As we are spending our summer as usual in Slano on the Coast of Dubrovnik, it is not far to make a day trip to Trsteno, a charming village with a picturesque port.
Trsteno is famous for its Arboretum, which was founded out of the estate of the seafaring family of Ivan Gučević. He erected a summer residence here in 1494 and laid out a beautiful garden covering roughly 25 hectares. The garden can be visited each day between 7:00 and 19:00 and the entrance fee is 10.00 € (€ 7.00 for students).
Gučević and his family were passionate plant collectors and whenever their ships set sail, they tasked the captains with a special mission – to find and bring back plants from all over the world. Because of their dedication, the arboretum is now home to a huge variety of trees, flowers and shrubs. Many of them are exotic species you would not normally find in Croatia.
We arrived in the early morning and enjoyed the beautiful Renaissance Park with its orthogonal network of walks. It was an amazing experience to wander through gardens filled with palm trees, cypress trees, and citrus groves, but we also saw plants from faraway places like Asia, Africa, and America!
But the Arboretum is not just about plants! In fact, we could also visit some historical buildings and admire the remains of a 70 m long aqueduct. This system was built in the 1400s and it still keeps the plants in the Arboretum watered.
The main villa is actually a 15th-century summer residence. These summer homes were popular among Dubrovnik’s educated elite. This one is a beautiful example of Gothic Renaissance architecture. Its terraces offer a breathtaking view of the open sea and the port of Trsteno.
Exploring further, we spotted the little chapel of St. Jerome, built in the 1600s and we also visited a well-preserved mill with old olive presses.
Finally, we discovered a fountain that looked like a fairy tale and we had it all for ourselves! This typical Baroque fountain with Neptune, the god of the sea as a central figure, dates back to 1736, when it was reshaped from the original Renaissance fountain. The peaceful atmosphere of this place, accompanied by the chirping of crickets and the singing of birds was impressive…
By the way, Trsteno and its Arboretum were used in the television series “Game of Thrones” (3rd and 4th season) as the setting of the Red Keep palace gardens in King’s Landing.
Of course, we should not forget the giant plane trees (Platanus orientalis) that can be found at the small square in the center of the village, right beside the main road. Their trunks are over 5 m wide with a height of 50-60 m.
Around 450 years ago, Captain Florio Jakob Antunov brought five plane tree saplings from Constantinople and planted them near a water spring. Two of the trees have survived until now, thanks to the mild climate, the nearby water spring and the care of the locals entrusted with its survival. One of the two has been proclaimed a park architecture monument. No wonder, as it is one of the biggest plane trees in Europe!
Finally, we drove down the narrow road to the picturesque port of Trsteno. What a beautiful and authentic place!
Nice picture of the both of you, nice artikel