Lokrum Island
Located just 600 meters from the port of Dubrovnik, Lokrum is an island with a history spanning over a thousand years and hiding something unexpected at every turn. The first archaeological traces on Lokrum date back to the 6th and 5th centuries BC, and over the centuries the island has been inhabited by Romans, medieval orders and powerful dynasties. The name Lokrum comes from the Latin word acrumen, meaning sour fruit – lemons and oranges still grow on the island today.
In 1023, the Archbishop of Dubrovnik Vital and the city’s prior Lampredije donated the island to the Benedictines, who built the Abbey of St. Mary here. This monastery soon became a center of spiritual and cultural life, and the Benedictines remained on Lokrum for almost eight centuries. During this period, the abbey developed in the Gothic-Renaissance style, and the cloister with its rich capitals and bifora testifies to the high level of architecture of that time. The great earthquake of 1667 severely damaged the monastery, and the Benedictine period ended in 1798 with the expulsion of the monks and the sale of the island to private individuals.
One of the most famous stories related to Lokrum is that of the English king Richard the Lionheart. In 1192, while returning from a crusade, he landed on Lokrum due to a storm. In gratitude for his rescue, he promised to build a church, but the people of Dubrovnik persuaded him to invest the funds in the city cathedral, so Lokrum never got that church.
After the Benedictines left, the island passed into the hands of Dubrovnik nobles. However, the story of the "Lokrum curse" soon spread: the first owners after the Benedictines suffered tragic fates - one fell from the third floor, another drowned, and a third committed suicide. Legend has it that the Benedictines, who were expelled from the island, walked around Lokrum three times the night before they left with candles turned upside down and uttered a curse: "Whoever takes Lokrum for their own pleasure will be cursed!" This story still intrigues visitors today, and locals will tell you that no one wants to spend the night on the island.
In the 19th century, Lokrum became the property of the Habsburgs. Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg built a summer residence and arranged a botanical garden with exotic plants from all over the world. Interestingly, the peacocks that now roam freely on the island were brought by Maximilian himself. After World War I, the island was used as a children's convalescence center, and in the mid-20th century, it was taken over by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which established a biological institute and a natural history museum here.
Today, Lokrum is a protected nature reserve under UNESCO, known for its botanical garden with more than 800 species of plants, rocky beaches, the remains of a Benedictine abbey and a diverse fauna - as many as 156 species of birds live on the island. A special attraction is the "Dead Sea", a small salt lake connected to the open sea by an underwater tunnel, ideal for swimming for both children and adults.
For fans of the series, Lokrum is also known as a filming location from "Game of Thrones", where the mystical city of Qarth was filmed.
And one more thing: there is a FKK beach on the southern part of the island, so if you like surprises, you know where to turn.
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