ERASMUS STUDENTI U NACIONALNOM PARKU BRIJUNI

AUTORI: Aleksandra Iga Misztalska i Valentin Popov

Uzbudljivu seriju priloga naših kolega, kolega Erasmus+ studenata, koji ovaj semestar provode na Sveučilištu Jurja Dobrile u Puli, ovaj tjedan nastavljamo s njihovim dojmovima nakon posjeta Nacionalnom parku Brijuni. 

Kolegica Aleksandra Iga Misztalska podijelila je s nama preporuke za organizaciju izleta na Brijune i otkrila nam koja su joj omiljena odredišta na otočju.

What to expect from Brijuni, one and only National Park in Istria? 

Brijuni is the only National Park in Istria, yet many people reckon this place as the must-see destination. There is extraordinary nature there, the feeling of being somewhere completely else than in the city. I love sea, forests and thanks to this heritage, I can feel closer to myself. Brijuni National Park is a recommended destination to visit. I genuinely want to create a kind of guide about Brijuni, as there are many attractions worth-visiting. The ticket usually costs 230 kn per adult and 115kn per child.

How to get there? 

If you want to visit Brijuni, you can take the bus from Pula. You can get to Fažana (the place where the ferries from Brijuni leave)- the numbers of the buses are 21a and 21b. The ticket from Pula to Brijuni costs 15kn for one way. Or you can get there by car, but you cannot get on a ferry with a car- you should leave the car parked in Fažana. 

Is it better to organize a trip by yourself or choose a package trip? 

Both solutions have its virtues and vices. If you want to organize a tour by yourself, you can walk on foot (but walking around the whole island can be tiring). So, it depends on how much strength you have. It is a great way of exploring because you can do it slowly- you can embrace the opportunity to see animals in their natural habitat. You can do it at your own pace. Which is great. If you feel like you do not want to walk that much, you can always rent an electric vehicle or a bike. But renting an electric vehicle costs more than a ticket so this is an aspect you should consider. When you attend the package trip, everything is already organized, you just have to get into the train. However, it is impossible to sightsee at your own pace then, so, it all depends on what exactly you want. You can always download an app of Brijuni NP on your phone and thanks to it get to know information on whatever topic you would love to learn more. You can simply use Google Maps and The Brijuni App to sightsee, this would be enough. You should consider also additional costs like a meal or coffee.

Places that I recommend. 

I fell in love with Brijuni. When I was there, there was not so many tourists because I started sightseeing from 9. I decided to be there for 7 hours (the longest time you can be there if you want to avoid additional costs and pay for staying in the apartment). And it was absolutely wonderful. I would say that this kind of architecture and nature is amazing, as everyone can find and choose what is best for them. I felt like I was somewhere else and not in Croatia. It reminded me more of an exotic jungle. 

Safari Park.

This is a wonderful spot in this Park. You can notice donkeys, zebras and other animals walking close to you, you can pet them, they really are not afraid of people and are the most adorable. Those are the animals that are in an area like their natural habitat. I do not like zoos, I think the animals should not be locked down, but it was amazing to notice that people here truly take care of their freedom. This is so wild, unusual, and one-and-only experience you should try out for sure. 

Park Dinosaura. 

There you can see the footprints of the Dinosaurs. And also, a statue of a Dinosaur. When you enter the park, you can notice the forests that look a bit scary, but it gives you the idea on what is the atmosphere in this place. This is wonderful. 

The Old Olive Tree.

This tree is enormous, it is more than 1600 years old and you can notice it even from far away. This is one of the oldest olive trees in the whole Mediterranean and is hugely impressive. Even today it still fructifies. This view is hugely unique. 

Mediterranean garden. 

There I realized how different and breathtaking nature can be. You can realize that this is a Mediterranean garden because of the way it smells. It reminds me of holidays at Croatian’s islands. There is over 17000 square meters of the ground there. There are many kinds of plants and trees there, around 169 different species.

Byzantine Castrum. 

This place looks like a huge part of a human history. A lot of it comes from the Roman Republic and Empire, Byzantium, and other longtime settlement. For me it looked like the richest site there. I felt like I looked at an extraordinary venue. 

Boat house.

In Boat House you can find the educational center of the Brijuni Island where you can get to know extensive information of every place that is in the National Park. I recommend choosing the boat house as your first destination; after visiting it, you would gain the knowledge on what you can find on Brijuni and choose what interests you the most, and visit those places later. There is also a permanent museum exhibition. You can learn there a lot about natural and cultural heritage of the island.

To sum up, I would say that there are variety of aspects you can be interested in when it comes to Brijuni, that is why it is valuable to remember that in this place everyone can find what fits best for them. Some people prefer certain type of sightseeing, and that is alright. You can try out different aspects of exploring there. In Brijuni you can notice wonderful beaches, hotels, you can get the glance of the tropical nature, extraordinary culture, animals that are wonderful and peacefully walk next to you. What is more, you can develop a new view on the world, maybe get interested in aspects like history, biology and tourism. Who knows? Every journey teaches us something new. And Brijuni Island can help you with that. This place is outstanding and one of a kind. 

Brijuni National Park Photo Gallery

I kolega Valentin Popov, podijelio je s nama impresije nakon posjeta otočju.

Now I will tell you about my mini-excursion to Brijuni National Park. The excursion was on June 9. From Pula we took an early bus to Fazana, where we waited more than an hour to board a tourist boat. The distance between Fazana and Brijuni is about 10-15 minutes. When we arrived there we were greeted by a guide who briefly explained to us in English about the park. Then we had a roller coaster ride on the park. Along the way, we saw many different animals such as horses, zebras, cows, elephants, parrots and others. We visited Tito's Museum. There, too, we saw different species of stuffed animals after their death. Then for about 30 minutes we took a bike ride around the park. We saw the olive tree, which is 1,600 years old. Finally, again by boat, we headed to Fazana. The weather was sunny and overall the experience was great.