October the 18th, 2021 - Trsteno Arboretum is one of the most beautiful little places hidden away on the southern Dalmatian coastline to visit. Filled with rich plantlife and boasting million dollar views across the Adriatic Sea, it's the perfect place for a recharge. The brand new Trsteno Arboretum Education and Multimedia Centre will only add to its allure.

As Morski writes, as part of the "Historical Gardens of the Dubrovnik area" project, the Trsteno Arboretum Education and Multimedia Centre was officially opened, having been partly financed by European Union (EU) funds.

The brand new centre will contribute to the interpretation of the arboretum's stunning natural heritage, work to further increase the tourist attractiveness of the area and the development of the local economy. There will be education sessions and workshops for locals, tourists and visitors of all ages on the traditional cultivation of olives and vines, the use of medicinal and aromatic plants, ornithofauna and entomofauna of Trsteno Arboretum and the role of forests in the reclamation of negative environmental changes.

The new Trsteno Arboretum Education and Multimedia Centre was built with ''being green'' firmly in mind, meaning everything involved sustainable procurement, which is shown in the use of indigenous materials and products, such as wooden joinery (windows and doors), stone facade finishing, wooden pergola constructions on terraces and so on. As part of the project, a thematic-educational trail was also fully arranged in the olive groves of the Arboretum.

The second main activity of the project has also now been announced, and that involves the procurement of a ship and the opening of a new ferry line that will connect Trsteno Arboretum and the island of Lokrum which lies just across from the City of Dubrovnik and will likely prove extremely popular with nature lovers needing a breath of fresh air away from the hustle and bustle of Croatia's tourism Mecca. The aim of the project is to preserve local biodiversity, encourage the sustainable use of natural heritage and promote its cultural and historical values ​ through the interpretation and presentation of protected natural heritage, thus contributing to sustainable development at both a local and regional level.

The total value of the project stands at 18,289,422.37 kuna and most of the grants for it have been provided from the European Regional Development Fund. In addition to the project beneficiary, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Lokrum Reserve Public Institution, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the Dubrovnik Art Association without Borders (DART) are all participating in the project.

This beautiful arboretum is otherwise very well known for its historical parks and its impressive and vast collection of Mediterranean and exotic plant species. It was founded in 1948 on the site and base of the historic country estate of the Dubrovnik noble family Gucetic-Gozze, dating from 1494, and is protected by law. Covering an area of ​​28 hectares, it unites several different units: a historic Renaissance park with a summer house, a historic neo-romantic park, a historic olive grove, and natural vegetation boasting numerous tree species from near and far.

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The City of Dubrovnik, the wider area of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and southern Dalmatia as a whole has a lot to offer when it comes not only UNESCO heritage, culture and history, but in terms of nature, too. From the beautiful island of Lokrum to Trsteno Arboretum, there's a lot to see and much better connections to be had.

As Morski writes on the 29th of May, 2019, the "Historical Gardens of the Dubrovnik Region" project was presented at Dubrovnik's City Hall during a press conference. The aim is to contribute to socio-economic development and raise awareness of the importance of protecting the natural heritage and the environment of this southern Dalmatian county.

The three-year project, worth 15.5 million kuna, initially began on the 1st of December 2018 and was co-financed with funds from the European Regional Development Fund in the amount of seventy percent, as was emphasised by Ivica Grilec of the Lokrum Reserve. He also announced a series of project activities.

The aim is to create a new tourist product based on two scenic natural heritage sites - The Trsteno Arboretum (Trsteno) and the much loved Botanical Garden located on the island of Lokrum, which lies just off the coast of the City of Dubrovnik.

''We'll establish a new line between these two locations with a new ship with a capacity of fifty passengers at a value of 2.2 million kuna to increase the number of visitors to the Arboretum,'' added Grilec.

Zrinka Raguž of the UO for European Funds and International Cooperation emphasised the value of the announced activities in the context of Dubrovnik's city project "Respect the City".

''This city administration has proven its orientation towards the use of European funds, which has spread to our institutions. I'm delighted with the fact that the Lokrum Reserve is involved in this and that this project will lean on the city project Respect the City, because it will enable us to disperse our tourist offer. I believe that the realisation [of this project] will be successful for the benefit of the local population, as well as the numerous guests who visit our city,'' stressed Raguž.

Trsteno Arboretum's director Ivan Šimić, emphasised the fact that linking these two historical areas of the wider Dubrovnik area is extremely important for increasing the number of visitors to the arboretum. The project's activities set out the establishment of a thematic and educational trail through the historic arboretum's olive grove among other things.

Romana Vlašić of Dubrovnik's tourist board explained the role of the tourst board in the project through the design of three tourist packages to be offered to travel agencies, which will include all of the project activities.

Make sure to follow our dedicated travel and lifestyle pages for much more. If it's just Dubrovnik and the extreme south of Dalmatia you're interested in, give Total Dubrovnik a follow or check out Dubrovnik in a Page.

Continuing our look at some of the beautiful villages and townships close to the City of Dubrovnik, let's go to the oldest arboretum in this part of the world...

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