgica

Due to the epidemiological situation, masks are mandatory in all indoor areas of the National Park. Although for any outdoor activities on this visit the Brijuni islands, they are not insisted upon.


© np-brijuni.hr


© David Lukšić

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As yet, there is still no consensus as to whether beautiful Brijuni will be a luxurious lifestyle destination, or some sort of mix between a national park and a resort.

We’ve recently started a new series of articles called Sailing the Croatian National Parks, which aims to provide you with all the necessary information as well as inspiration for exploring the beautiful Croatian coast