Trsteno

Trsteno is a small town situated about 15 km south from Slano towards Dubrovnik. It is known for its arboretum, situated on the right hand side of the Adriatic Highway, if you are travelling towards Dubrovnik, or rather “below the highway”. Before making a turn towards the arboretum, you will notice two huge plane trees, 41 and 33 m high, estimated at 450 years of age and having a circumference of 15 m. They are among the oldest and largest trees in Europe, and it is their species of oriental planes that is their special attraction. The arboretum was founded in 1948 on the country estate of the Gučetić (Gozze) family. The estate has been there since 1494. It is the only arboretum on the Adriatic coast. The place grew into today’s arboretum when seamen and friends of the Gučetić family brought plants and seeds from different parts of the world. It spans 25 hectares. Today, the arboretum has more than 300 different species of Mediterranean plants, palm trees, eucalyptus trees, camphor, laurel, bamboo and various exotic trees and shrubs, but flowers too, such as bougainvillea and lily of the valley. The arboretum is a typical example of a renaissance garden, where one can see different landscape and architectural elements: a historical renaissance park with a summer house, a historical olive grove and natural vegetation of downy oak, Aleppo pine and cypress woods, macchia vegetation, pavilion, St. Jerome’s chapel, the green loggia, an aqueduct, a mill, a baroque fountain with Neptune and the nymphs and a viewpoint. The baroque fountain was made in 1736, and it was named after Neptune, the god of the sea, to protect this area from fires and other disasters. When you reach the viewpoint and look towards the sea, you will see the largest islands of the Elaphites like in the palm of your hand – Šipan (the largest on the left hand side), Lopud directly opposite and Koločep far left. If you come to the Arboretum, you can enjoy a paradise of peace and beauty of this place, a wonderful space, various scents of a number of Mediterranean plants, birdsong and sea view.