Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
But when Tito took power, he claimed the islands for himself, making Brijuni his summer
residence from 1949 until 1979. During this time, the island hosted a steady stream of VIP
visitors from the East, the West, and the non-aligned world (see sidebar). Just three years
after Tito's death, in October 1983, Brijuni opened to the public as a national park.
Getting There:
You can get to Great Brijuni Island only on one of the national park's
boats. These depart from the town of Fažana, five miles north of Pula and 20 miles south
of Rovinj. From Rovinj, drive southeast to Bale, where you'll get on the
ipsilon
highway
and continue south. In Vodnjan, watch for the easy-to-miss turnoff (on the right) marked for
Fažana and Brijuni. Once in Fažana, follow brown
Brijuni
signs and park along the water
(confirm with park ticket office that your parking spot is OK).
Cost and Information:
The price varies depending on the time of year: July-Aug-210
kn, June and Sept-200 kn, April-May and Oct-170 kn, Nov-March-125 kn; includes park
entry, round-trip by boat to the island, and a guide (see “English Tour,” below). Tel. 052/
525-882,
www.brijuni.hr
.
Brijuni: Center of the Non-Aligned World
Many visitors to the former Yugoslavia mistakenly assume this country was part of
the Soviet Bloc. It most decidedly wasn't. While the rest of “Eastern Europe” was
liberated by the Soviets at the end of World War II, Yugoslavia's own, homegrown
Partisan Army forced the Nazis out themselves. This allowed the country—and its
new leader, the war hero Marshal Tito—a certain degree of self-determination fol-
lowing the war. Though the new Yugoslavia was socialist, it was not Soviet-style so-
cialism. After formally breaking ties with Moscow in 1948, Tito steered his country
toward a “third way” between the strict and stifling communism of the East and the
capitalist free-for-all of the West. (For more on Tito's system, see the Understanding
Yugoslavia chapter.)
