English
Brief History
The name of Lokrum Island was first heard in 1192 when it provided shelter to King Richard during his return from the Third Crusade. As a gesture of gratitude, King Richard built a Romanesque cathedral.
During the 17th century, a quarantine area – Lazzaretti – was developed in Lokrum Island, to prevent epidemics. The remains of the Lazzaretti can still be seen when you walk across the island.
Franciscan monastery is another historic place on the island. It was built in Gothic-Renaissance style in the 15th century. As soon as you step inside the Franciscan monastery, you will feel as if you have gone back in time.
Botanical Garden
Maximilian of Habsburg, brother of Francis Joseph I, also once controlled Lokrum Island.
In 1859, he bought the island and made beautiful gardens. These gardens can still be seen today as part of the botanical garden. It is thanks to Maximilian that you can walk among 500 different types of flowers, trees, bushes, and plants.
Maximilian liked to travel a lot and brought various kinds of seeds from all across the world. In the botanical garden, you can see flowers, trees, and plants from Chile, south and middle California, South Africa, and east and south Australia.
Enjoy the meadows
You will see a large meadow beyond the monastery and beneath the olive groves. You will also find small football and volleyball fields on the meadow. Children will especially love this place since swings and other games are also available here. Pine trees and cypress provide shade to the swings and other games, so the children can easily play as long as they want.
Some Secrets of the Lokrum Island
Maximilian also brought peacocks to the Lokrum Island. During the previous 150 years, the peacocks have perfectly adapted the new habitat and are still found on Lokrum Island. They decorate the island with their beautiful colors, roaming freely. Don’t be surprised when you see a peacock on the island.
The Purple Cave is another natural beauty of the island. The strange name of the cave comes from the purple seaweed which covers the rocks near the cave. The Purple Cave is hardly known to tourists and even the locals as it is situated at one end of the island. To reach the Purple Cave, you will have to take a boat or the path that goes to the nudist beach.
Children’s Play Day
On 22 September 2012, the Children’s Play Day will be celebrated on Lokrum Island. On this day, children will be able to play freely at Lokrum Island. They can play either on the meadows or in the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea has a shallow pebble beach, which is a terrific place for young children to play.
