Trsteno Arboretum

Trsteno began in 1494 as the seaside estate of the Gučetić-Gozze family, Ragusan aristocrats who instructed sea captains to bring back cuttings and seeds from every corner of the known world. The result, developed over five centuries, is a 25-hectare Renaissance garden - the oldest arboretum in this part of Europe - tumbling down a hillside to the Adriatic. It has weathered the great earthquake, wildfires in the 1990s (which destroyed part of the collection but spared the core), and the accidental fame that arrived with Game of Thrones. Today it is managed as a scientific institution by the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

You enter through the old villa and walk down through avenues of cypress, holm oak, camphor, and Mediterranean pines. The centrepiece is the Renaissance formal garden with a 15th-century Neptune fountain, statues of nymphs, and a grotto with an aqueduct that still delivers water from the hills above. Further down the hillside, two 500-year-old plane trees stand 60 metres tall - among the largest in Europe. A small pavilion at the water's edge marks where the family's boats once docked. In late spring the whole place smells of jasmine and citrus.

It is 25 km north of Dubrovnik and served by bus 12 from Gruž (30 minutes, €4 each way, hourly in summer). Come in April-June or September-October when the garden is at its best and the sea below is a swimmable temperature - there is a small pebble cove five minutes down the coast road. Allow 90 minutes at a strolling pace. The cafe at the entrance is basic; bring your own picnic and eat by the plane trees. This is the Dubrovnik day out for anyone who wants the region without the crowds.

Hours & entry

Not free

May-Oct 8:00-19:00 · Nov-Apr 8:00-16:00 · Open every day of the year

What to see

• The two 500-year-old plane trees — By the main road at the entrance to the village
• Neptune fountain and grotto — Central Renaissance garden
• Seaside pavilion — Bottom of the estate, where the paths meet the water

Tips from the ground

• Bring your swimsuit - a pebble cove is a five-minute walk from the exit.
• The €4 bus 12 is cheaper and more scenic than a tour bus.
• April-May for wisteria, September-October for pomegranates - avoid August heat.