Lokrum Island
Lokrum is a small island in the Adriatic Sea, located near the Croatian city of Dubrovnik. A very beautiful panorama of the island can be seen from the height of the city walls of Dubrovnik, clearly visible picturesque rocks and dense forest, almost completely covering Lokrum. There are no hotels and stores on the island, so people come here to relax from the busy city and sunbathe on the beach. The island itself is small – its area is only 0.694 km², and the territory is protected by the state. The Benedictine monastery was once built here, Richard the Lionheart once saved from shipwreck, the Habsburgs often vacationed here, and Napoleon Bonaparte built his fortifications. The beaches on Lokrum are mostly rocky, but there are also gentle sandy beaches. Lokrum is especially favored by nudists.
Video: Lokrum Island from above
History
This island was first mentioned in written records in 1023. Then a fire started in the vicinity of Dubrovnik on St. Benedict’s Day. The inhabitants fought against the elements, but the fire was swift and merciless. Many buildings were damaged, but the fire was stopped quickly. Dubrovans breathed a sigh of relief, and in gratitude for the rescue built a monastery and a church of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the servants of the Benedictine order on an island located 700 meters from the shore.
.
Benedictines safely settled there, began to settle on the island, breed plants incomprehensible for the inhabitants of the mainland – sour fruits – “acrumen”. Lemons and oranges. But the Dubrovans did not go deep. They began to call the island a derivative of the word “sour fruit” – lokrum.
.
There is also a legend that on Lokrum in 1192 after a shipwreck threw out the English king Richard the Lionheart (he was also called Richard Da-i-Net). Apparently, that crusade was not pleasing to the Almighty. Or it was connected with the fact that Richard fled from the court. History is silent on some points. But it was the second instance of great patronage, Richard offered to erect a temple on the island. Alas, the place was no longer empty on Lockrum, and the Dubrovians offered to build a church on the mainland, which was done.
.
All was well until the French under the command of Napoleon came to these parts. This was the period of possession of the Illyrian provinces, and Dubrovnik with Lokrum became one part of these very provinces. The French liked the island, but did not like the monastery on it, so they decided to demolish the monastery and build a military fort on the highest point of the island. The Benedictines humbly accepted the blow of fate, held the last night service in the church and left it. It is said that before leaving the island, the monks walked around the edge of the island three times with inverted burning candles, reciting prayers and curses. The wax dripped onto the land of Lokrum, condemning it to an eternity of no man’s land. “No one else will dare use the island for personal gain,” the monks willed. And so it came to pass.So, in 1789, the island left the last Benedictine. And in 1806, Fort Royal was built, which has been beautifully preserved to our times, and only the grandeur of the French Empire faded into oblivion. After the expulsion of the monks, the three noblemen who had been involved in evicting the order from the island took turns to own the island, but each of them died a premature unnatural death. The first jumped out of a window, the second drowned, the third was killed by his own servant. Then a certain rich man Captain Tomashevich came to the island, but soon went bankrupt and was forced to sell it.
.The next owner of Lokrum was Archduke Maximilian Habsburg, a protégé of Austria. He set up a summer residence and a botanical garden with peacocks on the island, which already had the prerequisites for a collection of exotic plants. However, Maximilian did not live on the island. He is remembered as a liberal ruler who tried to rule wisely in distant Mexico, even if his methods were not to the liking of his brother-emperor. The Mexican Republicans did not like the liberal European emperor, so Maximilian and his closest associates were shot. The curse caught up with the poor man even across the Atlantic Ocean. After the Habsburgs, the island was taken possession of by Dr. Jakopowicz, a doctor of law who came from Budapest. But he was soon caught in a fraud and thrown into prison. And the ship carrying Jakopowicz’s only heir sank on its way to Lokrum in a violent storm. Today, Lokrum is the property of the Peacocks and the state. And it seems that the curse of the Benedictines has fallen into a sound sleep.
.
Attractions
One of the main attractions of the island are the peacocks. These beautiful birds are here in great numbers and are found everywhere. Peacocks on Lokrum walk absolutely calmly, and apparently feel themselves on the island full-fledged owners. It should be said that on the island in general mass of representatives of fauna, and, of course, exotic flora (the legacy of the Benedictine brothers).
.
The most famous attraction of Lokrum is the 11th century Benedictine monastery, which started the history of the island. The monks cultivated lemons and oranges, and it was they who began bringing exotic plants from all over the world.
.
In the 19th century, Austrian Emperor Maximilian Habsburg laid out a park with ornamental plants and paths on the island. Later, a botanical garden with exotic plants was created here, each with a corresponding nameplate. Tours of the botanical garden will be especially interesting for children.
Also on the island of Lokrum there are several natural coves and bays with an equipped entrance to the water, with pebble areas or absolutely wild, but very picturesque rocks from which you can dive into the sea. The nudist beaches of Lokrum are located on the southern tip of the island. If for some reason you wish to sunbathe without clothes and swimsuit – just find a beach, in front of which there will be a special sign warning about the specific dress code. If you are shy of other sunbathers, albeit equally nude, finding a completely secluded spot on Lokrum is not a problem. The coastline is long, mottled with many natural coves and bays, equipped for swimming.
Tourists
In season, there is a boat from the old Dubrovnik pier to Lokrum every half hour. At other times it is approximately once an hour. The one-way trip takes between 10 and 15 minutes. Although Lokrum is a popular tourist attraction, there are no hotels or stores. There are cafes during the day, but they close at 17:00. At this time, the last ferry leaves the shores of Lokrum. And if you forget about the time, you will have to either spend the night in the company of peacocks in the depth of the island, or look for firemen on duty there every night and ask for “deportation” to the mainland. Although in this case, you will not be patted on the head.
.
