The Green Treasures of Croatia: A Journey Through Botanical Gardens
- T.B.
- Mar 16
- 6 min read
When you think of Croatia, what comes to mind first? The azure Adriatic Sea? The ancient walls of Dubrovnik? Perhaps scenes from "Game of Thrones"? But what about shady arboretums and lush botanical gardens, where century-old trees whisper to exotic plants from around the world?
If you've never considered Croatia as a paradise for botanists and nature lovers, let me reveal a secret: under the Croatian sun, a fascinating world of botanical gardens flourishes, each with its own unique history and character.
The Romantic Heritage of Croatian Gardens
Croatian botanical gardens are not just collections of plants; they are true witnesses to history. Imagine the late 15th century, the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. Europeans are sailing the seas in search of new lands, while the nobility of Dubrovnik is already creating the first exotic gardens. Ship captains, returning from distant voyages, bring back not only spices and silks but also seeds and saplings of exotic plants.
Interestingly, owning a botanical garden during the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) was somewhat of a status symbol. It's like having the latest iPhone or Tesla today—only much greener and more enduring!
Croatian Arboretums: Where Trees Tell Stories:The Green Treasures of Croatia
Trsteno Arboretum: Where "Game of Thrones" Meets the Renaissance
Age:Over 525 years (established between 1494-1502)
Imagine this: the year 1492. Columbus has just discovered America, and a family of Croatian nobles, the Gučetić-Gozze, decides they urgently need a fashionable Renaissance garden. Sounds like the start of a historical anecdote, but it's pure truth!
Located on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Elaphiti Islands, the Trsteno Arboretum is a true time machine. Here, a 15-meter aqueduct, built in 1492 (yes, that very year!), still supplies water to the gardens. And the majestic Baroque fountain with Neptune and nymphs seems to be waiting for some director to feature it in the next epic series.
Speaking of series: if you're a fan of "Game of Thrones", you can literally stroll through the gardens of the Red Keep! Just don't look for dragons—they, fortunately, remain in the world of special effects.
Lisicine Arboretum: A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes
Area: 50 hectares
The history of this 50-hectare arboretum on Mount Papuk is more dramatic than many Hollywood blockbusters. Established in 1962, it became home to trees and shrubs from Europe, Asia, and North America. But during the War of Independence in 1991, many rare species were lost.
Today, Lisicine Arboretum is experiencing a revival. It's like a story of a phoenix, but on the scale of an entire forest! A reconstruction project, partially funded by the EU, has restored its green splendor. Its location in Croatia's first UNESCO Global Geopark makes it even more special—here, you can see traces of ancient glaciers, volcanoes, and even the Pannonian Sea. Where else can you study geology and botany simultaneously without changing locations?
Opeka Arboretum: Where a Count Turned a Hobby into a Legacy
Area: 65 hectares—the largest in Croatia!
In 1860, Count Marko Bombelles decided that his estate in Vinica needed a park. But not just any ordinary park—one that would make his neighbors green with envy! Being an avid traveler, he brought back exotic species from Japan, Tibet, China, and North America.
Today, Opeka is home to over 800 different plant species. It's like a botanical Noah's Ark! The unique microclimate of the region has allowed exotic plants not only to survive but to thrive. The park combines English landscape style with wide lawns and groups of trees, while the upper part is a dense natural forest.
The story has an ironic twist: the estate remained in the Bombelles family until 1945, when it came under the control of the Yugoslav state. The count created the garden for his own enjoyment, but in the end, he gifted it to all of us. Thank you, Count!
Vrbanic Garden and Arboretum: An Urban Oasis with Peacocks
Imagine a star-shaped fortress city surrounded by parks and gardens. This is Karlovac, known as the "city in a park." Here lies the Vrbanic Botanical Garden, opened to the public in 1896.
This is a place where formality meets informality: an informal English park coexists with a formal French decorative garden. And you know what made this garden particularly memorable? Peacocks! They roamed freely, adding a royal touch to the garden. At one point, there was even a small zoo—imagine a Sunday stroll among exotic plants and animals in the late 19th century!
Croatian Botanical Gardens: Scientific Heritage in Picturesque Settings
PMF Botanical Garden in Zagreb: The Heart of Green Education
Founded:1889 The Green Treasures of Croatia
In the heart of Zagreb, occupying five hectares of precious urban land, lies the PMF Botanical Garden. Founded by the Department of Botany and Physiology at the University of Zagreb, this garden has always been more than just a beautiful place—it's an open-air laboratory.
