As Morski writes, as part of the “Historical Gardens of the Dubrovnik area” project, the Trsteno Arboretum Education and Multimedia Centre was officially opened, having been partly financed by European Union (EU) funds.
The brand new centre will contribute to the interpretation of the arboretum’s stunning natural heritage, work to further increase the tourist attractiveness of the area and the development of the local economy. There will be education sessions and workshops for locals, tourists and visitors of all ages on the traditional cultivation of olives and vines, the use of medicinal and aromatic plants, ornithofauna and entomofauna of Trsteno Arboretum and the role of forests in the reclamation of negative environmental changes.
The new Trsteno Arboretum Education and Multimedia Centre was built with ”being green” firmly in mind, meaning everything involved sustainable procurement, which is shown in the use of indigenous materials and products, such as wooden joinery (windows and doors), stone facade finishing, wooden pergola constructions on terraces and so on. As part of the project, a thematic-educational trail was also fully arranged in the olive groves of the Arboretum.
The second main activity of the project has also now been announced, and that involves the procurement of a ship and the opening of a new ferry line that will connect Trsteno Arboretum and the island of Lokrum which lies just across from the City of Dubrovnik and will likely prove extremely popular with nature lovers needing a breath of fresh air away from the hustle and bustle of Croatia’s tourism Mecca. The aim of the project is to preserve local biodiversity, encourage the sustainable use of natural heritage and promote its cultural and historical values through the interpretation and presentation of protected natural heritage, thus contributing to sustainable development at both a local and regional level.
The total value of the project stands at 18,289,422.37 kuna and most of the grants for it have been provided from the European Regional Development Fund. In addition to the project beneficiary, the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Lokrum Reserve Public Institution, the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the Dubrovnik Art Association without Borders (DART) are all participating in the project.
This beautiful arboretum is otherwise very well known for its historical parks and its impressive and vast collection of Mediterranean and exotic plant species. It was founded in 1948 on the site and base of the historic country estate of the Dubrovnik noble family Gucetic-Gozze, dating from 1494, and is protected by law. Covering an area of 28 hectares, it unites several different units: a historic Renaissance park with a summer house, a historic neo-romantic park, a historic olive grove, and natural vegetation boasting numerous tree species from near and far.
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