• located 2 kilometres from Smrikve;
• Mediterranean charm and atmosphere;
• it was probably the first Roman Emperor’s family holiday site, later on, during the Austro-Hungarina Monarchy period and thanks to Paul Kupelwieser, was the most important European luxury resort and during Yugoslavia it was Tito’s residency named “the Islands of Peace” that hosted 90 Head of the States and was the seat where an important document for the Non Aligned Movement foundation was signed;
• not to be missed: the Boathouse in Art Nouveau style, 17th centuries Old Olive Tree, the ruins of the Roman villa in Verige Bay, the Byzantine castrum, the Basilica of St. Mary, Tito’s museum, the safari, and the golf court;
• events not to be missed: theatre group Ulysses shows on Small Brioni.

BRIONI – VIRTUAL TOUR AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

On your arrival to Big Brioni there will be a small train waiting for you if you choose the guided tour. I would advise you to take the guided tour and later on you can rent a bike or the golf car to visit some places on your own that are not covered with the guide. In the following text I will let you know what is really worth to be visited after the guide on your own.

Big Brioni is the largest island with an area of 690 hectares. The Brioni archipelagos are a National Park since 1983 and consist of two big islands: Big and Small Brioni, and several small islets. Kabula is the most northern and smallest islet on which the lighthouse is located followed by: St. Mark, Gaz, Okrugljak, Supin, Supinic, Galija, Grunj, Vanga, Madona, Vrsar, Kozada and St. Jerolim.

The Brioni islands have a very interesting cultural heritage. Even dinosaurs lived on the islands and to visit the footprints you will have to do it on your own because the guided tour does not cover that part. In 1934, A. Bachofen-Echt, the Austrian palaeontologist, found dinosaurs’ footprints on Big Brioni island.

There are two islands that can be visited on your own: Kozada and St. Jerolim. When I was a kid we used to go with batana boats to Kozada for parties. I have very nice memories from those times. St. Jerolim is another very nice place for swimming.

If you take the boats that propose you the tour of the Brioni islands in Pula they will take you around Brioni and leave you on St. Jerolim island for few hours. You can swim and do a quick visit of the island but the island you should see is Big Brioni. Brioni are famous in the World for what a man was able to make on this island starting from the end of the 19th century.