Here, British landscape style with chaotically planted groups of trees coexists with a Baroque garden influenced by French design. It's as if an English aristocrat and a French nobleman decided to create a garden together but couldn't agree on the style!
The garden is open from April to November, and also in March and November if the weather permits. You can even book a tour in English—so your foreign friends can appreciate the green splendor of the Croatian capital.
Angiolina Park, Opatija: Where Camellias Became a City Symbol
If plants could tell stories, the camellias in Angiolina Park would write a bestseller. In 1844, a wealthy merchant from Rijeka, Ignio Ritter Scarpa, built a villa, naming it after his wife Angiolina. Being an avid gardener and successful businessman, he used his trade connections to acquire botanical specimens from China, South America, Australia, and Japan.
One of these acquisitions was the Japanese camellia, which later became the symbol of Opatija. Imagine the impression these exotic plants made on the European elite of the 19th century, whom Scarpa loved to entertain at his villa!
Today, Angiolina Park is home to over 150 species of trees and shrubs. The paths are lined with trees such as laurel, magnolia, palm, cedar, spruce, olive, and the Sylvester date palm. All trees are carefully marked on a map, so curious visitors can find them.
Lokrum Island: A Botanical Paradise... Under a Curse?
Cursed: Possibly since 1798
Movie Star: Yes, "Game of Thrones" was filmed here!
Just a 10-minute boat ride from Dubrovnik lies Lokrum Island—a lush green island transformed into a landscape park in the 19th century. But not everything is so serene in this paradise—local legend has it that it's cursed.
Lokrum was settled by Benedictine monks around 915 AD. They built a monastery with beautiful gardens, cultivating large parts of the island. When the monks left their beloved island in 1798, they allegedly cursed future owners.
In a dark and mysterious procession, the hooded monks walked around the island with candles, turned them upside down, and, bowing their heads, whispering prayers and muttering songs, cursed anyone who dared to own their sacred land.
Historical fact or tourist legend? Hard to say. But interestingly, the family of Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I, who owned Lokrum, did experience a series of tragedies: the execution of the emperor's brother, Archduke Maximilian, in Mexico, the assassination of his wife Elisabeth on Lake Geneva, and the suicide of his son and heir Rudolf at Mayerling.
Perhaps it's this aura of mystery and curse that attracted the creators of "Game of Thrones," who chose Lokrum as one of the filming locations. Scenes in the city of Qarth, home to the legendary House of the Undying, were filmed here. The former Benedictine monastery, with its majestic architecture and exotic gardens, created the perfect backdrop for the mystical city.
So, while strolling through the botanical garden of Lokrum, you can not only enjoy rare plants but also imagine yourself in the world of Westeros. Who knows, you might even encounter the ghost of Daenerys Targaryen among the exotic trees!
Kotišina Botanical Garden: The Wild Beauty of Biokovo
If you're tired of manicured gardens and crave a wilder nature experience, the Kotišina Botanical Garden is your choice. Located on the coastal slopes of Biokovo, the second-highest mountain range in Croatia, this garden is unlike a classic botanical garden. It's more of a "fenced-off piece of nature," filled with well-marked local plants.
Founded by Dr. Fra Jure Radić, a Franciscan priest and scientist, the Kotišina Garden is dedicated to studying, monitoring, and protecting the flora of Biokovo. Despite its relatively small area (16.5 hectares), it features diverse habitats: rock gardens, scree slopes, cliffs, arable land, as well as the Proslap Canyon and a waterfall that only appears during heavy rains.
The Kotišina Garden is a true challenge for nature lovers. To get there, you need to climb a steep path. But the reward is worth the effort: around 300 species of wild plants typical of Mediterranean mountain regions and stunning views of the coast.
A Green Journey Through Croatia The Green Treasures of Croatia
Croatia's botanical gardens are an amazing blend of nature, history, and culture. Each offers a unique experience: from noble Renaissance gardens to wild mountain reserves, from decorative urban parks to cursed islands where a cult series was filmed.
When planning your next Croatian adventure, be sure to include at least one of these green oases in your itinerary. Whether it's a stroll among exotic plants brought by ship captains five centuries ago,
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