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.

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September the 5th, 2022 - The gorgeous Mali Brijun has been playing host to Ukrainian artists and teachers who will use what they learned here in helping Ukrainian children cope with the terrible trauma of war upon return to their ravaged homeland.

As Morski writes, about thirty Ukrainians, mostly artists, teachers and pedagogues, arrived at Mali Brijun recently. By attending various music and movement workshops, they learned how to deal with war trauma of their own, and they will also apply their newly acquired skills when working with Ukrainian children when they return home to their country.

Everyday alarms were replaced by music, and art in general has become a refuge for Ukrainian children and their parents.

''This was an incredible experience for us, we had the opportunity to learn not only from a mentor but also from each other, to be here on Mali Brijun together, we'll take the energy from this place back home with us,'' said Svetlana Bazanova, a Ukrainian drama teacher.

''It's nice that we could come and be here, it's also important to me professionally as this experience will connect me with the whole community,'' emphasised Jana Zelenska, another drama pedagogue. Most of the Ukrainian families who have arrived in Istria are from war-torn Kharkiv. In a few days, they will return to their homeland and pass on the knowledge they have learned while spending time on beautiful Mali Brijun to their colleagues.

''Through art therapy, we learn how to deal with emotions, how to help ourselves to deal with fear and trauma, and how to help others, especially children,'' emphasised Veronika Skolarova, the project manager.

''It took us some time to build trust, a safe circle inside, but as the days progressed, people relaxed more and more and we all did more and more,'' said Irena Magas, a music therapist. This praiseworthy project was conceived by Lenka Udovicki and Nigel Osbourne from the Ulysses Theatre.

''We can do some simple things through art. Music and movement can regulate breathing, singing and emotions,'' pointed out Nigel Osbourne, who is a composer and a music therapist. After the workshops held on Mali Brijun, art therapy education is set to continue back home in Ukraine, HRT Magazin reports.

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July the 31st, 2022 - The truly unique Mali Brijun catamaran is ready to set sail, and will be a real hit for all those who use it to see the stunning Brijuni archipelago, which attracts countless visitors each year.

As Morski writes, Marino Milotic, the director of the gorgeous Brijuni National Park, explained how each client is demanding and has some highly specific requirements and needs when it comes to vessels.

''The navigation of the shallow seas in the Brijuni National Park is just as demanding and very specific as those requirements are, and the Mali Brijun catamaran was an extremely demanding vessel to construct precisely because of the fact that it needed to be able to sail through the strait between Veliki and Mali Brijun,'' Milotic told HRT.

In the womb of the vessel, the answer to the question of how this unique prototype will satisfy the set ecological standards of the Brijuni National Park is clearly answered.

''We have a diesel generator which always works at an optimal operating regime. The vessel is equipped with two engines and depending on the needs of the propulsion power, either one or both can be used, so it is essentially optimised in terms of fuel consumption and this has achieved this environmentally friendly effect,'' said Niko Skala, Tehnomont Technical's director.

Shipbuilders struggled to construct the vessel, but they didn't disappoint with the amazing outcome. However, the most interesting part of the Mali Brijun catamaran story worth more than 12 million kuna lies in the project team of the client. With the exception of external associates, the project of the contracting and construction of the ship, was done by an entirely female team. Most didn't have any shipbuilding experience or foreknowledge.

''This project has lasted for more than two years. We've been focused on it totally for more than two years,'' said Marina Giachin Pauletic, head of the maintenance and transportation department.

''The design and construction of the ship lasted for two years, however, everything that preceded the signing of the contract with the shipyard lasted for almost an additional two years. So, the absolute specification techniques needed to be prepared, we needed to create a certain study of the maritime conditions of the Fazana Channel and the like, so when it comes to that, an enormous contribution was provided by my colleague Katja Regvat - the same is true for the design, and the most deserving of praise for the successful public procurement procedure, which was also quite complex, is my colleague Dusanka Cvijanovic, and I'd also like to thank Milena Kostovic, too,'' said Masa Mihelic, head of the project preparation and implementation department.

''We had a great responsibility on our shoulders, but I think in the end we were able to do it all and do it well,'' Giachin Pauletic added.

The capacity of the new Mali Brijun catamaran is 150 passengers, which a four-member crew and a commander will take care of.

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June the 7th, 2022 - The gorgeous Brijuni National Park has been awarded a sustainable management certificate for its contribution to reducing harmful mass tourism.

Mass tourism in Croatia has posed a significant issue for some time now, and despite two years of forced stagnancy as a result of lockdowns and other measures which caused problems for travel and leisure as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic, it seems that reducing the heavily negative impacts of uncontrolled numbers of people remains high on the country's agenda.

As Morski writes, recently at the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism in Porec in Istria, the INHERITURA certificate was awarded to the Brijuni National Park Public Institution and the Natura Histrica Public Institution for the Luka Budava site in Liznjan (an ecological network area entirely within the administrative structure of the Liznjan Municipality).

