Mljet National Park celebrates its 60th birthday

The Public Institution “National Park Mljet” is celebrating its 60th birthday.

Mljet National Park was founded on November 11, 1960, and is the oldest marine park in the Republic of Croatia.

Mljet National Park covers almost 5,300 ha, including the sea belt 500 m from the coast, islets and cliffs and thus occupies approximately one-third of the island. The bays submerged by the sea, Malo and Veliko Jezero (Small and Great Lake), are the most prominent locations in this area and an important geomorphological and oceanographic phenomenon and one of the main reasons for declaring this part of the island protected. In addition to salt lakes, it is important to mention the forest, which is why the island of Mljet is known today as a green island. Forest vegetation covers over 90% of the land area of ​​NP Mljet and its richness is seen in a large number of plant and animal species. In the middle of the 19th century, the government intended to declare this part of Mljet a protected area precisely because of the preservation of forests. In addition to the rich natural heritage, the area of ​​NP Mljet has an extremely rich cultural and traditional heritage and the most famous monuments are the Benedictine monastery on the island of St. Mary in the Great Lake and the remains of the Roman palace, which is also the third-largest Roman building in Croatia. There are also numerous underwater archaeological sites.

Through its existence and activities, the Public Institution “National Park Mljet” has become a recognizable symbol of the preservation of natural and cultural heritage and all activities of the Institution are aimed at that.

These activities have resulted in significant discoveries, so continuous scientific research has revealed the existence of a large number of endemic, indigenous species in the Park.

In addition to its basic tasks, the Mljet National Park aims to educate both visitors and the local community. The greatest pleasure, however, is working with the youngest islanders and students, the younger and future generation for whom the Institution preserves natural and cultural treasures.

For many years, the Institution has been organizing numerous workshops for the local population and supporting them by sponsoring various cultural and traditional events. Support for the local population is also seen through financial and other incentives, especially in agriculture.

NP Mljet has been the target of a large number of visitors for years and what is interesting is that a large number of visitors return to it every year. In 2019, Mljet National Park was visited by 148,395 visitors, while in 2020 there were 37,844 visitors due to the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on tourist trends. Nature lovers, mountaineers and all those who want to escape from the city bustle can come in NP Mljet at any time of the year. NP Mljet has over 200 km of hiking trails that lead to beautiful locations such as the viewpoint Montokuc where there is a fire observatory with a view of the entire NP Mljet, or to the top Planjak where the future mountain lodge is located. The trails of NP Mljet are especially beautiful in spring and autumn.

Boaters have recognized the beauty of Mljet’s bays, as evidenced by the increase in the number of vessels even in 2020. With the aim of protecting Posidonia meadows and the seabed in general from anchoring and organizing a better reception for boaters, we are working on the design and construction of the coastal wall – the waterfront in the port of Polace and creating preconditions for the same in the port of Pomena.

Improving the visitor infrastructure of the Park is a continuous process that enables the sustainable development of the area. Thus, in accordance with sustainability through projects and own funds, solar-powered catamarans for riding the Great Lake, electric trains, the Great Bridge were built, a modern visitor centre Gustjerna was built, numerous hiking and biking trails and promenades were arranged. The realization of the Mljet-Odyssey Mediterranea project worth HRK 49,268,324.09 is underway, financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund. The aim of the Institution is to show visitors all the special features of this protected area and point out the importance of their protection and encourage them to find ways to help preserve nature.

Mljet National Park would like to thank its employees and all those who work to achieve its fundamental goals and function. During its 60 years of existence, 423 employees, pupils and students have contributed to the improvement of the Mljet National Park. It is important to mention the many volunteers who participate in volunteer programs and work diligently with the employees of the Park on the development and preservation of the Mljet National Park.

All this takes place under the watchful eye and with the help of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and many other partners such as the Municipality of Mljet and its companies, Dubrovnik – Neretva County, City of Dubrovnik, Diocese of Dubrovnik, the University of Dubrovnik with special emphasis on the Institute of the Sea and coast, the University of Zagreb, and especially the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Agriculture, Croatian Waters, Croatian Veterinary Institute, Croatian Restoration Institute, HGSS, numerous associations and many others.

Source: np-mljet.hr