National Park Mljet

National Park Mljet

In the northwest of the island of Mljet is a very beautiful National Park. Founded the National Park Mljet on 11.11.1960 and has been one of the main attractions of the Emerald Isle as Mljet is also called. The special thing about this area, in addition to the age-old pine and oak forests, the whole over centuries beauty of nature. Here you will find the channel Soine, the Big and Small Lake as well as some significant cultural and historical monuments such as palaces and basilicas. Especially nice is the small island of St. Mary with the Benedictine monastery.

The Mljet National Park is about 20 km north of Sobra, where the port of the island. Advised to go there by car or scooter. The ride is quite simple, since there is only one road and the park is signposted early. Entrance to the National Park is 90 kuna per person, equivalent to just over 12 €. At the entrance to the park is a large unspoilt free parking. There are picnic tables and benches, a large map of the park and a small house, where you can buy the tickets.

From here one goes on just a few minutes walk and then you have come to the pier, from where the ships of the park to the island of St. Mary. Ships sail from the early morning on a regular basis over the Great Lake to the island and back. It takes only a few minutes, even from a distance you can see the church and the Benedictine monastery. Once on the island can you go in a small souvenir shop or directly next to the monastery and the church. Currently they are in renovation work and therefore can not be visited. If you follow the road further you come to a little stone chapel where you can find many personal intercessions and prayers in all possible languages. The path then leads to a small very clear lake where you can observe many fish. Much more there are on the island can not be seen.

From here you can take a further vessel back into the National Park. Here you pass on a rental of bicycles, canoes and other small boats. If one continues to get the little lake, a salt water lake is like the Great Lake. Both lakes are connected to the sea and they are healing effects spoken to. There is a small beach where you should definitely take a swimming break. The water of the lakes in the park is average 2-3 degrees warmer than in the other beaches on Mljet, the Great Lake is in summer about 25 ° warm and the Small Lake as much as 27 °. Here swimming is really fun. Mostly here is an ice cream van, which also sells soft drinks to find. Who does not want so close to each other at the visitors can go into the water and across the street from the beach. Here you can sit in the trees and is only steps from pristine warm lake. If you have enough swum and lying in the sun, you can explore the National Park on the very well-developed hiking trails and enjoy a lot of nature. Even in high season you can enjoy and unwind the natural rest, because you are traveling alone on many parts of the path. A visit to the National Park is very worthwhile and you should definitely pack swimsuits because swimming is a real treat here.

Information about the National Park Mljet

• History
• Flora und Fauna
• Geology
• Photos
• Video
• Map
• How arrive

History National Park Mljet

The western part of the island of Mljet was declared in 1960 a national park to protect the Aleppokiefern- which oak and holm oak woods and the two saltwater lakes. These salt lakes formed approximately 10,000 years ago when formerly known karst fields filled by the last ice age to the rise of the water level with water. At the time of establishment of the national park had the connecting channel between the sea and the lakes a width of about 4 m and was only half a meter deep. Later it was the channel made navigable water - widened and brought to a depth of about 2.50 m.

On the peak of Mali Gradac (close to Babine Kuce) are the remains of an Illyrian fortification. In Roman times, the island is mentioned under the name of Melita. From this period finds are present all over the island: in Pomena, Zare, Pinjevica. From the transition period to the early Middle Ages the ruins of a palace and a early Christian basilica in Polace originate. Around 536-537 the island became part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Later, she fell to the tribe of Neretljani, then to the principality Zahumlje. From this time, the pre-Romanesque churches of St. Pancras, St. Andrew and St. Michael in Babino Polje submitted. Grand prefect of Zahumlje, Desa, gives 1151 the entire island to the Benedictines (from the abbey Pulsano at Monte Gargano in Apulia) that build their abbey and church on the islet in Big Lake. In 1333 Mljet goes through a donation The Bosnian viceroy Stephen to the Republic of Dubrovnik. From this time, the island is owned by a duke who resided in Babino Polje. In 1345 Mljet gets its own constitution. In the Gothic several churches (the parish church in Babino Polje, the Holy Trinity Church in Prozura, St. Vitus in Korita all _ 15C.) Were built on the island. The ruined church of St. Mary of Mount dates from the transition period between the Gothic and Renaissance. The profane architecture is represented with some characteristic buildings (the Renaissance castle of Mljet princes in Babino Polje, several Baroque houses from the 17-18. Century. In Korita).

