The island of Lokrum, off the coast of Dubrovnik, is a green paradise with lush vegetation, natural pools, historic buildings and rocky beaches.
The island of Lokrum lies off the Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea and is one of the most important sights of the city of Dubrovnik. It is said that Richard the Lionheart was stranded here in 1192 on his return from the Crusades after being shipwrecked. In gratitude for his rescue, Dubrovnik received a generous donation that financed the first cathedral.
Hiking and bathing on Lokrum
Since 1963, the entire island has been protected as a nature reserve and in 1976 it was declared a forest reserve. The whole of Lokrum is criss-crossed by signposted hiking trails that lead through the lush nature and to the island's sights. Laurel trees, pines, cypresses, oaks, palms and olive trees provide soothing shade and the flowering magnolias exude a wonderful fragrance.
Lokrum is easily reached by regular ferry traffic from Dubrovnik. With its fantastic vegetation, it provides pleasant coolness and wonderful refreshment after the heat of Dubrovnik. Lokrum's rocky bathing beaches are especially popular, and naturists also get their money's worth here.
Mrtvo More (Dead Sea)
The Mrtvo More in the south of the island of Lokrum is an ideal swimming spot, especially for children and non-swimmers. Here, seawater flows through an invisible tributary into an otherwise secluded pool, creating a natural and completely surf-free swimming pool that reaches a depth of almost 10m.
Tip: Lokrum is extremely popular for swimming trips, especially at weekends, so if you want it to be quieter, you should schedule your visit to Lokrum on a weekday.
Sights on the island of Lokrum
The lush forests of the island of Lokrum also hide a few architectural sights, most of which date back to the Habsburgs.
Benedictine Monastery
The Benedictine monastery on the island of Lokrum dates back to the 11th century. In 1023 Lokrum was first mentioned in a document in connection with this monastery. In 1839, the Habsburg Archduke Maximilian Ferdinand, then King of Mexico, came to the island of Lokrum and fell in love with it. He bought the entire island and made the church and monastery his summer residence.
He and the following Habsburgs shaped Lokrum's landscape according to their ideas and continued the Benedictine tradition of allowing exotic plants to flourish - the basis for today's Lokrum Botanical Garden. Today, the former monastery houses a restaurant.
Lokrum Botanical Garden
The botanical garden of Lokrum was created in 1959. Archduke Max Ferdinand had a spectacular garden with tropical botanical treasures laid out. He brought plants from Australia and South America and populated the garden with peacocks from the Canary Islands.
Fort Royal
The star-shaped Fort Royal was built by the French in 1806. It is enthroned on a plateau at a height of almost 100 metres, the highest elevation on the island of Lokrum. Under the Austrians, the fortress was renamed "Maximilian's Tower".
Related links:
Official website of the island of Lokrum
Link to Dubrovnik Card