Within the scope of the project "Sustainable Tourism Strategies for the Preservation and Valorisation of Natural Heritage of the Mediterranean Coast - INHERIT'', the international project team defined a framework for assessing sustainability in the management of protected natural heritage sites in the context of reducing the negative impacts of mass tourism on natural heritage.

The International INHERITURA label is a kind of certificate for a more advanced level of sustainable management of areas of valorised natural heritage, which is also considered a tourist attraction. The subject certificate was awarded to protected natural heritage sites located in the Mediterranean coastal and coastal areas that implement a higher level of sustainability in the management of protected natural heritage sites. The beautiful Brijuni National Park, which attracts countless visitors each and every year, is among them.

For the awarding of INHERITURA certificates and the establishment of INHERITURA areas across the Republic of Croatia, bodies managing protected areas of natural heritage could apply within the Open Call/Invitation for the establishment of INHERITURA areas, which was published on the website of the Institute of Agriculture and Tourism.

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April the 27th, 2022 - The Brioni Cup, an international sailing regatta which is likely to attract all lovers of this popular passtime, is set to take place in the waters of Pula, Fazana, and the stunning Brijuni National Park (NP Brijuni).

As Morski writes, from April the 29th to May the 1st, the 18th Brioni Cup will be held - an international sailing event regatta organised by JK Delfin from Pula and co-organised by JK Brioni from Fazana.

The manifestation programme is set to kick off on Friday, April the 29th at 20:00 at the Rijeka pier in Pula with a TECHNO VIKINGS concert, an offer of sparkling wines, craft beer, prosciutto and more.

The regatta itself is set to begin on Saturday, April the 30th at 11:00 So far, the arrival of more than 50 sailboats of all kinds have been announced. On top of that, the arrival of sailors from several countries is also expected. In addition to sailors from up and down Croatia, sailors are due to arrive from Italy, Slovenia, South Africa and Austria.

They are participants of various ages and interest groups, meaning that there will be sailors who are professionals, but there will also be those who sail for recreational purposes, children and adults. Enthusiasts who will sail for the first time as part of the Brioni Cup will do so in teams with an experienced crew.

The Brioni Cup is regarded as one of the most beautiful regattas on the entire Adriatic, starting from the popular Istrian city of Pula, then sailing around NP Brijuni, which is very widely known for its exceptional nature and the beauty of its archipelago. The Brioni Cup regatta is particularly attractive owing to the very specific conditions that can be imposed as a challenge when sailing, such as changes in wind conditions. The regatta will then move away from this area and sails towards Fazana and in the area around the Brijuni National Park itself.

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As Novac/Barbara Ban writes on the 1st of June, 2020, as of yesterday, hotels have been opened in the popular NP Brijuni on the island of Veliki Brijun. The method of the hotels' operation is being carried out according to the instructions of the Croatian Government, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Energy and the National Civil Protection Headquarters, they state from that national park.

''On the occasion of the opening up of the hotels, a June promotional campaign is underway with cheaper accommodation prices. From June the 1st, 2020, the Veli Brijun passenger ship will sail to the island again all day according to the sailing schedule. An organised trip to Veliki Brijun with the guidance of an expert guide lasts four hours. The excursion programme includes transport by boat from Fazana (Istrian mainland), an hour of touring the island on an open tourist train, visits to various places of interest, (a visit to the Museum and the church is possible from Tuesday to Sunday) and the Brijuni Mediterranean Garden.

In the period from June the 1st to June the 15th, on weekdays, the regular ticket price includes two hours of bicycle use. Additionally, during the weekend, on June the 6th and 7th, and June the 13th and 14th, it will be possible to rent an electric car at promotional prices. Visitors can also visit the House for Boats centre. A golf course and some catering and hospitality facilities have also been opened on Veliki Brijun and wearing face masks indoors has been recommended, according to a statement from NP Brijuni.

In addition to guides, from this year on, independent tours of the island of Veliki Brijun are possible with the offer of additional content for visitors and more information on that can be found on the new mobile application, Brijuni Pocket Guide. In addition to the interesting features offered by NP Brijuni, the aforementioned application also showcases photo galleries and GPS location markers. The tour of Veliki Brijun has also been drastically improved by markings with numbers and QR codes of individual points placed on the island at all locations covered by the application.

The Brijuni Pocket Guide app can be downloaded on both Android and iPhone devices ans visitors are advised to download the app before arriving on the island to get acquainted with what it has to offer in advance. The application can be downloaded with content in Croatian, English, German, Italian, French, Spanish and Russian. Tickets for NP Brijuni can be purchased online and it isn't necessary to print the tickets after their purchase, it is enough to show the digital ticket on the mobile device when boarding the ship. 

If you want to buy tickets at the NP Brijuni branch in Fazana, prior reservation is required.

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