CROATIA - Arboretum Trsteno Garden

16:18 Travel Bunny 0 Comments

Arboretum Trsteno was established at the former land estate of the Dubronik Patrician Family Gucetic-Gozze in 1948 and has been protected by law as a monument of garden architecture. It is known for its historical gardens and a collection of Mediterranean and exotic species. It is also one of the filming locations of HBO popular fantasy series, Game of Thrones.

During summer (May to October), the opening hours is longer, from 8a.m. till 7p.m. During winter (November to April), the opening hours is 8a.m. till 4p.m. Entrance tickets for adult is 45kN and students 25kN.

The arboretum emcompasses an area of 70 acres. It integrates several different units: the historical Renaissance garden and villa, the historical Neo-Romantic garden of the turn of the 19th to the 20th centuries, the historical olive grove, as well as natural vegetation like the Downy Oak, the Aleppo Pine and the Mediterranean Cypress Woods, Macchia and coastal rock vegetation.

The pergola pillars at the sides of the main walk support the vines.

This is the villa and its main walk. After the catastrophic earthquake in 1667, when the early Renaissance villa was destroyed, a new residence, which presents the present-day villa was soon erected on the same spot.

Right in front of the villa is the pavilion which faces the sea.

Scene from the Game of Thrones.

It was such a pity that I couldn’t enter the pavilion and enjoyed the sea view.

Remember this pavillion?

View of the pavilion from the other side.

The villa was the summer residence of Ivan Marinov Gucetic-Gozze at his land estate in Trsteno. It was the place where Nikola Vitov Gucetic, distinguished philosopher and humanist, wrote numerous of his philosophical works and dissertations in the 16th century.

I can see where his inspiration came from. The garden is beautiful.

There are buildings in the eastern part of the garden which formerly served the agricultural needs of the estate.

This well-preserved mill with its oliver-presses is particularly noteworthy.

Behind the villa, there’s a chapel called St. Jerome’s chapel.

Further down the road is the beautiful fountain which is the centrepiece of the garden. The fountain in the garden was supplied with water on a 70m long aqueduct on 14 arches. In 1736, the original Renaissance fountain was reshaped into a luxurious Baroque nymphaeum with Neptune, the god the sea, as the central figure of the stone statues composition.