Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

462 SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp502–505 and pp506–507

Mljet 4

The island of Mljet, called Melita by the Romans and

Meleda by the Venetians, covers an area of 98 sq km
(37 sq miles). It is mountainous, with two limestone
depressions in which there are two salt water lakes
linked by a channel. In Roman times, Mljet was a
holiday resort for the wealthy of Salona (see pp470–
71), who built villas here. In 1151, Duke Desa, Grand
Prefect of Zahumlje, in Herzegovina, gave the island
to the Benedictines of Pulsano in Gargano, Italy, who
founded a monas tery here. Two centuries later,
Stjepan, Governor of Bosnia, gave it to Dubrovnik
(see pp454–60). In 1960, the western end, which
covers an area of 31 sq km (12 sq miles) and is
entirely forested, was declared a national park.

Mljet National Park

The national park was

created to save the forest

of Aleppo pine and Holm

oak. In the 19th century,

mongooses were intro-

duced to kill snakes; they

still live in the forests.

Roman Palatium

Near Polače lie the ruins of

a Roman settlement named

Palatium. It includes the

remains of a large villa and

an early Christian basilica.

Monastery of St Mary
In the centre of Veliko Jezero is a small
island with a 12th-century Benedictine
monastery, remodelled in the 1500s. It
features colourful altar pieces carved
from local stone.

Veliko Jezero

Covering about 145 ha (358 acres) Veliko

Jezero (Big Lake) reaches a depth of 46 m

(150 ft). A channel links the lake to the sea and

another links it to a smaller lake, Malo Jezero.

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3

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Pomena

Goveđari Polače

Soline

Blato

Kozarica

MLJET

NATIONAL

PARK