Island Lokrumf

The small island in front of Dubrovnik. It takes only 10-15 minutes to reach it by boat. The area of the island is 0.8 sq. kilometers and there is brackish lake called Mrtvo More (the Dead Sea). The north-eastern coast is low and boats can be put to that shore, while the south-eastern coast is steep and rock-bound. Lokrum is famous excursion site. The name of the island probably cam from the Latin word acrumen (meaning 'sour fruit'). In 1023, the citizens of Dubrovnik built there a Benedictine monastery with a church. In 1191, the English king Richared the Lion Heart landed on the island when his ship was caught in a storm on his return from the crusades. In 1859, this small island was bought by the archduke Maximilian Habsburg who built a castle in the shape of the tower on the remains of the destoyed part of the monastery. Around the monastery he arranged a park with exotic plants.