Mljet National Park (since 1960), situated in the northwestern part of the island; 54 km2. The park includes the Great and the Small Lake and the Soline channel. The lakes are connected by narrow and shallow, artificially deepened channels both mutually and with the sea. The National Park is home to a large number of plant communities:

Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) and holm oak (Quercus ilex) with dense scrub. The Big and Small Lake and the Soline channel have special physical properties: for example, the Small Lake is exposed to a natural eutrophication process, so that in the lower depths of no oxygen is present. In the woods mongooses live; the south coast is the habitat of the monk seal. In the south bay of the Great Lake, a 200 meters is long and about 120 m wide island on which the Benedictines built in the 12th century. A monastery with St. Mary's Church. The Church of St. Mary has Romanesque features. The vestibule with high reliefs (saints) was probably built at the turn of the 12th into the 13th century. Preceded by a Renaissance portico with the coat of arms of the Gundulic from 16-17. Century. From this period dates also the quadrangular tower. On the northeast side of the church there is a Romanesque bell tower. In the Baroque period the church received two side chapels with altars. The old monastery building with a cloister and a spacious basement was enlarged in the 16th century. To the sea side to a two-storey Renaissance building with a 30 m long terrace at the front side. At that time the monastery was fortified (defensive walls and towers at the south end). The monastery was secularized in 1869 and abandoned; it was until 1941, the Forestry Administration of the island of Mljet; 1959_60 hotel was made of it. In recent times the church of their sacred function is returned; for the monastery is still looking for a purpose. The feast day of the church is Assumption (August 15). In the Benedictine convent of Mljet dwelt as monks known writers from Dubrovnik: Mavro Vetranovic (1482_1576), Mavro Orbini (died 1614th) and Ignjat Durdevic (1675_1737), who described his stay on Mljet in a poem.

Flora And Fauna

The island of Mljet owes the mild Mediterranean climate and the quiet location foreclosed their wealth of vegetation and many different species of animals.

In the plant world of Mljet the pines and oaks are most strongly represented numerically. A huge pine forest that covers the small and the great sea, the Pomena bay, mountains and Gaja Bugari and the village Govedari one of the finest, healthiest and densest of its kind in the Mediterranean. The evergreen oaks are found primarily in Valakija, Nikolin Dolac, Neze and Ivanje Polje. Before devastating forest fire in the early 20th century, could fro towards -and even in midsummer at noon in the shade of centuries-old pine and oak trees between the towns of Babino Polje and Govedari. The entire street was shaded by the tall tree crowns and through the dense foliage blanket came no ray of sunlight through. The southeastern part of the island of Mljet is a nature reserve, national park Mljet find other rare plant species that are considered particularly worthy of protection. Therefore, in the national park are strict rules. For example, the following rules should follow there: you must not pick flowers, leaves break from the trees or leave the marked paths.

While the forests formerly played an important economic role in the life of the islanders on Mljet they now serve primarily scientific and tourist activities. The management of the National Park of Mljet and the forest administrations of towns Split and Dubrovnik are taking important steps to protect forests. The fauna of the island of Mljet is quite varied among many sea dwellers such as perch, bream, conger, moray eels and countless other you meet on land, for example, on martens, wild cats, wild goats and donkeys, dormice, soft-shelled turtles, mice, insects and many birds. Today, there are on the island of Mljet some non-toxic species of snakes. Early last century many islanders died from the bites of poisonous horned viper, so that the then forest managers Indian mongoose to Mljet took that ate the poisonous snakes. Today, thanks to the mongoose, the number of poisonous snakes minimized so that they are no longer explicitly mentioned. The small gray animals come with her tail to a length of about one meter. The tiny head with the small alert eyes and a pointed snout is framed by barely visible ears. Despite their comical appearance are the mongooses industrious hunters and will eat anything which is not larger than a rabbit. Even birds are not safe from them, particularly in chickens they are targeting. Since Mungo also poisonous scorpions are eaten among the inhabitants of the island of Mljet very popular. Because the mongoose between six and nine boy getting growing every year their numbers continuously.

In addition to the mongooses are also 1958 red deer, Axis, hare species of chamois mouflon, pheasant, partridge and wild boar on the island of Mljet has been exposed. To date, there have them only the hare, red deer and wild boar managed to survive. The wild boar but evolve gradually into a real plague, since they are not only very voracious and some species have almost eradicated, but also orchards, vineyards and potato fields lay waste to their foraging. To regulate this imbalance has to the island of Mljet boar hunts that take place under the supervision of the hunting association and the management of the national park.

Geology

The National Park occupies the northwestern part of the island of Mljet and consists almost entirely of forests. Its total area is 5375 hectares. From Mount Montokuc and other summits there is a wonderful view over the National Park and to the peninsula Pelješac and the open southern Adriatic. In National Park Mljet is two natural salt lakes, the Veliko jezero and Jezero Mali.

