Trsteno Arboretum

Trsteno began as the country estate of a Dubrovnik patrician family in the fifteenth century, and the bones of that garden are still there: a formal layout of paths and low walls on a terrace above the sea, an aqueduct bringing water to a grotto fountain with a figure of Neptune, and a summer villa. Later centuries added exotic species brought back by ship captains, and the whole thing is now run as an arboretum by the national academy of sciences. Two oriental plane trees stand at the roadside by the entrance, both very large and several centuries old. Paths run down through olive and citrus terraces towards a small harbour.

What you actually see

• The Neptune fountain - a grotto fountain fed by a stone aqueduct running along the back of the garden.
• The plane trees - two exceptionally large oriental planes at the roadside, several hundred years old.
• The Renaissance terrace - the original formal garden layout of walled beds, paths and a summer villa.
• The lower terraces - olive, citrus and palm planting descending towards a small stone harbour.

When to go

Spring is by far the best time, when the citrus and wisteria are out and the temperature suits walking. Autumn is quieter still. Summer visits are hot and the garden is only partly shaded. It closes earlier than you might expect outside the main season, so check the day's hours before taking the bus out.

Honest expectations

Parts of the garden are visibly neglected, with overgrown sections and damage from past fires and storms not fully repaired. It is a historic garden rather than a manicured one, which disappoints people expecting a show garden. The site is on steep terraces with uneven steps. The bus from Dubrovnik is slow and infrequent, and there is little else in the village.

Nearby

The Elaphiti islands lie offshore, and Dubrovnik is about half an hour down the coast road.