Trsteno – Arboretum

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Trsteno is a village, known for its famous arboretum founded by the Gozze family, conveniently located on a short bus or ferry ride from Dubrovnik Old Town. The day trips to this lovely nature sanctuary where trees or shrubs are cultivated for their scientific or educational interest, are very popular among locals as well as among visitors to Dubrovnik.

Spending some time there can be a really refreshing experience, as the arboretum has plenty of pine, cypress, and olive trees as well as some other subtropical vegetation including palm trees, eucalyptus, laurel, camphor, or cypresses that offers tranquillity and shade, especially during the hot summer days.

Founded in 1492 by the di Gozze family (see photo below and read about Dubrovnik’s Golden Age), the arboretum contains the oldest collection of exotic trees and plants in the country and is reputed to be one of the oldest in the world. It is also the only arboretum on the eastern coast of the Adriatic.

Arboretum in Trsteno with giant platanus, (Plane tree) — Arboretum in Trsteno with giant Platanus (Plane tree)

Getting to Arboretum Trsteno

The arboretum, located about 12 km northwest of Dubrovnik Old Town, is situated along the coastal road between the villages of Orašac and Slano. The easiest way to reach it is to either take a local bus (timetable) or a newly introduced local ferry from Dubrovnik Port or from Lokrum.

Giant Platanus - Plane tree — Giant Platanus (Plane tree) – detail

Game of Thrones and Trsteno

In the third season of the television series Game of Thrones, the Trsteno Arboretum is used as the garden of the Tyrells in King’s Landing.

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Location Map

GPS Coordinates: 42°42’45.4″N 17°58’37.1″E

Opening Times & Ticket price

Winter opening times: November to April: 08:00 – 16:00
Summer opening times: May to October 7:00 – 19:00
Tickets: 10 Euro for adults; children & students 7 Euro

The next time you go to Dubrovnik, stop by Trsteno. From May to October, the arboretum is open from 7 am. to 7 pm and from November to April from 8 am to 4 pm. The ticket price for adults is 10 EUR and for students and children 7 EUR.

Parking

There is a parking lot in the near vicinity, so it is easy to park if you are arriving by car (see the above map for the exact location)

lovely views over the path of arboretum — Lovely views over the path of the arboretum

Arboretum Trsteno is known for its historical gardens and collection of Mediterranean and exotic plants, and in 1949 it was protected as a natural monument. It covers approximately 25 hectares and includes a Renaissance park with a summer house, a neo-romantic park from the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, an old olive grove, and natural vegetation of forest and maquis, with coastal rocks. In the complex, apart from the summer house, there is also the chapel of St. Jerome from the 17th century, an old olive mill, an aqueduct from the 15th century, and a baroque fountain with the Roman god Neptune and nymphs.

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With a rich plant collection consisting of 465 cultivated and 510 wild species, the Trsteno arboretum unites natural and cultural heritage.
Palm trees, eucalyptus, laurel, camphor, old cypress, and old ginkgo, as well as various exotic trees and shrubs, have been preserved to this day. The arboretum is adorned with Lebanese cedar, an impressive 30-meter tall Plane tree, an Asian sycamore, and flowering plants such as bougainvillea and lilies. There is also a bamboo forest.