Veliko and Malo jezero

These salt lakes are a unique geological and oceanic phenomenon of worldwide importance.

The approximately 145 hectares and in some places 46 m deep saltwater lake Veliko Jezero has at Soline a natural channel connecting the Adriatic Sea and a flow to smaller salt lake Malo jezero (24 ha). Around the lakes runs a footpath which runs past the hamlets Babino, Kuce, Pristaniste and Soline. In Veliko jezero is the monastery island Sveta Marija. These torrential ford is designated Veliki Most and offers the best swimming.

Monastery island Sveta Marija
On the monastery island Sveta Marija is the former Benedictine monastery from the 12th century. In the 16th century. The church was extended in the renaissance style and used in the period before the Yugoslav war conflict as a hotel.

Per Tourboat can translate every hour to the Benedictine Church. Who trusts himself, can also swim across.

Pomena
Very sexy is Pomena in the northwest on the island of Mljet. Footpaths connect this fishing village with the salt lake Malo Jezero. In Pomena's only hotel located on the island.

Polace
"Polace" means Palace and is due to the former Roman settlement on the south end of town here. Polace has a small harbor, are offered from which trips to Peljesac peninsula.

Photo

Video

Map

Getting there

You reach the island of Mljet coming by ferry from Dubrovnik or Korcula. The Hauptfährort is Sobra. At 10 and 18 o'clock ferries from Dubrovnik and from Sobra at 6 and 19:30. 2x weekly ferry from Rijeka to Dubrovnik passes.

From the ferry terminal on the north side of the island of Mljet you have on the island continue to the National Park. On the island 3x drives the island bus from Sobra to Pomena and back daily.

1x daily is the car ferry to the island of Korcula on the road (13 pm from Korcula).

Who wants to translate by car should take the car ferry in Polace, the morning and afternoon runs between Polace and Trstenik on the Peljesac peninsula.

The park administration of the national park is located in Pristanice. 2

Visitors can enter the Park only through official entrances, these are: Crna Klada, Pomena and Polače.
The places Pomena and Polače are connected to the sea by a system of forest roads.
Visitors who arrive under an organized day trip must reside during their stay in this group, while individual visitors can move around in the park, where they want - as long as they abide by the parking regulations.

The National Park Mljet offers a wonderful sight throughout the year. The trails along the shores of the famous lakes make your stay very pleasant. The hiking and biking trails are in the area of the park consistently in the shade of large trees, so it is not too hot in the summer to make a trekking tour. The outlook from Montokuc and other peaks are lovely, overlooks the entire National Park and the open sea at the south Adriatic.

Already starting with inputs marked trails for Great Lake, the Small Lake and of course to the island of St. Mary. So it's easy to explore the park on your own. But you can also ask for some money a guide to lead you through the park.

• The Great Lake and the Small Lake are the salt lakes representing a unique geological and oceanographic phenomenon of worldwide importance. They originated approximately 10,000 years ago. Until the Christian era they were still filled with freshwater, but then came a narrow passage to the sea, Soline bay, and the lakes salted.
• On the banks of the lakes, there are hiking and biking trails that run in the shadows of the woods.
• You can hike to the Great Lake (it has an area of 145 ha and is maximum 46 m deep).
• A short distance by boat leads to the small island of St. Mary
• There you will visit the ancient Benedictine monastery and a church from the 12th century.

After your trip you can take Miscellaneous:

• You can swim in the lakes almost throughout the year, especially the little lake offers pleasant temperatures from April to October.
• Visit Polace - this is a place with a harbor in a sheltered bay. Guests can visit various cultural and historical monuments as a Roman palace and an ancient Catholic basilica.
• In Pomena you can find everything for a sporting holiday. There are diving and sailing schools or rent bicycles, canoes and surfboards.

Moreover, interesting cultural events, especially in summer:

Mljet cultural summer - it is linked to the Christian holidays Velika Gospa (Our Lady) and Gospe od Jezera (Madonna of the lake). The celebrations begin in mid-July and end on 15 August. On the island of Santa Maria there during this time many concerts and exhibitions in the monastery. The revenue therefrom are used for the restoration of the monastery.
On Mljet and the Half Ironman Triathlon takes place, a traditional annual international competition, which consists of a combination of swimming, cycling and running. It takes place in October and the venue is the entire National Park Mljet.

Eat:
Restaurant Melita - within the breathtaking ambience of the island of St. Mary there is a fish restaurant with various specialties of the Dalmatian cuisine.