Lokrum

by Natasa Lujic
(Dubrovnik)

The Austrian archduke (and short-lived Emperor of Mexico) Maximilian once had a holiday home on the island. A monastery and a botanical garden survive from his era. On this peak stands Port Royal Castle, which was built by the French, though it was later named "Maximilian's Tower" by the Austrian.

On the eastern side of the island, protected from the open sea, there is a small natural harbour. The island covers an area of 0.8 km² and is covered in thick Mediterranean flora and woods: laurel, oak, pines, cypress and black pines.

There are also olives, agaves, cacti, magnolia and palms. On the southern part of the island there is a small salt lake, 10 m deep, known as "the Dead Sea" (Mrtvo More). Nearby there is a deserted Benedictine monastery, founded in 1023.

The triple-naved basilica, and a 14th century part of the monastery were badly damaged in the 1667 earthquake. The monastery was deserted in 1798. Today Lokrum is a Nature Reserve and a Special Forest Vegetation Reserve.

Contact Natasa Lujic for more info